Fifth Test: India v England, 16-20 Dec (Chennai)

[hopeforthebest]

This England innings is taking on a familiar pattern. The middle order will be girding their loins for the usual effort required of them.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might be just the impression you get from watching Mo against Ashwin, but it's hard to see England get many more than 100 here.

[Dr Cricket]

Might be just the impression you get from watching Mo against Ashwin, but it's hard to see England get many more than 100 here.

mo always been a poor starter and a poor player of spin so hard to read anything when he batting.
england should aim for around 300.

[Dr Cricket]

awful start from Mishra.
not the pitch that will suit mishra.

[rich1uk]

is that kohli scoring more runs for us than ballance or duckett would have after hitting the helmet with that throw ?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Just been upstairs to shave myself an Ishant style goatee, and I'm amazed to see Moeen is still there.

[rich1uk]

Just been upstairs to shave myself an Ishant style goatee, and I'm amazed to see Moeen is still there.

says everything about how this session has gone that you go shave while there is live play rather than wait for lunch so you dont miss anything

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hoping to get a bit of sleep at lunch.

[Dr Cricket]

Might go to sleep as well, this series likely to end 3-0 this pitch pretty docile and slow remind me of nagpur 2012.

[rich1uk]

Hoping to get a bit of sleep at lunch.

if you stayed awake during this session them you'll never sleep at lunch

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might get five minutes. Good bowling from Ishant and Ashwin in particular. This could easily end quite quickly for England. Root again a different class.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might go to sleep as well, this series likely to end 3-0 this pitch pretty docile and slow remind me of nagpur 2012.

Doesn't strike me like that. Some bounce here, and the ball has turned from the start and Ashwin has got some to rip. This feels like a bowlers pitch to me. Maybe it'll flatten as it dries, but it might be the ball will indent the surface if it is damp.

[Dr Cricket]

Think the turn because of the damp.
if england bat well reckon the game will be a draw.
hard to see any team scoring at a quick rate here.
might be wrong but thought Nagpur turned a lot/from day 1 but the slowness made it hard to lose wickets or score runs.
Remember thinking what a weird pitch that was with batsman hating it for the slowness and the bowlers hating it for being slow, was a cruel joke on the bowlers enough help and turn to keep them interested but just not enough pace to get wickets.
for a wicket in the Subcontinent this is very slow.

[Dr Cricket]

talking about botham absence didn't he take the winter off in india during 1984/85.

[hopeforthebest]

Listening to Chris Cowdrey on TMS talking about the 84-65 tour was interesting and it came out that he and David Gower are going on tour with a two man act next year.