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[mattcoll12491]

I don't think Bresnan's been fully fit since his elbow surgery...  He's had a lot of strapping on it ever since...

Looking at the size of him, I don't think he's ever been fully fit!!

[tim2000s]

This statement from Dravid bothered me after Day 1 of a test match...

India will be extremely happy with 323-4 on a wearing wicket

[Red Ink Cricket]

we knew they would produce dusty turners. they cant win away from home so have to do something to make themselves look better. the bit that worries me is why would you relay a pitch 2 months before a test match and change the structure of it. with less clay and more sand/soil how is it ever going to hold together for more than a day or 2. it already looked like the batsman were building sandcastles at the crease at lunch! it screams of desperation.

if that was the uk the ECB pitch inspectors would be showing up on days 2 and 3 rubbing their hands together and getting the old fine book out.

i think dhoni made his point clear the day or 2 before the start. he said it looks very dry already. bet he struggled to hide the smiles when he won the toss.

[PeteW]

This looks like one of the worst fielding sides England have produced in a very long time. Prior's a decent keeper (thought he still missed a stumping and a half-chance catch today) Anderson is usually excellent (though also missed a chance of getting Pujara on 8 today) and Bell's pretty good. The rest are average at best. We don't have any top-notch slippers (having lost freddie, strauss, and colly over the last three years). We have a few decent fielders in the wings in Bairstow and Morgan, but the one change everyone seems to be talking about is bringing Monty into the team..

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-england-2012/content/image/558821.html

Sorry to wheel out the cliches but catches win matches. init.

[uknsaunders]

saw the last few overs today. Unless it dusts up and just flattens, so tracks do, England to lose badly. Biggest issue in Asia is England losing the toss. Lost all the tosses v Pakistan and also here. When the main way to win in Asia is bowl on a roughed up pitch, batting 2nd and 4th is pretty much conceding the game.

Last time England won in India they batted first.

[lastmanstand]

agree about the toss, seems important everywhere but on decks like that the outcome is too much of an advantage in my opinion.

[trypewriter]

Looking at the size of him, I don't think he's ever been fully fit!!

OOH! Low blow! 

[alba caerulea]

This looks like one of the worst fielding sides England have produced in a very long time. Prior's a decent keeper (thought he still missed a stumping and a half-chance catch today) Anderson is usually excellent (though also missed a chance of getting Pujara on 8 today) and Bell's pretty good. The rest are average at best. We don't have any top-notch slippers (having lost freddie, strauss, and colly over the last three years). We have a few decent fielders in the wings in Bairstow and Morgan, but the one change everyone seems to be talking about is bringing Monty into the team..

http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-england-2012/content/image/558821.html

Sorry to wheel out the cliches but catches win matches. init.

I wouldn't worry about Monty dropping the odd catch. The main worry is that 3 seamers have failed to get a wicket between them on the first day of a Test match. Not sure how often thats happened in the history of the game. Conditions are not going to get any better for bowling quick in this match or probably for the rest of the series.

Lots of pressure on Patel and Bresnan to get runs when England bat

 

[PedalsMcgrew]

Going in with 3 seamers does seem like a very strange thing to do. I would stop short of calling it an ''immature' decision as Farouk Engineer did (you wonder whether he knows what immature means?!!!) but it is an odd one. Maybe they rate Patel's bowling high enough to feel as though they have gone in with 2 spinners?

I have never fancied Broad to be anything other than an economical option in the sub-continent. Anderson's record isn't great (which is unsurprising) in India whilst Bresnan, if he can reverse it might prove to be inspired but that's a big IF. That does only leave Swann as a definite wicket threat (as he has shown today). Seems very odd to me...

Can't really see England winning this test or any other in this series. I don't really care though.......Losing in these conditions to India merely shows that India are good at home but useless anywhere else and England can't play spin. But we knew all that already didn't we? 

[Buzz]

they went with 3 seamers because they couldn't risk Stuart Broad's bruised heel. Bresnan seems short of his usual heavy ball.

this pitch is shocking. it is a complete win the toss win the match pitch. I genuinely don't think it is appropriate for a test match to provide a totally dead pitch.

[cricketbadger]

i dont see why our batters cant pile the runs on aswell and force a draw hopefully
their pace attack isnt anything special, khans losing form and fitness
ok they have 2 frontline spinners, but they are both pretty orthodox, neither have a mystery ball, like ajmal and rehman who caused problems in UAE
its a flat track by looks of things, the top 3 will have the chance to bat long and in no real rush, just like they prefer too

[alba caerulea]

i dont see why our batters cant pile the runs on aswell and force a draw hopefully
their pace attack isnt anything special, khans losing form and fitness
ok they have 2 frontline spinners, but they are both pretty orthodox, neither have a mystery ball, like ajmal and rehman who caused problems in UAE
its a flat track by looks of things, the top 3 will have the chance to bat long and in no real rush, just like they prefer too

Rehman had a mystery ball? By my memory he got wickets from his accuracy and varying trajectory more then anything unorthodox. Much like Herath who took wickets against England shortly after. Lets not kid ourselves that England only have a problem against 'mystery' spin. England have problems playing any decent spin on sub-continental pitches

Ashwin has plenty of variations, he just doesn't bowl them as accurately or stealthily as Ajmal


When England do get to bat it will be a massive test. If they get through it and come away with a draw the confidence gained in the batting line-up will be handy to push on and win a Test somewhere in the series. IF they select the right team

[cricketbadger]

yeh well i suppose your right
All i can hope for is that the batters have learnt from their failings last winter, and can banish some demons here
Batting long and digging in comes fairly naturally to our top 3, so if they can set a decent platform, the rest of the order have the ability to up the scoring rate if and when required (in theory)

Albeit a rather negative viewpoint, i think if we can muster a drawn series here, it will be a very positive result, and some way to quieting the critics. But there is plenty of cricket to be played yet
Fingers crossed
Should make for interesting viewing late on day 2 and into day 3, if we last that long haha

[tushar sehgal]

May I ask, at the risk of being yelled at and put in my place, why oh why are ppl complaining about the pitch...

If you are playing at the top most level then you are supposed to be able to bat on any pitch and make runs, similarly take wickets. When India tour Eng and get blown out of the park the normal stance is "well you should be able to play swing and seam, T-20 (IPL) is ruining cricket",,,along the same lines should england not be able to play and bowl spin??

now I agree this pitch is a shame for test cricket but common I don't think WI greats would worried too much about the pitch or Mcgrath would have grumbled...they knew how to take wickets...prob is most teams today are one dimensional i.e. they perform well when conditions suit them and struggle against even small adversities...If Eng had won the toss, played 2 spinners and add KP as part timer managing to win the match then the pitch would have been "Okay"

Also most nations tailor their pitches to their teams needs

Eng is seaming/swinging, SA has bounce, Aus used to be fast, India has always been a dustbowl, spinning tracks so why so much surprise!!

[alba caerulea]

May I ask, at the risk of being yelled at and put in my place, why oh why are ppl complaining about the pitch...

If you are playing at the top most level then you are supposed to be able to bat on any pitch and make runs, similarly take wickets. When India tour Eng and get blown out of the park the normal stance is "well you should be able to play swing and seam, T-20 (IPL) is ruining cricket",,,along the same lines should england not be able to play and bowl spin??

now I agree this pitch is a shame for test cricket but common I don't think WI greats would worried too much about the pitch or Mcgrath would have grumbled...they knew how to take wickets...prob is most teams today are one dimensional i.e. they perform well when conditions suit them and struggle against even small adversities...If Eng had won the toss, played 2 spinners and add KP as part timer managing to win the match then the pitch would have been "Okay"

Also most nations tailor their pitches to their teams needs

Eng is seaming/swinging, SA has bounce, Aus used to be fast, India has always been a dustbowl, spinning tracks so why so much surprise!!

I agree. Surely this pitch hasn't come as a shock to anyone in the England set-up?