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India v England | 1st Test | Chennai | 11-15 Dec 08

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Augustus said:
Sehwag's the best batsman in the world because he has scored 92 runs in the match?

A good knock today, and all that, but he won't be there for the crunch and has not played the match-winning innings, as is usually the case. One of the Indian batsmen to come shall do that, or else Andrew Strauss has already done so. Sehwag is clearly a long way from being anything other than a gifted entertainer. The best batsmen in the world, meanwhile, continue to win matches for their team.

As for the match, the psychology of the chase will be difficult, as is often the case with big scores. India may ONLY be 250 away, but they've still got an awful long way to go. I still fancy India to win this, but more because England aren't good enough or mentally strong enough to secure victory than because India are outstanding.

What this match has shown me is that the title of 'world champions' is very much up for grabs for any side willing to take it, for India are not a special side by any stretch of the imagination. Their pace attack is ordinary and their spin attack is ordinary. When Tendulkar retires, they shall only have an above average batting line-up, held together by their opening pair.

South Africa, the world is yours if you want it.
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aus, s. africa, india are battling for the worlds best team, i wont put england in that bracket, as they've not beaten any of the top teams since winning the asheson 2005, what i would agree with is indian spinners are ordinary, mishra looks decent but harbahjan is overrated, swann looks more threatining :imran
 
saj786 said:
aus, s. africa, india are battling for the worlds best team, i wont put england in that bracket, as they've not beaten any of the top teams since winning the asheson 2005, what i would agree with is indian spinners are ordinary, mishra looks decent but harbahjan is overrated, swann looks more threatining :imran
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I have been really v.v. impressed Swann. Have looked like a marvelous future prospect to me.
 
Drumroll! it's been a good game. I didn't seriously expect anything from this series so to find ourselves with a good chance of taking an (Unassailable!) 1-0 lead in the series on the last day is a pleasant surprise. how's about a 100 run victory and a draw in the 2nd test to give a long-suffering fan something to smile about for once? The England team has had some shocking winters recently so it's about time we did something right. If India chase the score it would break just about every record imaginable, surely even England can't blow it? I am working tomorrow but happy to get up at 4am and find out.
 
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Augustus said:
Sehwag's the best batsman in the world because he has scored 92 runs in the match?

A good knock today, and all that, but he won't be there for the crunch and has not played the match-winning innings, as is usually the case. One of the Indian batsmen to come shall do that, or else Andrew Strauss has already done so. Sehwag is clearly a long way from being anything other than a gifted entertainer. The best batsmen in the world, meanwhile, continue to win matches for their team.

As for the match, the psychology of the chase will be difficult, as is often the case with big scores. India may ONLY be 250 away, but they've still got an awful long way to go. I still fancy India to win this, but more because England aren't good enough or mentally strong enough to secure victory than because India are outstanding.

What this match has shown me is that the title of 'world champions' is very much up for grabs for any side willing to take it, for India are not a special side by any stretch of the imagination. Their pace attack is ordinary and their spin attack is ordinary. When Tendulkar retires, they shall only have an above average batting line-up, held together by their opening pair.

South Africa, the world is yours if you want it.
Click to expand...
So many flawed arguments in there that I couldn't even bother replying to them all. But its amazingly clear that you rarely follow India's games. Saying Sehwag doesn't play match winning innings and is just an entertainer is ridiculous. Over the past year itself, he single handedly dominated a test with his batting against two top teams in their own territories. (Last day effort to save a test against Australia by scoring 150+, 200+ on a pitch where the rest of indian batting line up failed miserably against SL in SL). Not to be mistaken that I am saying Sehwag is the best batsman in the world. Just pointing out that Sehwag is more than a pure entertainer. He's a match winner in so many ways.
 
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I can see it either being a total collapse from India, or a close one. if only for one reason/person, win it for Strauss. Back-to-back centuries is rare enough in any team, but for an Englishman to do it in my time as a fan is barely heard of. It can't be underestimated how good he has been over the last 4 days. Quick note- 3 centuries in his last 4 test innings in India.
 
Augustus said:
Sehwag's the best batsman in the world because he has scored 92 runs in the match?

A good knock today, and all that, but he won't be there for the crunch and has not played the match-winning innings, as is usually the case. One of the Indian batsmen to come shall do that, or else Andrew Strauss has already done so. Sehwag is clearly a long way from being anything other than a gifted entertainer. The best batsmen in the world, meanwhile, continue to win matches for their team.

As for the match, the psychology of the chase will be difficult, as is often the case with big scores. India may ONLY be 250 away, but they've still got an awful long way to go. I still fancy India to win this, but more because England aren't good enough or mentally strong enough to secure victory than because India are outstanding.

What this match has shown me is that the title of 'world champions' is very much up for grabs for any side willing to take it, for India are not a special side by any stretch of the imagination. Their pace attack is ordinary and their spin attack is ordinary. When Tendulkar retires, they shall only have an above average batting line-up, held together by their opening pair.

.

South Africa, the world is yours if you want it.
Click to expand...

A clueless post in so many ways. In fact today India's pace attack looked more potent than SA's in India earlier this year. It was a flat pitch with nothing much for the fast bowlers but India finished the tail pretty quickly

And Sehwag not a match winner. Hmm, wont even comment on that but would just point out most of the matches we won against Pak in tests recently

Australia had many many ordinary days too even when they were world champions (which they still are) But Australia had a knack of making comebacks. They would be six down for almost nothing and then someone would stand up and change the game. Same with their bowling. Many a times they have won form impossible situations. So its not like they didnt have a few bad days. It was that they could overcome them

Yes India's spin attack is ordinary but pace is above average (not the greatest). Also Mishra is just developing, will get better with times.
 
invincible said:
So many flawed arguments in there that I couldn't even bother replying to them all. But its amazingly clear that you rarely follow India's games. Saying Sehwag doesn't play match winning innings and is just an entertainer is ridiculous. Over the past year itself, he single handedly dominated a test with his batting against two top teams in their own territories. (Last day effort to save a test against Australia by scoring 150+, 200+ on a pitch where the rest of indian batting line up failed miserably against SL in SL). Not to be mistaken that I am saying Sehwag is the best batsman in the world. Just pointing out that Sehwag is more than a pure entertainer. He's a match winner in so many ways.
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He's scored one hundred in Indian Test wins this year. And I've already eulogised it sufficiently HERE.

That you've had to come up with 'Test-saving' innings pretty much proves my point already. Sehwag is a fantastic batsman, but he's not a 'match winner in so many ways.'

The same applies to loads of batsmen, and maybe it's not entirely his fault, but his consistently stupid dismissals certainly are his fault. I never said he didn't win matches for India, just that he usually doesn't. And he hasn't done here as he could have done if not for sheer stupidity. If England win tomorrow he's actually pretty culpable for throwing his wicket away twice.
 
Augustus said:
He's scored one hundred in Indian Test wins this year. And I've already eulogised it sufficiently HERE.

That you've had to come up with 'Test-saving' innings pretty much proves my point already. Sehwag is a fantastic batsman, but he's not a 'match winner in so many ways.'

The same applies to loads of batsmen, and maybe it's not entirely his fault, but his consistently stupid dismissals certainly are his fault. I never said he didn't win matches for India, just that he usually doesn't. And he hasn't done here as he could have done if not for sheer stupidity. If England win tomorrow he's actually pretty culpable for throwing his wicket away twice.
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If he had batted in his normal way India would not have been in this good position at all. Maximum they would have had a chance of drawing the match. Is his batting which set up the stage to win. You cnat have it both ways. On the one hand you are claiming that he should have bottled up, on the other hand you are taking the awesome start India had to say india would have won with him there
 
Indiafan said:
If he had batted in his normal way India would not have been in this good position at all. Maximum they would have had a chance of drawing the match. Is his batting which set up the stage to win. You cnat have it both ways. On the one hand you are claiming that he should have bottled up, on the other hand you are taking the awesome start India had to say india would have won with him there
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There's a difference between 'bottling it up' and 'calming down.' Sehwag was playing a shot a ball and threw his wicket away. He didn't show the proper respect to a bowler he had faced little of in the match and was suckered completely.
 
Now this is what you call a Test Match... A yummy 5th Day to come... welll Played both India and England so far...
 
rahulrulezz said:
Now this is what you call a Test Match... A yummy 5th Day to come... welll Played both India and England so far...
Click to expand...

I've been saying all along this test series was a waste of time.

BCCI should've instead insisted on playing the cancelled 2 ODI's plus 3 20/20's when England returned.
 
Test Match is on a knife Edge but i recon England will win this. Scoring 250 on final day is going to be tough espcially with Sehwag back in hutch. Intresting to see if india even consider going at this total on the final day.
 
if we play for a draw we will loose this one , our batsmen are just not capable of playing out a draw especially with Dravid out of form .......250 to get , there should be no confusion here ..play your natural game , we can win this 20 overs to spare !
 
Whoever is saying that Sehwag isnt one of the world's best batsmen must be emitting those posts from their rears. And to say that "he doesnt usually win matches" is also some feat of either stupidity or ignorance. Look up the scoreboard or better, try watching the highlights of the Nagpur test, the Mohali test (both against Australia) or the Galle test match against Sri Lanka.

And just to take the arguement of "best batsmen wins you matches" a bit further; the best batsman in the world, by some distance is Shivnaraine Chanderpaul. Please enlighten me as to how many matches he has won for his country in the last 2 years (when he's been in the form of his life).

And also "throwing his wicket away" is also quite a silly arguement to hold against Sehwag. Those 'silly' shots are what got him runs at that strike rate in the first place and all this talk about "sensible" play shows quite easily that whoever said this doesnt recognize talent. Its like telling Waqar Younis to bowl 120 kmph back of a length stuff because he's gone for 2 fours in an over and its unsurprising that all this comes from an englishman. From a whole cricketing system thats infested by line and length, percentage dreariness.
 
see how pressure affects the indians.. but draw is on the cards i reckon
 
India v England, 1st Test, Chennai, 5th day

India needs 256 runs and they have 9 wickets in hand.
 
gambhir wlll fail. he batted okay for his 41, but i am not sure if he can score another 41 runs today or can reach hundred today. that won't be possible.

dravid might actually score today i think. he would get around 50 and then will get out

i think England would win
 
Indian middle order will choke again and it will be up to the tail.

I'd say Dhoni and a tailender will probably win it for India.
 
I think india has a decent chance.. but it entirely depends on the first hour of the 5th day...
 
5th day pitches are always interesting...we definitely have a game on our hands!
 
gone ouch... i think with that Dravid's career is officially over...
 
When is Dravid going to retire? It's just embarrassing watching him bat now.
 
230 something runs needed - play it like a one day boys

Yuvi, forget its a test, just think 20-20
 
kingusama92 said:
gone ouch... i think with that Dravid's career is officially over...
Click to expand...
i would make him play ranjhi for a few months and give him a last chance if he finds some success
 
Inside edged one tantalisingly close and past leg stump for four off Freddie.
 
Good opening spell from Flintoff. Poor first over from Anderson though.
 
Yeah Flintoff bowled well. Especially that one delivery without the leading arm that completely fooled Gauti was brilliant.
 
Drinks!

First hour belonged to India. Especially because they lost Dravid.
 
The angry little guy is gone....huge wicket for England.

Now one to get and they are into the tail. Still 204 to get.
 
Gambhir goes.

Was wondering about the purpose of the innocuous short stuff from Anderson - obviously setting him up! Change of angle, a bit of swing, and Gambhir's back in the hutch. Good innings though.
 
Ref. my post yesterday about the bipolar Indian batting:

The first pole has done its bit. Now, will the Dhoni-Bhajji-Zaka trio live up to its reputation?
 
Anderson subjecting Lazhar to short stuff now. Hoping for a repeat of Gambhir trick.
 
Hahahaha
Monty thought after catching Laxman in the first innings that it was a bump ball.
:)))
 
match is at very interesting stage at moment. India does have upper hand at moment. Eng need 2 wickets within half hour after lunch to b back in game
 
India 213/3 at Lunch
need 174 runs with 7 wickets in hand and 65 overs left
Req runrate : 2.67
 
very tight game! let's go Sach!

Flintoff has got to be one of the best bowlers of all time though. Not in the Wasim Waqar league, but above Lee, Bond, below McGrath Akhtar
 
Tupac said:
very tight game! let's go Sach!

Flintoff has got to be one of the best bowlers of all time though. Not in the Wasim Waqar league, but above Lee, Bond, below McGrath Akhtar
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Bond no. Nowhere near Shane Bond.

Match poised. Enter the YUVI.
 
I really hate to say this but India are clearly going to win the match. Even though Yuvraj will get out very soon Tendulkar and Dhoni will bat sensibly to win the match. And if any one of them (Tendulkar/Dhoni) fall, then India still have two capable batsmen in Harbhajan and Zaheer...

England can only win this if India miraculously choke.
155 required in 60 overs.
Required run rate is 2.58, easy.
 
The way its turning right now i think Eng have the advantage. But they need to get sachin and then dhoni early.
 
According to my bollywood sources, SRT will score 73, then he will be overcome with cramps. With the crowd chanting Jai Hind and KP checking his Blackberry for a call from Mr. Malya, SRT will inch India closer to victory but fall to a doubtful clean bowled decision.

Yuvi will then takeover and farm the strike to take India to within 2 runs of victory.

Phir kiya hoga ?
 
the sledging worked i the first innings ..if he falls for it again , shame on YUVI !
 
Yuvi is trying his best to get caught behind. Seems irritated.
 
Hahahah..... Freddie is Jokesss!!! Did you guys see him trying to emulate Yuvi..haha
Just last, ppl wrote Freddie off coz of his Injuries but one can see that Freddie is just level ahead of all bowlers from England
 
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