Thursday, April 06, 2006

Warning: This England Team Will Self-Destruct in 2 Overs

At 148 for 3 after 28 overs England looked well placed to make a big score. Pietersen and Flintoff, the two biggest hitters in the England team, were at the crease and had already shared a partnership of 31. Dravid's decision to go for the second power play looked as if it had been taken by the batting, not the fielding side. Two overs later the self-destruct button had been well and truly pressed. Flintoff and Pietersen were back in the pavilion and England's hope of a challenging total was reliant on the fragile lower middle order and tail, who subsided rather than collapsed from 155 for 5 to 237 all out. The most disappointing fact is that India did not have to work for their wickets. The occasional spin of Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag accounted for two wickets each and there were two run outs.

With India still requiring over 80 runs to win England took two quick wickets, to bring about the perennial agony of false hope that all England fans have to endure. Anderson's two late wickets gave the result a fig leaf of respectability it hardly deserved.

England have now lost all four of the matches in the series so far and none of the games have been the nail-biters that One Day matches typically bring. This One-Day team are in danger of being humiliated 7-0.

While those players who were unavailable for this tour may fear for their Test places, their places in the One-Day side are assured.

2 Comments:

Blogger Reem said...

its strange that while this english side is doing superbly in tests, they are unable to finish the game in onedays... and this team DOES have the killer instinct... I think they r a bit jaded. The indian team in contrast IS pathetic in test conditions, while outperforming all sides in the one day format..so much so that they are serious contendors for the world cup.

8:09 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

It was ever thus. Unlike India, England have never won the World Cup and despite the amount of One-Day cricket played domestically the international side continues to slip down the world rankings.

Looking on the bright side: the players who are not performing have made the task of selection for next year's world cup much easier.

8:23 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home