Ali Martin's take on day one at Edgbaston
Vic Marks's report
Updated
Edgbaston has been England’s fortress – nine wins and only one defeat since 2001 – but they are in serious trouble. Their reaction to the needless run-out of Joe Root was dispiritingly woolly, and from 216 for three they lost six wickets for 69 runs.
Root, who played with extreme discipline, looked certain to make his first Test hundred for a year until Jonny Bairstow called him back for a second run and Virat Kohli hit the stumps with a superb throw on the turn while falling over. He made 80, Bairstow went soon after for 70 and England fell in a heap.
India’s stars were Ashwin (four for 60), Shami (two for 64) and Kohli, whose brilliant fielding changed the day completely. Thanks for your company, goodnight.
Close of play
88th over: England 285-9 (Curran 24, Anderson 0) Mohammad Shami bowls the last over the day to Curran, who turns down a single from the fourth delivery. He’s effectively acting as a nightwatchman for Jimmy Anderson, and therefore – as Anderson is the last man - for himself. He should have fallen to the next delivery, but Karthik dropped a diving chance at full stretch to his left. It probably would have been a comfortable catch for first slip. Well that’s ruined India’s day, eh.
Updated
87th over: England 285-9 (Curran 24, Anderson 0) On the plus side, this has been a cool, authoritative innings from Curran, who has some temperament from a 20-year-old. It’s amazing what you can find at the bottom of a barrel.
86th over: England 284-9 (Curran 23, Anderson 0) Anderson survives the last five balls from Sharma to ironic cheers. The first day of a five-Test series and we’ve already been reduced to ironic cheering.
“An England batting collapse, Rob?” sniffs Simon McMahon. “Who’d have believed it? It’s as though the last 999 Tests never happened!”
85th over: England 283-9 (Curran 22, Anderson 0) Ashwin has oozed class today. Spinners don’t often take a five-for on the first day in England; Ashwin deserves to get one, and almost does when Anderson just manages to repel a delivery that seems to swing both ways in mid-air. He’s a bloody offspinner!
WICKET! England 283-9 (Broad LBW b Ashwin 1)
Like I said, hilarious. The marvellous Ashwin traps Broad LBW with a superb arm ball, and England are one wicket away from completing a supreme collapse.
Updated
84th over: England 282-8 (Curran 22, Broad 0) Ishant Sharma swings a very full delivery past Broad, who groped at it off the back foot, and does the same again later in the over. Once upon a time, Broad, like Sam Curran, was seen as a future top-six batsman. It’s funny how things work out. It’s bloody hilarious.
WICKET! England 278-8 (Rashid LBW b Sharma 13)
Adil Rashid is given out LBW on review. Kohli decided not to take the new ball after all, and the decision paid off when Sharma got one to reverse-swing sharply back into Rashid, who was caught on the crease. It hit him on the pad in front of middle stump and looked plumb, only to be given not out on the field. India reviewed instantly, and replays showed it was hitting leg stump. I think the umpire thought Rashid might have squeezed it with the inside-edge. He had not.
Updated
83rd over: England 278-7 (Curran 22, Rashid 13) A maiden from Ashwin to Curran, who is playing admirably in the circumstances. With 25 minutes remaining, India are going to take the second new ball. That’s a risky tactic with Bairstow and Stokes at the crease and well set, because it’ll come onto the bat nicely.
82nd over: England 278-7 (Curran 22, Rashid 13) After a couple of useless short balls that Curran ducks underneath, Sharma beats the outside edge with a snorter that seams and lifts sharply from a length.
81st over: England 276-7 (Curran 21, Rashid 12) Ashwin continues with the old ball; a quiet over brings two runs. This has been an impressive little partnership in the circumstances.
80th over: England 274-7 (Curran 20, Rashid 11) Pandya has been hooked after one over, replaced by Ishant Sharma. It’s makes no odds to Curran, who plays a high-class back-foot drive for four. The new ball is dueRIGHTNOW.
“Rob,” says Michael Keane. “I’m off to Edinburgh for the Fringe tomorrow (BattleActs improvised comedy, 8:15 @ the Free Sisters If anyone’s interested). Where can/should I watch the cricket? Doctor’s bar has had it in the past but without sound. Also, if you get an overwhelming response, who’s up for an OBOccasional Fringer’s XI match v, I don’t know, Adelaide Fringe?”
Anyone?
79th over: England 269-7 (Curran 15, Rashid 11) Rashid steers an outswinger from Ashwin – an outswinger from Ashwin – for four, and then swaggers down the track to flick the next ball over square leg for another boundary. Lovely shot.
78th over: England 261-7 (Curran 15, Rashid 3) Hardik Pandya starts a new spell with a wide half-volley that is larruped for four by Curran, and the over ends with an almost identical shot to the cover boundary. I was dubious about Curran’s selection but England need his batting ability now. Interestingly, Michael Vaughan thinks he’ll end up as a top-six batsman.
77th over: England 253-7 (Curran 7, Rashid 3) Apparently Curran could legitimately have stood his ground and made the catch more awkward for Ashwin, though it all happened so fast that his instinct took over. Ashwin might have taken the catch anyway. Meanwhile, Ashwin beats Curran with a gorgeous delivery that dips one way and turns the other past the outside edge. Just lovely bowling. His record outside Asia hasn’t always been great but he has been majestic today.
“I am assuming,” begins Rachel Clifton, “that Rashid will spin us to victory now…”
Don’t even go there.
Updated
76th over: England 250-7 (Curran 4, Rashid 3) England are in serious trouble here, because this is a flat pitch and India could take a huge first-innings lead. It’s hard to believe how they have unravelled from 216 for three. On the Stokes dismissal, incidentally, Curran instinctively moved out of the way to allow Ashwin to take the catch – on Sky, Mike Atherton and David Lloyd are discussing whether he could have stood his ground or whether that would have counted as Obstructing the Field.
“Think Kohli’s kisses go a bit further than needle and wouldn’t be surprised if he gets hauled in front of the match referee for it,” says Andrew Moore. “Once a batsman is dismissed I think that’s the end of any chat, he has no right of reply. Send-offs will result in blows on the pitch one day.”
Updated
75th over: England 244-7 (Curran 1, Rashid 0) If you’re an England fan, there’s bad news and bad news. Which do you want first? Ashwin almost gets his fourth wicket, ripping a beauty through the gate of the new batsman Rashid. The ball bounced just over off stump.
WICKET! England 243-7 (Stokes ct and b Ashwin 21)
Oh lordy. Stokes falls again to Ashwin and England are in all sorts. He tried to whip a short ball to leg and got a leading edge straight back to the bowler: a bad delivery, an even worse shot, and Stokes’ disappointment was such that he could barely drag himself from the crease.
Updated
74th over: England 243-6 (Stokes 21, Curran 1) Shami pops a lifter past Stokes, who recoils like a man who has got a little too close to some fetid underclothing. Later in the over Curran edges this far short of first slip. Man, Shami has bowled beautifully today.
“A good point on Cook, though I will join the ‘that was a peach, leave him alone’ crew - I don’t think he failed at all,” says Toby Sims. “Reasonably sure there will be a fallow period, he’ll get a lot of stick, then have a run of massive scores (wouldn’t it be interesting if it was lower down the order…) and retire with grace. I hope. As for this Test, well I smell doom and gloom unless someone (with ball or bat) pulls off a miracle….”
Updated
73rd over: England 242-6 (Stokes 20, Curran 1) Ashwin has a slip and short leg for Curran, who defends a maiden without much alarm.
“Rob,” says Leonard Cohen. “I entered my final and short meeting of the day serenely knowing Root was on for a century and I’d make it home for some Bairstow/Buttler/Stokes fun, only to exit the meeting to find out we still indeed are the England team. Test cricket eh?”
To nick Daniel Harris’s pun: Hell, bloody Test cricket.
72nd over: England 242-6 (Stokes 20, Curran 1) Stokes has been extremely positive, walking down the track to the seamers and playing his defensive strokes with a lot of authority. At the other end, Sam Curran has started sensibly and looks happy to hold up an end while Stokes is at the crease.
71st over: England 240-6 (Stokes 17, Curran 1) Ashwin dismissed Stokes five times in the 2016-17 series, and he is developing a nice rhythm here. Stokes is also looking good and moves to 18 with a single off the pads.
“Can we agree Root is but a very good batsman, not a great one, like Kohli?” says Andrew Hurley. “And how lucky is Cook that there is a dearth of opening options?”
I take both your points, though I’d be loath to draw conclusions from today’s dismissals as neither told us anything about the batsmen. But yes, I do fear an awkward decision might be in the post re: Cook. I suspect/hope he’ll know when it’s time.
70th over: England 237-6 (Stokes 15, Curran 1) Shami returns to the attack and swerves one past the outside edge of Stokes, who was on the walk. Shami has been the pick of the Indian attack, the kind of skilful old-ball bowler who helps captains sleep soundly the night before a Test. But when he swings one onto the pads, Stokes puts it away for four with a flourish.
69th over: England 230-6 (Stokes 8, Curran 1) Ashwin, as Nasser Hussain notes on Sky Sports, now has two left-handers to play with. Sam Curran has started with some confident defensive strokes. But England, out of nowhere, are suddenly under so much pressure. They really needed a minimum of 400. If they are dismissed for 260-280, Kohli might get a first-innings lead on his own.
“It looks,” says Adam Hirst, “like Yorkshire Day will finish with everyone saying ‘Hoowwww much?’.”
68th over: England 230-6 (Stokes 8, Curran 1) Stokes gets his first boundary, flipping Yadav crisply through square leg. There’s a bit of reverse swing. Meanwhile, and I missed this at the time, Kohli celebrated the wicket of Root by blowing a kiss, shushing somebody on the balcony and finally dropping an imaginary mic. As you kids doubtless recall, Root celebrated his series-winning hundred in the ODIs with a mic-drop. Great stuff, and hopefully the start of some compelling needle in this series.
67th over: England 224-6 (Stokes 3, Curran 0) England were cruising at 216 for three when Bairstow called Root for a second run. Since then they’ve lost three wickets for eight runs in 19 minutes of contempt-breeding familiarity.
Updated
WICKET! England 224-6 (Buttler LBW b Ashwin 0)
Great stuff. Buttler has gone for a second-ball duck, trapped LBW by Ashwin. He pushed indecisively around a decent off-break that turned to hit the pad in front of middle stump. Aleem Dar gave it out and Buttler didn’t even bother discussing a review with Ben Stokes.
Updated
66th over: England 223-5 (Stokes 2, Buttler 0) This has been an excellent start to the series, with the initiative being wrenched back and forth. That run-out of Root was a savage blow to England, who will now fear a dismal post-tea collapse.
WICKET! England 223-5 (Bairstow b Yadav 70)
It’s happening. It’s bloody happening. Bairstow has gone now, dragging a nothing delivery from Yadav back onto the stumps. It came back a fraction off the seam and cramped him for room as he tried to cut. It was a strange innings from Bairstow: lots of thumping shots, a few loose ones and a leading role in the run-out of Root.
Updated
65th over: England 221-4 (Bairstow 69, Stokes 1) Stokes works Ashwin round the corner to get off the mark. He has improved loads against spin in the last three years, though I doubt he much enjoys starting against it. Two from the over.
64th over: England 218-4 (Bairstow 67, Stokes 0) Umesh Yadav replaces Pandya and gets some reverse inswing to Stokes, who plays a confident drive for no run. OH BLOODY HELL ENGLAND. I can’t tell you how carefully Root was playing, and how certain a hundred looked.
“Dear Rob,” says Nick Clark. “I’m in charge of trophy shopping for this year’s OBOccasionals tour to Portugal and Kim’s suggestion sounds perfect. We had a hat of shame last year for the person that made the most recent on- or off-field clanger and a cone of shame is extremely tempting. PS We are playing in Brighton on the 12th August in a pub level charity tournament is anybody wants to join us.”
If you do, send me a mail and I’ll forward it on to Nick.
63rd over: England 217-4 (Bairstow 66, Stokes 0) In fact, Ashwin didn’t touch Kohli’s throw – he saw it was going to hit the stumps and left it. It was a sensational piece of fielding in itself, even before you consider the significance. Bairstow and Root are so good between the wickets, but sometimes even the greatest strength can be a weakness. It was Bairstow’s call, and he leant solemnly on his bat when he realised the consequences.
Updated
WICKET! England 216-4 (Root run out 80)
Joe Root finds another weird and wonderful way not to make a Test hundred. He is absolutely fuming as he walks off. He turned for a second when Bairstow worked Ashwin to leg, and was just short when Kohli’s superb throw on the turn deflected off the hands of Ashwin and onto the stumps. Root has steam coming out of every aperture, and no wonder - he batted so responsibly and looked certain to finally make his 14th Test hundred.
Updated
62nd over: England 211-3 (Root 80, Bairstow 60) Bairstow drives Pandya sweetly down the ground for four to reach a punishing fifty from only 72 balls, and celebrates by whapping the next ball to the cover boundary. All five of his Test hundreds have come in the first of the four match innings, so before he has kept wicket. There’s a moral in that story somewhere.
Updated
61st over: England 199-3 (Root 79, Bairstow 49) Root survives a huge shout for LBW from Shami. It looked plumb – and it would have been plumb but for a pesky inside edge. India have only one review remaining and decide not to risk it.
“Not a title but thinking the time is ripe for Kiwi-noir,” says Pete Salmon. “Two slightly portly detectives who get the job done without fanfare. Dibbly. And Dobbly.”
Is Wobbly still suspended without pay? I can’t believe they made him turn in his gun and black cap.
60th over: England 195-3 (Root 78, Bairstow 46) “My wife has just brought Dakkers the dachshund home from the vet after a minor op, with a cone of shame, which to her delight also fits me,” says Kim Thonger. “We think an award of an ‘OBO Cone of Shame’ at the end of each Test match would be a nice counterpoint to the traditional Test Match Special ‘Champagne Moment’. To be awarded to the most shameful act or omission in the match.”
I like the idea, though surely it should be the Lambrini Moment?
59th over: England 193-3 (Root 77, Bairstow 45) Bairstow thieves a single to mid-on, a superb piece of judgement, and then uppercuts Shami over the cordon for four. It was a deliberate shot, if slightly risky. It’s been a slightly odd innings but his speed of scoring – 45 from 65 balls – is threatening to take this away from India.
“If everyone put as much imagination into making Test cricket more attractive as they do into slowing the over rate,” says Gary Naylor, “the game would have nothing to worry about.”
58th over: England 187-3 (Root 76, Bairstow 40) Root’s last Test hundred came 349 days ago, against West Indies on this ground. This information is provided without comment or temptation of fate. Meanwhile, Bairstow toe-ends Pandya fractionally short of Kohli, diving forward at short cover.
Apropos of nothing, here's the number of CC matches played by England's XI for the 1,000th men's Test
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) August 1, 2018
Alastair Cook 91
Keaton Jennings 81
Joe Root 42
Dawid Malan 136
Jonny Bairstow 89
Ben Stokes 63
Jos Buttler 63
Sam Curran 34
Adil Rashid 138
Stuart Broad 56
Jimmy Anderson 72
57th over: England 183-3 (Root 74, Bairstow 38) Bairstow moves to 38 with a scorching cover drive for four off Shami. He doesn’t have a great Test record at No5, with no centuries in 22 innings and an average of 30.14, though you’d expect him to improve that considerably in the next two or three years. He’s been slightly loose today but he’s still at the crease so you can take your criticism, Smyth, and stick it up your Wisden.
56th over: England 177-3 (Root 73, Bairstow 33) Root gets consecutive boundaries off Pandya, with a clip through midwicket followed by a pull round the corner. Both were poor deliveries, and Root has punished those all day. In fact he’s played a very simple, old-fashioned innings: block the good balls, belt the bad ones.
Updated
55th over: England 168-3 (Root 65, Bairstow 32) India’s slow over rate means this will be a 150-minute session, which should do wonders for my humour, not to mention my bladder. Mohammed Shami, who has bowled very well, starts after tea with a superb outswinger that Bairstow edges short of slip and through for four. A fine over ends with a good inswinger that Bairstow thick-edges to leg for a single.
“It’s not a thriller,” says Mark Smith, “but you might expect to find Grandma Boycott’s Stick O’ Rhubarb working its way up the children’s bestseller list?”
All the spoilt brats are pressuring their parents to buy it.
‘Whispering Death’ is the subject of Richard Hagan’s email. “Our club captain, an opening bowler more afraid of his own mind than any batsman, has been dubbed ‘Choking Death’ as a result. He has also accomplished the true bowler’s feat of taking more wickets for the club (600+) than he has scored runs.”
Tea
54th over: England 163-3 (Root 65, Bairstow 27) Bairstow tries to flog a wide delivery from Pandya that keeps low and sneaks under the bat. It’s all guesswork at this stage but if the match goes to plan, England may enjoy the company of their old friend U. Bounce at the weekend. Back in the middle of the week, that’s the end of a fascinating session in which India took two useful wickets and Joe Root reached the usual fifty. See you in 20 minutes for the evening session.
As for cricket-themed thriller titles, we have a winner! (And I can’t believe I didn’t think of this myself.) “I’m about to go in to a meeting,” says David Horn, “but a quick CTRL-F reveals nobody has yet suggested ‘WHISPERING DEATH’ by M. Holding.”
53rd over: England 162-3 (Root 65, Bairstow 26) A two from Root brings up an important fifty partnership with his old mate Bairstow. They’ve come a long way since that feelgood romp at Headingley in 2013.
52nd over: England 160-3 (Root 63, Bairstow 26) Bairstow, who has been a touch skittish, edges a big drive off Pandya wide of slip for four. He is so keen to dominate, and the plan for England will be to flog a tiring Indian attack in the extended evening session - just as they did on the first day of both home series last summer. They’ve done pretty well today in imperfect batting conditions; none of the three batsmen who are out gave their wicket away.
Updated
51st over: England 155-3 (Root 63, Bairstow 22) Bairstow skids back in his crease to clatter Ashwin through the covers for a couple. That’s all for the over, and there are 10 minutes until tea.
“There has to be a book called ‘ABSENT DEAD’,” says Richard O’Hagan, “after Andy Ducat’s scorecard entry.”
50th over: England 153-3 (Root 63, Bairstow 20) A double bowling change, with Hardik Pandya replacing the errant Umesh Yadav. Root is beaten, waving absent-mindedly outside off stump, and berates himself for the lapse in concentration with the aid of a popular four-letter word. A maiden.
A few more cricket-themed thrillers:
- THE MAN WHO WAS MANKADED (Jan Claes)
- TIMED OUT (Artie Prendergast-Smith)
- STICKY DOG (Charles Sheldrick)
49th over: England 153-3 (Root 63, Bairstow 20) Ashwin returns to the attack and goes around the wicket to Bairstow, who slams a boundary through midwicket. As England’s batting enforcer, he may try to belt Ashwin out of the attack.
48th over: England 148-3 (Root 62, Bairstow 16) Yadav drifts onto the pads of Root, who flips him through square leg for four with the minimum of fuss. This has been such a controlled innings; I’ve rarely seen him bat with such little risk.
47th over: England 141-3 (Root 55, Bairstow 16) Root works Sharma to third man for a single. Virat Kohli’s use of a third man for Root has saved plenty of runs today. Meanwhile, here are a a few more suggestions for cricket-themed thrillers
- THE CORRIDOR OF UNCERTAINTY (Dean Caldwell-White and Andy Plowman)
- IT REARED SHARPLY (OFF A LENGTH) (Chris Drew)
- CHINESE CUT (David Brown)
- THE WRONG’UN (John Starbuck)
- DIG IN (James Walsh)
- RAGING BUNSEN (Brian Withington)
- DEEP COVER (James Crozier)
46th over: England 139-3 (Root 54, Bairstow 16) These two usually bat nicely together, as much as anything because of their speed between the wickets, and this partnership has started promisingly. The moment I type that premature muck, Bairstow has a loosish force at a wide delivery from Yadav and edges it through the vacant gully region for a single.
“Hi Rob,” says David Hopkins. “Not sure it would be a thriller as such, but I’d imagine TICKLE TO LEG could fill a 50 Shades-sized gap in the publishing market.”
45th over: England 135-3 (Root 53, Bairstow 13) A wide half-volley from Sharma is belted for four by Bairstow, a shot containing exactly 0.00 per cent nonsense. Jeez he is a brilliant player. I wonder if he realises how good a Test batsman he could be if he gave up keeping wicket.
“The Third Man...” says Cricket Thriller expert Gary Naylor.
44th over: England 129-3 (Root 52, Bairstow 8) Yadav replaces Shami. This is such an important knock for Root, who has rarely looked so determined to stay at the crease. The last time I can recall him playing like this was when he made that huge double hundred against Pakistan in 2016. If he gets out again between 50 and 99, it will do all sorts to his humour.
“They’re discussing all sorts of cunningly disguised (and named) deliveries on Sky but I think you may have just added one to the lexicon (40th over) - the ‘seductive slider’,” says Brian Withington. “I reckon it starts off looking like a tempting long hop but then surprises disarmingly on pitching?”
I reckon Shane Warne would tell you the ‘seductive slider’ is a tautology. And Ian Bell certainly would.
Updated
43rd over: England 127-3 (Root 50, Bairstow 8) Ishant Sharma replaces Our Ashwin, who has excellent first-day figures of 9-2-24-1. Root works a single to leg to reach a restrained yet expert fifty from 107 balls. We know all about his conversion woes but, as Nasser Hussain often points out, his consistency is staggering: he makes at least one fifty in almost every Test he plays.
“Earlier this week, begins Adam Horridge, “I enjoyed the responses to this tweet from author Jeremy Duns which proposed the deployment of everyday phrases as titles for dark thrillers. I’m sure there’s also a treasure trove of possibilities to be gleaned from the cricketing lexicon and I feel the following could work for starters:
- THERE WAS A NOISE
- FIRST SLIP
- PRAYING FOR RAIN
- CHIN MUSIC
“I’m sure the OBO collective could come up with the definitive title for 2018’s bestseller.”
I can’t wait to read the terrifying COW CORNER.
Updated
42nd over: England 122-3 (Root 48, Bairstow 5) Bairstow is beaten, chasing a big swinging legcutter from the impressive Shami. He has been so dominant in one-day cricket of late that he probably thinks he can do the same in first-class cricket, and as somebody with no first-class runs at an average of 0.00, I’m not going to debate him.
41st over: England 120-3 (Root 47, Bairstow 4) Bairstow forces Ashwin confidently through the covers for three. All of Bairstow’s Test hundreds have come in the first innings when England have batted first, in other words before he has kept wicket, and he’s only 96 away from another! Root, meanwhile, moves closer to the usual half-century by timing a full toss from Ashwin for four. He then survives a shriek for LBW appeal after whipping around another full toss. It was missing leg.
40th over: England 113-3 (Root 43, Bairstow 1) As I slide seductively into the OBO chair, the new batsman Jonny Bairstow gets off the mark with a single off Shami.
Before we start please read this charity appeal, which requires no further comment from me.
Thanks Daniel, hello everyone. Happy Testseriesday to you all. Let’s start with some nutritious numerical information: 40, 30, 200*, 154*, 98, 134, 0, 48, 190, 136, 4. Those are Joe Root’s scores in the first innings of a home series, an illustration of his exceptional tone-setting ability in English conditions. The 134 at Cardiff was an immense innings, without which England would surely not have won the 2015 Ashes. They could do with something similar today, as things are precariously poised after the dismissals of Keaton Jennings and Dawid Malan.
The ball is doing plenty in the air and off the pitch, and if Root goes the house could fall down. He was in great form during the one-day series and has played with exaggerated care so far, as if to emphasise the importance of this innings. Given his recent conversion woes – nine fifties since his last Test hundred – a ton today would set a particularly powerful tone.
So that’s drinks; your RA Smyths will guide you through the rest of the day.
REVIEW DENIED! The ball was trimming the bails and thus umpire’s call prevails. “Well done”.
REVIEW!
WICKET! Malan lbw b Mohammed Shami 8 (England 112-3)
Shami is still coming from around, and a back of a length delivery jags in and rams the top of the pad. This is great for India, who’ve stopped that partnership just as it got going, and will fancy themselves to do a bit more now!
Updated
38th over: England 112-2 (Root 43, Malan 8) REVIEW DENIED! Malan was hit outside the line and more than three metres down the pitch, so enjoys the fruits of a leg bye instead. Still, that was a decent delivery, flighted into the left hander, beating him with drift, then spinning away. Which brings Root onto strike, who drives ... that seems unwise, this being the first he’s seen of Ashwin since lunch ... and a chunky edge scoots wide of slip four four! I know Kohli has to use his quicks at the start of a session to get anything out of them, but my guess is the batsmen were happier to see them than they’d have been to see old R. Root now has 6,000 Test runs, a fair effort; but has he ever done an over-by-over? Exactly.
39th over: England 107-2 (Root 39, Malan 8) ASHWIN RETURNS! HITS MALAN ON THE PAD! HUGE APPEAL! REVIEW!
38th over: England 107-2 (Root 39, Malan 8) Still no Ashwin, and he comes a short one ... and though it doesn’t climb much, it’s the direction, leg side, that allows Malan to climb in and pull four. He then runs a single down, and has acclimatised pretty well, especially for someone who really needs a score.
37th over: England 102-2 (Root 39, Malan 3) Root bumps a single to mid on, then Malan is squared up and edges for one more. Ishant’s hair is flopping where once it flowed, and for that reason there’s a distinct lack of menace to his bowling. He appears to have lost his bumper.
36th over: England 100-2 (Root 38, Malan 2) Malan gets way immediately, confidently dabbing hard - can you dab hard? - yes you can, I’ve just tried it and hurt my eyes - into the off side. They run two
“‘It would make more sense to do the shooting first, then the cross-country...’ says Gary Naylor, quoting me back to myself. “That would transform the event from a simulation of a forest hunt into a simulation of a Scandi-noir murder and getaway...”
What’s the difference between “noir” and “Scandi-noir”? The same as the difference between “food” and “street food”, I shouldn’t wonder. Meanwhile, here’s John Starbuck: “I think you have misunderstood the biathlon. It’s supposed to signify armed forces reaching the enemy lines in a very quiet fashion, then reducing the enemies’ numbers. Doing it the other way round looks like lurking about to perform a hit, then running away.”
In my youth, I was a fabled knockdown Ginger player. On one notable occasion, I banged on a window as someone else had the doorbell - imagine my surprise when it smashed. Imagine my dad’s joy when he found out a few days later. Books were thrown.
WICKET! Jennings b Mohammed Shami 42 (England 98-2)
Ohhhh have a look! Jennings defends at the top of the bounce, bunting onto his thigh, and as he sets off for a run, the ball dribbles into his stumps, dislodging one bail. This is unlucky, apparently, as though that happening wasn’t a direct result of everything that he did.
Updated
35th over: England 98-1 (Jennings 42, Root 38) Root leaves Yadav alone, but is then forced to defend. Not much else happens until Yadav’s final ball, which nips back and defeats the edge ... and the stumps. So far it’s an...
What a riff that is.
34th over: England 98-1 (Jennings 42, Root 38) It’s pretty quiet out there, which is perfect for England; India’s seamers are making very little impression, and I doubt it’ll be long before we see Ashwin. Root takes two to point, then edges one wide of two to third man, and England are set.
33rd over: England 95-1 (Jennings 42, Root 35) Root hammers a loose one but picks out point and they run just one; Jennings then edges two.
To add some data to your point in the OBO about squash vs tennis,” emails Jake Maughan, “elite squash players typically cover more distance, have less rest and spend longer in play per match than elite tennis players (excluding time between points and games). Plus in a typical tournament they will play matches every day!
To summarise the data: in the 97 minute first round match of the Swedish Open in 2018, Tarek Momen covered 5km over 60 minutes of ‘in play’ time
In the 288 minute match where Gilles Miller beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon 2017, Nadal covered only 3.6km over 43 minutes ‘in play’ time. Interestingly this means they ran at almost exactly the same average speed!”
That’s fascinating, though I wonder about the choice of tennis match - Muller won a lot of quick points on serve, and points on grass as the shortest tennis have to offer. But yeah, squash is hard and has a particular hatred of knees.
32nd over: England 92-1 (Jennings 40, Root 34) Ishant’s ability to move the ball both ways encourages Root to play at one he’d rather leave, and he does well to miss it. So when a similar delivery comes down, he leaves and nods approval at the bowler, which must be affirming and maddening at the same time. A single follows, and the England captain looks very comfy indeed.
Meanwhile, back to curry: “Nass also said he tried to repeat his routine from before that innings, over and over afterwards,” emails Kevin Wilson, “but it never worked. He just accepted that for a day and a half he was invincible and it would never happen again.”
He didn’t use the same restaurant though did he? The things of which people don’t think!
31st over: England 91-1 (Jennings 40, Root 33) Yadav is still looking for orthodox swing and from around to Jennings, he raps the pad, but that looked like it was missing to me and there’s no further drama. Jennings then takes one to square leg and Root opens the face, finding the third man that is now in place; they run one.
“Re the ‘demanding sports’ question,” tweets Neville Morley, “very niche in the UK, but have to mention Biathlon. Several kilometres of cross-country skiing (which is incredibly hard work), then try to slow heartrate down to hit targets.”
Yes, that looks no fun whatsoever. It would make more sense to do the shooting first, then the cross-country, surprised no one’s thought of that.
30th over: England 89-1 (Jennings 39, Root 32) Ishant will try to improve on this morning’s slightly wild behaviour - it turns out that it’s not just the hair after all. Two singles eventuate.
“Alastair Cook has been bowled four times in his last nine Test dismissals (top score 70),” tweets Gary Naylor. “Though even Geoffrey Boycott would admit that he had to get out somehow (at least I think he would) opening batsmen shouldn’t really be bowled that often. Are the eyes going?”
It’s hard to say, but the delivery that diddled him here wasn’t that - it was just very, very good.
29th over: England 87-1 (Jennings 38, Root 31) Umesh starts around the wicket to Jennings, who allows his first delivery to go by. And his fourth, which goes away and keeps going away, for four byes. Umesh recovers well though, slanting in two dots.
“While we’re at Edgbaston,” emails Chris Dobson, “it may be worth noting that Warwickshire’s oldest former player died on Sunday 22nd, one Derrick Flint, aged 94. Civil engineer, Captain in the Royal Engineers, bowler of right-arm googlies and leg-breaks and widower of one Baroness Heyhoe-Flint. He was a lovely man.”
Umesh is arranging his ponytail. More news as I get it.
India are huddling...
I also enjoyed what McGrath said about playing under Steve Waugh, who wanted the batsman in the middle to feel like “the least welcome person in the world”. Magnificent.
Sky have just done a fascinating bit on the mental side of sport. Nasser said that the night before his 207 against Australia – one of the greatest innings by an Englishman that I’ve ever seen – he ordered tikka masala and watched hour after hour of Warne and McGrath. So if you want to succeed at Test cricket, you need to like curry.
@DanielHarris Motorcycle racers can give jockeys a run in the "hardest-arse" athletes I reckon. pic.twitter.com/lZx4ZpGqJJ
— Lee (@LeeTowers43) August 1, 2018
So, England’s morning. They’ve batted pretty well, but not all that well - Rahane dropped Jennings, and a few edges were close to the stumps. But India will know that they misread the pitch, which is one on which to bat, and also that their seamers haven’t bowled well enough thus far. Join me in half an hour or so to see where we get to this afternoon.
28th over: England 83-1 (Jennings 38, Root 31) Jennings misses with a flick ... and there’s a huge appeal for caught behind! No says the umpire, no says Kohli, and a cut to point next ball gets yerman down the other end. Root then contrives to inside edge, but again does well to miss his wickets.
“Matt Dony is right about uphill walking,” says Sarah O’Regan. “And if you think about it, cycling is just sitting down for a really long time and eating every 30 minutes or so. Here’s a list of the some of the things cyclists consume on bikes: jam sandwiches, rice balls, boiled potatoes (one hopes with butter & garlic), snickers bars, and most recently, champagne. Which brings us nicely back to the picnic discussion.”
And that’s lunch.
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27th over: England 82-1 (Jennings 37, Root 31) This over and one more, I reckon; here comes Umesh. Jennings defends his first ball, and his second is shorter and Jennings pursues it for no reason, inside-edging onto his pad ... lucky boy. The rest of the over passes without incident, Jennings taking one to backward point, so will be on strike as Pandya tries to salvage the session.
26th over: England 81-1 (Jennings 36, Root 31) On comes Pandya and Jennings sees his third ball coming, stretching to knuck four through cover. He’s growing in confidence and with Ashwin seen away, can be very pleased with his morning, adding another to the total with a run to deep backward.
25th over: England 76-1 (Jennings 31, Root 31) Yadav returns and a single apiece brings up the fifty partnership - a relatively untroubled fifty partnership, given the stage and stakes.
“Eh, mountain climbing is just walking uphill for a long time,” reckons Matt Dony. “But squash is a good shout. In my experience, physically more demanding than tennis, but more forgiving in shot-selection and execution. And less scope for very long matches than 5 set tennis. I’d plump for tennis as the most demanding overall, but it’s an interesting shift in the balance.”
Not sure about this - I’d say at a play for fun level, squash is more tiring than tennis, though you don’t spend half your time chasing balls. But at elite level, I don’t think you see many three-hour squash matches.
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24th over: England 74-1 (Jennings 30, Root 30) Shami is switching from over to around depending on who’s facing, and he’s racking up a lick too. Jennings takes a single, then Root is semi-beaten by a skidder, an edge past off leg adding a single to the score and a grin to the coupon. They run two.
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23rd over: England 71-1 (Jennings 29, Root 28) This is a great contest, with England just in ascendancy. Three singles off the over, and India would love another wicket before lunch, he insighted.
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22nd over: England 68-1 (Jennings 28, Root 26) This is a decent morning for England ... so far. The pitch is behaving, with Ashwin the only consistent threat - and his wicket needed a jaffa - making the decision to bat a solid one. But as I type that, Shami flings one down at 89mph that moves away as Jennings swings wildly. He does well not to impart an edge, then chuckles merrily at his ineptitude and gets back down to it. A single to each batsman, and that’s another over down en route to lunch.
21st over: England 66-1 (Jennings 27, Root 25) Umesh is back on and Root is seeing it now, dancing back in his crease and making room to guide four to backward point. He moves so beautifully, especially given he’s not a short man. Those runs are the only ones off the over.
“Mental endurance: chess, beyond doubt,” emails Geoff. “Athleticism: mountain climbing, decathlon/heptathlon, rowing, squash, fell running all belong above tennis. But for the combined award it’s surely hard to outdo test batting.”
I’m not sure about that - the endurance ones you mention don’t require the same level of skill as tennis, don’t all work the whole body, some can be paced, and some come with proper breaks. But agreed on chess, look at the devastation here:
And read a bit more about it here:
20th over: England 62-1 (Jennings 27, Root 21) Jennings has looked alright this morning, taking four to cover, and this is a big chance for him. If he can parlay a start into a score, he’ll be in for the series, but if you’re asking me, I’d guess that Ashwin will see him away before that happens - he’s not quite supple enough in technique and footwork, yet.
19th over: England 58-1 (Jennings 23, Root 21) Ashwin glides through another maiden.
18th over: England 58-1 (Jennings 23, Root 20) Shami finds some away movement as Root comes part of the way forward before retreating as the ball beats him. Root then takes a single to third man, via edge, and Shami goes around to slant into, rather than across the left-handed Jennings; he plays out three dots.
“I’d say that the whole of track and field comes under the same banner as cricket and darts solitaire,” says Sarah O’Regan. “Once you’ve jumped, sprinted, or thrown, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop your opponent doing it better. (Same with gymnastics, actually). I think the shorter the track distance the more this applies - when you get to 10,000m and longer, the mind games and tactics are brought in.”
Usain Bolt told a friend of mine that before he beat Gatlin in Rio, before the race Gatlin was giving him dap and all sorts. Bolt wondered why this was, given that they were rivals, knew he had him, and sure enough, Gatlin bottled it on the line.
Tangentially, I remember during those Olympics, a liveblog discussion about hardest sportsmen ended with this:
Superbly argued nomination for jockeys as the hardest-arse athletes: https://t.co/zoS7qsQ0oQ pic.twitter.com/arPPwdjQLW
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) August 21, 2016
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17th over: England 57-1 (Jennings 23, Root 20) Jennings defends, takes a mooch, and when the throw hits the stumps they amble a single. And oh look, there’s Root taking three more past slip; he’s nearly caught up with Jennings having faced 16 fewer balls.
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16th over: England 53-1 (Jennings 22, Root 17) Jennings feathers one to cover, then Root turns two to fine leg. He’s looking a pretty sound bet to get himself out for 64, and to cement the point, somehow forces one into the ground, wide of slip, and to the fence at third man. As with Ian Bell, you should always consider a man there when he’s at the wicket.
15th over: England 46-1 (Jennings 21, Root 11) Athers isn’t sure whether Ashwin is spinning it because there’s moisture in the well-watered pitch, or because it’s dry and therefore tacky. Ashwin being quite good is probably relevant too, and he sends one past the outside edge and off stump - Jennings left it, but the turn he anticipated wasn’t there. Single off the over, earned by Jennings to long leg, via sweep.
“Don’t think I’ve missed anyone else mentioning it, but snooker is up there with darts. When you’re off the table, there’s nothing at all you can do to affect the game. Even worse, every point your opponent scores is a point you then can’t score, as opposed to darts, where you both score entirely individually. Also, the inherent stuffiness massively limits the amount of agitation that can be deployed, beyond dead-eye stares and puffed-cheek sighs. And, matches can comfortably last a couple of days. Still no comparison to test batting, though, which seems like a truly terrifying undertaking to a man as limited as myself.”
Sort of – you can lay a snooker or, if it’s not going well, roll into the reds. Or try potting your way out of trouble, whereas in darts, all you can do is chuck, and you don’t have options in terms of how you chuck. I actually wrote some things about this stuff - darts here and snooker here.
14th over: England 45-1 (Jennings 20, Root 11) Mohammed Shami into the attack and my coverage dies, but he slings down a further maiden. Drinks.
13th over: England 45-1 (Jennings 20, Root 11) A maiden from Ashwin, but his final delivery is a lifter! Yes, a lifter! Maybe it’s deliberate, maybe it’s natural variation, either way, more doubt in more minds. Anyway, it clips the shoulder of Jennings’ bat, but drops safe. And here’s England’s problem; they can’t just let Ashwin bowl, but they can’t afford to attack him either...
12th over: England 45-1 (Jennings 20, Root 11) Sharma is not there for this, and a wide one allows Root to move away from it then return with his bat, cracking four to long leg. Those are the only runs from the over.
“Totally agree re your point on getting bums on seats,” emails Karl Gibbons. “It is school holidays, so if seats haven’t been sold, give them away for free to kids!
Re the mental/physical points on endurance and other sports, I think cricket stands alone because you are actively playing against another team whereas darts and golf, although you have opponents, what they do could / should not impact what you do (if one’s personal game is on form).
Another sport I would put in the mix to rival cricket would be tennis – granted it is not as long and thus less mentally demanding, but if you play badly for an hour you are going to be packing up your bags and shaking hands with the umpire.
Regarding tennis and comparing to team sports, I remember Sir Alex Ferguson once saying that he knew that in a big cup final he would always have 2 or 3 players who didn’t perform to the peak of their ability. This matters less in a team sport and will do in cricket too, as you have others to bail you out by scoring / taking wickets however, in tennis it is just you. Hence Federer / Nadal’s dominance and ability to play at their highest level in the highest intensity grand slam finals always amazes me.”
The inability to affect your opponent is, I think, why darts is so stressful – it’s all on you – and why we see the various tricks players employ to agitate their opponents. I agree on tennisers, though, who are the fittest athletes apart from perhaps fighters.
11th over: England 41-1 (Jennings 20, Root 7) You can forgive England batsmen for being trepidatious here, but they don’t appear to be. Jennings drives two through point then nabs a single, and Root adds another via inside edge. Ashwin looks settled here - it’s going to be a busy day for him, I shouldn’t wonder. Great stuff.
10th over: England 37-1 (Jennings 17, Root 6) Sanga explains that Ashwin planned that wicket, showing Cook a variety of deliveries to get him playing one way – around off, I think – before the wicket-taker, much straighter and perhaps a bit quicker too. Meanwhile, Jennings edges four then after a single, Root turns four. He now has six off two balls, and that’s the thing with him - the match is never still when he’s in the middle.
“With one ball, Ashwin makes both captains regret leaving out the second spinner,” tweets OBOer Tim de Lisle, “colleague” being a word that one may never use - any more for anymore? I wonder about that, though - my guess is that Root, if he had a twirler as good as Ashwin available, would just not have picked Rashid.
Mr Roberts' point (10.46) is a good one @DanielHarris . The reason captains look down at the pitch when explaining their decision is that it's part of the theatre, an enhancement of the bullshit about to be strewn, an expression of the Pitch Reader's Art https://t.co/tyT46YKBK5
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) August 1, 2018
9th over: England 25-1 (Jennings 12, Root 2) Root takes two off his first ball, gliding to cover. But I can’t stop watching that ball from Ashwin, which was pretty much perfection. England will be feart, and with good reason.
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WICKET! Cook b Ashwin 13 (England 26-1)
Here we go! Here - we - go! This is delicious from Ashwin, who flights one in that pitches on middle, then grips, spits and fizzes past the outside edge to clatter off! Oh yes!
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8th over: England 25-0 (Cook 13, Jennings 11) In commentary, Sanga talks about the Asian mindset when touring England, and the desire to bowl at the first sight of cloud. As far as I can see, you might bowl at Trent Bridge, but everywhere else, even Headingley, you back yourself to bat. Sharma, meanwhile, is bowling ok - some good balls and some less good balls - and the pressure is not intense. Jennings is able to leave too many deliveries, and when forced to play shoves a single off his legs, the only run from the over.
PJ returns on mental strength: “Re: the email from James. I think you’re right Daniel, physical endurance is a different beast altogether. Two tiny technical mistakes in test cricket and your whole match is over, you‘ve made your team‘s job harder, and you‘ve got to deal with that psychologically until the next match. I don’t see any analogy with cycling on that front. Don’t get me wrong, I‘m a long distance runner and so appreciate the mental preparation of endurance sports, but it’s very different. I can run badly for an hour and still run a good race, and I guess it is the same in cycling, but a bad hour in test cricket is impossible because you‘ll be shaking your head and taking off your helmet after a few minutes. You need complete focus at all times.”
7th over: England 24-0 (Cook 13, Jennings 10) Ashwin into the attack - a move born of simultaneous positivity and frustration. He starts by coming around, and Cook takes a single to pint before Jennings is forced to sweep, the ball shooting off the glove in the opposite direction of the intended shot; they run a leg bye.
“I’m based in London,” emails Wayne Stubbs, “so a day at the cricket begins with champagne breakfast at the Wolseley - eggs, bacon, smoked salmon, tea. Settle down at the ground with Pimms and lemonade, moving on to gin an tonic in the heat of the day. Something light and digestible for lunch - chicken, perhaps, with some more champers or a light chablis to wash it down. As the afternoon shadows lengthen some good finger food - scotch eggs, gala pie. After stumps its pile in a taxi for a raucous ride to Rules, where steak and kidney pudding and apple crumble are consumed with some decent red.”
Fair, but I’m not grasping the apparent pause in the eating?
6th over: England 22-0 (Cook 12, Jennings 10) Nasser points out that if this had been Broad and Anderson bowling this morning, they’d have been criticised for insufficient up-pitching ... but have a look! Sharma gets one off the seam and across Jennings, who fences ... and Rahane, at four but diving in front of three ... in front of Kohli at three ... puts it down! A long, lingering glare that screams “I despise you” is administered, and that is not good news for India, who know they need to field properly to get anywhere. Two off the over.
“It would be interesting to know if other cricketers’ names had origins which were apposite,” emails Phil Sawyer. “For example, if Jimmy Anderson was of Scandinavian descent then Anderson would, I think, roughly translate to ‘strong and manly offspring’. However, in the ancient Lancashire dialect it actually translates as ‘the chuntering one’.”
Well, I’m not one hundred percent certain that it’s its origin, but emess, as in MS, means ultimate, divine truth in Hebrew – as discussed below.
5th over: England 20-0 (Cook 11, Jennings 9) Yadav serves Cook a short, wide one, so he slaps it to the point fence. Then he and Jennings nab a single each before Cook snaps four more off his pads. This is now a minor Start, which is to say one should now add two wickets to the score.
“I shall join you immediately in your coolbag quest,” emails Sarah O’Regan. “Are you a champagne sharer, or shall I stick to my own Aperol spritz? I do feel it is slightly remiss of you not to have taken advantage of the obvious jeu de mot: Root (not route) around the coolbag, in both a Joseph and a piggy manner. Oink! Pass me that enormous pork pie!”
Being a child, I still enjoy fizzy drinks and will therefore guzzle bubbles all day if I’ve sneaked enough in, or if I can be arsed to get up and buy them. Perhaps an ale or two in the evening session to wash down the 17 remaining bags of chrisp.
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4th over: England 10-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 8) There’s plenty of swing for Ishant - too much swing, you might say - and Cook is content to take one from the over, turned off his legs.
“Here is the obligatory TMS link for those of us living outside the UK,” emails Chris Drew.
This saved my life in Ghana once. It’s a beautiful thing.
best wishes
3rd over: England 9-0 (Cook 1, Jennings 8) Edgbaston is far too empty, and it’s about time cricket acted in this regard; free tickets for kids, to be distributed to schools in term-time and available on the gate and in local youth clubs otherwise. Test cricket is worth saving, let’s save it. Anyway, Jennings turns Yadav’s first ball for four to fine leg, then adds two more to midwicket and another two to deep square; he’s away.
“I think Geraint Thomas may have something to say about PJ Connolly’s email!” emails James Rodger.
I see what you’re saying, but cycling as I understand it is basically a suffering contest; the mental strength demanded by cricket is a different kind of thing because cricket is skill-based rather than endurance, and therefore physiology-based.
2nd over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Jennings 0) Ishant, who has form for brilliance in England, is getting warm. He’s lost the waves in favour of a sweep and his first ball squares Cook, pitching on the seam and going away into the back thigh – good start. Very good start! The third ball also leaves Cook, and the fourth is too good, squaring him again! Maiden.
In my boxroom office, I’m planning my route through my imaginary liquid picnic; I’ve started with champagne, will move on to white wine (possibly). Feel free to send in your personal route around the cool bag.
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1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Jennings 0) India have three slips and a gully, then move gully to short midwicket; cunning. Yadav – who name means “his hands” in Hebrew – runs in hard, and Cook blocks well on the back foot. Then he finds some movement and Cook leaves well, relying on the bounce – there’s less than he expected and already the call to bat looks the right one. Cook then takes a single into the off side, the only run form the over.
“Very excited about this series,” emails PJ Connolly. The ‘Mind Games’ feature on Sky and the following chat is great. Surely there are very few sports that compare to Test cricket for what you need to do mentally beforehand. Just the sheer duration and intensity of a day’s play, never mind a whole match, makes it stand alone. I can only think of golf as something similarly dependent on such mental strength, but golf’s not really sport is it?”
Darts is a mental game too - there’s nothing you can do if it’s not going well, say roll into the reds, cover up, slog, whatever. You just have to chuck better. But agree that the resolution needed to bat all day is incomparable.
Umesh Yadav has the ball; Cook will face.
We’re nearly there, and I really don’t know what’s going to happen (now that you ask). Yesterday I’d decided that India are too strong, but I’m back on England now. I wonder if we might see more draws than we’ve been accustomed to, but I think Broad and Anderson will take enough wickets to sneak their team home. I’m probably wrong.
Alastair Cook is on telly talking about the man on his shoulder, and how he’ll have him there for as long as he plays cricket. When it comes to the mental side of things, he’s one of the most articulate sportsmen I’ve ever interviewed, and England need him to be in shape here. Keaton Jennings might do well, but England can’t rely on him, and with Root at three there’s a chance for India to decapitate quickly.
“Isn’t it funny whenever a captain is asked about their choice of whether to bat or bowl they always look over at the pitch, as if the pitch is telling them what to say in the interview,” emails Scott Roberts. “It reminds me of the time back in Catholic junior school in the lunch hall when a child told the head Nun about a boy that had thrown some food at him. Every time the boy who had been shied at with said food turned around to motion to the other boy attempting the food-based run-out, the Nun would shout ‘stop looking at him’ and slapped him across the face. It happened about six times, as the boy couldn’t help but turn and look at the ‘pitch’ to confirm his story. Ah, good times……how we laughed!”
In my school, if you told someone they weren’t wearing their kippa, they would immediately put their hand on their head seeking it, though they knew that was the only place that it wasn’t.
We see some VT with James Anderson; it’s fair to say he’s up for this one. He is one of the greatest exponents of white-line fever, and has particular needle with this India team. I can’t wait to see how this plays out, especially with Kohli, who he got four times in 50 balls last time they met in England. Kohli, though, is a much better player now.
KL Rahul is in for India, with Pujara missing out; Karthik keeps, Hardik is the allrounder and Ashwin is the sole spinner.
Virat says he was thinking about bowling because of the cloud cover, to get the maximum out of the new ball on day 1, but agrees that it looks a decent track.
England win the toss and bat!
Root says it looks a good surface and the cloud should burn off.
Toss time!
White stumps used - we think for the first time in Test cricket.#bbccricket pic.twitter.com/gyLKXCJwhg
— Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) August 1, 2018
Can’t they at least be cable knit? Disgraceful.
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Sangakarra says that when he first came to England, he was told to play as straight as possible, but eventually had a “little epiphany” telling him to play late and square. That seemed to go ok.
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“Morning Daniel, morning everyone,” opens Simon McMahon. “So, England’s one thousandth Test. A millennium of Tests. Test 1K. Of course, being an England cricket fan, A Grand Don’t Come for Free. It’s been quite the ride, even if I myself have only been around for about one third of them. Here’s to the next 1000, eh?”
Let’s hope so. Test cricket, along with darts, needs to be on the national curriculum; imagine thinking morris dancing, recorder and maths are of greater value.
@DanielHarris As England reach the 1000 Test match mark, a look back at English Test cricket in the 80s:https://t.co/qmu41RxHQx#England1000
— Steve Pye (@1980sSportsBlog) August 1, 2018
Back to Rashid, he won’t be able to rely on the brilliant captaincy of Eoin Morgan, but Root probably has a better feel for things than Alastair Cook. And the India batsmen know he can bowl jaffas, so will be circumspect facing him than any of the alternatives.
Public service announcement: these are brilliant.
Here’s a quick mix video with 22 songs from 1990!!
— DJ R-Tistic (@dj_RTistic) July 30, 2018
Full mix: “90 for 90” - https://t.co/OSBGL4z32v pic.twitter.com/jBztjKTsPK
Harbhajan reckons India will bowl if they win the toss, but Michael Holding advises both teams to bat. I’d be surprised if England didn’t, because although they might fancy a go first up, guts out the first hour and they can dictate.
Talking of turn, it’s a while since I’ve been as keen for a player to do well as I am for Rashid to do well today. In general, he’s not been well treated by England and Joe Root in particular, dropped for Dawson, omitted for Crane, and never really given a run. I also cannot grasp the idea that he should’ve rejected the call-up, nor that it shouldn’t have been issued if the selectors deem him the best option. Plus the protests on behalf of county cricket, not a unity nor a person as far as I’m aware, are a nonsense and seem to have come from no one who plays in it. As for Geoffrey Boycott – a man who not that long ago said that he should “black up” to get a knighthood, but this week called Rashid a “spoilt brat” – well.
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He reckons England have the edge in the batting, but the attacks are pretty well matched. I wonder about that - if the pitches turn, England are in big trouble, but as far as Edgbaston goes, they seem to have done everything possible to deliver a typical track and the weather is obliging too.
Sanga thinks it’s going to be good. What further evidence do you need?
We know this is a thing because the telly coverage is starting an hour prior. If you’re not buzzing, advise yourself.
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Preamble
The world is a dark place, so when light comes our way, it is our duty as human beings to embrace it with every sinew and synapse that we can muster. Already this summer, sport has elevated us with divine lovingkindness, but there is nothing to compare with a major Test series; no more exacting examination, no more comforting rhythm, no more affirming intensity.
England v India will give us all of that and more than that, a panoply of other things we can’t conceive of until they’ve happened and even then. Of course, like everything else in life, sport can and does disappoint. But the starting position here is such that we can be certain something will happen.
The hosts have a reputation to shatter: for the last few years they’ve been better at losing than winning, and in a particular manner. Unlike in previous generations, there has not been an overriding sense of hilarious ineptitude and demeaning powerlessness; rather, frittered talent and frantic minds. But in the end, too much of that leaves us with only one conclusion: not bloody good enough.
W have now reached that juncture … and yet England remain a fascinating side. Their batsmen are enterprising and tough, except for when they aren’t, and their bowlers are clever and capable, except for when they aren’t. If they can pull this off it could be the start of something; if they can’t it might be the end of various things.
India, meanwhile, are already the best side in the world. But in a fallow period for greatness they need something special to enshrine their status as a team for the ages; they need to win here, and they have a fantastic chance so to do. Aside from fragile opposition, they have had plenty of time to acclimatise and conditions will never be more to their liking. More than anything, though, in Virat Kohli they have a totemic giant of world sport, a genius and a guru, whose relentless positivity is a philosophy, an inspiration and a way of life. And this summer we are getting not just Kohli, but Kohli with a point to prove; stand well back.
So, Test cricket, here we are and here we go: immerse us in your splendour, please.
Play: 11.00 BST
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