The Winter Cricket Thread

[fittons_coaching_badge]

With the first India v England test starting on Thursday, it appears Broad and Finn will both be fit and available for selection and Swann is not back in India after his jaunt home.

I am thinking ....

The top 7 seems to pick itself.  The bowling will be made up of 3 seamers and a spinner.  With Swann certain to play as the spinner, its the make up of the 3 seamers that will dominate discussion.  Anderson is a certainty.  I think they will be reluctant to play both Broad and Finn givent there injuries and lack of match time.  So I reckon they will pick Bresnan and seniority will see Broad make the line up.

My predicted 1st test line up:

Cook, Compton, Trott, KP, Bell, Patel, Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Anderson

Other Predictons:

Series Score: India 2 England 1 (9/2 with Bet365)
Top England Runscorer: Alistair Cook (11/4).  (Might have a cheeky e/w flutter on Samit Patel at longer odds 14/1)
Top England Wicket taker: Graeme Swann (7/4).  If it turns out to be a seamer England will have spent many an hour in the field!
Top Indian Runscorer:  Virat Kohli (10/3)
Top Indian Wicket taker: Ohja (5/2) (Bog standard left arm spin with a bit of flight and guile).  England will collapse at some point and it will probably involve a lot of batsmen attempting and failing to play the sweep shot when it pitches in line and goes on to hit proven by DRS.

[Spud]

Must be a different Swann to the one we know then?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/20244011

[TheMajorSTFC]

Are we using DRS in this series FCB?

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Are we using DRS in this series FCB?

It appears DRS will not be used at all.

[TheMajorSTFC]

It appears DRS will not be used at all.

A blessing in disguise if you ask me for England out there. India have a massive problem with using it and I believe they are the only cricketing nation not to use it for lbws. I think snicko will be available, as it was when they visited England last summer.

[nevillew]

Cancel that airline ticket DRS.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Looks like Finn is out so as I said for the first test line up.

[TheMajorSTFC]

I'd say Australia shaded that 1st test draw with South Africa, all to play for though!

Bresnan for Finn almost a cert I'd say now FCB, unless England plan on playing Panesar?

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Bresnan almost certain to play.

England played in Ahmedabad about 10 years ago in my first overseas test match.  From memory as flat as a pancake!  Recent results seem to suggest this hasnt changed to much.

Based on this I will be backing the draw! Two heavy batting line ups and two bowling attacks who I think will struggle to take 20 wickets without significant help from the pitch.

Also a word for Yuvraj Singh who will play his first test match since treatment for a rare form of lung cancer. In hot, oppressive heat it will be a challenge but a good human story in a world recently dominated by not so good stuff! One of my best cricket memories of recent time was watching Yuvraj take Stuart Broad for 6 6's in an over at the first T20 WC.

[Nemo]

You'll be glad to hear that playing the Series using International Cricket Captain 2012, England won the first test by 9 wickets after a sensational performance by Graham Swann who took 14 wickets in the match. Trott made a ton and Cook 97.

The England team was the expected one, India weren't really helping my attempts at simulation when they picked Laxman, Tiwary and both Kumars but were otherwise as expected.

Get your money on it.

[jimmy_onions]

is that the one where you roll the ball down a little slope to bowl, then press the batmans head to bat, and if the ball rolls between the fiedlers legs in the little hoop, that is out?

[fittons_coaching_badge]

According to MS Dhoni the pitch is going to start dry and cracked.  With a baking hot sun as well it shouldnt take to long for the ptich to deteriorate.

Massive toss.  Theres probably about 2 maybe 3 good days in it.  Sounds like I may have re think my draw prediction.

[DMR]

Eugh, going to be an early start tomorrow to catch the opening session before.

God I miss being an undergraduate, didn't miss a ball of the last Ashes

[kerry red]

I'm afraid I can't believe why England will start playing spin well given all the evidence to the contrary.

Easy India series win

[Nemo]

Quietly confident. Yes, we got destroyed by Ajmal, but Ashwin and Ohja aren't in his class: decent, but not special. Both teams have a lot of frailties so it's a really interesting series, but I think we have one or two more top class players (as in currently, not historically) than them and we might just shade it.

Certainly won't be 4-0 simply because there will always be a draw at some point in an India Test Series as one ground or another will serve up the M25 as a batting strip.