of both victory and defeat.
Only England could manage to have a player not match but surpass a sublime ton by the little maestro Tendulkar and still not win.
And it’s all down to the “one short” right at the end of the Indian innings. If the ump hadn’t called that how would what was a cruise for England have turned out, with 2 required for the tie and 3 for the win off the final ball?
Well if a certain useless Burnley Bumpkin hadn’t surpassed his own ineptitude from the previous game against the Dutch – where he went for 72 off his ten overs – when nearly reaching his own ton – 91 from one ball shy of his full quota – here then it wouldn’t have been so tight. Hell if he’d only gone for the 7.2 per over it would have been a win with overs to spare. Ah but he could have got Sehwag out 3 times in the first over, could have but didn’t and then proceeded to bowl as per usual to put up the second worst return by an England player in a ODI. No surprise that he’s second in the last just behind that other great feckless waster Harmison.
No doubt he’ll be in for the next game and we’ll be told this was just a blip, when in reality the amount of times it happens this is the norm, the good stuff is the blip.
It would also have helped if Bell didn’t bottle it, again as per usual. He gets runs after someone has got a good start and getting a ton. Once again we’re told he’s in the form of his life and once again he ain’t there to finish it off. When the game needs finishing he’s leaving it to others.
Just a shame Bresnan, Swann and Shazad couldn’t add to their six hits. That first baller from Shazad was a cracker. Well the Yorkies did their part in nearly getting there what with Bresnan’s excellent five wicket haul for less than 5 an over.
And you can’t blame Strauss, yes he got out the ball after Bell, so didn’t see it through but he was dismissed by a good delivery and his more than a run a ball 158 was a brilliant knock. Him, Tendulkar and Trott in the beginning of his ODI career have shown that you can really succeed playing proper cricket, don’t get frantic and try and smack the cover off every ball.
Get Broad back, learn from the history of the Twenty20 success and bin Anderson and England might have a chance here.