As the league stage comes to a close, there will be attention focused on which team finishes where in the top four of their group. That will decide the opponents in the quarter finals and as everyone knows there are some teams that find another team as a bogey one and would prefer to play that team only in the finals.
The Group B is delicately poised with the possibility that there could be a tie for the fourth place. That will happen if England beat the West Indies and then the West Indies beat India in the final group game of the tournament. England have found themselves in this situation because of the inability to deal the finishing blow.
India - Powerless in Powerplay, clueless in UDRS
They had Bangladesh on the ropes and had to take only two wickets to win the game and secure two points that would have ensured their passage in the knockout stage of the tournament. Bangladesh had to score 58 runs to win so it was not easy at all, yet they showed great heart and did it. England did not help themselves by being negative about the dew factor.
Cricket is all about conquering different conditions in the world. How would it look if sub-continent players started to moan about the cold in England. They are brought up to play in the hot weather, so if they come across unfamiliar bitterly cold conditions in the north of England should they complain? They would be laughed off if they did.
England or for that matter even West Indies and India won't find the heat and humidity of Chennai easy. It saps the energy so quickly that before you can say hello, the tiredness creeps in. That is why staying strong mentally is going to be crucial in Chennai. It is going to be a crunch game for all three teams though if South Africa beat Bangladesh the previous day, then it will ease India's worries considerably.
The Chennai pitch will definitely help the spinners and the West Indies with plenty of left-handed batsmen will not find it easy going against Swann. England's bowling has suffered from the absence of Stuart Broad who has developed into a fine slog overs bowler though Bresnan has not done badly in that job and like Broad, is pretty useful with the bat too.
If England lose, then Bangladesh qualify even if they lose to South Africa and the interest in the group will go down because then West Indies and India will also qualify for the knockouts, so it is up to England to keep the interest in the group alive till the last day of the league games.
Read More
http://www.sify.com/sports/it-s-upto-england-to-keep-the-interest-alive-news-columns-ldrkswhdccc.html
The Group B is delicately poised with the possibility that there could be a tie for the fourth place. That will happen if England beat the West Indies and then the West Indies beat India in the final group game of the tournament. England have found themselves in this situation because of the inability to deal the finishing blow.
India - Powerless in Powerplay, clueless in UDRS
They had Bangladesh on the ropes and had to take only two wickets to win the game and secure two points that would have ensured their passage in the knockout stage of the tournament. Bangladesh had to score 58 runs to win so it was not easy at all, yet they showed great heart and did it. England did not help themselves by being negative about the dew factor.
Cricket is all about conquering different conditions in the world. How would it look if sub-continent players started to moan about the cold in England. They are brought up to play in the hot weather, so if they come across unfamiliar bitterly cold conditions in the north of England should they complain? They would be laughed off if they did.
England or for that matter even West Indies and India won't find the heat and humidity of Chennai easy. It saps the energy so quickly that before you can say hello, the tiredness creeps in. That is why staying strong mentally is going to be crucial in Chennai. It is going to be a crunch game for all three teams though if South Africa beat Bangladesh the previous day, then it will ease India's worries considerably.
The Chennai pitch will definitely help the spinners and the West Indies with plenty of left-handed batsmen will not find it easy going against Swann. England's bowling has suffered from the absence of Stuart Broad who has developed into a fine slog overs bowler though Bresnan has not done badly in that job and like Broad, is pretty useful with the bat too.
If England lose, then Bangladesh qualify even if they lose to South Africa and the interest in the group will go down because then West Indies and India will also qualify for the knockouts, so it is up to England to keep the interest in the group alive till the last day of the league games.
Read More
http://www.sify.com/sports/it-s-upto-england-to-keep-the-interest-alive-news-columns-ldrkswhdccc.html
