Better days are coming
Monty Panesar took six in the first innings of this Lord's test, and there is no doubt he will be called upon to take just as many tomorrow when the West Indies set out to bat out the day. It should make for a very good day of test cricket. Other than the limpet-like Chanderpaul (and perhaps Ganga), the West Indies do not have that many grafters (which, sometimes is not such a good thing on a last day with spinners going at you). Though 394 is too much to score in a day's play, an attacking innings or two would be the perfect counterpoint to an attacking spinner. If all goes well, Lord's will be buzzing, and test cricket will once again demonstrate why it is infinitely superior to the one-day variety.
posted by Samir Chopra at 2:41 PM
2 Comments:
Ah, Homer, I didn't know about the rain forecast. That makes things just a bit different. I agree that the declaration came a bit late, and the target is a bit excessive (so that, for instance, its unlikely that any West Indian batsman is going to decide to make a go for it). Still, I'm hopeful that someone will choose attack as the best form of defense - all against a good spinner on the last day of a test.
Samir,
Will the Windies be better served to see out Monty in this match and aim for a draw?
The next test begins on Friday at Headingley.
With Hoggard out, Flintoff unfit, Harmison's radar haywire, a possible Vaughan return, a draw in a game which the Poms should have won by rights, wont the Poms be feeling the heat? And in that context, on a less helpful surface for spin, wouldn't attacking Monty, the Poms best bowler on show so far, be a far better option both in terms of a match strategy and brownie points?
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