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

[shadow_boxer]

How was your Dad's charity dinner?

During the 1996 test series with India at Trent Bridge we went with our Dad to his friends house, who was there....Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, Azharuddin and Mongia. Was such a surreal experience walking into this guys house and these lot sat around! Still gives me goosebumps to this day!

 

[TheCenturion]

How was your Dad's charity dinner?

During the 1996 test series with India at Trent Bridge we went with our Dad to his friends house, who was there....Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, Azharuddin and Mongia. Was such a surreal experience walking into this guys house and these lot sat around! Still gives me goosebumps to this day!

you saw all those guys? Wow, that's actually amazing!! Unbelievable in fact!

He wasn't able to get close to the players, because there were loads of security around every single player. Except Monty Panesar

He didn't recognise all the Indian players, but he said that he saw Yuvraj, Raina, Dravid, Harbhajan, Ishant, Dhoni, Panesar, Alec Stewart, and Brian Lara! + he said that there were players that he didn't recognise. I imagine the likes of Mukund, Mishra, Saha would also have been there.

Ravi Shastri was the MP

He was disappointed that Sachin wasn't there, but he was so excited that he saw Lara.

The prizes in the auction were unbelievable. Dhoni's bat that he used in the world cup final went for £100,000. The gloves that he used went for £20,000. Another auction prize was dinner with Dhoni and his wife. Someone bought this for £10,000! There were a load of other awesome prizes, but they went for top dollar


There was a signed picture depicting Tendulkar's career. My dad bid on this but it went for something like £50k and apparently he can't afford that []

He did manage to buy a signed piction of Sir Ian Botham (I think). That didn't go for a lot.

Lara told everyone that he's going to be at Lord's for the entire Test because he wants to see Tendulkar's 100th 100.

Also, they got given complimentary mini autograph bats labeled with Dhoni's charity's logo, so I'll take those along to matches hoping to get them signed.

 

[shadow_boxer]

Sounds brilliant. Would have been awesome to go to! Can't for it to all start now!

 

[TheCenturion]

BBC Weather forecast doesn't look great to be honest.

 

[oli collett]

BBC Weather forecast doesn't look great to be honest.

The forecast has been changing over the course of the day - I don't think it will be too bad, I imagine if there are showers it'll be on/off rather than torrential as it has been at that part of London for the past week or so. Plus the drainage at lords is superb (probably due to the slope!)

 

[TheCenturion]

The forecast has been changing over the course of the day - I don't think it will be too bad, I imagine if there are showers it'll be on/off rather than torrential as it has been at that part of London for the past week or so. Plus the drainage at lords is superb (probably due to the slope!)

Hopefully they don't cover the pitch over night, a bit of rain will make the pitch slower, making the conditions more familiar for the Indians

 

[Alpherah]

Depending on who you listen to, forecast is somewhere between light showers all day to a complete washout after 12.

 

[TheCenturion]

Depending on who you listen to, forecast is somewhere between light showers all day to a complete washout after 12.

Oh man, I was going to go to a local pub/restaurant to watch the day's play, and they were only showing it after 12

Now bbc is showing white cloud all day, with the weather looking good for the rest of the test match, especially sunday (when I'm going )

It's going to be a banging test match folks, less than 90 mins till the [scheduled] start of play.

 

[Alpherah]

Oh man, I was going to go to a local pub/restaurant to watch the day's play, and they were only showing it after 12

Now bbc is showing white cloud all day, with the weather looking good for the rest of the test match, especially sunday (when I'm going )

It's going to be a banging test match folks, less than 90 mins till the [scheduled] start of play.

Its cricket, if it was 100 degrees outside the British weather would find a way to rain

Anyway, its currently light rain at the ground according to ECB twitter.

 

[TheCenturion]

If it rains now, it'll be dry later

 

[Alpherah]

Covers are off the wicket, but keeping them in close proximity as more rain is on the way =/

 

[TheCenturion]

The stadium is filling up very nicely

 

[TheCenturion]

And the start of play will be delayed by rain

 

[Cosimo]

OT: Lords gets the 2012 England v West Indies test instead of Cardiff. Good to see common sense prevail.

 

[Cosimo]

And the start of play will be delayed by rain

Look on the bright side. We willl have a few showers.

 

[Alpherah]

Inspection at 10:50 but my man in the ground reckons there's a good (almost 100% likely) of more rain before play would actually start, so don't hold your breath.

 

[TheCenturion]

India bowl first !

And Sreesanth is not playing!

I am literally shaking after that toss

And Broad beats Bresnan into the team.

 

[Alpherah]

Broad in, Bresnan out.

Team as usual.
Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP, Bell, Morgan, Prior, Broad,Swann, Anderson, Tremlett.

 

[TheCenturion]

Dhoni has lost 3 out of 27 Test matches as captain, and never lost a test series as captain. I can't see that changing here.

The score will either be 2-2 or 2-1 India. The only way I can see a draw in this series is due to rain.

 

[Alpherah]

Dhoni has lost 3 out of 27 Test matches as captain, and never lost a test series as captain. I can't see that changing here.

The score will either be 2-2 or 2-1 India. The only way I can see a draw in this series is due to rain.

Quoted for potential mocking come the end of the series.