Live Test Match Blog: India v England Day Four

Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 13 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

England have set themselves up for what was - according to the odds - a highly unlikely victory in India. Trading as the near even money favourites ahead of day four, a positive batting performance on Sunday is vital. Can they do it? Ed Hawkins talks you through the action...

11.30 India 134-1 CLOSE
One wicket is not good enough for England but the fact that is was Sehwag, who was destroying their victory hopes, will mean they leave the field happy. They have a big workload tomorrow, however, and nine India wickets on a surface which remains tricky - but has not crumbled as badly as expected - sees them priced at [2.76]. It is probably fair. India, who require another 256, are [2.90] but if they lose a couple early tomorrow they will shut up shop and then it will be the draw, [3.40], which will be the big mover. See you tomorrow.

11.25 India 128-1
The sign of things to come perhaps? India have gone very quiet and England are desperately trying to get spin from the footholes. This is what tomorrow could hold in store. A very attrional type of game now. The draw price will contract as a result and at [3.20] it will be favourite after about 20 wicketless minutes on day five.

11.15 India 118-1
With Rahul Dravid now in, England the opportunity to dip further. Dravid is horribly out of touch and with just under 20 minutes to go before close, it will be down to Andrew Flintoff to bust a gut to claim another wicket and put the tourists firmly in charge.

11.10 India 117-1
Sehwag's dismissal has the expected impact. Crashing in come the odds for England [2.64] and the draw [3.00]. India are out to [3.50]. Just as important as the wicket was how it came about. Graeme Swann got one to turn out of the footholes but it kept very low and Sehwag was trapped in front.

10.58 India 109-0
India are [2.22] and if you believe you should 'play the odds', and you should, then India are a lay. One wicket changes an awful lot and they are not scoring as freely as they were at the start of the innings. Their run rate in the last ten overs is 3.8. As a result the draw price has started to come back in, too. It is [3.95] and closing. A bewildered-looking England are [3.25]. They will be pleased to get off the field and start afresh tomorrow.

10.45 India 96-0
Mike Atherton has just said that England "are still very much the favourites". Not according to Betfair. India are [2.24] although they are drifitng slightly as England's stifling tactics take hold. England probably should be favourites, though. They still have lots of runs to play with, the pitch is a difficult one for batsmen new to the crease and because of the dent Sehwag has made in the market, his dismissal will have a similar effect.

10.25 India 84-0
India will finish the day - if they do not lose a wicket - as favourites to win, which is almost unbelievable given the task that faced them before their innings began. Just to reiterate: if India chase 387 batting last, it will be the fourth highest total to win in Test history. India are [2.66] now. If they score another 40 runs tonight, that will leave India only around 260 to score in the last three sessions.

10.20 India 80-0
England's strategy has gone out of the window as Sehwag launched Panesar for 4-6 off consecutive balls. The run rate is holding at an incredible seven an over and Kevin Pietersen wears the look of a man who does not know what to do. He needs to get some control. An idea might be to get Panesar to bowl into the rough outside leg stump and try to frustrate Sehwag.

10.10 India 67-0
India's price is fast approaching levels at which we may have to lay, just because of the weight of history which is against them. It is hovvering around the [3.95] mark and that has to be too skinny given the whopping target (387) that faces them and, despite their fast start, the time left in the game. There is also a rumour going round that India have failed to bat out 100 overs or more in the fourth innings only once in the last 20 years. Sehwag has 50.

09.57 India 54-0
The assault continues from Sehwag. He has 42 from 21 balls. Panic is everywhere on the faces of England as the hosts romp along at an amazing nine an over. And this has been reflected in the match odds where India have shortened to [4.20]. India, of course, should not be as short as that. Why? Because there have been 1,909 Test matches and only three sides have made more than India's target to win a Test in the fourth innings. Do the math.

09.40 India 25-0
Virender Sehwag has taken 17 runs off 11 balls and their price has plummeted to [6.00]. But let me remind you that the highest score chased in the fourth innings to win a match in India is 276, by the West Indies in Delhi in 1987. In Chennai, India's 155 for 8 in the third Test against Australia in 2001 remains the highest.

09.34 India 6-0
England have three slips now and, after instruction from ANdrew Strauss, a short leg for Gambhir. England are marginal favourites at [2.24] with the draw [2.20]. India are [9.60] - a price that will contract sharply and out of line with their actual chances of winning if they are 40 or 50 for none.

09.25 India 0-0
So India need 387 off 126 overs at just over three an over. Whether England actually get 126 overs remains to be seen because of over rates and bad light. But they must attack. Three slips and a gully should be a given. But oh dear, Pietersen has just two slips for Harmison's first over.

09.15 Eng 311-9 declared. India need 387 to win
Matt Prior has been dismissed so England have declared. Quite what the point was of the last few overs I don't know because England only wasted time and for little reward. The last four overs, for example, brought 11 runs. A joke. To break it down, India will have to score 90 runs in each of the last four sessions of the match. A huge ask. And if India ever look like doing so on what is still a difficult wicket, England could bowl wide and set negative fields. It just begs the question: why did England bat on so long?

09.05 England 301-8
England are batting on. Pietersen is still wearing his training gear. At the break Robert Key made a strong point that if England wanted to set a target of 400 they could easily have done so before tea just by increasing the pressure on the accelerator. But I can't have Robert Croft complaining. He said yesterday that England should turn the screw and bat on until they had 300 themselves. You can check it on yesterday's blog if you don't believe me.

08.45 Eng 301-8 TEA
We just saw a shot there of Kevin Pietersen sat in the dressing room in dark shades and training gear. He looked very serious. A penny for his thoughts. Was he calculating the number of overs left in the day? Was he trying to work out India's run rate to win the game. Nope. I can exclusively reveal his train of thought. It was this: "La-la-la-la-la-la-bom-bom-bom-p'tash-bom-p'tash-bom!"

08.35 Eng 301-8
The game is just drifting. England have played well for three days in a row but today they have been awful. They have scored one boundary in 21 overs. I would love someone to explain to me what they are thinking. Please email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

08.20 Eng 294-6
If you are just logging on to find out why England are still batting, then I can't help you. They lead by 368, which would mean India would have to score the highest total ever batting last to win a game there. It would also be the fourth highest ever total in Test history. The run rate has been appalling - just 2.9 throughout the innings and 3 in the last 10. Matt Prior has just hit a four, the first boundary in 18 overs. Unsurprisingly the draw has plummeted to favourite status at [1.99]. Earlier Andrew Strauss (108) and Paul Collingwood (108) plodded along.