KANPUR
It appeared that England had got off to an incredible start to their inningswhen Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick put on 71 for the first wicket in tenovers. It seemed that England's total of 218 for 7 in 39 overs after amid-innings collapse was a competitive target on a pitch lacking pace andbounce. In fact, almost any total they might have posted would have been inrange of India led by Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. They served up asdestructive a batting display as could be imagined to win by eight wickets withvery nearly ten overs to spare.
There are not many batsmen who stand comparison with Tendulkar but, in thisform, Sehwag did. The physical similarities between the two have often beennoted before. Now they were matching one another shot for shot with, ifanything, Sehwag the dominant partner.
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The England bowlers and fielders were rendered impotent as the first fiftyarrived after only 33 balls had been bowled. The second fifty came from 34 ballsand the match, as a contest, was as good as over.
There are any number of similar statistics that illustrate how quickly Sehwagand Tendulkar took their side to such a thorough victory, but figures can neverbe adequate to convey the splendour of the strokeplay that tore the attackapart. It was quite simply a stunning display that was magnificent to behold –unless you happened to be out there as an English fielder.
Those same boys in blue would have been very happy with their own start to aday that begun late because of a wet outfield. The match was reduced to 39 oversa side and Nasser Hussain took first use of a wicket on which chasing mightprove to be difficult.
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It might have been if the target was in the region of 270 as looked possibleearly on. Knight in particular took the opportunity to put his lack of runsbehind him and go for it from the outset. He was especially savage on AjitAgarkar who retired from the attack with figures of 3-0-27-0.
Harbhajan Singh was brought into the attack to bowl the eighth over and wasswept for a boundary second ball and reverse-swept by Knight for another nextball to bring up the fifty, before four leg byes had the effect of increasingrather than slowing the scoring rate.
Javagal Srinath was the epitome of calmness at one end while the storm blewat the other, and he should have had Trescothick caught by diving wicket-keeperAjay Ratra when he had only two. Trescothick did get out in the 11th over whenhe hoisted Anil Kumble to deep mid-wicket off a somewhat ungainly slog havingreached 18 off 21 balls.
Knight continued in company with Andrew Flintoff who had been promoted in theorder. Flintoff did hit an impressive straight six off Kumble to bring up thehundred in the 15th over and had 18 from 19 balls in total when the combinationof the superstition-laden 111 and a drinks interval proved too much. He wascaught at deep extra cover straight after the break.
Knight had brought up his fifty from 57 balls with his seventh four, and amassive total appeared likely when England had reached 144 for 2 in the 24thover. The addition of 22 runs in the space of five and a half overs for the lossof 4 wickets reduced that forecast from massive to merely challenging.
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The reverse-sweep that had served Knight so well let him down when he had 74.Hussain drove a return catch to Harbhajan Singh, Michael Vaughan swungunworthily across the line and Paul Collingwood played on.
Graham Thorpe played sensibly if unspectacularly on his return to theinternational fold, Ben Hollioake kept his Surrey colleague company untilchipping to mid-on, and there was every reason to believe that it had becomedifficult, in the conditions, to find the boundary with the old, soft ball whenthe pace was taken off the bowling. It was a good theory.
Trescothick had been forced to take up the gloves when regular 'keeper JamesFoster reported in sick and he very nearly claimed a notable scalp off the firstball of the innings. Darren Gough strayed down the leg side, Tendulkar went toflick it away, Trescothick tumbled to glove the ball but the umpire signalled awide.
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Trescothick did put down a big deflection by Sehwag when standing up toHollioake, but otherwise he had a reasonably comfortable passage. To be honest,not much got past the bat.
The fielding was found wanting and the bowling ineffective as the Indianopeners, drove, flicked, nudged, bludgeoned and forced the ball to all quarters.Try to cut off the singles and they went over the top. Put men back and theyexpertly found the gaps. Take pace off the ball and they waited for it.
Sehwag's innings came to an end when he eventually miss-hit Collingwood tomid-on, but not before he had reached 82 from 62 balls with 14 fours. Hedeserved a century. Sourav Ganguly, who had retired in the middle of anexcellent bowling spell holding his left thigh, came in at three to make someclubbing blows before being deceived by a slower ball from Gough.
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By then it was 179 for 2 in the 25th over. There was time for Dinesh Mongiato fire off some elegant strokes – one off the back foot through the coverswas as good as any on the day – before Tendulkar decided the time had come. Hecasually lifted Jeremy Snape straight for six and the entertainment was over –regrettably or mercifully depending from which camp it was being viewed. Therehad been so much crammed into 68.4 overs of non-stop action.
