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[Cricket]England's Tour to India; Next match: 18th February
Topic Started: Feb 11 2006, 04:48 PM (3,346 Views)
Tealey
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Jones and Trescothick out for series

"BBC Sport"
 
Simon Jones has officially been ruled out of the rest of England's Test series in India after knee surgery.
And coach Duncan Fletcher believes Marcus Trescothick will not return after leaving for personal reasons.

"There is a very good chance he will not play in this Test series and probably a good chance he will not play in the one-dayers," said Fletcher.

However, batsman Kevin Pietersen has been cleared to play in the second Test after an X-ray on his left elbow.

Fletcher confirmed that Andrew Flintoff will remain as captain barring unforeseen circumstances.

But he admitted: "There is a chance we might be asking a lot of him."

England, who completed a draw in Nagpur on Sunday, have two more Tests in Mohali - beginning on Thursday - and Mumbai (Bombay).

They are followed by seven one-day internationals from 28 March to 15 April.

Jones, who flew home after twisting his left knee in the nets last week, underwent an arthroscopy on Friday.

"He will begin his rehabilitation programme under the supervision of the England physiotherapist Dean Conway this week," said an ECB statement.

"At this stage it is thought unlikely that he will be available for the forthcoming one-day series."

Pace bowler Jones was attempting to prove his recovery from an ankle problem when the latest injury hit.

He missed more than a year after an horrendous injury to his right knee, suffered at the start of the 2002/03 Ashes tour.

And after becoming one of the heroes of the 2005 Ashes series he missed the last Test that summer at The Oval and has played no serious cricket since then.

Along with captain Michael Vaughan (knee) and spinner Ashley Giles (hip), Jones is one of three leading players missing the series through injury.

England were forced to field three debutants in the first Test in Nagpur, but late call-up Alastair Cook hit a maiden century.

And spinner Monty Panesar dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in an impressive display of control.

"What is so pleasing is that these guys look as though they have really got a desire not just to play for England but to do well for England," said Fletcher.

"I was very impressed with what I saw of Cook in Pakistan and that is why we got him back this time.

"As for Monty, I was surprised with the control he had right from the word go; he didn't seem to show any nerves."


Hoggard goes Fourth in Test Bowler rankings

"BBC Sport"
 
England bowler Matthew Hoggard has moved up six places in the LG ICC Test match ratings and is officially the fourth best bowler in the world.
Hoggard was named man of the match after taking seven wickets against India in the drawn first Test in Nagpur while the other bowlers struggled.

Stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff slipped down four places to eighth.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan takes over from Glenn McGrath as the leading bowler.

Hoggard's rating of 779 is his best ever but he will have to work hard to stay there with star seamers Makhaya Ntini, Chaminda Vaas and Shoaib Akhtar all breathing down his neck.

India spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are both on the slide after failing to impress in Nagpur, dropping to 13th and 23rd respectively.

In the batting, there has been little significant movement in the upper echelons.

However, Paul Collingwood rises a massive 29 places to be 54th and Alastair Cook is a "new entry" at 63rd.

Ian Bell slips eight places to 51st.


The Top 10 Bowlers

1 Muttiah Muralitharan SL

2 Glenn McGrath AUS

3 Shane Warne AUS

4 MATTHEW HOGGARD ENG

5 Makhaya Ntini SA

6 Chaminda Vaas SL

7 Shoaib Akhtar PAK

8 ANDREW FLINTOFF ENG

9 Andre Nel SA

10 Shaun Pollock SA

W00t!
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Apparently the wicket will suit England in the next Test :)
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Day 1 and 2 of 5 versus India (Second Test)

England: 200-5

Sorry for the lack of update yesterday, I was elsewhere. So this is a combined thread for both days. Let's go. The teams were:

England

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
G Jones
Plunkett
Harmison
Hoggard
Panesar

India

Jaffer
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Dhoni
Pathan
Kumble
Chawla
Harbhajan Singh
Patel

Day 1

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
England failed to build on some good foundations against India on a disrupted first day in the second Test.

More than two hours were lost to the weather as the tourists limped to 163-4 after winning the toss in Mohali, with Kevin Pietersen's 64 the highlight.

He and Ian Bell (38) put on 81 before Bell fell to Anil Kumble and debutant Munaf Patel snagged Pietersen late on.

Irfan Pathan dismissed openers Andrew Strauss (18) and Alastair Cook (17) in successive overs before lunch.

Once stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff called the toss of the coin correctly for the second time in this series, England knew they must build a big total.

But Flintoff, who celebrated the birth of his second child overnight, was batting by the close, having just got off the mark with a boundary.

With him was first Test centurion Paul Collingwood, unbeaten on 19 from 46 deliveries.

Kumble was one of three spinners in the India side, including debutant Piyush Chawla, at 17 the second-youngest debutant ever for India.

With Sri Sreesanth suffering from a virus, they handed pace bowler Patel his first cap and brought batsman Yuvraj Singh back from injury, replacing Mohammad Kaif and VVS Laxman.

Meanwhile England replaced one of their slow bowlers, Ian Blackwell, with an extra seamer in Liam Plunkett.

Despite a start delayed 45 minutes by rain, Flintoff's decision to bat first looked correct as England's openers began well, but they soon grew over-confident.

Strauss threw his bat at a delivery swinging away and well-wide to get a toe-end to diving wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni.

In his next over, Pathan set Cook up with an out-swinger then had him falling over a straighter delivery.

Pietersen punished Chawla early on, with a four and six off successive deliveries after the lunch break.

He survived a chance on 39, when Pathan could have felt aggrieved not to have had an lbw appeal upheld as it swung in to hit pad before bat.

Bell showed some signs of a return to form with six boundaries, including a sweet cover drive off Pathan. He looked less assured against the slower bowlers, though.

Under heavy cloud cover he made a vital error before play was halted for the first time, the Warwickshire man left alone a googly that clipped the top of off stump.

After a 105-minute delay, another hour was possible, in which Pietersen passed 50 for the seventh time in just his 10th Test, square-driving Pathan for his ninth boundary.

After struggling to impress for much of the day, however, Patel returned with more pace and a hint of reverse-swing.

He took a lightning catch to his left to end a confident innings, and leave England pleased to accept bad light for a second time, 25 minutes early.

With almost 40 overs being lost on Thursday, play will start at 0400 GMT for the remaining four days to make up for lost time.


Day 2

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
A draw between England and India looked likely after rain ended day two of the second Test with just 87 balls bowled.

In the first hour, England moved from their overnight 163-4 to 200-5, with Andrew Flintoff reaching 26 not out.

India spinner Anil Kumble took his 498th Test wicket when he dismissed Paul Collingwood for the first time in the series, bowling him for 25.

Geraint Jones had 20 deliveries to make an unbeaten seven with a boundary off the veteran spinner.

Bad light stopped play at 0505 GMT and the drizzle that accompanied it became heavier two hours later, but it took a further three hours to call play off.

An extra half-hour will be available at either end of the next three days in an attempt to make up some of the lost time.

But with more rain forecast over the next two days, the sides look set to go into the final Test deadlocked at 0-0 in the series.

Flintoff and Collingwood both got off the mark for the day to the first ball they faced.

But they added just 13 runs in the first half-hour of play, attempting to lay firmer foundations than the side had established on the opening day.

Three boundaries came off paceman Munaf Patel, Flintoff driving one particularly fine shot down the ground.

Kumble, though, offered a tough examination, beating Collingwood's forward defensive with a delivery that turned slightly and bounced, hitting the top of middle stump.

Only when joined by Jones did Flintoff take any risks, and he was lucky when a chip off Kumble landed just fine of the mid-on fielder.


Scorecards

England First Innings

Strauss----18
Cook----17
Bell----38
Pietersen----64
Collingwood----25
Flintoff----26
G Jones----7
Extras----5 (4nb, 1lb)
Yet to Bat: Plunkett, Harmison, Hoggard, Panesar

India Bowling First Innings

Pathan----2-63
Patel----1-59
Harbhajan Singh----0-15
Chawla----0-20
Kumble----2-42

So that's that. Lots of time lost today and a bit from yesterday in what is probably going to be a draw. Next day tomorrow (hopefully!)
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Heading for a draw... Is it a three-match Test Series or five?
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3 tests, 7 one dayers
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Day 3 of 5 versus India (Second Test)

England: 200 All Out
India: 149-4


So it was Day 3, a really good day of cricket. Kumble reached 500. Jones and Flintoff got some runs. Bell took a screamer.

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
Andrew Flintoff took the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh fell late on as India finished day three 151 behind at 149-4 in the second Test.

Rahul Dravid, who shared an obdurate 78 with Wasim Jaffer, struck his 41st Test fifty and remained undefeated on 61.

Earlier, Anil Kumble passed 500 wickets as England were dismissed for 300.

After Flintoff (70) and Geraint Jones (52) shared their fourth Test century stand, Kumble polished off the innings with three wickets in four deliveries.

With openers Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag both already back in the pavilion, Mahendra Dhoni was unbeaten on 12, needing to show Dravid further support on Sunday.

After a 40-minute delay to the start because of heavy overnight rain, Flintoff survived a scare on 30, when a thick edge off Kumble bounced out of Dravid's palm at first slip.


Jones looked all at sea in the early stages against Kumble, who caused constant problems with his clever variations and some turn, persuading Dravid to wait 10 overs before taking the new ball.

Having not added to his overnight seven, Jones was trapped by a googly but umpire Simon Taufel gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Spinner Piyush Chawla was introduced 50 minutes before lunch but was shown little mercy, Flintoff clipping him away for a boundary off his third delivery and launching him for two sixes.

The second was the all-rounder's 68th Test six, which eclipsed Ian Botham's England record.

With Jones confidently sweeping Harbhajan from outside the off stump to the boundary and taking two fours in an over from Chawla, the England batsmen looked in command.

But Flintoff pushed back firmly at Patel, who took his second caught and bowled of the innings, pushing the ball up and taking it at the second attempt.

After lunch, the introduction of Kumble brought a rapid end to the innings.

Jones was bowled when the firmness of the new ball resulted in his defensive shot spinning back onto the stumps.

Harmison was trapped in front first ball for Kumble's magic 500, and Panesar lasted only one ball longer before edging to slip.

Sehwag made a typically fluent start to the India innings, taking two fours from Hoggard's second over.

But in the next he was surprised by an impressive lifting ball from Harmison, which caught the glove.

India's two most defensive batsmen took root, however, Jaffer surviving on on five when Jones was unable to hold a difficult chance at full stretch to his left.

Flintoff brought himself into the attack after 11 overs and immediately found dramatic movement off the wicket.

In only his second Test, Panesar again showed impressive control, bowling unchanged for virtually the entire final session.

He ripped one past Dravid's defensive push and next ball caught the leading edge.

Although he could not dislodge the captain, he dismissed Jaffer, fooling him in the flight and creating a simple catch for Flintoff, shrewdly placed at short cover.

Harmison and Flintoff both hit the 90mph mark in the final session and Tendulkar was beaten by one that climbed up at him, caught the shoulder of the bat and flew high to second slip.

Yuvraj looked intent on scoring some quick runs but he fell in dramatic fashion to Matthew Hoggard with nine overs of the day remaining.

Bell, who had taken a fearful smack of the back of the neck as he tried to take evasive action from a Yuvraj sweep, took off at cover and clutched a memorable one-handed catch to his left.

It was another success for the captaincy of Flintoff, who brought back Hoggard for just one over, and the wicket left England in good spirits going into the fourth day.

Flintoff and Harmison were still charging in at full throttle in the final overs, but Dhoni underlined his threat by stroking both for four.


Why can't Kumble be English?

Scorecards

England First Innings

Strauss----18
Cook----17
Bell----38
Pietersen----64
Collingwood----25
Flintoff----70
G Jones----52
Plunkett----0
Hoggard----4
Harmison----0
Panesar----0

India First Innings Bowling

Pathan----2-71
Patel----3-72
Harbhajan Singh----0-31
Chawla----0-45
Kumble----5-76

India First Innings

Jaffer----30
Sehwag----11
Dravid----61 NOT OUT
Tendulkar----4
Yuvraj Singh----15
Dhoni----12 NOT OUT
Extras----16 (3nb, 1w, 12lb)
Yet to Bat: Pathan, Kumble, Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Patel

England First Innings Bowling

Hoggard----1-19
Harmison----1-28
Flintoff----1-35
Plunkett----0-14
Panesar----1-41

So it's day 4 tomorrow.
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When Ashley Giles is back it will be interesting to see if he gets his place back from the impressive Monty Panesar. :)
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Day 4 and 5 of 5 versus India (Second Test)

India: 338 All Out
England: 181 all Out
India: 144-1 win by nine wickets


Ouch. They said it would happen, and it did. We got a pasting.

Day 5

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
England face a Herculean task on the final day of the second Test after reaching 112-5, just 74 ahead of India.

Ian Bell had been the one batsman to defy some devilish Indian spin before he edged behind for 57, leaving skipper Andrew Flintoff unbeaten on 16.

Mahendra Dhoni fell early on but Rahul Dravid (95) and Irfan Pathan (52) shared 76 in India's total of 338.

Flintoff (4-76) ousted both but Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble made useful runs to help build a lead of 38.

That demoralised the tourists, who began the day 151 in front and with high hopes of claiming the final six wickets without relinquishing their lead.

When they finally got a chance to bat, England's openers were unable to assert themselves, and Alastair Cook experienced his first Test failure when he edged a wide one from Patel in the sixth over.

Harbhajan came into the attack after only six overs, but Kumble, who had to wait until the 18th over for a bowl, struck next.


He enticed Andrew Strauss to sweep from wide of the off-stump and the shot went into boot and pad before looping up for a simple catch, the dismissal confirmed by the third umpire.

After his first-innings 5-76, Kumble has eight wickets in the match so far.

Kevin Pietersen was the victim of a bad decision when he tried to sweep Harbhajan and the ball hit his arm and flew to slip.

Pietersen could receive a fine after expressing his dissatisfaction on the way off the field.

Bell looked the most assured from the outset, defensively sound, having pushed down the ground to get off the mark with a boundary.

He was reprieved on 40 when he appeared to have been pinned on the crease bang in front by Kumble, and he tested the spinner's patience by cracking the next delivery for four.

Dravid atoned for an earlier drop with a regulation slip catch after Collingwood prodded forward dubiously.

Flintoff had a torrid introduction, beaten by a series of perfect leg-breaks from Kumble reminiscent of Shane Warne at his best.

England's talismanic skipper needed all his resolve to reach stumps, giving his team some chance of salvaging the match.

The day had begun with an entertaining morning session in which 120 runs were scored for the loss of three wickets.

There were farcical scenes before the action could start, when the match ball was mislaid by the umpires, and it emerged that it had been collected inadvertently from the outfield by a member of the India backroom staff.

Bright sunshine had given way rapidly to cloud and after only three deliveries the batsmen accepted an offer for bad light.


After a 20-minute delay, Dhoni wasted little time in despatching his first ball of the day from Steve Harmison to the boundary with an extravagant cover drive.

England's giant paceman continued his impressive rhythm of Saturday, however, and more pace and bounce accounted for Dhoni, copying Virender Sehwag's dismissal of day three.

Harmison should have had a third caught-behind dismissal but the appeal for an edge from Pathan was muted and may have determined umpire Simon Taufel's decision of not out.

Monty Panesar was introduced after an hour and a quarter but Pathan refused to let the spinner settle, launching him over mid-off for six.

Flintoff decided to remove Panesar from the attack at this point, but his replacement, Liam Plunkett, fared even worse as Dravid hammered him for three fours in his first over.

The India captain showed visible anger when he fell short of a 23rd Test century, slamming his bat against the offending timbers.

In the afternoon session, Hoggard took the new ball when it first became available but was soon driven to the boundary as Harbhajan found his range.

He was given a life on 30 when sub Matt Prior inexplicably dropped a simple chance at third man.

Harbhajan finally pushed forward and edged behind, and Geraint Jones then took his fourth catch of the innings when Piyush Chawla fished at a wide one from Hoggard.

The unorthodox number 11 Munaf Patel backed away to slice Harmison for four and get off the mark, before swiping Hoggard over the sightscreen for six.

Kumble was the man to fall, however, beaten by a yorker from Plunkett.


Day 5

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
India beat England by nine wickets before tea on the final day to go 1-0 up in the series with one Test to play.

Munaf Patel was the hero in the morning with three quick wickets which sent the tourists tumbling to 181 all out from an overnight position of 112-5.

Andrew Flintoff was last man out for 51 but only Steve Harmison (13) offered the captain any meaningful support.

Set 144 to win, India lost one wicket with the score on 39, but Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag guided them home.

Sehwag, in poor form up until this innings, finished unbeaten on 76, with his captain on 42.

The hosts were given the perfect start by young debutant Patel, who found excessive reverse swing from the off.

Geraint Jones stroked the first ball of the day to the cover fence for four but had no answer to the fifth ball which he chopped tamely onto his stumps.

That delivery did not swing in, but the balls that dislodged Liam Plunkett and Matthew Hoggard before either man had settled certainly did.

Plunkett was trapped lbw by a yorker while Hoggard was bowled off his left boot.

It left the captain, Flintoff, running a ship that was sinking fast and in need of an able lieutenant in the shape of Harmison.

The Durham paceman staved off immediate disaster by bravely lasting 49 balls - and he even played a delightful reverse sweep off an out-of-sorts Harbhajan Singh that ran away for four.

Anil Kumble was much more of a threat and he took his ninth wicket of the match when Harmison missed with an attempted conventional sweep.

Wicket-keeper Mahendra Dhoni completed a fine stumping after the batsman had neglected to keep his back foot behind the line.

With last man Monty Panesar as company, Flintoff, who had played Harbhajan and Kumble so well, decided to take on the other Indian debutant Piyush Chawla.

But his first aggressive shot against the diminutive leg-spinner resulted in an easy catch for fine leg and England were bowling before lunch.

Hoggard and Harmison enjoyed no luck in the 25-minute mini session, and some fine drives from the in-form Wasim Jaffer left the home supporters confident of victory later in the day.

Jaffer fell soon after lunch, however, when Hoggard seamed a ball into his pads for a straightforward lbw decision.

But when Flintoff turned to youngsters Panesar and Plunkett, the experience of Dravid and Sehwag served India well.

Both batsmen profited from some well-placed drives against the two bowlers and there were only two further scares.

Andrew Strauss, who has endured a lamentable winter in the sub-continent, dropped a chance at first slip offered by Dravid.

Paul Collingwood then appeared to have Sehwag lbw, but umpire Simon Taufel was unmoved.

Sehwag then decided it was time for Collingwood to get the treatment and he punished the medium-pacer for two fours and a six.

The winning hit was secured by Sehwag with a driven single off the last ball of Panesar's 11th over.


Scorecards

India First Innings

Jaffer----31
Sehwag----11
Dravid----95
Tendulkar----4
Yuvraj Singh----15
Dhoni----16
Pathan----52
Kumble----32
Harbhajan Singh----36
Chawla----1
Patel----11
Extras----34 (8nb, 1w, 25lb)

England Bowling First Innings

Hoggard----2-55
Harmison----2-60
Flintoff----4-96
Plunkett----1-37
Panesar----1-65

England Second Innings

Strauss----13
Cook----2
Bell----57
Pietersen----4
Collingwood----14
Flintoff----51
G Jones----5
Plunkett----1
Hoggard----4
Harmison----13
Panesar----0
Extras----17 (6nb, 1w, 10lb)

India Bowling Second Innings

Pathan----0-16
Patel----4-25
Harbhajan Singh----1-52
Kumble----4-70
Chawla----1-8

India Second Innings

Jaffer----17
Sehwag----76 NOT OUT
Dravid----42 NOT OUT
Extras----9 (4b, 5lb)
Did Not Bat: Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni, Pathan, Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Chawla, Patel

England Bowling Second Innings

Harmison----0-10
Hoggard----1-24
Panesar----0-48
Flintoff----0-11
Plunkett----0-22
Collingwood----0-20

That sucks. Next game is on the 18th March in Mumbai.
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This wicket we're due to play on next is meant to be a batters paradise.
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or bowlers graveyard depending on ur point of view
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Harmison Injured

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England will be without fast bowler Steve Harmison for the third Test against India in Mumbai.
He complained of soreness in his right shin following the second match at Mohali and a scan of his leg revealed what has been described as bone stress.

Captain Andrew Flintoff described losing Harmison as a "massive blow".

It could mean a reprieve for Harmison's Durham team-mate Liam Plunkett, who was expected to lose his place to veteran spin bowler Shaun Udal.

The only other alternative would see James Anderson thrown in at the deep end without having played a single game on tour, although he recently saw action for England A in the Caribbean.

Whichever option England go for, skipper Flintoff is determined they will give it their all to try and win.

"The side playing out here has been different through many circumstances and we have done well on the whole," he said.

"It is a must-win game for us and we want to draw this series, we deserve to do that and we can do that.

"It would be a massive achievement for the team; we have got some new caps, inexperienced players and if we could beat the Indian side with all their experience it would be a monumental effort."

He added: "For five days we need to get it right, come together and show the same enthusiasm, character and ability we have done for patches in these last two Tests."

Harmison's injury continues a run of bad luck which has dogged England from before the tour began.

Ashley Giles did not even make it onto the plane following surgery on his hip and three other heroes of last summer's Ashes-winning side - Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Simon Jones - had to return home early.

Harmison bowled only four overs on the final day at Mohali, which India won by nine wickets.

At the time, however, both Flintoff and coach Duncan Fletcher both played down talk about a possible injury.

But he missed practice in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, on Thursday and a scan of his leg confirmed he would not be able to play in the Test.

England will now seek further medical advice before deciding whether he will be fit enough for the seven one-day internationals which conclude the tour.

Harmison suffered from shin problems earlier in his career, pulling out of an England A tour to the West Indies in 2000-01 and missing part of an A tour to New Zealand the previous winter.

But a change of footwear appeared to have solved the problem.

His recent fitness record has been excellent and he has been an ever present in the side since a bad back put him out of the second match in Bangladesh in October 2003, a run of 28 consecutive Tests.

The 27-year-old is the spearhead of England's attack, having taken 159 wickets in 41 Tests.

But he has not been at his best in India, his five wickets in the series so far coming at a cost of almost 39 runs each.
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Day 1 of 5 versus India (3rd Test)

England: 272-3

So it's the last test. Cook is ill, so Shah replaced him, and Udal and Anderson replaced Plunkett and Harmison. The teams were:

England

Strauss
Bell
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
G Jones
Udal
Hoggard
Anderson
Panesar

India

Sehwag
Jaffer
Dravid
Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Dhoni
Pathan
Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Sreesanth
Patel

One change for India, Sreesanth replacing Chawla.

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
Andrew Strauss ended a run of low scores in the sub-continent to hit 128 and guide England to 272-3 on the first day of the third Test against India.

Strauss put on 106 with debutant Owais Shah and 72 with Kevin Pietersen after India captain Rahul Dravid had surprised many by opting to bowl first.

Shah was only playing because of an illness suffered by Alastair Cook.

But he had to retire at tea on 50 with severe cramps in his hands on a hot and humid day in Mumbai (Bombay).

Ian Bell, opening with Strauss because of Cook's stomach virus, put on 52 for the first wicket before playing a flat-footed drive off Sri Sreesanth which resulted in an easy catch for Harbhajan Singh at point.

And right-arm seamer Sreesanth struck again just before stumps when Pietersen (39) edged a drive to Mahendra Dhoni, who had a mixed day with the gloves.

With plenty of grass on the wicket, Dravid expected his three seamers to make good use of the swing on offer.

But the helpful bowling conditions did not last long for the Indians, who were inconsistent early on.

And England were in a powerful position at tea before relinquishing some of their advantage late in the day.

Strauss, who played some fine off-drives and pulls against the seamers, also produced some quality back-foot forcing shots off the spinners as he notched his eighth Test century.

Shah, who came out to bat just before lunch, made his first runs in Test cricket with a slick cut shot off Harbhajan, and did not look as nervous as one might have expected.

The two Middlesex men, both former captains, came out after the lunch interval determined to make Dravid regret his decision at the toss.

Shah hit the out-of-sorts Irfan Pathan for three fours in four deliveries - two of them delightful straight drives.

And Strauss latched onto a rare bad ball from Anil Kumble to loft him for six over midwicket.

Shah drove Harbhajan immaculately to the cover fence for his half-century.

But after tea, Pietersen came out to bat to break up the Middlesex monopoly with Shah unable to resume his unbeaten innings of exactly 50.

Strauss had hit a bit of congestion in the 80s, but did away with the nervous 90s altogether as he went from 88 to 100 in the space of four balls bowled by Harbhajan.

The second of three boundaries hit, a fierce cut, was a technical chance to Dravid at slip - but the skipper could not even get a hand to it.

The third was a pre-meditated slog sweep, a brave shot to employ to reach three figures.

Pietersen, after a patient start, began using his feet impressively against the spinners, driving Kumble along the turf and then Harbhajan into the crowd.

A tiring Strauss was dropped again, by Dhoni off Kumble, but soon gave the wicket-keeper another chance, this time off Harbhajan.

The 29-year-old had hit 17 fours plus a six off Kumble.

And that wicket seemed to drain much of Pietersen's confidence - he was out not long afterwards.

It was left to Paul Collingwood and captain Andrew Flintoff to see off the remaining few overs before stumps.


Well done Strauss. And Shah.

Scorecards

England First Innings

Strauss----128
Bell----18
Shah----50 RETIRED HURT
Pietersen----39
Collingwood----11 NOT OUT
Flintoff----17 NOT OUT
Extras----9 (2nb, 1w, 3b, 3lb)
Yet to Bat: G Jones, Udal, Hoggard, Anderson, Panesar

India Bowling First Innings

Pathan----0-53
Sreesanth----2-51
Patel----0-45
Kumble----0-49
Harbhajan Singh----1-68

So the next day is tomorrow. Hopefully Shah will come back to finish his innings.

Harmison waits on injury verdict

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
England will not make a decision on whether Steve Harmison will be fit for the one-day series in India until after the third Test.
He will miss the game in Mumbai because of "bone stress" in his right shin.

But coach Duncan Fletcher told BBC Sport there was no need to send the Durham paceman home at this stage.

"We'll review it after a week and see if he's available for those two games which are quite crucial at the start of the one-day series," he said.

"We might find after three or four days there's no improvement and we might make a decision then, but we're looking to make a decision after the Test."

The first two one-day internationals are scheduled before the cut-off for Champions Trophy qualification on 1 April.

At that time, only the top six in the rankings will avoid playing preliminary matches at the tournament in September and England are battling with Sri Lanka for sixth place.

Harmison suffered the injury during the second Test at Mohali and only bowled four overs in India's second innings as the home side cruised to a nine-wicket victory.

He was sent for a scan after missing practice in Mumbai on Thursday and the results convinced the England medical staff there was no chance of him being fit to play in the last game of the series.

"It's a big blow to us. I think it's about 28 Tests he's played on the trot for us and with the loss of other experienced players, it leaves a big hole," said Fletcher.

Harmison's absence means England will go into the third Test without five members of last summer's victorious Ashes side.

Michael Vaughan, Simon Jones, Ashley Giles are all nursing injuries at home, while Marcus Trescothick is absent for personal reasons.

"I've always said injuries are part of sport. I am disappointed, but the best thing is to move on," said Harmison.

"My shin was getting worse gradually throughout the first innings of the second Test match and in the second innings it was starting to become unbearable.

"The physio, Kirk Russell, and Peter Gregory (ECB medical officer) are looking for a lower limb specialist's view on it and we haven't got the judgement yet.

"When we get the final assessment we'll take actions from there, whether it's to stay and to stay and see if I can get ready for the one-dayers or whether the action is drastic where I have to go home.

"It's still up in the air yet - I just want to find out one way or the other."
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Day 2 of 5 versus India (3rd Test)

England: 400 All Out
India: 89-3


We had them under pressure. Tendulkar got booed when he got out. Anderson got a wicket. Dravid took a screamer. Flintoff needlessly got himself out. A thrilling day's cricket.

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"BBC Sport"
 
England produced a solid performance in Mumbai (Bombay) to leave India 89-3 in reply to their own score of 400.

Owais Shah (88) and Andrew Flintoff (50) both did well with the bat on day two but England's seamers were even more impressive when India batted.

Matthew Hoggard removed both openers in a fiery spell just after tea before James Anderson persuaded Sachin Tendulkar to edge a wide ball behind.

A good morning for England on Monday could see them take full control.

The one blemish for England was the loss of five wickets either side of lunch which resulted in a collapse from 326-3 to 356-8.

Young paceman Sri Sreesanth triggered that demise for excellent figures of 4-70 in only his second Test appearance.

But it was Munaf Patel (2-81) who looked the most impressive, and he was particularly unlucky when India took the second new ball early in the day.

England began the day with Flintoff and Paul Collingwood both relatively new to the crease in a score of 272-3.

As soon as Rahul Dravid took the new ball after five uneventful overs, Irfan Pathan extracted some exaggerated swing movement and might have dismissed Collingwood lbw for 21.

Flintoff eased the pressure with a sumptuous hooked six off Pathan before Patel worked up a head of steam at the other end.


Flintoff had only reached 29 when he edged Patel between first and second slip, where Virender Sehwag, diving to his left, grassed the chance.

And from the very next ball, Anil Kumble dropped a much easier chance to his right at gully.

An increasingly exasperated Patel then watched as Flintoff top-edged a pull shot off him towards Pathan at fine leg.

But though the fielder grabbed the catch, the momentum forced him to step back over the boundary rope as Flintoff recorded his third six in the innings.

Collingwood was finding runs much harder to come by and when he edged a drive at Sreesanth, the edge was gratefully taken by Mahendra Dhoni.

The breach having been established, England then lost two further wickets quickly before lunch.

Flintoff had twice hit Kumble for four through the leg-side. But attempting a repeat, he holed out tamely to deep mid-wicket to fall for 50.

Then Geraint Jones played an appalling flat-footed drive at Sreesanth to give Kumble the easiest gully catch a man could have.

Shah, who resumed on 50 after retiring with cramp at tea on day one, was batting with Shaun Udal when the middle session began.

The pair had put on 32 for the seventh wicket when India struck again, Patel finally getting an overdue wicket when Udal played all around a full straight delivery to be lbw.

And the next ball was too much for Matthew Hoggard, bowled for a golden duck.

The last two wickets yielded a precious 44 runs.

Shah had a century in his sights when lofting Harbhajan into the stands at long-on, but the bowler had his revenge in his following over when Dravid dived to take a fine catch at slip.

Anderson showed some improved batting skills to get to 15 before giving short leg a catch off Harbhajan and India's openers survived five overs before tea.

But in the final session, England's seamers did what India's had twice failed to do - take wickets with the new ball.

Hoggard was in his element and he first struck when Sehwag, not for the first time in the series, failed to get his gloves out of the way of a short-pitched ball which then looped into Shah's lap at first slip.

The Yorkshire swing merchant had Wasim Jaffer dropped in the slips on three but the error cost just eight runs.

Having been fed a diet of pitched-up away singers, Jaffer was out of synch when he got a short ball from Hoggard.

Again, the ball took the gloves and this time Jones took the deflection down the leg-side.

Tendulkar was in no frame of mind to end a worrying run of failure in Tests and he was the next man out when Anderson, working up good pace, persuaded him to edge a wide one to Jones.

At 28-3, India were gasping for a recovery and the dependable Dravid found a partner willing to play a few shots in Yuvraj Singh.

Yuvraj announced his arrival with an effortless cover-drive for four off Anderson and some poor bowling from Udal allowed both batsmen to hit boundaries.

Another wicket or two late in the day would have put India in serious trouble with only Mahendra Dhoni and the bowlers to come.

But as it was, Dravid and Yuvraj cruised into the 30s with dreams of a big score on day three.


Scorecards

England First Innings

Strauss----128
Bell---- 18
Shah----88
Pietersen----39
Collingwood----31
Flintoff----50
G Jones----1
Udal----9
Hoggard----0
Anderson----15
Panesar----3
Extras----18 (3nb, 3w, 5b, 7lb)

India Bowling First Innings

Pathan----0-64
Sreesanth----4-70
Patel----2-81
Kumble----1-84
Harbhajan Singh----3-89

India First Innings

Jaffer----11
Sehwag----6
Dravid----37 NOT OUT
Tendulkar----1
Yuvraj Singh----32 NOT OUT
Extras----2 (2nb)
Yet to Bat: Dhoni, Pathan, Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Sreesanth, Patel

England Bowling First Innings

Hoggard----2-16
Flintoff----0-13
Anderson----1-15
Panesar----0-18
Udal----0-27

So the third day is tomorrow.
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Day 3 of 5 versus India

So it was the third day today. Catches went down. Anderson got wickets. Udal was pelted all around the ground (nothing new there then). Bell got out cheaply again. His place will be seriously under threat.

Posted Image

"BBC Sport"
 
James Anderson and Geraint Jones combined to give England the upper hand in the third Test against India.

The tourists will take a lead of 152 into the fourth day in Mumbai despite losing Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell cheaply as they closed on 31-2.

Anderson had two chances dropped off his bowling but took 4-40 and produced a direct hit to run out Mahendra Dhoni, who smashed 11 fours in his 64.

Jones supported his bowlers with five catches as India were all out for 279.

It left them 121 in arrears, but could have been far worse but for a ninth-wicket stand of 55 between Anil Kumble and Sri Sreesanth.

It was the third time in the three Tests that the home tail has contributed a sizeable partnership, and it threatened to take the gloss from England's day, as they strive to square the series at 1-1.


As the England bowlers tired in more sweltering heat, Kumble, the third highest India run-scorer in the series, found a useful foil in Sreesanth, who has got under the skin of the tourists throughout.

The combative 23-year-old paceman was hit by a bouncer from Andrew Flintoff, but responded with an extraordinary swat over mid-off for four next ball.

It was Monty Panesar who made the breakthrough, straightening one to trap Kumble lbw for 30, and an Anderson yorker accounted for last man Munaf Patel (7), leaving Sreesanth undefeated on 29.

Flintoff had opted to use his spinners after lunch, and it was not until 40 minutes before tea that Matthew Hoggard was brought back, the new ball taken at 200-6 in the 83rd over.

Hoggard produced a banana shaped delivery that sadly started too wide, but Flintoff was smashed for consecutive fours by Dhoni, who then edged the third ball to the boundary.

In an eventful over, Dhoni took an injudicious single and after Anderson's adroit pick up and throw, the third umpire was left with a desperately difficult decision, particularly in view of Dhoni's revered status with the crowd.

Then Anderson was brought back for an over before tea and found just enough movement to catch Harbhajan's edge, and an inspired Jones flew high to his right in front of slip again.

The first 20 minutes of the afternoon session produced only 11 runs, before Pathan laced two fours in three balls after full tosses from both slow bowlers.

Pathan would have been run out on 21 had Strauss hit after picking up smartly from extra cover, then survived on 23 when a top-edged sweep fell short of Strauss, this time slow to react, at leg-gully.

He appeared to have nicked Udal via the gloves of Jones to Paul Collingwood at slip but umpire Taufel disagreed.

Next ball however, he did his team no favours three overs before the new ball was due by lofting the perservering Udal, whose four overs cost 27 on Sunday, to a well-positioned Hoggard three-quarters of the way back at mid-on.

Earlier, the key wicket of Rahul Dravid wicket spared sub fielder Matt Prior from a difficult lunch with his colleagues, the Sussex keeper inexplicably spilling a gully catch straight to his midriff off the unfortunate Anderson.

It was two balls after Dhoni had driven to extra cover and Panesar, who many expressed doubts about in the field before his Test debut, could not cling on when tumbling to his left.

That it was Anderson who dismissed Dravid, failing to add to his reprieve on 52, was particularly apt as the Lancashire seamer had impressed with his control after replacing Flintoff following the captain's three-over opening burst.

Glancing down the leg-side, Dravid, who had completed his third fifty of the series, was superbly snaffled by a full-stretched Jones.

Flintoff had almost had Yuvraj Singh caught with his first delivery of the day, but more steepling bounce found the edge in the same over and Jones took off to snaffle the catch to the left of first slip.

He also beat the bat and found the leading edge of the formidable Dravid in a typically whole-hearted spell of 1-9.

Dhoni, urged to hit every ball to the boundary by the fervent crowd, showed some early restraint, for a few moments anyway, before swiping wildly at Anderson, who found traces of swing that mostly eluded Hoggard.

He was not in any control of another savage drive that brought him four off Hoggard, and was then felled by a brutal Flintoff bouncer that missed the back of the helmet as he took his eye of the ball and smacked into his head.

After receiving lengthy treatment that continued frequently between overs, Dhoni was given another short one next up, but showed his mettle by hooking it to the boundary.

Having taken 75 frustrating minutes to take the final two wickets and secure a first innings advantage of 121, England then made slow progress against the new ball.

Kumble was introduced after nine overs but it was young paceman Sreesanth who looked more dangerous.

Bell completed a poor match with another tame dismissal, needlessly playing wide of off-stump with no foot movement.

Udal who was sent out as night-watchman and he might have departed second ball after a huge appeal for caught behind, but umpire Hair did not agree.

The veteran spinner was also dropped badly by Yuvraj at third slip and played and missed repeatedly, but he held on for one of the more unconvincing two not outs.


Scorecards

India First Innings

Sehwag----11
Jaffer----6
Dravid----52
Tendulkar----1
Yuvraj Singh----37
Dhoni----64
Pathan----26
Kumble----30
Harbhajan Singh----2
Sreesanth----29
Patel----7
Extras----14 (3nb, 4b, 7lb)

England Bowling First Innings

Hoggard----2-54
Flintoff----1-68
Anderson----4-40
Panesar----1-53
Udal----1-53

England Second Innings

Strauss----4
Bell----8
Shah----15
Udal----2
Extras----2 (1nb, 1w)
Yet to Bat: Collingwood, Flintoff, G Jones, Hoggard, Pietersen, Anderson, Panesar

India Bowling Second Innings

Pathan----0-6
Patel----1-12
Sreesanth----1-10
Kumble----0-3
Harbhajan Singh----0-0

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

just a little note to say im going away tomorrow, so i probably wont be able to update this, im not sure if there is a computer where im going. i will definitely update when i get back about the remaining two days and the one day warm up game on the 25th.
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