TrentBridge Test Comments By Jonathan Agnew

Jonathan Agnew column

By Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent at Trent Bridge

 

Tendulkar could not save his side from a crushing defeat at Trent Bridge

England look like the number one side in the world and India do not.

It would be wrong in any way for Sunday's diversion to detract anything from England's win. They would have won the game anyway, even without the Ian Bell incident.
There is always room for little stories within stories and sub-plots within the main plot, but the fact is that England's cricket has once again been absolutely top drawer and I'm afraid India's hasn't.

I don't know how the tourists are going to lift themselves. With the World Cup, the Indian Premier League and the tour of the Caribbean, it has been an endless merry-go-round for most of them and you can tell.
They look flat, they look jaded and there is no energy in the field. You could put that down to a hangover from Lord's where they had to work so much harder because of Zaheer Khan's absence but I just don't see how they are going to come back from this.
There are also a number of batsmen who England will feel they have got the sign over.
With Edgbaston likely to throw up another pitch like this, with a bit of pace and carry, I think the likes of Suresh Raina and Abhinav Mukund can expect the same treatment.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Continue reading the main story

Malcolm Ashton,
Test Match Special scorer

England's 544 was only the eighth time they have scored more than 500 in the second innings of a Test. The highest was the 654-5 made in the timeless drawn Test against South Africa at Kingsmead in March 1939

The conditions are totally alien to them and they are not going to enjoy it very much.
India only have one two-day game at Northampton to get themselves sorted and they need Zaheer Khan to play in that game. It's one thing to get over a hamstring injury, but it's another to be fit to play in a Test match.
While India were dismal, England were superb and their star performer in Monday's denouement was Tim Bresnan, who is simply the most improved cricketer that England have.
When he first came into the team he looked out of his depth. It wasn't helped by the fact that they gave him the new ball. He is not a new-ball bowler in my view - he is a good, solid, first-change seam bowler. But he has put some pace on, he has a nasty bouncer and he is aggressive.
He also really opened my eyes to his abilities with the bat. He played some terrific shots and I haven't seen him bat as well as that before.

Bresnan's performance has caused a selection issue for Edgbaston, where Chris Tremlett will be fit to return to the side, although the selectors might be saved if Jonathan Trott is injured.
That would mean, however, changing their four-bowler, six-batsman policy, and it may be that they would prefer to replace like with like and bring in either Ravi Bopara of Essex or Leicestershire's James Taylor.
England will just have to be ruthless. They have to pick the right side to win a Test match. And if they do win, they will rightly and deservedly be on top of the world.

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India crashes to an embarrassing defeat

 

AP England's Tim Bresnan celebrates with team members after taking the wicket of India's captain MS Dhoni, on the fourth day of the second Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England on Monday.

India suffered a crushing, mortifying defeat in the second Test at Trent Bridge, both the manner and the magnitude (319 runs) ill-befitting a team ranked No. 1.

Asked to bat five sessions and a bit, the batsmen were roughed up by a disciplined, bruising performance from England's seamers, who used their height and their strength forcefully.

There were pockets of resistance — Sachin Tendulkar's 56, Harbhajan Singh's 46, Praveen Kumar's 25 — but they merely delayed the inevitable. England took a 2-0 lead, Tim Bresnan adding to his second-innings 90 with five wickets.

India has a formidable task ahead of it in the two remaining Tests, but there is time yet to pursue that line of thought.

The immediate need is an account of Monday, the fourth day of what had shaped to be an enthralling contest before ending anti-climactically.

Impeccable delivery

Stuart Broad began England's victory charge with an impeccable delivery to Rahul Dravid. The angle of the delivery — it was directed from wide of the crease into the right-hander — and the movement off the wicket — it straightened after pitching on the seam — complemented the three-quarter length.

Dravid's hands flicked out like a switchblade; the thin edge was taken by the ‘keeper.

V.V.S. Laxman fell in the second over after lunch, to another magnificent delivery. James Anderson produced an in-swinging leg-cutter — the action of the wrist and fingers can sometimes conjure this magic ball (as it can, the out-swinging off-cutter), especially if the fingers drag down the side of the ball.

Laxman's off-stump was violently unearthed.

Bresnan, who had enjoyed his time batting earlier in the day, then got two wickets with two wickedly directed bouncers.

Abhinav Mukund might have narrowly escaped a king pair (it was Bresnan who put the catch down at second slip, a difficult chance), but he had no chance against a short ball of considerable pace that seamed across him. The ball looped to slip, bringing to memory the young opener's dismissals in the West Indies.

Suresh Raina was caught between ducking, swaying, and pulling in the first innings. He chose valour in the second (or fool hardiness, depending on how you see the world). He had no control of the hook stroke: he didn't play the ball; the ball played him. The top-edged hook travelled straight to fine-leg.

Bresnan also had Yuvraj Singh in trouble with the short ball, hitting the left-hander's fingers with a particularly nasty one. Broad smashed Yuvraj's elbow once, after the batsman had advanced!

Yuvraj looked to be walking off (perhaps he thought it was tea); eventually he turned and shook his head, and England's review of a caught-behind decision was of no avail.

Bresnan eventually overwhelmed Yuvraj, having him well caught at short-leg with a lifter.

The next ball found M.S. Dhoni offering no stroke; because the seam had been scrambled, swing, whatever little there was, had been turned off. The ‘lbw' decision was fairly straightforward for Asad Rauf, who's had an excellent two Tests.

At the other end, Tendulkar appeared to be batting in another match. When the ball was pitched up, it was driven surely, majestically.

When it was short, it was ducked under. A pity none of his mates, barring Harbhajan, wanted to hang around for the master-class. It ended when his bete noire, Anderson, trapped him ‘lbw' with a dramatic break-back.

Embattled bowling

The distressing batting performance followed an embattled bowling effort — England piled on the pain on Monday morning, continuing Sunday's charge. Matt Prior (73) feathered one behind, but Bresnan and Broad (44) plundered a tired attack.

There are few more exhausting things for a bowler than contending with a line-up that bats deep — and bats deep convincingly, the lower-order men playing with a batsman's judgment and repertoire.

Fatigue

For Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, who've bowled more than 210 overs between them in less than two weeks' time, it was an effort just to run up.

Harbhajan, who it's learnt is struggling with a stomach muscle injury, didn't bowl, and Yuvraj and Raina's part-time offerings were — as Shane Warne suggested on commentary — as inviting as a bowl of Caesar salad and a side of fries.

Substitute Wriddhiman Saha sparked a moment of fielding brilliance to run Broad out; Praveen got another to bounce off a length to end Bresnan's stay: it mattered little, for the Test was long gone by then.

Scoreboard

England — 1st innings: 221.

India — 1st innings: 288.

England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss c Dhoni b Sreesanth 16 (52b, 1x4), A. Cook c Yuvraj b Ishant 5 (11b, 1x4), I. Bell c Laxman b Yuvraj 159 (206b, 24x4), K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Sreesanth 63 (120b,7x4), E. Morgan c Dhoni b Praveen 70 (88b, 8x4, 1x6), M. Prior c Dhoni b Praveen 73 (60b, 10x4, 1x6), J. Trott c Dravid b Praveen 2 (10b), T. Bresnan c Dravid b Praveen 90 (118b, 17x4), S. Broad (run out) 44 (32b, 5x4, 2x6), G. Swann c (sub, Saha) b Ishant 3 (12b), J. Anderson (not out) 1 (15b); Extras (b-9, lb-5, w-2, nb-2): 18; Total (in 120.2 overs): 544.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Cook), 2-57 (Strauss), 3-219 (Pietersen), 4-323 (Bell), 5-329 (Morgan), 6-339 (Trott), 7-458 (Prior), 8-540 (Broad), 9-540 (Bresnan).

India bowling: Praveen 36-5-124-4, Ishant 29.2-4-131-2, Sreesanth 27-5-135-2, Yuvraj 11-0-51-1, Harbhajan 9-1-47-0, Raina 8-0-42-0.

India — 2nd innings: A. Mukund c Strauss b Bresnan 3 (41b), R. Dravid c Prior b Broad 6 (12b, 1x4), V.V.S. Laxman b Anderson 4 (7b, 1x4), S. Tendulkar lbw b Anderson 56 (86b, 8x4), S. Raina c sub b Bresnan 1 (5b), Yuvraj c Cook b Bresnan 8 (32b, 1x4), M.S. Dhoni lbw b Bresnan 0 (1b), Harbhajan c sub b Bresnan 46 (44b, 8x4, 1x6), Praveen b Anderson 25 (25b, 5x4), Ishant (not out) 8 (25b), Sreesanth b Broad 0 (8b); Extras (b-1): 1; Total (in 47.4 overs): 158.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Dravid), 2-13 (Laxman), 3-31 (Abhinav), 4-37(Raina), 5-55 (Yuvraj), 6-55 (Dhoni), 7-107 (Tendulkar), 8-129 (Harbhajan), 9-153 (Praveen), 10-158 (Sreesanth).

England bowling: Anderson 17-3-51-3, Broad 14.4-5-30-2, Bresnan 12-2-48-5, Swann 3-0-21-0, Pietersen 1-0-7-0.

Man of the Match: Stuart Broad.

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Bell puts England in command

AFP AND THEN NOT OUT... Though the scoreboard shows that Ian Bell was adjudged run out in controversial circumstances, M.S. Dhoni later withdrew the appeal and Bell resumed his innings after tea.

India experienced the sinking feeling of a Test match slipping through its fingers here at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Ian Bell's 159 was the centrepiece of England's second-innings score of 441 for six, which put it 374 ahead at stumps.

This, after Sunday morning found the second Test even and open to persuasion, with England resuming on 24 for one, 43 behind India.

The conditions, as they are apt to on the third day, were kinder to the team batting, England; the wicket, after more mowing and heavy-rolling, was tranquil; it had further eased under the sun, lightening in colour, flattening in texture.

India might have tried Ishant Sharma first up, the team's only bowler who can flog the surface from a considerable height to obtain its meagre gifts.

Praveen Kumar and Sreesanth got the ball to move in the air, but it was more ghostly shape than corporeal curl.

It didn't greatly worry the batsmen, and though different in pace and point of release, the pair hasn't the variety the combination that Sreesanth and Ishant does.

Beautiful batting

Bell, promoted to three after Jonathan Trott had strained his shoulder fielding, batted beautifully.

The Test has been uniquely privileged to have two of modern cricket's most eye-catching touch artistes — Laxman, on Saturday, and Bell, on Sunday — parade their style.

Bell eased from his overnight score of nine to 84 before lunch, stroking 15 fours in the session. Third-man, vacant for too long, had the most ball traffic.

Bell either square-cut or back-cut arrestingly — feet dancing back, off a preliminary forward push; bat swishing through like a fencer's sabre; or moulded his hands to the requirements of the delivery to let the ball slide off the bat's face.

The driving was just as attractive. Such a natural timer of the ball, Bell seldom over-hit his stroke; it was the most sensitive response, the slightest extension of his arms from defensive play.

In each of his strokes, indeed in all of his batting, the balance was balletic.

The practical aspect of batsmanship, placement, was never lost sight of.

Kevin Pietersen (63) stepped up a level after lunch and imposed his will on the bowlers.

Moving outside off-stump so he manufactured a leg-stump line of his own, Pietersen smashed the ball. He's near impossible to bowl to in this mood. His reach and his movement around the crease ensure no line is sacred, that no length is safe.

Accuracy and angle

Sreesanth, who had broken through in the morning with Andrew Strauss' wicket, finally got Pietersen.

In both caught-behind dismissals, it was accuracy and angle more than deviation, which was minimal, that did the trick. But these wickets were 162 runs apart.

Eoin Morgan (70) might have been desperately out of touch, but from a low, crouching stance he began to bat like he's known to.

His was a busy innings that, because of his left-handedness and avant-garde style, put the Indian bowlers off. They strove gamely, but their spirit wasn't backed up by direction.

India needed a big effort from its lead spinner. Harbhajan Singh, who seemed to be labouring with an ailment of some sort, couldn't contribute as he'd have hoped.

This led to India filling time till the second new ball, trying not to leak expensive runs. Such enterprises seldom succeed, and Bell and Morgan scored freely.

Controversy

Bell, reinstated after India withdrew its appeal for a run out, added 22 after the reprieve. The controversy mustn't detract from a splendid innings, which ended when Bell cut one of Yuvraj Singh's left-arm slows to first slip. It was a much-needed wicket two overs before the second new ball became available.

India took it at once. Praveen struck twice in two overs. Morgan edged a ball that slanted across him and pitched on a difficult length.

When Trott could do no more than glove a lifter to first slip (the hard ball perhaps took off from a firmer part of the pitch covered by a grass-tuft; there's no other explanation), England was on 339 for six, 272 in front.

India had the smallest toe in the door, but Matt Prior (64 batting) slammed it shut. The contrast between the two sides' lower-orders couldn't be starker.

Prior, carving the ball through the off-side at will, proved it again with a stroke-filled innings and an unbroken partnership of 102 (110b) with Tim Bresnan (47 batting).

After 21 wickets on the first two days, 417 were scored on the third. What lies ahead?

Scoreboard

England — 1st innings: 221

India — 1st innings: 288

England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss c Dhoni b Sreesanth 16 (52b, 1x4), A. Cook c Yuvraj b Ishant 5 (11b, 1x4), I. Bell c Laxman b Yuvraj 159 (206b, 24x4), K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Sreesanth 63 (120b, 7x4), E. Morgan c Dhoni b Praveen 70 (88b, 8x4, 1x6), M. Prior (batting) 64 (55b, 8x4, 1x6), J. Trott c Dravid b Praveen 2 (10b), T. Bresnan (batting) 47 (66b, 9x4); Extras (b-9, lb-3, nb-2, w-1): 15. Total (for six wickets in 101 overs): 441.

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Cook), 2-57 (Strauss), 3-219 (Pietersen), 4-323 (Bell), 5-329 (Morgan), 6-339 (Trott).

India bowling: Praveen 29-5-93-2, Ishant 24-3-115-1, Sreesanth 22-5-103-2, Yuvraj 10-0-41-1, Harbhajan 9-1-47-0, Raina 7-0-30-0.

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Broad and Dravid are stars of the day

AP England's Broad celebrates after taking a hat-trick (left) and India's Rahul Dravid after reaching his 34th century, during the second Test match in Trentbridge on Saturday.

India was ambushed by Stuart Broad, who can seemingly do no wrong, in the second Test, which, though only two-days old, is already a ripper.

Rahul Dravid's outstanding 117 — and his associations with V.V. S. Laxman (54) and Yuvraj Singh (62) — appeared to have put India in a position to dictate terms. But Broad (six for 46 including a hat-trick) bombed the touring side, reducing its batting to rubble: from 267 for four to 288 all out. And this, on what appeared to be a better day for batting.

The sun dripped across the sky like a blood orange slit. Although the clouds — thinner than Friday's — pulled in over Trent Bridge from time to time, Saturday was brighter. The wicket was cut and heavy-rolled, activities known to dull its vivacity. The ball still swung and seamed, but less than it had on the first day.

After a Broad maiden to Dravid, the fours began to arrive; nineteen came before lunch. Laxman finessed eight of them, delicate, hand-crafted artistry accounting for six. The eighth was a forceful pull, the stroke that cost him at Lord's.

Secret of success

Laxman's off-side play against James Anderson's swing showed why he has had such remarkable success at this level despite what many see as limited footwork. Firstly, he left well, forcing the bowler to start his out-swinger straighter.

When Laxman made a stroke, it was late — not thrillingly late as it is when men with high back-lifts and blinding bat-speed play, but late with time to spare, however anachronistic it sounds. Because of how late he played the delivery, he often met it after it had done its thing; if it was continuing to do it, his hands went with the swing, shape-shifting at speed.

Dravid, like Laxman, left the ball impressively, though his was a crisper, more urgent shouldering of the arms. And like Laxman, his hands got out him out of trouble. They also brought boundaries, several to untenanted third-man off dabbed steers. Often, his strokes were flash-fast, as if he were reacting principally off the pitch.

Resolute Dravid

With Dravid, it isn't so much about the stroke-production — which is a curious blend of the classically orthodox, the awkwardly adjusted, and the studiously singular — as it is about his resolution. He hasbatted longer than anyone in Test cricket, and he has done this despite being hustled out of position and struck throbbing blows, like he was in this innings. He is, with every fibre of his being, the teamman.

Tim Bresnan broke the 93-run partnership with a delivery that lifted and left Laxman. It was a sudden end, no signs of struggle. He was there one minute; he wasn't the next.

Sachin Tendulkar was allowed to get off the mark against Jonathan Trott's medium-pace. But it wasn't the Little Master's day. The sixth ball after lunch, from Broad, begged to be cut for four. Perhaps it bounced a touch more than he expected, perhaps he was just late on the stroke, but Tendulkar top-edged it to Matt Prior behind the stumps.

Suresh Raina was indecisive against the short ball and he departed after carving a wide Anderson delivery to backward-point. Yuvraj was just as unsettled against the bouncer, and should have been out forfour, but Kevin Pietersen dropped him at gully.

It is on such moments that innings turn. England could have had India on 139 for five and an anxious M.S. Dhoni to bowl at. Instead the seamers, who had bowled through the day, were exasperated by the left-hander.

In between looking roughly as comfortable as a vegetarian at a slaughterhouse, Yuvraj struck two glorious fours. He found the off-spin of Graeme Swann more pleasant, helping himself to 25 runsin 23 balls.

34th hundred

Dravid brought up his 34th century with a hat-tip to the old (literally, for he dispensed with the helmet) and a concession to the new (a fine lap-sweep for four). Dravid and Yuvraj took all they couldfrom Swann and Pietersen, batting aggressively, knowing a seminal battle with second new ball awaited them.

Broad, who Yuvraj was reprieved off, had his man caught-behind before the hat-trick. M.S. Dhoni (caught second slip), Harbhajan Singh (lbw), and Praveen Kumar (bowled) gave Broad his moment.

Harbhajan was unlucky because he had chopped the ball onto his pad, but the others couldn't protest. Dhoni's was a slack stroke; Praveen's was a terrific ball.

Dravid fell in the quest for quick runs before Broad completed a magnificently hostile bowling performance with his sixth wicket.

It wasn't the last to fall on Saturday. Ishant Sharma extended AlastairCook's poor series, bringing Ian Bell to the wicket instead of Jonathan Trott, who hurt himself fielding. India, ahead by 43 at stumps, needs nine more — and quickly

Scoreboard

England — 1st innings: 221.

India — 1st innings: A. Mukund c Pietersen b Anderson 0 (1b), R. Dravid c Cook b Bresnan 117 (235b, 15x4), V.V.S. Laxman c Prior b Bresnan 54 (112b, 10x4), S. Tendulkar c Strauss b Broad 16 (34b, 3x4), S. Raina c Morgan b Anderson 12 (22b, 2x4), Yuvraj c Prior b Broad 62 (115b, 10x4), M.S. Dhoni c Anderson b Broad 5 (9b, 1x4), Harbhajan lbw b Broad 0 (1b), Praveen b Broad 0 (1b), Ishant c Bell b Broad 3 (12b), S. Sreesanth (not out) 7 (6b, 1x4); Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-1, w-4): 12. Total (in 91.1 overs): 288.

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Abhinav), 2-93 (Laxman), 3-119 (Tendulkar), 4-139 (Raina), 5-267 (Yuvraj), 6-273 (Dhoni), 7-273 (Harbhajan), 8-273 (Praveen), 9-273 (Dravid).

England bowling: Anderson 26-8-80-2, Broad 24.1-8-46-6, Bresnan 21-6-48-2, Trott 4-1-18-0, Swann 12-0-76-0, Pietersen 4-0-13-0.

England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss (batting) 6 (34b), A. Cook c Yuvraj b Ishant 5 (11b, 1x4), I. Bell (batting) 9, (21b, 1x4); Extras (b-4): 4; Total (for one wkt. in 11 overs): 24.

Fall of wicket: 1-6 (Cook).

India bowling: Praveen 4-1-9-0, Ishant 5-3-9-1, Sreesanth 2-0-2-0