***Official*** England in India

[Cabinet96]

England have absolutely no chance of winning. Prior and Cook are going to start cautiously tomorrow, so even if they bat the whole session I can't seem them getting more than 90 runs maximum. Even after Lunch a 100 lead with the last two batsmen at the crease and two sessions to go, they're not at safety, so they'll have to play cautiously again. The only chance they have of winning IMO, is if they get bowled out. Because they're not going to come out all guns blazing with the bat tomorrow and make a bold declaration.

[centurymaker]

Originally Posted by Plumbinfront

India have been very stupid in their refusal to use DRS but that should not mask the woeful umpiring. If a tight rope walker, after refusing to have a safety net for reasons known only to him, falls down because the rope is of poor quality then that is a valid cause for concern. That he was thick headed enough to refuse the safety net shouldn't mask the fact that the rope was of poor quality. India have only their board to blame if they lose this....Cook is on his fourth chance in this match....Patel was wrongly reprieved before wrongly being given out in the first dig and Prior has had plumb lbws go his way in both innings. Also interesting that all of Dar's wrong decisions have gone against India and the most of Tony Hill's errors have been in India's favour. I am sure it is a mere coincidence and hopefully the asinine media will see it that way.

yea pakistan's aleem dar's decisions have gone against india.
if india don't win, then i'm sure this point will be raised for sure...

[Turbinator]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Haha, tbf, I think that's true. I always expect the worst. Costs me some $$ when investing too. I don't look at my mutual funds anymore except once a year. I kept on taking them out whenever one of them had a big year because "well it HAS to go down next year".

Should not be investing in mutual funds in the first place.

[Satyanash89]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Weren't India much further ahead at the end of the 4th day in Kolkata?

Just not enough runs for a win to happen here. Draw's an okay bet though.

Yeah it was over 300... and barring a collapse of gargantuous proportions, theres little chance of a win... but strangely i have a sadistic desire for dhoni to lose this match...
**** batsman
**** keeper
**** captain
**** attitude for confronting the umpire about an iffy decision

All these attributes were on show on day 3 and 4 and i just want him to be humiliated.
Hope the umpires continue to be awful and cost India the match. Maybe thatll knock some sense into the BCCI's thick skulls. Wouldnt be surprised if Dar underperformed intentionally to achieve this... "greater good" and all coz i just cant believe Dar being so poor

[Viscount Tom]

Dhoni will demand his removal from the next test.

[Turbinator]

Can see England making a brave declaration at some point tomorrow. Then all Indian fans (including me) will pin our hopes on a Sehwag special, who obviously will fail to deliver in the 2nd innings after a quick 20 odd runs. Then after losing another few quick wickets against Swann, as we try to accelerate, we'll eventually end up playing for a draw.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Turbinator

Should not be investing in mutual funds in the first place.

I don't with my savings but retirement plan from work forces you to pick from a few mutual funds.

[smalishah84]

Originally Posted by Satyanash89

Yeah it was over 300... and barring a collapse of gargantuous proportions, theres little chance of a win... but strangely i have a sadistic desire for dhoni to lose this match...
**** batsman
**** keeper
**** captain
**** attitude for confronting the umpire about an iffy decision

All these attributes were on show on day 3 and 4 and i just want him to be humiliated.
Hope the umpires continue to be awful and cost India the match. Maybe thatll knock some sense into the BCCI's thick skulls. Wouldnt be surprised if Dar underperformed intentionally to achieve this... "greater good" and all coz i just cant believe Dar being so poor

awt statement though. Hard to believe Dar has been so poor in this match. Maybe now that his competition (Taufel) has retired he feels comfy

[Viscount Tom]

Originally Posted by Turbinator

Can see England making a brave declaration at some point tomorrow. Then all Indian fans (including me) will pin our hopes on a Sehwag special, who obviously will fail to deliver in the 2nd innings after a quick 20 odd runs. Then after losing another few quick wickets against Swann, as we try to accelerate, we'll eventually end up playing for a draw.

Last time we set a declaration in India it went kind of tits up for us remember?

[flibbertyjibber]

There is zero chance of an England declaration tomorrow. Saving the game is all that matters and if that means batting the full day out and grinding the Indians into the dirt then so be it. Won't happen though as you can't expect Cook to go on again tomorrow and once he goes we will collapse I reckon.

[Turbinator]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

I don't with my savings but retirement plan from work forces you to pick from a few mutual funds.

Ahhh I see, that makes sense. Especially since the last time I spoke to you, you were strongly against the dozens of "Wall Street aspirants that litter the halls of academia."

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

There is zero chance of an England declaration tomorrow. Saving the game is all that matters and if that means batting the full day out and grinding the Indians into the dirt then so be it. Won't happen though as you can't expect Cook to go on again tomorrow and once he goes we will collapse I reckon.

Nah, not zero. If England are about 250 ahead with 25 overs left I can see the plug being pulled to give India a few sticky moments for the psychological points scoring.

What is a zero chance is a closure that will give India even a faint sniff.

[honestbharani]

Amazingly good effort from Cook, Prior and Compton. AS I pointed out earlier, these 3 along with Samit look a lot more comfy against spin than the rest of the line up.


Obviously the pitch being as slow as this is a big help as well when it comes playing spin. Another of those decks where it is possible to hang in and defend but very hard to score quickly.

[morgieb]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

So they're the favorites then? Even I wouldn't put their chances quite that high. I said its possible, not likely.

[silentstriker]

Some more reasons England could win:

1. Gambhir went home, so that's one less wicket England have to take
2. Sehwag never does anything in the second innings, so that's two down
3. Pujara scored a double, which makes him unlikely to do much again - twice in a row is very rare, 1/2 of a wicket
4. Tendulkar's eyes are gone, another 1/2 of a wicket
5. Yuvraj...enough said
6. Dhoni - see Sehwag
7. Ashwin - could bat
8. Tail - one wicket between them really

So really, England only need to take three wickets to win the match, which is reasonable with the best spinner in the world on a wearing pitch.