England XI v India **spoilers**

[JohnnyG]

Yes this is the 'official' thread so don't post elsewhere

Fixtures:

March

1-5 1st Test, Nagpur
Scheduled start: 0430 GMT each day

9-13 2nd Test, Mohali
Scheduled start: 0430 GMT each day

18-22 3rd Test, Mumbai
Scheduled start: 0430 GMT each day

28 1st ODI, Delhi

31 2nd ODI, Faridabad

April

3 3rd ODI, Goa

6 4th ODI, Cochin

9 5th ODI, Guwahati

12 6th ODI, Jamshedpur

15 7th ODI, Indore

It's already looking shaky for us as Vaughan has had a recurrence of his knee injury, KP has injured his back & Collingwood has been having back spasms.
Ganguly has been left out for them & Sehwag has recovered from his injury.
There should be an announcement today sometime about the TV coverage. It seems Sky are out of the frame, so it could be PPV on Setanta, Zee TV, Sony or ARY. Seems really odd to leave such a decsision to this late a stage:/

 

[Big Kev]

Apparantly most of our spin attack has a stomach bug as well, things are looking dodgy already and if Sky don't get the contract, I won't be impressed at all.

 

[Reidy]

weve never had a good spin attack

 

[JohnnyG]

Doesn't matter how good the spin attack is, without one we're buggered

Edit: It does seem now that Sky are favs to get it & are pretty much holding Nimbus by the short & curlies. That would certainly be the best result out of all the options, doesn't help MOT much though

 

[mcdermos]

On a lighter note many of the players look like english tourists with their pasty white skin with sun burn patches. Someone forgot the sun tan lotion.

 

[JohnnyG]

Sky have indeed secured the series, probably the best outcome considering

 

[Mad old tory]

Really not too worried about the warm-up matches in terms of results. The injuries and stomach bug are a much bigger worry though, haven't seen any coverage but Vaughan got a 50 i think in the first warm-up match which is promising, just hope he can be fit in time for the first test. How's Panesar been bowling?

 

[Mad old tory]

weve never had a good spin attack

We had some of the world's best spinners in previous decades, but county cricket doesn't seem to suit spin now and there has been very little encouragement for young players to bowl spin either.

 

[JohnnyG]

Panesar's been bowling ok, but Blackwell has been better, which I think is a shame in a way as I really want to see Panesar in the Tests

 

[Big Kev]

England have put Alastair Cook and James Anderson on standby now and I also hope Monty gets a game, although Blackwell has probably claimed his spot now.

Good too see Sky getting their act together as well.

 

[JohnnyG]

Earlier in the day Fletcher said there wasn't any need to put anyone on standby yet, so there must be some bad news from the physio table

 

[Big Kev]

According to the BBC, Michael Vaughan (knee) Kevin Pietersen (back), Paul Collingwood (back) and Liam Plunkett (heel) are all doubts.

 

[JohnnyG]

S. Jones has got a virus too

 

[Big Kev]

S. Jones has got a virus too

Oh bugger, this just gets worse and worse.

 

[Big Kev]

England are getting caned in the warm up match as well, with the score currently England 238 & 158; President's XI 342-8d, so they only need 55 runs to win.

 

[Big Kev]

Now Marcus Trescothick has returned home, for personal reasons, what next??

 

[platty]

So any thought on line up if him vaughan and udal are out they seem the worst affected atm. Who'd open with Strauss? And who'd take the captaincy?

 

[JohnnyG]

If Vaughan & Udal don't make it:

Cook
Strauss
Bell
KP
Freddie
G. Jones
Collingwood
Blackwell
S. Jones
Hoggard
Harmison


Doesn't look inspiring does it and that's assuming Collingwood, KP & Jones are fit

 

[Gooner14]

Freddie Captain? Out of that list he is the only one whom springs to mind

 

[Big Kev]

Freddie Captain? Out of that list he is the only one whom springs to mind

Yep, him or Strauss, although I don't really think that either as qualified to take the position on.