Right, so Tim Bresnan starts off with a delivery right on the mark; good line, good length and not even the man in form Parthiv Patel can get it away. But he drifts on to his pads off the next and compensates by sending one wide on the off.
England V India 2nd ODI Live Score And Updates: Parthiv Patel Cameo Ended By Anderson
Both guided away by the batsman to the fence, one shown the path down the leg-side, the other beaten brutally towards the covers. A wide and a single to end the over; India off to a good start at 10 without loss.
India 10/0 in 1 over
Three good balls from James Anderson to start with, despite the early boundaries, it does look like the ball with swing around a bit. A short ball from Anderson pulled away for a couple; Stuart Broad at the boundary was quite ginger in his approach to the ball. Remember, the outfield is still heavy with all the water-battering it took.
Immediately after the brace, the slips go off. Whoever said it was swinging! In the end, a good over from Anderson.
India 13/0 in 2 overs
Bresnan looks a pale shadow of himself as Patel treats him like a spinner. Shimmies down the track, lifts him over square-leg for a six; Shastri informs us that if it hits the boundary it will be a six. Thanks, it hits the fence on the full and the umpire Doctrove signals the sign of the maximum. Bresnan will now be fully awake, if he wasn’t earlier.
Patel continues to pepper the fence though, a four over the slip which had moved out earlier before....
...what was that! If ever there was the shot of the tour for the Indians, this had to be it - short ball, and the diminutive Patel stands up, whacks it over square-leg for half a dozen! End of Bresnan’s spell for now, one can be sure.
A friend of mine messages, Patel wouldn’t have done this had it not been the IPL.
India 29/0 in 3 overs
Anderson strikes immediately, Patel’s cameo ends as he throws the kitchen sink, or at least attempts to but edges it to the keeper. That was a frantic innings, 28 off 18. The man of the limited overs for India this tour is replaced by the man of the Tests, Rahul Dravid and sanity seems to return; a Dravidesque dab for a dot followed by the opening of account with a late cut to third-man.
Another excellent over from Anderson, although, incidentally, the Hot Spot shows that there was no edge off Patel’s bat through the wicket-keeper. This makes Patel the second Indian batsman to walk away without referring the decision, one that would have been turned in his favour had he done so!
India 31/1 in 4 overs
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