3rd & final test starts tomorrow at the Oval.
KP was a doubt but looks like hes ok now after some kind of virus. Broad is expected to be released & was allowed to play a Pro40 game last night & if thats not a hint I dont know what is
India have picked their side but not named it but I dont expect much change as its a time for experience, although I suppose Sreesanth might be worried
Difficult to judge really. I've looked into it but as I'm a bit slower off the mark than usual I'll just do a summary of what I've discovered & feel are relevant points:
Vaughan - as captain hes lost 5 tests & then played in the next one.....hes won all 5
India have thrown away the lead in series's 5 times this decade
Only 3 draws at the Oval in the last 16 tests (since 1990). Against that however, the last 4 between India & England have all been draws. What needs to be realised though, is that of those 4 draws, in 1979, 1982 & 1990, India were chasing the series yet couldnt get a result. In 2002 the series was level entering the final test.
The Oval has a 61% result rate
The last 6 draws have been:
2005 v Aus 313 overs
2002 v India 333 overs
1995 v WIs 420 overs
1990 v India 450 overs
1989 v Australia 333 overs
......hmmm, only 2 over 400 overs
England havent lost a home series since 2001 vs Australia, theyve also not lost an Oval test since that series. Theyve won 3, drawn 2 of the last6.
With The Oval being being traditionally the last stand in a series, results can be broken into 'dead' tests & 'live' ones. ie a 'dead' test being when the series result is already decided. 3 of the last 5 tests have been 'live':
2005 v Australia. 2-1 up going in, England achieved their draw
2003 v SA. 2-1 down going in, England won to square the series
2002 v India. 1-1 going in, match drawn
I could go back further with this but everyone knows England were in a slump in the 1990s so theres little point, but what I'm getting at is that England tend to produce the goods in the last few years when required, & my gut feeling is that they are a tough team these days & therefore will again, although I have reservations
More later
Weather looks decent although theres rain forecast saturday & sunday night
India in England
.GIF "Thumb(1)")
Hes just ahead of Vaughan on the overall as well 
Looking back though, in 2003 SA were 290-1 & lost by a load !! 
New balls only 7.3 overs old so the first hours the key, & England certainly cant afford to let India get over 450.
664 & 24-1.....jeez !!
especially as it appears theyre a bowler down. I wouldnt be suprised though, for England to declare in arrears if they get the runs on the board, giving more chance of a result.
