England's latest self-destruction confirms fall from grace

Photograph from Wikipedia Commons

England's lower order inevitably folded amidst a flurry of feeble shots parallel to those played by their more heralded team-mates yesterday. The biggest worry for Andy Flower, Alastair Cook and the beleaguered batting line-up is that they can't put together an acceptable innings on pitches flatter than the Dutch landscape, and against an Australian side who hadn't won a Test in nine before this series.

The shot that Cook played yesterday morning set the tone for a disappointing effort at batting for two days, but it was the way they subsided to a successive first innings collapse that will worry Englishmen the most. 

Why England can still retain the Ashes despite their deficiencies

Photograph from Flickr

England took a battering from a bunch of fired up Australians over the weekend and have a mountain to climb if they are to regroup and retain the Ashes, especially after the loss of top order mainstay Jonathan Trott. Harsh words were sent in England's direction from both on and off the pitch and it could be these that spur Alastair Cook's men back into action. 

Anyone who thinks that England are going to be thrashed in this series are deluded, but it is certain that they are going to have to work hard to keep hold of the precious urn.

India v England 1st Test day five as it happened

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India win by nine wickets

That is all from me, a disappointing end to a disappointing match for England, but well played to the Indians who fully deserved their comprehensive victory.

Some poor shots earlier in the day were the main reason why today was such a short-lived one for England. All is not lost as they have three more matches to prove their worth, but there will need to be some changes before the next match, both in the line-up and their mentality.

Samit Patel will be sweating on his place for the next match. He scored a total of 10 runs in two innings and finished with match bowling figures of 1-120 in 36 overs. Ouch.

Another very poor day from England, but in all truth it was the performances of their top order bar Cook that lost them this game, as well as the failure to play Monty Panesar on a pitch that offered nothing for the seamers.

0724: 80-1
After a couple of dot balls Kohli hits Swann down the ground for four and it is all over in Ahmedabad. Kohli (14) and Pujara (41) the not out men.

0722: 76-1 (1 to win)
Anderson almost pulls off a great catch at short extra cover but Kohli then plays a magnificent straight drive for four. He then collects a single to leave India needing just one and then changes his bat! Surely the last couple of balls up next...

0720: 71-1 (6 to win)
Pujara keeps his hopes of a 50 alive with a four through mid-wicket off the first ball of the over. India just one blow away from victory now...

0717: 67-1 (10 to win)
Pujara picks up a single as England just about continue to hang on.

0714: 66-1 (11 to win)
England prolong the agony as Swann bowls the first maiden over of the innings, but with Patel up next we could be about to see the last over of the match...

0712: 66-1 (11 to win)
Virat Kohli is the new man and he creams Patel through the covers for four from just his second ball before picking up a single.

0710: 61-1 (16 to win)
Pujara is on strike for the last ball of the over as the batsmen crossed and he helps himself to yet another four, his seventh.

WICKET: Sehwag c Pietersen b Swann 25
Pujara lets Sehwag have a go as he turns Swann away for a single into the leg-side. He gets a two to move onto 25. He tries to hit Swann for six but it goes miles into the Indian sky and Kevin Pietersen settles himself underneath it and takes a good catch, staying narrowly inside the boundary rope.

0704: 54-0 (23 to win)
Patel rolls them in with no real threat and Pujara gets a single off the last ball. He could get a fifty if he can keep the strike.

0701: 53-0 (24 to win)
Sehwag brings up the 50 partnership from just 44 balls before captain Cook takes a smack on the foot and they run a single. Sehwag gets two more as India continue to cruise to their tiny target.

0658: 49-0 (28 to win)
Much better over that time from Patel as Pujara comfortably sees off the over.

0655: 48-0 (29 to win)
The openers trade singles once again before Sehwag gives Pujara the strike and he is loving this. A bit of a half-volley that from Swann and the 23-year-old hits it past mid-off for four more before he gets another single to keep the strike.

0652: 39-0 (38 to win)
Sehwag will be licking his lips as Patel makes it a twin-spin effort for England. Those lips will be dry soon because the left-armer has just served up the juiciest full-toss you're ever likely to see, even I don't bowl them. Sehwag duly dispatches it into the stands. The opener then takes an easy single as he continues to rotate the strike. The only Englishman enjoying this is Monty Panesar as Patel produces a shocking drag-down and Pujara smashes it to the fence. This run chase might not even last 10 overs at this rate...

0648: 28-0 (49 to win)
Swann continues, England need something extra special from him but Sehwag smashes him through the covers for four and then picks up a single. Pujara continues the fun as he advances at the spinner and hits him for yet another boundary through extra cover. India want this one over in a hurry...

0645: 19-0 (58 to win)
Sehwag cuts for one before Pujara creams Anerson through extra cover for four. He looks like some player this lad...

0641: 14-0 (63 to win)
Sehwag tries to flay Swann through the covers and gets a thick inside edge up to long-on for a single. Pujara then whips the ball airily through mid-wicket for four. The youngster then picks up four more before surviving  an LBW appeal and India are now only 67 runs away...

0637: 5-0 (73 to win)
The players are back out and James Anderson will take the new ball. Sehwag and Pujara trade singles and India are off to a good start. Surely Swann will share the new ball...

So, it is lunch here but the Indian batsmen won't be sweating over their curries. A great session for them and England folded rather pitifully in that session I'm afraid. I'll be back for the run-chase, but it all looks a formality now.

0555: WICKET! Bresnan c sub (Rahane) b Khan. England all-out 406.
Bresnan smashes the ball into the leg-side but doesn't quite time it... caught at cover by the substitute fielder Rahane and India just need 77 to win. It is basically game over but we'll have lunch first.

0551: 406-9 (Lead by 76)
The last man is James Anderson and England are desperate for a Test-best from him now. That current stat stands at 34 for the number 11, even that probably wouldn't be enough. He blocks the first ball easily enough though and it is now 406-9.

0548: WICKET! Swann bowled Ashwin 17
Swann plays a very cheeky reverse-sweep and it trickles away fine for four! Nicely-played that by the England number 10. He then comes down the pitch but his powerfully-hit drive is well stopped by Tendulkar at mid-off. It is one too many though from Swann, he tries to hit a reverse slog-sweep this time and loses his middle stump. Not sure the England dressing room will be too impressed by that shot so close to the lunch break, that partnership was just starting to become of an annoyance to India.

0545: 402-8 (Lead by 72)
Zaheer probes away but Bresnan shows good patience and sees out a maiden over.

0540: 402-8 (Lead by 72)
Dhoni gives Ravichandran Ashwin a bowl as Ojha leaves the attack for the first time today Bresnan pushes a single to deep cover to take England past 400. Even though they probably will go on to lose this game, at least they shown that they can bat on Indian wickets. Swann gets two before surviving a couple of close shaves.

0537: 399-8 (Lead by 69)
Zaheer Khan is back into the attack to start his 26th over of the innings and Swann leaves alone this time out-side the off-stump. The Indian seamer sends down a very kind full-toss on the pads and Swann duly clips it away to the deep-backward square leg boundary for four. I expect the England spinner will be hoping to get some runs here and give himself something to bowl at...

0533: 395-8 (Lead by 65)
Swann looks solid in defence before his misjudges the length of the ball and tries to hoik Ojha out the park and is nearly bowled off his pad. He has connected with that one though! Big slog sweep sails out into the stand for six and Swann then knocks the ball into the leg-side for a single. He always does play his shots...

0530: 388-8 (Lead by 58)
Yadav fires one way down leg and Dhoni can't get across to stop it. The resulting four byes take England's lead to 58.

0526: 384-8 (Lead by 54)
Bresnan picks up a single to take him to 19 before Swann almost gets stuck in no-man's land before jamming his bat down on the ball.

0523: 383-8 (Lead by 53) 
Bresnan survives a huge appeal for LBW by Yadav and he was lucky there, that looked to be crashing into middle. He gets a single and England continue to just about hang on by the skin of their teeth.

0518: 381-8 (Lead by 51)
Bresnan is looking in nice shape here and he times the ball nicely through mid-wicket and they run three to take the lead over 50.

0514: 378-8 (Lead by 48)
New man Graeme Swann sees out the rest of the over. England effectively now 48-8 and it is all but game over now in Ahmedabad.

WICKET! Broad c and b Yadav 3: 
Broad starts the over with a two to third man before Yadav bamboomzles him with one that flies past the edge, but Dhoni lets it through his legs and away for four byes. But next ball Broad gets a leading edge and it is the simplest return chance for the bowler. The end is nigh now for England...

0508: 372-7 (Lead by 42)

Broad gets off the mark with a single into the off-side as England gradually increase their lead.

0504: 371-7 (Lead by 41)
Yadav into the attack now and he is pushed through the gap at cover by Bresnan for a couple as he moves into double figures. The all-rounder then flicks one off his thigh-pad fine to the boundary for four. With runs crucial now these two might start to play a bit more positively.

0500: 365-7 (Lead by 35)
Stuart Broad is in and India have two new men at the crease now. It will take something special from England's tail to get England out of this predicament and Broad and Bresnan will have to do it. He survives an optimistic appeal for a bat-pad and it is 365-7.

WICKET! Cook bowled Ojha 176: Cook's vigil is over, as are England's chances. Ojha gets one to turn back into the left-hander and keep low a little, bowling the opening batsman. He could have got further forward there and it is the end of one of the greatest innings ever by an England skipper.

0454: 365-6 (Lead by 35)
Bresnan is getting a long way across his stumps to Zaheer, and he gets another two through mid-wicket. The Indian left-armer goes over the wicket and almost breaches the right-hander's defences. Almost, but not quite.

0448: 363-6 (Lead by 33)
Ojha drops a bit short and the stocky Yorkshireman Bresnan steers him away for a couple before taking a quick single. He is no mug with the bat, he has three first-class centuries at an average of 27.96, England could do with some runs from him today.

0445: 360-6 (Lead by 30)
India looking to target Bresnan with the slip cordon filled, but he plays his first ball from Khan with soft hands, also to third man for a single. England's captain fantastic steers a run of his own to third man, he now has 176 - the highest ever score by an England batsman while following on in a Test match. Bresnan adds another single, into the leg-side this time and the lead is 30.

0441: 357-6 (Lead by 27)
Tim Bresnan is the new man and he has a big job to do now if England are to get anything from this Test. He gets off the mark by guiding his first ball from Ojha to short third man for a single and his team now lead by 27.

WICKET: Prior c and b Ojha 91: Prior goes! His stoic resistance is ended when the ball appears to just stick in the pitch and he mis-times a back-foot drive which results in a tame return catch for Ojha. You don't drop those. Massive wicket, England in deeper trouble now, effectively 26-6...

0434: 356-5 (Lead by 26)
Cook doesn't look sure whether to leave or defend and it results with the ball passing the bat perilously close to the off-stump. Some poor glove-work from Dhoni gifts England two byes before Zaheer drifts onto the pads of Cook who guides it away down to the vacant fine-leg position for four.

0430: 350-5 (Lead by 20)
Cook picks up another single before Prior shows Ojha the full face of his bat for the rest of the over.

0426: 349-5 (Lead by 19)
Zaheer continues to be unerringly accurate and Cook brings up the 150 partnership with a clip into the leg-side. They're doing well here the tourists.

0423: 348-5 (Lead by 18)
Ojha whistles through another maiden thanks to some good work at mid-off by Sachin Tendulkar, much to the delight of the crowd.

0420: 348-5 (Lead by 18)
Good running by the pair earn Cook his first run of the day before Prior gets one of his own. The last ball strikers Cook on the pads, but is clearly slipping down the leg-side.

0415: Ojha continues with his left-arm spin and sends one past Prior's defensive lunge in an otherwise uneventful maiden over.

0413: Prior faces Khan for the first time and he gets it just where he likes it; it is wide outside off stump and the wicket keeper-batsman flays it away for four. Zaheer comes back well and pushes one across the Englishman and past his out-side edge. Prior ends the over with a single to move into the nervous nineties...

0408: Ojha gets the nod to take the second over and his first few balls are blocked by Prior before he nurdles a single to take England to an effective score of 11-5.

0404: Zaheer Khan will start us off and he runs in with purpose and sends down a beauty past Cook's outside edge to get English nerves jangling. Not that the Barmy Army know it, as they blast out 'Jerusalem' with some gusto while Cook plays out a maiden over.

0356: Welcome to the fifth day of an intriguing first Test between India and England at Ahmedabad. England fought back excellently yesterday, but are still precariously placed on 340-5, a lead of just 10 after being forced to follow-on 330 runs behind India. Captain Cook stands tall unbeaten on 168 with Matt Prior his able accomplice on 84.

Disappointing England Surrender To Limp Defeat In First Test

The home side went into this series with high expectations and plenty of support. With this series deciding the world number spot, like England's 4-0 win over India last summer, there was always going to be a lot of hype surrounding The Oval over the past few days. The home fans left happy on Thursday after an imperious hundred from opener Alastair Cook put England in an excellent position on 267-3. However since then there was not much to cheer about as South Africa completely crushed the hosts to win by an innings and 12 runs. 

There were signs of a home fight-back today when Ian Bell and Matt Prior put on 86 for the sixth wicket only for the wicket-keeper to give his wicket away with a daft sweep-shot that he gloved to a gleeful Kallis at slip. As leg-spinner Imran Tahir went off on his customary celebratory sprint the writing was on the wall. Once Bell had half-heartedly dangled his bat at a Dale Steyn delivery to edge behind the game was well and truly over. 

The first day had seen a completely different England side as they put the screw on the South African attack as Cook and Trott dominated. They let their hold on the match slide away early on Friday though as the centurion played a loose drive at Steyn and played on. From there Andy Flower's men could only manage a slightly below-par 385 but would have felt well in the game, especially when James Anderson trapped Alviro Petersen for a duck  in the second over. Little did they know that they would only take one more wicket for 636 runs. Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis left England groping in the dust as they declared at tea on Sunday with a 252-run lead, Amla's 311 not out the first ever Test triple-hundred by a South African.

In that final session the England top order was blown away as wickets fell as much due to poor shot selection as good South African bowling. The pattern continued into the last day as hopes of an unlikely draw slowly faded. Ravi Bopara played a needless waft outside the off-stump to play on and attract more criticism for his controversial inclusion. Bell and Prior built a good partnership but after the latter's non-recommended shot the final few wickets tumbled as world number one bowler Steyn finished with 5-56.

Captain Andrew Strauss still holds high hopes for the remaining two Tests and backed his bowling attack to bounce back:  "I still think we have a great bowling attack and I back them to take wickets in any condition. However we have to give the South African batsmen credit, they played exceptionally well and we have to bounce back. We need to win the next two Tests and we will not make the same mistakes again."

The number one team in the world now have two more chances to prove their worth while the Proteas will be confident of taking that title from them after an excellent display. Onwards to Headingley where this intriguing battle will continue.