England, India set for Anderson hearing

The Southampton Test has ended but the tussle between the two sides will continue into a sixth day with the hearing into the Trent Bridge incident between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja scheduled on Friday, with massive implications on the series.

India charged Anderson with a Level 3 offence before the second Test, at Lord's, following an alleged altercation in the first. India contend that Anderson pushed Jadeja when the players were walking back for lunch on day two of the Trent Bridge Test. If found guilty, he could face a ban of up to four Tests.

The hearing will take place in India's team hotel, with the judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis listening in via Skype from Australia. Jadeja and Anderson will be mandatory presences. Apart from their legal team, India are likely to be have captain MS Dhoni, coach Duncan Fletcher and physiotherapist Evan Speechly in attendance. An ICC ethics and regulatory lawyer will be present.

The hearing will be almost like a court case, with oral witnesses, legal submissions, cross examinations and video evidence if it exists. If the video evidence doesn't exist, it is, like Sydney 2008, one team's word against the other. England's response during Jadeja's hearing was that the India allrounder had turned around aggressively, and that Anderson had acted in self-defence.

The onus will be on India, as in any court case, to provide evidence. Principles of natural justice will take effect: India's legal team will have to prove Anderson's guilt beyond reasonable doubt to get their desired result, a sentence under Level 3. Jadeja, who was found guilty under Level 1 (after being charged at Level 2) by match referee David Boon in the same case, has earned the right to appeal his verdict. His case will also come up for hearing during the same meeting.

Lewis will have 48 hours to deliver his verdict. If Anderson is found guilty under Level 3, there is a provision for an appeal against it. Only the player found guilty or the ICC CEO can appeal, within seven days of having received the verdict. The ICC's Head of Legal would then appoint an Appeals Panel, comprising three members from ICC Code of Conduct commission. However, Lewis' decision will remain in effect while under appeal, unless any properly convened Appeal Panel orders otherwise. India have no right of appeal if Anderson is not found guilty under Level 3.

Anderson's hearing will follow the day after he was adjudged Man of the Match in the Ageas Bowl Test. "I don't know what's going to happen," Anderson said. "I want to be playing at Old Trafford, my home Test, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

"We've done brilliantly, the ECB have done a great job of keeping everything separate. So once we get to the ground it was all about the cricket and how we would win the Test match - and that's exactly what we did this week. Everyone did it brilliantly. Once we got on the field the only thoughts we had were winning."

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Munro, de Grandhomme power big NZ A win

New Zealand A 424 for 7 (Munro 151, de Grandhomme 151) beat Northamptonshire 184 for 2 (Coetzer 60, Peters 54) by 70 runs by D/L method
Scorecard

Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme both struck rapid centuries to help New Zealand A sink Northamptonshire by 70 runs via the D/L method in a rain-affected clash at the County Ground.

New Zealand A, choosing to bat, got off to a rocky start and lost three wickets inside 10 overs. However, a handy 45 from the opener Anton Devcich took the visitors over the 100-run mark, and from there, Munro and de Grandhomme took center stage.

The pair added 199 in less than 20 overs as New Zealand crossed 300 in just over 41 overs. All Northamptonshire bowlers ended with expensive figures, but Gemaal Hussain came in for special treatment, leaking 101 from his 10 overs, including 18 off an over to Munro.

With boundaries regularly being hit, Munro was the first to three figures, reaching the landmark off 76 balls in the 34th over. He did not stop there though, and collected a further 18 runs off an over from Michael Leask. Munro eventually fell for 151, having blasted 15 fours and six sixes, but de Grandhomme carried on and reached his own century, from 66 balls, with a six off Saif Zaib.

More misery would await Northamptonshire as BJ Watling, coming in at No.7, smashed a 22-ball 44 to lift New Zealand A to 424 for 7. De Grandhomme was dismissed in the final over of the innings for an 81-ball 151, having hit 16 fours and eight sixes.

Northamptonshire began solidly, but couldn't quite get the required acceleration to chase down such a daunting total. The openers Stephen Peters and Kyle Coetzer both raised fifties in a 105-run stand, but Northamptonshire's task was made even harder by a rain delay which increased their asking rate.

The hosts were 184 for 2 when a second bout of rain forced a premature end to the game, with the hosts 70 runs short according to D/L.

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England find their upward curve

There will doubtless be tough days ahead but England appear to have turned a corner. ESPNcricinfo assesses where the team is after levelling the series

#politeenquiries: Is India being bowled out by Moeen embarrassing?

At long last, after many storms, many rainy days and many sad departures, the sun emerges from the clouds. Victory over India at the Ageas Bowl was not only England's first Test victory for almost a year, but their best performance in far longer. Arguably, not since the Mumbai Test of 2012 have they put such an impressive display together.

There will, doubtless, be more dark days as the team develops. There will be more days when the young players make errors and the senior players fail. Progress will not be smooth.

But, for the first time, there was evidence that this new-look England team could work. There was evidence that the energy and skill of the new players could reinvigorate those who have been battered and bruised by previous campaigns. There was evidence that the senior players - the likes of James Anderson - still have the ability to perform at this level. And there was evidence that Peter Moores, the coach, is the man to oversee the journey.

It was Moores who persuaded the senior players to put the scars of Australia behind them and rediscover the simple joys of playing cricket and representing their county. And it was Moores who has helped create an environment into which new players - the likes of Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance - can enter and quickly feel comfortable and accepted.

It would be foolish to read too much into one performance. England enjoyed a large slice of fortune in this game and they have only levelled the series. But they needed this win. They needed it for their own self-confidence as players, to shore up faith in the 'new era' and to draw a line under the past. While it would be wrong to forget about Mitchell Johnson et al - we will be in the middle of an Ashes series this time next year - England can, for now, focus on the rebuilding operation rather than dwelling on what has been lost.

Here we assess the state of the side.

The positives

The manner in which Gary Ballance has taken to Test cricket - and to the No. 3 spot - has been hugely encouraging. While his solidity early in his innings is reassuring, he also has the ability to change gear when required. He may face tougher challenges on turning wickets or against greater pace, but he could hardly have contributed more at this stage. He scored almost 200 runs in this Test despite being incorrectly given out in both innings.

The return to form of the senior players - Ian Bell, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and James Anderson - was perhaps the most significant improvement for England. Bell and Cook both scored more than 150 runs in the game, while Anderson enjoyed his first five-wicket haul in more than a year and Broad lent excellent support.

	It might seem churlish to point it out, but England did enjoy some luck in this match. It is impossible to say how things might have progressed had fate taken a different turn

Cook had a fine match as captain. So well did England bat in their first innings, it may be forgotten that many were suggesting this was a bowl-first pitch, so Cook deserves credit for his choice. He was also rewarded for his faith in Moeen, as well as some of his field placings - a catch was taken at gully the delivery after he placed the man there on the final day - while so well did his manage the acceleration and the declaration in the second innings, that he was able to rest his bowlers a little and still secure victory with two sessions to spare.

Chris Woakes bowled with skill, consistency and no little pace at the Ageas Bowl. The scorecard might not have shown it, but if he continues to bowl so well, it surely will.

We are only five Tests into Moeen Ali's Test career, but he has already produced outstanding performances with bat (against Sri Lanka in Leeds) and ball (in Southampton). Cook remarked he had never known a bowler improve so quickly and there should be plenty more to come. It will amuse Moeen to know his figures in the second innings, 6 for 67, were better than any recorded by Shane Warne against India.

Jos Buttler enjoyed a fine debut. Not only did he thrash a selfless 85 - some players would have played for a century on Test debut in such circumstances - but he claimed six catches in the match and looked increasingly comfortable with the gloves.

Joe Root is in the middle of a wonderful summer. While he failed in the first innings here, his second innings half-century (from 38 balls) helped England set-up the declaration and underlined what a fine, adaptable player he has become.

After two losses and two draws from his first four Tests as coach, this was an important milestone for Peter Moores. Not only were the selections of most of the younger players vindicated, but Broad credited the coach for a change of mindset that helped those players beaten in Australia leave the past behind and rediscover the vibrant, positive style of play that rendered them such a fine side in 2011. For creating an environment where young players can flourish and older players can renew themselves, Moores deserves credit.

The decision to drop - or rest - Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes was not due to any dissatisfaction with their bowling. Both will, no doubt, return before too long, underlining the impression that, alongside the current team, Steven Finn and a few others, England are starting to build a decent stable of seamers. Bearing in mind the international schedule in 2015, that may prove essential.

There is impressive batting depth to this England side. With the potential to have Broad, the maker of a Test century, at No. 10, England should prove increasingly hard for opposition sides to finish off and have the potential to accelerate as innings progress.

Not only was Cook given a rousing ovation when he walked out to bat - he said he had never experienced anything like it and would never forget it - but a crowd of around 9,000 battled against awful traffic and long queues to see the moment of victory. It was a sign that, with just a little encouragement, the English cricket-loving public can be won back. They just need not to be fleeced or patronised by the authorities and something of which to be proud and supportive.

The concerns

It might seem churlish to point it out, but England did enjoy some luck in this match. Cook, Bell and Buttler all enjoyed reprieves - either from the umpires or the fielders - early in their innings. It is impossible to say how the match might have progressed had fate taken a different turn.

Both Bell and Cook have struggled for runs for much of the past year. While their return to form was pleasing for England, they will need to contribute more consistently if the side is to sustain an improvement in results. The concerns about Cook's batting, in particular, have not gone away.

At the start of the summer, Chris Jordan bowled with pace, skill and control. Perhaps as a result of being dropped after two Tests, he currently looks a nervous cricketer and struggled for both pace and control here. Neither he or Woakes claimed a wicket in the match, suggesting England still remain uncomfortably reliant on their two frontline seamers. That increases anxiety at the thought this may have been Anderson's final contribution of the series. Having just reasserted his worth to the side, he now faces a disciplinary hearing which could result in a four-Test ban. In such form, he is very hard to replace.

It is only three Tests since Sam Robson scored his maiden Test century, but his frailty outside the off stump is becoming a concern. It is an area on which he will need to improve if he is to survive at this level.

The conclusion

These are early days in the rebuilding of the England side. Inexperienced players are sure to make mistakes and there may be days when Buttler struggles with the gloves, Moeen struggles with the ball and Root and Woakes are unable to replicate the deeds of those that preceded them.

There will be days, too, when Cook cannot find all the answers as captain. He will never be a beautiful batsman; he will never be a great orator. But he can be calm and sensible and lead by example. If he can maintain his improved form with the bat, there is no reason he cannot continue to lead as well as he did in India in 2012.

There is a long way to go and England remain, at present, a mid-ranking Test side with plenty of room for progress. But for the first occasion in a long, long time, they can be said to be heading in the right direction.

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Taylor inspires Tallawahs win over Hawksbills

Jamaica Tallawahs 91 for 3 (Gayle 59*, Laughlin 2-28) beat Antigua Hawksbills 89 for 9 (Taylor 4-8, Miller 3-17) by seven wickets on D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Jerome Taylor showed signs of returning to his best form with a match-winning spell of 4 for 18 to spur the Jamaica Tallawahs on to a seven-wicket win over the still winless Antigua Hawksbills on Thursday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Taylor ripped through the top order to leave the Hawksbills in a hole at 36 for 4 in the eighth over from which they couldn't recover.

Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle chose to field first after winning the toss and was rewarded by Taylor's incisive opening spell. It began when Devon Thomas edged a ball onto his stumps in the fourth over for 3 and was bookended by Taylor's athletic one-handed catch off his own bowling to remove Ben Dunk for 23. Dunk was one of only three players to reach double-figures for the Hawksbills as Nikita Miller picked up where Taylor left off and nabbed 3 for 17 in four overs.

A steady drizzle turned into a downpour with one ball to go in the 16th over and the result was an hour and 40 minute delay with the score on 78 for 8. The match was reduced to a 17-over affair with the Hawksbills eventually ending on 89 for 9. After Duckworth-Lewis calculations were taken into account, the Tallawahs were set a target of 87 in 17 overs.

Gayle got off to a methodical start, going without a boundary until the sixth over when he targeted Carlos Brathwaite. Gayle smashed back-to-back short balls over midwicket for six as part of a 16-run over to get the wheels in motion. He lofted Ben Laughlin over long-on for six at the start of the 14th over to bring up his 50 off 32 balls. Gayle's sixth six, deposited over midwicket on the final ball of the over, ended the match with three overs to spare and ended unbeaten on 59.

The Hawksbills are still mathematically alive for a CPL playoff spot despite their 0-6 record but would need to win their final three games and also have the Barbados Tridents lost their final four contests while also surpassing the Tridents on net run rate.

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Mullaney fifty brings Notts home

Nottinghamshire 230 for 7 (Wessels 65, Mullaney 63*) beat Glamorgan 227 for 8 (Rudolph 101, Franklin 3-32) by three wickets
Scorecard

Steven Mullaney and Ajmal Shahzad batted Nottinghamshire to an impressive three-wicket victory in the Royal London One-Day Cup against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

The eighth-wicket pair came together with Notts in trouble at 137 for 7, needing a further 91 runs to win in 14.2 overs. But Mullaney, with an unbeaten 63 from 46 balls, and Shahzad, making 33 not out from 39 deliveries, won the game with nine balls to spare. Mullaney celebrated victory by striking Michael Hogan back over his head for six.

Glamorgan had been indebted to Jacques Rudolph for his century from 130 balls with 10 fours, but their total of 227 for 8 looked a little light until Hogan reduced the visitors to 11 for 3 inside seven overs, sending Alex Hales, James Taylor and Samit Patel back to the pavilion with ducks.

When Riki Wessels was controversially run out for 65, complaining he had been impeded, and Chris Read was brilliantly caught by Andrew Salter one-handed, the victory was far from realistic. But Mullaney and Shahzad stepped up to the occasion and their heroics ensured Notts finished the day top of Group B.

Earlier, Rudolph and fellow opener Jim Allenby gave Glamorgan a useful platform, but after Allenby edged Shahzad to Wessels at slip it heralded a middle order procession. Rudolph batted solidly at one end but between the 18th and 29th over he lost another four partners. The South African had reached his 50 out of Glamorgan's score of 70 for 1 before Will Bragg became the first of three victims for James Franklin.

Franklin, who played for Glamorgan in 2006, struck in his first over to have Bragg caught at mid-off by Shahzad. The left-arm seamer followed that up by bowling Murray Goodwin from around the wicket. And from 99 for 3 in the 22nd over Glamorgan slumped to 115 for 4 when Chris Cooke miss-hooked a Franklin short ball straight to midwicket.

Mullaney, who had bowled well in harmony with Franklin, got the deserved wicket of David Lloyd who edged behind to Read. The ball after reaching his century Rudolph could not keep out a finely bowled Shahzad yorker leaving Glamorgan in trouble at 161 for 6.

But there was worse to come for the home side as Mark Wallace was run out in a mix-up with Graham Wagg attempting a single. Wagg was dismissed three overs later well caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Shahzad off Mullaney, who finished with figures of 2 for 26 from his 10 overs.

Salter took Glamorgan past 200 with four consecutive fours off Harry Gurney as the ninth wicket with Dean Cosker became the highest partnership of the innings.

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Anderson provokes Indian ire again

James Anderson was been involved in another incident with an Indian player, at the end of the fourth day's play at the Ageas Bowl.

Anderson, who faces an ICC hearing on Friday having been charged with a Level Three offence following an alleged altercation with Ravi Jadeja during the Trent Bridge Test, exchanged irate words with Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane following the final delivery of the day.

While the incident in itself amounted to little - Rahane reacted angrily to some comments uttered by Anderson and umpire Rod Tucker stepped in to tell both players to calm down - it does reflect India's irritation with Anderson and underlines the impression that they intend to take a zero tolerance view towards him in the future.

Anderson has, in general, been a great deal less vocal since the charge was made and the incident will have no direct bearing on the hearing. But it will do him few favours as India attempt to outline a pattern of behaviour and Rahane's outraged response will not have been lost on Australian judge Gordon Lewis, who will preside over the hearing.

While attempts have been made to deal with the Jadeja situation without the necessity of a hearing, the India camp have insisted that Anderson overstepped the mark at Trent Bridge - they allege he made physical contact with Jadeja - and feel that his on-field sledging has exceeded acceptable limits in recent years. Anderson faces a ban of up to four Tests if the charge is upheld.

It was a sour end to what should have been a special day for Anderson. Not only was it his 32nd birthday, but he completed his first five-wicket haul in more than a year in the morning when taking the final two wickets of the Indian first innings.

The outcome of the Anderson hearing might also be relevant to the series between Australia and India later in the year. While the England and Australia teams appear relatively comfortable with a certain level of verbal intimidation, it could be that India are taking a stand on the sledging issue.

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Time for Moeen to be given respect

Moeen Ali has 11 wickets at 33 against India. He might not be comparable to Graeme Swann, but it is time he gained the respect he deserves

#politeenquiries: Have England reached the turning point?

The story so far:

Kumar Sangakkara: Headingley, Second Test, England v Sri Lanka:
Sangakkara, set up by a couple of deliveries that have spun gently away from his outside edge, prods forward only to find that this ball is pushed on a little quicker and does not turn. The batsman, one of the best players in the world of spin bowling, calls for a review, but the umpire's leg before decision is upheld.

Lahiru Thirimanne: Headingley, Second Test, England v Sri Lanka:
Thirimanne, having fallen first ball in the first innings and having just watched Sangakkara dismissed by one that went straight one, ensures his pad is well out of the way, only to see his tentative forward defensive stroke beaten by a beauty that drifts in and spin away sharply to hit the top of his off stump.

Virat Kohli: Headingley, Second Test, England v India:
The spinner is introduced into the attack for an over before lunch. It is not a visionary piece of captaincy, but it almost works. Kohli, on 20, plays back to one that is pushed through a little quicker but sees the outside edge dropped by Matt Prior.

Cheteshwar Pujara: The Ageas Bowl, Third Test, England v India:
The spinner struck in his first over once again as Pujara, the man dubbed the 'new wall', is drawn forward, but due to some gentle drift away from the bat and gentle turn into it, plays down the wrong line and edges to slip.

Virat Kohli: The Ageas Bowl, Third Test, England v India:
Kohli falls victim, once again, to a delivery outside off stump that could probably have been left. With some balls turning and others skidding on a little, Kohli lunges forward to cover the turn, but instead edges one that slides straight on.

At some stage, people are going to have start respecting Moeen Ali's bowling.

To claim the occasional wicket might be dismissed as fortuitous. After all, Michael Vaughan once bowled Sachin Tendulkar with a beauty that spun through the gate.

But if it keeps happening, if a bowler keeps dismissing batsman of the quality of those listed above, then he deserves a little more credit. A little more respect.

It was talk of the doosra that excited when Moeen was selected by England. But that delivery, at this stage, was always likely to be a red herring.

It was not an explosive wicket-taker that England were seeking. It was a reliable container with the ability to exploit turning conditions on the rare occasions when they were encountered. It was a bowler who could retain control while the seamers were rested and would not wilt under pressure when the batsmen came at him.

These are early days, but the signs are promising. Here, bowling a tight off stump line and benefiting from a dry, worn pitch, he saw a few balls turn sharply and many others skid straight on through natural variation. He rendered a batting line-up brought up on turning pitches, a batting line-up renowned as fine players of the turning ball, appear timid and vulnerable. And he did it all with the skills of a traditional English offspinner. There has not been a doosra in sight in this game.

Part of Moeen's problem is that he follows in the footsteps of Graeme Swann. Swann raised the bar by which English spinners were judged and may prove, as Sir Ian Botham once did, an impossible act to follow.

But it is unlikely that Swann would have enjoyed the docile surfaces at Trent Bridge and Lord's any more than Moeen. He might have contained more effectively with his dip and his control, but he would have struggled to run through sides on these pitches. In the 2011 series against India, Swann claimed 14 wickets in four Tests at an average of 40.69. Moeen already has 11 in three Tests at an average of 33. Nine of Swann's wickets came in the final Test at The Oval.

Perhaps being underestimated has helped Moeen. In the first innings, he benefited from Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane attempting to dominate him. Routinely dismissed as a "part-time" spinner - generally by part-time observers who have not have visited New Road for a few years - Moeen has dismissed four of India's top six in this Test alone. Only James Anderson of England and Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India have taken more wickets in the series. He is winning the battle of the spinners, too. Ravi Jadeja's eight wickets have come at a cost of 48 apiece.

	Moeen's development might be partially credited to the benefits of an 18-county system. While he made his first professional appearances for Warwickshire, it is at Worcestershire that he has developed.

He has enjoyed little luck, either. He saw Kohli dropped off his bowling at Lord's, Herath dropped off his bowling at Leeds and Dhawan and Rahane reprieved in this match when the use of DRS would have assured him more wickets. Playing his fifth Test, he has 14 Test wickets and has taken his bowling average below 40. They are not world-class figures, certainly. But they are valuable and respectable. Ashley Giles finished his career with a Test bowling average of 40.60.

The facts never supported the view that Moeen was a "part-time" bowler. Heading into this match, he had claimed 101 first-class wickets since the start of 2012 at an average of 33.31. That compares to Scott Borthwick (76 at 35.56), Samit Patel (70 at 44.80), Adil Rashid (71 at 38.16), Simon Kerrigan (149 at 29.55) and Monty Panesar (157 at 31.03). Moeen may never be a world beater, but to dismiss him as part time is simply factually inaccurate.

There are still too many 'release' balls - a long-hop here; a full toss there - but gradually Moeen is offering his captain the control he requires in the field and relieving just a bit of the pressure on the main seamers. After conceding five-an-over in two of his first five innings as a Test bowler, he has not done so once in the last five. Three times in the last four innings, he has conceded under three-an-over. He is learning fast how to survive at this level. A great deal of that process is simply learning how to stay on for another over.

There should be a lot more to come from him, too. He has spent many hours in the nets with his friend and county colleague Saeed Ajmal - the value of overseas players in county cricket should never be underestimated - learning the art of the doosra. Some days they will bowl 40 or 50 in succession together, with Moeen gradually increasing the pace of the delivery as well as its accuracy and venom. Saeed, who only started bowling the delivery in his mid-to-late-20s, believes that Moeen will have it mastered within a couple of years.

If England bear with him - just as they will need to bear with the likes of Jos Buttler, Gary Ballance and Chris Jordan in good times and bad over the next couple of years - they should reap a rich harvest.

Moeen's development might be partially credited to the benefits of an 18-county system in England. While he made his first professional appearances for Warwickshire, it is at Worcestershire that he has developed. The club offered him a place in their side as an allrounder in all forms of the game at a time when Warwickshire's then coach, Mark Greatbatch, said he could not see Moeen earning a regular place in his side for another five years.

Moeen's contribution was part of an almost perfect day for England. By wrapping up the Indian innings so quickly in the morning - it took just 25 balls to claim the final two wickets - they gave themselves an opportunity to enforce the follow-on.

Instead they decided - reasonably enough - to give their bowlers another few hours rest.

If that decision might have been perceived as negative, the manner in which they increased their lead was admirably positive. Each of the top five played selflessly with Alastair Cook judging a tricky declaration with something close to perfection. He really has enjoyed a fine match to date.

For the first time in a year, the fragile signs of recovery are visible in the England side.

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Siddle building up his pace and strength

Peter Siddle is confident he is well on the way to regaining his place in Australia's Test team by boosting his strength and speed. Siddle was dropped from the Test side during the tour of South Africa in March and the coach Darren Lehmann said at the time that Siddle needed to lift his pace back up into the 140kph range instead of the low 130s.

A stint in county cricket with Nottinghamshire followed, but Siddle was then brought home early at the request of Cricket Australia, with the aim of working on his strength and speed ahead of October's Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Siddle said his work was already paying off and he was increasing his strength in his "bum and legs".

"I definitely lost a couple of Ks [kilometres], that's for sure, but you can definitely find it back," Siddle told the Age. "Just with weights and getting strength back in my legs. [When] your bum's not as strong as it could be your legs are falling away and you can't get through the crease as well. Without doing the weights and the pre-seasons, you miss out on that. So [now] it's about getting as strong as you can."

Having Siddle at his best for the two Tests in the UAE will be important for the Australians, given that they will be without Ryan Harris, who is still recovering from knee surgery, while James Pattinson is on a slow comeback path from back stress fractures. Siddle said his drop in pace and strength was the natural result of his heavy workload over the past year, and nothing to do with his vegan diet.

"Footy players play for six months and have six months of pre-season so they're fit and strong by the time the next one comes around," he said. "With cricket it drags on and on. It happened with Mitchell Johnson. He had about three years of non-stop cricket and he started to fade away a bit with his pace, and that was only 18 months ago. Now he is bowling the fastest he has ever bowled.

"People say I'm not as strong, well come and watch me in a gym session, I'm stronger than I've ever been. That is the thing people don't understand. I'm lifting heavier weights than I've ever lifted. I'm moving better, It's just the fatigue; it gets everyone.

"You could go through 150 different Test cricketers who have slowed down in pace because they've played a lot of cricket. Kemar Roach is not bowling as fast as he used to. Is he still eating meat? It's a ridiculous thing. Look at Stuart Broad and James Anderson, they're not bowling as quick as they used to bowl."

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Kohli's weakness grows wider

Virat Kohli's is a game without any other glaring weakness but England have clearly tried to play on the attacking batsman's ego a bit but starving him outside off stump

Not worried by Indian follow-on - Rahane

Trent Bridge
Just after lunch on day one, James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowl eight deliveries at Virat Kohli. Seven of them are outside off, one is short enough to be left alone. The eighth one of those is short of a length and wide, albeit from wide on the crease with the angle making Kohli play. Kohli plays, pushing away from the body, and his bat nudges it through for a catch to slip.

Ageas Bowl
Kohli has had a longer innings than at Trent Bridge. Fifty-three of the 75 balls he faces are pitched on a length or short of it, and arrive at him either outside off or really wide outside off. He has left alone 22 of those. The second ball of the 47th over is short of a length and wide, and he goes after it. The edge flies high to first slip and is not held. Anderson bowls the next over. Five balls outside off, three defended, two left alone. The sixth ball is short of a length and wide, Kohli can easily leave it, but he goes feeling for it, and he edges it through. This is the shot batsmen hate the most: a meek push to a ball that can be left alone; even if you middle it, you are not going to get anything.

Auckland ODI, January 2014
Hamish Bennett bowls two maidens to Kohli comprised almost exclusively of quick short-of-a-length balls that are at the seventh stump or wider. This is an ODI and the asking rate is big, but you can see Kohli is itching to feel the ball on the bat, and eventually nicks off.

Durban, December 2013
Once again, playing at a shortish ball outside off, Kohli is given out caught at the wicket. He is unfortunate, he hasn't hit this one, but he is pushing at a ball that can be left alone both on line and length.

A few similar dismissals might not yet point to a major weakness, but bowlers are increasingly bowling well outside off to Kohli. Dry up the runs, ask Kohli to play out of his comfort zone, on and around off where he cover-drives as well as anyone, and go away from the body if he wants those runs he so itches to get.

Kohli is an aggressive batsman, he loves to get early into an innings and set the tempo. His best innings in Test cricket have been those where he has restrained himself to leave and leave and leave until the bowlers bowl at him. At the Wanderers late last year, when Kohli scored a superlative hundred with the ball seaming around on day one, he didn't play at 16 of the first 28 deliveries he faced. He got himself in, got some runs before lunch, and then when the afternoon session began, he offered no shot to 11 of the first 17 he faced.

This is not as much a technical flaw as it is a habit, in that it is easier to correct than, say, being poor against the short ball. It is unique, too, in that batsmen usually are vulnerable when the ball is just outside off, and not wide of it. And Kohli's is a game without any other glaring weakness. England have clearly tried to play on the attacking batsman's ego a bit. If you bowl at the stumps, he gets solidly behind them, begins to feel confident feeling the ball on the bat and then drives gorgeously. In this series, in five innings, Kohli has managed only 11 runs through that cover-drive of his. The idea has been to not get too close to him either on length or line.

More than half the balls Kohli has faced in the series have been on a length or just short of it, and outside off or well wide of it. "Still two Tests to go. Not sure I can discuss that," Stuart Broad said when asked if they have been bowling wider at Kohli than they would other batsmen. "Let's just say he is pretty strong off his legs so you don't want to bowl too tight to the stumps. You have seen in one-day cricket how successful he is when bowlers bowl tight lines. We have worked - when the ball has not been swinging or the slightly flatter wickets - to just try to dot him up, try to not let him score. He left pretty well today. Apart from the one that he poked at. He will be frustrated with himself. We need to keep our disciplines with him."

Kohli has scored just 73 over these five innings, and will be under pressure after he came to England as the best batsman in the Indian line-up. Kohli has been working hard. Two days before the Test began he was in the nets before the rest of the team arrived. What he will be annoyed with is that he has fallen twice to a tame poke well outside off. The one he got at Lord's, with Anderson angling in towards off and then having it move away from just outside it, was a good delivery. That dismissal shouldn't concern him. This one should. Trent Bridge should. Watch out for those wide ones when he comes in to bat next.

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Indiscipline could cost West Indies cricket - Roberts

Darren Sammy believes that Tino Best still has a part to play in the St Lucia Zouks' 2014 CPL campaign despite his disciplinary problems. Best and Shoaib Malik were fined following a clash on July 23, with both players pleading guilty to their respective charges.

Sammy maintained that Best had a lot to offer the regional game, but needed to live up to his seniority as a West Indian international after concerns were raised by Best's franchise mentor Andy Roberts.

"Tino is a special character. The more I've played with him, the more I grew to understand him and the person he is," Sammy said. "In any cricket game, you want to play in the true spirit of the game. I hope it gets better because he's not a young man. But he's still integral to our team."

Sammy believes that while Best's reputation precedes him, the bowler is one who can be reined in and utilised to the franchise's advantage.

"Once we control him and use his head a bit more wisely, he's a good asset for us. The cricket is being played on the field. We've spoken to Tino and I see all of you [the media] all pointing towards Tino Best, but there were two guys involved in the incident. It was not just one person.

"Everybody keeps jumping on Tino, Tino, Tino. It takes two hands to clap. We've dealt with it the best way possible and we're moving on now."

The CPL management had also stated that there were investigations into an incident at the hotel stemming from the fall-out of the Best-Malik clash, with sources indicating that the Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard was involved.

Pollard had also exchanged words with Best on the field after the Malik incident. Roberts confirmed that he had spoken to Pollard over the fracas at the hotel. Further speculation was fuelled when Sammy confirmed that the management opted for Best not to travel to Trinidad for the weekend game against Red Steel.

Roberts was worried that the indiscipline in West Indies cricket could erode their talent-pool, and hinted that it may have been Pollard who had instigated the incident.

"Not for a lack of trying, I've spoken to Tino," he said. "Many people have, over and over again. Cricket is also a mental game, not just about talent. After the hotel incident, I spoke to Pollard about it and he was apologetic."

Roberts said that the team needed to focus on consistency and playing well in pressure situations as opposed to sledging and other on-field antics.

"This sort of thing could hurt Tino's career on a regional and international level. It's been happening for years now and he needs to learn. Back when I played, we didn't do much talking. We just did our jobs with the ball and had a glare. You need to be mentally strong and disciplined. You can't be taught that. Either you have it or you don't."

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