England vs West Indies 3rd Test Highlights, Day 1 – 07-06-2012

Part 1 will be Uploaded here during the Match

Part 1 will be Uploaded here during the Match

Part 1 will be Uploaded here during the Match

Highlights will be Uploaded here during the Match

Opening partnerships are like marriages made in heaven. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, who surpassed 5000 runs together in the second test know each other’s game pretty well. The duo exude confidence and transmit a relaxed ambiance from the middle. Impervious to distraction, Strauss and Cook arguably form the best opening association in the game today. Strauss, has bounced back to form in this series and will be pumped up to take off from where he had left at Nottingham. His 141 in the first innings was all about technical correctness and poise. Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell form the crux of the middle order. While KP lends aggression to the batting unit, Bell lends stability. Johnny Bairstow has not grasped his opportunities and is yet to prove his mettle. With Ravi Bopara knocking hard on the selection door, things get tougher for the Yorkshire batsman. Hard hitting keeper batsman, Matt Prior will slot in at No. 7.

The English bowlers, adhering to the old fashioned virtues of bowling straight upon a good length have been very successful. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have not wavered from their jobs. Considering the heavy work load, the English think tank has rested Anderson for the final test. The selectors have expressed their interest in a rotation policy in an attempt to keep their speed merchants fresh and fit. Either Steve Finn or Graham Onions will replace the senior pro. Tim Bresnan has been England’s lucky charm. They have won all tests that Bresnan has been a part of. He is an effective bowler with an uncanny skill to extract reverse swing in the latter half of the Test match. Swann, armed with immaculate control and variety can extract any turn on offer.

West Indies

Whilst England’s top order presents a settled outlook, the West Indies top order has been shambolic. The inexperienced batsmen have thrown away the work-man like effort put in by their steely bowlers. Windies’ top 4 comprising Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards and Darren Bravo have managed to muster an aggregate of only 203 runs in 8 innings between them. The English bowlers have exposed their poor technique and appalling shot selection. While Powell and Edwards floundered in the rain affected 2 day match too, Barath and Bravo rediscovered some form thanks to dogged fifties. Marlon Samuels has been the adhesive that has bound the batting together in this series. There is no question about his abundant talent. His career marred by controversies has finally come full circle after trading flash and flamboyance for solidity and patience. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the latest entrant to the 10,000 run club can bat hours and hours sans any lapse in concentration. The two S’s Samuels and Sammy, showing tremendous application, linked up a resurrecting 200 plus stand (the highest by any visiting test side in England for the 7th wicket) in the previous match. Skipper Sammy, without a shadow of a doubt, is a useful batsman down the order.

The West Indies bowlers are more of toilers rather than terrorizers. West Indies have bowled well; but England have handled them exceptionally well. Ravi Rampaul has run in hard and has shone in patches. West Indies team physiotherapist, C.J.Clark has conceded that Kemar Roach has been ruled out of the remainder of tour of the United Kingdom owing to a shin muscle injury. Sunil Narine(uncapped at test level) has been named as his replacement. Either Fidel Edwards or Tino Best will possibly return to the team to add spark to the bowling unit. Both Best and Edwards were disappointed that rain had deprived them of valuable bowling practice at Leicester. The English batsmen have laid bare the mystery of Shane Shillingford. Sunil Narine, the biggest star of the recently concluded IPL might come in for Shillingford. The knuckle ball sensation, Narine had captured 24 wickets in 15 matches at an unbelievable economy rate of under 5 and a half in the T20 spectacle. He will have to adjust to the rigors of 5 day cricket quickly. One dimensional in nature thus far, the Windies bowling has failed to sustain the intensity for long periods.

England: A Strauss(c), A Cook, J Trott, K Pietersen, I Bell, J Bairstow, M Prior(wk), S Broad, G Swann, G Onions / S Finn, T Bresnan

West Indies: A Barath, K Powell, K Edwards, D Bravo, S Chanderpaul, M Samuels, D Ramdin(wk), D Sammy(c), K Roach / F Edwards / T Best, R Rampaul, S Shillingford/ S Narine

Pitch and conditions

Traditionally the Edgbaston pitch will get better for batting as the game progresses. Initially, there will be swing and seam-movement on offer for the pacers who are willing to bend their backs. The last game played at this venue saw England amass a massive 710-7 in their first innings against the Indians. Meanwhile, the meteorologists have predicted mild thundershowers in the 2nd week of June, and that could have an impact towards the end of the test match.

England: (W W W)

May 25-28 2012- vs WI- won by 10 wickets

May 17-21 2012- vs WI- won by 5 wickets

April 3-7 2012- vs SL- won by 8 wickets

West Indies: (L L L)

May 25-28 2012- vs Eng- lost by 10 wickets

May 17-21 2012-vs Eng- lost by 5 wickets

April 23-27 2012-vs Aus- lost by 75 runs

Players to watch

M Samuels: Samuels has displayed sound temperament and tight technique to take on the best bowlers in the world amidst difficult conditions. If it had not been for Samuels’ fine rearguard action, Sammy and his comrades would have folded up rather easily. The 31 year old will be the key central figure for the tourists.

T Bresnan:  The strongly built bowler can work up good steam and trouble the batsmen. His incisive 6 over spell on the third day of the Nottingham Test ripped through the heart of the West Indies batting. He is also a handy batsman down the order.