England are improving all the time, but still losing

For a start I think they got their openers right for the first time.

Cook is a good player and he cant really be judged in one game.

There is so much focus now on getting the most out of the power plays that sometimes people undervalue a player of Cooks ability, to hang in there and provide support to the guy at the other end.

I stand by my earlier rant about Shah not batting at 3. The no3 spot should be KPs. A good 100 attests to this fact.

The ideal position for Shah to bat would be at 4, nestled in between KP and Freddie. He has proved, though out this series, that he is a dynamic batsmen who has the maturity and the invention to bat long and at a fair click.

Now that the top 4 have been sorted out England should give them a fair chance to prove them selves in these positions, rather than flipping them about before every single game. Players need to feel secure in one position. Adjusting your game for every single match is not easy and its showing for some players.

England had a decent day with the bat. And if Freddie had stuck around they might well have put up something close to 300.

There is also a fair chance for Luke Wright to get a game or two. Collingwood and Bell should not be playing ODI cricket.  As a fan of Collingwood, it ails me to say that but England have batsmen who are more capable then him in the this format of the game, so he has to go.

In the end, you cant really account for such joyously destructive batting like Sehwags. When the man enters that trance like state, you might as well pull a hammy and get Bopara to finish your overs for you.

PS- theflyslip offers its condolences to the families who were affected by yesterdays bombings and shootings in India.