India Vs England - First Test Match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium
By Cricket ~ December 10th, 2008. Filed under: England, India, Test Match, cricket.
He’s had a difficult job since a deplorable ODI series - which, at 0-5, was headed for worse - was prematurely called off and there’s no ignoring Kevin Pietersen’s role in rallying his troops for this series. England’s captain has shown admirable leadership in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks and now comes the time to deliver on the field. A Test hundred in India proved elusive on his only tour in 2006, and while Pietersen may feel his biggest test has been dealt with, his success in the middle will always be key to the team’s success.
Just 13 Tests old, Ishant Sharma has lived as many years as his Indian team-mate Sachin Tendulkar has played international cricket. Ishant, 20, was Man of the Series against Australia recently with 17 wickets, almost all captured on unhelpful surfaces. He has come on in leaps and bounds, literally, and his performances in Tests have been notable for the accuracy of his deliveries and the bounce he generates. Able to swing the ball both ways like his new-ball partner Zaheer Khan, Ishant poses a serious threat to England’s batsmen.
While he’s been the mainstay of India’s one-day side for a while, Yuvraj Singh has had an inconsistent run in Test cricket, having played just 23 matches for 1050 runs since his debut five years ago. However, the 26-year-old has once again been given a chance to translate his limited-overs success into Test cricket. Yuvraj made two consecutive match-winning hundreds (138* and 118) against England in the first two ODIs of the truncated seven-match series, and also picked up a four-wicket haul, and earned a call-up after Sourav Ganguly retired. Yuvraj has said if he gets a chance here, he won’t let it go. As India step into a new era, those words will need to count once and for all.
James Anderson, England’s second-highest wicket-taker this year, has already made a mark in India, capturing six wickets at 13.16 in one Test. Anderson has particularly troubled Tendulkar, dismissing him on four occasions at an average of 19.50, and Dravid, who has fallen to him three times, averaging 17.33. Dravid is out of form, a fact Anderson may well look to exploit.
Players from both teams were forced back to the dressing room on Tuesday after a nets session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium was cut short due to rain. Tamil Nadu, a coastal state in south-east India, is not unaccustomed to monsoon and cyclonic weather patterns at this time of the year. Intermittent heavy rains left the outfield slushy and more rain has been predicted in the hours leading up to game day. There is a strong chance that the cricket will be affected.