India outswing England

India are on the verge of winning the second Test against England and taking a 1-0 lead in the series. How their fortunes have changed since holding out for a draw at Lords with some help from the rain. One could sense then that escaping with a draw would be very significant and would mean a change of fortunes for them.

Winning the toss was crucial as India had the best of the bowling conditions and made good use of them by bowling England out for a total that would always put them on the back foot. Zaheer Khan has been outstanding with his ability to swing the ball both ways and has been the difference between the sides. There has been the return of the traditional swing this summer due to the wet conditions rather than reverse swing which has played a big part in recent years in dry and arid conditions. England did bowl well in the first innings without much luck, with Ryan Sidebottom outstanding again with his line and discipline. On another day things could have been very different, but credit has to go to India who have played well throughout the match. It is ironic that England are traditionally known to make good use of swing in home conditions, but in this case India have outgunned them and come out on top in the swing contest.
The fab four with the exception of Dravid, have answered their critics and made runs this time round. The partnership between Sachin and Saurav was particularly significant in posting a big total for India to secure the advantage. Sachin was troubled by Sidebottom early in his innings and fought his way through passing 11,000 runs in Tests. It was not the kind of dominating innings of that played in his prime but it was gutsy and determined. Saurav played an almost flawless innings and looked to be playing better than ever with good timing and placement. Both players dominated Monty Panesar who leaked runs with no help from the conditions. Both these old pros clearly enjoy batting together and their bond was evident in their partnership. It was a shame that they both failed to reach a century due to poor decisions and their expressions showed their disappointment.

England played well in the second innings after a large first innings deficit with conditions much better suited to batting. The ball was still swinging for India on the fourth morning and the deliveries that accounted for Pietersen and Prior were outstanding. Michael Vaughan played a wonderful innings and was back to his best playing some sublime shots on his way to a century. Kumble was expected to play a big part on the fourth day but Vaughan in particularly played him very well and he did not come into the wickets until the end. The fall of Vaughan's wicket rather unluckily, after taking the new ball heralded the collapse of England's innings and any hope they may have had of saving the Test.

India are poised to win the Test and go one up in the series and there is no threat of rain to spoil their party as it did for England a week ago. India will be pleased with their performance in this match and the way they have fought back to gain the advantage in this series. It has been a complete team performance from them and that should be heartening for them going on to the third and final Test at the Oval.

Patrick Eagar's memorable images

When I think of the memorable images of cricket that have caught my eye over the years, I think of Patrick Eagar. I remember reading cricket books while I was growing up and the pictures that made them special and his is the only name that I can remember.

I was really chuffed therefore to meet Patrick for the first time a few years ago when I was the picture selector for a cricket book, 'Ground Rules - A Celebration of Test Cricket'. I went to meet Patrick to select some of his photo's for inclusion in the book, where the pictures were a key element. I was struck by Partick's kind and generous nature and enthusiasm for his craft. His home is full of pictures as you can imagine, not all of them of cricket.

The unique thing about his pictures is that each picture tells a story and you not only see the image but get a feel of the mood, atmosphere and the setting. I particularly remember the shots of Ian Botham that he took throughout his career, which perfectly conveyed the mood. The ones that stand out are of the infamous 1981 Ashes series where a range of emotions were captured from celebrating a wicket and the swashbuckling batting to the more sombre and reflective moments when he lost the captaincy that year.

I met Patrick recently, not aware as we chatted away that he was approaching his 3ooth Test Match at the first Test between England and India at Lords. He was recounting the early days when official photos of the matches were restricted to a few agencies and it was not until 1972, when newspapers demanded more variety and colour photos and Australia wanted to send its own photographers on tours that it was opened up to newspapers and freelancers. There were of course many unofficial shots taken secretly over fences and wall of grounds.

The lifting of the restrictions paved the way for Patrick to enter the stage and become one of the best photographers in the world. In the early days the images had to be transported by train to tight newspaper deadlines to ensure they got the newspaper offices on time to go to press. They would have to be on a train by early afternoon and any other significant images from the day would be published the day after.This has all changes with the age of digital pictures and Internet connections which has made it very easy to send pictures at the click of a button and arrive instantly.

It is very interesting to hear the many stories of his time clicking away and I am sure I would want to hear them all but Patrick as usual is a busy person and had to shoot off for a Twenty20 match that day between England and West Indies.

I have often wondered what it takes to take a good photo, especially one where you click at the precise fall of a wicket or any other significant incident. I am sure a lot has to do with experience and knowledge, but as I was to find out when I took a photo the other day of Dhoni loosing his wicket at Chelmsford, a lot has to do with luck and being at the right place at the right time. That is beginners luck for sure. I don't think Patrick has anything to worry about just yet.

I look forward to seeing many more classic pictures from the lens of one of the greatest and congratulate him on reaching a significant landmark.

More photos from Lords

I thought I would post a few more pictures from my visit to Lords last Monday as many of you enjoyed them.

It is seems like an age waiting for the next Test in Nottingham and I am counting the days. The monsoon weather continues in England and is disrupting the practice sessions for the teams. They have been forced to take shelter indoors which is not the best preparation. It will be interesting to see what the conditions are like in Nottingham on Friday. The conditions will surely have a part to play with the cooler atmospheric conditions overhead. It will add to the drama and excitment of the match, much as it did at Lords.

Roll on Friday!

India snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat

The first Test between England and India has been a great advertisement for Test cricket. It was an absorbing contest aided by a marvellous wicket which gave assistance to bowlers if they made use of the conditions and helped the batsman that had patience and skill to overcome the testing conditions.

The batsman on both sides were meant to dominate against two relatively young and inexperienced bowling attacks. In reality both sets of bowlers came out with more plaudits as England's third string attack showed discipline and control and bowled well as a unit and the Indian bowlers after an indifferent start came back very strongly. The famed Indian middle order faltered yet again when the pressure was on and failed to deliver the goods. It was left to the impressive Karthik and Dhoni in the second innings to help save the game for India. England can be indebted to Strauss in the first innings and the brilliant Piertersen in the second innings who played a very watchful innings initially and then changed gears latterly to race to a century. His extended celebrations indicated what it meant to him in an innings he described as his best yet.

I went to the match on the final day hoping to catch some of the action despite the gloomy forecast. The game was nicely balanced at the start of the day but two quick wickets meant that the run chase was not on and India would have to battle it out to save the game before the rain came. As it was the rain did not come until late afternoon and India will be thankful to a good partnership between Dhoni and Laxman in the morning. After lunch Laxman departed, opening up an end which England exploited and there was a clatter of wickets. It was a very tense and absorbing session as the clouds started to gather and it became decidedly colder. The tailenders played some silly strokes which did not help their cause and Dhoni did his best to take most of the strike. Dhoni led a charmed life as he tried to play an innings out of character for him and I found it amazing how he played risky attacking shots when he was not looking to score. That could easily brought about his downfall and meant certain defeat for India.

The array of Indian fans were very vocal in the support of their team all day but the tension of the final few overs even silenced them. The umpires met constantly to discuss the gloomy light and Vaughan took off the seamers and brought himself and Panesar in to lengthen proceedings. By this stage I was literally shivering from the cold but could not bear to leave the action. The Indian dressing room also looked very tense next to me as they too were helpless to do anything. Sreesanth survived a very close LBW decision in the final few overs and replays showed that the ball would have clipped the bails. It seemed just a matter of time before bad light and rain stopped the play and all the Indians were praying for rain and England were just hoping that they could snare the last wicket before the rain robbed them. When play was stopped due to bad light and early tea was taken, it was met with big cheers and relief by the Indian players and fans and a look of frustration on English players and fans as they had come so near to winning the match. It did not look like the skies would clear but we all hung around just in case there was yet more to come in this fascinating encounter. As it was, after a momentary lapse, the rain came down and the match was drawn.

India will count themselves lucky to escape with a draw as if play had continued the odds were on England to win the match and on balance they would have deserved the win in a close contest. As it is both teams head to the next Test on level terms and both will take a lot out of this match. India will be hoping that their batsman come into form, as they did on the last tour in a similar position and put England under pressure. They will know that this draw was an escape and will want to cash in on their fortune.The bowlers will have gained a lot and can only perform better with initial nerves out of the way and more familiar with the conditions. It remains to be seen if the middle order, which was in its prime last time around can have a happy swan song.

England will be hoping that their young and impressive bowling attack can do it all again in the next game. They might be faced with a harder task as the conditions may not be as helpful and the batting may be stronger. Their batsman also need to perform better and make bigger scores to put India under pressure.

It is all set up for another fascinating encounter at Trent Bridge, one of my favourite grounds. As I left rainy Lords, I could not remember feeling this cold before and it almost seemed like winter in the wet and gloomy conditions but I was glad that I tasted some of the absorbing atmosphere at this old and traditional ground.

Test in the balance

It was a great day of Test cricket at lords today to set up a last day thriller and there should be a result either way if the rain does not play a big part.

The day was dominated by Kevin Pietersen's century which really ignited after lunch when he stepped up the pace and raced to three figures. The period before lunch was more watchful and as the Indian bowlers were bowling well and hard to score off freely. The partnership with Prior set up a total of 379 which India need to win.

India had a steady start and there did not seem to be any swing which had caused them so many problems in the first innings. They however lost three wickets, amongst them the priced wickets of Tendulkar and Dravid. Karthik reached a fluent fifty and was really good as a partnership was built with Saurav Ganguly. Ganguly showed all his experience as he fought it out in a tense final session.

It is all set up for a cracking finish on the last day and I will be making my way down to Lords tomorrow to see a great days play. I will be praying to the weather gods to keep the rain away at least until the game has finished and then I can do the rain dance. If India reach 390, it will be a record breaking winning total at Lords. They still have the fire power to get there and the first session will be crucial. If the ball starts to swing, England's bowlers may have the final say if they balled the way they did in the first innings.

It is too close to call and the match has reached the close climax that many predicted between these two sides, but whereas many predicted the batsman to dominate, it's the bowlers who have taken all the accolades, with swing playing a major part.

I have just seen the weather forecast and it is predicting heavy rainfall for most of the day. It will be such a shame if the weather is the winner in this tantalising contest.

Penny for your thoughts Saurav

Saurav Ganguly will return to the ground where he made his dream Test debut in 1996. Lords awaits the prince that came and conquered with a century that announced his entrance into the international scene. He had waited four long years to get his opportunity after being banished into the wilderness after being selected on the tour to Australia. He had received a lot of criticism for his aloofness and princely attitude and had been discarded after the tour. This would be the start of a quite extraordinary journey for someone that has evoked a lot sentiment, good and bad throughout his long and illustrious career.

I vividly remember his innings and how impressed I was with his determination and the way he fought through against all the odds. He had that fighting spirit that would see him through for all that awaited him and that fire in his belly to play for his country. I could sense that here was someone that would leave his mark on the game and he has certainly done that. He certainly looked a Test player at that stage but I had not imagined that he would have been so successful in the one day game for which he is more well known now. His dancing down the pitch to a spinner to hit a straight six is a sight to behold on the cricket pitch. It is definitely a rival to his immaculate off side shots that pierce the field so precisely. He went on to form a formidable opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar that was very successful and it is such a shame that it was broken when he took over the captaincy.

His aggressive captaincy definitely propelled the Indian team to a new level and made them a force to be reckoned with. He faced up to the bullying Aussies and got under their noses like no Indian player before him. He did counter a lot of criticism at times but he was successful and he strived for a winning Indian team with more metal and fighting qualities.

He is now at the autumn of his career after having recently returned from being dumped from the team after his famous tussles with the former coach Greg Chappell. He was down and out and written off by all and sundry, but he refused to bow out and has bravely fought his way back on merit.

He returns to England, a country that he likes, for what is likely to be his last tour and to a place that he has had much success. There must be many thoughts going on in his mind on how the tour will go. He seemed to be in a contemplating mood when I captured some shots of him on the field at Chelmsford. He was very pensive and thoughtful and rehearsing his strokes for his return to Lords in a few days time perhaps.The final chapters of his story are yet to be written on what has been one of the most interesting stories of a person that has evoked more sentiment than almost anyone else. As he reflects on what has been and what is yet to come, one feels that there are a few more chapters left and the prince will only bow out on his own terms.

Warm up to the Indian summer

I was eagerly looking forward to seeing India at Chelmsford in their second warm up match against a very good England Lions team. I was due to go on the last day but nearly went on the second day as the weather forecast was very bad for the last day. The Indians were in trouble early on but the day got better with a great knock from the little master.

Chelmsford has a nice feel about it and as I approached the ground on Sunday, it was good to see quite a few Indian supporters making their way in.I was so absorbed in getting my first glimpse that I accidentally bumped into two guys and then I looked up to see that it was Laxman and Karthick just coming out from the nets. I smiled at them and watched them walk by talking and smiling. It was a good start to the day to see two of my favourites in the team.

The ground was not full but had a good atmosphere and most importantly, it was sunny. The County grounds have a warm and informal atmosphere about them, and it is the perfect setting to get close to the players and the action in a way that it is impossible to do at the international fixtures. I was surprised that there were not more Indian supporters, as the ground is not far from the Indian community in East London, many of whom travel half way round the world to see their team.

Dhoni was at the crease and the crowd were looking forward to an entertaining knock from the hard hitting hero. He did not disappoint as he smashed the ball all round the ground to loud cheers. I was standing with a group of Indian fans and I noticed a camera was on us as we cheered and clapped. I did not realise that an Indian TV company would be broadcasting the game live back to India. Dhoni was finally out and I was lucky enough to capture the falling of his wicket as I was busy snapping away. It did not take long for the Indian innings to end after his departure.

In between the innings the Prasad, the bowling coach came out for a warm up with Ishant Sharma, the tall and lanky Indian bowler. This would be Sharma's big opportunity to impress the selectors, who were sitting on the balcony, along with Borde, their Manager for the tour.There seemed to be a lot of joviality in the Indian camp as everyone was smiling and they seemed to be enjoying themselves, which is a far cry from the glum images in the West Indies a few months ago.

I made my way to a seat in the stand behind the wicket which gave a perfect view of the action. There was a lot of chirpiness amongst the Indians as Sachin directed the show from the slips and he seemed to be enjoying the captaincy as he was very active, with constant field changes. Andrew Strauss was at the crease, and the pressure was on him to perform after his failure in the first innings. He played some good strokes and had a few lucky edges go past the slips but generally impressed with his stroke play as he hit form in time for the first Test at Lords. Shreesanth was a bundle of energy as usual and a few words were exchanged as he tried to ruffle Strauss and it was a sign of things to come in the Tests. Strauss was joined by Owais Shah after the fall of the first wicket and the two continued to play well on this flat batting surface.

During the lunch break I took a tour around the ground and was surprised to bump into Harsha Bhogle, a journalist that I admire immensely. It was good to have a chat with him and learn that he is every bit as nice as he seems on screen. Ravi Shastri had also resumed his commentary duties as he took time out to sit in the sun.

The post lunch session saw the Lions continue to score well and although the Indian balling was accurate, there was no movement or real pace to cause any problems.The seamers all seemed very similar on this flat track and spin will play a big part in the forthcoming Tests to add variation to the attack. Ramesh Pawar made the breakthrough after he gave the ball more air and flighted his delivery. The fielding was disappointing even for a warm up match with good fielders like Yuvraj and Shreesanth making embarrassing blunders. This is an area that they really need to get a lot sharper as it was disappointing to see the lack of effort made.

The clouds loomed and tea was taken early but thankfully there was not a downpour as in other parts of the country and play resumed without any time lost. The Lions declared with twenty overs for the Indians to get some batting practice. All eyes were on Jaffer as he has much to prove but Karthick took most of the balling and played some brilliant shots all round the ground. He looks in excellent form and could have a really good tour if this display was anything to go by. Jaffer played some good shots at the other end and may have cemented his spot for the first Test. It was interesting to see Yuvraj come in instead Laxman at the fall of Karthicks wicket as they may be competing for a batting place in the Test side.

The matched predictably petered out into a draw, where both teams had some good match practice. The Lions succeeded in getting Strauss a well needed knock and Stuart Broad impressed with his five wicket haul which could see him make his debut at Lords on Thursday after Harmison is ruled out through injury. The Indians still have a few decisions to make, Jaffer is likely to open and RP Singh should be in but they have a dilemma on which batsman to drop and it is likely to be between Laxman and Yuvraj. Laxman would get my vote for the first Test as he has proven Test ability compared to Yuvraj who has yet to really establish himself.

It is all set fair for the opening Test on Thursday for the real action to begin and I am counting the days to what should be a very interesting match and series.

Stand up and be counted VVS Laxman

This is a very important tour for VVS Laxman, who has been in and out of the Indian line up for most of his career. He always seems to be the fall guy that misses out. He is undoubtedly a batsman of great class and elegance, and his cuts and glances seem like a work of art on the cricket pitch when in full flow. He even has a walk of a great player. It is a delight to watch an artist at work at a time when aggression and brut force plays such a big role.

He will always be remembered for his majestic innings of 281 against Australia in 2001 in Kolkota, in one of the most remarkable fight backs in Test history. He seems to like the Australians and has a very good record against them, which is not something many batsmen can boast about. He has the game to do well against most opponents in most conditions but has lacked consistency to really be regarded as a great. He is of course in the company of star batsmen in the Indian line up and has not had the opportunity to shine on many occasions, especially when batting at no 6, when the bulk of the runs have either been scored or he is left with the tail enders.

His confidence cannot have been helped when he is constantly left out of the team. It was interesting to note that when faith was shown in him by Saurav Ganguly and he was moved up the order in that 2001 series, he produced the goods. A lot of the game is played in the mind and having any form of fragility in that area can hinder your game. He has handled his omissions well on the surface, apart from being left out of the 2003 World Cup. That really hurt and his form following that was great, showing that he had the fighting qualities to push his way back into the team. His poor fielding has counted against him in the one day arena, whereas in Tests, he is an excellent slip catcher, having taken many outstanding catches.

He has the potential to do really well in England, having played here before and his classical wristy shots will go well with the scenery. He has had a good warm up game against Sussex, scoring 95 on his first knock on the tour. He is likely to be fighting for a place with the dashing Yuvraj Singh, who is showing signs of recovering his good form. All the batsman are looking very good and India will have some difficult decisions to make if that continues throughout the tour.

It is time for the 'very very special' Laxman to stand up and be counted and grace us with his artistry and elegance on the field. We are in a for a treat if he hits form as there are not much better sights than Laxman in full flow.

Sun, sand and cricket

The sun was out this weekend for a change and I managed to escape the city and head towards the south of England to catch some of that sun, sand and sea at sunny Bournemouth. It was my first time there and it must rank as one of the best seaside resorts in the country. There was some beach football being played but no sign of beach cricket.

I managed to catch very brief news of the one day decider between England and the Windies at Trent Bridge and it seemed like that the rejuvenated Windies were putting in another strong display at the tail end of their tour. I could sense at the half way mark that England would loose as they still have a long way to go in this form of the game. The Windies always looked like a good one day side as they seem to be able to concentrate and focus better for the shorter versions of the game. They loose interest for the longer version resulting in inconsistent performances. If they can improve on this, they have the makings of a good side.

The Indian team were playing a warm up match against Sussex, another coastal county not too far away from me. They must be glad to escape the cold and damp of Ireland and Scotland to the slightly warmer climate in England.It looked like the Indians were continuing their good batting form and were getting some valuable match practice ahead of the Test series.

I visited the lovely Rosebowl, home of Hampshire cricket the next day, with the sun continuing to shine. It is a very scenic and impressive ground and has great views of the cricket all round the ground. Hampshire were playing Warwickshire in a County Championship match. As I walked around the ground, I could not miss the the sound of a certain Shane Warne, chirping away,with some of that famous aussie sledging, willing his side on. He has made a big impact on the team and has not lost any of his enthusiasm and energy. He was certainly a very active captain on the field, with constant field and bowling changes and was first out on the field after the breaks eager to resume. Warwickshire put on a solid batting display and were well on their way to a big total at the end of play.

I caught some of the action from the men's final at Wimbledon between Ferderer and Nadal on one of the screens inside, in what proved to be a classic five set final. It was a shame that someone had to loose as both were worthy winners and Federer's reaction at the end showed just how much winning for a straight fifth time meant to him.

I made my way back to the city in the evening, just as the clouds started getting darker and spots of rain started to fall. Well it would not be England without the rain but for once it had not interrupted the sporting action around the country. I could still smell that fresh sea air as I headed back to the metropolis.

Bhangra dancing in the rain

The rain continues to play havoc on the sporting calendar with no end in sight. The much awaited clash between arch rivals India and Pakistan was washed out completely in Glasgow. The small hardy crowd had come eager with their flags, blow horns and dhols to see some action but were left to amuse themselves by playing the dhols and breaking into some bhangra dancing. There was no doubt some good old Asian food at hand to keep their hunger at bay.

These contests are usually full of good humoured banter between the rival fans and there is as much action off the pitch as on it. Many come to watch with families and groups of friends and many friendships are made on the day as stories and food are shared. It is a time that the British Asians can publicly demonstrate support for their team and feel proud of them. Many do not even follow the game but they want to be there to support their fellow countrymen. The noise levels at these matches is always a few decibels higher than any other with the characteristic horns and dhol beats accompanying every scoring stroke. There is over exuberance at times leading to scuffles and unruly behaviour, but fortunately it is in the minority.

I was lucky enough to follow the team around the country in 2002, when they last toured, and it was like a travelling circus with a party atmosphere at every ground.The weather was great and the team were in fine form giving their fans much to cheer about. I had my claim to fame as I seemed to be caught on camera a few times and virtually all my friends and family saw me on television in all parts of the world. I think I was doing a bhangra dance, celebrating a four on one memorable occasion captured on camera. I made many friends along the way and was lucky enough to meet my hero Saurav many times. I had met him in 2000 during his County stint at Lancashire and had been in touch since on his visits to England. He was a thoroughly down to earth person, very generous and considerate and above all had a passion and hunger to play for his country, which is still evident today.

I hope that this forthcoming series is as good as the last one. I think that it could be even better on the field as both teams are hitting form and are well matched. It will probably be the last time we see the greats Sachin, Saurav, Rahul and Anil in England, where they have enjoyed much success. The fans are raring to go to watch the mouth watering encounter and if the rain does stop play on the field, there will no doubt be some bhangra dancing and singing off it.

Play in between the rain breaks

The relentless rainfall in the middle of summer is playing havoc with all the summer sports. It is a case of snatching some play in between the showers.

Wimbledon has been really hit with virtually no play on Saturday, so there is a big backlog building up for this week with back to back matches for many players. It is hard to build momentum with the continual stop starts and some players handle the delays better than others. It seems like the favourites in the both the mens and womens draw, Federrer and Henin respectively, are well on course but one feels that an upset or two is just what is needed, if we manage to get any play that is.

The cricket has fared slightly better with both the Twenty20 matches and ODI between England and West Indies completed. The Twenty20 matches were a great spectacle and lived up to their billing for fast paced entertainment. The Windies showed much better form, winning the first, with England learning some lessons and coming back to win the second one. The attraction for this form of the game is growing and the 50 overs format is going to have to do some major tinkering and not just minor adjustments that were announced by the ICC, if it is not to be overtaken.

It was quite a miracle to get the ODI match at Lords underway after all the heavy rainfall the previous days and that is thanks to the new drainage system at the ground. The conditions were loaded in favour of the bowlers, for a change, with overcast conditions and England posted a reasonable total. England had talked of stepping up the pace and using the power plays but that was not in evidence as they started slowly. I missed most of the match as I went to a wedding and by the time I caught up with the score, whilst driving past the ground, it was nearly all over with another batting collapse by the Windies. That was a shame as I was tempted to sneak in to Lords to watch the final few overs. Just when it looked like the Windies were competing, they showed the fragility that has dogged them for the tour. Englands bowlers have improved greatly, judging by the low numbers in the extra column. It seems that Alan Donald is having a positive effect and could see his short contract extended.

India completed a 2-1 series victory over South Africa, having won the final truncated match in Belfast. This was no mean feat for them in cold conditions with most of the team being struck down by illness at some stage. It is good preparation for them for the real test that awaits them in England. The batsmen seem to be shaping up well with Sachin Tendulkar showing some good form and Yuvraj coming back from injury. The bowlers have also had a useful work out that will serve them well for the England series, where the conditions will be similar. The team seem to be gelling well and playing for each other, in the absence of a coach, with the seniors playing a leading role, which is good to see. They have the big match against rivals Pakistan tomorrow, rain permitting,before departing for England.

It is all set up nicely for the much awaited series between England and India. Let us hope that the monsoon like weather relents and we have a cracking series.