Cricket - Test 1

England beat India by a massive 196 runs to go 1-0 up in the four-match series.

Pieterson's 202 not out in the first innings and Prior's match-saving 103 not out in the second allowed England to declare twice and charge India with a mighty total (a record total, should they have achieved it) to reach. It was down to the bowlers to back up the great work of the batsmen. They bowled India out for less than 300 in their first innings, with Stuart Broad looking especially potent, and Tremlett not far behind. India's second innings though, surely, would be a far sterner test? 

It was Broad who once again took the initiative to make the first break-through late on Sunday afternoon after his fine batting display aided and abetted Prior his unbeaten century and added much needed runs and a healthy partnership just when we needed it most. Broad was in fine song, could the other bowlers follow suit? India finished the day only one batsman down and definitely fancied their chances for at least a draw. Magic Monday, drawing a record number of fans (25,000+) to Lord's on a bright sunny day, saw India off to a good start with Dravid and Lazman going along nicely and looking dangerous. Anderson, until then a quiet, frustrated figure, bowled a beautiful delivery that Dravid couldn't avoid and snicked on to Prior to take a clean catch. The danger man of the first innings was out. There followed hours of tense, momentum swinging agony as England seemed on top, then India, then England... 

For long horrible periods it seemed India would stick in and hold out for a draw, thus rendering all of England's work with both bat and ball null and void. Anderson, however, had other ideas, and after capturing the prize wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for just 12 (he was out of sorts after a virus had kept him bed-bound for most of Sunday and was reported to have been feeling dizzy during and after his innings on Monday) - a few balls after Broad's legitimate lbw appeal against Tendulkar and a snick had been dropped by Captain Strauss - in the session after lunch, England were back on top and went through the tail-enders in no time to secure the victory.

Broad finished the match on figures of 7-94, Anderson 7-152, with Swann and Tremlett taking the remaining wickets between them for very few runs. It was a great performance by the batsmen, no doubt, on what Dhoni considered a tricky batting pitch (hence his decision to put England in when he won the toss), but the greater performance came from the bowlers. To bowl india, the team considered by most to have the best batting line-up in the world, out for less than 300 in both innings is a remarkable thing.

Ultimately, England out-batted, out-bowled, out-fielded, out-thought and out-played the Indians. They will not take India for granted for the remaining matches - they are, after all, only a quarter of the way through - but they can afford to pat themselves and each other on the backs for a Test well played and a gauntlet well and truly thrown down.

Who says England can't be the best in the world at a sport they invented?

I'll keep you blogged...