England tour of India

[bigfluffylemon]

Makes you ask why they are even bothering? Why hold a test series at all against NZ given how packed England's calendar is going to be, if the best players on both sides won't be there?

Anyway, back to India. You'd have to think this is the critical test for England - if they lose here, they're unlikely to win a traditionally timed test on a more worn pitch a week later. In theory a D/N would play to their strengths a bit more, but India has a strong pace attack too, and after last week you'd think spinning decks all the way.

I'd hope the toss wouldn't be too critical, but experience suggests it's nigh on impossible to win a test in India as a visitor batting second (not since England did it in 2012, in fact).

I didn't even think we'd win one test on this tour, so 3-1 wouldn't be a disaster. What would be a disaster is if they keep playing as poorly as they did last week.

[Alviro Patterson]

Mark Wood withdrew from the auction. Secretly i'm hoping Jack Brooks makes his test debut

New Zealand's biggest losses are in the bowling (no Southee, Boult, Jamieson), but they have got back up in the batting. If I was to guess the Blackcaps XI for the Lord's test, it would be:

Latham, Blundell, Young, Taylor, Nicholls, Mitchell, Watling, Patel, Wagner, Henry, Sears.

England's bowling attack probably separates the two sides, but Henry has been dangerous in County Cricket for Kent and Ben Sears is quick.

[sussexpob]

Anyway, back to India. You'd have to think this is the critical test for England - if they lose here, they're unlikely to win a traditionally timed test on a more worn pitch a week later. In theory a D/N would play to their strengths a bit more, but India has a strong pace attack too, and after last week you'd think spinning decks all the way

I get the feeling that batting under lights is a sort of difficulty in itself, so regardless of the pitch I would expect the scores to be undervalued somewhat. India complained when batting under lights before that the ball is hard to pick in the lead up to sunset, which tallies with the comments I made last summer in the Pakistan series where irrespective of the ball colour, at some stage towards total darkness the contrast of light/dark does make the ball harder to see, so even on a flat pancake you might see batters getting out for low scores. England had to stop a net session this week at the ground because batsman got hit not seeing it, so its definitely a thing.

If this is a swinging deck though, we cant celebrate too much....Bumrah has just as much ability in helpful conditions as Anderson, and he comes with that added difficulty in unconventional style that makes him harder to pick on lengths. If batsman have just a little more trouble picking the ball at times, Bumrah could run through England.

The most horrifying stat.... the only day/night test ever held in India was the quickest completed test match hosted in Indian test history. Going to have to bat well under lights to win this game.

[sussexpob]

England win the toss and bat. Kohli thinks the pitch will help the seamers, but says he would have liked to bat. First blood England maybe

Sundar and Bumrah in for India. Kohli says they need the extra batter, but Sundar did not bowl at all well in the first test.

[Red Devil]

England win the toss and bat. Kohli thinks the pitch will help the seamers, but says he would have liked to bat. First blood England maybe

Sundar and Bumrah in for India. Kohli says they need the extra batter, but Sundar did not bowl at all well in the first test.

Yes, another toss lost by India- that's something like 7 of the last 8! Big toss to win for Eng, both captains were keen to bat. Cook is cock-a-hoop in the studio as well.

I'm surprised India went with Washington - I was expecting Umesh Yadav. India must be confident it's a spinners wicket! Also surprised Eng have gone with just one spinner so they must be confident it's a seamers wicket

We'll soon see who has got it right

[sussexpob]

Strauss and Cook together this test. And Graeme Swann in the comms box

Cant wait for 5 days of Graeme Swann cracking his unique brand of unfunny bants. To be fair to Strauss though, he was decent in the 2nd test when in the studio, much better than on live. Cook is painfully boring wherever you put him

[sussexpob]

I'm surprised India went with Washington - I was expecting Umesh Yadav. India must be confident it's a spinners wicket! Also surprised Eng have gone with just one spinner so they must be confident it's a seamers wicket

We'll soon see who has got it right

Comms saying that the pitch is made from Mumbai red clay that tends to break and dust, and looks dry and patchy, so maybe it will spin.

[Arthur Crabtree]

One spinner!

Crawley, Bairstow, Archer, Anderson in
Burns, Lawrence, Mo, Stone out.

England stronger for Anderson. Not so much the others.

[sussexpob]

Crawley will be under pressure after a scratch tour of SL and recent injury.

First ball interesting.... bounce and carry. Pant taking it around his ears.

Second ball, better length, definitely movement. Moves into Crawley, then swings away after bouncing. Definitely seam movement there.

[sussexpob]

Bit of everything that over. First ball flies to the keeper, fifth ball bounces twice, sixth ball definitely kept a little low to Crawley. Evidence maybe of inconsistent bounce already.

[sussexpob]

Two poor overs to start. Not sure what Sunil is saying that Bumrah over was good, each of the new ballers have made the batsman play only once in 6 balls, the rest have been harmlessly thrown out wide. Indian bowlers got to get the line right or they are just going to waste this ball

[sussexpob]

Finally gets the line right, Sibley goes. Rubbish footwork, walking into the shot.

Bairstow back into the frying pan after a rest. Wonder what nick he is in.

[sussexpob]

Crawley dead bat that last ball, and its flown away for four. Outfield must be lightening quick

[sussexpob]

Has Pant dropped that... no just swung massively past the bat. Tough day to be a keeper, the pink ball is swinging a lot as it passes the pitch. Wont be surprising if w see a few drops behind

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might be this is the bounciest pitch ever made in India.