Think the tosses will play a very important role. Teams batting first will have a big advantage.
India vs England
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Finn will be England's best bowler in these conditions. What's the deal with Broad, doesn't look half the bowler in these conditions.
He hasn't bowled consistently well for a long while now.
I think he's lucky to be in the side, and i'd drop him for the next test along with Bresnan.
He didn't bowl well in England, also. Well down on pace versus the Saffers.
England should ideally play Anderson, Broad, Finn, Swann -- if all 3 pacers were bowling at their best. Broad in present form should make way for Panesar.
It's only India 1-0 England, but a whitewash already looks likely..
Already, India will be dreaming of 4-0. The clean sweep. Their players will make the right noises, urging calm, 'taking things one game at a time', but their fans will be less coy. After this crushing victory, they will rightly conclude that England are there for the taking.
By Jonathan Liew
19 Nov 2012
And why not? Quite apart from the issue of how well or how badly they are playing, the odds are stacked against England, just as they are against every team that gets on a plane and goes on tour. The pitches, the conditions and the crowds will be less familiar. They are more susceptible to injury and illness. The media will be hostile, the signs foreign and the food cooked by someone they do not know.
There is an existing term for this, and it is ‘home advantage’. Nothing new there. But does this alone explain how the fortunes of England and India can reverse so wildly from last summer, when the personnel have remained largely the same? How can Australia lose both Tests in India before returning the favour a year later? How can England beat India 4-0 and lose 3-0 to Pakistan in the space of six months?
Test series these days are more one-sided than ever. And the evidence for this is not just anecdotal. In the 1980s, 7.2 per cent of series (excluding one-off Tests) ended in whitewash (or ‘blackwash’). In the 1990s, it was 12.5 per cent. In the 2000s, 21.7 per cent. In this decade so far, eight out of 35 series – 22.9 per cent – have seen a clean sweep. (As with all meaningful statistical analysis, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been excluded.) This really is the age of the whitewash. Test cricket is less competitive than it has been than at any point in its history.
This seems counter-intuitive. The globalisation of cricket, the homogenisation of pitches and the rise of the globetrotting mercenaries was suppose to dilute home advantage, not exacerbate it. So let us tentatively search for answers.
One underlying cause is that draws are becoming increasingly less common. Faster run-rates, better drainage and a number of other factors are increasing the result percentage. A poor team is less likely to be saved by the weather.
The reduction in the length of Test series is also having an effect. Of the 34 whitewashes since 2000, 19 have come in two-Test series, which used to be a rarity. But perhaps the decisive factor – and the word ‘perhaps’ is used because this is hypothesis rather than conclusion – is not so much that Test series are shorter, but that they are more compressed.
Cricket tours used to take place over several months, entailing days or weeks of travel. As recently as 1997, the Ashes series consisted of six Tests spread over 10 weeks. Next year’s iteration will see five in barely six weeks. That is not enough time for a series to breathe, for flaws to be ironed out, or prevailing narratives challenged. No sooner is one Test over than another is upon us; hence that dreaded word ‘momentum’.
Might India's batsmen have learned to play the moving ball in England had they had an extra few weeks to adapt? Possibly. Might England's batsmen have found their feet in the UAE if they had time for some remedial work in between Tests? Probably.
There is an economic imperative at work, too. For national boards, home series generally make money and away series generally cost money. At an executive level, then, there is a strong incentive to treat tours as little more than contractual obligations. This is echoed, subliminally, by the players themselves, who are less willing to spend months away from home than their predecessors.
“You’re on business,” Alex Loudon once told me of his one England tour to Pakistan in 2005. “You have a job to do, and the richness of the experience is limited by what you’re doing. It’s as if you’re on business – you go to an incredible country but you probably spend eight or 10 hours in a boardroom.” Perhaps coincidentally, he quit cricket to go into business.
Once you factor in everything else, the scale of England’s task becomes clear. The second Test begins on Friday; followed by a seven-day break before the third Test, then three days off, then the fourth Test. A comeback is possible, but circumstances militate against it, off the field as well as on.
This is not to state that England are destined to be swept aside 4-0. That’s up to them, really. But evidence – and intuition – suggest that it is more likely to happen to them now than ever before.
Already, India will be dreaming of 4-0. The clean sweep. Their players will make the right noises, urging calm, 'taking things one game at a time', but their fans will be less coy. After this crushing victory, they will rightly conclude that England are there for the taking.
By Jonathan Liew
19 Nov 2012
And why not? Quite apart from the issue of how well or how badly they are playing, the odds are stacked against England, just as they are against every team that gets on a plane and goes on tour. The pitches, the conditions and the crowds will be less familiar. They are more susceptible to injury and illness. The media will be hostile, the signs foreign and the food cooked by someone they do not know.
There is an existing term for this, and it is ‘home advantage’. Nothing new there. But does this alone explain how the fortunes of England and India can reverse so wildly from last summer, when the personnel have remained largely the same? How can Australia lose both Tests in India before returning the favour a year later? How can England beat India 4-0 and lose 3-0 to Pakistan in the space of six months?
Test series these days are more one-sided than ever. And the evidence for this is not just anecdotal. In the 1980s, 7.2 per cent of series (excluding one-off Tests) ended in whitewash (or ‘blackwash’). In the 1990s, it was 12.5 per cent. In the 2000s, 21.7 per cent. In this decade so far, eight out of 35 series – 22.9 per cent – have seen a clean sweep. (As with all meaningful statistical analysis, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been excluded.) This really is the age of the whitewash. Test cricket is less competitive than it has been than at any point in its history.
This seems counter-intuitive. The globalisation of cricket, the homogenisation of pitches and the rise of the globetrotting mercenaries was suppose to dilute home advantage, not exacerbate it. So let us tentatively search for answers.
One underlying cause is that draws are becoming increasingly less common. Faster run-rates, better drainage and a number of other factors are increasing the result percentage. A poor team is less likely to be saved by the weather.
The reduction in the length of Test series is also having an effect. Of the 34 whitewashes since 2000, 19 have come in two-Test series, which used to be a rarity. But perhaps the decisive factor – and the word ‘perhaps’ is used because this is hypothesis rather than conclusion – is not so much that Test series are shorter, but that they are more compressed.
Cricket tours used to take place over several months, entailing days or weeks of travel. As recently as 1997, the Ashes series consisted of six Tests spread over 10 weeks. Next year’s iteration will see five in barely six weeks. That is not enough time for a series to breathe, for flaws to be ironed out, or prevailing narratives challenged. No sooner is one Test over than another is upon us; hence that dreaded word ‘momentum’.
Might India's batsmen have learned to play the moving ball in England had they had an extra few weeks to adapt? Possibly. Might England's batsmen have found their feet in the UAE if they had time for some remedial work in between Tests? Probably.
There is an economic imperative at work, too. For national boards, home series generally make money and away series generally cost money. At an executive level, then, there is a strong incentive to treat tours as little more than contractual obligations. This is echoed, subliminally, by the players themselves, who are less willing to spend months away from home than their predecessors.
“You’re on business,” Alex Loudon once told me of his one England tour to Pakistan in 2005. “You have a job to do, and the richness of the experience is limited by what you’re doing. It’s as if you’re on business – you go to an incredible country but you probably spend eight or 10 hours in a boardroom.” Perhaps coincidentally, he quit cricket to go into business.
Once you factor in everything else, the scale of England’s task becomes clear. The second Test begins on Friday; followed by a seven-day break before the third Test, then three days off, then the fourth Test. A comeback is possible, but circumstances militate against it, off the field as well as on.
This is not to state that England are destined to be swept aside 4-0. That’s up to them, really. But evidence – and intuition – suggest that it is more likely to happen to them now than ever before.
Its the ease with which teams thrash each other that am talking about. India lost tests at a canter in England and now England losing it comfortably in India. The gulf in performances wasnt this huge among the top nations earlier. These are top ranked nations we're talking about, it should be closer than this.
article I just posted above has an interesting take on the dynamics of these huge swings amongst supposedly similar talented sides.
Broad must be dropped. He hasn't bowled well in almost a year. People talk about his allround abilities but his batting has been crap recently too.
I find it odd you want to punch someone for no reason.
I find it odd that you don't.
Every time there's talk about Broad being dropped, he goes and gets a five-fer. But he's not consistent enough. On the whole though I think our bowling is pretty good, it's our batting that lets us down time and time again. Trott and Bell haven't done much with the bat for a while, and Pieterson is also very inconsistent. Cook and Prior are our only reliable batsman at the moment, everyone else is just giving their wicket away.
England will get smashed up in the next test too.
It will be a shock of epic proportions if England get any joy on this tour. The only hope for England is a few good sessions.
I think the series will end 3-0 or 2-0
2-1 India i'm going for.
Finn's out of the next test which is a big blow though
.
Finn's out of the next test which is a big blow though
.Nah. What it actually is is that every time there's talk of Broad being dropped it's in the winter, then the summer roles round he plays in England and does well.
He just doesn't travel well at all, averages over 40 with the ball away from home and under 20 with the bat.
There you go:
He now averages 41.71 with the ball overseas and just 14.86 with the bat, compared to his home records of 28.74 and 34.52 respectively.
It's as simple as that.
The English will get smashed again. They relaid the Wankhede pitch and it was fast and bouncy during the IPL. But the winter has been drier than normal here and earlier than normal. Quickies will get joy on the first 2 mornings but then the pitch will start getting dusty as hell. Team batting 2nd will lose.
Yeah that's pretty poor, but I imagine this drop in performance is similar with all of our seamers away from home? He does appear to get random five-fer's when he is on the verge of being dropped though.
Disaster strikes again:
Dinda to cover for injured Yadav
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/592326.html
*****
I like Yadav as a bowler and his extra pace is always a threat. This is terrible news made worse by the fact that Dinda will be his cover. One of the most useless bowlers in Indian cricket. The head-band, his face and the jump before the delivery are all extremely annoying. The smirk on Ganguly's face would be unbearable too.
Looking for the 2008-Ishant!
Dinda to cover for injured Yadav
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2012/content/current/story/592326.html
*****
I like Yadav as a bowler and his extra pace is always a threat. This is terrible news made worse by the fact that Dinda will be his cover. One of the most useless bowlers in Indian cricket. The head-band, his face and the jump before the delivery are all extremely annoying. The smirk on Ganguly's face would be unbearable too.
Looking for the 2008-Ishant!
Haven't been watching recent cricket, what happened to Ishant? I thought he was a decent pace bowler and a good pair with Zaheer. I thought he'd be replacing the injured Yadav.
Ishant is still there in the squad though he seems to have fallen off after a brilliant start to his career. Also, iirc I read somewhere that he wasn't fully fit.
Pleased that Finn isn't playing tomorrow.
Also can't get the criticism for Dhoni's demands to the curators. Every country creates pitch according to their strength. Despite the belief, the track in Ahmadabad was ridiculously flat and slow. Bowlers like Ashwin need a bit of bounce to perform well.
Also can't get the criticism for Dhoni's demands to the curators. Every country creates pitch according to their strength. Despite the belief, the track in Ahmadabad was ridiculously flat and slow. Bowlers like Ashwin need a bit of bounce to perform well.
Don't like that we're playing 3 spinners.
Sachin - Thanks for the great 23 years - one of the top 2 batsmen the world has ever seen. Indian cricket will forever be grateful to you. Please retire.
I've always said it. Yuvraj isn't a guy, you can rely on in test cricket. He did ok in the last match but he isn't good enough for test cricket.
Just talked to my mother, who is a cricket enthusiast and is watching the game, the first two things she told me:
(1) Tendulkar should retire
(2) This test match is going to end inside 3 days.
Dhoni wanted it to turn from ball one and that's exactly what it is doing.
(1) Tendulkar should retire
(2) This test match is going to end inside 3 days.
Dhoni wanted it to turn from ball one and that's exactly what it is doing.
England includes a second spinner to play in side, and it's working!!!
Who'd have thought of this novel idea?
Who'd have thought of this novel idea?
300 is par here i reckon.
Under and it's England's day, over it and India will end up with a lead.
Under and it's England's day, over it and India will end up with a lead.
Pujara scores another 100.
A poster in the crowd summed it up well.
"Another wall under construction"
A poster in the crowd summed it up well.
"Another wall under construction"
He's a class act.
200 hasn't been par for a test match since about 1985
It's got a bit of turn and bounce, but will be fine to bat on tomorrow and the majority of day 3 surely?
If we can't break this partnership VERY soon, this match will already be lost.
We can't rely on/expect Cook & Prior to get us out of trouble every game, others have to step up when we bat. Particularly KP, after all the fuss & hoo haa.
We can't rely on/expect Cook & Prior to get us out of trouble every game, others have to step up when we bat. Particularly KP, after all the fuss & hoo haa.
Ok now it's looking a bit ominous.
Great knock by Ashwin, he hasn't looked troubled at all.
Great knock by Ashwin, he hasn't looked troubled at all.
It's a joke how technically assured Ashwin looks as compared to Dhoni in test matches.
This is the weather forecast in Mumbai from Cricinfo.
What is this weather condition described as 'smoke' then?
What is this weather condition described as 'smoke' then?
Shocker of a last session for England, Broad looks horrific.
India's day in the end, but i'm not sure it's as big a turning wicket as its being made out.
Although if England continue to bat like idiots against spin, then India's score barely matters.
India's day in the end, but i'm not sure it's as big a turning wicket as its being made out.
Although if England continue to bat like idiots against spin, then India's score barely matters.
Hopefully Finn is fit for the next test so we can finally get around to dropping Broad.
Ashwin and Pujara are two immense finds by India. Wondered if India would struggle in tests following the departure of the old guard but that certainly isn't happening. Coping with change a heck of a lot better than the Aussies did.
Ashwin and Pujara are two immense finds by India. Wondered if India would struggle in tests following the departure of the old guard but that certainly isn't happening. Coping with change a heck of a lot better than the Aussies did.
We are at home flawless.