The Men in Blue began by ripping through the remainder of the English batting line-up before going about the task of making their opponents’ efforts look amateurish.
NOTTINGHAM: Saturday at Trent Bridge brought the first signs of Indian joy in this tour. The Men in Blue (rather whites) began by ripping through the remainder of the English batting line-up before going about the task of making their opponents’ efforts look amateurish.
Ryan Sidebottom threatened to set the English tail wagging with some sweet boundaries early in the day, proving that a positive attitude would reap rewards on this much drier pitch on Day Two.
His partners could not emulate him however, as Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble combined to dismiss England for an ugly 198, with Sidebottom finishing on 18 n.o.
The good work of India’s bowlers on the first day was reflected by some encouraging analyses, particularly for the established campaigners Zaheer (4-59) and Kumble (3-32).
The overwhelming sense at Trent Bridge as the Indian opening pairing of Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik emerged from the pavilion was that England’s bowlers still had the chance to put their own batsmen’s performance in perspective.
If the swing that desiccated the English batting could be utilised by the likes of James Anderson and Sidebottom, then even the sternest of Indian hearts were prepared to watch a collapse of the sort witnessed at Lord’s. Happily for India, almost confounding logic, the exact opposite occurred.
The opening stand of 147 between Jaffer and Karthik was characterised by some clever strokeplay, some patient watchfulness and controlled aggression, but the strongest factor in India’s favour was certainly that key aspect of cricket which seems to have returned to them of recent times, namely luck.
As ball after ball passed the outside edge, the crowd grew more unbelieving and the batsmen, especially the young Karthik, grew in belief. Even when the ball was nicked, it would always fall sort of slip, and on one occasion was dropped by Ian Bell, although he did well just to reach it.
Chris Tremlett can feel the most aggrieved after bowling a succession of unplayable deliveries without reward. He did finally grab the wicket of Jaffer, from the thinnest of brushes on his glove on a ball that reared up at him, but by that time the opening stand had already left the England bowling flattened, and even the usually irrepressible Michael Vaughan ran out of ideas in the field, being guilty of several misfields himself.
After the openers departed — Jaffer for 62 and Karthik for 77 — veterans Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar took the centrestage. As they went about their way with ease, all signs pointed towards a massive first inning total and lead for India. Vaughan could well be feeling that the Test is slipping out of his hands as India ended day at 254 for 3.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}