‘The Summer of 2011...’

Well, that wasn’t quite the end to the summer we were all hoping for. After their ten-wicket thrashing of the West Indies on Friday, everyone assumed that Sundays match would offer much of the same. Yet, the West Indian spinners had other ideas and England’s young-guns floundered under the pressure. Chasing a more than manageable total, they capitulated in a wave of panic. Four run-outs being the result. Nevertheless, one dismal performance should not detract from the fact that 2011 has been England’s summer. Winning every series, rising to the top of the Test rankings and beginning to look like a dominant force, the future is bright. The future is red and white.

A Damp Series

The current One Day Series against India has, lets face it, been a bit of a damp squib and that’s not just because of the weather. With the first ODI called off due to rain, the second reduced to just 23 overs a side, the third being decided by Duckworth Lewis and the fourth a tie, there hasn’t been much to cheer about. Add into the equation the fact that eight of the original Indian team have gone home (for some various and, it has to be said, dubious reasons), and this ODI series is proving to be a bit of a let down. Built-up as the World Champions (India having won the ICC World Cup just five months ago) versus the World Twenty20 Champions (England taking that honour last year), it had, like the Test series, all the makings of a classic contest.

While nearly all of the Indian fans (and probably a great many of the England ones as well) had brought tickets in anticipation of seeing some of crickets superstars, they have been forced to watch what is effectively a second string Indian team. Used to seeing Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar opening the batting, they have had to be content with Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane. While, in the bowling department, the ever loyal Praveen Kumar has once again had to lead the charge. While this may not have quite been the promised billing, the Indian supporters have still had plenty to cheer about. The new opening partnership has largely been successful and their middle order has really taken the attack to England’s bowlers. MS Dhoni, a captain who has actually shown immense character throughout what has been a very difficult series for him and his team, has played some quality innings. As has Suresh Raina. What a difference a shortened game can make. All things considered though, England have been just that little bit stronger. With Alastair Cook continuing to prove his critics wrong and Ravi Bopara finally stepping up to the mark in Sunday’s match, England have always managed to (just) get the runs needed. This, of course, has been greatly aided by the quality of England’s bowling. Jade Dernbach has proven to be a real revelation and the potency of his bowling at the death was highlighted by his absence on Sunday, whereby India scored over a hundred runs off the last ten overs. Despite a series win then, England still have a very long way to go. With the absence of Eoin Morgan for the upcoming series in India they will need a ‘powerful finisher’. While Bopara played well for his 96 can he do so consistently? Ben Stokes, meanwhile, (one of England’s young hopefuls), still has a lot to do having had a string of low scores. With the news that Stuart Broad will also miss that series (it seems the injury bug is catching), England’s bowling attack will also need some careful consideration.

Fast forward a couple of months then, and the line-ups of both teams may look very different once again. Lets hope it proves a more thrilling contest.

A 4-0 Whitewash

“We’ve got the best team in the world, we’ve got the best team in the world…!”

So rang out the chant of the Barmy Army as England secured another resounding victory, wrapping up the series 4-0 and securing their place at the top of the world Test rankings. This being the first time, since the ICC’s official Test ranking came into existence in 2003, that England have been ranked number one. A massive achievement in itself, yesterday also marked another milestone; a 4-0 whitewash. At the beginning of the series many thought the result would be a draw and while CicketChicks predicted an England victory, we (along with everyone else), never dreamt England would win 4-0 and, more importantly, by the margins they have. Yesterday saw another innings victory for England, the second of the series.

The question then, is have England really been that good or have India been that bad?

The answer is probably a combination of both. India came into this series ‘undercooked’, unprepared and unfit. Some of their key players had not played a Test Match since January, opting to miss a tour of the West Indies (surely it can be no coincidence that Rahul Dravid, the Indian ‘Man of the Series’, did play) and looking somewhat more rotund than usual. When you combine this with the ageing nature of the current Indian team and some injury problems, the result was never likely to be the competitive series we had all hoped for. Nothing, however, should be taken away from the England team. They were simply outstanding. Being fitter, stronger and more drilled then their Indian counterparts. While the Indian bowling attack was at best mediocre, the England batsman could only play what was in front of them; and play them they certainly did. Consistently making big runs (over 700 at Edgbaston and 591 at the Oval) and with a number of the England players contributing with much lauded “daddy hundreds” (Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell all made scores in excess of 200), their batting was relentless. With the inclusion of Tim Bresnan (after the injury to Chris Tremlett) England batted all the way down to number ten. The bowling was equally superb. Taller, faster and more skilled than the Indian bowlers, England’s attack (led brilliantly by Jimmy Anderson) never allowed the Indian batsman to find any sort of form. As equally relentless as the batsman, they complemented each other perfectly and exerted the sort of pressure which resulted in the Indian team only reaching 300 once in eight innings. Indeed, it is testament to the way England bowled that Sachin Tendulkar never managed to reach the illusive milestone of his 100^th international century. This being the first time since 2008 that the ‘Little Master’ has not reached three figures at least once in a Test series. This is undoubtedly one of the best bowling attacks he, and his other superstar batsmen, have had to face in a very long time. After all, this same line-up, managed to make runs against South Africa late last year.

The Indian team, though, could have been a little tougher. As Dravid showed, runs could have been made. It would be difficult but not impossible. Unfortunately for Dravid, who ‘carried his bat’ at the Oval and was one of India’s only shinning lights (Praveen Kumar perhaps the other), many of his counterparts lacked such courage and resilience. The attitude of Virender Sehwag in the filed and the antics of Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir, are three of the most blatant examples of a questionable attitude. A criticism which can be aimed higher than at just the players themselves. One has to wonder what the BCCI were thinking, delaying Sehwag’s shoulder surgery so as he could play a full season of the IPL. Moreover, what were they thinking when they decided to recall RP Singh (someone who hasn’t played Test Cricket for three years)? Is too much emphasise on the shorter format of the game hampering India’s Test Match potential? It is interesting to note that England have the fewest number of IPL players. As the number one Test team in the world and, facing a huge series against your biggest aspiring rivals, India should have been primed and pumped for this series. Unfortunately, they were anything but.

So, what now for England?

Totally focused and utterly ruthless, England, under Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, have all the makings of a truly great team. With this current eleven having an average age of just 28, they have the potential to dominate for years to come. Moreover, as has been proven in this series, they posses the strength in depth needed to sustain that higher level. Two away series in the subcontinent will be England’s next big challenge. But we wouldn’t bet against them succeeding there as well.

England are Number 1!!

England are the number one Test team in the world. Official. England are number one. What is so impressive, however, it is not merely the fact that England have managed to climb to the top of the rankings, but the way they have gone about it. England’s thrashing of India (with a victory by an innings and 242 runs there really can be no other word for it), was a million miles away from their abysmal 57 all out against the West Indies back in 2009. Since then, Andrews Strauss and Andy Flower have taken the reins, instilling a professional, focused and winning mentality. The odd Ashes victory was no longer going to be enough. England not only want to be the best, but the best for a very long time. The domination of world cricket, in the same vein as the West Indies team of the 1980s and the Australian team of the 2000s, is now in England’s sights.

Such was the gulf between the two teams, in the latest Test Match, that it looked as if England and India were playing on totally different wickets. Finally winning the toss, Andrew Strauss took the decision to bowl first; one that seemed dubious when India reached 51-1 and Rahul Dravid and Gutum Ghambir were well set. But, that would have been to underestimate the England bowling attack. Tall, fit, strong and skilled they managed to bowl India out once again for under three hundred. With India’s batting line-up back to full strength, this feat was even more remarkable. As too was the brilliance of Alastair Cook. Batting for over twelve hours and amassing 294 runs (oh, how he deserved a treble hundred), Cook’s physical and mental strength are both supreme. With Eoin Morgan chipping in with his own hundred and decent scores from most of the others (Ravi Bopara being the most notable failure - may this have been the perfect opportunity to give a chance to a young, up and coming batsman?), England amassed a staggering seven hundred runs. With a lead of over four hundred the nail was all but sealed in India’s coffin. James Anderson’s opening spell in the second innings was brilliant as he accounted for the top four. Though MS Dhoni and Praveen Kumar played some shots, India were once again all out for under three hundred.

England deserve to be the number one team in the world and the nation should be very proud. There have been (as has already been indicated) some abysmal performances from England in the past, but this England side seem to have turned a corner. For all those supporters who have stuck by them through thick and thin, this is your reward.

An England Master Class…

Another fabulous Test Match, another fantastic win for England and a further step towards them becoming the Number One Test Side. Put into bat (again) on another overcast morning, England quickly found themselves eight wickets down. While many feared the worst, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann looked totally fearless as they came out to bat. With a partnership worth 70 runs from just 73 deliveries it was not only crucial in getting England up to a competitive total but also in seizing the momentum. India, however, appeared to have grasped it back when they reached 267 for four; the partnership between Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Sing being worth 128 and looking ominous. That was until Broad’s hat-trick. A spell of bowling that, a few months ago, would have seemed almost impossible. But, such has been Broad’s transformation (ah, the benefits of bowling a fuller length), he is now arguably England’s premier bowler. OK, so his glorious hat-trick was greatly aided by the absence of the Decision Review System (oh, the irony for India), but it was still a fabulous spell and was crucial in restricting India’s lead to just 67. What was even more remarkable about England’s performance was the way they then batted in the second innings. Having lost two wickets while still trailing, Ian Bell’s 159 was sublime, as was Eoin Morgan’s 70 and Tim Bresnan’s 90. (A key feature of the series has indeed been not only England’s depth but strength in batting). Pummelling the Indian bowling attack (albeit depleted, with the continued absence of Zaheer Khan and the injury to Harbhajan Singh) into submission, England amassed an imposing lead of 477 runs. The batting taken care of, it was over to the bowlers who, once again, were superb; being much taller, fitter and skilled than there Indian counterparts and, thus, much more effective. While the star this time was Bresnan (with his six wickets), it was most definitely a team effort. While the build up to the series often pitted it as a battle between England’s bowlers and the India super-star batsman, it is clear who is winning the contest. Failing to reach 300 in four innings now, India are in real trouble.

One side looks the best in the world and it’s not India.

…But Some Controversy

One issue which proved to be a massive talking point of the Test Match (other than how badly India were playing that is), was the ‘Ian Bell run-out’. Everyone, it seems, has given their opinion, so CricketChicks thought they would give theirs as well.

Firstly, despite the ball looking like it had gone for four (and Praveen Kumar’s theatricalism on the boundary didn’t exactly help), Bell should not have merely assumed the ball was ‘dead’ (and, if you look at the replays I don’t think Eoin Morgan had made that assumption as he grounded his bat and signalled for Bell to wait). He was naive, silly, idiotic - call it what you want. He was not, however, trying to score another run. While the laws say he was technically out, India did the decent and honourable thing. My problem, however, is with Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss approaching Duncan Fletcher and MS Dhoni during the Tea break to ask them to reconsider their initial decision. If India had of (and I’m sure they would have) reversed their decision on their own, then fine. But, the idea of the opposition going and asking is just wrong and, what’s more, has the potential to open up a whole can of worms. As one of the Sky Commentators said, everyone knew Harhhajan Singh had gotten a massive inside edge onto the pads, so what was to stop the Indian Captain and Coach appealing to the England team?

A Test Match Showcase

Has everyone calmed down yet?

It’s been a couple of days since the 2000^th Test Match in the History of the game and the 100^th between England and India came to an end. A capacity crowd on all five days, lengthy queues, extra security (mainly for Sachin Tendulkar) and a parade of old players - the first Test in the current series certainly lived up to the hype, while the cricket wasn’t bad either. A great advert for the longer format of the game, the match had a number of ebbs and flows; though, in the end, the tide of England proved too strong for an out of form India (some of their key players including Tendulkar himself, as well as Zaheer Khan, have only played one Test match since January). To add to the fact that India are notoriously ‘slow starters’, they also suffered a couple of injuries (most notably to Zaheer Khan who failed to bowl a single ball after the first days play), while the ‘little master’ was struck down with a virus. While India’s Captain, MS Dohni, was quick to point out all these unfortunate events, nothing should detract from that fact that England played exceptionally well.

Put in to bat on a damp, overcast morning, India surely had designs on having England at least four or five down by lunch. While they claimed England’s openers fairly cheaply, they hadn’t banked on the resolve of Jonathon Trott and Kevin Pietersen. OK, so the fact that Trott dug-in in the face of adversity may not have been a total shock, but the way KP played out his innings was a total revelation. Often lambasted (mainly by CricketChicks) for giving his wicket away and playing exciting but lose shots, Pietersen’s double hundred showed a mark of maturity and an understanding of his responsibility within the team. Cautious, watchful and measured are words which seem to juxtapose with the image of ‘Kevin Pietersen the batsman’, but they are surely central to the formation of ‘Kevin Pietersen, one of the greatest batsman of all time.’ While this may seem a total exaggeration, when KP first burst onto the International scene in 2005, that’s exactly what people were saying he had the potential to become - an all time great. In the past few years he has seemed anything but. Yet, if he can consistently put in innings, not only of flare and skill but also substance, there is no reason why he cant achieve such grandeur.

Another player much lauded in their early career but suffering for form of late, is Stuart Broad. Not guaranteed of playing in the starting eleven (the return to full fitness of Tim Bresnan putting serious pressure on his Test place), Broad finally managed, with devastating effect, to find the right, fuller length. Claiming four wickets in the first innings and at times looking virtually unplayable, Broad made all those who had doubted his selection look incredibly stupid. Not only was he brilliant with the ball, but he also contributed an excellent seventy runs to help England set up their declaration and assisted the magnificent Matt Prior in reaching another hundred.

Indeed, one of the key features of this Test Match has been how well the England team have gelled as a unit. Confident in each others abilities, the batsman know the next man in can get the runs, while the bowling unit consist of an effective and varied attack. The swing of James Anderson, the bounce of Chris Tremlett, a combination of the two from Broad and then the spin of Graeme Swann, must be one of, if not the best, bowling line-ups in world cricket.