Nagpur Notes (1)
By Bagpuss
March 23 2006
Ian Blackwell and our own correrspondent - the mighty "Bagpuss" arrive for the first test in India...Day 1 and 2 here...day 3 to 5 to follow.
Here I am in the middle of, not exactly nowhere, but somewhere. India to be precise. Think of India as roughly diamond shaped. Stick a pin in the middle and you wont be too far from downtown Nagpur. Nagpur is the winter capital of the state of Maharashtra and a little background information can be found on nagpuronline.com. There are three seasons – monsoon sets in in June but “the best time to enjoy rain in Nagpur is the end of July and the first two weeks in August”. Summer temperatures can reach the high 40s. November to the end of January is the midwinter when temperatures fall to 15 degrees and winter clothing is a must! Now is the start of summer though and the temperatures are in the high 30s.
The Vidaibha Cricket Association ground is apparently Sachin Tendulkar’s 3rd best – he has scored 3 centuries here (hopefully this is not a statistic that will need changing on the nagpuronline site in the next few days) The pitch was relaid in 1999 with an extra deep (30” rather than 15”) layer of brick beneath that, in theory, produces extra bounce. Certainly in the last domestic season several matches lasted less than three full days with the medium pacers doing pretty well out of the conditions. As for Tests, there have been three recently – in 2002 India beat Zimbabwe, then in October 2004 the then Indian captain Sourav Ganguly had a bit of a thigh strain/hissy fit and stormed out before the start of the game against Australia. Allegedly his problem was the somewhat verdant nature of the pitch. Minus one aforementioned captain the home team went down by a record 342 runs. So maybe he had a point. A year later a more traditional Indian wicket was on offer to the touring Sri Lankans and the home side duly won by 152 runs. Hmmm. Wonder what the groundsman will have in store for England then!
Nagpur is also India’s second greenest and beautiful city. Not much green in evidence on first site of the Test pitch a couple of days before the game, though the outfield looks pretty lush. And not much beauty in the accommodation on offer when I arrive on the train at 7am – a pleasant enough overnight trip from Baroda where I and my England supporter companion held our own selectors meeting to while away the hours. Once the TV crews roll into town everyone elses accommodation gets downgraded a notch or two. Did you know if you type hotel into your mobile phone the predictive text alternative is ‘hovel’?
Home for the next seven days eventually selected so its off to the ground to catch the end of England’s net session. Have missed the main drama – Jones S limping off after breaking down bowling. Find out later from friendly pressman that it is a twisted knee-not the Brisbane one-and he is off for a scan. Not good news, but there is worse. Vaughan has lost his battle for fitness and will be going home. And in two days time we will be singing as Andrew Flintoff’s Barmy Army.
FIRST TEST – INDIA v ENGLAND 1 – 5 MARCH 2006
VCA GROUND, NAGPUR
DAY 1
9.30 start? 10.00 start ? Not even the producer of TMS knew for sure the day before the match so early to the ground. At 9.30 the England supporters, numbering close on 500, cheer as Andrew Flintoff wins the toss and chooses to bat first. A little later the three England debutants – Cook, Blackwell and Panesar, receive there Test caps in front of the pavilion (and I missed the photo opportunity – bugger!). Rather hoping to see no more of a couple of these for the rest of the day.
Left armer Pathan opens with a maiden. Cook gets a boundary to settle the nerves off Sreesanth’s first then Strauss takes 14 off Pathan’s second over. England are on their way and making merry as the runs come at about five an over as England reach 46-0 off 9. Brakes are applied in the form of Harbhajan replacing Sreesanth at the Jaika end. His first over is safely negotiated with a Strauss swept single and Strauss sweeps again in his second over to bring up 50. At drinks England are 55-0 with Strauss 29 and Cook 21. Batting in India? No problem mate.
Following drinks Sreesanth comes on from the Church end, replacing Pathan. In his second over he snares Strauss, playing a flashy shot to a wide ball that bounced a little more than expected, the top edge goes sharply to Laxman at slip who holds the catch. Strauss gone for 29, England 56-1 in the 17th and a promising opening partnership comes to a sudden halt.
Bell joins Cook. The scoring rate drops to around three an over and trial by spin is increased when Kumble comes on at the other end replacing Sreesanth in the 23rd. Just over ten minutes to go until lunch – if England can go in just one down then consider the first session theirs. In the end it is honours even when Harbajan finds the edge of Bell’s bat and the catch is taken by Dravid. 81-2 in the 26th becomes 89-2 off 29 at lunch, with the cool-as-you-like Cook on 44 and Pietersen 1.
Harbhajan and Kumble continue after lunch and England pass 100. Cook seems to have been on 49 for a while but eventually gets the single off Harbhajan to reach 50 on debut (113 balls; 6x4). The celebration is fairly muted he obviously realises much more is needed today. Sreesanth replaces Kumble in the 39th over, who switches to the Jaika end for the 40th. First ball of Sreesanth’s second over is edged by Pietersen. Did it carry to Laxman at second slip? The fielder’s attitude seems to say yes. But Pietersen is unable to capitalize on the probable let off when he is bowled a few balls later in the over. KP gone for just 15 England look a little shaky on 110-3 in the 41st over. Time for Collingwood to prove he is more than the recently announced seventh sexiest ginger man in the world named Paul. For all the talk (in the Indian press at least) of England’s perceived weakness against spin it is Sreesanth who looks most likely to get wickets. So obviously Dravid replaces him with Pathan in the 47th.
Drinks are taken with England 133-3 off 50. Cook is on 59 and Collingwood breezing along on 13. The curse of the post-drinks over strikes and Cook is the victim, bowled by Pathan for 60. It has been a good innings and he is applauded off by the England supporters. But boy could England have done with him staying just a little longer. 136-4 in the 51st over and in comes the England captain. He seems determined to get himself in before playing too many shots. Sreesanth and Harbajan replace Pathan and Kumble but the pair survive to tea and 157-4 off 59, Collingwood 22 and Flintoff 11.
Harbajan and Sreesanth continue after tea. Flintoff equals and then passes his previous highest total of the tour – just 20 – but too early to suggest captaincy is having a positive effect on his batting. He is certainly starting to play a few more shots and Collingwood gets into the spirit of the occasion with a few boundaries of his own. Kumble replaces Sreesanth so it is spin from both ends. Then Tendulkar bowls a couple of overs – surely a sign that India are searching in vain for a plan B? In the end though it is plan A – spin, spin and more spin – that does for Flintoff though maybe he was victim of a bit of an umpiring howler when given lbw to Kumble – bit leg side that one so the replays suggest. Out for 43 England now 203-5. My 362 all out in the sweepstake looks a long way away (should we really be betting on Indian soil? Will I have to be exiled from further tours like Gibbs and Boje?).
Pathan comes on from the Jaika end in the 82nd but this is still the old ball. Never mind, the last ball of the over does the job and Jones is on his way. There was a great deal of wood involved but the ball brushed pad first – a good and brave decision by umpire Aleem Dar. Time for the second debutant of the day as Blackwell joins Collingwood – a few moments to find out how things are going out in the middle first as there is an impromptu drinks break. Collingwood takes a single to put Blackwell on strike to Kumble. Big shout for the edged catch first ball – not out – then two runs square on the off side and he’s away. Collingwood reaches his 50 in a bit of a rush, first a driven 4 then the same shot but lofted to wide mid on for 6 off Kumble in the 85th. Not long to go till close but Blackwell doesn’t survive to resume in the morning as he has a bit of a swipe across the line of left armer Pathan and loses his off bail (this time I did get the photo maybe not one for the scrapbook though). Out for just 4 and England are 243-7. Hoggard arrives unphased by his demotion from top-scoring number 3 back to lowly 9 and accompanies Collingwood to close of play. A little artistic licence by Collingwood in particular ensures England have faced no more than the regulation 90 overs today and overnight they are 246-7 off 90, Collingwood 53 and Hoggard yet to score.
I guess it could have been worse. But it could have been oh so much better. Spin to pace ratio is 53:35 overs but the pace bowlers have 5 of the seven wickets to fall. Hopefully Englands supposedly superior pace attack can improve on this when they get to bowl. Which will probably be fairly early on tomorrow.
We have a two inch cockroach in our bathroom. In an attempt to befriend any native of this country, regardless of background and class, we have named him Sachin. This should not be seen as blasphemous – it merely reflects the fact that like his more famous (and only slightly smaller) namesake he only feels it is safe to come out late at night when there is no-one around to hassle him. Sachin the Batsman has the financial security to lead a privileged lifestyle but is only able to drive his Lamborghini around the streets of hometown Mumbai in the wee small hours. Sachin the Cockroach feels so comfortable in our company now he brings his wife and all the little roachlets out to play around the shower. Sachin the Cockroach has a first class batting average of 12.91. Sachin the Batsman’s is a little more than this . . .
FIRST TEST – INDIA v ENGLAND 1 – 5 MARCH 2006
VCA GROUND, NAGPUR
DAY 2
England start the day hoping that Collingwood can pull them out of the mire with a little help from the waggy bit of the batting line up. India don’t seem keen to try to force the issue preferring to continue with the old ball, Pathan and Kumble. Hoggard sweeps behind square to bring up the 250 in the second over of the day. It is another seven overs and the score has moved on to 263-7 before Dravid decides that for all this talk of spin something different is called for and the new ball is taken. Pathan continues from the Church end and Sreesanth replaces Kumble at the Jaika end. Immediate success as Sreesanth bowls Hoggard in the 100th over, his first with the new ball. Hoggard has made 11, England are 267-8 and a score of 300 or so looks about the best that England can do from here.
Harmison starts with a smorgasbord of careful forward defensive play and airy swishes. A top edged pull when he is on 5 falls short of a fairly torpid long leg fielder. With the new ball only four overs old Dravid goes back to plan A - spin ‘em out. Kumble is back on for Pathan. Harmison sweeps his first ball to fine leg for 4. The shot is repeated two balls later but this time Sreesanth cuts it off – just a 2. Dravid moves a man to leg slip to cut off this line of attack and cool as you like the next ball is placed between the new man and short square leg for another single and Harmison is on strike for the new Sreesanth over. An extra cover drive goes for 4, then another boundary square on the off side and a third pulled to square leg. A single off the last ball of the next over and Harmison has the strike again. Hang on a minute isn’t Harmison meant to be supporting Collingwood en route to a hundred here?
Harbajan replaces Sreesanth. His first ball is treated to the Harmison attempt at a reverse sweep-not a pretty sight but he gets away with it and rightly this shot is consigned to the charity bin never to be seen again. Another boundary comes from a ball neatly guided wide of slip. In the 110th over Collingwood hits Harbajan back over his head for 6 to bring up the 50 partnership but it is Harmison who has outscored his Durham colleague by 2 to1. Two overs later Harmison straight drives Harbajan for 4 He has surpassed his previous highest test score but success gets the better of him as he comes down the wicket to Harbajan, misses, and Dhoni gratefully makes the stumping. As Harmison departs for 39 Harbajan blows him a kiss. Collingwood’s own salute to the back of the departing Harmison was not seen but he cannot have been pleased to have been left with just Monty Panesar to stick around with him whilst he accumulates another 20 runs to reach is maiden Test hundred.
To great cheers Panesar not only survives his first ball but manages to get the single to put Collingwood back on strike. In 2001 I watched Craig White get his maiden (and likely to be only) Test hundred in Ahmedabad. From 80-odd he painstakingly added singles, protecting his fellow tail ender (Hoggard I think) until the magic three figures was reached. Collingwood is a little less patient today. Panesar is on the ball at least at the non-strikers end and careful placement combined with good running means there are several twos to be scored. Collingwood hits Harbajan back over his head for 6 to bring up the England 350. Then the 3 he needs for his 100. At lunch England are 360-9, Collingwood 109 and Panesar, who has faced 15 balls, still on just the single. Oh and India has a slip fielder out there who has just lost me a few rupees by not snaffling a difficult chance off Collingwood in the final over by Sreesanth. My sweepstake total of 362 looked wildly optimistic at breakfast. Three more runs added after lunch and I’m out of the game. Oh well . . .
After lunch Collingwood goes on the attack and Panesar, ducking and diving to the best of his ability adds a few to his own total before Sreesanth finally gets one straight and through the defences. Panesar is out for 9 in a last wicket partnership of 66, with Collingwood undefeated on 134. England are just seven short of the magic 400. The last three wickets have added 150 of these. I make a mental note to raise doubts about other members of the England team in the knowledge that this will bring about instant success on aforementioned player’s part (those of you who read my Pakistan reports will know what I’m on about!)
The ten minute break then England take the field. Of an estimated 400-500 England supporters a group of about 40 of us manage by hook or by crook to get into the cheap seats in the top corner of the stand at the Church end. A little singing encouragement is needed. Only problem is that our presence results in a general migration of the home fans until we are completely surrounded – never doubt the ability of an Indian cricket fan to spot an opportunity for an appearance on TV, however fleeting. Hoggard is bowling from the Jaika end, Harmison the Church end. Hoggard’s second over sees Sehwag driving to a close-ish extra cover where Pietersen takes the catch like he’s been doing it all his life. Well bowled, well caught and well done the captain for the field placing. Sehwag out for just 2 and India 11-1. They have moved on to 22-1 at drinks, Jaffer settling well for someone just back in the side on 17, Dravid on 2. How England would like to see the back of the Indian captain. Harmison has proved wayward so Flintoff replaces him immediately after drinks. Dravid seems discomforted but Flintoff cant quite get the ball that straightens for the lbw.
After what in Indian terms would be an eternity but is in fact just 14 overs Flintoff decides to see what the twirly stuff will do and brings on Panesar for Hoggard. There are ten or so minutes to go until tea so he should get a couple of overs. His fifth ball turns so far out of the rough it is probably Strauss at leg slip rather than Jones who should have the resulting four byes marked down against him. With the last ball of the over there is an lbw shout. Close. Adjacent even. The television commentators reckon if Warne has hit the guy there he’d have been given out. Who knows. But it is a good first over, a maiden. And there is an even louder shout for Jaffer lbw the first ball of his next over. Again not given. A couple of balls later England think they may have their man but it is the third umpire who has to make the decision this time as Jaffer hits the ball to Bell at silly point via his boot. Unfortunately replays show there was a bit of ground contact too. Jaffer survives.
Tea. India 41-1 off 17, Jaffer 28 and Dravid 5. India must be wondering where the script went awry at this stage.
After tea Harmison gets his second spell from the Church end whilst Panesar continues the good work at the other end. A maiden by each is followed by Harmison house of horrors as he goes for four byes in the 20th. Twice. No chance for the keeper but there is another chance for Harmison. Two, in fact, as he gets two more overs before Flintoff decides something needs to be done and he brings himself on for Harmison in the 24th. He isn’t without fault though when the ball goes down the leg side at least the diving Jones could look up and see the umpire signal the extras as four wides. At drinks India have moved on to 82-1 off 28. Jaffer has got over his shaky start against Panesar and moved on to 45 whilst Dravid is happy to take the back seat with 15. Panesar and Flintoff continue after drinks; the ball is about 30 overs old and Flintoff is getting some reverse swing by the looks of things. The last ball of the 33rd over is steered fine on the leg side for 4 to bring up Jaffer’s 50 (121 balls, 10x4). Hoggard replaces Panesar in the 35th and even he’s getting it to reverse a bit. Dravid has been finding things easy of late but Hoggard hustles him and it’s a good over – a maiden.
It is a double change as Blackwell replaces Flintoff at the Church end. An on drive for 4 brings up India’s 100 and Blackwell’s first over has gone for 5.
An extra drinks break follows giving Pietersen and drinks-carrier Plunkett the opportunity to swap tips on bhangra dancing to the deafening music played over the speaker system. After drinks its another 5 runs off Blackwell’s second followed by another Hoggard maiden. Blackwell maybe bowling a little short and has the daunting sight of Dravid coming down the wicket as his third over goes for 6. Just two singles off his fourth though that is all he will get today as Panesar replaces him with just five overs of scheduled play remaining. It is another double change as Harmison replaces Hoggard at the Jaika end – a change is as good as a rest and Harmison produced probably his best over of the innings form the new end – a maiden and all on target. But he wont get a chance to try again tonight – the clouds have arrived, the light is gloomy and if I’m not mistaken there is rain in the air. The umpires offer the light with just two overs remaining and the Indian batters are off.
Close of play 136-1 off 48, Jaffer 73 and Dravid 40. Definitely India’s session and overall they will probably be the happier team overnight.
This may be the beginning of India’s summer. Nagpuronline may say the best time to enjoy (???!) rain in Nagpur is the end of July to mid August. But never underestimate the tendency of a travelling England cricket team to induce rain in even the most drought-ridden areas. Within a couple of hours of close of play the heavens have opened, there is lightning around (but no thunder-perhaps I just cannot hear it over the traffic noise) and I am reminded of the design faults in the auto rickshaw – it is built not for comfort, not for speed and most certainly not for protection from the elements. I arrive back at the hotel with a somewhat soggy saggy-eared one to find a hotel employee evicting Sachin from the bathroom. Rather hope the England bowlers dismiss his namesake as efficiently tomorrow
Indian Railways is the world’s second largest employer. The million or so on its payroll is exceeded, so I believe, only by our own NHS. (Which means more than about one in fifty of the entire UK population must work for the NHS. Is that right? Sounds an awful lot to me).
Anyone who considers themselves to have even slight anorak tendencies should get themselves to India and buy a copy of Trains at a Glance. For just 35 rupees (about 50p) you get a timetable for all the major trains running across India. After a half hour or so of gently orientating yourself you will be able to work out how to get from almost any city in the country to almost any other, you will know the name and number of the rain, the stations you will stop at en route and how long you will be there (so you can plan your chai breaks. You will know what classes of travel are available on that particular train. You will even know the number of kilometers you will cover, which means, as the fares are calculated on most trains proportionate to the distance, you can work out how much your ticket will cost. At the station booking office in Nagpur there is a machine you can type in your train number, date of travel, departure and destination stations and it will tell you the number of available berths in each class. Collect a booking form, fill it in, get it stamped with a number and just like the deli counter at Tesco’s you will be called in turn to a counter where you hand over your forms and a few moments later you get your tickets.
Today I booked five people on six different trains over five different dates and for journeys from Chandigarh via Delhi to Agra then on to Mumbai. It took me about fifteen minutes. I was able to work out exactly what trains I needed before I even got to the station, choose the best routes and work out roughly how much cash I needed to get from the ATM to pay for this. About 200 quid or its rupee equivalent. Or forty pounds per person to cover about seventeen hundred kilometers in air conditioned spacious sleeper berths. In the UK I would have phoned a call centre (based somewhere near Bangalore) to speak to someone who had never heard of Scotland and who would tell me if I wanted to travel from Huddersfield to Warrington I would have to go via Leicester and it would cost me 70 pounds. Or double if I wanted to arrive before 9.30. The British built most of the railway network here in India, and now the organization knocks the home equivalent into a cocked hat. Not so the organization of the tour schedule by the BCCI. The time it will take to travel from the fourth ODI in Cochin to the fifth ODI in Guwahati using the train? 66 hours. Estimated time between final ball of fourth ODI and first ball of fifth ODI? 63 hours!
FIRST TEST – INDIA v ENGLAND 1 – 5 MARCH 2006
VCA GROUND, NAGPUR
DAY 3
After my pleasant and successful interlude at the station booking office it was back to planet frustration as I attempt to make contact with the outside world. More strictly speaking, it is my computer trying to make the contact. We are at what is supposed to be the best hotel in town. OK admittedly I am not a resident there but several of the Barmy Army tour group are and one has kindly agreed to introduce me as his ‘secretary’ who has to send some important business documents back to the UK via the internet. I spend the next hour and a half between the hotel lobby and various other wi-fi hotspots suggested by hotel reception. My computer tells me the signal is good but try to get onto any web page and I am told it doesn’t exist. My patience lasts only fractionally less time than my laptop battery. It is nearly eleven and I have no idea what is going on at the ground. No point in going there – I will never be allowed in with a computer – so I amble up to the Zinq bar. They are still closed but beckon me in, sit me down with a cold drink and put the match on the big screen for me.
I have missed a storming spell by Matthew Hoggard. Bowling from the Jaika End he dismissed Dravid early in the day. The India captain, like his England counterpart, may feel a little aggrieved at the decision but he has to go and India are 140-2.Dravid did not add to his overnight score of 40. A little later in the spell it is the other contributor to the 100 partnership Jaffer who is on his way when he edges to Flintoff at slip. Hoggard then makes it 2 in 2 when next ball he gets Laxman plumb lbw. 149-4.
Now it is Tendulkar, who’s recent test record is a little flaky, and Mohammed Kaif, called into the team as replacement for injured Yuvraj Singh. Both are playing themselves in and both seem to be succeeding when Panesar gets the dream first Test wicket. Tendulkar lbw Panesar for 16. Sachin the batsman doesn’t look too happy with the decision but Aleem Dar has got it right. As with Jones on day 1 the slow mo replays clearly show the ball contacting pad first then bat. 176-5 in the 69th. Panesar nearly makes it two in the over when India’s new ascendant star, the wicketkeeper Dhoni, offers a sharp chance to Bell at short leg. No discredit to Bell, he had no time to react and it was one of those that either sticks or it doesn’t. It didn’t. Never mind, it will not prove a costly miss as Flintoff brings himself on to bowl. He gets hit for 4 to long on but two balls later gets a thickish edge to the keeper. Dhoni gone for 5. I’m not at the ground so can only imagine the exodus of home side supporters with Tendulkar and now Dhoni back in the pavilion. Pathan joins Kaif and they take the score on from 283 to 190-6 off 74 overs at lunch. Kaif has 18, Pathan just 2 and India are still 4 runs short of avoiding the follow on – a technicality maybe as cannot imagine it would be enforced, but psychologically important.
After lunch Hoggard and Flintoff resume. In his second post-lunch over Hoggard gets his fifth wicket – Pathan edges and is caught by the captain. 190-7. Any hopes England may have had of a first innings lead close to the 200 mark is then dashed by Kaif and Kumble. The new ball is taken after 92 overs – immediately after the drinks interval. Kaif reaches his 50 in the 98th over and the pair bat through until tea when the score is 252-7 off 99. Kaif is on 61 and Kumble looks solid enough on 19.
After tea Panesar is brought on in the 101st over with the new ball just 9 overs old. Three overs later it is spin at both ends as Blackwell comes on at the Church end. He gets just three overs before he is replaced by Harmison. The crowd is distracted somewhat by the goings on high up on top of the stand at the Church end. Yes, it is 3.40pm on day 3 of the match. And they have just finished assembling the electronic scoreboard/replay screen! No scores as yet though, just a fairly jumbled picture of pink flowers! Lovely.
Harmison makes no inroads and is replaced by Flintoff in the 116th over, after drinks. The Kumble gets his 50 and the 100 partnership is posted both in the 122nd over. Soon after India reach 300. India may have put 110 runs since lunch but this has taken them about 50 overs. The bowling is tight and Panesar in particular has done a cool job putting in the maidens to keep some pressure on. He switches ends as Hoggard comes back on at the Jaika end, soon to be replaced by Harmison, who so far has done most of his bowling up at the Church end. The change of ends does the trick and with just four overs remaining in the day Harmison gets one to leave Kumble, takes the edge and Flintoff is waiting for the catch. 318-8. Harbhajan joins Kaif. With only the Turbanator and the rookie Sreesanth left to back him up Kaif goes on the attack. Panesar takes advantage and on the stroke of 5.30 bowls him. This proves to be the last ball of the day. Two overs have been lost to the ICC ruling that play cannot continue for more than half an hour beyond the scheduled close of play. England will have to wait until the morning to polish off the final wicket.
AND AT THIS POINT SHE LOST CONTACT AND MOVED ON WHILE WE DREW THE TEST!