Tour Match: Indian Board President's XI v England XI at Hyderabad, 22-24 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: Indian Board President's XI v England XI at Hyderabad, 22-24 Nov 2001
Anand Vasu

Indian Board President's XI 1st innings: Lunch - Day 3,
England XI 2nd innings: Tea - Day three, Day 3 - Stumps,
Live Reports from previous days

BANGAR SCALPS FIVE WICKETS AS MATCH ENDS IN DRAW

From a shaky but not so precarious position of 107/2 at tea, the England team lost quick wickets, starting with skipper Nasser Hussain. Flashing hard at a Sanjay Bangar outswinger, Hussain (38) spooned a sharp catch to Murali Kartik at deep gully. Mark Ramprakash with a steady hand kept one side going, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and England were 163/9 off 51 overs when the match was called off after tea. With the 8 mandatory overs bowled, the game was declared a draw when the two teams agreed they'd had enough.

Ramprakash, who has grown in confidence, with every passing knock made an attractive 32 before he was caught behind off Kartik. His innings was easily the highlight of the day for the visitors.

The biggest gain of the day however, was Sanjay Bangar's medium-pace. Bowling with great control, the Railways mediumpacer consistently got the ball to move both ways in the air. Although a trifle lucky to trap Richard Dawson in front, there was no doubting the fact that Bangar richly deserved his haul of 5/34.

England now travel to Jaipur, where they will take on India 'A.'

HUSSAIN STEADIES ENGLAND AFTER THE LOSS OF EARLY WICKETS

Declaring on 339/7 at lunch on the final day, the Indian Board President's XI team had another go at the England batsmen. If England wanted to leave this game on a positive note, they might just be disappointed. Losing 3 wickets, the visitors put on 107 off 27 overs.

Michael Vaughan, who has had a lacklustre start to the tour of India failed to get going once more, being cleaned up by a quick delivery from Tinu Yohannan that slipped past the bat and uprooted the stumps. Vaughan added to his first innings 22, a second innings 18.

Mark Butcher, taking his time over getting his eye in, faced 32 balls for his 12, before nicking a ball from left-arm seamer Surendra Singh through to the 'keeper. The other big hope for England in this tour of the subcontinent, Graham Thorpe failed with the bat. The usually compact middle-order batsman played at a ball well away from his body and ended up dragging the ball onto his stumps. Sanjay Bangar picked up his third wicket of the match when Thorpe departed on 13.

Nasser Hussain (37 not out), unfazed by the conditions, went about his batting as usual in the company of Mark Ramprakash (17 not out). The latter took a liking to Sarandeep Singh, lofting him for a six and a four over midwicket in his very first over.

The post tea session is mainly of academic interest. The batsmen will be hoping to improve their first class records while the bowlers would be attempting to catch the Indian selectors' eye.

SRIRAM 149 POWERS INDIAN BOARD PRESIDENT'S XI TO 339/7

Powered by a workmanlike 149 for Tamil Nadu opener Sridharan Sriram, the Indian Board President’s XI team made it to 339/7 at lunch on the third and final day of this warm up match at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad. Resuming on 256/2, the home side lost quick wickets early in the day.

Jacob Martin (89) added just 6 runs to his overnight score before being bowled by Matthew Hoggard. When the partnership for the third wicket was finally broken, it was worth a massive 202 runs.

Rohan Gavaskar, more an attractive strokemaker than a hard worker, took on the spinners from the word go, using his feet superbly and coming down the track. He was particularly severe on Martyn Ball, coming down the wicket and lofting him for a straight six. It was the bowler who had the last laugh however, having the batsman caught and bowled when he had made just 24.

Over the course of the next 12 balls, two more wickets fell, slowing down the progress of the home side a great deal. Sriram, chasing a wide one outside the off nicked the ball for ‘keeper James Foster to take a good catch. Dismissed on 149, perhaps more out of anxiety to reach 150 than anything else, Sriram had faced 289 deliveries and struck 16 fours.

Pankaj Dharmani (5) was unlucky to be given out lbw, struck by Craig White outside the line and well in front.

A declaration at lunch is very much on the cards.