Have you ever accurately predicted what will happen on a cricket pitch before the ball has been bowled? It's an incredible feeling. That moment when you glance at the field, remember who's on strike and think: Here comes the short ball, only for it to arrive, be pulled and then safely pouched by the fielder you had mentally circled at deep square. For a split second you feel omniscient. Like you've cracked the code.
A body unable to match his will, a team unable to match his ambition and, surely, a screaming sense that he made mistakes when preparing for this challenging but winnable series all adds up to a horrible seven weeks for the England captain. His personal form inevitably buckled and you have to feel a little sympathy for a man more guilty of giving too much rather than too little.
It was not just the digits next to Bethell's name, 142 not out from 232 balls, 15 fours, but the manner in which they came about. This was pure spun silk, elegance personified, all back-foot punches and pull shots struck with Swiss clock precision. Remarkably, it was also his maiden first-class century. No specialist England batter has ever achieved this feat in a Test match, just handful of wicketkeepers and bowlers.
After Pakistan announced their boycott of the forthcoming T20I World Cup match against India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was quick to lament the position the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had put fans in. [Pakistan's] decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, the ICC said in a release, before going on to make special mention of millions in Pakistan, who will now have no India fixture to anticipate.
The reversal late on Monday brought relief to millions of fans on both sides of the countries' shared border as well as tournament organisers and coaches. The Indian camp said it would be delighted to play against a quality side. It's great that the game is back on. We kind of never changed the preparation, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday.
