Play starts at 11am, that is if the weather relents.

India scraped a draw in the first Test due to the weather, and need to improve.

A test for Sidebottom and Anderson who bowled well in the first Test, this will go a way to see if Anderson can be consistent, also if Sidebottom can keep up his great unexpected form IMO, since his recall.

The England batting will have to improve, can't expect Pietersen to come up with the goods every time - there are a couple of the England top order with question marks hanging over their future selection IMO.

India played well in parts in the first Test, their batsmen also need to get some form - even Tendulkar and Dravid looked ordinary in the first Test.

All to play for.

Please post your pre match - and match comments on this thread.

Thank's.

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Ern

Who would they be?

Cook has scored heavily this summer as has Vaughan,Strauss was poor against West Indies but came good last week.Bell and Collingwood have both scored centuries this summer.

Can't really see a problem with our top order can you?

Yes Ern, all to play for. I agree with some of your comments but as usual I disagree with some as well. I think that India were a bit unlucky. Why I say this is because before it started to rain, England were batting on a good track with no assistance for the bowlers. But India did bowl poorly on the first day and this was really the only difference betwwen the side. Remember that India batted in the worst conditions on day 2. If it were not for the 1st day, I believe the match would have been even closer. England though were the better team overall and deserved victory.

Dravid I felt was unlucky in the 2nd innings. There were good performers on both sides but KP stood out and handed England the advantage but dont forget the important knocks of Ganguly, Karthik, Jaffer (1st innings) and Strauss. There was some good bowling from England especially but the conditions suited the swing bowlers. I still have my doubts on Anderson. He has always produced a "great" between 20 ordinary performances.

I would like to see this pitch offer something for the spinners as I would like to see Kumble and Monty get more involved. Will England play the same team. India may be forced into brining in Yuvraj for Ganguly.

Hopefully we get a result. I think that Dravid will contribute this time round.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Cook has been fine - Strauss scratched one large score, Vaughan has broke no eggs - Bell did not look the part in the first Test against India - and Colly was out of sorts.

I am not going on the scores the England players made against the West Indies, I am looking prior to that, and how they fair against India.

England have had top order batting problems for a while - the opposition thus far this summer has just papered over the cracks IMO.

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Ern

No Ern, England have had a bowling problem this year. The batting has as good as it has been for a long time (of course you may disagree because Fred is not in the line up). England have never had so many batsman capable of scoring centuries in the same line up for years now. So stop complaining and appreciate what you have.

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Vaughan is only averaging 60 since he came back so you are wrong there.

Bell was left stranded when England collapsed in the first innings and played on in the 2nd.Hardly a case of not looking the part,who should we pick instead,Mal Loye?

Good point g_f, India did bowl poor on the first day, that makes it hard to look at the England batting and say "WOW he looks good".

Yes I hope we get a result in a full 5 days play, and it would be good to see players like Dravid - Kumble and Vaughan and Strauss from England playing how we know they can.

India did play well in 'parts' of the first Test - that's one reason I would not put money on which team will win this second Test.

If all the players play to their potential - we are in for a cracking game.

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Ern

LOL.

Maybe England should open with Freddie and Key. Plus with Loye in the lineup, the team would never lose

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434, world record for the shortest period. Whos choking now?

Well I hope I am wrong, he might have an average of 60 since he came back - but that was in the main against a demoralised West Indies, he did nothing of note in the World Cup with strong sides.

First I have given up on Fred as a batsman for the time being.

I don't know who these players are, Cook and Pietersen yes, but these same players capitualted in Australia - I will have more faith when they score centuries against teams like India - South Africa, and of course Australia.

I have watched England sides for years with players like Gower/Botham/Robin Smith/Lamb in the side - and ending up winning nothing. Any side need 5 top notch batsmen, 2 good all rounders (counting the wicket keeping trend) - and then they will win major test series.

Even when England won the Ashes in 2005, it was really down to the bowlers - the England batting was no more than good, and at times average.

If the Indian bowlers get it right - that will be a good test.

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Ern

IMO, both teams need to stabilise the batting order. For England, I think Bell should be the usual No:3 followed by Vaughan and Pietersen (or the other way around), with Collingwood at No:6.