India squad
MS Dhoni, S Badrinath, R Dravid, G Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, VVS Laxman, A Mishra, PP Ojha, MM Patel, V Sehwag, I Sharma, SR Tendulkar, M Vijay, Yuvraj Singh
England squad
KP Pietersen, wicketkeeperTR Ambrose, JM Anderson, IR Bell, SCJ Broad, PD Collingwood, AN Cook, A Flintoff, SJ Harmison, A Khan, MS Panesar, J Prior, OA Shah, AJ Strauss, GP Swann
I watched a couple of hours this morning. Watching Jimmy Anderson bowling i was reminded of how usefulHoggard could have been in those conditions. It's quite frightening how quickly he seemed to slip out of Interntaional contention. I hope he gets another chance...
I would imagine if Hoggy was watching a couple of hours this morning he would have been more than happy to be at home walking his dogs, pushing his son around in his pram and being eternally grateful he did not have to bowl against the Indians on their own patch.
Sometimes your stock rises when those ahead of you prove to be found wanting and whilst I don't expect to see Hoggy back for the Ashes I think he has more chance now than he did at the end of the summer.
Fair play to Panesar who seems to have bowled well today with more control and Swann seems to have bowled a tight spell as well - perhaps this is due to Dravid rather than Sehwag being in with Gambhir!
at the moment he is probably ahead of Panesar in the team so technically our leading spinner did bowl some maidens today
i suspect Steve you have seen more of the bowling today than me as I am having to follow via cricinfo at my work desk! Happy to be corrected if Panesar has not delivered - I must have caught a few 'lucky' overs over breakfast
This is why cricket can be the most horribly tedious game to watch.
At least in other sports if you get a beating the game is over within a couple of hours.
In this match not only have England players and fans had to sit through an entire day of this thrashing, it's still not over. There are four more days of this to endure.
The game may turn round but the odds are not looking good. The series now seems lost considering the light in Mohali and the fact India need a draw to take the series.
And some could say that a big reason the day played out as it did was because of a coin toss.
The last Test showed the longer form of the game at it's best. This shows it at its worst.
I'm just glad I've not been up early to listen to it.
I think you're proabably right. the game is already all but over as a contest - unless we can hang on for a draw.
But I see each ball as an individual contest in it's own right. Each over, each bowling change, each fielding position is an individual event. Thats what makes the game so fascinating and endlessly watchable - if you haven't realised this then I'm afraid you're missing the entire essence of the game...
I don't think the problem lays with Pietersen , he has the strength of character to extend himself and motivate his player but he needs help from the coach.
Peter Moores doesn't seem to be challenging the players and they are not improving, I 'd like to see the ECB appoint a new coach before the West Indies tour but he is unlikely to be replaced until after the Ashes
There's far more to it than strength of character and motivation. What Pietersen lacks is the experience and intuition to know what to do when Plan A fails. How to 'think' the batsmen out. How to change the bowling to make the breakthrough. How to put a fielder in a particular place to take a catch. When to accelerate the scoring. When to declare. How to talk to a young bowler who is struggling to find line and length, etc. etc.
From the current England XI, Pietersen should be at least 4th in the pecking order for who should be captain.
Vaughan should captain the side next summer if we are to have any chance of winning the Ashes. He should replace Bell at number 3. Mustard or Read should replace Prior. Swann should be first pick spinner. Some of these changes should be put in place during the West Indies tour.
Of course, we know what will happen. Pietersen will lead the side against the Aussies, with Prior as 'keeper and Monty as spinner...
A good recovery by England, and perhaps a face-saving draw can be gained. All in all though, the Aussies must be very confident now for the upcoming Ashes series.
I see a lot of criticism of the captaincy and the players (some deserved), but much of the blame for recent efforts must rest with Peter Moores. The truth is that he simply is not up to working at this level. He may be a highly qualified coach, but how much practical experience does he really have of what it takes to succeed at Test Match level? Good coaches do not have had to play at the top level (e.g Troy Cooley) but they are coaches, not leaders of the team. He may do a good job as a technical coach, but he is simply not up to the job of being the boss. The sooner he disappears and takes some of his favourites with him, the better as far as I'm concerned!
Great to see KP back in form. A match-saving innings if there ever was one.
Alas, those two late wickets may mean we can still lose this one.
With five ODI losses on the trot and now having lost the first test match, are England closing in on a frecord for consecutive losses in all forms of cricket?
England must be happy that so much time has been lost due to fog and the weather. Otherwise, they would be facing another defeat. A very uneven performance by the team. The second innings batting, in particular with a century and two fifties, and no one else getting past 11.
I can see some significant changes coming to team. I think Harmy might through as a test player and both Vaughan and Hoggard must be back in the reckoning for the Ashes. Hopefully, Sidebottom will recover and return to form.
any other Yorkshire connected players you would want to bring back Nick?
i think one or two are under pressure - Bell, Panesar, Harmison perhaps but what have MV and Hoggy done since they were dropped to justify a recall? if we just keep going back to those who were dropped (on form grounds presumably) and they have not improved then they are hardly going to strengthen the team.
Bopara, Shah should be candidates to replace Bell who is becoming Hick-like in the current set up.
Swann and Rashid must be putting pressure on Monty to be the single spinner in the Windies and the Ashes next summer.
I can see Harmi being more suited to Windies tracks although his attitude does seem once again to be questionable - and with mo lure of Stanfords millions to regain his enthusiasm he may not be up for it.