Fourth test. There has to be a result wicket as India need to win to save face and the series. I'm keen on England at 3.5 on betfair because we've been superior in every respect for two full matches now. India could turn it round of course if ttwo or hree of their top order make daddy hundreds in the first innings but none of them bar Pujara have looked convincing this series. Their bowlers are not up to England's and I'd be surprised if they were capable of getting 20 wickets. Their fielding is dreadful to boot and is worth 50 runs and a few extra chances every innings. This isn't the India of old and at 3.5 England seem like the standout value in a situation where there will almost definitely not be a draw.
Nice to see a cricket question or poser about Bob, so i will try and help you... The fact that the Indians need to win this game just to draw the series means that the pitch has to be made to take 20 English wickets, this is because they are struggling to take 11 at the mo...!!! Of course this will also play into our hands as our bowlers have outplayed the home bowlers by a mile...!!! Also their batters are struggling to make runs, unlike ours - apart from Bell, it plays into our hands again... PadPow have it India 7/5... England 21/10 and the draw 2/1... I just dont see India winning this Test so then we have the Draw or England win... Im not sure that we will go the full 5 days, or into the last session of the game, so that takes the Draw out... England look good at 21/10... Looks like were both thinking the same thing... Good luck Bob...
That is a very convincing argument and makes me wonder why England are not odds on. 21/10 looks a cracking bet. Good luck if you're on.
No Patel. No Finn. In come Joe Root and Tim Bresnan. Patel is no loss but Finn's pace and height will be missed.
A poor decision leaves England at 61/2 at lunch. KP and Trott both going well and look in good nick. Bell's the one for me in this inning. Crucial.
I suppose if your going to start the day off at 16-2 then a final day score of around 180ish for 5 isnt that bad... The one thing it dos show is that this Test wont end in a draw. To many variables in the pitch on day one...!!! Lets wait to see what they do when its their turn to bat...
Just one of the paragraphs from today's match report... India's strategy of beating England on sharply-turning surfaces had left them 2-1 down with one to play so it was time to find another way. It was not pretty. Plan B was to drive England to distraction on the slowest, lowest, shabbiest pitch imaginable. It might yet work, but Test cricket, not in the best of health as it is, is a little sicker for it. This match WILL NOT go the full 5 days... PadPow go - India 6/5, England 2/1 the draw 5/2...
I'm sticking with my England win bet Red. I think we have the ascendency as ludicrous as it sounds. We need 260+ but that's definitely possible. Then it's over to the seamers.
330 is a decent total. Very happy with that. The concern is that a few of ours got starts so there are opportunities to score. India will need 400+
Oh Jimmy, Jimmy...!!! Jimmy Anderson you little world class beauty...!!! Current odds at close of play... India 4/1... Draw 2/1... England 8/11... That 2/1 looks massive, and the 3.5 youve got on BetFair Bob is a steal also... Top 4 back in the hutch, no form from the others, apart from Ashwin, who can seem like a limpit stuck to a rock at times. If they get them out for less than 250, knock another 200 themselves and give the Indians 4/5 sessions to get 350+ then i can see only one result... Makes good watching Bob... Oh, and Jimmy Anderson becomes the bowler who has got The Little Master out the most now in Test cricket... Good on yer Jimmy...
Long way to go yet. Jimmy is swinging it about so we could skittle them for around 200 tomorrow. Then it'll be down to how Cook et al bat second time around. A second innings lead of 250+ will most likely be enough to win the match.
We speak to soon, me thinks...!!! Or maybe i do... Got to give the Indians some credit today for fighting back as they have done so. Its still a finely balanced Test Match, all be it a hard one to watch. And with the Indians putting up this fight they have brought back the draw bet for this match, though im reluctant to say that the Indians can win this from here on in, but its still a possibility... It looks like if you get in, your in for a bit and can make good runs. We gave them 3 wickets in the first innings and Cook wasnt out...!!! Looks like were going to have a run for our money on the win Bob, but you just never know what can happen in Test Cricket... That's why i love it...
Them quick wickets will help...!!! Poor Dhoni... Played so well that even i wouldn't have begrudged him his century... It was his call, and it was close, but its out... Game on as they say...!!!
Draw it is then. The Dhoni partnership in their first innings killed the game off as a contest. Whoever prepared this pitch needs a talking to.
Who said it wouldnt end up in a draw... To be fair after reading what KP said that the pitch was the worst he had played on, plus we had em at 87-4, you had to think that KP meant that it would break up, turn all over the place and both teams would struggle to score 200... As it was it just went flatter and flatter as the game progressed... As you say Bob, who ever prepared that pitch wants a good talking to... Plus side is that England win in India for many a series now, a great achievement that...
