England win by 319 runs; lead series 2-0

India 158 all out in 47.4 overs S Sreesanth b Broad 0 (8b) Over and out. England win by 319 runs. The lead is now 2-0. India’s dreams of world domination will have to wait. Now, they need to worry about this series. They need to get their head out of the clouds and back in the game. Forget the money, forget everything that has happened in this series and play cricket as we know they can. Dhoni will need to lead from the front, as will the Big Three. But for now, let’s applaud England. They played brilliant cricket. And they deserved to win. They can’t lose the series now. It might give them even more freedom in the third Test. India’s response will show whether they deserve the tag of champions. [caption id=“attachment_52092” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“England celebrate. Bresnan was superb. AP”]  [/caption] India 153 for 9 after 44.5 overs P Kumar b Anderson 25 (25b, 5x4) Praveen’s gone. His resistance comes to an end. He has been brilliant in this game. Lack of pace or not and he has shown great heart and nerve. Anderson’s yorker was too good for him. England are one wicket away from a lead that will virtually clinch the series. India 129 for 8 after 39.3 overs Harbhajan c sub (SL Elstone) b Bresnan 46 (44b, 8x4, 1x6) Good innings by Bhajji but let us not get distracted. He bowled badly in this match. Another short ball brought about his downfall. This was chin music of the silent variety. England didn’t talk up their plans for the Indian batsmen as Australia often does but they were just as devastating. Bhajji used the long handle to good effect especially against Swann but he he didn’t know what he was doing against the paceman. Let the countdown to defeat begin… India 107 for 7 after 36.3 overs S Tendulkar lbw b Anderson 56 (86b, 8x4) The dreams ends. Tendulkar gone. Anderson, the bowler yet again. India’s last hope has been snuffed out. The ball jagged back in off the pitch and Tendulkar shouldered arms. And that was that. No century and just the ruins remain – of India’s hopes; of their vision of a fight; of this Test. It’s over now and that’s how it will remain no matter what India do. It’s time to start planning for the third Test and salvation. India 106 for 6 after 35 overs S Tendulkar 55 (82), Harbhajan 28 (30) Finally, some momentum for India. Tendulkar’s fifty, a few big shots by Harbhajan but the writing is on the wall. What can India salvage out of this match now? Even their world number one now? What remains but the ashes of a defeat? India need a partnership, a big one to go into the third Test with at least a semblance of comfidence. India 68 for 6 after 30 overs S Tendulkar 35 (69), Harbhajan 10 (13) Horror session for India: 25 overs, 60 runs, 5 wickets. Sachin Tendulkar stands along; he looks unruffled; he looks confident. But this is over for India. The only question that now remains is whether India can take the match into the fifth day. Right now, even that looks like a long shot. On Twitter, @sidvee puts across Nasser Hussain’s point: ‘Nasser makes a most crucially important point: India are best in the world in IPL cricket.’ India 55 for 6 after 26 overs MS Dhoni lbw b Bresnan 0 (1b) It was sad; Dhoni’s dismissal that is. It was a leave of a broken man. The ball from Bresnan was full and nipping back and Dhoni was struck shouldering arms. Rauf had no doubt and the Indian skipper began the slow walk back. Bresnan was on a hat-trick. Meanwhile veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon @cricketwallah on twitter passes judgement: ‘Maybe the 42 all out in 1974 was worse, but I haven’t seen a more shocking batting performance by an India team in over three decades.’ India 55 for 5 after 25.5 overs Yuvraj Singh c Cook b Bresnan 8 (32b, 1x4) And another short ball claims Yuvraj. The left-hander tried to play at far too many short balls and in the end, one of them got him. Did he deserve this fate? Yes. India’s young batsmen do not like playing fast bowling; they do not like short balls; and perhaps they are afraid too. India 55 for 4 after 25 overs S Tendulkar 32 (58), Yuvraj 8 (27) The deadlock continues. India are surviving but only just. The runs aren’t coming as smoothly for Tendulkar any more. The line has been tightened and no more freebies on offer – Dhoni could observe the tactics and learn. Frustrate the top batsmen and get their wickets. He has done it in the past against Australia at Nagpur and there was no reason to not try those tactics again. The line of attack against Yuvraj, though, is short and fast; short and faster; short and fastest. The left-hander has been pushed on to the back foot and is looking thoroughly uncomfortable. India 47 for 4 after 20 overs S Tendulkar 30 (44), Yuvraj 2 (11) Tendulkar’s playing superbly. The same can’t be said for Yuvraj – still unsure and tentative in his foot movement. India’s in a jam and it’s that man again who stands between defeat and a fairly embarrassing one. India, at various times, were in command during the game, they have given it away each time. Meanwhile, Yuvraj gets hit on the hand – hard. The physio looked at it for a while before Yuvraj put on the gloves again. India 37 for 4 after 15.5 overs S Raina c sub (S Elstone) b Bresnan 1 (5b) Raina gone to a short ball. Good ball, awful shot. The left-hander looked to pull the ball from outside the off-stump, the ball got a little too big on him and the resulting top edge made it’s way down to fine leg. It’s back to the drawing board for Raina and the Indian team too. On Twitter, there is still some humour around. @rameshsrivats feels: ‘We should last till tea. Then Dhoni & Fletcher can go to the England dressing room and request a draw.’ India 31 for 3 after 13.5 overs A Mukund c Strauss b Bresnan 3 (41b) The ends Mukund’s vigil. He tried his best but he isn’t good enough for the Test level yet. A good bouncer and the left-hander is history. Tendulkar has been on the attack – which is what he should’ve done at Lord’s too - but he is now fighting against the odds. Perhaps, he has always done. Will we at least have the opportunity to find solace through a Tendulkar century? India 13 for 2 after 7 overs VVS Laxman b Anderson 4 (7b, 1x4) 129.4 kph, not too quick, you say but what a delivery by Anderson to send Laxman back to the hut. Big blow for India – the two Test specialists are gone. The ball pitched just outside the off-stump and came back in – not enough; not as much as Laxman expected – to uproot the off-stump. Tendulkar walks in next but is it over already? At lunch: India 8 for 1 after 5 overs A Mukund 2 (18), VVS Laxman 0 (0) What will the Indian team be discussing over lunch? Sure hope, it’s not defeat. Dravid’s gone and that is a body blow for the team given the form he has been in. Now, the rest of the batting line-up needs to make it’s mark. So far, they’ve rolled over and died. Now, they need to resurrect themselves and play the innings of their lives. This isn’t just about victory or defeat; this is about belief. How far can India carry that? The post-lunch will be interesting for a variety of reasons. [caption id=“attachment_52017” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Dravid was dismissed early. AP”]  [/caption] India 6 for 1 after 3.6 overs R Dravid c Prior b Broad 6 (12b, 1x4) England reciprocated Dhoni’s gesture by dropping opener Abhinav Mukund off the first ball of the innings. But they weren’t going to be generous for very long. India’s rock, Rahul Dravid was snared by a superb delivery from Stuart Broad. Brilliant bowling, brilliant length. A lesson for the Indian seamers and a big, big blow for India. The man who has faced more deliveries than anyone in the history of the game is now back in the hut and India are looking at a quick, short innings. Will someone stand up and be counted in this hour of need? Eng 544 all out after 120.2 overs GP Swann c sub (WP Saha) b Sharma 3 (12b) And finally, the last wicket falls. A few glum smiles as India leave the ground. India have a massive target – 477 – to chase down. Not that they will be doing any chasing here. Survival will be the name of the game; a tough game. India will have to somehow figure out a middle path or they can say goodbye to the series. [caption id=“attachment_51928” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Bresnan played a superb knock. AP”]  [/caption] Eng 540 for 9 after 115.5 overs T Bresnan c Dravid b Kumar 90 (118b, 17x4) And the consistent Praveen gets another wicket. Perhaps it’s time for Strauss to retire now. Bresnan’s superb knock comes to an end, the ball took off from a length to get the shoulder of the bat and pop up in the direction of gully, where Dravid completed an easy catch. It’s almost like India have decided that there is no hope. Sad. Eng 540 for 8 after 115.4 overs SCJ Broad run out 44 (32b, 5x4, 2x6) When everyone else seemed down and out, substitute Wriddhiman Saha comes up with a superb run-out to end Broad’s violent knock. The shots had flowed off the allrounders bat and India had been pushed deeper and deeper into the hole. This is pretty crazy. Eng 514 for 7 after 112 overs T Bresnan 85 (109), S Broad 25 (18) The first ten overs overs have seen India concede 63 runs. Just what is wrong with Dhoni, shouldn’t he be trying to slow down things as much as possible? Has he got into the ‘spirit’ of things a bit too much? England are motoring on and India, for all their desperation in the field, are playing foolish cricket. Shouldn’t the senior players be having a word with Dhoni? Shouldn’t the coach, Duncan Fletcher be saying something? This is bad cricket by India. Eng 473 for 7 after 107 overs T Bresnan 66 (88), S Broad 3 (9) A good day to bowl, the overcast conditions are helping the swing bowlers and England aren’t having an easy time in the middle. But India’s spirits seem broken. At no point have they looked like they are thinking of anything other than defeat. Even the celebrations after Praveen took the wicket were muted. Life’s not a beach, right? But it’s not so bad either. They would want to make England bat as long as possible. Perhaps they could start by bowling a little wide outside the off-stump and pack the field. That should cut down the boundaries and make the batsmen do something different. Eng 458 for 7 after 102.4 overs M Prior c Dhoni b Kumar 73 (60b, 10x4, 1x6) Thank god for small mercies and Praveen Kumar. While India’s other seamers have bowled well in patches, Praveen’s consistency has helped him consistently attack and get wickets too. Prior had looked especially dangerous yesterday but today, PK got him with a nice outswinger before he could get set. It shows that there is still enough life in the wicket for the bowlers to exploit. India’s mind will already be on their batting, but with Stuart Broad walking in, they can’t afford to take it easy. Meanwhile, @rameshsrivats believes the huge target is a good thing: ‘If India is set a target of around 400, I think we will win. Simply because there is no chance of playing for a draw.’ Start of Day 4 India may have earned praise all around for their actions during tea but the time they spent on the field during day three would best be forgotten. England plundered over 400 runs on a day when Indians bowlers failed to get their lines right and Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to show why he is widely regarded as one of India’s finest skippers. [caption id=“attachment_51725” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“India’s captain MS Dhoni stands in the field on the third day of his team’s cricket test match against England at Trent Bridge cricket ground, Nottingham, England. Jon Super/AP+++”]  [/caption] Day four promises more of the same on a pitch that looks like it has lost some of it’s pace. That is only to be expected but India will want to keep England on the ground for as long as possible. Time is of the essence. The longer England are on the ground for, the better India’s chances, however slim they may be, of conjuring up a miracle. England, on the other hand, are in a strong, strong position and wouldn’t be satisfied by anything less than a win. They lead by 374 runs and as such, are in the driver’s seat. BBC predicts early morning showers but should be okay after that. End of Day 3 England 221 & 441/6 (101.0 ov) India 288