Over-by-over: Evening Session

I imagine the atmosphere inside the England dressing room is pretty flat right now. While you're listening to that, I'm going out for a cigarette, during which I'll stare wistfully into the middle distance. Enjoy.

63rd over: England 211-5 (Collingwood 34 Bell 3)
Captain the ship is sinking. Captain the ship has sunk. Tendulkar opens after tea, and Bell plays a crud shot that goes nowhere near the ball. Here's my two pence: England never reconciled themselves to the fact that they blew their chance of taking on the best team in the world last winter; in every
interview I've seen, or read, or written, the players dismiss their defeat as the product of being beaten by a team that took cricket to a new level, a team that no one could have taken on and won against.

64th over: England 211-5 (Collingwood 34 Bell 3)
So the onus for the defeat did not fall on the players themselves. Most of them are still insisting, inwardly and outwardly, that they did their best and lost. It stinks of complacency. They had become too certain of their no2 status, too comfortable with their ranking. It was a point I tried to make when I wrote this. Meanwhile it is a maiden from Kumble.

65th over: England 214-5 (Collingwood 35 Bell 4)
This team needs to rediscover the drive that took it no2 in the world in the first place; to find again the joy and spirit with which they used to play their cricket; to ditch the bull about body language and aggression; to play hard and committed cricket; to get off their arses and ditch their laurels.
Tendulkar tosses up a beamer, and Collingwood swats it away for a single.

66th over: England 217-5 (Collingwood 38 Bell 4)
Dennis O'Neil concurs: "Couldn't agree more with your comments of the 64th over - where is the attitude of 2005? A team that faced, with the best will in the world, a far superior side in Australia, stood toe-to-toe with them and refused point blank to blink first. A team that took everything one of the meanest bowling attacks of all time could throw at them and spat it back in their faces. And now this. Ok, it's a very different side, but
you'd have thought the new players would be desperate to prove their right to be held in the same regard, especially after what they did to a (granted very indifferent) Windies."

67th over: England 223-5 (Collingwood 40 Bell 8)
At least dear ol' Clare Davies is convinced that Ian Bell "will save the day, and England's reputation". And he makes a very small advance in that direction with his first boundary, a four punched through extra cover.

68th over: England 223-5 (Collingwood 40 Bell 8)
Kumble continues, he needs just one wicket to overtake Glenn McGrath and become the third-highest wicket-taker of all time. What a player he is. He stitches Bell up with a wrong 'un here, and then has him sweating with a top-spinner that spits past off-stump. Glorious bowling.

69th over: England 225-5 (Collingwood 41 Bell 9)
Sachin is extracting massive turn here, not that it does him that much good, as a misfield gifts Bell a run. Having seen KP gift his wicket by trying to slap Sachin out of the park, these two are being more than a little wary.

70th over: England 225-5 (Collingwood 41 Bell 11)
Bell leans forward and tries to sweep Kumble, but misjudges the bounce and gloves the ball into his face grill. "I turned a blind eye to the drunken celebrations after the Ashes, but while Freddie was eating his cigar that night, Ponting, Buchanan, Warne et al were planning revenge. Deep down, I knew that in those somewhat childish and over-the-top celebrations of an admittedly fantastic win, the best english team was beginning to move downhill." Tom Aherne, I agree, though I'm not sure I could claim your degree of foresight. Certainly the reactions of the the teams in the light of their respective Ashes defeats were very telling indeed. Bell meanwhile, has escaped an lbw appeal that came from a crafty googly.

71st over: England 236-5 (Collingwood 47 Bell 13)
Collingwood quicksteps down the pitch and chips a four over the infield and away to the ropes. Bell takes Collingwood's hint and steps out to loft a straight drive away through long-on for a four of his own. What was I saying about the batsmen feeling wary? Oh.

72nd over: 240-5 (Collingwood 51 Bell 15)
Collingwood chops the ball through cover and off to the boundary for the four that brings up his fifty. Just another eight of those and England will be drawing close to parity. Eight fifties that is. Not fours. Stupid.

73rd over: 244-5 (Collingwood 51 Bell 19)
Sachin flights some real junk up outside off stump. Bell fails to capitalise. Dead flies for blind spiders. Bell swats the sixth ball away with an imperious pull shot, hurtling the ball across the turf for another boundary. Time for a bowling change I suspect.

74th over: 245-5 (Collingwood 52 Bell 19)
So it proves... though it's not at the end I expected. RP Singh comes on to spell Kumble. Collingwood flicks a single to fine leg.

75th over: 250-5(Collingwood 56 Bell 19)
Kumble comes back at the other end, and is promptly lofted over mid-on and away for four by Collingwood's signature shot. If cricketers had special moves, Collingwood's would be one of the most distinctive, along withTrescothick's slog sweep.

76th over: 261-5 (Collingwood 56 Bell 29)
Bell eases four more with a thick edge that screws away through third man. Can one of these two please score a big century? I'm really in the mood to see an England player give some cause for optimism, for a return of faith, a double-ton would do that nicely. Bell essays a ludicrous attempt at a cut, which fails to connect because the ball is too far outside off for his puny arms to reach. Singh pitches the next in a similar place, but jags the ball back in towards Bell's guts - yes, he does have some - and makes him weave out of the way. Bell nudges the last ball to fine leg for four, which means, despite all the oppobrium I've managed to shoehorn into this over, he's actually taken ten runs off it.

77th over: 266-5 (Collingwood 58 Bell 34)
Spiky stuff from Aditya Anchuri, who I suspect may be an Indian fan: "I think the mistake England made after Ashes 2005 is thinking that they automatically qualified to be called the "best team in the world", having beaten Australia. You must remember that there was another team at that time that had had quite a lot of success against the Aussies. India drew in Australia 1-1 in early 2004, and then almost levelled a close home series later that year (only rain came to Australia's rescue in Chennai). The last three Border-Gavaskar trophy series (India v Australia) have been very close in fact." To be fair, Aditya, England had beaten everyone else as well, something which Indai had conspicuously failed to do at the time.
Bell has rolled his score on by four more with a fine sweep shot, played off one knee.

78th over: 268-5 (Collingwood 60 Bell 34)
Sourav Ganguly comes on for a fiddle. Going back to that last point, I don't think it can be disputed that England were the second best team in the world, and in 2005, were very close to being the best. The point is that they never quite crossed that line to get to the top: in fact they went backwards. Unlike Australia, they seem to have been unable to inculculate a culture of success in the dressing room, and because of that, haven't been able to cope with their injuries. England had a great side, but they are a long way from enjoying a great era.

79th over: 272-5 (Collingwood 60 Bell 35)
Sunil is deeply disappointed with the English attitude in defeat, and seems to have particular problems with Jon Agnew, though they remain oblique to me: "Points to Ponder. 1) Toss is Unfair because India won it twice in a row 2) Pitch is unfair becuase opponents get to bat on it first 3) Life's unfair when England Team doesn't get an MBE all round." A bitterly ironic man that Sunil, when the mood takes him. There are two lbw shouts to Kumble's first two balls. Both are turned down, and Kumble ends up bowling a no ball which is pushed through the off side. The new ball is due very shortly now.

80th over: 277-5 (Collingwood 61 Bell 41)
VVS Laxman is tossed the ball. His terrifying off breaks have brought him one Test wicket so far. Bell is unimpressed, and wallops the first ball for four through long-on. Then again, he almost gives Laxman his second-ever wicket with the next ball, almost caught around the corner by a brilliant reaction catch by Khartik. Almost.

81st over: 288-5 (Collingwood 61 Bell 50)
The new ball is available, but the Indians aren't that keen to take it. Maybe they should, because Bell is carting him all over the pitch: four runs come to fine leg off the outside edge, and four more over mid-on with a mighty chip shot. A quick single and he has his fifty.

WICKET! Collingwood 61 lbw Sree Santh (82nd over: 288-6)
The new ball has been taken. You may want to turn away before the inevitabel England collapse, in which case, click here for live coverage of Liverpool v Villa. Sree Santh is on, and he's holding the new ball. Unsurprisingly, Collingwood looks totally unfazed by this fact. He blocks, and prods, blocks, and prods, strolls down the pitch, blocks, prods.... and he's out! Another very debatable decision from umpire Howell, and Collingwood is not happy at all. He's been fired out. The ball was going well down leg by my eye, and more importantly by Michael Holding's eye.

83rd over England 293-6 (Bell 55 Prior 0)
Prior comes in then, for what will surely be one of the defining innings of his fledgling career. Knocking umpires isn't something that should be done, but jeez, a lot of far better judges than me will tell you that Ian Howell has had an abysmal series. The only consistent thing about his lbw judgements is the frequency with which they are wrong. Bell strokes a glorious cover drive away for four off of Khan, who is coming around the wicket.

83rd over England 298-6 (Bell 59 Prior 0)
Eloquent stuff here. From Aditya Anchuri, that is, not Matt Prior: "Conspicuously failed", Andy? I think not, my dear friend. Since 2000, India have won 16 tests away from home (only second to Australia, who have won 26), and have won a Test in every test-playing nation apart from New Zealand. I know you're proud of your home record since 2001, but it is a home record, and there is a lot to be said for playing in home conditions, in front of your own crowd. The true yardstick for a team is how it performs away from home, and I think India have been pretty good at that in this decade. I'm not saying that India are better than England or anything, in fact I think the teams have been pretty evenly matched for the past 5-6 years, but I'm saying that England had no right to claim world supremacy after Ashes 2005." Ah, my dear Aditya, but how many series did India win in that time? And have you noticed that seven of those 16 wins came against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, as opposed to England's ratio of two out of 14 wins overseas in the same period? Bell slides a four past fine leg.

84th over England 300-6 (Bell 61 Prior 0)
Bell took a single off the last ball of that over, so he has kept the strike. He watches Khan's first ball sail past his off stump. Prior enters a bout of vigorous exercise at the non-striker's end, and then dashes the single that raises England's 300. Almost half way there then. "Now i'm a fan of Ian Bell" begins Ian Truman, as though he were joining Smyth and Clare Davies in the self-confessed Ian Bell fans anonymous therapy group, "(i want him to do well anyway) but i cant help but notice a concerning trend, England facing certian defeat/easy win = Bell hundred, England in tight/50-50 match = Bell failure, sound about right?" There is certainly a whopping great question mark hanging over him, Ian, though I'm sure some of his apologists will be able to give you examples to the contrary.

85th over England 303-6 (Bell 61 Prior 0)
Just so as you know, England are 9-8 up on France with five minutes to go till half time. Sree Santh bounces Prior and has him ducking. Big chin, Matt Prior. Kind of chin you'd normally associate with a Canadian. I wonder if he has the shoulders to match? He's certainly underneath a hell of a burden - mostly self-inflicted - right now.

WICKET! Bell 63 c Dhoni b Khan; WICKET! Sidebottom 2 c & b Khan (85th over England 305-8)
And that is the end of Ian Bell, swinging his bat in an effort to cut a wide ball and scraping a top-edge through to Dhoni for a simple catch. That was a weak shot to get out to. Somewhere in the Oval, Geoff Boycott has spat out his tea and is turning beetroot. It's also stitched over Prior, who will now be stuck in two minds as to how he should play from here on. He has three no10s to bat with, beginning with Ryan Sidebottom. What a desperately disappointing Test this has been for England. A real low. Sideshow has carted his first ball away for two runs to leg. What a joke... Sidebottom is out, playing a pathetic, feckless shot. What absolute crap from England. Boycott is probably having a heart attack. For some reason he decided to take on Khan's bouncer, and, unsurprisingly, he was in no way capable of doing that. Instead he just hit the ball straight up into the air. He's tucked his bat underneath his ram and started walking off before the catch was even taken.

86th over: England 305-8 (Prior 0 Tremlett 0)
Well if Prior didn't have enough on his mind already... what must he be thinking now? Not much, evidently, as he takes this over to take stock.

87th over: England 305-8 (Prior 0 Tremlett 0)
"Regardless of whether England were definitely the second best team in the world after the 2005 Ashes, they are definitively not now." and it's hard to argue with Indy Neogy there, "The batting seems to have regressed a little since Fletcher left, but it's the bowling that has gone awry, ever since Troy Cooley was allowed to slip away. You can measure Cooley's effectiveness not just in bowling performances, but in keeping bowlers fit to play."
Indeed indeed. What worries me more and more though is the creeping uncertainity that has affected the team's batting since Peter Moores took over. Fletcher, for all his faults, was a fantastic technical, and mental, batting coach.

WICKET! Prior 0 c Tendulkar b Sree Santh (88th over: England 308-9)
Prior has been in for 36 minutes now, and he still hasn't scored.... and he never will. Not in this innings. He's out, gone, caught behind. It was a good ball, and not a bad shot, but I suspect that the Prior-haters out there wont exactly emphasis those things. He smiles to himself, slightly disbelieving. 14 balls, 38 minutes, no runs. England have now lost three wickets for no runs. Monty is in, and he's immediately beaten by a jaffa.The extraordinary wistfulness on Prior's face as he walked off really was a sight to see: it just seemed to sum up the mood in the England team right now; resigned, laconic, defeated, and anticipating a lorryload of criticism. Monty plonks his thigh pad onto a no ball and Eng;and's score finally rolls on from 305.

89th: England 311-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 2)
"Sure, Ian Howell has had bad series so far but he was right on the money with Collingwood's LBW. Hawk Eye said the ball was clipping leg stump." points out Balaji Ram - really? really?just clipping leg stump? that is not a spot on decision at all. He's been giving huge benefit of the doubt to the batsmen throughout, but that one, the one which was by far the most deserving of benefit, is the one he gives out. I stand by the fact that it was a poor decision. Ian Howell is not hawkeye, and nothing other than hawkeye suggests that it was the right decision.

90th: England 313-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 5)
Tremlett squirts two runs to third man. Ah, well here's the real question: "So what do you recommend? Sack the lot? That would be back to the days of Mullaly, Such etc surely?" Well Simon, firstly, any return to Mullaly is more than welcome with me - I thought he was a great bowler, especially in one-day cricket. He, Ealham, Caddick, Gough and White was the best one-day attack England ever had. More seriously though, no, I wouldn't sack anyone, though I might drop one batsman for Ravi Bopara. Obviously Flintoff and Hoggard come back in, as does, I suspect, Harmison (though on the proviso that he has to be bowling at his best). But as to what I'd do well, Iw ouldn't do anything. I'd just hope that time and consideration enable the coach and captain to turn this team around before it disappears down the plug hole.

91st: England 313-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 5)
A maiden over, as Panesar fails to make contact with a single ball.

92nd: England 324-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 16)
ITremlett tucks into Sree Santh, and digs a yorker away to mid-wicket for four, before dabbing the next ball off his hip for four more. He takes three off the last, and then makes it 11 off the over.

93rd: England 326-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 16)
RP Singh is given the ball. I always love it when Betsy Barker pops up in my inbox, it makes me feel like I live in a 'Alan Bennet play. "Is this a stupid question?....but do England practise enough?" I guess with practice it is a matter of quality rather than quantity Betsy. Tremlett takes two to extra cover.

94th: England 326-9 (Panesar 0 Tremlett 16)
This should be the last over of the day then, and it is Anil Kumble bowling to MontyPanesar. The cameras cut to Vaughan, who is eating what appears to be a large sausage roll and looking rather contemplative. A very English reaction to impending defeat, that. And those six uneventful balls take us up to stumps.

So, you might like to know that England are 15-14 up against France with ten minutes to play in the rugby. Or you might not. You might likt to hear again what a poor day this was for England at the Oval. Or you might not. Thanks for the company, and the emails, (oh..Chabal has just scored a marvelous try, a furious run from twenty yards out that beat three tackles, which will probably win this game for France) and I'll see you back here tomorrow.