England tour of India

[Durhamfootman]

Is it time to bring Leach back on? give him the chance to rebuild his confidence a bit

[Durhamfootman]

besides.... Bess looks as though he could do with a breather

[sussexpob]

You're more than 350 behind and get out like that. India have batted woefully

[Durhamfootman]

Good work from capt Joe

[sussexpob]

Reviewing that? It looked miles outside the stumps

[sussexpob]

I think that might be the worse review I have ever seen. Leach didnt really even appeal. Maybe Root is using it just to get into Sandars head and stop him from padding up, but the replay will only confirm Sandar has every right to.

[sussexpob]

Knight saying England will want to bat if they bowl India out.

WIll they? Surely not asking India to follow on would be verging on psychotic. The three seamers havent bowled a great deal at all, and the spinner should be able to bowl through to the end of the test.

India would love to see England bat

[sussexpob]

Another review, not sure what its for. Did it even hit the bat or pad? Thought it went straight through to the keeper.

Hawkeye is asleep. Taking an age to get these reviews in

[sussexpob]

Leach is spinning it out of those footholes. There are three men on the leg side saving the boundary, and only a slip in. Has Root gone mad, get the bat crowded, India are in survival mode. If Sundar wants to take on the inner ring then let him.... youve got a lead, time is the concern here.

[sussexpob]

Sundar wants to take on the inner ring then let him.... youve got a lead, time is the concern here.

Sundar does that indeed, messes up, Archer puts him down.

Get those men in Joe, let him try it again.

Next ball Sunder bat pads to an empty silly point region.

This is terrible captaincy.

[Arthur Crabtree]

From the play I've seen, England haven't bowled that well but India have failed to exploit it. Neither of the spinners has bowled with much control. Pant did just what England wanted him to. Apart from luck (Pujara) the only way England were going to get a wicket was by someone trying to take more than the already abundant runs they were being gifted. Same with Sundar on that dropped catch.

[sussexpob]

India will certainly not like seeing that leach ball jump and turn like that

[Arthur Crabtree]

Great day for England and Bess in particular. New ball soon too.

[sussexpob]

Indeed, England have broke the game open and given themselves a chance. The pitch is obviously changed a fair bit, so winning the toss is proving very important. Now enough turn to challenge both edges, and just enough balls misbehaving to keep the bowling team in it. First couple of days there wasnt that element to the pitch, so India have had it tougher.

Compare Sharma's spell to Root early on when he had him flapping all over the place. Back to back balls producing edges that didnt carry; Archer catches the edge and the ball rockets to the keeper after just taking off a little. Then Gill got a pretty poor directed ball that just stopped on him, and the shot carried all the way to Anderson at Mid on.

Could say its the difference in height and what not, but not sure thats true. Stokes and Archer got nothing out the pitch late in the day. Its a weird surface, the majority of balls just pitch and sit up quite easily to navigate, then once every often one just jumps out the surface or has a bit of extra carry.

[sussexpob]

You have to credit England though. Theyve done everything you have to on surfaces like this.