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http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/indveng/content/story/382582.html
Andrew Flintoff and his team-mates will have to refocus quickly after the disappointment of Chennai © Getty Images
Chennai may well be remembered as the Test match in which there were no losers, but try convincing England's cricketers of that fact as they traipse northwards to Mohali to start their campaign from scratch. For three days and two sessions, they held the upper hand over India, only for that ascendancy to be ripped from their grasp on a manic fourth evening. Virender Sehwag's irresistible volley of boundaries paved the way for Sachin Tendulkar's inexorable march to victory, as he and Yuvraj Singh added 165 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket to coast home in front of an adulatory crowd.
What now, then, for England? Chennai was the scene of some extravagant personal performances from their cricketers - most notably the twin-centurion, Andrew Strauss - but they have emerged with nothing to show for their efforts save a significant amount of mental bruising. The scars in some cases are physical as well - the captain, Kevin Pietersen, played the first Test with a cracked rib, while Steve Harmison was receiving ongoing treatment for a knee niggle. It took an awful lot of soul-searching for England to make the return trip to India, to pick themselves up twice in a fortnight would be remarkable.
India, on the other hand, will saunter into Mohali with the confidence of a team that now believes that anything is possible. Tendulkar's 41st century is already being regarded as the crowning glory of his matchless career, while Yuvraj's unbeaten 85 could yet prove to be a watershed innings. Zaheer Khan once again demonstrated that he is the world's pre-eminent exponent of reverse swing, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's cool marshalling of his players in a tensely-fought contest was another feather in his cap. Down in Perth, Australia and South Africa are supposedly competing for the right to be regarded as the world's best Test team, but many would argue that accolade has already been claimed elsewhere.
:lol:
Andrew Flintoff and his team-mates will have to refocus quickly after the disappointment of Chennai © Getty Images
Chennai may well be remembered as the Test match in which there were no losers, but try convincing England's cricketers of that fact as they traipse northwards to Mohali to start their campaign from scratch. For three days and two sessions, they held the upper hand over India, only for that ascendancy to be ripped from their grasp on a manic fourth evening. Virender Sehwag's irresistible volley of boundaries paved the way for Sachin Tendulkar's inexorable march to victory, as he and Yuvraj Singh added 165 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket to coast home in front of an adulatory crowd.
What now, then, for England? Chennai was the scene of some extravagant personal performances from their cricketers - most notably the twin-centurion, Andrew Strauss - but they have emerged with nothing to show for their efforts save a significant amount of mental bruising. The scars in some cases are physical as well - the captain, Kevin Pietersen, played the first Test with a cracked rib, while Steve Harmison was receiving ongoing treatment for a knee niggle. It took an awful lot of soul-searching for England to make the return trip to India, to pick themselves up twice in a fortnight would be remarkable.
India, on the other hand, will saunter into Mohali with the confidence of a team that now believes that anything is possible. Tendulkar's 41st century is already being regarded as the crowning glory of his matchless career, while Yuvraj's unbeaten 85 could yet prove to be a watershed innings. Zaheer Khan once again demonstrated that he is the world's pre-eminent exponent of reverse swing, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's cool marshalling of his players in a tensely-fought contest was another feather in his cap. Down in Perth, Australia and South Africa are supposedly competing for the right to be regarded as the world's best Test team, but many would argue that accolade has already been claimed elsewhere.
:lol:
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