Reflections on the First Three Days of the First Test

Thank Flindulkar (an Anglo-Indian Cricket God) we have a contest! After defeat by the President's XI and the disappearance of both the Captain and Vice-Captain (from injury and cause unknown) I feared that England were heading for their worst defeat in the sub-continent since the 1993 series. The first day seemed to confirm this as England slumped to 246-7; but since then England have rediscovered their fighting spirit and a competitive match has unfolded. Interestingly it was Cook and Collingwood who top scored for England, the two players who would not have played had Trescothick and Vaughan been available. I wonder if Cook's performance will encourage Trescothick to sort out his mystery "personal" problem!

The match is being played on a good batting surface, which has encouraged accurate defensive bowling. This has meant that the batsmen who lose their patience, also lose their wicket. It is the tail-end batsmen from both sides who have learnt this lesson and a defiant 128 run stand between Kaif and Kumble ensured that the Indian tail emulated their English counterparts, as their rescued their team from a dire situation.

India trail by 71 with one first innings wicket remaining and so England will be hoping for a lead of over 50. At one stage they were hoping for a lead of over 150. A draw is the most likely conclusion to this match, but all three results are still possible. I hope that this will still be true at the end of the fourth day.