creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[TANGODANCER]

Stop us getting ahead of ourselves. Next lesson: How to play against spin bowlers....

[BWFC_Insane]

Runs a bit deeper than "can't play spin". Our top order is in need of work. Cook and Root aside, the rest don't give me any confidence. Also we don't have a genuine test level wicket taking spinner and on these pitches it tells. Yes they can all do a turn but none are consistent enough.

Probably lost in the first innings. Was always going to be hard batting last but no reason first innings why we couldn't have made over 300 and had a more manageable lead.

[TANGODANCER]

Day 1 v India. 311-4 at stumps. No bad start, Root made 124 of those....

[TANGODANCER]

Day 2. England 537 all out and Moheen Ali and Stokes with centuries. India 63-0 at stumps.

[Worthy4England]

A good effort from the chaps, although it looks a bit of a shirt front - shouldn't take away from a good first innings.

[Worthy4England]

Accepting entirely that the pitch is a shirt front (or has been for the first few days), what a difference in our top order batting with a couple of re-jigs..

Good knock by Hussain and hopefully Duckett can settle at No 4.

[TANGODANCER]

India 488 all out (162.0 overs)
England 537 & 114 - 0 (37.0 overs)
pretty close first innings, but Not a bad situation at the moment.

[Bruce Rioja]

India 488 all out (162.0 overs)
England 537 & 114 - 0 (37.0 overs)
pretty close first innings, but Not a bad situation at the moment.

Settle for a draw, keep on batting and shag their bowlers out whilst keeping our's fresh. That'd be my gameplan anyway.

[Worthy4England]

India 488 all out (162.0 overs)
England 537 & 114 - 0 (37.0 overs)
pretty close first innings, but Not a bad situation at the moment.

Settle for a draw, keep on batting and shag their bowlers out whilst keeping our's fresh. That'd be my gameplan anyway.

Think so - maybe give them the last two sessions to bat, just on the off-chance. No lose gamble.

[TANGODANCER]

Ended in the prophesied draw, but England were strongest in the run in. Next test starts Thursday.

[Worthy4England]

Dear mods.

Please move this thread. I'm getting the phrase "....won by an Innings and..."

[TANGODANCER]

Dear mods.

Please move this thread. I'm getting the phrase "....won by an Innings and..."

You can cope. We've been here before.....

[TANGODANCER]

200 plus behind on the first innings, but India 98-3 at stumps today. They'll have to go for about 400 and hope to skittle us or another draw looms.

[jimbo]

We've got no bloody chance of sneaking a draw!

[Worthy4England]

We've got no bloody chance of sneaking a draw!

4 sessions, 10 wickets. Certainly wouldn't back against batting that long in a first innings. Never seems to work very well in the second, and hardly ever in the 4th innings of the match...fingers crossed.

[TANGODANCER]

India 455 & 204 all out (63.1 overs)
England 255 & 74 - 0 (49.5 overs)

Long hill to climb, but not quite dead yet then...

[TANGODANCER]

And then Hameed gets an unplayable "grubber" and t's 75-1..

[TANGODANCER]

Cook goes l.b.w on the last ball of the day. 87-2.....

[jimbo]

Good effort so far, but we'll have to break the world record by some distance for the longest 4th innings to save the game. Not only that, but we've got to do it on a track that's doing all sorts and our two best crease occupiers are no longer there. That in my book is no chance!

Duckett won't last half an hour in the morning. He's not a bad player, he just can't defend for toffee.

[Worthy4England]

Good effort so far, but we'll have to break the world record by some distance for the longest 4th innings to save the game. Not only that, but we've got to do it on a track that's doing all sorts and our two best crease occupiers are no longer there. That in my book is no chance!

Duckett won't last half an hour in the morning. He's not a bad player, he just can't defend for toffee.

Aye - anyone spot any Manchester clouds?