Live Test Match Blog: India v England Day Two

Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 11 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Ed "The Hawkeye" Hawkins is on duty on day two of the Test to talk us through what's going on in the middle, the betting, the stats and anything else he fancies. Remember you can e-mail Ed at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk with your thoughts and comments.

11.30 India 156-6 CLOSE
England are in charge at the end of day two. A gut-busting final spell from Andrew Flintoff, who bowled seven overs off the reel at the end for 14 runs, the wicket of Tendulkar and roughed up Yuvraj, could be match-winning. England are [2.34], India [2.80] and the draw is [4.50]. The Day 2 Verdict is imminent on the cricket page. See you tomorrow.

11.22 India 137-6
Yuvraj's temperament has been exposed. He was ticking like Big Ben and paid for it. Steve Harmison ensured his time was up by making him drive at a wide one and Flintoff did the rest. A classic set up by England on a hothead character. That is why they call it Test cricket, Yuvraj. This is not some 50-over slog.

11.20 India 137-5
Compelling, and heated, stuff in Chennai.England are trying to get under the skin of Yuvraj. First Flintoff, who has been trying to home in on the left-hander's outside edge, had a few chopice words. And then Pietersen, at mid-on, chirped up, too. Yuvray seemed to take exception, which is exactly what England wanted. He is really ticking.

11.10 India 127-5
The first time England tested Yuvraj with a short one they almost got some joy. Andrew Flintoff banged one in and there was an appeal for a gloved catch at the wicket. Off the final ball of the over, Fred got one to rear up again and Yuvraj,on his toes, steered it just wide of gully. That was a real effort over from Flintoff.

10.40 India 105-5
Keep the emails coming. I haven't checked them for a while because of all the on-pitch action but have a look at this one from Portuguese Pirate which was received on the hour. "I wonder whether are too short at evens. There's no real guarantee that they will match England' score given that Yuvraj Singh could well fail again in the Test Arena and Harbajhan's superb batting against Australia was pretty much a welcome anomaly for India, if you look at his average. It very much depends on these two that are in and Dhoni. Add to the equation the fact we could lose sessions to weather which could bring the draw into play and I wonder again if India should really be that short to win." Bit of a Nostradamus isn't he?

10.35 India 103-5
I will have to type this quickly in case another wicket falls as I go ... the two new batsmen are Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. Yuvraj is certain to be tested by the short ball because England should be aware that he doesn't have a clue how to play it. Australia sorted out Yuvraj with some chin music earlier this year and, honestly, it was embarrassing to see the left-hander cower. Pietersen would be well-advised to get a short leg in when Flintoff bowls.

10.30 India 102-5
The reason for the silence, and probably wide-eyed gawping at the telly, was as much for Monty holding onto the chance as Laxman looking pretty comfortable. Alas the wicket pushed the draw price out to [3.05] . . . stop press! Tendulkar OUT! Another caught and bowled. This time it is Flintoff, with those bucket-like hands. Tendulkar had made only 37 and India have lost half their side for less than a third of England's total. England favourites at [2.50] to cause a major upset.

10.25 India 98-4
Stunned silence in the MA Chidambara staium and in living rooms around the world as Monty Panesar clings on to a caught and bowled chance off VVS Laxman (24).

10.05 India 89-3
This pitch is expected to crumble like a biscuit. The combination of wet weather (in the few days prior to the match) and the sun now beating down has increased the likelihood that it will deteriorate. But when will the top go? We saw uneven bounce on day one as early as Ian Bell's innings. Since then Harbhajan Singh has extracted spit and turn and James Anderson has just struck Tendulkar with a one that reared from a length. The upshot is that it is very hard to see how this Test can be a draw. Yes, thunderstorms are forecast for the next three days but they were expected for the first two. They did not materialise. The draw price is coming down all the time as runs are scored because there are people out there who reckon that it is getting easier to bat. We should disagree very strongly indeed if we can get around [2.60] or [2.70]. Currently the price is [2.94].

09.55 India 82-3
Sachin Tendulkar has 25. Over his career (that's a whopping 155 Tests) he converts such a score into a century 29% of the time. That is about a [3.10] chance. The Little Master is as short as [1.70] to be India's top first-innings runscorer.

09.40 India 77-3
Reality is beginning to bite for Graeme Swann.Tendulkar is taking a liking to his brand of spin, cutting him for consecutive boundaries. Not only that, but I hear that Swann has had his record as the only player to take two wickets in his first Test over cruelly snatched off him. He is,in fact, the second. Richard Johnson, he of English trundler fame, took two wickets in his first over against the might of Zimbabwe in 2003. Johnson only played another two Tests. His middle name is Leonard. I don't know whether the two facts are linked.

09.25 India 62-3
Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman are the men batting for India. As combinations go in world cricket, there are few better to dig a team out of a rather messy situation. In Test matches, the duo have batted together 45 times and their average partnership over that time is an impressive 53. They have enjoyed six century stands and 11 50-run partnerships. In Chennai, however, they average only 21 runs together. Their current partnership is worth 25.

09.15 India 56-3
On the surface, Graeme Swann looks very calm indeed but underneath he must be paddling away furiously. A bit like a ... oh, I don't know, can't quite finish off the analogy. Swann may be a new name to most of you. He has, of course, been performing well for the one-day side for the last year or so but nothing puts a player in the spotlight like success at Test level. He plays for Nottinghamshire, having previously had a spell with Northants, and is known as a feisty character. Indeed, in his early days in county cricket he was known to go too far. He certainly did that on his first full England tour to South Africa in 2000. He was too brash and cheeky for coach Duncan Fletcher on that trip so the man behind the shades made sure Swann stayed in the shade. Swann is also the front man for rock band Dr Comfort and the Lurid Revelations. The six-piece includes Jim Hemmings, a son of Eddie, the Nottinghamshire legend.

09.00 India 37-3
Nice insight from Nasser Hussain at the break. He reckons that Daryl Harper is an umpire that can be intimidated into making a poor decision if an appeal is loud and lingering. "Daryl is constantly thinking 'is it out?'" says Nasser. What the former England captain was getting at was that Swann's two leg before decisions were far from plum.

08.50 India 37-3 TEA
Well, that was a far from mundane end to the second session. Graeme Swann has just become the first player to take two wickets in his first Test over. And two prize scalps they were, too. Gautam Gambhir was the man who top scored for India against Australia in the recent Test series while Rahul Dravid is one of the finest batsmen the home team has produced. It was a perfect 14-over burst from England just before the tea and it is arguable that it is they who should be favourites now considering India are struggling to make parity and will have to bat last here. And that is key. This wicket is crumbling for the spin bowlers, offering turn and bounce from a length. That much was clear from 682nd ball of the game when Harbhajan Singh got one to take off and brush the glove of an England batsman. Who was it? That man Swann.

08.41 India 37-3 TEA
Two wickets in the over for Swann on the stroke of tea! Sharp turn beats Dravid's inside edge to claim another leg before. India in real trouble. England's price has collapsed from [7.8] to [3.80] in the space of an over.

08.40 India 36-2
We have early wicket action for you. Graeme Swann, with only his third ball in Test cricket, has trapped Gautam Gambhir leg before. I say trapped, Gambir, taking a big stride, was not offering a shot and umpire Harper adjudged that was an error. Swann's previous two balls were not without incident. Gambhir smashed his first for four through point and then off the second survived a big shout for a bat-pad catch. The huge roar as Gambhir leaves the scene is for a chap called Tendulkar.

08.30 India 28-1, Gambhir 15, Dravid 2. England 316
Good morning sports fans. The frost is glistening on the rooftops of west London and there is, no doubt, an icy bite in the air. So condolences to anyone who has had to brave the wintry season this morning. The best place to be, apart from a sweltering Chennai, is in front of the telly. And if you can't be in front of the telly, be in front of this blog.
I again went through the hardship of rising at 4am, before even the central heating had kicked in, to soak up proceedings in the first Test.
The update is that India have wobbled in reply to England's 316. Virender Sehwag, whose average of 178 runs per innings in Chennai that suggested 'dangerman' didn't quite cut it, was removed for 9 by James Anderson. It was a classic Sehwag dismissal - trying to cut one too close to him and he chopped on.
Anderson has been England's quickest bowler this morning, Andrew Flintoff has got decent bounce while, rather predictably, Steve Harmison has been mincing and wincing about the place. Anyone would think he wished he was staring at the icy rooftops of Durham.
Earlier, England were bowled out for 84 runs less than they would have wanted, if Andrew Strauss' interview on day one was anything to go by. The composer repeated, over and over again as if he was suffering from an OCD, the importance of getting 400.
That they didn't was in large part to Flintoff falling to spinner Amit Mishra before the visitors had added to their overnight total. It was the tenth time in 11 innings that Freddie had fallen to a spin bowler in India.
Here are the prices: India [1.87], England [7.4], the draw [2.9].