India take series after dull draw
India clinched the two-Test series against England 1-0 after the second Test ended in a draw here on Tuesday
India clinched the two-Test series against England 1-0 after the second Test ended in a draw here on Tuesday
Any thoughts that India had of quickly piling onto to a 151-run lead, taken through Harbhajan Singh's quick strikes on another foggy morning, evaporated in the afternoon sunshine as England turned in a vigorous spell
Kevin Pietersen's 144, reeking of swaggering brilliance, had combined with Andrew Flintoff's determination to bail England out of trouble on an absorbing day in Mohali but their dismissals in fading light swung the advantage right back India's way
India's top and lower order piled on the frustration for England on day two in Mohali, building on the foundation laid yesterday by Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid
It was a day of accumulation which offered little out-and-out entertainment - 179 runs and one wicket came from 72 overs - but it was one which belonged entirely to India
Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't seek refuge behind words. On Tuesday, he offered up no excuses for the late declaration, which left India with a maximum of only 43 overs to try and bowl England out
A two-Test rubber was always going to sell this series short, but only now do we get an idea of quite how short
Given that there were still 68 overs to be bowled when the teams finally took to the field, you could scarcely blame India for batting on. After a week when seemingly insurmountable targets have been achieved with ludicrous ease, there was no point taking
Pietersen made a statement to be remembered, battering India's bowlers at a tempo that none of their own players had been able, or willing, to replicate in their own first innings
Had England gone to stumps with just the four wickets down, Mahendra Singh Dhoni would most likely have been excoriated for his negativity
Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the third day in Mohali
After a year when the words "wall", "falling" and "crumbling" were never far from the headlines, Rahul Dravid could have been forgiven for thinking he had become Humpty Dumpty
A match that could, and should, have been fought to a rousing finish was allowed to meander to a miserable stalemate
Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the second day of the second Test between India and England in Mohali
It's up to Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra to prove that they can at least partially fill the breach left by Anil Kumble's retirement
The only difference was the absence of a voluble crowd, especially on the Western Terrace. Otherwise, the first day of the second Test between India and England in Mohali, could have been a facsimile of the opening day at Headingley in August 2002.
Plays of the day for day one of the second Test between India and England in Mohali
The confidence with which Yuvraj Singh batted on the fourth evening went a long way towards eliminating the slim possibility of an Indian defeat
Match home for India v England, 2nd Test, Mohali, December 19-23, 2008
England captain Kevin Pietersen has decided to wait until just before the start of the second Test to name his team.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is perhaps aware that no Indian captain has won three Tests on the trot [excluding tours of Bangladesh] in the last seven years
Given that Mohali pitches tend to have a bit more bounce thanother Indian ones, Harmison should survive the cull, and with two spinnersa necessity rather than a luxury, it should be Anderson who sits out
Cricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the fourth day in Mohali
Andrew Flintoff was as hostile as ever, but England may already need a miracle to win this Test