England v India, 4th Test, The Oval, 18-22 August, 2011

I'm referring more to the two times when he's missed a whole test because of a bruised but not broken arm. Uncomfortable yes, but nothing a few pain killers and physio sessions can't fix, surely.

JKLever wrote:Good to see Swanny back in the wickets, especially as he didn't bowl well at Trent Bridge

Indeedy.

Still waiting for the whole attack to click at once. Bresnan was garbage today. He ruined himself by bowling Dravid at Edgy with a pearler that pitched on middle and off and took out off stump. Since then he bowled almost everything too straight or going down leg.

Henry wrote:I'm referring more to the two times when he's missed a whole test because of a bruised but not broken arm. Uncomfortable yes, but nothing a few pain killers and physio sessions can't fix, surely.

Of course you are. That's entirely relevant to this Test and his current injury status.

Of course you are.

Still waiting for the whole attack to click at once.

Unlikely to ever happen but three out of four will do the job most times.

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:I'm referring more to the two times when he's missed a whole test because of a bruised but not broken arm. Uncomfortable yes, but nothing a few pain killers and physio sessions can't fix, surely.

Of course you are. That's entirely relevant to this Test and his current injury status.

Of course you are.

Well to be honest i've been out all night drinking, came back and saw Gambhir not in his usual spot, decided he was a big pansy without actually finding out what was wrong with him, and ranted about it. Still, if it wasn't concussion that sent him to hospital, i'm sure he would have broken a nail somewhere along the line, cruelly ruling him out until the next IPL. He's got form........

The booze defence?

Use the poo defence, man. That's rock solid.

There's certainly a swagger about the England team these days very reminiscent of 2005. Yet you feel they'll not allow the success to fold quite so quickly this time...

JKLever wrote:There's certainly a swagger about the England team these days very reminiscent of 2005. Yet you feel they'll not allow the success to fold quite so quickly this time...

Well part of the post-2005 collapse was down to injury. But in 2006 I thought we did pretty well against Sri Lanka with Murali and a good Pakistan side ignoring Kamran Akmal's atrocities. Then we picked up some injuries and went to Aus under-strength, got stuffed by a still great Australian side, before a Chris Schofield review was called, a grey-haired guy from Sussex with bad teeth was appointed as coach to prove the worthiness of the ECB Coaching ladder, and was handed the 'almost total control' reigns that Duncan Fletcher was given, meaning lots of Sussex players, and an Illingworth-like wariness of individual characters who didn't always agree with his methods.

Apart from that wé've been pretty much the best in the World for the last six years. I blame Andy Flower and Graham Gooch, personally. Gooch was the right guy at the wrong time when employed by the ECB some 12 years ago. He knows batting very well, and has instilled a 'never satisfied' mindset into our top six. Using all sorts of erotic, sexually controlling phrases like "Daddy hundred", "Granddaddy hundred", and "who's your f*cking Daddy" hundreds (probably reserved for blitzkrieg, adrenaline fuelled efforts in the shorter forms).

And Flower? Well what a sensible, straight faced, level headed, pragmatic, small mouthed, leathery Zimbabwean he is. If only he had been my life Coach. I'd be the f*cking Prime Minister by now.

So yeah, good times.

Henry wrote:Gambhir is f*cking soft. Not up to it. Gets a slight injury and cries off when his team needs him the most. Happened in South Africa, and has now happened twice here. Toughen the f*ck up.

Did you not see his fall? His eyes looked as though they were going sink six inches into his skull.

spangler wrote:F**k Cricket. And the horse it rode in on. It's a game for girls and wankers. And complete tossers.

Fact.

India. Home of the spirit of cricket :laule:

vilkrang wrote:Has to be a contender for most balls faced for a duck. 29 balls ffs!

Not close. Not even in the top 25. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=balls_faced;runsmax1=0;runsval1=runs;template=results;type=batting;view=innings

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:Gambhir is f*cking soft. Not up to it. Gets a slight injury and cries off when his team needs him the most. Happened in South Africa, and has now happened twice here. Toughen the f*ck up.

Yeah, he should bat with concussion. Against England's fast bowlers with the new ball. It's not like another blow to the head (second impact syndrome) when already concussed can be fatal or anything.

Crying off with a bruised elbow - soft.

Not batting because you're in hospital having tests on a brain injury - not so soft.

Henry wrote:Well his head is f*cking soft.....

Not a good day for Indians, eh Trev?

Trev.

As they said: Harsh. But also unfair.

To be fair Pete, Trev did you the 'I was drunk' defence. Which does say something.

Probably that he can mostly keep his innate racism buried when sober...

Wow, the Indians clearly have had enough on this tour. Poor bowling, shoddy fielding and not a sign of the brilliance that the top 7 should be showing with the bat. Very, very poor effort by the formerly alleged no. 1 Test side. Weak stuff indeed.

Having said that, outstanding foot-on-the-throat stuff from England. Belfohl™ making every post a winner, KP back in regal touch and the bowlers simply unstoppable. Well done Engulund.

No more rain, please.

Other than the 1999-2000 3 match series in Aus when India showed a similar lack of interest for the fight (Aus won 3-0 in 3 match series) India have not been swept since 1974 when England cleaned them up 3-0 in 3 in England.

If the rain stays away, a 4-0 sweep looks inevitable.

And in that case, Fletch can chalk up another whitewash ....

(Harsh. And probably unfair. On this occasion.)

Amazing the difference in performance under Feltch compared to Kirsten.

Like the Windies, it appears man-management is the key skill when taking on India. Greg Chappell clearly didn't have it, and maybe Feltch doesn't either. Clearly Kirsten did.

Skulls, as i have said before, I think Gazza picked exactly the right moment to get the hell out.

It would appear so, taips.

Well lets hope England complete the job today and quicken India's slide towards the basement.

Aye.

Maybe Kirsten is available to apply for the Aus head coach job?

Mickey Arthur's name has been mentioned in the rags here today.

skully wrote:Aye.

Maybe Kirsten is available to apply for the Aus head coach job?

Mickey Arthur's name has been mentioned in the rags here today.

Not unless Kirsten is prepared to break his SA contract.

You're welcome to him.

Sorry, didn't realise he'd signed on for the Yarps. You don't rate him?

Really good to see the best spinner in the world back to his best yesterday. His figures for the series won't be flattering no matter how well he does (unless he does a Jim Laker -1) but if he carries on where he left off yesterday then he'll have at least won us one test match this series.

Unless the Welsh weather f**ks us again.

just when you thought it couldn't get worse. india clearly have no will to fight. 100-5 on that pitch. losing wickets to the spinner. one still hopes they will be able to bat out the next 2 days. even if they do this will still be the worst tour that i have seen. probably worse than australia 99-00