So after an amazing, incredible, KP rehabilitating, early-rising, table-thumping, cereal-spilling, wife-waking England win in Mumbai its off to Kolkata for the 3rd Test with more momentum than a Higgs bosom particle (I am never sure what momentum is in cricket but the England players think it's good to have, so that's all you need to know - though you should really try to find out more about Higgs boson - that is important). India don't play many Test matches in Kolkata but when they do they seem to know where to find their momentum and what to do with it.
In each of the last three Test matches at Kolkata (against West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan) India have scored over 600 runs in their first innings - whether they batted first or not - and won the last two Tests by an innings. MS Dhoni in particular knows how to get his own batting momentum going in Kolkata - he averages well over 100 there - so maybe it will be his turn to play the important captain's innings. MS is under some pressure from the Indian press for the team's and his own performances, and being a gritty kind of guy, don't be surprised if he doesn't make some commentators eat their words with a gritty innings.
MS says he wants to play on hard, bouncy wickets like the one in Mumbai as he relishes the challenge in playing against 'fast' spinners like Monty and Swanny. Not sure his team mates would agree with this sentiment having been made to look like, well, England batsmen usually look like when playing spin in the sub continent - bemused, befuddled and begone. Surian Botham, who does know a thing or two about winning in India, has bet a night's supply of claret that the Kolkata wicket will have less bounce than a beach. It looks like momentum will be important after all.
I am sorry but Mr Flower's number one fan is becoming disillusioned. First I thought that Andy did not cover himself in glory during the KP debacle. I am in the Clive Woodward camp in thinking KP should never play for England again, but I gave the ashes winning and former number one test side coach the benefit of the doubt. However after today's play at Ahmedabad I am becoming seriously wobbly about whether Flower's well signalled stubbornness to stick with a four man bowling attack whatever the conditions is just plain stupid.
You could hear the cries of 'I told you so' from Taunton to Durham as our much vaunted seam attack was shown to be no more than an appetising starter for Sehwag and co. Swanny however did not disappoint and the slow turning wicket was no surprise either. So unless we have convinced the BCCI to let Swann bowl at both ends we are going to desperately miss Panesar. Unfortunataly you didn't hear it it here first. Call me stupid if you like Mr Flower - but not for being just plain stubborn.
