AP Sachin Tendulkar brought up his second 50 of the series to steer India to 216/3 at lunch on the the final day of the fourth Test against England at the Oval on Monday.
Sachin Tendulkar remained on course for a historic 100th Test ton as India fought back to save the match after following on, reaching 216 for three at lunch on the fifth day of the final cricket Test here on Monday.
India quelled England’s charge for the whole of morning session without losing a single wicket with the two overnight batsmen Tendulkar (72 batting) and Amit Mishra (57 batting) piling on 98 runs for the fourth wicket.
The visitors now trail by 75 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand.
Everyone was backing Tendulkar to come good but Mishra was the real surprise packet as he handled both spinners and pacers with aplomb.
Tendulkar set the early tone of the day when he steered and flapped James Anderson through the slip cordon for two boundaries. A single brought his half century up from 74 balls and he had thus far hit seven fours.
Mishra, on the other end, clearly found the off-spin of Graeme Swann to his liking as he dabbed him past slips for his first four of the morning. He then flicked Stuart Broad off his pads and later swept Swann for yet another boundary.
Two more fours by Mishra, one each off Broad and Swann, took him into 40s.
England removed Swann from the bowling attack and brought Ravi Bopara on to bowl his medium pacers but Tendulkar hit him for two off-side fours.
Bowlers were being shuffled around but they were not able to beat the bat often as the Indian pair grew increasingly in confidence.
AP Rahul Dravid brought up his 35th Test hundred on the fourth morning of the fourth Test against England on Sunday.
Somehow Rahul Dravid has found within himself the strength to keep
thegrim depression that has enveloped India on its tour of England from dragging him down.
Whether he has drawn from the pain, allowing the lacerating hurt to stiffen his resolve, or remained immune to its infectious influence, sequestering himself from the contagion, isn't known; he won't let oneither. But while India has crawled from batting disaster to batting disaster, Dravid has had what simply is a singularly outstanding series.
First-rate innings
Forced to open on Saturday evening, like he has been on other occasions this series, the great man completed his third century in four Tests, on Sunday afternoon. By any standard, it was a first-rate innings; given the quality of England's attack, the relative loneliness of his stand, the context of the series, and thedifficulties of the wicket, it was an epic, a masterpiece, a statement of unflinching greatness.
Dravid's 35th Test century — only Sachin Tendulkar, with 51, has more for India — enabled the touring side resist England's push for a series-sweeping win on the fourth day of the fourth Test. England eventually bowled India out for 300 and enforced the follow-on.
Dravid, who had carried his bat with 146, fell, contentiously, in the second innings. India finished on 129 for three, trailing by 162.
India began Sunday on 103 for five, needing a further 289 to avoid the follow-on. M.S. Dhoni stayed with Dravid for 45 minutes before shaving to the keeper a James Anderson out-swinger that moved half a bat's width.
Amit Mishra (43) batted most impressively, using a surprisingly-solid defensive technique and some adventurous, and on occasion skilful, strokeplay to give Dravid the support he so richly deserved.
Magnificent
Dravid was magnificent. Where his centuries at Lord's and at Trent Bridge were characterised by how swiftly and profitably his hands adjusted to the swing, allowing him to score even when out of position, his century here at The Oval was marked by how well his feet and body shifted into position. That the ball didn't swing to the same degree here as it had in the first two Tests allowed this, but it showed the versatility of his batsmanship.
Having persuaded the seamers to bowl straighter by leaving resolutely outside the off-stump, Dravid flipped off his hip and knee with a twitch of the wrist and a turn of the body. His play against GraemeSwann was masterly.
The off-spinner was getting his deliveries to drift (occasionally), establish a grip on the dry, abrasive surface, and turn sharply. Dravid was either right to the pitch, or deep in his crease: from these decisive positions, he could play with or against the break.
Dravid went from 86 to 98 with three fours off the off-spinner in four balls, a slog-sweep, a back-cut, and a worked on-drive. But even when he was gathering singles, his control and intent were just as striking. Deliveries that were exploding off the surface, disturbing the strip's loosened top soil, were calmly defused.
Stunning catch
Mishra, who had smashed Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, fell to a stunning one-handed catch by Ian Bell, metres from the bat in an unconventional position. Gautam Gambhir resisted for an hour and ten minutes before a bouncer had him fending to the slip cordon; there's some talk about Gambhir's tendency not to play unless fully fit, and a discussion isn't without merit, but concussions aren't to be trifled with.
R.P. Singh played a stroke-filled cameo, but neither he nor last-man Sreesanth could assist Dravid to 150. Dravid may as well have requested his scones and tea on the pitch, for he was back on in ten minutes, opening the second innings.
England finally got his wicket, but it wasn't clear cut. Andrew Strauss, on Swann's bidding, reviewed a bat-pad decision — there was no conclusive evidence, at least none from the replays and Hot Spot, to over-rule the ‘not out' verdict, but that's exactly what the third-umpire did.
Classic dismissal
There was no dispute about Swann's dismissal of Virender Sehwag, which was a classic off-spinner's wicket. The opener had batted with a mix of caution and daring to make 33; his repeated attempt to hit Swann through cover cost him. An off-break turned severely from well outside off-stump to steal between bat and pad.
V.V.S. Laxman played inside the line of an Anderson delivery to lose his off-stump. Unlike the leg-cutter at Trent Bridge, this was a straight ball.
It was left to Tendulkar (who survived a split-second stumping because no one appealed) and Mishra (night-watchman or promoted batsman?) to take India to stumps; the fight to save face will resume on Monday, the final day of the series.
England — 1st innings: 591 for six decl.
India — 1st innings: V. Sehwag lbw b Anderson 8 (6b, 2x4), R. Dravid (not out) 146 (266b, 20x4), V.V.S. Laxman c Prior b Broad 2 (7b), S. Tendulkar c Anderson b Swann 23 (34b, 4x4), S. Raina st. Prior b Swann 0 (29b), Ishant c Cook b Swann 1 (9b), M.S. Dhoni c Prior b Anderson 17 (50b, 2x4), A. Mishra c Bell b Bresnan 43 (77b, 6x4, 1x6), G. Gambhir c Pietersen b Broad 10 (62b, 1x4), R.P. Singh c Anderson b Bresnan 25 (23b, 5x4), S. Sreesanth c Morgan b Bresnan 0 (2b); Extras (b-8, lb-9, nb-1, w-7): 25; Total (in 94 overs): 300.
England bowling: Anderson 16-7-49-2, Broad 21-3-51-2, Bresnan 17-3-54-3, Swann 31-5-102-3, Pietersen 7-1-27-0, Bopara 2-2-0-0.
India — 2nd innings: V. Sehwag b Swann 33 (67b, 5x4), R. Dravid c Cook b Swann 13 (32b, 2x4), V.V.S. Laxman b Anderson 24 (42b, 4x4), S. Tendulkar (batting) 35 (51b, 5x4), A. Mishra (batting) 8 (18b, 1x4); Extras (b-10, lb-6): 16; Total (for three wkts. in 35 overs): 129.
Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Dravid), 2-64 (Sehwag), 3-118 (Laxman).
England bowling: Anderson 9-2-39-1, Broad 6-3-8-0, Swann 15-2-51-2, Bresnan 5-0-15-0.
AP Sachin Tendulkar leaves the field after being caught by England's James Anderson in the fourth Test match, at The Oval cricket ground in London, on Saturday.
Cricket / Bell completes double century; Swann strikes crucial blows
There are Tests that pitch and lurch violently, the momentum switching hands like dirty money at a gold souk. The fourth Test, here at The Oval, isn't one of them.
England resumed on 457 for three on the third morning, and progressed to 591 for six before the rain intervened at lunch. There was time for Ian Bell's first Test double-hundred, England's third of the series and its seventh since the start of 2010.
The home team continued its dominance thereafter: first it declared on its lunch score, reassessing its plans because the second session was washed out; then it warmed up purposefully as the clouds lifted; finally, and most importantly, England claimed wickets (although not the one it most wanted, that of Rahul Dravid), reducing India to 103 for five.
India has its work cut out. The weather might help — the forecast, at least for Sunday, says there may be rain — but the batsmen will have to do better than they have all series. And they'll have to do it against an English attack that showed on Saturday evening that the pitch the Indian bowlers had laboured on wasn't as unresponsive as it appeared.
Although Sreesanth took two in ten balls in the morning, India couldn't create an impact. The first was night-watchman James Anderson, caught at second slip. The bowler stood still, arms crossed, a baleful stare stalking Anderson as he walked to the pavilion.
Sreesanth followed that dramatic performance — and it was a rather entertaining celebration, the contempt giving it a certain edge — with a clever bit of bowling. He leapt wide at the crease, exaggerating the delivery's angle. The length provoked the drive; the slant across the left-handed Eoin Morgan compromised it.
But the wickets made no difference to Bell, who batted with the touch and judgment of Friday, driving sweetly from balanced positions. Bell's 20th four, a leg-glance off Sreesanth, gave him his maiden double-century, and he celebrated with a crunching pull between mid-on and mid-wicket.
Suresh Raina ended Bell's 235 with a flat off-spinner slipped under the batsman's sweep-stroke. A standing ovation saluted a fine innings that had begun in circumspection — his ability to leave Ishant Sharma's in-slant particularly impressive — before reprising the glorious principles of stroke-making.
Ravi Bopara rustled together an unbeaten 44 against R.P. Singh, who again looked sub-standard, Amit Mishra, who managed no more than slow, transparent turn, and Raina. But any ambition he might have had of a half-century ended with the declaration.
Dravid was forced to open India's innings because Gautam Gambhir was being treated for a concussion suffered on the second day. Virender Sehwag took first strike, and cracked two fours through cover. But Anderson struck with one that nipped back. Sehwag's attempt to bring his bat across was impeded by the front pad. He was lbw.
Stuart Broad took V.V.S. Laxman out with a short ball that bounced, and actually began to swing as it approached the batsman — only in England does the ball, when its seam is knocked upright on pitching, swing after it passes the batsman. The previous ball had swung straight to first slip after bouncing on the pitch. This one moved less, but it did so fatally, for it gained Laxman's edge to the keeper. Dravid batted masterfully and positively. He wristed the ball off his front knee with fine skill. He punched well off the back-foot, cut adeptly, and even played a pull stroke, something he doesn't do as often these days. He used the crease magnificently to combat Graeme Swann. The more aggressive mindset also helped his defensive play: he was sharp, keen, tight.
Sachin Tendulkar had a strange time of it in the hour and even minutes he batted. He was hit by the short ball, but thought little of it and pressed forward to punch-drive when the length demanded. But his fondness for the sweep-stroke against Swann cost him. The off-spinner shortened his length; the ball held up in the wicket and bounced; Tendulkar was through his stroke. The ball lobbed off glove to Anderson, who ran around from slip.
Swann had Raina (0 off 29 balls) smartly stumped off a ripping off-break and night-watchman Ishant Sharma caught at short-leg before Dravid (57 batting) and M.S. Dhoni prevented further loss.
England — 1st innings: A. Strauss c Dhoni b Sreesanth 40 (106b, 5x4), A. Cook c Sehwag b Ishant 34 (87b, 4x4), I. Bell lbw b Raina 235 (364b, 23x4, 2x6), K. Pietersen c & b Raina 175 (232b, 27x4), J. Anderson c Laxman b Sreesanth 13 (26b, 2x4), E. Morgan c Dhoni b Sreesanth 1 (10b), R. Bopara (batting) 44 (75b, 3x4), M. Prior (batting) 18 (28b, 2x4); Extras (b-6, lb-8, nb-10, w-7): 31. Total (for six wickets decl. in 153 overs): 591.
Fall of wickets: 1-75 (Cook), 2-97 (Strauss), 3-447 (Pietersen), 4-480 (Anderson), 5-487 (Morgan), 6-548 (Bell).
India — 1st innings: V. Sehwag lbw b Anderson 8 (6b, 2x4), R. Dravid (batting) 57 (108b, 9x4), V.V.S. Laxman c Prior b Broad 2 (7b), S. Tendulkar c Anderson b Swann 23 (34b, 4x4), S. Raina st. Prior b Dhoni 0 (29b), Ishant c Cook b Swann 1 (9b), M.S. Dhoni (batting) 5 (5b, 1x4); Extras (lb-5, w-2): 7. Total (for five wickets in 33 overs): 103.
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Sehwag), 2-13 (Laxman), 3-68 (Tendulkar), 4-93 (Raina), 5-95 (Ishant).
England bowling: Anderson 5-1-21-1, Broad 10-1-22-1, Bresnan 7-0-25-0, Swann 10-3-27-3, Pietersen 1-0-3-0.
AP England's Ian Bell acknowledges the crowd after smashing double century during the fourth Test against India.
Ian Bell struck his maiden double hundred on Saturday to help England to 591-6 at lunch against India, taking the hosts toward a likely declaration in the fourth and final Test at The Oval.
Resuming on 181, Bell passed 200 with a flick to the fine-leg boundary for one of his 23 fours and was finally trapped lbw by Suresh Raina for 235 shortly before the interval.
India took three wickets for 134 runs for its most successful session of the match but is still staring the possibility of a 4-0 series defeat.
Nightwatchman James Anderson (13) and Eoin Morgan (1) both fell to the previously unthreatening Sreesanth before Bell put on 61 for the sixth-wicket with Ravi Bopara, who received a welcome chance to spend some time at the crease and was unbeaten on 44. Matthew Prior was 18 not out.
But rain began falling as the teams walked off, umbrellas opening in the crowd and ground staff bringing on the covers. Two whole sessions have already been lost to rain following a downpour on the opening day.
Play had started under bright sunshine and Sreesanth had Anderson caught off a thick edge by VVS Laxman at second slip in the fifth over. He tempted Morgan into a similar dismissal to MS Dhoni behind the stumps in his next over, finishing the session with 3-123.
But Bell and Kevin Pietersen had already put victory beyond India’s reach with a 350-run partnership on Friday - the highest third-wicket stand by any team in 131 years of Test cricket at the south London ground.
Pietersen fell for 175 late in the day but Bell continued with serene authority against the team England has deposed as Test cricket’s No. 1.
He clipped a boundary off his hip from the third ball of the morning on Saturday to set the tone and soon passed England teammate Alastair Cook as Test cricket’s leading scorer for 2011.
By the time he misjudged Raina to depart to a predictable ovation, Bell had reached 950 runs for the year - 23 more than Cook.
England has now passed 500 for the third time in six innings and has now scored 2,809 in the series to 1,461 by India, averaging 59.77 per wicket to 24.35 for the tourists.
Pietersen alone has 533 for the series - more than Indian batting stars Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman combined.
AP India's seamers controlled the play on the second morning of the last Test against England at the Oval on Friday.
Indian bowlers put up a much improved show as England batsmen scored sedately to reach 126 for two at lunch on the second day of the fourth and final cricket Test here on Friday.
The Indian seamers led by Ishant Sharma bowled to a disciplined line as the home team could manage only 51 runs off 25 overs in the session losing openers Alastair Cook (34) and skipper Andrew Strauss (40).
Cook failed to add anything to his overnight total while Strauss added only two from 32 balls as both were dismissed in the slip cordon off Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth respectively.
Sharma, who set the trend of the day with a spell of 6-3-7-1, made Cook poke at his fifth delivery of the morning and was easily snapped by Virender Sehwag at first slip, fielding in place of Rahul Dravid who came on to the field only in the fourth over.
As R.P. Singh also kept it tight from the other end, the first four overs of the day produced no runs. Strauss tried to pull a short R.P. Singh delivery first up in the morning but thereafter went into his shell and found it very difficult to get going.
Bell meanwhile began briskly, steering R.P. Singh to third man and cracking Sreesanth through covers yet only 21 runs had accrued to the total from the first 10 overs.
Strauss departed at the stroke of drinks break, driving at a wide delivery from Sreesanth and edging it to wicketkeeper after couple of powerful hits in the cover region didn’t yield desired results.
AFP England's captain Andrew Strauss inspects his broken helmet as team-mate Alastair Cook and Australian Umpire Simon Taufel look on after Strauss was hit in the helmet by a bowled ball from India's Ishant Sharma, at the Oval in London. Photo: AFP
India will have hoped for many things from the first morning of the fourth Test; what happened on Thursday here at The Oval wouldn't have made the list.
Asked to bowl in overcast conditions on an easy-paced wicket that had just enough to keep the seam-and-swing bowlers interested, India struggled to discomfit England's openers. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook took their team to lunch on 75 without loss from 26 overs. Rain came down in thin-wet needles during the break, and held steady.
The umpires had one inspection of the ground and several looks at the grey skies overhead, at 5.10 p.m. (local time), before deciding to abandon play for the day.
Teams that are looking to halt a three-Test losing streak often attempt to set a positive tone; India's early notes were discordant. R.P. Singh, drafted into the side after Praveen Kumar was ruled out with injury, bowled like a man who hasn't been in a first-class match since January. The left-armer's first delivery slid slowly down the leg-side, exhausted of all its energy when M.S. Dhoni flapped at it on the second bounce.
R.P. Singh did improve slightly. He began to shape the ball away from the left-handers. But it was at gentle pace (late 70s to early 80smph). The disappointing thing was that he didn't look capable of elevating his pace or intensity; the brisk-liquid action he bowled with in his prime (a matter of fitness, not age) was missing — in its place was an action that still looked effortless, but also appeared bereft of real effort.
R.P. Singh had one bright moment — a delivery opened Cook up and rapped him on the pad, but it was too high to threaten the stumps. It was a sign of what he can do when fit.
Ishant Sharma was India's best bowler by a considerable distance. The pace — mid to late 80s, once very nearly 90 — was encouraging. When his run-up is carrying him to the moment of delivery as intended, when he's hitting the crease as he likes to, he bowls at these speeds.Unlike shoulder-strong bowlers — England's Tim Bresnan is one — Ishant's pace is a consequence of his action working well, his wrist behind the ball in delivery.
Ishant broke Strauss' helmet-peak with an excellent surprise bouncer, catching the batsman between ducking, swaying, and swatting. Against a man normally assured — even trigger-happy — against the short ball, it was some achievement. Ishant's angle caused plays and misses, but he couldn't the bring ball enough when he pitched it in line for an lbw decision. Despite that, Ishant came closest to breaking through.
Sreesanth got the ball to swing into the left-hander, but he started most of these deliveries from middle and leg. Both Strauss and Cook worked Sreesanth with the drift, and soon Dhoni had either a short mid-on or a short mid-wicket in place. The field-angles didn't seem right: despite the stationing of square-leg, short mid-on (or mid-wicket), and deep mid-wicket on the boundary, both the short-tapped single and the wristed four came easy.
When Sreesanth looked to slant the ball across the left-hander, he ended up too wide or too full. Strauss, in particular, showed good balance in pushing Sreesanth down the ground. Cook, who had earlier cut a half-tracker from R.P. Singh, played the stroke of the session when he cover-drove Ishant, lowering himself to the ground in so doing.
Suresh Raina was brought on before lunch, and he gave both batsmen the easiest Test runs they'll make. As Geoffrey Boycott causticallyremarked in the press-box, perhaps Raina was trying to fog the brains of the batsmen: instead of one or two areas to hit to, they now had to process the possibilities of thirteen or fourteen.
M.S. Dhoni disputed the idea that three successive defeats were a wakeup call, stressing instead the importance of not panicking ahead of the fourth Test.
“We weren't sleeping, and so we didn't need a wakeup call,” said the Indian captain. “It's important not to panic. The good sides don't press the panic button quickly. We have to admit we were outplayed. Failures and challenges make life interesting. It's a phase we are going through, and we are learning a lot from it.”
Asked what India needed to do to transfer pressure back onto England, Dhoni said, “We have to put the runs on the board. We are a side more known for our batting, and we need to score runs to put pressure on the opposition batting line-up.”
Dhoni said it was vital India didn't turn desperate in the final Test.
Talking in the context of both preventing a clean-sweep and winning it for Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and V.V.S. Laxman, who aren't likely to play together in England again, Dhoni said, “When you're desperate the chances of you playing to potential are less.
“We have to break the match into small sessions and concentrate on doing well in these sessions without worrying about the result. I always say it is important to keep things simple and stick to the basics.
“We will stick to the gameplans we have, and given the quality in the side, more often than not we'll get the results.”
Strauss for strong finish
Andrew Strauss reiterated England's determination to finish the series strongly.
“There's always the danger of taking the foot off the pedal,” said the England captain. “And I hope we don't. That sort of goes against what we are about as a team. India will be looking to finish on a high note, and it's up to us to stop that.”
Strauss said his team was better used to success than the England side of 2005 — and therefore better placed to continue what it had started.
“That win (against Australia) surprised us all. It was such a strong Australian side that it wasn't until the end that we believed we could win. There has been a gradual evolution (since then). We have a lot of improvement left. It's time to redouble our efforts, not a time to be satisfied. We are going to be judged by higher standards from now on.”
Fitness concerns
Both teams have fitness concerns ahead of the fourth Test. Praveen Kumar was hit on the right thumb when batting in the third Test.
He didn't practise on Tuesday, but he did bowl in the nets on Wednesday.
For England, James Anderson tested his injured thigh in the nets. Strauss expected him to play, but added that England's spearhead would be assessed on Thursday morning before a decision is made.
AP England's captain Andrew Strauss plays a shot off the bowling of India's Ishant Sharma in their fourth test match, at The Oval on Thursday.
Indian bowling lacked teeth as openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss batted comfortably to take England to 75 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the fourth and final cricket Test here today.
Skipper Strauss was batting on 38 while last match’s double centurion Cook is giving him company on 34 after England opted to bat at the Oval.
From the moment recalled medium—pacer Rudra Pratap Singh sent a wide delivery down the leg stump which almost bounced twice, Indians never backed themselves to do any worthwhile damage to the hosts’ formidable batting.
Both Cook and Strauss began with boundaries down to the third man region and generally played without any alarm till the second hour when a sharp Ishant Sharma bouncer nearly took England skipper’s head off.
Strauss was on 24, England 48 for no loss, when Sharma dug one in which got Strauss in a tangle and hit him smack on the peak of his helmet, taking a piece off it. An inch below and Strauss could have ended up with a serious blow on his face.
But for this solitary moment of superiority, there wasn’t any genuine moment of shout emerging from the Indians. England openers, for most part of the session, accumulated their runs in ones and twos and only nine fours were hit in the first session.
Strauss hit Sreesanth for two delightful boundaries, putting a straight delivery past the square—leg fence and then getting his stride forward to stroke one back past the bowler.
Cook too got into the swing of things by getting on top of a short delivery from RP and square cutting it to fence and later flicking Sreesanth for yet another boundary.
As the minutes passed by, the strides of batsmen went longer and shots got deeper in front of square.
Indians largely stuck to its medium—pacers in the first session but they didn’t have the quality to make use of overcast conditions. RP only got better after his first over which Ian Botham in the commentary box described as the worst first over he has ever seen in Test cricket.
He finished his first spell of seven overs with 19 runs but his pace was disappointing even by gentle military medium—pace standards.
He clearly looked a bowler who hasn’t played Test cricket for three years now. Sreesanth had his own problems. Clearly uncomfortable in bowling to left—handers, he tended to bowl too straight to two left—handers and was hit for most boundaries— 4 —— during the morning session.
Ishant redeemed himself in this group of average bowlers, beating the bats a couple of times, and managing to extract good bounce out of the surface.
There was a moment of anxiety for the Indians when Dhoni, while collecting a Sharma delivery, wrung his fingers in pain.
Clearly the pounding his hands have suffered over the years is beginning to have its effects.
He received medical attention on the field on his right little finger which had jarred with the impact.
AP England's Stuart Broad, right, and Matt Prior, left, stretch during a practice session at The Oval cricket ground in London. Photo: AP
Severe embarrassment for Dhoni's men as they began the series as No. 1 team
This series, as Sourav Ganguly observed with considerable feeling while making himself a cup of tea at Edgbaston, has been a throwback to how India travelled overseas in the 1990s: go and get beaten.
While India had its chances at Lord's and more obviously at Trent Bridge, and looked at stages like England's equal, Edgbaston was a right old walloping. It was understandable given how long series often un-spool: the team that swings the decisive moments begins to dominate the opposition, its belief growing, the other's eroding.
With the fourth and final Test set to begin on Thursday here at The Oval, London's burgher cricket ground (Lord's remains the haunt of the toffs), India finds itself in a delicate position. Only six times in its history has India been swept in a series of at least three Tests, and only thrice has this been a series of four or more matches.
The last time India lost all four matches of a series was in Australia in 1967-68; the last time India lost a series 0-4 was also in Australia, in 1991-92, but it was a five-Test series.
This time the embarrassment will be particularly severe. India came to the series as the No. 1 Test team in the world and the holder of the Pataudi Trophy. Both have been surrendered, the Pataudi Trophy for the first time since its inception.
Crucial phase
The fourth Test marks a crucial phase for India, and not just because it's playing for that elusive emotion, pride. It must prevent a clean sweep to save face, certainly. But the more important thing is to reaffirm to itself its intrinsic value. India is aware that it has within its ranks some great cricketers, mainly batsmen; does that a great team make?
India has been something of an underdog champion in its time at the top, resilient but not dominant. But it's this very resilience that's being questioned now. Defeat tends to uncover faults and magnify flaws: qualities that were seldom questioned when winning are now seen differently, there's plenty of ‘I told you so'.
Vital to progress
But if the panic can be kept away, defeats can be very clarifying; they are vital to progress. If there is one thing India has done particularly well, it has been to stay true to its style. But now this style has to be reassessed — calmly, and with as much cleverness as can be mustered. Can it continue to work and for how much longer? Can India play another way or is that a recipe for failure? And can evolution be accelerated?
Gary Kirsten did many fine things as coach. One of it, helping the great batsmen extend their careers, was central to India's success.
But the exit plan Kirsten spoke about early in his tenure was either shelved or not fully developed. It certainly wasn't made public.
Duncan Fletcher, who began the process of England's turnaround by introducing systemic change, will likely be in charge of the transition, whenever it happens. The magnitude of change, the extent of remodelling, is just as important. India's finest, most independent cricket brains, and not just another BCCI committee, must be recruited.
Tricky period
Indian cricket enters a tricky period, and it begins at The Oval. There's a sense within the team that it has fought hard, but somehow, for some reason, matters just haven't worked out. The only option for India now is to redouble its efforts; a start has to be made. It needs look no further than its opposition: England collapsed for 51 in the West Indies in early 2009 before regenerating into a wholesome, tightly-knit team.
The Oval isn't a bad ground to turn things around for India. It recorded its first win in England at this very ground in 1971.
More to the point, India hasn't been defeated here after 1959, and the last time it was here, in 2007, India made 664, remembered for Anil Kumble's only Test century, and sealed the series.
There's a reason for India's showing at The Oval. The wicket is usually good for batting, true of bounce and modest of movement. There is some conventional swing to be had. But with the abrasive practice pitches cut on the wicket square, and certain to be in the way of the ball when it's stuck, reverse swing is a distinct possibility. The strip also tends to take spin as the Test progresses. These are conditions India enjoys. Some succour, but India needs more than that.
The teams (from):
England: Andrew Strauss (capt.), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Steve Finn, and Graham Onions.
pite gaining an unassailable series lead and the world number one status, England skipper Andrew Strauss is in no mood to allow beleaguered India to finish the four-match Test rubber on a positive note.
“I am absolutely certain India would like to finish on a high note but our job is to stop them from doing it,” said the left-hander ahead of the fourth and final Test that starts here at the Oval from Thursday.
England are up 3-0 but Strauss felt the journey is not yet complete.
“We are only part way through our journey as a group of players. Now we very much need to redouble our effort, keep improvement going and not to take foot off gas. We all will now be judged by our high standards.”
The great Australian team of the 90s invariably took its foot off the pedal after winning a series but Strauss wouldn’t let his team fall into the trap.
Should England find themselves in a spot, Strauss and his men can fall back on the experience of lifting themselves out of a crisis as they did on more than one occasion in the first two Tests.
“Ideally you don’t want to fall too long way behind but we have responded well. It helps foster confidence within the side.”
Strauss felt the challenges ahead would keep them motivated for not only the Oval game but also for future engagements.
“There are so many challenges ahead — there’s tour to the sub-continent, South Africa is coming next summer, India is in winter thereafter, the world championships, the Ashes — the challenges never cease. You are very motivated to keep improving.”
England has called up Durham seamer Graham Onions as a precautionary move ahead of the fourth Test against India.
Onions will serve as bowling cover following a minor quadriceps injury to James Anderson and the ruling out of Chris Tremlett because of an ongoing back injury.
Anderson experienced tightness in his right quadriceps following England's win over India at Edgbaston and will continue to be monitored over the next 48 hours. England national selector Geoff Miller said: “Unfortunately Chris Tremlett has failed a fitness test and won't be available for selection for the 4th npower Test, despite showing strong signs of recovery over the past few days.
“Chris's absence in conjunction with what appears to be a minor injury concern with Jimmy Anderson has led to a call up for Graham Onions as precautionary bowling cover.
“We are hopeful that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday but more time is required before a decision on his availability can be made conclusively.”
