England in India, February-March 2021

[PKBasu]

Looking at the scorecard for that Motera test, Roger Binny got 3/18 in 6 overs in the first innings (the wickets being Greenidge, Haynes and Richards!!), but didn't get to bowl in the second innings (in which Kapil got 9/83). Strange!

[Atithee]

Didn’t we beat someone at Ahmedabad (SAF?) chasing about 150 when Srinath took a bunch of wickets and we bowled them out for 118 or so? Was it the same stadium?

[prasen9]

Motera always was a difficult pitch to bat on. In the first test there, only Gavaskar (90, starting with a sumptuous ramp shot or upper cut for four off Holding) and Dujon (98, batting with the bat Gavaskar used in the previous test at Delhi, where he made his 29th century) and Lloyd (68) got past 50 in the first innings. In the second innings, only Holding (58) did on either side!

If they had prepared a flatter pitch, it would have helped the pacers a lot on the first couple of nights.

I don't think so. India's Motera average is about 37.5runs/wicket I believe, which is sort of high. The last test in 2012, we scored 521 and England scored over 400 in their second innings and still lost. Against NZ, who scored 481 or so, India scored 480-490 I think in the first innings in 2010.

I am not asking for a totally flat pitch. Is there nothing in between the Chennai first test and these crumblers? What about something that disintegrates in the 3rd session of the first day instead of 1st session? There have been pitches that have aided spin without being so dusty. I remember some sort of soil that would be baked hard so that there would be some small cracks but dust would not fly. Maybe those are dangerous?

[PKBasu]

Didn’t we beat someone at Ahmedabad (SAF?) chasing about 150 when Srinath took a bunch of wickets and we bowled them out for 118 or so? Was it the same stadium?

Incredible that you remembered that test, Atithee. It was 1996-97, and Srinath took 6/21 to dismiss South Africa for 105, chasing about 170. Laxman's debut test, and Tendulkar was captain.

A decade later Dale Steyn ran through India on the first day, bowling us out for 76. AB De Villiers got a double century, and South Africa won by an innings. Kumble was captain then.

These were all on the same ground, but the stadium has been thoroughly rebuilt -- and apparently so have the pitches. So, technically it isn't the same ground, although the location and soil are unchanged.

[rajitghosh]

Yesterday during the stadium's inauguration Amit Shah spoke of the historical landmarks at this stadium. He mentioned Srinath's achievement also acknowledging the fact that Srinath is back at this stadium as a match referee.
However, comparing this stadium with the earlier one is of no use since the earlier stadium was demolished and the new one re-built from scratch. Apparently the soil for the pitch was brought in from Mumbai so the pitch has more similarity to a Wankhede or Brabourne Stadium pitch than the earlier Motera pitch.

[ssp]

England's over rate was 11+ overs per hour! Leach was painfully slow with his overs. Their behaviour with the marginal umpiring decisions was bad too. I don't expect any sanctions for either of these though.

[Atithee]

Aren’t teams supposed to lose WTC points for slow over rates? In fact, Aussies are in their situation due to this issue during their home series with India recently?

[PKBasu]

What an abject display by the Indian batsmen this morning. Selecting Washington Sundar was an utterly senseless decision, and he has fallen for a duck having failed to bowl a single over in the first innings. Axar went first ball, like an old-fashioned tailender, not like someone who has a first class batting average of near 35. For 3 wickets to fall to Joe Root (without a run being scored off him) is the giddy limit.

[PKBasu]

Before Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) became a test side, they once bowled India out for 66 at Ahmedabad (and won their first unofficial test against a test side in 1965 although Rajinder Goel took 4 wickets in the second innings; they had been thrashed by huge margins in the previous two 'tests' in Hyderabad and Bangalore). This may be a different pitch, but this ground has a history of low-scoring matches.

[ssp]

Shocking stuff. 33 run lead is way less than it should have been. Chasing 150 will be too much.

[rajitghosh]

No application by the Indian batsmen. It was no different from Adelaide. There it was was 36 for 9. Here from 98/2 it went to 134/9 so 7 wickets went for 36. Root gets 5 wickets. Indians should be ashamed. Rahane, Pant and Washington showed they have no clue on how to play spin. Match may be lost.

[ssp]

England have recovered from 0-2 to 5-2 at the end of the 2nd over

Chasing 120+ will be too much for our current batting line up.

[Kumar]

India very likely to loose this match! Any target on this pitch will be virtually impossible! To give that many wickets to the part time bowler is just too much

[PKBasu]

Root was clearly out, but the idiot DRS umpire Shamsuddin overturned it. The ball clearly hit the pad first (and then the bat a split second later), but the Out decision was over-ruled. I thought there was another appeal that India should have referred (also an LBW). I'm still wondering why Washington Sundar is playing. His fielding has been shoddy as well.

[Omkara]

Yesterday the English team complaint that third umpire is taking decision quickly. Maybe some.effect of that.

Last match Kuldeep this match Sundar, no clue why they are in the team. If you needed a spinner why drop Kuldeep? Maybe they needed someone who could bat....he scored zero