England Versus India - 1st Test (9 Nov - 13 Nov)

[ddb]

Plus our batting is v. light.

England's game for the taking really.

Jinx!

Rahane can't save us really

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ha!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Apart from Joe Root, no England number 3-5 has made a hundred since the first Test against West Indies in Spring 2015. 26 Tests ago.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Root has six. Ballance and Bell scored one each in Antigua.

Probably best Mo doesn't know this.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Records batting 3-5 in that time. No one but Root averages over 30.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

[hopeforthebest]

If the remaining batsmen can remember how they batted in Banga then a score near 500 is entirely possible and this pitch has so far shown no demons. I'm putting aside any pessimism, I'm saving that for the future of the UK outside the EU, and believe England can put India on notice that this game is in our hands.

[hopeforthebest]

The outcome of this game might well depend on the captaincy of Cook, his approach in Banga was generally underwhelming and often terrible. He reminds me of a gambler who plays roulette with a system and sticks to it come hell or high water.

[hopeforthebest]

Before start of play the camera roamed around the spectators and showed a group in blue shirts and the commentator said lots of school children are here today. Some of these particular school children had beards.

[hopeforthebest]

Moeen inexplicably decides to leave a delivery angling in to him from Shami bowling around the wicket and his off stump goes cartwheeling.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another fifty on the board though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Anyone watching this in SA or NZ will be banging the top of their tvs.

[bigfluffylemon]

Well done Moeen for 3rd hundred of the year, highest score outside of England and an all round fine innings. He's having a great year, especially with the bat, and I think the move into the middle order is showing itself to be justified. He was always a batsman first, at least at county level.

Probably within an even shout of making 500 now that there is nearly 400 up. And Bairstow and Stokes are batting quickly. It's still going to be hard to get 20 Indian wickets, but it's definitely advantage England.

[hopeforthebest]

These dropped catches are in part Kohli's fault as the ball is swinging to Stokes but he has no first slip so the keeper is also first slip. He's following the Cook method of captaincy.

[hopeforthebest]

Could we see the rare sight of 3 centurions in a single innings.

[Gingerfinch]

Or 4?

I'll take three though, hope.