Another question: if it is true that someone at BCCI decided on an England-India test match, why had ECB not already invited the Indians to include one on the fixture-list?
It means that no-one at the head of English cricket thought it a good idea. So what was the reasoning? England’s schedule is packed, with three opponents lining up in succession. Was it: something had to give, so let it be a test match against the second-ranked nation in the world? If the Hundred is seen as the saviour of cricket, what chance has the 4-5 day game got?
By lunch on the first morning the pitch had proved as feared: reliable, but slow and low. Very few first-class English grounds can offer the fast true bounce which benefits everyone, bowlers, batters and fielders. You can blame the climate, groundsmen never sure when the rains will replace the droughts. But that lack inevitably leads to less attractive cricket. And right on cue at lunch Tammy Beaumont gave her verdict: ‘The pitch is dead’.
Having read the pitch pre-toss, Lisa Keightley and Heather Knight were prepared to limit their bowling attack to one spinner alongside a cohort of quicker bowlers. One direct upshot is to reduce the over-rate. Given the number of draws test matches have historically suffered from, it was vital for England to get through their overs and keep their scoring rate well above 3 per over.
Even on the first day, with India employing their spinners, the prediction was that the 100-overs per day would not be reached.
