da fezbet： The second `Test’ between India and England Under-19s ended in a tame draw on the fourth and final day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday
Santhosh S22-Jul-2009The second `Test’ between India and England Under-19s ended in a tame draw on the fourth and final day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday. At close of play England were 64/2 off 34 overs, in their second innings. John Sadler and Gary Pratt were unbeaten on 31 and 19 respectively.The pitch had not changed, even after four days’ cricket. It looked good enough to last for a few more weeks. As the Indian coach Roger Binny put it: “I can’t even see the bowler’s boot marks”.The weather throughout the four days was kind enough. England were the only team with a chance of winning but a combination of complacency and incompetent fielding saw to it that they drew the game from a winning position.Resuming at 241/0 in their second innings, India Colts got down to the business of scoring quick runs. Vinayak Mane was in punishing mood, playing the horizontal bat shot with considerable style and substance. Early in the day, he played a rousing pull shot off Ian Pattison over the square leg fence for a huge six. Gautam Gambhir too kept up with the pace, driving and pulling with ease.The English bowlers, who bowled too short and wide of the stumps, fed the stylish batsmen. More often than not the ball was played through the gaps or over the field, leaving the fielders to watch the ball race to the fence. Monty Panesar, the only specialist spinner in the English side, proved to be ineffective. Mane danced down the track and lofted him straight over the sight screen for a huge six.Mane was the first to get to his double century, square driving Gordon Muchall for a couple. Two balls later, he went for his favourite pull off a short-of-a-length ball from Muchall and skied an easy catch to Ian Bell running in from mid-wicket. Mane’s 201 came off 239 balls and included 23 powerfully struck fours and four sixes. The first wicket partnership put on 391 runs in just 312 minutes and off only 75.4 overs.YG Rao, who replaced Mane, soon perished, hooking at a shorter one from Muchall and John Sadler took a good catch diving forward. Alind Naidu, facing the prospect of a pair, looked shaky to start with, surviving a close call for lbw before opening his account with a streaky single, the ball going off theedge past Panesar in the slips off Sadler.Gambhir got to his double hundred in the last over before lunch. Helived dangerously, flashing and chasing at balls outside the off stump.Soon after the interval, Gambhir ran himself out by going for a thirdrun off a mis-field. He could not make it to the crease, as ChrisTremlett ran him out with a good throw from the cover fence. Gambhirmade 212 runs off 241 balls, striking two sixes and 25 boundaries.Naidu who had a shaky start, looked good in parts but often flashed outsidethe off stump to be beaten a few times. The introduction of Panesar made adifference. Naidu going for a big shot was well caught by Muchall for35 runs made in 44 balls. Naidu struck five sweetly timed fours in hisinnings. Vidyut who came in, lofted Panesar clean and high into thestands for a huge six, and India colts declared their innings closed.With a draw on the cards, English colts started off slowly while thebowling was not penetrative enough. Nicky Peng flashed at one outsidethe off, got the edge and Ajay Ratra took a good catch. Peng who hadscored a hundred in the first innings, failed to get off the mark in the second.After tea, there was not much action as the players went through theformalities. Vidyut gave the ball a lot of air and spun it ever soslowly on the fourth-day track. He had the English batsmen tied upwith a good line and length. Captain Ian Bell succumbed to an arm ballfrom Vidyut and was bowled, shouldering arms. Bell made just sevenruns off 70 balls.The Management of the two teams have to do some serious soul-searchingabout the commitment they take to the field. Chris Tremlett, NickyPeng and Andrew McGarry have been revelations as far as the Englishcolts are concerned. India juniors could take heart from their secondinnings performance, mainly the fightback of Mane and Gambhir. Thefielding and catching by both sides have been appalling enough tochange the course of the match on so many occasions.