Not going as well as the last Test

England is playing India in the third Test of their five-Test series, and unlike the last, close Test that they won at Edgbaston, this time they haven't done very well.   They don't have any great batsmen, and that means they have to rely on their bowling, and if they can't get the best batsmen on the other side out, then they're sunk.

Tomorrow (as I write this), they'll be sunk.  They need 210 runs -- a lot -- and they're down to their last wicket.  And when that happens it means their bowlers are batting, so 210 is pretty near to impossible.

After this one is over, England is going to have to do some serious thinking about how to improve the batting of what's called the top of the order -- the guys who specialize in batting and not bowling.  If they don't, they'll be sunk -- again.

Here's the basic problem:  in their first innings, India's star Kohli had 97 runs, and Rahane had 81.  In their second innings, Kohli had 103 and Pujara had 72.   In England's first innings, the most any batsman had was 39.   In their second innings, Stokes had 62 and Buttler had his first "century" (over 100, he finished with 106), but after that, the best run total was 30.  That won't do it.

They need someone like Kevin Pietersen at his peak (but not when he wasn't).


England vs India, RECAP – Third Test, day four: Jos Buttler hits maiden Test century but tourists need just one wicket for victory on final day