India's most serious concern now, though, rests on the physical condition of Dhoni, whose right hand with its bent finger reflects the pressure he has absorbed in the last 12 months. Those months for him have included an ascent to the No. 1 Test ranking, two average ICC events, (the Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20), a winloss record of 1512 in 29 ODIs and 34 in seven Twenty20s, and a very successful IPL.England collect a wealth of data on their opponents. For any opposing batsman, the pitch is divided into coloured squares, with a statistic in each one revealing how the batsman fares when the ball lands there. In some cases, it confirms what everyone already knew: Mike Hussey, for example, is brutal against anything short and wide.

Brady went close to edging back in front after 45 minutes when his effort from the right wing rebounded off the crossbar, and all three subs were involved in Brian Ruane's critical goal which arrived a minute later. Tighe's hopeful ball