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Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a deal for a “phenomenal” striker, who is likely to leave his club in the January transfer window.

Forest searching for new striker after Chris Wood blow

Chris Wood is yet to make an appearance since the arrival of Sean Dyche back in October, and having now undergone surgery, the centre-forward is set for an extended spell on the treatment table.

Writing on Instagram, Wood said: “The Christmas I didn’t expect, you can never know what football throws at you,

“From the highs of last season to now the battles and the lows personally of this season. You have to be ready for anything.

“Truly gutting and frustrating that I’ll be on the sideline for another period of time. It’s what’s needed to come back stronger and better to help my team-mates do the job needed in the Premier League and in Europe.”

As such, Dyche is left with the likes of Igor Jesus and Arnaud Kalimuendo to choose from at striker, but the latter could be leaving the City Ground this month, as concrete talks have now been held with Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

Consequently, the manager could be left a little light on options at striker, meaning he may need to bring in a new option, and Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Strand Larsen is now deemed likely to exit Molineux this month, given that the Old Gold are almost certainly going to be relegated from the Premier League, and Forest have now lodged an initial enquiry.

A deal could be on the expensive side, however, with it being revealed Wolves are planning to hold out for a fee of £40m, and forking out the full asking price would make the Norwegian the most expensive signing in Nottingham Forest’s history.

"Phenomenal" Strand Larsen needs to leave Wolves

The 25-year-old isn’t having the best of campaigns, having only scored one Premier League goal, but it must be noted he is playing in an extremely poor side, with Wolves collecting just three points all season.

Related Nottingham Forest pursuing move for British ace who "looks like Ronaldo"

Forest are looking to strengthen their defence in the upcoming transfer window.

Posts ByDominic Lund

Previously, the 24-time Norway international has proven he is capable of delivering in the Premier League, chipping in with 14 goals and four assists in 35 matches last season.

Subscribe for transfer insights on Forest’s striker hunt Get deeper context on transfer sagas by subscribing to the newsletter: coverage and analysis of moves like Forest’s pursuit of Jorgen Strand Larsen, with contextual breakdowns, market perspective, and what a move would mean for the clubs involved.

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The Wolves striker also played a key role in his side avoiding relegation last season, as noted by former manager Vitor Pereira, who said back in March: “Jorgen was phenomenal out there. His ability to find the net at critical moments has revitalized our team and given us a renewed sense of hope as we fight to stay in the Premier League.”

Strand Larsen definitely needs to leave Wolves, as his previous exploits suggest he is too good to be playing in the Championship, and the centre-forward could help fire Nottingham Forest to safety.

ScorecardFile photo: Sulieman Benn’s six-wicket haul in the second innings dismantled Windward Islands•Associated Press

A second-innings half-century from the captain Paul Palmer helped Jamaica chase down 150 for a three-wicket win against Leeward Islands in Kingston. Jamaica made the early running in the game, as Leeward Islands, after opting to bat, were dismissed for 164 in 63 overs, thanks to a five-wicket haul from the seamer Sheldon Cottrell (5 for 38). The hosts fell to 68 for 6 in their reply and looked in danger of missing out on an innings lead, but Carlton Baugh (73) and Nikita Miller (51) counterattacked by putting up a 110-run stand. Rahkeem Cornwall picked up four wickets for Leeward Islands, but Jamaica managed to compile 243 to earn a lead of 79 runs.Leeward Islands showed more fight in their second dig, scoring 228 on the back of Shane Jeffers’ 61 and Orlando Peters’ 52. However, no other batsman was able to produce a score of note, as Miller collected 4 for 71 to run through the line-up. As was the case in their first innings, Jamaica found themselves on the back foot even in the second, precariously placed at 84 for 5. Cornwall was once again the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 39, but Palmer helped weather the storm, stroking six fours for his 127-ball 51, as Jamaica held on for victory.
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Sulieman Benn’s second-innings six-for fired Barbados to a 181-run win against Windward Islands in Grenada. Barbados, opting to bat, were guided by handy knocks from their top-order batsmen as the team posted a total of 296; Kyle Corbin and Sharmarh Brooks chipped in with fifties. Fast bowler Kevin Stoute ensured Windward Islands remained on the defensive by collecting 4 for 30 to wreck the team’s line-up, as the hosts folded for 179, with no batsman managing a half-century.Brooks then compiled his second half-century of the game – a 183-ball 66 – and added 130 for the fourth wicket with Roston Chase (71), as Barbados eventually declared at 261 for 7, setting Windward Islands a target of 397. Despite starts from their top three batsmen – Tyrone Theophile, Miles Bascombe and Johnson Charles all made forties – the hosts did not get anywhere close to the target. Benn took 6 for 55 in 26.2 overs as Windward Islands were bowled out for 197.
ScorecardA century from Assad Fudadin, and an eight-wicket match haul from Veerasammy Permaul were the cornerstones behind Guyana’s innings and 49-run win against Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain.T&T, batting first, were wrecked by Chris Barnwell’s five-wicket haul, and only a fighting partnership of 108 for the ninth wicket between Marlon Richards (53) and Uthman Muhammad (53) got the team above 200. Guyana, though, remained unfazed and collected a massive first-innings lead, as Fudadin, Leon Johnson (92), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (82), Raymon Reifer (64) and Barnwell (79) all got in among the runs. Their efforts lifted Guyana to 475, with a lead of 265 runs.Kyle Hope (74) and Narsingh Deonarine (47) put up a 104-run partnership for the third wicket in T&T’s second innings, but once Permaul (5 for 62) got the breakthrough by dismissing Deonarine, the team subsequently folded. Gudakesh Motie provided support to the attack by taking 4 for 43, as T&T were dismissed for 216, falling to their second defeat of the season.

ScorecardNorthamptonshire survived an awkward second innings to claim a draw against Nottinghamshire after a three-wicket burst from AJ Harris threatened to open up a final-afternoon result. Facing a deficit of 160, Northamptonshire slumped to 18 for 3 before Chris Rogers and Rob White added 134.Nottinghamshire batted aggressively during the morning session, Mark Wagh taking his century to 152 until being caught behind of Johann van der Wath. The middle order all contributed useful runs at a decent pace, but Mark Ealham was forced to retire hurt for 25.Harris then struck with the new ball, having Stephen Peters edging to Chris Read and both David Sales and Alex Wakely taken at slip by Stephen Fleming. However, Rogers found his touch after a lean run and White struck 12 boundaries before everyone shuck hands on a draw.

Inzamam-ul-Haq: “Our overall performance was unsatisfactory” © Getty Images

Inzamam-ul Haq, the Pakistan captain, termed Pakistan’s overall performance in England as “unsatisfactory”, saying that the team needed to improve its fielding in one-day cricket.”Our overall performance was unsatisfactory and we should have performed better than we did,” Inzamam said on returning from the two-and-a-half month tour. Pakistan lost their last one-day international at Birmingham on Sunday, which left the five-match series level at 2-2 after the first game at Cardiff was hit by rain. Earlier, Pakistan lost the four-match Test series 3-0, which included an unprecedented result after they forfeited The Oval Test following a ball-tampering row. It was Pakistan’s first loss in a Test series in England since 1982.The only positive outcome from the tour was experience gained by the youngsters in Pakistan team, Inzamam said. “Several youngsters toured England for the first time and the tour provided them with a wealth of experience and I hope they build on this experience in future.” Inzamam singled out fielding as his team’s main weakness. “If we need to progress we must improve our fielding, which plays a crucial part in one-day cricket.”Bob Woolmer, the coach, was also unhappy with the result. “It was disappointing not to do as well as we hoped. Probably it was the toughest tour of my career for many reasons,” Woolmer told AFP from Cape Town. “Some positives did come out of the tour and they were Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Younis Khan – who all did well on the tour but overall it was a disappointing tour.”Pakistan’s next international assignment is the Champions Trophy in India next month.

Dalmiya is the prime mover behind the proposed relocation © Getty Images

A move has been initiated to shift the Indian cricket board’s headquarters from Mumbai to Delhi and, more significantly, change the place of its registration from Chennai to the national capital. The proposal has come from Jagmohan Dalmiya, former board president, and has the support of many BCCI members.According to the plan, the BCCI is not just keen to shift the headquarters to Delhi but also construct its own state-of-the-art offices, a stark contrast from the decrepit headquarters at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.According to the Indo-Asian News Service, Dalmiya raised the issue on behalf of the CAB at the emergent working committee meeting in June and the matter again came up at the August 15 meeting in New Delhi.”The two proposals were raised by Dalmiya and have been duly listed in the minutes, just in case someone wants to see them as a proof,” said an official. “It was also agreed at Kovalam that legal opinion would be obtained to have the registration changed and that the process should be initiated.”The BCCI was registered as a society under Act XXI of 1860 at Chennai, November 28, 1940.But while many would like the headquarters to be shifted, the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Lalchand Rajput, a former Test player, registered his opposition. Apart form Rajput, Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President Inderjit Singh Bindra is also opposed to the idea of the change.”Shifting of the headquarters would need an amendment in the BCCI Constitution, which requires two-third of the members of the general body supporting the move,” said Bindra. “And so far as changing the board’s registration is concerned, I’m not sure if it is legally possible – because then the board (as it is known) will cease to exist.”

Alf Valentine: dramatic first series in 1950© Getty Images

Alf Valentine, who has died in America at the age of 74, was a vital cog in the first great West Indian team – the one that shocked England in 1950 by winning the series 3-1.England had been forewarned about the Three Ws – Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott – who formed the batting spine of that strong 1950 side. But they hadn’t expected to have to contend with two contrasting top-class spinners as well.It was some of the most inspired selection by any Test side. Before the tour Valentine, who turned 20 shortly after he arrived in England from Jamaica, and Trinidad’s Sonny Ramadhin, 21, had played just two first-class matches apiece – the trial games for selection. Although they didn’t set the world alight – Valentine took only two wickets, for 190 – they obviously impressed someone, and were called up for the boat trip to the UK.Valentine was tall, and bowled briskish left-arm spin with a whirling action. He ripped the ball savagely: one of his team-mates thought he could probably turn the ball on glass. Ramadhin, meanwhile, bowled a mystifying mixture of offbreaks and legspinners, with his sleeves rolled down (and often with his cap firmly in place).They seemed to bowl almost all summer. The 1950 team’s only real weakness was a lack of class in pace bowling, and Ram and Val would soon be wheeling away after a few perfunctory new-ball overs. In all Ramadhin took 135 wickets on the tour at 14.88, and Valentine 123 at 17.94 – the next-best was the medium-pacer Gerry Gomez, with 55 at 25.58. Valentine went for less than two an over throughout: his 1185.2 overs cost only 2207 runs. With Ramadhin sending down over 1000 overs too, both the spinners bowled more than twice as many overs as anyone else, except Gomez (680.3). Valentine must have drained quite a few bottles of the surgical spirit that he applied to his sore spinning finger after a long spell.It was the same story in the Tests. In the first, at Old Trafford, Valentine marked his debut with 8 for 104 (and 3 for 100), taking the first eight wickets to fall in his first Test. But this time the batting misfired, and England won comfortably. Then came the famous Test at Lord’s – West Indies’ first win on English soil, at Lord’s too, the match that inspired a famous calypso about “Those two little pals of mine, Ramadhin and Valentine”. What shocked MCC members almost more than Ramadhin’s 11 wickets and Valentine’s seven was the sight of West Indian supporters dancing on the hallowed turf after the game, which their side had won by a whopping 326 runs.With Worrell and Weekes running into form West Indies won the series going away. At Trent Bridge they put on 558 – Worrell himself made 261 – then turned the spin twins loose. Valentine bowled 92 overs in the second innings, a record at the time, and took 3 for 140: Ramadhin (who was later to claim that record) claimed 5 for 135 in 81.2.And West Indies wrapped things up at The Oval with an innings win, despite Len Hutton’s double-century. This time Valentine took 10 for 160 – a devastating 6 for 39 in the second innings – to take his series tally to 33 from four Tests, a West Indian record until Malcolm Marshall muscled past it in 1988.Both spinners were shoo-ins as Wisden Cricketers of the Year, and Leslie Smith’s essay on Valentine probably explains why he was no great shakes as a batsman: “He scored no more than 49 runs on the tour without ever reaching double figures. This may have been due to the fact that his eyesight was far from perfect. He began the tour without spectacles, but midway through the season another member of the team asked him the score. Valentine said he could not see, despite the scoreboard and the figures being large and clear. Arrangements were then made for him to be supplied with spectacles, which he obtained under the National Insurance scheme, and he wore them for the rest of the tour. He used sticking-plaster near the temples to prevent the spectacles slipping, but with or without them Valentine was a fine bowler and an object-lesson to Englishmen in the value of true finger-spin.”Even with glasses, Valentine never quite hit such heights in Test cricket again, although – again overbowled – he did take 24 wickets in Australia in 1951-52, in a series the Aussies won 4-1 (it would have been much closer but for an unlikely one-wicket victory in the fourth Test at Melbourne). Illness and injuries began to restrict him, and he played only two Tests in England in 1957, without taking a wicket. Nonetheless he was the first West Indian bowler to take 100 Test wickets, finishing with 139 at 30.32.He played in the famous Tied Test at Brisbane in 1960-61, although he only took one wicket. His most important contribution to that match probably came in Wes Hall’s epic final over. One ball was pushed towards mid-on, and Hall scampered over himself and fielded it, and unleashed a wild throw that missed the stumps at the bowler’s end by yards. Fortunately Valentine was alert, and backed up the throw to stop the overthrows that would have won the game for Australia.But with Lance Gibbs beginning to make his mark – he took three wickets in four balls in the third Test, and a hat-trick in the fourth – Valentine’s days were numbered. He toured England in 1963, without playing in a Test, and faded from the scene. He finished with 475 first-class wickets at 26.21 – with a best of 8 for 26 against Lancashire in 1950 – and 470 runs at 5.He played a few seasons of Birmingham League cricket, before moving to America with his second wife in 1978 (his first wife, with whom he had four daughters, had died). A chance visit to a Sydney care home during that 1960-61 tour had made him want to devote his life to helping underprivileged children, and in America the Valentines were foster-parents to a succession of abandoned children, often taking in up to a dozen at a time.Alf Valentine returned to England in 2000 and joined his old pal Ramadhin – who has lived in Lancashire for many years after playing for them in the ’60s – for a testimonial event that was not a great success. He had a stroke a few weeks ago while recovering from a back operation, and spent his last days in a wheelchair. He died at his home in Orlando, Florida, on May 11, just 13 days after his 74th birthday.

VIGNE CUP, ROUND 4Here are the scorecards for the missing matches, played on 23 November 2002.

OLD HARARIANS SPORTS CLUB v ALEXANDRA SPORTS CLUB SPORTS CLUBAt Old Hararians Sports Club; 23 November 2002. Match drawn.OLD HARARIANSR W Price c and b Rennie 30R E Butterworth lbw b Benhura 3C H Brewer not out 139D P Viljoen c S Marillier b Cameron 78*P A Strang c Cameron b Anticevich 8G B Brent b Cameron 2H P Rinke not out 5T Benade+S KhanT MashonganyikaA HamidExtras (b 2 lb 1 w 7) 10(5 wkts; 53 overs) 275Anticevich 12 2 45 1Benhura 8 1 22 1Rennie 12 0 63 1Stannard 8 0 53 0D A Marillier 3 0 23 0S J Marillier 5 0 34 0Cameron 5 0 32 2ALEXANDRA SPORTS CLUBD de Beer c and b Brent 31G J Rennie lbw b Price 13J Cameron b Price 0D A Marillier c Brent b Viljoen 76+G C Goosen c Brent b Viljoen 43S J Marillier c sub (Chiwara) b Price 35B Z Benhura c Brewer b Viljoen 2A R G Gilmour c Rinke b Strang 14Q Nkala c Khan b Price 1*C M Anticevich not out 8D D Stannard not out 2Extras (b 12 lb 2 w 4 nb 3) 21(9 wkts; 57 overs) 246Rinke 6 2 29 0Brent 9 0 45 1Price 25 6 70 4Strang 5 1 40 1Viljoen 12 0 48 3UNIVERSALS SPORTS CLUB v TAKASHINGAAt Universals Sports Club; 23 November 2002. Universals won by 50 runs.
The Universals batting card does not add up.UNIVERSALSD D Ebrahim c Chauluka b Maungwa 18*B A Murphy c Samundera b Mbwembwe 14G M Croxford c Chigumbura b Masakadza 79N B Mahwire run out (Mbwembwe) 6I Meman c Manyande b Masakadza 41+N Chouhan c Masakadza b Utseya 0D T Hondo c Maungwa b Masakadza 14S Shah run out (Makoni) 10D R Matambanadzo c Chigumbura b Masakadza 5B Sanyika c and b Masakadza 1K Kondo not out 0Extras (b 7 lb 1 w 4 nb 6) 18(54 overs) 205Maungwa 7 0 38 1Chigumbura 3 0 17 0Mbwembwe 10 4 23 1Mutendera 6 0 28 0Masakadza 14 3 48 5Utseya 14 1 43 1TAKASHINGAK Samundera c Murphy b Mahwire 17E Chauluka b Mahwire 30E Chigumbura c Sanyika b Murphy 16H Masakadza run out (Mahwire) 4G Makoni b Murphy 8S T Makunura b Mahwire 19R N Manyande c Chouhan b Hondo 23A Maungwa c Ebrahim b Mahwire 14P Utseya st Chouhan b Murphy 0D T Mutendera c Meman b Murphy 0A Mbwembwe not out 0Extras (b 4 lb 2 w 2 nb 16) 24(41.4 overs) 155Murphy 19 2 67 4Mahwire 10 2 59 4Hondo 6.4 1 15 1Croxford 4 2 7 0Ebrahim 2 1 1 0

Jimmy Maher plundered a career-best 217 as Glamorgan put themselves in astrong position going into the last day of their CricInfoChampionship Division One Clash with Essex at Sophia Gardens.Thanks to the Queenslander, Mike Powell and a 98-run partnership downthe order between Darren Thomas and Andrew Davies, Glamorgan were able todeclare their first innings on 546-8 – a lead of 219.By the close Essex openers Darren Robinson and Paul Grayson had survived 19overs to leave Essex in their second innings on 64-0, 155 behind.On 102 overnight, Maher took the attack to the Essex bowling to score 94in the opening session of the third day.And shortly after lunch the Australian went past 200 and his previousbest score of 208 not out for Queensland against South Australia threeyears ago before he was dismissed by youngster Justin Bishop, ending afive-hour vigil that included 324 balls with 32 fours.Maher and Mike Powell resumed the Glamorgan innings on 188-2 – 139behind Essex – but proceeded to knock off the deficit in just 32 overs.By lunch the partnership was worth 240 in 74 overs.Maher added 284 in 74 overs for the third wicket with Powell, who wenton to score his second century of the season off 222 balls.By tea Glamorgan had reached 474-6 – an overall lead of 147. But Thomas,who passed 500 first-class runs for the summer, and Davies tookGlamorgan to the 500 mark.

Match facts

November 26, 2015
Start time 8.00pm local (1600GMT)

Big Picture

England are on a three-match winning streak in T20, but those matches have been spread over more than a year. Since being humbled by Netherlands in their final outing of the 2014 World T20 they have played just four games but are already on the countdown to the next global event which will take place in India during March.So it was not without good reason that Reece Topley pinpointed the three-match series against Pakistan as both a rare and vital chance to hone skills ahead of India. For the likes of Topley, new to international cricket, it is a chance to further press his claims for a place in the final 15-man squad while for more senior figures the matches are an opportunity to focus on the shortest form for more than just a day or two.Pakistan have frequented the format much more regularly than England with 11 matches since the last World T20 – they have also played more T20s (92) than any other side since the format began internationally. They are on a run of six matches unbeaten against a combination of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka so this series gives them a chance to put a poor one-day series behind them.The Pakistan squad is an interesting collection of inexperienced players such as Aamir Yamin and Bilal Asif, experienced veterans in Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez, those who just play T20s in Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir and the wildcard of uncapped 39-year-old Rafatullah Mohmand. The shortest format could just be what Pakistan need to free themselves of their ODI malaise.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWW
England WWWLL

In the spotlight

Boom Boom is back. Shahid Afridi remains part of Pakistan’s T20 set-up – as captain, no less – and cricket is rarely dull when he is involved. He has just two wickets in seven matches this year, but England will need to be wary of his skidding legbreaks. The batting is even more hit-and-miss but his 45 off 22 balls against Sri Lanka in Colombo was a reminder of what he can do when the mood takes him. And one thing you can be sure of is that the noise level will go up a few notches whenever he has bat or ball in hand.When it comes to the white ball, at least, Jos Buttler is well and truly back in form after his scintillating 52-ball 116 in the final ODI. Key to that innings was his promotion to No. 4, which gave him 13 overs to make the most of the platform laid by the top order – even if the results were more than anyone could have imagined. England are not short on clean strikers but they will want to make sure they give Buttler the optimum chance to make an impact.

Teams news

Pakistan have Umar Akmal available after he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the PCB while they are likely to give the 39-year-old Rafatullah his debut at the top of the order. Yasir Shah and Zafar Gohar are not part of the T20 squad so Bilal Asif could come into the side as another spin option alongside Afridi and Malik. Anwar Ali struggled with the ball during the ODIs and could be under pressure for his spot.Pakistan (possible) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Rafatullah Mohmand, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Anwar Ali, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad IrfanIn England’s previous T20, against Australia in Cardiff, Joe Root was rested which meant Moeen Ali slotted in at No. 3 and he responded with a career-best 72 off 46 balls so it will be an interesting decision to see how the pack is shuffled now that Root is available again. James Vince could make his debut but beyond the openers it is likely that England’s order will be very fluid depending on the match situation. Liam Plunkett has been on the tour throughout and Chris Jordan since the first Test, when he replaced Steven Finn, but both are still waiting for their first full appearance in the UAE. They may have to wait a bit longer.England (possible) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 James Vince, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 David Willey, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

There was drizzle in Dubai on Wednesday which meant England had to train at the ICC Academy rather than the main ground but the forecast is fine for match day. The pitch in the ODI was the best for the batting of that series so it bodes well for a free-scoring encounter.

Stats and trivia

• The two teams have met 10 times in T20s with England leading 7-3
• Four of Pakistan’s squad – Hafeez, Malik, Akmal and Afridi – are among the 20 players to have scored 1000 T20 runs. That is the most for any country
• The only team to have played fewer T20s than England since the last World T20 is Papua New Guinea

Quotes

“We have won the last six games. We did make small mistakes, but we are going through a process and are trying some new players.”
“Our strategy is quite simple – to continue testing ourselves, our ability, regardless of any situation we play. We are trying to test our boundaries and capabilities as players.”

James Anderson enjoys his lead role in the bowling lineup and accounts for the prized duo of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar © Getty Images

According to reports in today’s papers, Lord’s is fighting for its right to host two Tests a summer. There are simply too many venues and too few big matches to go around, and the likes of Chester-le-Street and the Rose Bowl are agitating for their share of the action.Today’s extraordinary events in St John’s Wood, however, could hardly have been more timely for the MCC. Back in the winter of 2003, they took the bold decision to dig up and relay the entire square, at the cost of £1.25 million. Today, as two months’ worth of rain fell on the ground and then vanished, that investment was justified a million times over.Other grounds up and down the country would simply never have coped with the deluge – Worcestershire’s flooded executives at New Road, for instance, can only look on in envy as they contemplate the cost of aborting their second home fixture in a row. It’s a moot point whether England’s batsmen were quite so enamoured by Lord’s powers of recovery, however.”We were surprised we were playing as early as we did, considering the rain we had,” said James Anderson, ever England’s master of understatement. At 12.30 this afternoon, there was simply no way back for the day – the top tier of the Edrich Stand was doing a passable impression of the Jog Falls, while the Hooghly and the Meghna seemed to have been spirited from the Bengal Delta to the Tavern Stand boundary. Two hours (and a frantic scramble for the pads) later, England had lost their last six wickets for 30 in a performance that left a succession of bemused batsmen blinking into the sunlight.The rain had freshened up the pitch and made the ground especially receptive to swing, but England’s mindset seemed to go a little bit rusty in the interim – little wonder, seeing as the same players who had risked trenchfoot as they trudged across the square to the indoor nets were now expected to gather their thoughts and face a trio of fast bowlers who had learned swift lessons after their wayward performance on the first morning.India’s transformation was as dramatic as the weather itself. Venkatesh Prasad, the bowling coach who performed with such distinction on the 1996 tour, doubtless impressed the importance of keeping things simple as Sreesanth, the pick of the attack with three lbws in 14 balls, spoke of hitting the “right areas” no fewer than six times in a five-minute chat with the media.”Maybe the rain helped us, we really enjoyed ourselves in the dressing room,” said Sreesanth. “It was a good break and we were really together. I listened to a lot of music, just relaxing, and the moment the umpires said the game is on from 1.50pm, I said ‘okay cool’.” Such an angst-free attitude will carry the squad far.India’s progress was so serene, in fact, that they were able to make light of the sort of moment that might have caused a more highly strung unit to snap. When Kevin Pietersen edged Zaheer Khan to MS Dhoni behind the stumps and trudged off for 37, he had made it all the way to the pavilion gate before turning round to find that the umpires were still in consultation about the legitimacy of the catch. Two balls later, he was on his way again – another edge, another take and this time no dispute.

“I felt during the one-day matches a little more responsibility, and I enjoyed that today,” said Anderson. “I see this as a chance to show what sort of form I’m in and what I can do.”

It was a messy situation all round. The umpires are entitled to change their decision at any stage, although it was ironic that Pietersen, perhaps in the spirit of the recent Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s, had walked for the edge before Simon Taufel had raised his finger. But Steve Bucknor was less certain, as were certain members of the England dressing room who caught Pietersen’s attention as he reached the rope.”A few of the guys spotted it, but I’m not sure exactly what happened,” said Anderson. It mattered not in the end. Rarely has Pietersen looked so confused on a cricket pitch – his on-off switch had been flicked so many times in the course of the hour his lights had effectively fused.By the day’s end, however, England’s bowlers had turned the situation to their favour, as the young-gun attack of Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom and Chris Tremlett made light of their rookie status with a performance that was as mature as it was professional. They may boast just 23 caps between them, but lurking in the dressing-room is a man with a lifetime of situational experience to hand out.Allan Donald was actually ushered off the pitch by the umpires as he attempted to bring on the drinks and a few words of advice, but his influence had already been ingrained in his charges. “He has a very different approach – he talks more about match situations and less about run-ups,” said Anderson. In his previous incarnation as an England cricketer, Anderson was as anonymous as the fifth Beatle, notable only for the way in which he would wheel away at a single stump during Test-match intervals.Now he is leading England’s line, his confidence restored after classy performances in the championship for Lancashire, and massaged by the scalps of both Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. “I felt during the one-day matches a little more responsibility, and I enjoyed that today,” he said. “I see this as a chance to show what sort of form I’m in and what I can do.”