Ten years Strauss’ junior, Rory Hamilton-Brown has already made waves as a leader. In conversation with Ed Kemp, the youngest captain in England reflects on the unique challenges of fronting up a county outfit. We also take a look at the science behind the art, and the support systems in place for the 21st century general, while Bob Willis gives his considered opinion on the pscychology and practicalities of leadership.

Elsewhere, it’s out with old and in with the new as Steven Finn takes over from Jimmy Anderson as our new diarist (trust us, his first effort is a belter) and we celebrate the end of one year and the start of another with ‘AOC’s Big Fat Quiz of 2011’. Needless to say, we’ve got some great prizes up for grabs – including a bat worth £380!

Back on the pitch, we rejoice in the impressive resilience of Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan, and cautiously analyse the resurgence of Australia by speaking to four Aussies in the know, including Ashes winner Darren Lehmann. We’re not worried… honest.

Adding meat to the bones, the great Tony Cozier remembers the good old days of West Indian cricket, Alastair Cook does his best to keep his dignity while answering our 10 (infamous) questions and editor Phil Walker faces up to the fire and brimstone of… Joe Denly.

Just for good measure we’ve thrown in some considered analysis on the spot-fixing controversy, thrown on this year’s finest cricket shirts and had a drink with Sir Ian Botham. It’s another beefy issue…

All Out Cricket Issue 89 is in all good newsagents from February 2. Click here to save yourself a walk.

The No.1 ranking

Since September, barely a moment has gone by without some reference to England’s recent ascension to the summit of the world rankings; it would be a shame for them to be knocked from their perch so quickly. But that’s exactly what could happen, if things go wrong again in Dubai. Failing to win the third Test, in conjunction with a 3-0 win for South Africa in New Zealand in March, would see the Proteas take top spot. That would constitute quite an early blow for Mission: Stay No.1.

Individual places

Most of the side in Abu Dhabi has plenty of credit in the bank, but certain individuals might feel they are playing for their future. Eoin Morgan, in particular, looks vulnerable with scores of 24, 14, 3 and 0 in the series so far – and indeed might wonder whether he will make Friday’s team sheet at all, with Ravi Bopara waiting for a chance. If England (as I suspect they will) stick with Morgan for one more go, it could be his last for a while if he doesn’t perform. Meanwhile, success for Bopara should he get the chance could cement him in the side for the forthcoming one-dayers and at No.6 for the Sri Lanka Tests in March and April. Jos Buttler’s remarkable run of form for the Lions makes him a likely call for the soon-to-follow ODIs in UAE, heaping more pressure on those batsmen who still play 50-over cricket but have had a tough month in the Test team. Morgan’s travails could even tempt the hastening of a move to five bowlers, if Bresnan is deemed a competent enough No.7 when he returns to fitness for the Sri Lanka series. Certainly, it will be hard to drop any of the bowlers, and if Monty has another stormer in Dubai there will be tough choices to make when the Test squad reconvenes in Galle.

Reputation against spin

They have been familiar frailties, against spin on Asian wickets: ones we suspected this table-topping team might wear less obviously than their forebears. If they come away with nothing after such a brazen display of susceptibility to quality twirlymen in such conditions, it could scar another generation of England teams.

To save face to the world (especially the Aussies)

The Aussies are going well: they’ve matched England’s home whitewash of India, they feel like they’re a pretty good side again, and to top it all off the Poms are losing meekly in foreign climes. The Aussies think the cricket world has returned to its natural order. With a result in Dubai, England can at least remind them of some of the brutally effective runscoring pedigree that contributed to their Ashes drubbing just over a year ago.

A hard-earned win

Not only is it important for England to confront some demons and put the first two Tests behind them, there would be much to be said for a victory in the present circumstances. There’s been some classic cricket played so far and winning the third Test against a confident Pakistan side, even with the series gone, would be an achievement worth celebrating. It would require skill, and as Andy Flower has said, courage.

In short, this final Test is far from a dead rubber.

Click here to read Sam Stow’s sideways look at the last week in cricket.

There was plenty of chatter about the potential make-up of the team following the defeat in Dubai, and Chris Tremlett’s recurring back trouble intensified the speculation. Would England consider five bowlers? Probably not. But would they stick with three seamers and pick AOC’s new diarist Steve Finn, or give Monty Panesar a go as the extra spinner?

The evidence of those on the scene suggests even the England management didn’t know until the last minute. Nasser Hussain told us on the Sky commentary about an overheard conversation between Flower and Strauss, while they were all milling around on the outfield before play. It was at around 9.15am local time, just 15 minutes before the toss. Revealingly, Flower approached Strauss and said: “What are you going to go with, Skip?” to which the captain replied: “Two and two.” Two quick men, two spinners: Monty was in.

It’s intriguing that their minds weren’t made up before they reached the ground. Presumably Tremlett’s injury forced a late re-think about the merits of the potential replacements, but you’d hope and expect that the inclusion of Panesar as second spinner was in their thoughts anyway. It would be the first time England had fielded two spinners in a four-man attack since December 2003, in Sri Lanka.

And it proved a sound move. The first new ball didn’t do too much for James Anderson or Stuart Broad, now the only frontline seamers, and in just the 10th over we had spin. Strauss, getting Monty into the game at the first opportunity, must have known straight away he had made the right decision; two spinners was the answer here, with the ball turning from the off, and the hero of Cardiff 2009 (Panesar’s last Test appearance) bowled with impressive flight, drift and spin straight away. This was a positive return for Monty, who knocked over in-form Mohammad Hafeez in the morning after dropping a sharp caught-and-bowled chance the ball before. He has worked hard on his game all over the world as well as taking a hatful of wickets for Sussex since losing his place in the England team, and he ended up bowling 33 overs to Graeme Swann’s 18 on the first day.

The Strauss-Flower exchange before play is also an interesting insight into the workings of their partnership. Demonstrably, if Nasser’s words – and ears – are to be believed (and we think they are) team selection basically comes down to Strauss’s call. He and Flower had been deliberating together the night before and in the morning; looking studiously at the unused wicket for clues and discussing the pros and cons of the available options. But with 45 minutes until play, it was the coach who needed to ask “Skip” who was in the team.

You might well say that is all as it should be, and yes, maybe it’s not that big a surprise that the captain is picking the team on tour. Flower is not an egotistical man and you’d expect he’d be happy to give the captain his head on most issues, offering advice and exerting plenty of influence but knowing that it’s ultimately Strauss’s decision. But it’s a fascinating example of the hugely successful and much-lauded captain-coach relationship in action.

Read AOC columnist David Green’s reminder of Pakistan’s recent rollercoaster ride here.

Wasim Akram drove Salisbury through the covers at 6.40 on Sunday evening to give Pakistan a one-match lead in the series and conclude an astonishing day of Test cricket. Seventeen wickets tumbled and the close-to-capacity crowd could be forgiven for thinking this was a one-day final. Pakistan saw near-certain victory evaporate into near-certain defeat before Wasim and Waqar Younis – as a batting partnership for once – defied England’s depleted and tiring attack for the final nerve-racking hour. That last boundary ended England’s brave fightback, and provoked some of the most emotional scenes ever seen at Lord’s as the Pakistan touring party raced on to the playing surface in celebration.

Wasim’s elegant drive also saved the Test and County Cricket Board from facing the wrath of a frustrated crowd for the second successive Test. Had Salisbury bowled a maiden, proceedings for the day would have been concluded. The battle would have resumed on Monday morning with England needing two wickets to tie the Test and Pakistan wanting one run to win. In fact, it would not have been the TCCB’s fault: the Pakistanis had rejected the customary provision for an extra half-hour before the tour began. It was not a great Test match, but Sunday was a great Test day, and it would have been dreadful if this ding-dong battle had not been resolved there and then because of a technicality.

The influence of Pakistan’s heroes, Wasim and Waqar – with ball and bat – was all the more remarkable because there were serious doubts over both a few weeks earlier. Wasim missed the first Test because of shin trouble, while Waqar used Edgbaston for little more than a trial run after the stress fracture which kept him out of the World Cup. Less than a fortnight later, they put Pakistan in command of this Test with 13 wickets, and then held their nerves for a famous victory. Wasim had proved his fitness by taking 16 wickets in the conclusive victories over Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire between the Tests. His return in place of Ata-ur-Rehman was Pakistan’s only change from Edgbaston.

England’s bowling had been much criticised for its lack of variety, but their only alternation to the 13-man squad was Malcolm for Ramprakash. Malcolm had been out of the side, after playing 17 consecutive Tests, since the Lord’s Test a year before, and was selected after England team manager Micky Stewart spent two days watching him at Harrogate, where he failed to add to his season’s tally of 12 first-class wickets. Stewart and Gooch were passed fit after minor worries, as was Botham who was troubled by a groin strain. England left out Munton, again, and Pringle, allowing Salisbury, England’s first specialist legspinner for 21 years, to make his début a fortnight later than expected.

Gooch won the toss, and with Stewart put on 123 for the first wicket at almost a run a minute as Pakistan failed to utilise the new ball, the overcast conditions and poor light. The England captain passed W. R. Hammond’s Test aggregate of 7,249 runs when he reached 53, and looked in no trouble until he edged Wasim onto his stumps. But England lost their way from the moment Hick lobbed an ambitious pull to mid on. Smith became Wasim’s 150th Test victim and Stewart was removed in the last over before tea, after which Waqar cleaned up with a devastating spell of four for 17 in 40 deliveries. Waqar showed no signs of his recent back problem as he claimed his eighth five-wicket haul in his 16th Test, but England contributed to their own downfall. Several were guilty of loose shots and only Russell offered any sensible resistance at the end.

Pakistan’s first innings stretched beyond tea on Saturday, mainly because the second and third sessions on Friday were wiped out by rain. They faced only five overs from Botham, all on Saturday, after he aggravated his groin by slipping over on Thursday night. It did not prevent him catching Javed Miandad at first slip, to give Salisbury his first Test wicket, and following up with a brilliant diving catch to remove Moin Khan and equal M. C. Cowdrey’s England record of 120 Test catches. But England’s hero on Saturday was Malcolm. Pakistan were well set at 228 for three when he halted their charge by removing Asif Mujtaba, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik in 13 balls.

England did well to restrict Pakistan to a lead of 38. They pulled in front in the 18 overs negotiated on Saturday night, though Gooch was a casualty. Nightwatchman Salisbury proved a stubborn obstacle on Sunday morning for half-an-hour; but his fellow legspinner, Mushtaq Ahmed, instigated England’s collapse, dismissing Hick, Smith and Lamb in 22 deliveries. Any hope of setting Pakistan a stiff target was destroyed by Wasim, who took the final three wickets in four deliveries. Stewart, alone, stood defiant. He became the sixth Englishman to carry his bat in a Test, and the first at Lord’s. It was a responsible and mature innings, confirming his recent progress.

The day’s events had already been dramatic, but the climactic act was about to unfold. Pakistan needed 138 for victory, with nine hours remaining. They were soon 18 for three, as Lewis found the edge of the bats of Ramiz Raja, Asif Mujtaba and Miandad, all for ducks, in a high-quality spell. And when Salisbury had Malik caught with his fifth delivery, England had the sniff of victory. Gooch had two problems, however, Botham, still troubled by his groin, had been hit on the toe, and DeFreitas had strained his groin, too; neither could bowl. But Salisbury refused to be overawed by the occasion and, with the help of a foolish run-out and another neat catch by Hick at second slip off Malcolm, Pakistan were reduced to 95 for eight.

But the injuries told against England. Gooch had no one to administer the coup de grâce; Lewis, who had bowled his best spell in Test cricket, was running on empty. What England’s captain needed was an over from Wasim or Waqar. But they were batting for the other side and, slowly but surely, they took Pakistan to victory. Rarely can a Test crowd have been through so many emotions in a single day’s play.

England’s players were fined £330 each by referee Bob Cowper for their slow over-rate; it could have been £1,210, more than half their match fee, had he not allowed for interruptions and the long walk from the Lord’s dressing-rooms to the pitch. During the match, Cornhill announced an extension to their sponsorship of English Test cricket, paying £3.2 million for the privilege in 1993 and 1994. But, like the lucky 26,000 spectators, Cornhill will never get better value for their money than they did on this Sunday at Lord’s.

Man of the Match: Wasim Akram.

Attendance: 96,576; receipts £1,797,204.

© John Wisden & Co

First published in 1864, The Wisden Almanack is still recognised throughout the cricket world as the definitive recorder of the game. Click here to buy the 2011 edition of the Wisden Almanack

Pakistan

Unsurprisingly, Pakistan will keep faith with the 11 players who are on the brink of a famous series victory. They are buoyant, even if they have lost the services of squad member Mohammad Talha, the fast bowler, who has a back problem.

Much focus will be on Saeed Ajmal, who has taken more wickets (93) in his first 18 Tests than Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan at the same stage of their careers.

Meanwhile, Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan batsman, has said that England’s No.1 ranking is false because it was achieved in home conditions. He may have a point.

England

Coach
(or team director if you want to be fancy and give him his proper title) Andy Flower has some problem solving to do. Most pressingly he must work out how to counter the considerable threat of Ajmal and, more generally, the form of some of his batsmen.

There are worries about the play of Andrew Strauss, who has one half-century in 12 innings, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan. Only Morgan’s place is likely to be in doubt, however, with Ravi Bopara standing by.

Monty Panesar could be recalled, probably at the expense of Chris Tremlett. Panesar’s finger spin is a potentially potent weapon because the way the DRS system has encouraged umpires to raise their digits to batsmen padding up.

Venue and conditions

There’s not much to go on as there have been only two Tests played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. South Africa made 584 batting first there in 2010 and Pakistan responded with 434. When Pakistan met Sri Lanka last year, the ‘hosts’ amassed 511 for six and Sri Lanka 483. Both were stalemates. It would not surprise if there were a third. This pitch is flat, flat, flat.

Match odds

The draw is the favourite at 2.22 and we are sure that it will trade sub 2.00 at some stage during the contest. If the pitch plays as it has previously, then we could be in for a dull affair.

It is likely that both sides would settle for a draw. Pakistan, who have made no secret of attempting to bore England into submission, will happily bat for days while the tourists will just be keen to get a foothold in the series.

England are 3.55 with Pakistan 3.7. With Pakistan having stated their aim – and being unsure whether they are capable of back-to-back discipline in Tests – they could be an attractive lay at around those odds.

There has to be a suspicion that Pakistan are heavily reliant on Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal and if England are able to buckle down and blunt one of those weapons then they can go much better.

Indeed, we should not forget England’s record of hitting back after adversity. They are a resilient bunch who were possibly guilty of taking Pakistan lightly in Dubai, where they were beaten by 10 wickets. Matt Prior alluded to this when he said the result was a “slap in the face”. A wake-up call in other words.

Recommended Bet

Lay Pakistan at 3.7

England’s dismal batting

England supporters have enjoyed an 18-month period in which English blades dispatched red leather time and time again with ease, but in Dubai a sorry looking batting line-up were humiliated by a fast-improving Pakistan side.

Dean Wilson in the Daily Mirror:

“Jonathan Trott’s 49 showed that batting wasn’t impossible, but the fact that Graeme Swann’s swashbuckling 39 were as many runs as Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell managed in the match tells the story. Their shot selection was poor, the worst example being Pietersen’s top edged hook to deep square leg when the trap had been set and his team was in trouble.”

Vic Marks in The Guardian:

“Graham Gooch, the England batting coach, must be tearing his hair out (metaphorically, at least).
How is it that among the specialists only one, Jonathan Trott, suggested anything approaching serenity at the crease while the rest were hopping around like cats on hot tin roofs? … Moreover Pietersen attracts criticism as cameras do C-list celebrities, a group he is in danger of joining unless he scores some runs.”

Failure to deal with Saeed Ajmal

On a pitch that offered minimal purchase, the England batsmen simply self-destructed in the face of Saeed Ajmal’s barrage of offbreaks, doosras – and, very rarely, the odd teesra – as Pakistan’s mischievous spinner dominated day one.

John Etheridge in The Sun:

“England’s batsmen were sucked into the spinner’s web as Saeed Ajmal toyed with their techniques and messed with their minds. Forget for a moment all the talk about Ajmal’s action, this was a masterpiece of cunning and the spin bowler’s art. He blew the tourists apart.”

Mike Selvey in The Guardian:

“Maybe the England batsmen had been suckered by all the talk of his teesra. But surely the top team in the world cannot be that naive? Neither Bishen Bedi, nor Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, nor Abdul Qadir, nor Muttiah Muralitharan, nor Shane Warne had caused England’s best batsmen such embarrassment on a surface as harmless as an empty pincushion.”

Umar Gul terrorises England’s top-order

England were memorised by Pakistan’s twirlers in the first innings, but any suggestion that the seamers couldn’t get anything out the pitch were written off as nonsense as Umar Gul paved the way for victory within three days.

Scyld Berry in The Telegraph:

“The amazing thing was that England’s top-order collapse was even more inexcusable than their first. They were not bamboozled by the subtlety of Saeed Ajmal and his fellow-spinners, but bounced out by Umar Gul – bounced out on a slow pitch in the desert.”

Confusion over Hotspot

Day three saw some more DRS-related intrigue: third umpire Steve Davis was unable to overturn decisions against Saeed Ajmal (who definitely didn’t hit his) and Andrew Strauss (who probably didn’t) because Hotspot was either unavailable or inconclusive. Strauss looked about as cross as he gets.

David Lloyd in the Daily Mail:

“Everybody got hot under the collar about the DRS and you have to accept that the technology is not 100 per cent. Andrew Strauss took 10 seconds to decide to review his, so he wasn’t sure. Hotspot was inconclusive but there was a big noise. That’s what TV umpire Steve Davis went on.”

Nick Hoult in The Telegraph:

“Hotspot failed to pick up any impact on the bat, but Steve Davis decided there was not enough evidence to overrule the original decision… Strauss’s decision followed similar confusion over the wicket of Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, he referred the decision but it was upheld because the batsman was out of the television frame, meaning there was no Hotspot evidence to save him even though the replays looked to show he did not lay bat on ball.”

Read AOC editor Phil Walker on the plight of the solo English spinner in this week’s The Grubber

They say knowledge is power, but if you can find a way to use any of the below information for a practical purpose I’m Keith Dutch’s uncle. Not that it matters, of course – today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper after all, and at least you’d get a cheap laugh or two if you wrapped your battered sausage in these column inches.

With this in mind, every Friday I’ll be sharing five light-hearted lessons I’ve learnt over the course of the week. They may not change your life, but hopefully they’ll put a smile on your face. Enjoy…

Lesson 1. The solution to spot fixing is a mystery
The minutes of the MCC World Cricket committee are seldom a hotbed of hilarity, but I couldn’t help but raise a smile this week when I read the MCC Anti-Corruption Working Party’s recommendations to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). Still with me? Number eight on the list of 10 reads: “8 – ‘Mystery shopper’ operations should be considered, preferably directed at somebody already suspected.” Who would have thought undercover retail therapy was the solution to stopping naughty cricketers bowling no-balls?

Lesson 2. Standing up to the stumps is still a stinker
It was more a case of the fog of war than the heat of battle in Dubai this week, with England’s pre-match preparations not the only thing to backfire in the face of Saeed Ajmal… or rather wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. As this Hot Spot image shows, Ajmal’s myriad variations were far from the only breaking deliveries that Pakistan’s stumper had to deal with. I’m just glad they weren’t using DRS when Paula Radcliffe squatted down by the side of the road seven years ago.

Lesson 3. Seats at Old Trafford are cheaper than you think
As Lancashire’s elaborate re-development continues, local cricket clubs have been benefitting to the tune of hundreds of… old seats. Over 30 clubs have taken advantage of Lancashire’s laziness (I’m assuming they just couldn’t be bothered to go to the local tip) with Burscough Cricket Club, in West Lancashire, taking away 170 seats. What price on The Point turning up in Pontefract in the next five years?

Lesson 4. A wicket must be dry
Perth curator Cameron Sutherland found himself under the microscope this week when it emerged he had enjoyed a couple of beers on the WACA wicket the night before the third Test between Australia and India. They were captured on camera by an Indian television network relaxing on the strip, beers in hand. Graeme Wood, the WACA chief executive, explained the event and said at no stage was the surface in danger of damage: “It’s a traditional event. The groundstaff have put an enormous amount of work in at getting the wicket and the ground up to a magnificent state.” More interesting, however, was Sutherland’s own assessment, which hinted at a less than professional attitude to the groundsman’s noble art: “Up until the toss of the coin we can do anything we want to the wicket.”

Lesson 5. Batting’s a bit tougher than it looks
This week saw AOC’s intrepid editor Phil Walker head to the Lord’s nets to face some chin music from ‘demon quick’ Joe Denly. As you can see, Middlesex’s new signing clearly has pretensions as a tearaway quick, and our Phil (one minute in, if you’re wondering) isn’t quite the force he was back in his Essex U16s days. Before Phil drags me over the coals, I’ll hasten to add that we’ll soon be posting a slightly longer video, during which our glorious leader makes slightly more meaningful contact with the little red spherical thing.

For all the talk of dry, slow turning wickets, of Saeed Ajmal’s variations and England’s fallibilities against quality spin, it was a threat they’re far more familiar with that turned the screw in the visitors’ miserable start to the series: a tall fast bowler.

England have a few themselves. But despite disciplined, spirited attempts with the ball, the match sped towards an early conclusion as Umar Gul’s lively seam took 4-63 to support Ajmal’s 10 for the game. Maybe England’s shout of sticking with three quicks was the right call: they can take wickets out in Dubai. Gul showed that the right mix of full and short deliveries (although aided by some average batting, this time) has devastating potential on these surfaces.

That short ball was key. Aizaz Cheema got Jonathan Trott strangled down the leg side in the first dig, and in the second both Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook fell in similar fashion to Gul. If you have enough pace, or can hit the seam, it seems you can make things happen. The ball before Stuart Broad’s classic delivery to dismiss Taufeeq Umar on day two, he had Mohammad Hafeez dropped after banging one in that got big on the Pakistan opener, and that in a period where England had struggled to look threatening. On this pitch at least, where the mantra to pitch it up and bowl straight had been oft-repeated, the odd surprise short ball has been effective.

So for Gul, who had Strauss caught behind after an intriguing review that showed nothing on Hot Spot. The England captain’s was not a particularly poor shot, a touch unlucky perhaps. The same cannot be said of Cook and Kevin Pietersen. Shaping initially to pull a short ball down leg, Cook changed his shot too late, and was unable to prevent the ball brushing his gloves on the way through. Pietersen’s dismissal will draw even less sympathy, slapping as he did a short ball down deep-square’s throat – not for the first time, you will remember. But to give Gul his credit, KP didn’t intend to hit the ball up as he did: the bowler’s height and pace produced a bit of extra bounce, enough to make Pietersen’s cross-bat attempted whack a bit of a top edge that ballooned in the air.

There’s no doubt Pakistan lost two brilliant seam bowlers in Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, but the revived side under Misbah-ul-Haq has a good bowler leading the attack, armed with pace and movement. There’s no mystery: England have seen plenty of him and his type in the past, they just failed to deal with it. That his four-fer can be added to the success stories of Ajmal (and Abdur Rehman, a more traditional but still threatening left-arm spinner) makes Pakistan look a pretty potent force at the moment. If they were to lose the series from here it would most likely be their batting, which includes a longer-than-ideal tail, that would be to blame.

For now, it’s England’s batsmen that are striving for improvement. An aggregate of 143 runs in the match by the top six illustrates where they lost the game on this supposedly placid track. As they enter the second Test at Abu Dhabi 1-0 down they will have an in-form seamer as well as a mystery spinner to contend with.

Check out day two’s Game Changer by Chris Airey.

Just before half-past twelve on the fifth day of the final Test, Pakistan achieved the greatest moment of their short career as a cricket country by beating England and so sharing the rubber. Their success was well deserved, for they showed great fighting spirit when victory seemed beyond their grasp.

To Fazal Mahmood, the medium-paced bowler, went chief credit, his six wickets in each innings causing the batting failures of England. Others who played leading roles in the triumph were the late batsmen, particularly Zulfiqar Ahmed, Wazir Mohammad, Shuja-ud-Din and Mahmood Hussain.

England did not field their full strength, the selectors deciding that the opportunity of Test match experience should be given to some of the players chosen to tour Australia a few weeks later. Thus two stalwarts, Alec Bedser and Trevor Bailey, were omitted. Tyson and Loader, both fast bowlers, replaced them and they in no way let down the side; but it can fairly be said that the determined batting of Bailey was badly missed and that Bedser might have turned the match on a pitch ideally suited to a bowler of his type. The England “tail” proved far too long for a Test match and at the vital stage this weakness almost certainly meant the difference between victory and defeat.

The events of the first day did not suggest that England were in for such a struggle. Overnight and morning rain prevented a start until half-past two, and Pakistan, who won the toss, soon found themselves in trouble. The pitch did not become difficult, but the ball occasionally did the unexpected. Weak batting mainly accounted for seven wickets falling for 51 runs. The England policy of going into the match with three fast bowlers at first brought reward. Statham dismissed Hanif with the last ball of the opening over and Tyson and Loader carried on the good work. Tyson, after beginning with an erratic over, soon found his length and in his third over he bowled Alim-ud-Din and Maqsood with successive deliveries.

A Pakistan recovery began after tea. Kardar stayed 70 minutes before Evans held his third catch of the innings. The success was the 131st by Evans in Test cricket, a new record beating the 130 of Oldfield, the Australian. The last two wickets added 56, Zulfiqar, Shuja and Mahmood Hussain playing the bowling with surprising ease, Shuja batted almost two hours for 16 not out. Tyson and Loader took seven wickets between them, making satisfactory Test debuts.

Only two overs could be bowled in England’s innings before the close. Next day a cloudburst in the 10 minutes between 11.50 a.m. and noon put the ground under water and prevented cricket. The Oval presented an astonishing sight with miniature lakes and pools over it. Naturally the pitch suffered and next day England underwent a nasty experience. The ball often rose awkwardly from a length and Fazal and Hussain made the most of the conditions. The English batsmen tried unsuccessfully to hit their way out of trouble. Compton made a gallant attempt, staying two hours 20 minutes, but he was missed three times. Pakistan celebrated the seventh anniversary of their Independence Day by gaining a lead of three runs. Fazal bowled throughout the innings and his figures, six for 53, would have been much better but for dropped catches. For all that, every England batsman was caught.

The pitch, drying out, was more in favour of spin when Pakistan went in again, but although Wardle bowled cleverly, McConnon failed to seize his opportunity. Shuja opened the innings with Hanif and again batted steadily, but Pakistan lost four wickets for 63 by the close. The early stages of the fourth day suggested an early victory for England. Pakistan at one stage were 82 for eight, but again they came back strongly. The last two wickets doubled the total, Wazir Mohammad and Zulfiqar adding 58 for the ninth. Wazir, who spent half-an-hour over his first run, played a defiant innings of two and three-quarter hours. Wardle finished with the impressive figures of seven for 56.

England needed 168 to win and appeared keen to get the runs in the two hours 35 minutes available that evening. Simpson and May put on 51 in forty minutes for the second wicket. May batted beautifully for 53 and when he left victory for England seemed near, only 59 runs being needed with seven wickets to fall. Then came a surprising decision, Evans being sent in, presumably to attempt to force a win in the half an hour which remained. Evans failed and so did Graveney, and when Compton fell just before the close, Pakistan were on top. With all the recognised batsmen gone and McConnon having to bat with a dislocated finger – the result of a fielding accident – England began the last day needing 43 to win with four wickets left. In 55 minutes the match was over, the cautious methods of the remaining England batsmen proving of no avail. Fazal, who this time took six wickets for 46, was helped considerably by the safe wicketkeeping of Imtiaz, who held seven catches in the match.

This was the first defeat for England in a home match since South Africa won at Nottingham in June 1951. On the Saturday 16,800 people paid for admission, the second highest number since the war. The total attendance was around 25,000. The crowd on Monday reached about 24,000, and these two splendid gates went a long way towards giving Pakistan their profit on the tour.

© John Wisden & Co

58 years on from Pakistan’s first ever Test win over England, the Wisden Almanack is still recognised throughout the cricket world as the definitive recorder of the game. Click here to buy the 2011 edition of the Wisden Almanack

There are a number of potential challengers to Graeme Swann’s position as the world’s best Test spinner, but with due respect to Shakib Al Hasan, Rangana Herath and Daniel Vettori, his most serious rival is Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, a fellow offspinner who has been steadily climbing the ICC rankings since making his belated Test debut in 2009 at the age of 31.

Both men are bound to get through a lot of overs on the flat wickets out in the UAE, so the series could well come down to which of these spin kings performs best. And the numbers suggest that Ajmal is the man in form. Whilst Swann had a perfectly respectable 2011 (27 wickets at 34.22 apiece), Ajmal’s stats were the more impressive. In eight Tests, he amassed 50 scalps at an average of just 23.86.

He has said that he will unleash a new delivery in the UAE, although this kind of talk from spinners should be taken with a pinch of salt. Shane Warne was always claiming to have come up with something new (anyone remember the zooter?) But Ajmal clearly believes it’s worth playing these mind games, perhaps because many of the England players have struggled against him in the recent past.

At The Oval during the ill-fated tour of 2010, it became apparent that England’s batsmen were not picking Ajmal’s doosra. Although Mohammed Amir’s five-wicket haul in the second innings took the headlines, it was the spinner who created panic as one batsman after another played down the wrong line. And whilst Ajmal should be able to repeat the dose in the UAE, Swann may struggle.

Swann is essentially an orthodox offspinner. He gives the ball a big tweak, but is primarily aiming to beat batsmen with flight. This makes him a highly entertaining bowler to watch, but his style is not well suited to the wickets in the UAE, where any turn will be slow and there will be little bounce to bring the bat-pad catchers into play. In those conditions, against batsmen adept at playing spin, giving the ball more air just means they will have more time to pick their shot.

By contrast, Ajmal is an offspinner in the modern mode. He bowls with a quicker, flatter trajectory that hurries batsmen. But his most dangerous attribute is the ability to spin it both ways with little discernable change of action. In fact, in 2011, he seemed to bowl as many doosras as orthodox offbreaks. If the batsman is unable to read him, Ajmal need only turn the ball a fraction in either direction to take a wicket and so does not depend as much as Swann on assistance from the pitch.

Of course, Swann should not be underrated. Great bowlers rise to new challenges and he has a perfectly respectable record on sub-continental style pitches, albeit from only four Tests. But it is hard to escape the conclusion that these UAE wickets on which Ajmal recently claimed 18 victims in a series against Sri Lanka, will suit the Pakistani offspinner more than his English counterpart and it is Ajmal who makes more appeal in the top series bowler market at around 5.5.

Under Misbah-ul-haq, Pakistan are a cautious outfit and undefeated in the five Tests they have played in the UAE. Their game plan will be for their stodgy batting line-up to slowly grind out decent scores before allowing Ajmal to weave his magic. With just a four-man bowling attack and with Swann not likely to have things his own way, England will struggle to force victories and are well worth laying at 2.24 in the series winner market.

Click here to read former England captain Michael Vaughan’s betting advice on the upcoming series.

England’s long wait before resuming their Test cricket campaign as the world’s highest ranked team is about to come to an end. They are due to take on Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates with the first Test getting underway on Tuesday January 17.

It will be the first time the sides have met at Test level since the 2010 tour, which ended with an atmosphere more suited to a state funeral. There’s no point digging up all the dirt again, we all know what happened, and it’s time to move on and start afresh.

Particularly, because Pakistan could prove a serious Test for Andrew Strauss’ men. Under the phlegmatic leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan have become incredibly tough to beat, and having become accustomed to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi in recent months, they are certain to enter the series with plenty of confidence.

As such, it appears England are much too short a price to win the series and an England lay at 2.28 is recommended. That investment could quickly be turned into a green screen if Pakistan win the first Test at odds of 3.85.

If you’re sticking with the number one ranked Test team in the world you can get 2.92 on England, but the draw is 2.46 favourite due to the assumption the wicket will be batsman-friendly.

Click here to read former England captain Michael Vaughan’s betting advice on the upcoming series.

As part of our fast bowling special, Ed Davis caught up with Middlesex’s finest at Lord’s and talked over what it takes to be a success at the highest level. For the full interview, check out our latest issue (available at WHSmiths and all good newsagents, naturally), but if you can’t wait here are a few excerpts that even we couldn’t fit into our most packed-out issue ever.

Has it always been about bowling fast for you?
I’ve always loved bowling, always. When I was younger I probably neglected other bits of my game because I just bowled all the time. Fast bowling has been my passion since I was about seven years old. I loved running in and bowling quick, and my professional career is just a continuation of that. I’m not one of these guys who you hear about who was a batsman until he was 18 or anything like that. I’ve always been a lanky streak of p*** as well, which I guess helped…

What are your earliest memories of the game?
Playing with my dad, who was a very good club cricketer, during the lunch interval at his matches at a place called Watford Town Cricket Club. I’d bowl to him with an Incrediball and really run in and try to bowl quick. There were some really great guys down there at the club who used to just bat or keep wicket for me – I would just spend hours steaming in and bowling as fast as I possibly could. It’s just one of those things that I have always enjoyed doing.

What was your father like as a cricketer? Are you a chip off the old block?
He was a left-arm seamer and quite well renowned in Hertfordshire club cricket. He was pretty quick at one time. Later on he was in a car accident and never fully recovered his pace, so he ended up becoming a thrifty kind of bowler. I still get people coming up to me saying ‘you’re Terry Finn’s son, but you’re not as good as he was’. In fact, I got a letter in my pigeonhole here the other day saying exactly that!

What does it feel like to bowl well in a Test match? Can you describe your thought process when you just know today is going to be your day?
On the days when everything seems to be going your way, you just don’t think about anything other than the delivery you’re going to bowl that will get the batsman out – you run up, take a wicket and go down to fine leg and think about the next batsman you’re going to be bowling to. You’re not thinking about numbers or statistics, you’re not thinking about how cream-crackered you are and you’re not thinking about any technical elements of your action, you’re just thinking what’s going to happen in the future. That’s the great thing about cricket – what’s happened has happened. I guess that applies equally to when you’re playing well as when you’re playing badly; it is easy to wipe your slate clean and move on to the next ball. I think that’s one of the most important things I’ve learned over the last 18 months to two years, since I’ve been playing international cricket, really: cricket is about wiping the slate clean and going again with your next delivery.

What’s the best piece of bowling advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best advice I’ve ever gotten is that it’s very easy to forget the basics. The basic principle of fast bowling that chimes with me is that you have to work in straight lines. Straight lines are important because if you’re running in at an angle and your feet are crossing over at the crease there are more things to go wrong in your action, making it harder for you to achieve your goal of being consistent.

It’s very easy as a cricketer to subconsciously develop bad habits, and you don’t really realise until you play how costly they can be. For instance, at the start of the season, for one reason or another, my run-up had gotten a little bit wide, making it harder work for me to get my body straight through the crease. To straighten myself up, I would draw myself an invisible wall that I walked alongside as I got back to my mark. I couldn’t turn until I’d gone beyond that wall in my follow through, which meant everything was far better aligned when I got through the crease and everything was far better aligned once I’d gone through the crease. It helped massively in terms of improving my consistency.

To read more from Steven Finn and a host of other fast bowlers, including Richard Hadlee, Colin Croft and Andy Roberts, pick up a copy of AOC 88 – in shops now.

But one area in which the cupboard looks a little bare is at the top of the batting order. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook are as reliable and productive an opening pair as there is in world cricket, but whom would the selectors turn to should injury strike, and, in the long-term, who is the likely replacement for the England skipper when he decides to hang up his boots? Jon Waring takes a look at five potential candidates.

Michael Carberry

The Hampshire opener has been in and around the national side in the past, winning a solitary Test cap against Bangladesh and scoring 30 and 34 on debut in Chittagong, but fitness has not been kind to the 31-year-old. A blood clot on his lung prevented him from touring Australia with the England Performance Programme in November 2010 and left his career in doubt, but a score of 300* against Yorkshire just nine months later was testament to his mental strength and ability. Age is not on his side though, and he cannot realistically be considered a viable long-term replacement for Strauss. He may, however, be the first port of call should either of the incumbents break a pinky.

In The Know: “He’s got this saying of Graham Gooch’s – ‘you never have enough’ – and that was the theme for the last couple of hours [of his 300]. Carbs is one of the hardest workers I know and to achieve what he’s done is magnificent.”
Fellow Hampshire batsman Neil McKenzie

Jonathan Trott

Trott would likely be the immediate choice given his considerable international experience, rock-solid temperament, and the fact he possesses the necessary technique to fill an opening berth. A move to the top of the order would pave the way for Ian Bell to move up to No.3 – a position he has openly admitted he prefers – but England may be reluctant to move Trott in the long-term given how successful he has been at first drop.

In The Know: “He always had the ability to dominate attacks, and to make batting on difficult wickets look easy. There was an underlying self-belief there and he has built on that self-belief – not arrogance – and become a more complete batsman.”
Former South Africa coach Eric Simons

James Taylor

ECB lead batting coach Graham Thorpe recommended that the Nottinghamshire middle-order man have a go at opening the batting while with the EPP in the Caribbean last winter to “get him out of his comfort zone”, perhaps revealing a long-term plan for the youngster to move up the order. Judging by the high regard he is held in by the England management, it won’t be too much longer before he makes his senior bow and don’t be surprised to see him creep up the order as his career progresses. He’ll remain in the middle-order for the time being though.

In The Know: “James has been identified as an England player of the future for quite some time. There’s the clarity of mind of a Jonathan Trott or an Alastair Cook in the way he goes about acquiring runs, which we think in time could develop into something quite special.”
ECB performance director David Parsons

Alex Hales

A powerful, hard-hitting opener who looks to impose himself on bowling attacks, Hales has already opened the batting for England in Twenty20 cricket. Whether he has the technique to succeed at the top of the order in Test cricket remains to be seen but the Notts right-hander is a serious talent with wonderful timing and, at his best, bears resemblance to Marcus Trescothick.

In The Know: “Alex is a tall guy and he strikes the ball hard. He has an extremely high strike-rate and he’s done really well in red ball and white ball cricket. He’s an exciting talent.”
England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad

Joe Root

A compact batsman with a stylish technique, the 20-year-old can already count Geoffrey Boycott among his fans. Possessing a cover drive to rival that of Michael Vaughan and a wise head on young shoulders, Root has already broken into the EPP after making good strides with Yorkshire and looks set for a bright future, potentially at the top of England’s batting order.

In The Know: “The feedback we’ve had from his county coaches is that he’s of sound character and temperament. You look at him technically and there’s a certain efficiency of movement which suggests he could at some time in the future go on and play at a higher level.”
ECB performance director David Parsons

All Out Cricket has teamed up with sports forum 606 v2 to discuss the game with thousands of like-minded cricket fans. To discuss this article and hundred of other cricketing issues, check out 606 v2 today.

The old cliché “if something isn’t broken don’t fix it” seems to have been the mantra reverberating around the walls of the room when the English selectors gathered to pick the squad for the forthcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE.

The first Test gets underway on January 17 and the squad of 16 players that has been picked has a very familiar look to it. Ravi Bopara coming in for Paul Collingwood, who retired from Test cricket at the beginning of this year, is the only change from the victorious 2010-11 touring Ashes squad.

Graham Onions has been added to the party and, although he is not an official member of the squad, he looks likely to leap-frog the number two spin bowler if a couple of the fast bowlers break down. But should he? What’s wrong with going with two spinners?

The inclusion of Monty Panesar gladdens the heart. There’s something reassuring about having Monty around the place. It’s a bit like having fruit in the bowl at home, you know it’s good for you but it often gets overlooked for the sexier option.

His form for Sussex this year was good enough to earn him a place on the plane but will it be good enough to get him out to the middle and have Andrew Strauss throw him the ball?

There were a number of options available to the selectors when it came to picking Graeme Swann’s number two. Many pundits thought Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel should get the nod. The train of thought being that the days of gaining experience by being around the squad are long gone for Monty whilst Patel would benefit from the trip, even if he didn’t get much action.

The perception that Monty is coming to the end of his career whilst Patel is a young up-and-coming talent doesn’t carry much weight. Whilst Monty is no spring chicken, he’s not ready for the nursing home either. He’ll be 30 next year whilst Samit is not too far behind him; he celebrated his 27th birthday a couple of weeks ago.

They should both be at the peak of their game but with England boasting a genuine world-class spinner in Swann, there have not been many opportunities for anybody else to show what they can do. Unlike other team games that use substitutes and replacements to influence matches, members of a cricket touring party that aren’t in the starting 11 are about as involved as David Cameron at the Eurozone Christmas Karaoke.

In fact they’re treated even more contemptuously, used as drink waiters and message boys, gophering for the warriors in the middle. It has to be soul destroying and demeaning, but this tour looks tailor-made for a double spin attack.

Pakistan are finding little resistance from Bangladesh in the ongoing series, but will not have it so easy in January. England should prove to be much sterner opposition which should set up a cracking series, one that could well be decided by quality spin bowling on the last day of the Test matches.

Latest prices show England as 2.2 favourites to win the series with Pakistan at 3.0 and a drawn series 3.3.

England are taking two quality spinners with them to the UAE, let’s hope they both get a chance to shine in tandem.

For all the latest odds check out wwwbetfair.com

England’s fast bowling coach David Saker has only been in the job for 18 months but in that time he has played a key role in the astronomical rise that has seen Andrew Strauss’ side break their Ashes hoodoo Down Under before sending India packing in comprehensive fashion to claim the title of the world’s best Test side.

Saker’s influence was felt particularly keenly during the historic victory in Australia, where  – having reportedly championed the cause of surprise pick Chris Tremlett – the Victorian’s local nous proved vital, as he nurtured a highly skilled and relentlessly efficient bowling unit that the Aussies simply never came to terms with.

The 45-year-old earned a three-year contract on the back of the Ashes victory and 12 months on he believes his stable of pacemen are the best in the world, with plenty of strength in depth should injury strike. “We have a group of about six or seven fantastic fast bowlers and I am very fortunate to be working with those guys,” said Saker. “Chris Tremlett is coming back from injury and looking like getting back to his best, Steve Finn was outstanding in India and has made a real claim for a Test spot, Jimmy Anderson and Tim Bresnan continue to perform well and we have Stuart Broad as well. So we’ve got a great group of fast bowlers, and we have Graham Onions who hardly ever gets mentioned who is another fantastic fast bowler.

“I think it is the best attack in the world, for sure. We have got a guy who can swing the new ball and get early wickets, we have some tall guys who get the ball to bounce sharply and can cause batsmen trouble, and we have the world’s best spinner, so we have great variety and all bases covered as a bowling group.”

With the low attendances at the recent Test series in South Africa and India and the postponement of the inaugural World Test Championship until at least 2017, there has been increasing concern that the future of the longest format is under threat. But Saker believes there will always be a place for Test cricket and expects the upcoming series between England and South Africa next summer to be a fantastic advert for the game.

“I think Test matches in England are always even as far as bat versus ball; bat doesn’t always dominate and the ball doesn’t always dominate and I think those sort of Test matches are always the most entertaining,” said Saker. “I watched the two Tests in South Africa very closely and with great interest. The home side looked very good and it is going to be a great battle here in England this summer.

“They have got a very good bowling attack as well and it will be interesting to see how those Test matches go and we hope that we can come out on top. The batsmen will have to work very, very hard for their runs, on both sides, and I think that will make for a very good Test series.”

The next step for England is the UAE in the New Year – where Strauss and his team will take on a resurgent Pakistan side in a three-Test series – and Saker says he is in for the long-haul, with the side intent on holding on to the No.1 ranking. “I hope to stay in the job for some time to come – I love it. It has been a great 18 months, we have won quite a few things during that time and it has been great to work with such a great group of guys.”

Click here to read more from Chris Airey at Boundary Magazine. 

Andrew Hall believes the bowlers will hold the key next summer when South Africa travel to England for a three-Test series. The tourists, who are currently ranked second in the ICC Test Rankings, last visited English shores back in 2008 as favourites – but now the tables have turned, with England crowned the world’s best Test team after their demolition of India.

India’s toothless bowling attack was taken to the cleaners by England’s in-form batsmen but with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in their ranks, South Africa’s arsenal is likely to be a far tougher proposition. Hall, who played 21 Tests for South Africa between 2002 and 2007, says the contest between the opposing bowlers is likely to decide the series.

“It is all about the bowling department – both teams have very good bowling line-ups and it will come down to how well the two batting teams can perform on the day,” says the 36-year-old. “Playing on English wickets against the English team, who have been playing as well as they have over the last summer, will be difficult for South Africa. It’s clearly going to be a very closely fought contest. I think it is too close to call at this stage.”

Hall concedes that England deserve to top the ICC rankings after a string of eight series wins in the last nine, but the Northants allrounder has also been impressed with the South Africa team of late and their stunning victory in the first Test against Australia in Cape Town suggests they are ready to challenge Enlgland for the crown of the world’s best Test outfit.

“England are playing well and deserve to be the number one ranked side – and you can see that the quality in the county game has improved and this has obviously helped. But South Africa have also had some good results and they are doing well. It will be a battle between South Africa and England over the next 12 months for the number one spot, and I think South Africa can push them all the way.”

Hall exited the international stage four years ago but is still going strong as captain of Northants, who missed out on promotion to Division One of the County Championship by just one point after occupying the top two spots for the vast majority of the season.

After a positive season, Hall signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at Northants until 2014 and now has his sights set on moving the club forward. He hopes to develop the club on and off the field – but his first aim is to get the county back into Division One. “Promotion is still our first and foremost goal. We have already come close a couple of times, but with some hard work over the summer I think we can do it.

“I am now here full-time, all year round, where I hope to spend a lot of time with the youngsters at the club. I think the off-season is crucial time as we plan and prepare for the new season, and I hope to spread my knowledge from playing Test cricket to not only the young players, but to everyone at Northants. I also hope to help the club commercially, trying to bring in more sponsors to hopefully generate more money for the county.”

Hall is excited by the host of young, talented players within the first team set-up and hopes they can develop into established cricketers as quickly as possible and build on last year’s success. “Overall we did well last year, but I felt that we didn’t exploit fully the chances we had in some games. This is something we will have to improve on next season as we’ll have to make sure we take full advantage of those situations. But at the moment it is really exciting to have the amount of youngsters we have coming through.

“We’ve got guys like Jack Brooks, Niall O’Brien, Ben Howgego and Rob Newton – these guys are the future of Northants Cricket Club. It’s really important that we work with them and help them develop in to top performing cricketers as quickly as possible.”

In 2011, Hall enjoyed his first full-season as club captain and is full of confidence as he looks ahead to the next campaign and eyes another promotion bid. “I think it’s a great job to have especially with the players we have got. The players we’ve got have been playing exceptionally well and this always makes my job as captain a little less difficult.

“We got some good characters in our side that help to keep us nice and relaxed, but it keeps you on your toes and I really enjoy that from my side. I was really looking forward to it when I was given the opportunity to take over the captaincy, it’s something I really enjoy doing. When the guys are in good spirit and playing well, I just have to make sure that I keep them in the right frame of mind.”

HEADBUTTED each other while batting
Because we saw Dave Warner and Daniel Smith do it in the Champions League.

LOOKED at Rob Key in a different light
Apparently, he once faked his own death in La Manga… for a laugh.

STUMBLED across England’s worst ever one-day kit
And been reminded of the blue packs of Fisherman’s Friend

TWEAKED our website
Go on, go and have a look around!

SYMPATHISED with Andrew Gale
Who, after a tough season, fainted while having a routine injection.

WONDERED how Niall O’Brien and Will Porterfield were cast in a Bollywood movie
Shooting starts this month, we’re told.

To keep up-to-date with the latest goings on at AOC Towers, keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

For India, Gautam Gambhir misses this one-off game for his wedding; Robin Uthappa is the most likely replacement. Uthappa is a class act and his average of 18 in Twenty20 internationals rather does him disservice. Yusuf Pathan, the brutish hitter and canny spinner, will also come into the team.

England, meanwhile, have said goodbye to ODI skipper Alastair Cook, and Graeme Swann will lead the team because Stuart Broad, the official skipper, is injured. Jonathan Trott has also returned home so there could be a spot for Alex Hales at the top of the order. Jos Buttler will also be hoping to get a run out.

In the most recent IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders played five matches there and there was a real hotchpotch of totals: 163, 81, 132, 171 and 119. Three of the games were won by the side batting second.

India are 1.69 to make it six consecutive wins over England, who are the No 1 ranked side in the world in this format and the holders of the World T20. One could be forgiven for backing them at 2.44 on those facts alone.

However, they have largely achieved those heights thanks to players who are not involved this time: Broad, the injured Eoin Morgan and the discarded Paul Collingwood.

It is likely that England will trade at lower than their current price but by the same token India could drift. And we would rather be on the side of the hosts at something around 1.90 in-running.

Otherwise, we are not too sure how seriously these sides are taking this game. Both outfits have only had one net session ahead of the game, having enjoyed time off because of Diwali celebrations.

Recommended bet

India at 1.90 or better in-running

A heightened sense of anticipation surrounds England’s ODI tour of India – set to begin in Hyderabad on October 14 – with both squads littered with fresh, young talent looking to establish themselves on the world stage. Expect buckets of excitement, unpredictability and, judging by the weather forecast, no little sweat over the next fortnight.

A look back at England’s recent ODI record in India makes for uncomfortable reading for Three Lions supporters. England have not won a limited-overs series on Indian soil since the 1984/85 tour and on their last visit they were put to the sword in humiliating fashion, with Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh taking the tourists to the cleaners in a 5-0 whitewash before the Mumbai terrorist attacks brought a premature end to the series. So, what must England do to record their first ODI series win in India for 26 years?

Master The Spin

As is always the case in the sub-continent, winning the spin battle will be key. England’s tweakers need to build scoreboard pressure in the middle overs but they must also pose a wicket threat. The visitors possess the world’s best ODI bowler in Graeme Swann, but Alastair Cook was guilty of setting defensive fields to the offspinner in the home series against India and he must use him as an attacking force in favourable conditions. Samit Patel and Scott Borthwick – who has already made a considerable impact on his first senior tour – are likely to be fighting it out for the second spin slot, although Cook could opt to play all three should conditions dictate.

Meanwhile, England’s batsmen will have to keep the scoreboard ticking over when facing India’s twirlers. They have typically struggled in the middle overs against spin, with promising starts all to frequently grinding to a halt, and they must be prepared to take the attack to R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and novice leggie Rahul Sharma.

Pace Is Ace

Conditions typically favour the batsmen in Indian conditions and this series is likely to be no different, so it will be interesting to see how England’s inexperienced seam attack fare on flat tracks. Steven Finn has found an extra yard of pace of late and that raw speed could prove crucial with movement in the air and off the pitch at a premium. Similarly, the surprise selection of Surrey paceman Stuart Meaker can be attributed to his ability to hit the 90mph mark. By contrast, India’s seam attack are likely to be operating at little more than 80mph. Jade Dernbach, meanwhile, will be relying on his bag of tricks to bamboozle the Indians and it will interesting to see how effective his canny mix of slower balls prove in the subcontinent.

No Growing Pains

England’s squad contains just three players over the age of 30 and the younger members of the side will need to find their feet quickly in alien conditions and shoulder responsibility.  It has been a mark of Andy Flower’s regime that he’s been prepared to give youngsters their head and encouraged them to play with freedom and the early signs from Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes and Borthwick have been hugely promising, but playing the World Cup winners in their own backyard will be a whole new test.

Foot On The Gas

A top three that’s likely to feature both Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott – with four ODI sixes between them – is, on the face of it, not ideally suited to sub-continental conditions when making use of the powerplays is so crucial. Cook has shown great adaptability since returning to the limited-overs side – averaging 58.37 since taking over as captain – but he and Trott must ensure they pull their weight and don’t heap too much boundary hitting responsibility on Craig Kieswetter. The Somerset keeper has a healthy strike-rate of 92.83 in ODIs, but his best innings have often come after a patient start and he must be allowed to play himself in.

More From KP

Fresh from a rest period, Kevin Pietersen says he is fully focused on scoring runs and regaining his ODI form after averaging just 17.40 from his last five matches and failing to score a century for three years. He started the tour with two failures in the warm-up matches and his position in the side is justifiably under threat but the truth of the matter is that in a batting order largely made of accumulators rather than dashers, and lacking Eoin Morgan, England need Pietersen to come to the party if they are to continue their dominance over India.

So what does it take to successfully stage an international cricket match? Clinical decision-making? Absolutely. Supreme organisation? A must. A good pudding? Essential, it would seem. In fact, The Oval’s control room got through 120 Krispy Kreme doughnuts over the course of this summer’s Test match, and I swiftly learn that head of operations Scott Carey is positively jubilant on discovering that Eton mess is on the menu today for today’s ODI between England and India.

In addition to a delicious dessert, Carey can call upon 50 CCTV cameras, 27 police officers and a small army of stewards to keep everything running smoothly. Yet with 23,000 people pouring into little more than half a square kilometre, it’s easier said than done.

Not that you’d think it watching Carey and his team at work. Many have an ex-uniform background and are just the people you’d want around in a crisis. Whether they’re finding a seat for Mick Jagger’s bodyguard or turning on the floodlights for the umpires (at £1,500 a pop), every challenge that the day throws up is overcome with a calmness and professionalism that makes Eoin Morgan look positively flustered. As Carey says: “It’s a good humoured place. Everyone has a laugh and a joke, but when something happens, everyone is switched on.”

Today is no exception, as a busy afternoon for The Oval’s bars ensures that there’s plenty to keep Carey and his team occupied. A total of only seven people were ejected from all five days of this year’s Test, yet at the ODI that figure is equalled with 10 overs of the day’s play remaining. Stewards in the stands identify abusive fans, who are then warned, monitored via CCTV and, if necessary, removed from the ground by the chief steward. However, Carey is quick to point out that his team try to adopt a balanced approach: “We’re not the fun police. We want people to have a good time, but responsibly.”

Scott Carey (standing) shows off The Oval's control centre

Part of this alcohol strategy involves carefully managing what comes in and out of the ground, with fans going to ever-greater lengths to smuggle their own booze inside. Particularly innovative efforts include beer cans in Pringles containers, wine bags down pants and, best of all, a bottle of vodka in a hollowed out raw marrow. The latter unsurprisingly aroused attention as a rather unusual choice of lunch.

Suspicious vegetables are just the tip of the iceberg as far as the ground’s security is involved. Every match is preceded by a counter terrorism consultation with the Met and a thorough search of the ground, after which all incoming traffic is carefully monitored. This match has proved a particular headache, as the Indian team have requested extra security (having been in Birmingham at the time of the riots) and former prime minister John Major has decided to pop down for a day at the cricket. Add to this the responsibility of protecting a £4 million playing surface and you can begin to get an idea of the massive security challenge that each international game presents.

Jack Bauer stuff aside, the sheer logistics of staging a match is baffling. With next to no parking space in the ground, it’s amazing how all the coaches, players, sponsors, TV crews, ground staff and caterers can get set up for a game without staging a Berlin-style airlift over Kennington. Staff are at the ground from 5.30 am, carefully coordinating access into and out of the ground so that everything is in place come the first ball.

Going from a full house for an ODI on Friday to 1,500 for a first-class game on Monday also presents its own particular problems. The vast majority of match-day staff are supplied by a private contractor, with The Oval only retaining a small number of permanent employees to oversee day-to-day operations, tot up the books and plan for upcoming events, and while this provides a welcome flexibility, unfamiliarity with the ground and unexpected absences mean that getting stewards in the right place at the right time is yet another headache for the Control Room. Nothing that one more meticulously planned schedule can’t solve though.

Come 9.30, it’s all over. Another England win, another successful day for Carey and his team. My head’s spinning, and I’ve just been watching! In the hands of lesser men, there simply wouldn’t be any cricket to go and watch.