Cricket

LJ?

forget about the rain just keep going and scoring quickly.

Agree with the latter statement but not the former. They were batting like it was a last wicket stand at the end of today anyway but Strauss, based on his ballsiness in the previous test, is not going to want Prior/Bresnan/Broad/Swann to bat all day if it means drawing the game rather than winning it. If they can get to 450 before lunch then great but if not he should still put India in and have a bit of confidence in his bowlers.

lj probably wanted to declare when bell was repreived

anyway IF they can get to 450-500 lead then they should. While its a good pitch take advantage, dont give it to india. A good start on a flat pitch could give them belief.
It all depends how the pitch plays in the morning. If its misbehaving then a declaration wont come into it, just get out there and pile it on. Theres 2 days left. They shouldn't even be thinking about declaring til lunch.

you dont give a batting line up like India 2 whole days to get 400 runs. They could plod along taking no risks and make that in plenty of time esp if the pitch plays like today. Dravid and Tendulkar could knock that off in their sleep. Game would be almost over by close of play then.

450+ should be impossible though, esp if they have to bat through a whole 5th day to survive.

If an England captain had done what Dhoni did yesterday, i.e., withdraw the dismissal of an Indian batsman, then watch his team get absolutely murdered in the subsequent session, likely lose the match and potentially the series, he'd be getting crucified now - Atherton, Nasser, Vaughan, none of those guys would have done that. Strauss maybe...

So, yes, everyone is all lachrymose and sentimental over the Spirit of Cricket as long as your team wins!

of course. still makes football look like a vile, barbaric game by comparison.

also this tbh:
England batting coach Graham Gooch on Test Match Special: "We hope to bat to around lunchtime and then with such a huge total the pressure will be on India, but we'll need to bowl well and some of their batsmen are in good form."

Dravid gone, game over IMO.

Time for a cheeky little double hundred from VVS methinks!

More like a cheeky double two.

that was a snorter, unplayable. Anderson hasn't bowled particularly well this match but he's so dangerous nevertheless.

wtf was dhoni thinking

It's a massacre

... oops, too soon, apologies

now sachin's done it too

shockah. Think Anderson has taken Sachin's wicket the most times in Tests now?

no its murali

Having to contemplate the distinct possibility that England are good at cricket

not used to it

To think India had passed England's first innings with plenty of wickets remaining and looking likely winners.

Having to contemplate the distinct possibility that England are good at cricket

It's also August and sunny wtf

BBC Test Match Special's Geoff Boycott

"No footwork, simple as that. It was very full and Mishra didn't get his feet out, he's a leg-spinner and not a very good bat. The India tail is pretty poor, they don't have batsmen like Prior, Bresnan and Broad who can get you out of trouble. I couldn't bowl that well but I'd have liked a go at these. Imagine Fred Trueman, he wouldn't have taken off his cap and jumper to bowl to these guys."

lol

BBC Test Match Special's Michael Vaughan
"What do they with Cook in terms of the declaration? Do they let him get Graham Gooch's 333? Do they let him get past Len Hutton's 364?"

Quandry.

well since the umpires are taking them off england may as well stay and bat on rest of day because this is real bullshit taking them off for light when the floodlights are on,there's no danger, the england players are set. Its utter bullshit.

But fuck declaring, just bat on tonight. No point in declaring if india wont bat. There's 2 whole days to go anyway

this really is a disgrace

I'd be really angry if england declare and india hardly bat due to "bad light" and the session is wasted.

Get them back out. Its bullshit!

here we go.

I'll be really pissed off now if Cook gets out after his concentration being disturbed. lol

who was that woman that came on to talk to the umpires and they called the players out right after? She obviously talked sense into them.

woooo england finally get 700 for the 1st time in my lifetime. Another one of my alltime wants gone. :)

erasing my memory of pakistan scoring over 700 and javed miandad 280 of them

what a year!

Pity cook wont make 401 really that's pretty much the only one left battingwise since 1000 runs is never gonna happen.

awww cook out 294

oof.

declared too I think

KING PAIR!

dearie me, sounded like a terrible shot. hope India get their act together before The Oval.

India's form is realy depressing.

Its great that Eng will take that no1 spot, but I wanted a contest ffs!

Eng in SA should provide that, proper heavyweight fight...

India's form is realy depressing.

looked like it was heading to a draw before lunch. now five wickets for seven runs. boggling how bad india have been.

Tendulkar out for 91 :(

I don't think even Bangladesh have been this bad in England

Tendulkar out for 91 :(

He pushed his luck for that score tbf. I think Prior gifted him his innings by failing to appeal for the stumping yesterday evening.

1 wicket away from whitewash.

All over, India lamentably poor, England excellent though.

well that was easy. england in england are sirius bizness.

it was the pieterson/bell partnership on Friday what done it; 350 runs without india ever even looking like taking a wicket.

think there may have been one appeal, possibly two in five hours of batting.

i wonder if the zaheer khan injury was a factor of any sort in the series