India v England ODI Series 2011 – 1st ODI
Now then. This should be a laugh. A very sheepish Ian Ward introduces Sky Sports' coverage by saying that a local dispute in India means they cannot show any live pictures from Hyderabad! Ward says they're hopeful it will be resolved before the game starts. You may have to follow the game via the live scorecard above until someone out in India puts the plug in! Jimmy Anderson and Rob Key, in the studio, can barely suppress their smirking. I'll keep you updated. What I CAN tell you is that India have won the toss and will bat first. Jonny Bairstow replaces Ian Bell.Bairstow is the man on everyone's lips after he hit a stunning 53-ball century in England's final warm-up match on Tuesday. That and his unbeaten 41 from 21 balls in the final ODI in September has persuaded the selectors that the Yorkshireman has to be included.
The rest of England's XI pretty much picks itself, with Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach atoning for the absence of Jimmy Anderson, who is rested for this tour. India are without Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel. Gautam Gabhir returns to his role as opener, while Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane are likely to start. Rookies Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav will get a bowl at some point in the series.
A Reckless Autonomy
I stretched my legs as far as the backseat of my truck would allow. Right outside my window, hotel guests dragged wheeled luggage toward the lobby, letting their big oblivious footsteps pound atop the pavement. One of the slammed doors set off a car alarm, and now a high-pitched squeal echoed through the parking structure like the angry call of a predatory bird. With the sheet back over my head, I squeezed my eyes tight and took a deep breath. When I awoke later, it was almost 8:15. The hotel would stop serving its complimentary breakfast in 45 minutes, and on road trips like this, I always helped myself to the complimentary breakfast.
This was my vacation. I lived in Phoenix but had driven to Tucson to see a Bay Area garage band. Countless bands were returning home from South by Southwest in Austin, and most had booked shows along the way.