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Even my belief-o-meter is well in to the green zone. Good bit of cricket, always with the worry that one wicket will transform the game.

A really sound session. 82 added for this wicket so far. The total gets more and more achievable. We need level heads and calm play though. I have to leave at lunchtime to get to Heathrow, I hope to discover when I emerge from the Piccadilly line that we are still there one of these two has got a century (and the other one is on 99, since they're farming the strike so well and playing tag).

With Sharma's help the screw has been loosened… and suddenly it looks more possible. The spin bowling was tight and demanded a lot of the two batsmen but with a 50 for Root and the 100 partnership things look better. Concentrate...

It is now more difficult for England to lose than to win.

DRT wrote:It is now more difficult for England to lose than to win.

Thank you for that vote of confidence! Remember, in the words of Joe Strummer, this is England.

Oh dear.

Sickening to have to leave. Prior totally unfazed by the short stuff. 200 imminent.

When you watch the highlights tonight you might be glad you left when you did.

LGTrotter wrote:

djewesbury wrote:If you believed for once, Owen, we might win.

Oh yes, blame me for the England cricket team. Think of me as a conduit for the dressing room because they (England) looked like they had their heads down for most of the last two sessions.

OK, I have just removed my brain washed it in England juice and dried it with the cross of Saint George, now I BELIEVE.

Until about four o'clock.

I now have an hour and a half of of hoping without reason. An existential crisis.

DRT wrote:It is now more difficult for England to lose than to win.

Once again Derek underestimates England.

A shambolic end to an otherwise interesting test.

Many congratulations to the Indians who would have won despite that toss. I wonder if England were that bad or India were that good.

Well done half of Daniel.

You can sleep easy lads. Peter Moores says Cookie is the right man for the job and is always at his best under pressure.

On that basis a 3-1 series victory looks certain.

Batting that well we would have lost to Brazil.

LGTrotter wrote:Well done half of Daniel.

Thank you. Back in Berlin now, Lord's seems a lifetime away. I don't understand how, when I think of the patience, diligence, care and concentration visible all through the first session, they all went potty when they got bowled some dangerous short stuff. Did they really forget what they were doing, and who they were? And once the wickets had fallen, what then? Why the continued stumbling into the minefield, all limbs thrashing until, like popcorn kernels in a saucepan, they just exploded?
If Cook thinks he has to go on and finish the job then fine, let's sit back and watch what happens. All the talk of 'inner steel' is sort of encouraging, and sort of hilarious. Go on Cooky. We're right behind you. Just over here. A bit to the left, sitting down, with a glass, giggling.

I have been thinking about Julian's comment that Brazil could beat us at the moment and just having read Daniel's post.

There is a reason that England were given no hope of winning last night and that is that teams almost never chase down that kind of target in the fourth innings. I know that the T20 format would suggest that it would be possible but if you look at the statistics (which I haven't) then I would guess that in the entire history of the game a target like that has been chased down a handful of times. So it was a big hill in the first place.
Then there is the pitch. I think that once batsmen got in they looked comfortable, which is why we were all daring to dream before lunch. But when the new batsmen came in they never really looked in, if you know what I mean.
I also think that physically the team must be exhausted. Anderson has bowled a huge number of overs, Broad clearly has an injury problem, Prior (according to Alec Stewart) has a long term physical problem with his hands which I didn't realise.
Then you come onto the psychological disintegration, palpable in the desperate batting and fielding and the general demeanour of the players. Which is why all the bullish talk from Cook, however well meant, seems so divorced from reality.
And there is so little time to regroup. In the old days they would have a week, or even two to decide who to pick and who to drop. Players could rest and decide what to do next, now there is no time.

All this talk of England losing should not detract from India winning, which we often overlook and they did in such fine style and against all the odds. I am rather afraid that this will be overlooked and the investment of ego in the England management set up will mean that it will be business as usual when the next test starts. The first part of dealing with a problem is acknowledging there is one.

Couldn't agree more with everything Owen's said. Which is why I don't really understand it; if I was Cook I'd be desperate for an enforced 4-month break in the Caribbean. But the man is determined not to step off the treadmill.

djewesbury wrote:Couldn't agree more with everything Owen's said. Which is why I don't really understand it; if I was Cook I'd be desperate for an enforced 4-month break in the Caribbean. But the man is determined not to step off the treadmill.

Thank you Daniel, I enjoyed your write up of what it was like to be there, very immediate.

I wonder if Cook is in that mindset of 'I've got to keep going because I've got to keep going', common enough in the unwell. Not until they finally do stop does the true cost to themselves become clear. Still, it works for some folks.

LGTrotter wrote:

djewesbury wrote:Couldn't agree more with everything Owen's said. Which is why I don't really understand it; if I was Cook I'd be desperate for an enforced 4-month break in the Caribbean. But the man is determined not to step off the treadmill.

Thank you Daniel, I enjoyed your write up of what it was like to be there, very immediate.

I wonder if Cook is in that mindset of 'I've got to keep going because I've got to keep going', a common enough in the unwell. Not until they finally do stop does the true cost to themselves become clear. Still, it works for some folks.

Yes, I think that's very possibly something happening here. It's horrible to watch, because it seems to be impacting on everyone else.
Michael Vaughan's suggestions that "Andy Flower has a lot to answer for" and "Eoin Morgan should be made captain" were rather unhelpful comments that only show what a dolt he is.

Vaughan has always had too much swagger and not enough brain for my liking. An inherent grasp of the game and plenty of luck seemed to be his main gifts. But as Napoleon said better to have lucky generals than good ones.

Oh and get rid of Bell.

I hadn't mentioned this for a post or two and it needs saying regularly.

LGTrotter wrote:Oh and get rid of Bell.

I hadn't mentioned this for a post or two and it needs saying regularly.

God he gets on my nerves. I have this fear that one day I will meet him and he will turn out to be a good chap. Which will make him even more intolerable.

21st August 2014 was not a total loss. Nick Griffin resigned.

I agree with all of the above from my much-more-informed-than-I co-commentators. The Cook situation is quite hilarious from the outside. An executive team who simply can't think of a better idea and a senior manager who is incapable of recognising his own limitations and admitting that he can't do the job he has been given. I reckon at least 40% of the managers in the world of business are in the same position as Cook, but they are not on TV for five days a week making idiots of themselves.

Someone has to grow a pair and shoot him before he loses all credibility. He was (and could still be) a fabulous batsmen. Make him be good at that again rather than letting him destroy his career.

Hear, hear. It is the detachment from what is actually happening and the ability to believe this narrative despite all the evidence to the contrary which makes this such a car crash. Just listened to Boycott, he is right again, this is not about the inner steel or any other part of Cook it is about the England team. And Cook thinks it's all about him.

This is a worry. We are all agreeing. Have we missed something?

DRT wrote:This is a worry. We are all agreeing. Have we missed something?

I quite liked the warm gooey feeling.

LGTrotter wrote:

DRT wrote:This is a worry. We are all agreeing. Have we missed something?

I quite liked the warm gooey feeling.

Call your nurse, she will sort it out.

Pleased that Joss Buttler got the nod. Used to be with Somerset you know, shame he left but there were rather a lot of keepers in Somerset at the time.

I thought Cook said he wasn't ready for tests yet?

Everybody get an early night, big day tomorrow, see you for the team huddle about half ten.

The weather is looking perfect...

Team news?

Big news! Apparently Pietersen thinks Cook should resign. So it must be true.

Then Cook should stay.

Bring back KP I say. It's time they had some team players in the squad.

I like KP's suggestion for Cook's replacement, and so will Owen.

BBC Sport wrote:England captain Alastair Cook has urged wicketkeeper Jos Buttler not to change his attacking batting style when he makes his Test debut against India.

Buttler, who has impressed for England in limited-overs cricket, said he would play in a more "controlled" way.

But Cook said: "The reason he got selected is because he scores so many runs playing his way."

Is this inspirational leadership or the kiss of death for the new boy?

Oh look, Cook's batting. Thought I'd better mention it while there's still time.

OK, while I'm feeling optimistic; I think he will still be batting at lunch.

LGTrotter wrote:Oh look, Cook's batting. Thought I'd better mention it while there's still time.

OK, while I'm feeling optimistic; I think he will still be batting at lunch.

According to ESPN, his average innings this year in test cricket is currently less than 20, facing 30-40 balls, with a maximum of 28. In this innings at present he has 22 runs, after 46 balls, and it is 12:04. My guess is he will be out before lunch.

LGTrotter wrote:Oh look, Cook's batting ... I think he will still be batting at lunch.

PhilW wrote:My guess is he will be out before lunch.

A small piece of sackcloth for me, while the ashes go to Owen.
How many hours minutes following lunch do people predict Cook to hold his wicket?
I'll start the guessing with an optimistic 7.

Can't work out minutes so I will just guess that he will still be there at tea. Although Phil's guess seems more likely.

I listened to the morning session on TMS and it appeared to be a decent show from Cook, especially when he made the Slip seemingly inexplicably drop his edge at 19 runs.

Perhaps he is a genius after all?

DRT wrote:I listened to the morning session on TMS and it appeared to be a decent show from Cook, especially when he made the Slip seemingly inexplicably drop his edge at 19 runs.

Perhaps he is a genius after all?

I also liked the way he made the pitch innocuous and the bowling inaccurate.

No guess Derek?

Sorry, been watching the Grand Prix - haven't checked since lunch but will go for 27 minutes.

A great show from Cook. Can't be easy doing that when under the sort of pressure he has been under.

Now then, I wonder if he can make similar improvements in his captaincy of the team?

Next guess: Bell?

DRT says 11.

This is like Stadler and Waldorf and Stadler. Perhaps England are playing well. Has anyone considered that?

djewesbury wrote:This is like Stadler and Waldorf and Stadler. Perhaps England are playing well. Has anyone considered that?

In guessing that Cook would carry his bat through two sessions and being right I'm all optimisted out.

Ballance is unbeaten on 104. Didn't see that mentioned here. Really, this is like the Indian ESPN site. With supporters like these...

LGTrotter wrote: In guessing that Cook would carry his bat through two sessions and being right I'm all optimisted out.

Good for Cook; happy to be wrong. Will still ignore the likely consequent headlines proclaiming Cook and the current team to be the best ever, after all, though.

Are we all missing the obvious? Ballance has scored a ton - surely that means Bell will too? That would secure his place for the 2015 Ashes series.