2013: The Year That Was

Image credits: Gene Hunt

Another year is nearly over, and whether it’s been a good one for you or not such a good one, it has been undeniably eventful. To say our final goodbyes to 2013, Online Features Editor Imogen Watson refresh your memory of some of the year’s biggest and most interesting events, month by month.

January

The New Year never sees an end to the previous year’s events, and 2013 was no different, with ongoing conflicts in Syria, and the Central African Republic continuing to rage on.

Back here in the United Kingdom, the joint report between the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC into the Jimmy Savile affair was released, announcing the recording of some 214 criminal offences of sexual abuse on Savile’s part over 54 years and across 28 different police regions in the country. Jim Davidson, another television presenter, was also arrested under Operation Yewtree – the investigation into the scandals – although no further action has been taken against him.

Internationally, Google Maps was able to expand its map coverage of North Korea, detailing labour camps and landmarks.

February

Pope Benedict XVI.
Image credits: zoutedrop

 

Despite its reputation as being just a little bit dull, February was quite the interesting month. A meteor struck over Russia at nearly 60 times the speed of sound, exploding over Chelyabinsk nearly 14.5 miles above the ground, releasing between 20 and 30 times more kinetic energy than Hiroshima and injuring nearly 1500 people.

Four days previously, although it’s likely unconnected, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation from his position at the head of the Roman Catholic Church – the first to do so since 1415 – citing his strengths as “no longer suited to… the Petrine ministry”. Others have suspected intra-Vatican power struggles as more likely for the shock abdication.

And how could we leave February behind without mentioning the horsemeat scandal? Maybe you have got over it now we’ve made it into December or perhaps you’re still a tad cautious, but back in February 2013 there was outrage when it turned out everyone’s beef lasagnes were actually horse…

March

Demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.
Image credits: kalleboo

 

March saw North Korea in the news again for making nuclear threats against the United States, having claimed to have tested nuclear weapons in mid-February. They withdrew from all non-aggression pacts with South Korea, stated they were closing their borders and cutting off its hotline to the Southern part of the peninsula – the last method of communication between the two countries. Later in the month, it launched a cyber-attack and then declared a state of war against South Korea, promising “stern physical actions” in response to “any provocative act”. The North Korean crisis, as termed by the media, continues…

April

It’s possible that April could not have been a busier month had it tried.

Here in Britain on 8 April it was announced that the only female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had died at the age of 87 after a stroke. A controversial figure, Baroness Thatcher caused plenty of debates in death as in life, including the cost of her funeral (held on 17 April) and who should fund it (the coverage of which you can read here).

Baroness Thatcher’s coffin being put into the hearse.
Image credits: Joshua Irwandi

On the 15 April 2013, two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts, USA, killing three and injuring approximately 264 others. Later, a police officer was killed by gunshot wounds. A terrorist attack, the FBI began their hunt for the suspects, who were quickly identified after the release of photo and surveillance footage. In a very American style, a manhunt began for the two suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, brothers of Russian nationality, who were later arrested and await trial.

In late April, an eight-storey building in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed killing over 1100 people and injuring 2515. One woman was pulled out alive after seventeen days within the wreckage. Although cracks had been noticed the previous day, workers had been ordered to return to work despite warnings against doing so. The commercial building contained factories for clothes shops such as Primark, Walmart and JC Penney; in subsequent meetings of the twenty-nine implicated companies, less than nine have been involved.

May

On 1 October 2012, five-year-old April Jones went missing from her home in Wales, having been seen getting into a car nearby. In May 2013, Mark Bridger was convicted of both her abduction and her murder as well as perverting the course of justice – he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation from the judge that he never be released. Her body has never been found, although Bridger claims to have disposed of it in a nearby river; the police suspect he in fact scattered her remains across local countryside.

June

The end of June saw the Russian government adopting laws to ban any positive discussion of gay relationships, imposing 5000 ruble (£90) fines on its own citizens (and 50,000 – £900 – for any public official) and the potential arrest and deportation of foreigners caught in any way making a non-heterosexual relationship seem like normality. With the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, Russia, these laws prompted strong reactions from around the world with many, including Stephen Fry, calling for a boycott.

July

Kate and William.
image credits: UK_repsome

 

Whilst the UK finally experienced some sunshine after an extremely cold spring, Royal Baby fever finally descended. Bets were placed on the gender and name of the most highly anticipated baby of recent years before Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born to William and Kate on the 22 July 2013. The world’s media went crazy, and so did many members of the general public, snapping up Royal paraphernalia and camping outside the hospital waiting for that all-important first glimpse of the future King.

Meanwhile, July was also a big month for LGBT rights, with the British government passing a law legalising gay marriage from March 2014 and marking a significant step forward in equality laws.

August

Although the enduring conflict in Syria continued throughout the year, it was on the 21 August when the world stopped as the Syrian government was accused of using chemical weapons on its own people. Thus began an international dance around Bashar al-Assad and his denial of using them, and whether the global community ought to act in response; it has since been confirmed that traces of sarin gas have been found at the alleged attack site. United Nations inspectors were sent into the country and eventually Syria agreed to have its weapons stocks destroyed.

September

Syrian flags painted on government walls.
Image credits: Freedom House

 

After the uproar and outrage of December 2012 when a woman was brutally gang-raped and murdered on a bus in Delhi, India, the four men – Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Guptathe – who attacked her were sentenced to death by hanging in September of this year. India retains the death penalty for certain crimes, including a new amendment in 2013 for death or permanent vegetative state caused by rape, likely brought about by the violent protests in India after the incident occurred.

A little more than a week later, on

21 September and the International Day of Peace, masked gunmen began an attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, a raid that lasted for three days and killed a minimum of 72 people from across thirteen different countries (although a majority were Kenyan) in total, including six soldiers; the New York Police Department investigation concluded that it was likely the gunmen themselves escaped. The Islamist group al-Shabaab initially claimed responsibility as retribution for Kenyan involvement in military operations in Somalia.

October

This month we all witnessed the US political system turn into a crazy mess as the government shut down. The US Congress, responsible for raising the debt ceiling and controlled by the Republican Party, locked horns with the Democratic President Obama in the White House over the level of US debt and balancing the federal (central government’s) budget. Before the Democrats would be allowed their budget to govern for the next year, the Republicans were determined to attach amendments which would, in some way, remove funding for or dismantle entirely Obama’s healthcare reforms passed, subject to lots of debate and scrutiny, in 2012.

Capitol Hill, the home of the US Congress
Image credits: Ron Cogswell

As a result, the deadline for sorting out the argument passed and the government had no choice but to shut down certain federal services, sending home around 800,000 workers indefinitely without pay and asking a further million to work without knowing when they would be paid. The world’s biggest economy unable to pay its debts would have meant another economic disaster, but thankfully a deal was finally passed on 16 October and signed into law just after midnight the next day.

November

November brought poor luck, to put it very lightly, for the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan struck parts of Asia but significantly the Philippines, killing over 6000 people there alone and destroying large parts of the infrastructure. Several regions were placed under a state of national calamity, the devastation was so vast. As with so many natural disasters, the initial medical requirements of broken bones soon became more chronic conditions, and international appeals were launched to help the masses of the population displaced from their homes. Approximately $374.5 million was donated in money by governments across the world, and supplies were also sent by other nations. The situation, naturally, is still ongoing and dire for many people.

The aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in Taclobane.
Image credits: UK Department for International Development

December

And now that December has come around, what can we reflect upon? As another towering political figure of the 20^th century, clearly the death of Nelson Mandela reverberated around the world; despite his old age and long-running illness, no one can quite prepare for the death of such an icon. Any long-term impacts on South Africa and the rest of the world are waiting to be seen, but it cannot be denied his lifetime has seriously changed South Africa for the better.

To finish the year off, what else is happening? Well, the UK’s storm is currently disrupting the travel as people try to get home, Russia is releasing some political prisoners and a few more governments are being accused of spying on each other. As always, it’s fun and games in our globalised world, with not a little bit of argument and tragedy.

What will 2014 be like? Time will soon tell and in the meantime, all that’s left to do is to wish you all a Happy New Year.

Imogen Watson, Online Features Editor

Have we missed something? Which do you think is the biggest event of 2013? Let us know in the comments!

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Surrogacy: The Exploitation of Poverty?

Online Features Editor Meg Lawrence debates the realities and ethics behind paying for surrogate mothers in impoverished circumstances.

There is no price you can put on a life. Yet Dr Nayna Patel, founder of the world’s first ‘baby factory’ in Gujarat, India, has turned surrogacy into a profitable business.

Charging hopeful parents around £28,000 per child in her back street clinic, Dr Patel is now opening a new, multimillion-pound complex which has been dubbed by many as a ‘baby factory.’ Consisting of a hotel, gift shop and hospital, the complex will be the setting for thousands of surrogate exchanges. Future parents will be able to stay in the hotel overnight, and take their baby home the next day.

Dr Patel’s clinics have so-far enabled hundreds of would-be parents, predominantly from Western backgrounds, to have children. She has delivered almost 600 babies through surrogacy in a decade, housing around 100 surrogates in one clinic at any given time.

Bobby and Nikki Baines, a British couple who used Dr Patel’s surrogacy service, said: ‘Before 2000, we were looking for a surrogate in the UK. None came about – actually one or two did but they were bad apples. I’m sure there are some good surrogates here but the ones we came across were not too good. That’s why we went to India.’

Another client of Patel’s, who wished not to be named, described why the clinic was so appealing to her, stating that: ‘When I was told by my doctor they could get someone in Stockton [California], I don’t know what they’re eating, what they’re doing. Their physical environment would have been a concern for me.’

She added: ‘The way they have things set up here is that the surrogate’s sole purpose is to carry a healthy baby for someone… The clinic wants to keep a separation, this is what your job is: I’m the mother. She’s the vessel.’

It is easy for Patel’s customers to highlight the positives in this arrangement, and for them there are many. However, whilst the surrogates provide the ultimate gift to these families, they are given very little in return.

The right to have a family and experience parenthood is an entitlement that should be available to anyone who wants it, and surrogacy is a great option for those who are unable to have children themselves. However, the line between a good deed and honest exchange and something far more exploitative is crossed when taken into account the poverty that these surrogates are living in.

Whilst hopeful parents pay £28,000 for their surrogate children, a meager £4,950 of this is given to the women who are inseminated, carry and give birth to the children. Dr Nayna Patel receives the other £17,250, in a transaction that seems to have more to do with business than compassion for human life.

These fees exploit both couples who are so desperate to have a child, and the women who are living on the breadline. Nonetheless, Dr Patel insists that she is offering these women a lifeline, saying that: ‘Surrogacy is one woman helping another.’

Image Credits: BBC.
Dr Nayna Patel (front centre) is opening the new ‘baby factory’

‘These woman are doing a job,’ she says. ‘It’s a physical job – they are paid for that job… These women know there is no gain without pain.’ These are harsh sentiments coming from a woman who seems to have a greater vested interest in profits than emotions.

Despite the apparent exploitation of India’s surrogates, they appear to be satisfied with their roles. Papiya, a surrogate mother who is expecting twins for a couple in America, stated in an interview that she planned to buy a house with her most recent payment, saying: ‘Having twins means we get a bigger fee… Last time I was a surrogate, I bought white goods, a car and lent some to my sister-in-law.’

In a recent BBC4 documentary entitled House of Surrogates, Dr Patel commented that: “There are… many needy females in India…The food, shelter, clothing and medicine, healthcare is not free for all in India. People have to fend for themselves.” To this, a contented surrogate added: “The house I live in at the moment is a rented house, this one will be much better…My parents will be pleased that their son and his wife have managed to build a house. Our status in society will go up, which will be a good thing.”

In comparison with the typical wage in India, the fee that Dr Patel pays is high. According to the website www.wakeupcall.org around 75 per cent of the Indian population are living below the poverty line. The poverty line is estimated to be an earning of Rs. Ten per day, which amounts to Ten pence in England. India’s minimum wage is an average of Rs. Fifty per day, equalling Fifty pence.

Set against this backdrop of poverty, it is understandable that Patel’s clinics have been labeled as exploitative ‘baby factories.’ A little means a lot to these women, and Patel is able to satisfy them without giving them what they truly deserve.

Amitabha Sadangi, the International Development Enterprises’ CEO, says that there are millions in India who are still living in poverty. ‘The way forward is to create sustainable employment opportunities, income generating opportunities, make them self-reliant and totally independent.’ Patel’s employment opportunities certainly don’t fit this mould.

Perhaps the most devastating fact in this story is that Indian child mortality rates are still so high, with up to 63 deaths per 1,000 births. A woman can deliver a healthy baby to a Western family, and yet her own baby can become ill, as a result of India’s poverty. Victor Aguayo, UNICEF India Chief of Nutrition and Development, said: ‘The high levels of child malnutrition seen in Madhya Pradesh are the result of a ‘perfect storm’ for children that associates high levels of malnutrition in mothers, poor child feeding practices in the first two years of life and high levels of infection in children’s environments; for many children, this is compounded by food insecurity and poverty in their households and limited access to basic services for them and their mothers.’

Surrogacy is rather a sterile term, and amidst talk on insemination, payment and contracts, it is easy to overlook the fact that surrogate mothers feel a connection with the babies they carry and give birth to, only to have their ties cut short. On the other hand, surrogacy gives people who may never have been able to start a family one last chance.

It remains fact that Dr Nayna Patel has and continues to manipulate the financial situation of India to help women, and turn a profit at the same time. Whilst levels of poverty in India grow in parallel with the demand for surrogate mothers in the West, Dr Patel’s business will continue to grow.

Dr Nayna Patel calls herself a feminist. If this were truly the case, she would invest her vast profits in educating these women whilst they were staying with her, so that they have other means of escaping poverty. Surrogacy is a great gift, but not when one woman is making profit out of other women’s poverty.

Meg Lawrence, Online Features Editor

Profiting From Our Own Mess?

With David Cameron currently chasing trade and profit in India, Rory Morgan asks if it would be easy to forget that the country was not too long ago a British Colony vying for Britain’s attention and generosity.

A pleasing irony seems to come from a European leader wearing a Turban and shamelessly using the tactic of flattery to a rising power their country previously oppressed. Cameron has been in fierce competition with Francis Hollande to open up trade with India and recently lost out to the French in his bid for a fighter jet contract with New Delhi. In the last decade India has developed into one of the world’s largest economies and this seems to beg the question could this have happened earlier without British colonisation?

The sad truth is no. India might be an economic powerhouse but it is also one of the most impoverished countries in the world and this imbalance of wealth is something the British helped to implement. India is 129th in the world for its per capita of wealth. This shocking discrepancy indicates the country’s economic structure. Capitalism was an ideology brought by the west and is one of the key reasons India has become so rich. They are able to use their natural resources to trade and accumulate wealth and then hold onto and control this wealth by not distributing it. Who was this economic structure learned from? The British, of course.

This is certainly not something to take pride in and Cameron’s trip seems to almost condone this out-dated behaviour. But Britain cannot be too critical of India’s extreme class division as it helped to shape and define it, and poking at this structure would create some obvious double standards. But should we really be seeking trade from a country so socially backward?

The answer to this is not clear. On the one hand Britain is economically weak and needs to be forming bonds with countries that have larger and more lucrative economies and the state of India’s social system is not something we seem to have a massive effect on. But then there is still that nagging matter of principle. We are a country with a brilliant welfare system to cater for the less fortunate, but a century ago our social structure was not so different to India’s. Maybe with the right amount of international pressure and scrutiny Pranab Mukherjee, his ruling party and the more privileged would feel compelled to actively try to lessen the wealth gap. Or maybe this notion is just futile idealism.

Regardless of the outcome it still does seem important as a democratic and comparatively fair socially structured country to uphold certain principles. Going and seeking trade with a country that does not seem to have these principles and shows little interest in developing even the most basic of them feels wrong. It almost feels like the same questions are popping up as when Prime Minister Cameron visited China two years ago. The motivations can be understood, as many have already stated it is likely that the economies of China and India will soon take the reigns from America. But it is still right to butter up a country that still accepts poverty aid in the millions from us despite having the means to begin improving conditions themselves? This will come to an end in 2015, but it is impossible that India’s poverty will even slightly deplete by then.

With quite a conundrum of guilt mixed with financial reliance it seems that Britain ultimately has little power over the social mess it has created and if things don’t change will continue to ignore and profit from it.

Rory Morgan, Online Books Editor

New coach Giles takes positives from India defeat

Photo credits to Ramograph

England headed to India after Christmas fresh from their first Test series win there for nearly 30 years. However, with a new coach in place, a host of new faces in the squad and India’s proven one-day pedigree in home conditions, English fans realised that this would be a tough assignment.

Despite losing two warm-up matches, it was England who drew first blood in Rajkot. With Andy Flower deciding to preserve himself for the longer form of the game, this was Ashley Giles’ first competitive game in charge and he would have been pleased with what he saw. Openers Alastair Cook and Ian Bell set a strong platform with a 158 partnership before the attacking flair of the middle order saw the visitors post 325 for 4. Despite half centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, England held on for a nine run victory. James Tredwell was the bowling star with 4 for 44 from his 10 overs.

The second match was a different story as India batted first and racked up a big total, mainly due to the late power hitting from MS Dhoni and Ravi Jadeja. England never got going in reply and crumbled to 158 all out as the Indian spinners got their rewards for bowling in good areas.

With the series evenly poised, the teams headed to Ranchi knowing how important a win would be. Once again, the hosts started strongly with England’s middle order falling to the flight and guile of Ashwin and Jadeja. The target of 156 set by Cook’s men was never going to pose a challenge for the strong Indian batting line up with Virat Kohli leading his side home with 77 not out.

Requiring a win in Punjab to keep their hopes of a series win alive, England started well with Pietersen and Cook both scoring fluent half-centuries. Joe Root also showed his potential with the bat as he ended the innings in fine style with a quick 57 not out to drag his side up to a respectable score of 257. India started their chase strongly through Rohit Sharma and were carried home to victory by Raina’s wonderful 89 not out.

With series victory in the bag, India took their foot off the pedal in the final match. Raina, the man of the series, gave his team a chance with 83 but Ian Bell responded with a beautifully crafted century to give England a consolatory win.

Victory for India consolidated their position at the top of the ODI rankings but there is no doubt that they remain a team in transition following the retirement of high profile players. As for England, new coach Giles will be proud of their performances considering the weakened side they utilised in the series. It was a big improvement on their last ODI outings in India and it was promising to see youngsters like Joe Root and Joe Buttler getting experience of sub continental conditions. They will now head to New Zealand with high hopes given the hosts’ poor form and the return of many key players – anything less than victory will be disappointment.

Simon Dewhurst

Review: Life of Pi

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, which won the Booker Prize in 2001, has an eye catching and appealingly unique premise. My copy of the book has a short, simple blurb that begins with the tagline, “One boy, One boat, One tiger”. This is the story in a nutshell; what happens when a teenage boy and a tiger are forced to share a lifeboat after a devastating shipwreck, and how on earth does the boy survive? When plans were set in motion to adapt Martel’s novel for the big screen many questioned whether this strikingly strange scenario was filmable.

Photo credits to 20th Century Fox

How many times have we been told that a book cannot survive the transformation into a movie? Yet sometimes the best adaptations are those that seem impossible, because the filmmakers are forced to be as creative as the original author to make the essence of the source material work on screen. Ang Lee’s interpretation of Life of Pi marries the best of the visual and the written word, and in my view can truly be counted as a great adaptation.

Most critics have praised the stunning aesthetics of the film. Lee and his team succeed in bringing to life Indian streets, a zoo, the vast Pacific Ocean and modern day Canada in an at once vivid, realistic and evocative style. Life of Pi is also that rare thing, a 3D film that actually makes effective use of the technology. Sprawling storms, which seem like works of art in themselves, throw froth and rain in your face. The underwater world bubbles and brims with colourful life. Waves lap and crash in lifelike ways, horizons shift and glow in the setting sun. Most importantly of all, animals look, sound and feel alive. When they move they seem like wild, unpredictable creatures rather than computer generated pixels. Some of the footage from the trailers made the animals look like artificial, CGI creations and it is a tremendous relief that in the film itself they are believable. If they were not, Life of Pi’s narrative centre would lose all of its force.

But before the meat of Life of Pi’s key premise, we are introduced to our protagonist, Piscine, or Pi, as he makes himself known. The details of his early life are quirky and interesting, even without his extraordinary adventure at sea. Lee takes a bit of time setting things up, just as Martel does in the book. Rafe Spall plays an unnamed writer, listening to an adult Pi as he tells his story. Irrfan Khan plays the grown up Pi and the first chunk of the film consists of nostalgic flashbacks, with Khan’s voiceover draped over the top. Many films that indulge in voiceover are lazy, awful affairs that can be painful to watch. However, Life of Pi mostly maintains the balance perfectly. The conversation between Spall and Khan simply stirs our curiosity, and rarely outstays its welcome. The narration is also a nice nod to the novel and makes sense given the nostalgia of the piece.  Khan’s voiceover also disappears once Pi is stranded alone at sea.

As everyone knows by now, Pi is not left entirely alone with his self pity. He makes it across the Pacific in the company of Richard Parker, the tiger from his father’s zoo. This section of the film, with Pi isolated and no other human characters to interact with, could have dragged, especially without the existential introspection of the novel. However, my interest rarely waned. Lee conjures a powerfully primal confrontation between Pi and Richard Parker, a confrontation that morphs into an odd form of companionship. He sets it all against a backdrop that is beautiful, bleak and overwhelming. You feel Pi’s fear initially (I physically recoiled when the tiger first leapt out of the screen in all its 3D glory) and admire his compassion and reason, as he realises Richard Parker might just save his life. Pi questions his spirituality and everything about his life; he hallucinates and dreams. Of course the novel had the time to go into more detail, but nothing here feels significantly incomplete.

The ending has proved divisive, as endings often are. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian is needlessly harsh with his two-star rating of the film because he found the ending “exasperating”. I may be a mere apprentice compared to Bradshaw but he has undoubtedly missed the point. I do not wish to spoil the ending so I will simply say that it is intentionally frustrating and is clearly designed to provoke questions and debate. It highlights the power of storytelling and examines the nature and value of truth. Indeed, Life of Pi is a film with many intelligent themes, from spirituality to inter-species relations. It is also laced with fun, nostalgia and warmth. In fact, name an emotion you can experience at the cinema and Life of Pi probably covers it at some point.

For these reasons, Life of Pi is a film that you can mull over quietly by yourself or debate passionately with friends. It is a varied and unique cinematic experience, expertly told, that I would highly recommend seeing before the hustle and bustle of campus takes hold again in 2013.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Average: 4/5 stars

Liam Trim, Screen Editor

You can read a review of the original novel, courtesy of Exeposé Books, here. 

Captain Cook leads England to Indian triumph

Photo credits to Graham Hartland

England have finished a difficult year on a high with a memorable 2-1 series victory against India. After losing the first test, the team led by new captain Alastair Cook bounced back to win in India for the first time since 1985.

With the series pegged at 1-1 after two tests, the teams moved to Kolkata knowing that a victory would put them into a commanding position. After winning the toss once again, MS Dhoni decided to bat and his side got off to a solid start. Gautam Gambhir returned to form with a half-century whilst Sachin Tendulkar looked assured on his way to 76. Along with Yuvraj, the ‘Little Master’ pushed India along to 215-4 with the English bowlers struggling to create any chances.

Only a mistake by the Indian batsmen looked like breaking the partnership and Yuvraj obliged by chipping a ball straight to Cook off Graeme Swann. James Anderson followed this up by dismissing Tendulkar and suddenly the home side were on the ropes. Despite a rear-guard effort from Dhoni, they could only muster 316 which looked below par on a decent pitch. This theory was soon confirmed as England started their innings in a positive fashion.

Compton, Trott and Pietersen all hit fifties but it was Cook who led from the front with one of the greatest innings ever by an Englishman. After eight hours of resolute defence and superb stroke play he finally succumbed for 190 after his first lapse of concentration led to him being run out whilst backing up. Although the Indian spinners managed to clean up the tail fairly quickly, the tourists took a lead of over 200 into the second innings.

India constructed a good opening partnership but when Sehwag was bowled by Swann, it was clear that the pressure was too great for the middle order. A combination of accurate seam and spin bowling saw England take eight wickets for the loss of just 73 runs. Only Ashwin provided any resistance, eventually being left stranded nine short of a century as India forced the tourists to bat again. Chasing just 41 to win, England suffered a wobble as they lost three early wickets, leaving it to Ian Bell to complete the job and give them a slender advantage heading into the final match at Nagpur.

As a response to the events in Kolkata, India made two changes for the final match with Ravi Jadeja making his test debut and Piyush Chawla being welcomed back into the side. England also had a debutant in the form of Joe Root who came in for Samit Patel. After winning the toss, the tourists got off to a poor start when both openers were dismissed by Ishant Sharma early on. Trott and Pietersen joined forces to fight back during an 86 run partnership until Jadeja dismissed both much to his delight.

Next, it was the turn of the other debutant to make his mark on international cricket. Joe Root played an innings full of class and patience that many more experienced players would have been proud of, finally being dismissed for 73. Together with Prior and Swann, he led England to a strong score of 330. This score looked even better when James Anderson ripped through the Indian top order to leave them reeling on 71 for 4.

It was left to young sensation Virat Kohli and Dhoni to battle back on a slow, low pitch. They did this successfully with Kohli going through to a century and his captain only being denied the same milestone by a run out whilst on 99. With time running out in the match, England took a small lead into the second innings. India puffed away but Trott and Bell made sure the trophy came back to England with majestic centuries as the series finished as a dull draw in the Nagpur sunset.

Despite the underwhelming ending, the feat achieved by England to win the series two-one goes down as one of their most famous victories. Going into the series, Cook’s men were the underdogs with pundits expecting the turning pitches and humid conditions to favour the home side. Instead, it was England’s spin duo of Panesar and Swann, ably supported by the ever-reliable Anderson that made the biggest impact. The tourists’ batting and fielding was also superior to their opponents with Trott, Bell and Pietersen all returning to form at crucial moments.

The man of the series though was undoubtedly Cook, who by the end had become the youngest batsmen to pass 7,000 Test runs and England’s highest ever century maker. “In that dressing room, knowing what we had achieved, it was a special place and will live long in my memory,” said Cook after the final match. Coach Andy Flower was equally delighted, stating that he was proud of how his team managed to ‘learn and adapt’ after the defeat in Ahmedabad.

Whilst many have described victory for England as on par with an Ashes win, the Indians now have a number of issues to address following a disappointing winter. They have looked fearful of the English bowlers throughout and struggled to acclimatise to different wickets. There have already been calls for captain Dhoni to step down whilst Sachin Tendulkar is also under pressure to retire after another lean series with the bat. Whilst India have some soul-searching to do, the English side will head home for Christmas happy and will hope to carry their form into 2013 with series against New Zealand and Australia on the horizon.

Simon Dewhurst

Panesar and Pietersen help England draw level against India

Photo credits to mailliw

After two intriguing matches, England and India are locked at 1-1 as they head into the final two Tests of the series.

The first match in Ahmedabad turned into a nightmare for the tourists. After choosing to bat first, the Indian top order took the attack to the English bowlers with Virender Sehwag setting the tone with a trademark swashbuckling century. He was ably assisted by Cheteshwar Pujara who looks set to become a star of Indian cricket for many years to come. Using a combination of wristy flicks and powerful cover drives, the 24-year-old frustrated England for two days and completed a deserved double century as the home side declared on 521-8.

It was then the turn of the Indian bowlers to shine with England’s traditional weakness against spin being exposed once again as they collapsed to 191 all out. Following on, captain Alistair Cook led by example with an excellent century whilst Matt Prior chipped in with 91. However, Pragyan Ojha continued to toil away, finishing with nine wickets in the match to put India 1-0 up in the series.

Following the defeat at Ahmedabad, Cook issued a rallying call encouraging his team to show more determination and skill in Mumbai. He will have been pleased with his side’s initial efforts as they restricted India to 327 in their first innings. Pujara played the anchor role yet once more with 135 but his teammates struggled to cope with Graeme Swann and the recalled Monty Panesar who collected nine wickets between them.

Panesar was particularly impressive, varying his pace and angles to maximum effect on a helpful pitch. In reply, England were again indebted to Cook who controlled the innings perfectly with another hundred. He found a willing accomplice in the shape of Kevin Pietersen who played one of the best innings in modern times. After playing himself in, he set about counter-attacking the Indian bowlers with shots all around the ground. Once he was finally out for 186, there was no doubt that he had been ‘re-integrated’ back into the team after his controversial summer.

Both Cook and Pietersen are now only one hundred away from becoming the leading century scorer in England’s history. With the tourists on the back foot, it was time for Swann and Panesar to once again outfox their Indian counterparts. This time they shared all ten wickets in the innings as MS Dhoni’s men fell to a ten wicket defeat. Following the defeat in Ahmedabad and the loss of Ian Bell due to paternity leave, it truly was one of the most memorable England victories in living memory.

The series now heads to Kolkata with both teams looking to go ahead in the series. England will be buoyed by the return to form for Panesar and Pietersen but still have concerns over the fitness of Steve Finn and form of Stuart Broad. India will need to regroup and hope that their stellar batting order can perform better this time round. It is all set to be a fantastic finale to the series with a winner too hard to predict.

Simon Dewhurst

India vs. England Test preview

Photo thanks to Gouldy99

After relinquishing their status as the best Test side in the world over the summer, England head to India searching for a morale-boosting series victory under new captain Alastair Cook.

The return of key batsmen Kevin Pietersen will be a major boost for the tourists who will look to repeat their 4-0 triumph over the same opposition in 2011. That will be no easy task with the home side firm favourites because of their settled team and experience of conditions.

The series is likely to be decided by how well the English top order can deal with the Indian spinners. An inability to play slow bowling was a major reason for their downfall against Pakistan last winter but Cook is adamant that his team have improved since that 3-0 defeat. Ahead of the series Cook commented: “We have no problems facing spin. We have done our homework in the last 12 months.” Having carried out his period of ‘reintegration’, Pietersen in particular will be hoping that his poor record against left-arm spin will be banished on this tour.

England’s biggest decision ahead of the first Test in Ahmedabad is who will partner Cook at the top of the innings following Andrew Strauss’ retirement. Experienced Somerset batsmen Nick Compton looks to be the preferred option following his brilliant county season but youngster Joe Root will be pushing him hard. There are also question marks hanging over the bowling attack after Steven Finn sustained a thigh injury in the first warm-up match. Tim Bresnan is the most likely replacement, leaving England heavily reliant on James Anderson and Graeme Swann for wickets.

As for India, they come into the series on the back of a dominant victory over New Zealand. Legendary batsmen Sachin Tendulkar is under pressure following a disappointing run of form but youngsters Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have shown that they are more than capable of replacing the ‘Little Master’ in years to come. Ravi Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha will be the main spin threats for India whose main weakness could be their inexperienced pace attack.

This series will provide an important indicator of where both teams are currently. With an Ashes series less than a year away, Cook’s team will see it as a stepping stone towards cementing their place as the best England side for a generation. India on the other hand will be looking for revenge for that 2011 whitewash and will be confident based on their excellent home record. It looks set to be a very interesting few weeks with many commentators expecting it to be one of the closest series in recent times. Who will come out on top?

My prediction: 2-1 India

Simon Dewhurst