India v England, 4th Test, Ahmedabad, 4-8 March, 2021

So, another bunsen?

Can England make it to Day 3?

What XI will the hat throw up for England this time?

Moeen
Denly
Root*
Patel
Foakes+
Bess
Leach
Parkinson
Crane
Kerrigan
Panesar

Enough spin options there?

skully wrote:So, another bunsen?

Can England make it to Day 3?

What XI will the hat throw up for England this time?

1 Sword
2 Of
3 Griffy
4 Fat
5 Billy
6 Bunter
7 And
8 Assorted
9 Useless
10 Nobs
11 Jimmeh the Champ!

Has Root been suspended?

beamer wrote:Moeen
Denly
Root*
Patel
Foakes+
Bess
Leach
Parkinson
Crane
Kerrigan
Panesar

Enough spin options there?

Root still the best option

Please correct the title ... 4-5 March.

skully wrote:So, another bunsen?

presumably so, since we didn't hear from the ICC about a pitch rating.

embee wrote:
Root still the best option

The Sheffield Shane... the Headingley Harbhajan...

So, will this just be a repeat of last week, with a different coloured ball?

I hope the batsmen at least show a bit more fight, even if the odds are stacked against them. I think this is the last Test before our domestic summer season, and probably only Root and Stokes are guaranteed a place as far as top seven batsmen go. If one batsman gets a pair here and another gets a couple of battling 30s, it will stick in the selectors’ minds.

England win the toss and bat.

Currently 0-9.

Eng now 49/3. Looks like another short game coming up.

Well that turned to poo pretty quickly for England.

Once again Axar's straight breaks snares a couple of early ones (both openers), then Siraj gets Root with a hooping inswinger.

From 3-30 England are now 3-49.

Vaughan is pretending this is a different pitch to the last one. Willfully blind to the fact that it's the same red soil, same amount of grass. Just the red ball that lost its lacquer coat in 15 overs flat.

Hard working 50 to Stokes.

Eng 4-114.

He didn’t get much further though. DH and The Cheese* with a chance to make a statement here.

We’ve certainly packed the batting, after a 1999-style tail in the previous one. One extreme to the other with only three specialist bowlers... will it pay off?

*baby Bell...

Anderson 5-5-0-1 at close of play.

Second specialist seamer, anyone?

Anyway, no idea as to whether we’re in the game or not with 200-odd but sounds like they were playing for what was in the previous pitch. Unfortunately I think their confidence is shot, a number of these batsmen, and it’s not a good thing to be taking into the summer season back home.

Lawrence looked good in his innings. Shame he had a rush of blood, charged down the wicket and flailed head up at an Axar turner.

Maybe England could've added a few more had he kept his head.

The most notable thing about England's innings was Jimmeh made 10*. No wonder the Poms dropped Lady Di Broad.

Game looks even.

Interesting how ftb Root has consistently failed when challenged. Maybe he will get better when he reaches the mid point of his career.

Good flightback by England.

Pants and DC taking it away from us now. Need to keep them to under 50 lead to have a chance.

It only takes one partnership to win a Test these days, and that was it. From level pegging to likely innings victory by middle of tomorrow I think.

My man Pant

The issue with England Test sides has been the same for many years. While conditions and circumstances vary a lot, the heads just go down so easily, either with the bat or in the field. As a result, matches are often lost in a single session.