India Ravi-ge South Africa

Before the start of the Freedom Trophy series, you could be forgiven for predicting a reasonably close encounter. South Africa were the number one Test nation but India’s home advantage would inevitably result in spinners’ wickets. In the end, reputation counted for nothing and the Indian slow bowlers enjoyed extraordinary success.

I can’t recall a series of any length when two bowlers each took more than 20 wickets at under 12 apiece. Ravi Ashwin wasn’t even content with 31 scalps at 11.12; he even weighed in with 56 runs first innings runs at Delhi – more than the South African top seven (AB excepted) combined! Ravi Jadeja was also brilliant, and the visiting batsmen (AB excepted) were totally outplayed throughout.

Only seven days’ play was possible from the first three Tests, four lost because of rain, four lost because the Saffers’ batting (AB excepted) was so frail. Then at Delhi, Indian fans were treated not only to five days’ cricket but also their side’s record margin of victory in runs terms in history!

I had become concerned at the future of Test cricket with so many abbreviated games. Batsmen thrashing the ball in T20 mode, giving away their wickets, does not make for interesting Test matches. A bit of short-term entertainment perhaps but leaves you wanting more. That’s what made the Delhi climax so unusual.

When perusing the scorecard I thought I must have accidentally come across stats from the 1920s not 2015. 143 in 143.1 overs?! The top two spinners bowling 95 overs for 87 runs??!! AB De Villiers, of course, top-scored in both South Africa’s innings and in that epic defensive effort broke the record of the most balls faced in a sub-50 Test innings. For a player so brilliant in limited overs cricket – he scored those three hundreds in the ODI series, remember – this was an amazing statistic. And they so nearly survived the marathon spin attack.

Yet amidst the carnage when SA batted, Ajinkya Rahane conjured up an unbeaten century to set up the declaration. That was only the second three-figure score of the whole series, and Rahane had also scored the first. Credit to Kyle Abbott, too, claiming a rare five-wicket haul for the pace brigade. Dale Steyn may have been largely missing from action but he wouldn’t have made the slightest difference to the overall result.

A great series for India, an even better one for slow bowling but a major headache for South Africa who must now dust themselves down and recover some poise before meeting England. I wouldn’t rule out a few surprises but I’d lay odds that it won’t be Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid deciding the result!

Melbourne belongs to India

When I sat amongst 10,000+ India fans at Sophia Gardens for the 2013 Champions Trophy opener against South Africa, I realised what a joyous occasion an international cricket match can be. Watching highlights of the World Cup encounter between the same nations at the MCG I can barely imagine what it must have felt like amongst an exuberant and victorious crowd of 84,000.

As in that game in Cardiff, India batted first, Shikhar Dhawan struck a wonderful hundred and SA's run chase fell short. However, this time, the result was rarely in doubt. While Sharma fell early, the Delhi left-hander contributed two century partnerships, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, with Wayne Parnell suffering a real pounding. Even Dale Steyn could only scratch his head and offer a rueful smile as his best efforts were met by some outrageous shot-making all around the wicket.

A target of 300 is invariably too much for any side batting second at the MCG but with the likes of AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, David Miller and Faf Du Plessis anything is possible, especially against an Indian attack associated with ordinariness. Nevertheless MS Dhoni and his masters have forged a new-found togetherness and for once the bowlers delivered. Shami and Mohit Sharma never let the frontline batsmen get going, then the spinners ensured that there was to be no mid-innings acceleration.

The bowlers were supported by some magnificent fielding, with De Villiers and Miller beaten to the crease by two superb throws. The long tail failed to wag and India wrapped things up almost ten overs early. Now not only India but the rest of the cricket world can begin to believe that Dhoni's men can defend their crown.

Meanwhile, England gained their first win of the campaign but an easy victory over the might of Scotland merely papers over the cracks. Moeen Ali's 128 showed what the Worcestershire star can do but Ian Bell's fifty was too slow against such an attack. Much as I have been an admirer of Bell for the decade, he needs to up the strike rate when England meet the big boys. Still, at least he did score more than Root, Balance, Buttler and Taylor put together. Morgan produced six much-needed boundaries but the big winners were England's seamers. Finn's economy rate was under 3, a vast improvement on the 24.5 in the NZ humiliation.

So while England and India now look set to reach the knockout stage, what will this defeat do for South Africa. It doesn't mean they can't chase a good total, but it will give Pakistan, the West Indies and even Ireland extra hope, particularly if they win the toss.

Is Cook's time up?

Three Tests, three huge victories for England. Three ODIs, three massive defeats for England. Anyone would conclude that the five- and one-day formats are completely different ball games. To some extent, of course, they are. Yet they are both cricket, and the England and India protagonists are basically the same in each series. So why the sudden reversal of fortunes?

It may just be that India have become more comfortable in the 50-over game by sheer weight of experience. Tendulkar, Dravid, Zaheer Khan and co have passed the baton on to Kohli, Raina, Kumar et al, whil the super-cool MS Dhoni provides the link spanning the 'generations'. India are world champions and ranked top of the ICC ODI league, and they look as lively, committed with bat, ball and especially in the field as they appeared lacklustre in the last three legs of the summer's Test series.

On the other hand, there is England's situation. India have a more-or-less settled team while I think it's fair to say that Peter Moores and his selectors have no firm idea of who will take the pitch come next year's World Cup. The past week's performances surely indicate that the current line-up is not up to the task, but, no matter what Graeme Swann may say, the answer is not straightforward. Cook's slow scoring wasn't the issue yesterday; he just got out too early, and Hales and Ballance also lost their wickets quickly, leaving the rest with too much to do. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan steadied the ship yet also failed to impose themselves on the Indian bowlers. Moeen Ali demonstrated how to attack spin bowling but by then the damage had been done.

When India batted, England just could not break through and Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were merciless. They showed how to set a foundation then accelerate to reach a target - and so with twenty overs to spare. Astonishing stuff! Even though Rahane gave away his wicket, it was special that, with the crowd baying for him to win the game with a six, Dhawan was able to oblige off the hapless Harry Gurney.

Of course the microscope is focussed on the captain Alastair Cook. One of his great strengths is his unflappability, a quality which has made him one of the world's foremost opening Test batsmen. While he is no Jayasuriya or Sehwag, neither is he a hopeless plodder in the one-day game. That he is out of form is not in dispute. Nevertheless, is it too late for him to step down and, if not, who should replace him in the team and as leader?

I feel vindicated that he wasn't sacked as Test captain. I don't like knee-jerk decisions like that; form is temporary and class is permanent, and Cook is a class Test run-scorer. But...this is one-day cricket and there is still time for England to find the right blend of experience, skills and tactics to forge a team capable of doing well in Australia and New Zealand, if not actually to win the trophy.

There are options for bolstering the batting but captaincy potential is more limited. Bell, Morgan and Broad are the main contenders from the current squad and, while James Taylor and James Vince merit opportunities in the side and have county and Lions leadership experience, is it too soon to expect them to take on both roles six months ahead of the biggest competition in cricket? Personally I am not a big fan of either Morgan or Broad and think Bell may be our best chance.

So what about the future for the rest of the team? The new guard of Root, Ballance, Buttler and Moeen Ali are high-class players with a solid claim for tickets Down Under in February, while the swing and seam stars, Anderson and Broad, should also travel. Ian Bell's net injury spared him any connection to the Edgbaston nightmare but he also needs to find some form in the forthcoming practice internationals. The jury is out on Hales but on 2014 form should be given more chances. The aforementioned Taylor and Vince have the ability to build and attack, and we shouldn't write off Ravi Bopara or even Samit Patel, both of whom remain consistently good all-rounders on the domestic circuit.

England's biggest problems are possibly in the bowling support for Anderson and Broad. Ali is an OK spin option, but used even by Worcestershire until 2013 only as a part-time bowler. It's great to see him progress this summer with England and only James Tredwell seems to be in the frame when it comes to slowing down scoring rates. Monty Panesar is out of the question, Simon Kerrigan's form has suffered, Ravi Patel is too raw and Adil Rashid perhaps too expensive.

I'm still a fan of Chris Woakes but Chris Jordan was hopeless at Cardiff and Steve Finn's drop in pace has reduced his effectiveness as a strike bowler. Harry Gurney is there only because he is the only left-armer around since Ryan Sidebottom. Is that a good reason for picking him, that 'he gives us different options'? Perhaps. If it's about extending the batting, then Woakes and Jordan are still worth a punt, and the likes of Tim Brasnan and David Willey (fitness permitting) plus Jack Brooks must be on the radar. Forget Dernbach and Meaker. Please!

Let's see what happens in the final dead rubber against India. A consolation victory will at least raise the spirits if only to paper over the ominous cracks which have appeared in the edifice which only a few years ago had England rated number one. If England don't conjure up a victory, then let us at least admire the Indians, from the bouncy Bhuvy, vibrant Raina, arty Ajinkya to the artful Ashwin and ooooh Ravi Jadeja. At least in ODIs, they seem to know what their roles are, and are capable of fulfilling them to the letter.

Sharma the charmer cooks the hookers

There was a time back in the '80s and '90s when England's opposition always seemed to raise their game at Lord's and come away with victory, even if they got hammered elsewhere. India did it in 1986 when a combination of Dilip Venhsarkar's unbeaten century, Kapil Dev and a mean spin spell from Maninder Singh secured a five-wicket win.

However, until this week's encounter, the home team had turned things around and contrived to lose only once in sixteen attempts, since the heady days of McGrath, Lee and Warne. Is it the pitch, England getting better or a greater familiarity with HQ making it less of an event? I don't know, but after all the criticism of the Trent Bridge groundsmen preparing a five-day batting paradise, the greentop seemed ready-made for Anderson, Broad, Plunkett and Stokes. A shame that quartet didn't fulfil the roles set out for them!

On the first morning, they were pilloried for bowling too short instead of going fuller to invite the edged drive. Four days later, it was short-pitched stuff which won the match - for India. Delicious irony there, I feel. Nevertheless, without Ajinkya Rahane's excellent 103 - ended just as magnificently by Anderson's caught-and-bowled - things may have panned out rather differently. He helped add 150 crucial runs for the last three wickets. On Friday and Saturday, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was supreme, yet Yorkshire duo Ballance and Plunkett somehow earned England a slender first-innings lead.

Three partnerships dominated India's second outing: 78 for the sesond wicket (Murali Vijay and Pujara), 79 for the fifth (Vijay again and Jadeja) and 99 for the eighth (Jadeja and Kumar). The only real triumphs for England came when Plunkett bowled Kohli for a golden duck, but that Jadeja-Kumar effort really kicked Cook and co in the teeth.

The 319-run target would, if successful, have been England's best ever at home. They had four sessions in which to achieve it but, remember, the Lord's pitch was not prepared for a fifth day runfest. This was surely the stage for Alastair Cook to demonstrate why he has been, until recently, one of the world's best Test batsmen. Could he, Ian Bell and Matt Prior, with that wise head on young shoulders, Joe Root, play sensibly and marshal the less experienced players and sneak that much-needed triumph?

Sam Robson fell early but Cook and Ballance seemed to be sticking to the script. Then came the first horror show, as they and Bell were each despatched for just two runs. Root and Moeen Ali proceeded to steady the ship and even contributed a three-figure partnership. Then came arguably Ishant Sharma's greatest spell of his career. In terms of numbers, anyway. That he ended up with a remarkable 7-74 owed more to cretinous playing of bouncers by batsmen who frankly should have known better.

After being softened up by Mitch Johnson last winter, you'd have thought the array of coaches would have ensured England had practised against the short ball in the intervening period. Perhaps they could be forgiven for thinking Shami, Kumar and Sharma offered little danger in that area but this was not the time to put on your Twenty20 brain and swing the bat instead of ducking or swaying away from the ball.

The Jadeja-Anderson 'handbags' sideshow delivered an appropriate denouement as the Indian fielder ran out the England number eleven to wrap up a 95-run win and hammer another nail into the captaincy of Cook. Prior was so shell-shocked by his own performance that he made himself unavailable for the Third Test. A genuine injury or a touch of the Swanns? To their credit, Cook and Peter Moores stood their ground and declared their faith in the squad (Kerrigan apart). The opener has endured poor sequences before and was very nearly dropped for the Ashes series which ultimately made his name. That he is now the skipper makes him a little more secure, and axing him mid-series would surely signal a white flag to MS Dhoni.

I can't imagine Cook's future and the series result resting on Jos Buttler's call-up. He may be an aggressive batsman but then so is Prior. There's no evidence from Lancashire that Buttler's keeping has noticeably improved either. However, the media are playing up his talismanic qualities although if Cook and Bell play it cool and do what they have done so many times before, the turnaround will come. If India go 3-0 up by next month, or two up with one to play, that will probably be the time to sign the death warrant of Cook's leadership, but not before.

Instead of Anderson and Broad it has so far been all about Kumar and Sharma, and Dhoni must be laughing. Something tells me he won't be quite so celebratory by the end of next week.