England 1st innings | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| AJ Strauss* | c Raina b Kumar | 32 | 166 | 98 | 4 | 0 | 32.65 |
| 36.1 Kumar strikes, Strauss's long vigil ends. Is this an elaborate set-up? After bowling wide and wide last over, he bowls this sucker ball around off, making Strauss drive, which moves away and takes the edge through to third slip. Most likely it isn't a set-up, we just happen to read too much into things at time 85/4 |
| AN Cook | lbw b Sharma | 2 | 24 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 |
| 5.2 138.6 kph, Cook is pinged on the pad once more, propping forward in defence. There's an appeal ... and it's given! This didn't look nearly as good a shout as the one in the last over, but Marais Erasmus thought about it and raised the finger. Well, replays suggest that while he was hit in line, that was probably going over the top. No DRS for lbw's though, and England have lost their first wicket 7/1 |
| IJL Trott | c Laxman b Sreesanth | 4 | 23 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 26.66 |
| 10.4 134.6 kph, edged, gone! Swinging away outside off, Trott comes forward to drive and nicks the ball straight to Laxman at second slip. That was just the line Sreesanth was bowling to Strauss, but it's perfect to the right-hander. That'll calm Sreesanth down, a great way for him to start after coming back into the side. 23/2 |
| KP Pietersen | c Raina b Sreesanth | 29 | 76 | 53 | 4 | 0 | 54.71 |
| 27.5 How huge is that wicket? Outswinger, just short of a length, outside off, not a ball that KP had to play at, but he did. Fatally. Tried to withdraw late, but by then the edge had been taken, through to Raina at third slip 73/3 |
| IR Bell | c †Dhoni b Sharma | 31 | 108 | 81 | 4 | 0 | 38.27 |
| 50.2 133.2 kph, Bell has thrown it away! He has worked so hard, he has had a life, he has shown good judgement when leaving, but this one is a loose loose shot. This is short and wide, and he has a limp nibble at it, it seems to be a faint bottom edge, and the ball goes wavily to Dhoni. It almost wobbles out, but sticks in Dhoni's webbing. That's swing after it passed the stumps. It was actually the toe end of the bat 124/8 |
| EJG Morgan | lbw b Kumar | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 36.4 126.8 kph, England are falling fast here. Morgan collects a duck. This is superb bowling. From close to the umpire he bowls, the ball pitches just inside the line, catches Morgan on the crease, and according to Rauf wouldn't have moved away enough to miss the stumps. Morgan confirms with the umpire if he is leg-before or caught bat-pad. The umpire says lbw. And off he goes. Hawkeye confirms Rauf's call, for what it is worth. Hitting the top of off, it says 85/5 |
| MJ Prior† | c Dravid b Sreesanth | 1 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| 39.5 132.0 kph, that's the magic delivery. Not much Prior could have done with this. Sreesanth doesn't need to appeal or mock-appeal for this one. It pitches off, short of a length so Prior can't come forward and cover the swing, but has to play at it. It leaves him then, squaring him up, taking the edge, through to Dravid at first slip. Sreesanth points a finger to the sky. This has been a high-quality spell 88/6 |
| TT Bresnan | c Dravid b Sharma | 11 | 39 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 47.82 |
| 48.2 133.0 kph, Dravid dropped a much easier one than this! First of all the ball is a peach again. Back of a length, angling in, pitching around off, then holding its line. Bresnan, who has shown a tendency to open up a bit, is squared up completely. A thin edge ensues, and Dravid has to dive low to his left, and takes it clean as a whistle. These are the catches you should be at the ground for. When they go smoothly into the palm, that sound of a clean slip catch is just beautiful 117/7 |
| SCJ Broad | c Tendulkar b Harbhajan Singh | 64 | 93 | 66 | 9 | 0 | 96.96 |
| 68.4 and the innings ends. Broad finds a fielder at long last, but only just. Harbhajan doubles his tally of wickets for the series. Flighted in the zone, Broad backs himself to clear Tendulkar at deep midwicket and goes for the slog-hoick. He makes good connection, but not good enough. Tendulkar takes it. 221/10 |
| GP Swann | c Mukund b Kumar | 28 | 49 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 80.00 |
| 61.6 124.5 kph, whoa, the stand has ended, Praveen has produced a magic ball to send Swann packing. The crowd breaks out into warm applause as he goes off, what a stupendous effort from Swanny! Praveen gets one to snort from just short of a length, I wonder how often he has managed to produce something like that with his 125 kph fare. This pitch is full of tricks, I tell you. Swann was leaning forward as it took off and was caught unawares. It kept coming at him as he tried to pull back and evade it, hit the handle and popped up for an easy catch at gully, even as he turned all the way around in shock. India appeal, Swann walks. Praveen has a wicket, but he continues to scowl. What a character! 197/9 |
| JM Anderson | not out | 6 | 29 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| |
| Extras | (b 2, lb 8, w 3) | 13 | | | | | | <><> >
| | | | | | |
| Total | (all out; 68.4 overs; 320 mins) | 221 | (3.21 runs per over) |
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