England V India ***Clash of the Heavyweights*** Test, T20 and ODI Series

TheCenturion said:
If you look at the stats, when all of India's key players are actually playing, they are an extremely strong side and rightfully deserve to be called number one.
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Well that's what I'm getting at, I'm not sure you can say they deserve to be number one based on a specific 11 playing, and when they fail it's OK because Zaheer or whoever was missing and they're really still number one. You need to perform over time to be number one and the excuse of our best player being missing doesn't cut it in that respect. To be number one you need to be able to do without a player or two in my view.

India are a very good team but their success, as you've correctly identified, is very closely linked to a few players having a good day. If they fail, the team fails a little too often.

As you say, England have a different balance and different weaknesses. I still having the nagging feeling they could go for a lot of runs on an off day though, to be fair, they seem better at keeping control and chipping away than in the past - the Indian innings being a case in point, they used to blow teams away or concede 600, now there's a middle ground of wearing them down for 300 odd. That's new and positive.
 
Like I said, India can do without a player or too. Unless that player is Sehwag or Zaheer, in which case it weakens their team much more so than losing others. Because those two bring much more to the team than just their own contributions to the score.
 
It'll be a tough ask. Before Pietersen went for it yesterday, our run rate was very slow, so I'm not sure how easily we'll set a high target.

Actually, have we caught up all of Thursday's overs yet? Guess that'll make tomorrow longer if not.
 
England will need to declare at some point tomorrow and get early wickets. If day 5 starts and India haven't lost any wickets yet, I can't see them getting all out, this pitch is only getting easier for batting.
 
I think Cook can push on, if needs be; Trott, not so much. That said, all any of the England top order need to do is hold up an end. KP, Bell, Morgan, Prior, even Broad and Swanny are all capable of going to town on this reduced Indian attack. The draw is still possible, but I fancy England to win this.
 
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