More tour ramblings

The first sign of activity at the VCA ground yesterday morning didn't come from Virender Sehwag's blade.

As a blazer-less Andrew Flintoff tossed up in the middle, a flurry of text messages could suddenly be heard from the British contingent in the press box.

Simultaneously looking at our phones it informed us that 'England had won the toss and will bat'. The ECB's text service for journalists has been in steady use already this tour as, one by one, England's team has depleted.

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Ali Cook and Sri Sreesanth both showed sound nerves on their Test debuts.

Sreesanth, the sprightly 22-year-old, must finally be thinking he has landed himself with the right job, serving his country on the sports field.

The paceman had previously flirted with the idea of joining first the Navy, then the Army and most recently the Air Force. And he is quite a dancer too, having also reportedly starred to acclaim in his school show 'Boogey Woogey'.

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Cigarettes and alcohol. Okay, that's not all this diary has been interested in when the UK Chancellor's budget is announced. But before you scroll down in boredom, eyebrows were raised at the leader in one of Nagpur's local English language papers.

India's General Budget for 2006/07 has been announced in New Delhi and among those highlighted items which will cost the tax payer less are: pasta, fluorescent lamps and rubber rolls.

Costlier items for the coming year include goggles, walking sticks, whips and umbrellas.

I could only imagine the laughs in Westminster.