England vs India - 1st Test: 9-13 July 2014 played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham:
This proved to be an interesting Test match despite being played on a dull pitch and ending in a draw. It looked like a subcontinent pitch, not English at all. I haven't seen such a dull ground in England before. I look forward to Tests in England because of the lush green grass and the swinging conditions.

England's grounds are very interesting. They are not same at all. We have Lord's, which is the only ground in the world to have a slope. This ground also have a legacy attached to it, so much that players are most honored to have played here. Scoring a hundred or taking five-fors means so much more here than anywhere else. England is known to have conditions suitable for swing bowlers but there are also grounds which support spin on Day 4 and 5.

We have been told that this pitch was made so batting friendly so that the ground could make more money since they are at a loss if a game ends early. But if we have pitches like this in England, no difference would remain between playing in the Indian subcontinent and playing in England. Doing well overseas would no longer mean much. Also, in their bid to make money, the grounds and the ECB could eventually lose much more than they gain, because if all Test matches end up in draws and make bowlers toil, people will eventually lose interest in Tests, and perhaps some in cricket itself.

The highlight of the game though, was James Anderson's 81 at No.11. The partnership that he shared with Joe Root turned the game around. Until this point, it was tough to tell whether India are the touring team or if England is. Their partnership of 198 is now the highest partnership in the world for the 10th wicket. Prior to this, punters around the ground could be seen excitedly using their Android betting apps or betting apps for iPhone to put their money on what appeared to be a very likely Indian win. No one could really predict what was coming next.

Joe Root scored his 4th hundred finishing on 154*. He now averages 47.17 after having played 18 Tests. He is a good find for England. Early on in his career, he has big hundreds to his name. His maiden century was against New Zealand at Headingly, Leeds, the second one was 180 vs Australia at Lord's, the third was in England's previous Test series against Sri Lanka, a big one, 200* at Lord's.

Trent Bridge has been Jimmy Anderson's favourite venue, having taken 53 wickets here at the average of 19.24. This is his highest among all grounds he has played on. He is also the highest wicket taker at Trent Bridge. The next five behind him, Bedser, Trueman, Warne, Statham and Snow have all retired so he is in no danger of losing this title anytime soon. After these fellows, Stuart Broad follows with 25 wickets.

Catch the 2nd Investec Test match between England and India live from July 17-21 at 11 am local time (10 am GMT, 3:30 in the afternoon if you are in India), coming to you from Lord's.

Thanks for reading. This is Sanya, signing off.

England have made a real mistake in keeping the same squad that narrowly beat Australia in the first Ashes Test last weekend, captain, Alastair Cook, maintaining his faith in Steven Finn and Joe Root despite poor outings.

There was talk in the cricket betting world that selectors would drop Finn for Tim Bresnan after the former took just two wickets at the cost of 117 runs over the two innings. Finn struggled at Trent Bridge and was the main reason Australia’s fantastical run chase became so nearly a reality.

After Jimmy Anderson took three early wickets on Sunday, Cook turned to Finn in hope the 24-year-old would clinch the 10th but Brad Haddin had different ideas, smashing the seamer for boundaries past square leg and long on.

To compound a miserable final day, Finn gave away four byes and dropped a catch that cold have cost England the first Test. He was probably as relieved as Cook when James Anderson’s 10th wicket was given on review.

Bresnan, with bags of experience and the consistency to bowl a good line when required, would be a far better option heading into a Lords’ Test that Australia usually enjoy. The Yorkshireman’s average is slightly worse than Finn’s but his economy isn’t and that’s what almost cost England the match on Sunday.

As for Root, he joined the top order in controversy after ousting Nick Compton and was under pressure to perform. A 30 in his first innings showed promise but five off 31 deliveries in the second exposed a nervous player lacking confidence. Root’s place was probably saved by his wicket of Ed Cowan when playing two overs as recovery spinner and that talent means Graeme Swann is not the only spin man Cook can turn to.

Because the second Test is just four days after the first, it’s easy to see why England stuck with the same team. However, those who bet on the Ashes can expect a couple of changes if England fail to perform at Lords’, with Finn and Root the main candidates for demotion.

Samit Patel, Johny Bairstow, Nick Compton  and Joe Root celebrating England's win

This was an amazing series. England have registered their first Test series win in India after '85-'86. This one is very special, because India is among the top rivals for England at the moment. The battles between these two teams have been heated and emotional in recent years. England last visited India during the 26/11 attack on Taj hotel in Mumbai. Kevin Pietersen was the captain at that time and some of the England players, like Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Harmisson were reluctant to go back to India to play Tests. It wasn't a tour England would like to remember. The same Jimmy Anderson who bagged the Man of the Match award today, bowled crap on the previous tour. I remember I was expecting better because he had started to learn bowling well in the sub-continent, showing promise in Sri Lanka at the end of '07. Nevertheless, his bowling has come of age and he is no longer the bowler English fans dread seeing in the sub-continent. The opposition batsmen dread him now.

It feels wonderful to not only have beaten India, but to beat them at spin. England has long been known to struggle against spin bowling and as a fast bowling superpower, lacking a quality spinner. But, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann have changed that. Swann has been performing consistently throughout his career and having Monty gives England an advantage on pitches that favour spin. England have James Anderson, Steven Finn, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann who are all threatening. Having this kind of variety gives England the potential to be world beaters.

Kevin Pietersen with the signatures of himself, Cook, Compton, Trott, Bell, Patel, Root, Prior, Swann, Anderson, Bairstow and Flower

This is the series England players would like to remember when things are hard. These kind of contests keep Test cricket alive and make cricketers desire the England jersey. The changes England have made deserve applauding. Picking Monty after the 1st Test, dropping Broad and picking Joe Root for the final Test have proved to be perfect decisions. I'm happy with all of these. Broad is an asset in the shorter forms of the game, but I've never really liked seeing him in Tests and Monty Panesar is definitely worth a go, every time England tours India. Samit Patel also seems to be fitter for the shorter formats. With the way Joe Root batted, he showed the potential Alastair Cook did when he made his debut in the same country, India, at the same age of 21, though Root is almost 22.

In the final game, I am personally most impressed by Root and Pietersen. This pitch was the reverse of what we usually see. It was toughest on Day 1 and flattened as the game progressed. Both Root and Pietersen scored 73 in the 1st innings. This was KP's slowest innings, with the strike rate of 39 and Root batted with a strike of 32. Root played the most deliveries, 229, followed by KP, 188, followed by Prior, 142 and finally Trott, 133. On a pitch like this, it takes great concentration to bat. I was waiting for an innings of patience from KP. England will be very happy with this series as Bell and Trott, the two batsmen who have been struggling, scored centuries in the end.

I think the main difference this time has been in the approach of England and the credit goes to Captain Cook. To me it seems that the Board makes the captain and the captain makes the players and the team. England reflected what Alastair Cook is made of. Before this series, Kevin Pietersen looked unlikely to play but Cook held meetings with him and persuaded the ECB to take him back. I think he knows how to bring a unit together. His own batting and behaviour show a quiet determination and strength of character, which is what the whole team has showed. He is not loud, but he is anything but soft.

Just six months after his first inclusion in an England Test side Jonny Bairstow is now recognised as a stalwart member of the team after youngster Joe Root claimed he would learn from his team-mate’s experiences ahead of their tour of India.

Root, selected for his first ever Test tour by new captain Alastair Cook last week, has worked well with Bairstow at county level for two years and this season’s exploits at the top of Yorkshire’s order has earned him a deserved role in the national side.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Root revealed that the experience Bairstow gained from his debut baptism of fire against West Indies in May will come in handy when the two head to India this winter.

“I’ll definitely learn from what he went through,” Root confirmed. “It was great to see him come back so strongly and become a better player.”

Indeed, Root is right to take heed of Bairstow’s Test exploits this summer as the 21-year-old prepares for a whole new world of cricket. He may have helped Yorkshire to promotion back to the County Championship Division One this season but that is nothing compared with the pressure of standing at the England crease.

With former captain Andrew Strauss now retired, Cook is searching for an opener to fill the void and if Root does well out in India he may well cement a place in the side for next summer’s Ashes series.

Using Bairstow’s experience as a benchmark for aiding his own performances will put Root in good stead for a tricky tour of India. The Yorkshireman must be ready to pick up the bat and meet England’s high standards and with Bairstow in the dressing room Root has a guide to ease him through this rigorous test.

With the retirement of Andrew Strauss comes a great opportunity for new England captain, Alastair Cook.

The left-hander now rules both Test and one-day squads and is set for a gruelling next couple of years, as England restructure their squads after a period of world dominance.

Cook’s first job is to prepare England for a tough tour of India, where he will walk out to the crease with a new partner. Until November, the captain will have a serious problem reeling through the back of his mind: who will replace Strauss at the top of the Test order?

With Strauss now gone from the Test squad, England suddenly look quite lightweight at the crease.

Cook was magnificent against Australia in the last Ashes series and has proven himself as a reliable starter, yet he has been gifted the chance to learn the art of opening a Test innings alongside one of England’s greatest ever captains.

Now, without Strauss, Cook must lead the line and bring in a partner up top. Calls for Ian Bell or Jonathan Trott to ascend the batting order have been voiced by many people, but these two have cemented good form lower down, and it would be unwise to dislodge them from a position they feel comfortable in.

Cook may therefore look to one of Yorkshire’s two lighting batters, Jonny Bairstow or Joe Root. Bairstow has proven hit mettle in one-dayers and hit a magnificent 95 in the first Test innings against South Africa at Lord’s, but was playing at a comfortable sixth man.

A step up could unsettle the Yorkshireman, however, and therefore Cook may opt for Root, who has a 40.57 first class average.

Root has done well at Headingley this season and continues to show good form with the bat. Although India would be a baptism of fire for the 21-year-old to make his Test debut, Cook’s experienced presence may well see him develop into another great England opener.

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