England down, Botham turns on heat

England seem to have given up all hope of saving this series — or so it appeared on the second day of the Test here.

England seem to have given up all hope of saving this series — or so it appeared on the second day of the Test here. And not surprisingly, at 24 for one, chasing 664, they trudged back to the pavilion to face some flak from the commentary box.

Former all-rounder Ian Botham lambasted the team’s attack for the way they had begun on the first day yesterday. “They gave it away in the first session, it was bad bowling. Later, they got better but by then, it was too late,” he said.

Botham pointed out that “on a wicket like this, every opportunity that comes your way is very important.” In hindsight, England wicket-keeper Matt Prior dropping Sachin Tendulkar when the batsman was on 20, cost the team heavily, he added.

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There was praise for India, too. David Gower would possibly be the unlikeliest MS Dhoni fan but the former England captain was amazed at the Indian batsman’s ability to strike big. “He’s got amazing strength to hit the way he does. It’s been a treat to watch him,” Gower said.

However, it was Kumble’s century or rather the way he made it, which frustrated England bowlers most, both agreed. As if the entire squad scoring in double figures wasn’t enough, Kumble went on to get a 100, the highest Indian score in this series.

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