I'd forgotten about Bell, so with Finn out I think that extends Broad and Patel's tours.

(hey, Umar akmal just added me as a facebook friend - connected guy - me.)

The Purple Cow wrote:


Regards to Umar and the rest of the family.

I've now got Brett Lee as well, BTW.

**

People are saying that Bresnan's test career could be over because he has lost 10 mph since his elbow operation, but what is Broad's excuse? He's bowling in the range 77 - 80 mph today. I know bang it in hard bowling doesn't really work in India, but that sort of pace isn't going to worry Indian test batsmen, especially if you don't move the ball laterally.

Will we ever get Pujara out?

Nope, he's the new Dravid.

After looking the most composed batsman behind Cook, Trott is now showing all the signs of a rabbit caught in headlights every time he walks out.

Still a good day for England though.

Great day of cricket overall (from what I saw, from about halfway through onwards). Good battle between the spinners and Cook/Pietersen, with the latter looking on top by the end.

Very big day coming up for England. If Cook and Pietersen can be patient and therefore dominate as they did on day 2, England could build a useful lead of anything over 150. However, and this is a problem with the middle order recently, you feel a collapse is just waiting to happen.

A proper test match being played, as are those in Adelaide and Khulna, showing that 5 day tests are the future of cricket

nmrfox wrote:


This game could be over by lunch on the fourth day. I'm with Boycott- it's worth trying a series with games scheduled for four days, and a long evening session under lights. What does the panel think?

Excellent performance by England both batting and bowling. Monty is the first England spinner to take 10 wickets in India since 1933. Hedley Verityesque indeed.

I read that If England win this it will be the first time that England have won a test with both Swann and Panesar in the team.

Sounds fantastic from Pietersen.

Obviously, I'm much more inclined to take the side of my old neighbour over him, but I wonder whether Flower has handled him as well as he could.

It's a fantastic Test match pitch - bouncing, turning and spitting up all over the shop. Wonderful stuff, all three days, so far.

Pity most of us can't see it...

And you can't even see pictures of it in the papers thanks to the BCCI

What sort of pitch are we going to get next?

Good question. This is exactly the sort of pitch that Dhoni asked for, I just don't think it occurred to him that England's spinners might out-perform his own.

Another good day for England in the field. Interesting Panesar bowled 35 overs, Swann only 15 and Patel not at all.

Would have been nice for Tendulkar to get a ton, I fear that may be his last big innings.

Cook becomes the first English batsman ever to score 23 test centuries.

Wow.

Congratulations to Alistair Cook. He's now England's record centurion with 23, and about to become the youngest man to 7,000 runs. Overtaking Tendulkar, who made his debut five years younger (although ST played fewer innings).

As The Spin pointed out a couple of weeks ago, 22 was not that impressive for the record number of centuries for a Test side. Given Cook's age, he can push it up to a much more respectable level.

I'm more impressed by him scoring a century per test in his first series as permanent Captain. There have been many highly talented batsman whose game has become stifled by the extra pressure of leading the team.
If Cook can maintain his batting, then England are on a very good thing. I suppose being Gooch's protégé might be a help in this regard...