Notts Exile, I won't mention the fact that England should really have been 2-down....... if Howell's mind was on the game. Anderson struck on the pad (pad first before the bat & going for 4) plumb in front off Sreesanth and Howell missed it. This time, the Radio 4 commentators beat me to it and so you cannot accuse me of being a chip glutton

Better off not bothering Don't let those things worry you when you're six-hundred plus ahead!

Think the umpires will be happy when this series is over and done with. So will England! India have had a superb day, really batted well. Hopefully England can copy them tomorrow!

By dropping a batsman for freddie, and dropping a keeper who can bat (alledgedly) for read, how can we stregthen the batting more than it is ? If you can think of a stronger top 5 on the county circuit - bring 'em on. Again its lack of application and form on strauss' part, howlers from the gloveman and wayward bowling on a flat pitch on a hot day. The seam attack thats been great in the right conditions is not the sort of attack you need here. It was crying out for a flintoff, but still you would be looking at 500 odd. Down side to that is that he'd be at 6 when you would be crying out for a bell or a collingwood to steady the ship.

This draw is still possible but with our current lack of application I cant see it.

__________________
Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Well Flintoff on form is better than Prior, in fact on form he is as good as any in the side.

We know he is out of form, so we will need maybe to play him at 6 with Read, or 7 with prior maybe.

He does give England that better bowling option, England even at their best in 2004/05 where not that good batting.

Strauss HAS to go, he could be replaced by key/Smith/ or let Vaughan open, and bring in Bopara.

Neither can I - and I can't see this batting line upgetting any better, it's not panic the writing has been on the wall since Australia.

The batting is roughly the same.

__________________
Ern

Ern, a freddie read combo at 6 and 7 to go with the duffers at 8-11 is foolhardy. Look at the aussies. 6 bats, 1 keeper, 4 bowlers plus a few overs from the bats. Look, in fact at India. They have 6 batters who bat well (very well and to for them to get middle THAT good in 10 years time is a big ask) a keeper who can bat well-ish(although up till today I had doubts - still do) and 6 or 7 overs from ganguly and tendulkar. Very very simple. Freddie should be part of that 4 man seam attack and bat 7, read at 8 plus 2 other seamers plus overs from vaughan, KP, bell, colly we've got options there. But they need to perform - but they aint.

__________________
Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Yes and no. That would be a recipe for disaster on a sporting pitch... but on a featherbed on which a draw is almost inevitable (on which even Kumble can reach 3 figures) the depth and quality of the batting is pretty irrelevent.

Chris Read has a double century to his name this season: I'm sure even he would fancy his chances of a three-figure knock in this Test.

That said... Flintoff should only be played at 6 to accomodate a second spinner, and most definitely NOT to accomodate yet another seamer: a fourth seamer posing the same sorts of questions as the first three seamers is no substitute for a contrasting slow bowler that allows the captain an extended spell of spin from both ends.

Here is a prediction:

Vaughan will reach 50+

Pitersen will be out under 30.

Collingwood will score a century.

England will avoid the follow-on, but concede a 185-run first innings lead.

India will set England a 400+ target in the fourth innings. Dravid scores another 50+.

England will be 8-down for less than 230 with Bell still in when bad weather stops play and the match ends in a draw.

India wins the series 1-0.

Well at least the selectors have learned a thing or 2 about this England side..

• Anderson is not test quality
• Tremlett isnt ready for test cricket
• Prior is a liablity with the gloves
• Strauss is out of touch
• Flintoff, Harmison and Hoggard have been badly missed and will go straight into the team when fit
• Sidebottom has worked hard but lacks a yard of pace to be a serious threat (heck at times Colly was quicker than him ).

I also feel that Bell needs a big performance this match or he needs an "enforced" rest from the team.

Nostromo - i like the prediction, now how about 6 numbers for the lottery .

__________________
Mark.

I've not been able to follow too much of this match... but everything I've heard has been to the effect that Sidebottom has bowled well without his due reward and that Tremlett has bowled himself into a certain winter tour spot.

You seem to expect bowlers to be able to dominate where all commentators are agreed that patience and batsman error is the only way to get wickets.

That said... amid the inexcusable dross, Anderson appear to have found an absolute beauty for at least one of his wickets today!

ps. Prior's inadequacy was just as evident in the last match, where he failed to even get close enough to the ball to be accused of dropping anything. Sadly, some folk only start taking interest when the ball goes into the gloves and then out of them.... but to my mind it's far, far worse to be so poor that you have to stand back to Collingwood and can't get close to leg-side glances that would have been well within range of someone with decent footwork and anticipation.

Sidebottom has bowled econonmically without ever looking like taking a wicket. Tremlett has bowled OK, but nothing special and Anderson a couple of deliveries aside has chucked down a bunch of pies.

Perhaps the bowler in me always expects the bowlers to dominate, but seriously, regardless of the surface a test bowler should never be cannon fodder as by and large the English bowlers have this match. Regardless of what people may think if we had played a fit trio of Hoggard, Harmison and Flintoff India would not have scored anywhere near as many runs as they did. Perhaps the problem with our attack is that its like an attack from the Gooch era - deviod of pace. Sidebottom 77mph, Anderson 85mph, Tremlett 83mph, Colly 75mph .

As for Iron Gloves Prior, unless hescores sigificantly over 50 runs in Englands first innings then his place has been unjustified - Keeping that would make Jones blush and batting so far against India that has flattered to decieve.

__________________
Mark.