England Cricket / Ed Hawkins / 19 December 2008 /

Ed Hawkins on a dismal day for the tourists that ended with India in a comfortable position at stumps....

We like our statistics at betting.betfair, so how's this for a corker? India, when batting first and with 179 or more on the board when their second wicket has fallen, have lost only five times in 32 Test matches.

It is a wonderfully obscure and specific statistic but it serves to highlight the task facing England, who are [32.00] to back on the match market with India, who are 179 for one, trading at [4.00] and the draw at [1.37].

England may not lose this Test. A fat lot of good that does them. They need to win to save the series but with bad light expected to consistently end play early, rain forecast for tomorrow and India in a position to bat the tourists out of the contest, day one could not have gone any worse.

If England's prospects of winning are fading like the light, then there is at least a glimmer for in-running punters, whose hopes of a festive trading feast have been damaged by the game situation.

Instead of looking at this Test in terms of 'what will the result be' it would be wise to wager with this maxim in mind: 'what will be happening in one hour's time?'

To that end it could be worth having a nibble on England at big prices. Not because we think they are going to win, but with the ball reverse swinging and a new ball available in eight overs they are due a wicket.

In that regard it was harsh on England that the players had to leave the field. James Anderson had just got the ball to reverse alarmingly and Rahul Dravid, who had looked assured, was suddenly playing, missing and generally looking unsure. Nor should we forget that Dravid and Gautam Gambhir, whose century confirmed his position as one of the emerging international batsmen, will have to start afresh tomorrow.

In an effort to make up for lost time, umpires Daryl Harper and Asad Rauf have ordered that play will start half-and-hour earlier (3.30am) tomorrow to make up for lost time.

Harper was happy that the number of overs lost - a figure he puts at 16 - will be made up. He praised England's over rate and was "positive" that throughout the Test no overs would not be lost. Ignore him. He has failed to take into account that India's over rate is certain to be poor and the fact that an early start is no guarantee of play in Mohali. We had a delay first thing today because it was too dark.

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