Eng India Test Series

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 12 August 2018

This much anticipated series has me scratching my head, although I'm enjoying seeing bowlers rather than batsmen generally on top.

A thrilling finish to the first game and although a good win by England it was hardly dominant. Equally if you subtract the first innings century from Kohli India would have been nowhere near.

Game two and England deliver a complete thrashing inside two days of effective play. India implode with the bat, Kohli runs out a colleague on the first day then looks very restricted with back pain in the second innings. England bowl well in fantastic conditions but nothing truly unplayable.

It is all a bit hard to fathom; there's so much quality in the India batting line up I really expected them to come out on top but they appear to be foundering. With Trent Bridge starting Saturday they have got a lot of work to do to get back into the series. Another bad game and they will have to arrive back in india in disguise!

England will hope for some more runs from the top few and it is hard to see them changing much-although I'd expect them to start rotating bowlers a bit if they go 3 up. What do India do? Do they have another 'keeper batsman in the squad? What if Kohli is unfit-although he seems a rather marmite figure to me it might just be interesting what would happen if he could not play.

Bruce

Posted on: 11 September 2018 by MDS

Just as well Root set a big target. I thought India were doing really well in chasing it and then....

So pleased for Anderson to take the final wicket of the series and achieve his record. 4-1 might flatter England a bit but the record books won't show that.

Posted on: 11 September 2018 by Happy Listener

I think Kohli's summary on C5 was spot on, when he said they were 2 competitive teams, well-matched and while it's 4-1, it doesn't tell the story of what has been a very exciting and, in many games, closely fought series. Great kudos to the Indians for their play, attitudes and their respect for Cook in his last game. Mid-afternoon I was considering a flutter on an Indian win!

Like many games of sport, the 4-1 scoreline could have been oh so different and let's be fair, the Indian's walking to the wicket in the vast majority of cases encountered ideal English bowling conditions (swing/seam) and 'result wickets'. Indeed, largely it has been a series where the ball has tamed the bat which is good to see. In some ways, the result serves to reinforce the advantage of the home side and why Test series results of recent times are won by the same.

I'm hoping the Indian team do well in Oz. They seem well-equipped for the task via the bowling attack. I fear for England (ex Cook) in Sri Lanka on heavily turning wickets (from 1st ball if Kumar S. is correct). 

Whoever is responsible for the algorithm which works out the (meaningless) world rankings has a tough job on their hands.

Posted on: 12 September 2018 by thebigfredc

One of the best series I have known which really showcased the long form of the game.

Nobody should pretend England are perfect though, lots of hard work required before the Ashes (looking forward to booking my Edgbaston tickets tomorrow).

Ray

Posted on: 13 September 2018 by mpw

Cricket ( the 5 day test version )  won

and i think that's what the series is about for me.