Cricket: England's Test series preparations have suffered another blow after the tourists crashed to an emphatic eight-wicket defeat against an Indian Board President's XI.
England were skittled for just 158 in the second innings of their warm-up match at the IPCL ground, leaving the hosts with a paltry 55-run victory target, which they achieved in less than 17 overs.
It has been the most testing of weeks for England with captain Michael Vaughan among those doubtful for the start of the international campaign through injury.
Nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard top scored for England as those expected to fill places in the top six in next week’s first Test failed once again.
Hoggard remained at the crease throughout the morning session and fell just eight runs short of a half-century when he holed out to deep midwicket.
Acting captain Marcus Trescothick represented the only loss before lunch when, having just opened up with consecutive boundaries off spinner Ramesh Powar, he lost his off-stump to a delivery from Shib Paul which swung back through a loose drive.
That ended a partnership of 64 for the second wicket but Hoggard’s departure - following more than two and a half hours at the crease - triggered a collapse.
Andrew Flintoff, out of sorts with the bat so far here, fell second ball when he nicked the impressive Munaf Patel.
The tourists, who were 104 runs behind on first innings, were still not in credit at that stage.
Ian Bell also edged behind off Test hopeful Vikram Singh while Geraint Jones was undone by the pitch as a delivery from Powar shot low to earn a leg-before decision.
Stubborn resistance from Ian Blackwell and Liam Plunkett stretched the innings into the final session but Patel decimated the tail just as he had on the first day, this time claiming three for none in eight balls.
Both Blackwell and Plunkett had their stumps rearranged and Monty Panesar was out first ball to complete a decline from 95 for two to 158 all out — Kevin Pietersen was not risked because of a back injury but did bat in the nets.
Two successes were obtained in the formality of a chase as Hoggard swung one away from Wasim Jaffer for Andrew Strauss to pouch a straightforward slip catch and Panesar claimed a late consolation to dismiss Dheeraj Jadhav.
England’s injury-hit squad will be bolstered by the arrival of Alastair Cook and James Anderson in Nagpur tomorrow.
Essex batsman Cook and Anderson, the Lancashire fast bowler, were pulled out of England A’s Test against West Indies in Antigua and summoned back to London yesterday.
Initially they were placed on standby but the management opted to call them in with a number of niggles causing concern ahead of Wednesday’s first Test.