Bell Tolls For India

It will be a Test match remembered for Ian Bell being a “bit stupid” as described in his own words. This shouldn’t take away from the fact that England finished with the honours after a day when they scored over 400 runs.

Some lacklustre bowling and a flattening pitch helped, but excellent batting gave the hosts a commanding 374-run lead with four wickets remaining. England are 4/11 favourites for the match but with two full days remaining it is surprising to see the draw as short as 7/2.

If India could get quick wickets on Monday morning then a target of 400 wouldn’t be beyond them, especially if the Trent Bride wicket becomes benign. The tourists are currently available at 12/1.