By Bagpuss
March 23 2006

Bagpuss got to the second Test but unfortunately Ian lost out to Mr Plunkett. Was this a wicket issue or lack of belief in Ian? Later debate methinks! For now we are all looking forward to a 'seamers wicket' and worried to hell because the Indians have picked three spinners!!

A pleasant overnight train journey from Nagpur to Delhi followed by an early morning dash between Delhi stations and the Shatabdi Express - all airline-style seating - for the last four hours of the journey to Chandigarh. A sign at the station welcomes us to India's "beautiful City" - a step up then from Nagpur which ranked second in this particular contest.

Chandigarh was designed by reknowned architect Le Corbusier as a capital for the Indian Punjab following partition from Pakistan - Lahore was the previous capital of the area. The city is laid out on a grid system and certainly there is a lot of green, with wide grass verges and planty of roundabouts it is more reminiscent of Telford than India. The cricket stadium is in Mohali on the southern outskirts of the city and also differs in design form traditional subcontinent - there is a moat around the edge of the playing area rather than the usual high fences.

Mohali is reputedly more of a seamers pitch to bowl on. In six Test matches on the ground however four have ended in draws. India have won here once - against England in 2001. At net practice the day before the match two pitches are in evidence, one nicely brown and another greener one which is obviously a stunt wicket just to get our hopes up.
I still think it likely that England will go into the match with just one spinner and Plunkett replacing Blackwell. Weather forecast a bit dodgy for the days ahead - yesterday England had to abandon plans for an early morning practice session when the heavens opened. More of the same in the coming days seems likely

INDIA v ENGLAND SECOND TEST
PCA GROUND, MOHALI 9-13 MARCH 2006

DAY 1

Woken by an almighty thunderstorm earlier this morning. Have to admit after events in Varanasi the night before my first thought was that it was something more sinister than a clap of thunder. Lightning and rain follow. Why is it this sort of weather seems to follow the England cricket team around - and can they be employed to bring much needed rain to drought-ridden areas of the world, just by turning up for a few days?

Arrive at the ground in style by horse-drawn tonga, much amusement when I flash the car pass to get us right up to the ground. Well can you think of somewhere to stick a pass on a horse? Best not answer that one. Having been told by our hotel that play was due to start at midday I am surprised to learn that England captain and new father for the second time Andrew Flintoff has won the toss and England will bat. Cant help wondering if he has been on the mobile phone for half the night telling his missus to breathe . . . Should have brought her out here; just down the road from the ground is an eye clinic/obstetrics clinic (interesting combination) with a large banner outside advertising Painless Delivery! Batting first is the obvious decision but cant help thinking it may have been a good toss to lose - there is still some moisture in the air and I think our seamers would have enjoyed the coolish conditions. Oh well we'll see.

Team news - England as I expected have called up Plunkett for Blackwell - not going to comment much on this except to say that Plunkett certainly capable of batting at 8. India's team certainly more interesting - Yuvraj Singh is fit again so back in the side. VVS Laxman is out of form and out of the team, as is the unlucky Mohammed Kaif who held together the innings in Nagpur. Sreesanth has flu and is replaced by Munaf Patel, a test debut for the Gujarati who took 5 in each innings for the Board President's XI against England at Baroda - a bagpuss prediction that he would get a call for this series at some time! And there is another debutant, Chawla the teenage legspinner who was India's find of the under 19 World Cup last month. So overall India are losing a batter in favour of bolstering their bowling attack - they used only genuine bowlers in Nagpur though Tendulkar bowled a couple. Wonder if Chawla would still have been selected were Sreesanth fit? Are India still convinced that England cannot play spin and that this is the only way to beat them?

Play starts in the sunshine at 10.45am when umpires Hair and Taufel take the field. Left armer Pathan opens the bowling with Patel at the other end. As in Nagpur England make a swift and comforable start against the seamers and Harbhajan is brought on in the 8th over replacing Patel. But it is seam bowling that gets the breakthrough when Strauss edges Pathan and the catch is taken by keeper Dhoni. Strauss gone for 18, England 35-1 in the 11th. Cook soon discovers this Test cricket lark is not as easy as it looks when he becomes Pathan's secong victim, in his next over lbw for 17, 36-2. Two down, not the start England were looking for. Patel replaces Pathan in the 15th over and Chawla gets an over to settle his nerves before lunch is taken. 54-2 off 18, Bell 14 and Pietersen 4.

Lunch is spent watching the finishing touches being put on the video replay screen. Seems like it will be up and running on day one this time. Of course, there is already a fully functional replay-screen-come-electronic-scoreboard at the ground, so why we need a second one i'm not sure. But after lunc the pictures gradually appear. this time a very attractive red rose (do they know this is a symbol of England) followed shortly by an almost-complete video replay picture.

Patel and Chawla resume after lunch. Pietersen decides to teach Chawla about what its like playing cricket with the grown-ups taking a 4 then a 6 off his next over. He is palaying catch up with Ina Bell and overtakes Bell when he is on 21. Looking in fairly ominous form if you ask me. The 50 partnership is passed int he 26th over, abou tthe same time as the numerous floodlights come on (10 floodlight pylons at this ground I think I counted). Kumble replaces Chawla and a few overs later the master shows the whippersnapper how its done, bowling Bell for 38. 117-3 in the 34th It is getting gloomier and Harbhajan come on at the other end, but this is not enough to persuade the umpires to stay out. The light is offered at the end of the 35th overs and the England batsmen gratefully accept. Enland 118-3, Pietersen 43 and Collingwood yet to score.

About an hour and a half's paly is lost before the umpired decide things have improved enough to have another go. The restart is at 3.30 though it still seems pretty gloomy and the wind has got up. Each floodlight pylon is adorned with a vertical advertising banner attached to a metal pole and suspended on the pylon by what looks like a couple of bits of baler twine. Several are flailing around in the wind, one falls into a fortunately unoccupied area of our stand, wiping out three seats. None of the ground staff seem particularly concerned but decide to seek a safer vantage point. This follows from the decidedly precarious wooden advertising boards that kept falling off the upper tiers of the stands in Nagpur. Honestly, if Health and Safety ever paid a visit to India they would probably close the country!

England have a potentially tricky little session to bat until the light probably deteriorates again. Pietersen sets off as he left it a while ago, scoring 4 to bring up his 50 in the 39th over. There are spots of rain in the air but I dont think it is the weather that sends Pietersen running for the pavillion at the end of the 43rd! Suitably relieved he returns and Egland pass 150 in the 46th. Patel returns to the attack and almost gets Collingwood with a yorker, the ball trickles perilously close to the stumps. But Patel has to wait until the next over for his maiden TYest wicket, the valuable one of Pietersen who I think was fooled by a slower ball and Patel easily held the return catch. Pietersen out for 64 and England 157-4 in the 49th. Flintoff gets only an over and a bit before the umpires decide enough is enough with the light. England are 163-4 off 50 overs, Collingwood 19 and Flintoff 4. No further play would be possible today.

After Nagpur I decided to rule out of my accommodation pland any hotel with the word "palace" or "paradise" in its name. Not sure what the translation of the name of my current abode is. The guy on reception wants to charge us a smallish fortune for what is apparently the only available room - the "super delux family suite". Doesn't exactly fit my idea of super or delux and is basically a double room. After laughing at him the guy on reception offers a 25% discount and we take it. Later discover there are already tenants- indeed a family - cockroaches in the bathroom. As the bathroom door cannot be shut without it locking and needing a screwdriver to gain entry again. Which means my little six-legged friends have free access to roam the suite (room). These two I name Sourav and Greg. Sourav pushes his luck by getting up close and personal with my underwear bag so I flush him down the loo. Greg will follow soon if he doesn't toe the line.

INDIA v ENGLAND SECOND TEST
PCA GROUND, MOHALI 9-13 MARCH 2006

DAY 2

No thunder to awake me from my slumbers and no obvious signs of overnight rain but it is cool and overcast. Play starts half an hour early to make up fo time lost yesterday. The newly-built replay screen has been dismantled overnight and the bits repositioned to the stand at midwicket where they are starting to re-erect it. In the 60th over Collingwood palys inside a ball from Kumble and is bowled for 25. England are 180-5, not good, but think if we can get somewhere near 300 it may turn out to be quite a good total in these conditions. The 200 is up in the 65th over and that is as good as it will get today. The umpires offer the light after the drinks interval and play is (as they say at Wimbledon) suspended.

Poor light and drizzly rain follow. An hour and a half at the pun is enough for me and I give up on the day. Interesting afternoon in the shopping area of Chandigarh, where designer stores offer a mixture of local and western dress. Top of the wish list for the male members of the supporters group must be the rather snappy black shalwar kameez, displaying the Lacoste logo of course! Failed to find anything similar by Burberry - just the thing for any local chavs I would have thought. By 3.30pm the heavens have opened and within a couple of hours the roads are starting to flood. Cant believe I have come all this way to watch rain - I usually go to Manchester for that.

INDIA v ENGLAND SECOND TEST
PCA GROUND MOHALI 9 - 13 MARCH 2006

DAY 3

Last night the torrential rain lasted more than eight hours. Dull this morning and I cannot believe play will start on time, although with no power in the hotel I am sans TV so there is no way of knowing for sure. Decided to potter on down to the ground at about 10.30 only to find out play had started at 10. heaven only knows where all that water has gone. The England players are wearing black armbands in memory of Colin Ingleby-McKenzie.

Not missed much, a few runs and Flintoff being dropped by Dravid at slip in the second over of the day off the bowling of Munaf Patel. Pathan replaces Munaf in the 75th over, Kumble is bowling at the other end. Al last nights news programmes had been reminding us that he needed just 3 more wickets to reach 500 in Tests. The 50 partnership is reached in the 79th over, which is bowled by Harbhajan replacing Pathan.

Flintoff reaches his half century in the 82nd over (94 balls, 8x4) Chawla comes on in the 83rd over for Harbhajan, who switches ends to replace Kumble. Fred hits Chawla for a straight 6 and then another in his second over - bit different than under 19 stuff, playing with the big boys now! A message ont eh replay screen informs us Geraint Jones has passed 1000 test runs - not sure exactly how many Tests I think this may be his 22nd. The 100 partnership in the 90th over is greeted by the first sunshine of the day, and prompts the appearance of the new ball.

There are just 15 minutes to go before lunch when Fred tries to drive Munaf, doesn't quite get it over the bowlers head and the ball is parried skywards then caught. A good catch but a disappointing dismissal for Flintoff (92) and England who are now 283-6. Is it just me or does anyone else think Flintoff gets out in the last 10-15 minutes before an interval more often tha would be coincidence? Five more runs are added and at lunch England are 288-6 off 95 overs, Jones 46 and Blackwell replacement Plunkett yet to score.

After lunch Pathan and Munaf continue. Plunkett looks uncomfortable and in Munaf's second over he edges to the keeper. 290-7. Jones reaches 50 in the 99th over, Kumble replaces Munaf Patel in the 102nd and Hoggard takes a single to bring up the England 300. England really need the tail to contribute in a similar way to their first innings in Nagpur. Instead they remind me that I haven't yet written to my MP to support a ban on tail docking as in the 104th over Kumble bowls Jones for 52 and next ball gets Harmison lbw as his 500th Test victim. The hat-trick ball is delayed by team congratulations then Panesar survives it, only to be bowled next ball. England are all out for 300 and Kumble, with three wickets in 4 balls, has taken 5-76.

Hoggard and Harmison open the bowling for England. Harmison's first over is, as almost to be expected, a bit leg side but the radar kicks in earlier than usual and he gets one on target with bounce to surprise Sehwag. The ball hits high up on the bat and the catch is taken by Jones. Sehwag with 11 has made it into double figures but his form is certainly of concern to India who are 18-1. Dravid joins Jaffer. This is the partnership that caused England problems in both innings at Nagpur. Not exactly enthralling batting to watch but nevertheless the ground is starting to fill now India are batting.

There is a double change of bowling after the drinks interval as Flintoff and Plunkett replace Harmison and Hoggard. Looks like there is a problem with the ball and it is changes after 17 overs. This brings no change in fortune so Panesar comes on in the 20th over-just before tea when India are 52-1 off 20 overs, Jaffer and Dravid 16 runs apiece.

After tea it is initially Plunkett and Panesar, with Harmison replacing Plunkett at the opposite end to the one he opened from after 27 overs. England have to wait until the 34th over for the breakthrough when Panesar has Jaffer caught at cover by Flintoff. One would think the crowd would be subdued at the dismissal, au contraire this is the moment they have been waiting for as Sachin enters the fray. Crowd volume suitably increased, Flintoff fancies a go and comes on for harmison in the 39th getting Tendulkar caught by Strauss. Tendulkar gone for just 4, India 103-3 and peace settles once more.

That is a little unfair as those of the crowd in the know welcome Yuvraj Singh back to the test team. The tall left hander is looking in pretty good nick too and must have been disappointed when Bell pulls off the catch of the series so far to dismiss him off Hoggard, returning for Flintoff in the 47th over. At least I think it was that good a catch - I havent found a replay yet where the cameraman managed to stay on the fielder! Yuvraj goes for 15 and India 134-4. The crowd perks up again as the new golden boy of Indian cricket, keeper mahendra Dhoni comes out to play. Not much time left in the day but he manages a few flashy strokes to get the crowd worked up a bit before the umpires call time at 6pm with just two overs remaining. India are 149-4 off 54, Dravid (remember him? still there!) on 60 and Dhoni 12. There is a chance fore England to get a first innings lead if they can break this partnership early tomorrow - get two out of these and Pathan and the tail could be fragile. Hopefully!

BUT THE INTERNET CONNECTION COLLAPSED...AND SO DID ENGLAND.  WE GO INTO NUMBER THREE ONE TEST DOWN!!