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Difficult crossing at trent bridge for India
India need self-belief to turn it around
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Baljit says exclusion one-eyed
Jashn-e-Dal begins
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Difficult crossing at trent bridge for India
Trent Bridge, July 28 But the injury to pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who may not be fit enough to take the field on the morrow, and the poor form of Harbhajan Singh have handicapped the bowling to a great extent while the form of some of their top order batsmen have compounded their misery. In case Zaheer sits out, either S Sreesanth or Munaf Patel will make it to the team with the Indians preferring to go into the crucial game with three pacers and a spinner on a Trent Bridge track which was expected to help the quick bowlers. While India would be desperate to do whatever it takes to hold on to their numero uno Test status, a series win by a two game margin will see England topple Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men from the pinnacle. We will bounce back, says Laxman
India’s middle order mainstay VVS Laxman reckons the world number one side has the ability to bounce back in the four-match Test series against England as the second game starts here tomorrow. India lost the first Test at Lord's by a mammoth 196 runs, but Laxman said it will have no impact on the team, which has a reputation of not doing well in series openers. “We have the potential to bounce back and we have done that in the past,” Laxman said. The elegant middle-order bat recalled last year’s series against South Africa, where India made a strong comeback to draw the rubber after losing the first Test at Centurion. “We lost badly against South Africa in Centurion but came back strongly to draw the Test series for the first time on South African soil,” he said. India surrendered meekly at Centurion, losing by an innings and 25 runs but gave South Africa a taste of their own medicine by scripting an 87-run win in Durban. India had the third Test almost in their bag before Jacques Kallis saved the Proteas with a gritty knock. “I would not put much importance on the way English bowlers bowled. They just bowled at good areas, they got their wickets and rewards. It was not an exceptional bowling attack where they ran through our batting,” he said. “Had they got us within 150 in both the innings, then I would have accepted that they ran through our batting attack,” Laxman was quoted as saying by the ‘Daily Telegraph’. Tremlett doubtful
England paceman Chris Tremlett is a doubtful starter for the second Test against India as he is yet to recover from a hamstring problem and stiff back, local media has reported. The second match is starting here tomorrow with the hosts leading the four-Test series 1-0. “The giant Surrey paceman missed training on Wednesday with a tight hamstring and England fear he will not recover in time,” a report in the 'Daily Mail' said. — PTI Trent Bridge facts
Fast bowlers dominate at Trent Bridge Since 2005, it has proved to be one of the toughest batting venues in the world with only Sabina Park having a lower runs-per-wicket figure. Trent Bridge has witnessed 13 five-wicket hauls in the 10 Tests it has hosted since 2000. There have been only 15 centuries James Anderson has picked up 28 wickets at an average of 15.89 in four Tests at Trent Bridge Rahul Dravid averages 53 in six innings. Tendulkar has scored 469 runs at an average over 78 with a century and three half-centuries at Trent Bridge.
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Slow starters, India have in the past bounced back after losing the first Test overseas to level a series. They did that as recently as last December when they came back after a mauling in the first Test and won the next Test and then almost won the third and final Test too.
That did not quite happen and it is that which is the Achilles heel of this team at the Test level. They have their opponents on the mat but are unable to finish them off. Indians are by and large peaceful people who do not go out of their way to get into a scrap and would much rather walk away from one so one can understand the lack of a killer instinct but great teams are those that grab the slightest chance and convert it to their advantage. India have a mountain to climb and to do so there is need of climbing equipment and while they have some natural gear the oxygen that is needed as one nears the summit is not quite there. It was an evident when the chase was given up when the summit was in sight in Dominica and at Lord’s there was little oxygen left in its young quickie Ishant Sharma to bowl immediately after lunch on fourth day when England were in a precarious position and would have had an uneasy lunch. To be fair to the youngster he had learnt from his first innings spell and had bowled quite superbly to rock England with those quick wickets. In that kind of rhythm a bowler does not want the ball taken off his hands for it is rhythm that is most elusive for batsmen and bowlers and when one has that then one doesn’t want to let go. Zaheer’s fitness is going to be crucial for he brings a maturity to the attack, which is young and enthusiastic, but can be without direction if not guided. Praveen Kumar has been quite superb getting the ball to move sharply both ways but without Zaheer around he may have to bowl long spells as he did at Lord’s. By the time this series ends he could conceivably bowl more overs than he has bowled in a season in India. The other key player for India is Gautam Gambhir. He tried to play a more restrained role in the first Test. He and Sehwag flourish in each other’s company and feed off each other and quite clearly India is missing Sehwag for he creates the fear factor among the opposition. Gambhir has to fire, for that will give India a solid start and that will be half the battle won in these conditions. There are many imponderables as India go into the second Test and self belief is one of them. If they have it they can bounce back else it will be goodbye number one ranking. — PMG |
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We face constant injuries: Dhoni
Nottingham, July 28 Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Zaheer will have to sit out of the game though he has shown huge improvement in his right hamstring strain and was expected to be fit for the third Test. "As of now Gambhir is doubtful. We will give him some more time. It depends on amount of pain he can go through and still perform," said Dhoni on the eve of the second Test starting here tomorrow. Gambhir was hit on his right elbow by a swept shot from Matt Prior in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday and even though he came on to bat, it is believed that his elbow is still stiff and not 100 per cent fit. Gambhir, however, did come out to bat in the nets today after missing out completely on it yesterday. If Gambhir sits out, it would mean an opportunity for Yuvraj Singh to feature in the playing eleven. It would still be a tough call for India to decide on who will partner Abhinav Mukund to open the innings. Injuries have been an issue for India for sometime and Dhoni rued the fact that it's been rare when he has been able to field a full-strength team in Test arena. "As a side, we have constantly faced this problem. Whenever we play, we are not at full strength. It has happened constantly." — PTI
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Baljit says exclusion one-eyed
New Delhi, July 28 Although fighting his way back into his state team and winning an invitation to national trials in Bangalore last month, the 30-year-old Punjabi was disappointed when overlooked for the Asian Champions Trophy in China, and furious when coach Michael Nobbs and officials told him to give up international hockey in favour of a coaching role. "Who wants a coaching job? Not me," an incensed Baljit told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I didn't go to the camp to listen to advice. I would continue playing. I didn't ask them when I started playing hockey and won't ask them either when I quit. I'll go on my own." Baljit, India's top keeper from the 2006 Commonwealth Games until that 2009 accident in Pune, said selectors had cited his incomplete peripheral vision for his omission and not judged him on his performance. “I would understand if they tell me that my performance was not up to the mark,” he added. “There were 12 goalkeepers among the 90 players in the camp and it’s natural that if there is a better goalkeeper around, he would replace me. But why make an issue of my vision when you already know everything about it?” Baljit has returned to Chandigarh in his home state to keep training and said he had revelled in ignoring advice from sceptics and well-wishers throughout his career. “I have been stubborn all my life. I know the virtue of obduracy and my career would have never taken off had I listened to others. Early in my career, I had a nagging back injury and the team physio said a surgery would solve the problem but I should stop playing. I told him 'thank you' and kept playing.” — Reuters
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India salvage some pride
New Delhi, July 28 Pouring rain, lasting over 35 minutes before the match, and a steady drizzle during most part of the first half, which gained in intensity during the interval and after, made the ground a cesspool, and it was part water-polo, part-swimming and part-football for the teams, which provided unending mirth to the packed stands. Though India dominated possession for most part of the first session, and the later half of the second essay, when they pulled back both their goals, the visitors were much more methodical in whatever moves they initiated, which culminated in their two quietly brilliant goals. The first goal was setup by the dangerous forward Ahmed Khalil, who sneaked from the left to chip the ball into the box, which was neatly headed home by fellow forward Mohamed Al Shehhi (1-0) in the 39th minute. Indian custodian Karanjit Singh, who did not do a bad job under the bar, coming in place of the suspended Subrato Paul, could not react as the ball glided in. The usual moves and counter moves followed, but the visitors looked like sealing the match when captain Ali Al Wehaibi wormed his way in to hit the mark, 26 minutes after resumption. No methodical moves were possible due to the water-logged and slushy surface, yet the teams tried to make it an entertaining contest, and full credit to India for fighting back from a dispirited position to strike two goals in the last 18 minutes to energise the stands, and salvage some prestige. The hard-working Jeje Lalpekhlua got into prefect position to head in a floater from the right by substitute Lalrindika Ralte in the 28th minute, and Gouramangi Singh scored a peach of a goal just on the stroke of full time to lock the match at 2-2.
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Jashn-e-Dal begins
Srinagar, July 28 Arrangements for the festival were reviewed at a meeting here today of senior police officers which was chaired by the Additional Director General of Police, Armed Law & Order (ADGP), K Rajendra Kumar, here today. Rajendra Kumar said JKP has always been in the forefront for promoting adventure sports, especially water sports.
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Stunned by the humiliating defeat at the Lord's, India will have to quickly get their act together as they go into the second cricket Test against England here tomorrow with a serious threat to their status as the number one team. The demoralised Indians, who lost the first Test by a resounding 196 runs, will have to pull up their socks if they hope to prevent the hosts from dislodging them from the top position.
In 2007, India won the second Test at Trent Bridge following a narrow escape in the first Test at Lord’s.
In that third Test in South Africa they were thwarted by the underrated Jacques Kallis. That he was able to do so despite having a serious rib injury shows that the Indians had simply not planned enough how to exploit that injury of his and subsequent matches where India has failed to ram home their advantage shows that not much has been learnt from that.
Johannesburg: