Some more Friday night reading:
Ollie Pope gives the England reaction
[We were hoping to speak to Joe Root…] I was hoping you would too! He’s fine, he’s just cramping up a bit, complaining. He owes me one!
[On Root and Ben Stokes suffering camping] They’re both good as gold. They’re just… northerners.
[On Root’s achievement] His hunger and his drive are just remarkable. Every batter in the changing-room has picked something up from Joe – not necessarily technique but the way he goes about his cricket and his training. His hunger is awesome. He’s an annoyingly good bloke as well!
He knows the record he’s breaking but he’ll be more happy if we can get this game done and dusted. He’s incredibly humble.
[On the Old Trafford pitch] It’s pretty clear there’s some turn out there, and a few balls are shooting low. It’s not really what we expect on a day three pitch in England. Hopefully, with the position we’re in, it can start happening a bit quicker. We’re well aware that it’ll be tough work when we bat again so hopefully we can make some early inroads when it’s our turn with the ball.
[On England’s tempo] When I was batting with Joe we made a real effort to take singles and push the field as hard as we could. It ebbs and flows – we tried to dig in for the first hour.
[On his innings] I didn’t feel in my best rhythm in the last two games so I looked at some footage and tried to be really clear about where I wanted to score against each bowler and on this kind of surface. It was pleasing to get a start. I felt in good rhythm but I’d have liked to get a few more. I was pretty annoyed with the way I got out – it was a ball I should have tried to hit hard through cover. It was a pretty soft dismissal. I’ll learn from it.
Stumps
England will surely bat on in the morning, aiming to push their lead as close to 250 as possible. Ben Stokes, who will resume on 77 not out, also has the chance to make his first Test hundred since the 2023 Ashes.
135th over: England 544-7 (Stokes 77, Dawson 21) Stokes pulls Siraj in the air for a single. The fielder at square leg didn’t pick it up, much to Siraj’s frustration, though it would have taken some catching regardless.
Siraj knows it’s the final over of a long day and finds the energy to ram a few more short balls into the pitch. They sit up nicely and the majority are pulled for singles.
Five from the over to complete a superb day for England – they lead by 186 runs – and a mischievous little guy from Sheffield.
134th over: England 539-7 (Stokes 74, Dawson 19) Jadeja threatens both edges of Stokes’ bat – first going past him on the outside, then drawing a thick inside edge that lands safely. His figures aren’t the best – 2 for 117 from 33 overs, with no maidens – but he has found enough turn and bounce to encourage Liam Dawson.
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133rd over: England 538-7 (Stokes 73, Dawson 19) Stokes push-drives Bumrah classily through extra cover and hobbles through for three. It would have been four but for a fine stop from Jaiswal.
Just over five minutes until the close.
132nd over: England 534-7 (Stokes 70, Dawson 18) Jadeja returns, primarily to bowl at the injured Stokes. India’s plan is thwarted when Stokes hobbles a single. Dawson takes the rest of the over and keeps strike with another run off the last ball.
131st over: England 532-7 (Stokes 69, Dawson 17) Bumrah has never conceded 100 runs or more in a Test innings, an outrageous effort given this is match number 48 and innings number 91. But Bumrah has also conceded 91 runs so that statistic may not last much longer.
“Bit concerned about Stokes here,” says Phil Harrison. “He’s had an hour of ice baths and massages and isotonic drinks and what have you and he’s still really struggling. That doesn’t feel like just cramp to me. After this series, he needs wrapping in cotton wool until November.”
130th over: England 531-7 (Stokes 68, Dawson 17) Stokes winces after pulling his first ball from Siraj round the corner. Does cramp last that long? I assume it can when you take your body to as many dark places as Stokes has in the last few Tests, and indeed the last 20-odd years.
“Since we’re talking about Tendulkar again, I can’t surely be the only one who is utterly baffled as to how he never scored a triple-ton in Test cricket,” says Nicholas Walmsley. “I was only reminded of this when earlier in the summer during the run-drenched first and second Tests I found he was only *checks notes* 60th on the list of most runs scored in a single Test match. You know who else hasn’t scored a triple-ton in Test cricket (yet)? Joe Root.”
I never really thought of it as baffling, simply because so many of the other greats didn’t manage it either: Ponting, Kallis, Richards, Waugh, Dravid, Boycott, Smith, Smith, Gavaskar, Chappell, Chappell, Chappell. One thing I like about Sachin not scoring 300, or even 250, is that it provides another contrast with Brian Lara. There’s more than one way to claim Goat status (or have it claimed on your behalf by thousands of digital pugilists).
WICKET! England 528-7 (Woakes b Siraj 4)
Mohammed Siraj finally gets his first wicket. Woakes pushed defensively at a nipbacker that kept a bit low, hit the bottom of the bat and deflected back onto the stumps.
Woakes has quietly had a poor series with the bat: 38, 5, 7, 0, 10 and 4. As he leaves the field, Ben Stokes returns to the middle.
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129th over: England 528-6 (Dawson 16, Woakes 4) Woakes inside-edges Bumrah just past the stumps for a single, which takes him to 4 not out from 16 balls. His scoring rate reflects a peculiar end to the day. England are well ahead but India are the team pushing to make something happen. Bumrah bowls a sizzling yorker to Dawson and appeals unsuccessfully for LBW. KL Rahul, standing in briefly for Shubman Gill, doesn’t risk India’s last review.
If it was pad first it looked out but the commentators think Dawson got his bat down first.
128th over: England 523-6 (Dawson 14, Woakes 2) Siraj dusts himself down in preparation for one final spell. A sharp nipbacker is defended awkwardly by Woakes, prompting Siraj to put his hands to his head. Given how well he has bowled, Siraj’s bowling figures (24-4-105-0) are a minor scandal.
“I think one of the reasons I’m such an avid fan of the England cricket team is that, having grown up watching them being routinely thrashed, with one or two notable exceptions, by West Indies and Australia it kind of felt that they were plucky underdogs, the team that couldn’t catch a break, that were at times laughable but at others lovable, always there and giving it a go, but just no match for the world’s best, frustrating and admirable in equal measure,” says Simon McMahon, gulping for breath after an unexpectedly long first sentence. “Always the hope that next time it would be different. The Scotland of the cricket world, really. Is it any wonder I became a fan and have remained one ever since? But that was then and this is now. A thrilling, winning and likeable team. I like it, but it still takes a bit of getting used to. And I feel I’ll be waiting a while longer for a similar transformation in Scotland’s footballing fortunes.”
127th over: England 523-6 (Dawson 14, Woakes 2) Dawson pulls a no-ball from Bumrah for four. He’s an offensively good Test No8, a man with almost 11,000 runs in first-class cricket. This must be England’s strongest lower order since Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad regularly flogged tiring attacks n 2010-11.
In other news, the OBO is only a small part of our sports coverage this weekend.
126th over: England 518-6 (Dawson 10, Woakes 2) “Joe Root would already have broken Tendulkar’s record if he’d never been made England captain,” says Joshua Keeling. “Discuss.”
Please, don’t make me get mathematical on your ass. Root averages 46 as captain and 55 when he’s among the ranks. Even if he averaged 55 throughout his career, he’d be around 1600 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar. I’d also argue his peak as a batter was against India in 2021, when the stress of captaincy was stratospheric.
125th over: England 516-6 (Dawson 9, Woakes 1) Chris Woakes comes to the crease. India would love to force Ben Stokes’ hand tonight by taking three more wickets.
WICKET! England 515-6 (Smith c sub b Bumrah 9)
Jasprit Bumrah strikes with the first ball of a new spell. Smith was caught on the crease and edged to the sub keeper Jurel, who dived forward to take a fine low catch. The third umpire checked just in case the ball had bounced, but it was the cleanest of takes. Jurel is a class act.
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124th over: England 515-5 (Smith 9, Dawson 9)
123rd over: England 513-5 (Smith 9, Dawson 7) Jamie Smith is taking time to get his eye in, another sign that England plan to bat into tomorrow. It’s also quite rare for Smith to start again spin at both ends, although he shows his class by walking down to time Washington through the covers. That’s a fine way to get your first boundary. “As good a shot as we’ve seen today,” says Dinesh Karthik on Sky.
122nd over: England 508-5 (Smith 5, Dawson 6) Jadeja has got a second wind. He’s such a competitor that he has probably worked out exactly how India can win this game:
India 357
England 550
India 353
England 127
India win by 32 runs
121st over: England 504-5 (Smith 2, Dawson 5) Confident batting from Dawson, who skips down the pitch to drive Washington over mid-off for four. England lead by 146.
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120th over: England 500-5 (Smith 2, Dawson 1) Jadeja pleads with Ahsan Raza to give Dawson LBW first ball. It would have been plumb but for an inside edge onto the pad. India are hunting wickets all of a sudden, with a slip, gully and short leg.
Dawson takes a quick single to get off the mark and bring up England’s 500. In other news, England have confirmed that Stokes left the field with nothing more serious than cramp.
The Root stumping was another masterful bit of glovework from Dhruv Jurel. He’ll be in the starting XI at the Oval next week; that’s his chance to make a case with the bat as well as the gloves. There’s no reason Rishabh Pant couldn’t play as a specialist No5; it might even take him to another level with the bat.
WICKET! England 499-5 (Root st sub b Jadeja 150)
Joe Root gets his 59th and final ovation of the day after falling to a terrific delivery from Ravindra Jadeja. It spat past the edge, Root overbalanced and the sub keeper Dhruv Jurel had the bails off in a flash. Lovely glovework and a superb delivery from Jadeja – one that will encourage the new batter, Liam Dawson.
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Read Taha Hashim on Joe Root
119th over: England 499-4 (Root 150, Smith 2) A single off Washington takes Root to his 16th score of 150 or more in Test cricket. Sixteen! That’s twice as many as Graham Gooch, and he’s the daddy of the daddy hundred!
Most 150+ scores in Tests
20 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
19 Brian Lara (WI), Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
18 Don Bradman (Aus)
16 Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Joe Root (Eng)
15 Ricky Ponting (Aus)
118th over: England 498-4 (Root 149, Smith 2) “Hullo Rob,” writes Tamsyn Lawrence. “So what sort of lead should have England thinking of declaration? I feel like 250 should be sufficient to win by an innings or near enough, maybe midway through tomorrow’s second sesh. Seem reasonable? Or do we just call it once all the recognised batsmen are out? I’m looking nervously at the rain forecast for the next two days...”
I’d imagine the plan is to make for around an hour in the morning, to demoralise India while also increasing their lead to between 250 and 300. But this England team do things differently so they could declare tonight, or bat on and score 1,000 and then lose the fifth Test and draw the series 2-2 and what the hell Ben.
117th over: England 495-4 (Root 147, Smith 1) Stokes can return later, or more likely tomorrow morning if England are still batting. The Sky commentators think he has reluctantly accepted that the cramp will restrict his strokeplay as well as his running. If so that’s a sign that Stokes is becoming less stubborn in his old age; a couple of years ago he might have batted on regardless.
Stokes retires hurt on 66
116th over: England 491-4 (Root 144, Smith 0) Out of nothing, a ball from Jadeja bursts grotesquely, hits Stokes high on the bat handle and loops to safety on the leg side.
Stokes is still struggling and has decided to retire hurt. I think it’s cramp; he doesn’t look as despondent as you’d expect if it was a recurrence of a hamstring injury. We’ll find out soon enough.
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Drinks
I can’t imagine England will consider a declaration tonight. They lead by 131 and will want to extend that to at least 250, possibly more.
115th over: England 489-4 (Root 143, Stokes 65) Siraj, who limped off the field a while ago, returns for a spell of short stuff. Stokes belabours a pull through midwicket for four, then gets cramp after cutting towards deep point. He starts to walk a single and is given the hurry-up by Washington Sundar’s quick throw.
114th over: England 482-4 (Root 141, Stokes 60) A short ball from Washington is pulled lustily for four by Stokes, moving him into the sixties. He hasn’t made a Test century since he scared the bejesus out of Australia at Lord’s in 2023.
113th over: England 477-4 (Root 140, Stokes 56) A ridiculous shot from Stokes. He shapes to reverse sweep Jadeja, slips and has to reach to wallop it towards extra cover. Stokes ends up lying on his front, head tilted slightly so that he can watch the ball go all the way to the boundary.
“While I’m essentially uninterested in engaging with GOAT discussions that aren’t about Sir Garfield and taking your point about Root’s longevity, he has still some way to go to match Jack Hobbs in that regard, despite a very chequered illness and injury record,” says Geoff Wignall. “Eight Test centuries in his 40s and the last of them when 46, after a debut at 26 and an overall Test average in the mid-50s is on the far side of noteworthy.”
I meant volume of Tests! From everything I’ve read, though, he’d be the next on the list of batters in my all-time England XI.
112th over: England 471-4 (Root 140, Stokes 50) Stokes is struggling against the spinners. He almost offers a return catch to Washington after pad-batting a defensive stroke back down the ground. But he survives and clips a single to reach his first half-century of the Test summer. He is scoring some useful runs despite being a million miles from his peak as a Test batter either side of Covid.
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111th over: England 466-4 (Root 137, Stokes 48) Spin from both ends now, with Jadeja replacing the ailing Bumrah. Stokes is beaten by a big-spinning delivery that beats the inside edge and hits the pad. He was outside the line, negating India’s LBW appeal, but Liam Dawson must have moist lips after seeing that.
110th over: England 462-4 (Root 135, Stokes 47) Washington Sundar beats Stokes with a beautiful delivery that curves and dips before spitting past the edge. That lured Stokes so far forward that I’m surprised he didn’t injure an armpit as reached for a defensive stroke,
109th over: England 459-4 (Root 133, Stokes 46) Bumrah continues to Root, who drops a single on the off side. No sign yet of England pushing for a declaration or to put time back in the game. The forecast for the next two days is imperfect but reasonably good – it’s not like the 2023 Ashes Test, when non-stop rain was on every weather forecast in the appsphere.
A bit of housekeeping: on Root’s greatness and comparisons with Sutcliffe, Hutton and the rest, I should have referred to the volume of Test cricket he has played rather than his longevity. I’d love to blame my own longevity, and the consequent impact on my brain, but it was just a lack of concentration.
108th over: England 458-4 (Root 132, Stokes 46) Washington Sundar, weirdly underbowled in this innings, replaces Thakur. Stokes tries a reverse sweep, doesn’t beat the infield and gives himself a jolt of cramp in the process. He’s okay.
107th over: England 458-4 (Root 132, Stokes 46) Stokes cover drives Bumrah majestically for four, the kind of shot you can’t always play off Bumrah. Maybe it has stirred something in him becuse the next ball nips ball sharply to hit Stokes on the body.
“On the averages question, what do you think is the minimum number of innings for a ‘real’ average?” asks Ben Mimmack. “Kamindu Mendis is #2 on the official test list at the moment with 62.66 off just 24 innings – surely too few to be recognised as a great. But Graeme Pollock is widely recognised as one of the finest bats ever with an average over 60, but only 41 innings.
“For the same reason, my single-digit batting average in club cricket is invalid because I recorded fewer than 100 scores.”
The usual threshold is 20 innings. That made the success of Adam Voges problematic for the hardcore nerds but after eight years of therapy I’m at peace with that now but I still think it’s a reasonable threshold. As long as you provide or aware of the context, I don’t think it matters. It’s those malefactors who use stats irresponsibly that make life difficult.
106th over: England 450-4 (Root 130, Stokes 41) Stokes again tries to marmalise Thakur and again doesn’t make proper contact. Root shows there’s more than one way to skin a bowler by timing a gorgeous boundary down the ground on the walk.
An under-edge from Root bounces short of Jurel; then he works a single to bring up the 450. England lead by 92.
“I share your numb feeling towards Root’s greatness,” writes Dave Tull. “Growing up watching England v India, I would yearn for England to have a player like Dravid or Tendulkar, who simply never felt like they were going to get out. The idea that we have one in Root still feels so foreign. Is this what actually being good at cricket feels like?!”
105th over: England 442-4 (Root 125, Stokes 39) Bumrah was also injured in the last Test in Australia, a series that could easily have ended 2-2 rather than 3-1 had he been available. He probably shouldn’t be bowling here but it’s India’s last, last, last chance so he’s putting himself through the pain. But the first two overs of this spell have been like watching a tribute act rather than the real thing.
“I always loved watching Ricky Ponting, even – especially – when he was the pantomime villain for so many English fans,” writes Boris Starling. “A fabulous batsman (his 156 at Old Trafford in 2005 is still one of the best innings I’ve ever seen), an unbelievably brilliant fielder, and as uncompromising a leader as they come. I’m so glad that in retirement and behind the mike he’s let people see that he’s also clearly an excellent bloke too.”
I’ve never forgiven him for burning Duncan Fletcher’s toast in 2005.
104th over: England 441-4 (Root 124, Stokes 39) Thakur pleads for LBW when Root walks down and across. It’s similar to the Siraj appeal earlier in the day – but India were wrong to go upstairs on that occasion and they can’t risk their last review here. It was missing leg.
“I sometimes think we don’t quite understand the golden age of English Test cricket that we’re living through,” writes Phil Harrison. “Until recently, two nailed-on starters (Root and Anderson) in any all-time England XI and two others who would be very much in the conversation (Stokes and Broad), all in the same team. And I suspect that in a decade we might be talking about Harry Brook and Jamie Smith in similar terms too. Salad days. This winter’s Ashes feel like they could be the culmination of something very special.”
I suspect the lack of an Ashes win, home or away and please let’s not start on the moral victories, is the main reason for that. We still see cricket through, erm, urn-tinted spectacles.
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103rd over: England 438-4 (Root 123, Stokes 38) Bumrah starts after tea, although he’s clearly struggling with what looks like an ankle problem. His pace has dropped to between 77-82 mph and there are no alarms for Root or Stokes in that over.
“Regarding your Root comparison with the Don, the greatest certainly had ‘longevity’ (despite playing significantly fewer Tests, as was the custom of the time),” writes Thomas Walker. “Donald played Test cricket for 20 years, from 1928 to 1948, debuting at 20 years old. He’s basically the benchmark for longevity. So no, I will not countenance any comparison of Root with Bradman. Signed, an Australian.”
What comparison was this? All cricket fans recognise that Don Bradman is the greatest, not least because of all those Test hundreds he scored during World War Two.
This is Joe Root’s 12th Test century against India. Only Don Bradman (19 v England) and Sunil Gavaskar (13 v West Indies) have scored more against a single opponent.
Winnie the Pooh on a lark
“Putting the stature of Joe Root in context might seem daunting because of the titanic nature of his achievement but, like many dreaded tasks, it’s actually a doddle,” writes Robert Wilson. “ England fans’ view of him is skewed by fear of failure and disappointment (and the hard-to-dislike instinctive despondency of English cricket followers). All you need to do is model what opposition fans think when they see him schlepping out with bat in hand.
“What they’re almost certainly thinking is ‘Oh eff it, here’s this freckled elf come out to get his usual party-pooping 120. What’s the bleedin’ point?’ There is something absolutely relentless about him which you just can’t get if you’re a fan. I remember Steve Waugh doing that to every Brit I knew way back when. At least he had the face for it. The horror of Root is that he crushes it out of you while looking like Winnie the Pooh on a lark. That’s bound to make it worse.”
“Is Root really the GOAT amongst English batters?” says Adrian Goldman. “Surely the immortal Don is still the greatest of the greatest, though he has far fewer runs and centuries than Sachin. On that basis, what about Sutcliffe, Barrington, Hammond, Hobbs and Hutton, all of whom have significantly higher Test averages - above 55/innings?”
I have a greater appreciation of longevity than I did when I was younger, which is why I would put Root at the top. Bradman is different because his average is entirely preposterous. But either argument is valid and I wouldn’t start abusing anyone on a digital platform for putting Wally Hammond, Jack Hobbs or whoever at No1.
“Joe Root,” begins Simon McMahon. “If he could field and bowl a bit, maybe do some impressions, he’d be an all time great.”
In the County Championship, Rehan Ahmed has become the first Englishman since Sir Ian Botham to score a century and take 13 wickets in a first-class match. Beefy did it against India in the Golden Jubilee Test of 1979-80, aided by industrial quantities of brandy.
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Regular OBO readers will know I don’t like plugging my own work, oh no, but I’m slightly proud of this piece on Joe Root from 2013. Not the writing so much as the recognition of unique qualities that endure to this day. You know what they say: game recognise game a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Tea: England lead by 75
102nd over: England 433-4 (Root 121, Stokes 36) Root cuts the last ball of the season, bowled by Thakur, for a single and walks off to his 48th ovation of the day. His great mate Ben Stokes stands back to let Root leave the field first.
With all these milestones it’s easy to forget that England are in the most wonderful position. The second new ball felt like India’s last chance of getting back in the game; now their best hope is rain, lots of rain.
“I am somewhere north of 50 years old,” writes John Culley. “My heroes in the 1980s were Graham Gooch and David Gower, both exceptional and very different talents. Root has as many centuries as they had combined. He really is an underappreciated little master.”
There are only two Little Masters. Four if you count Sunil Gavaskar and Fergie Gupte.
Joe Root becomes the second highest runscorer in Tests!
101st over: England 432-4 (Root 120, Stokes 36) Bumrah walks in to replace Siraj, only for the umpires to tell him he can’t bowl until after tea because of the time he spent off the field. That means the return of Anshul Kamboj – and Root dabs a single, the 13,379th run of his Test career, to move above Ricky Ponting and into second on the all-time list.
The Old Trafford crowd give him another ovation, the fourth or fifth of the day. Imagine the noise if he overtakes Sachin Tendulkar. That’s for another day, and indeed year: Sachin is around 2,500 runs ahead of the rest.
In the commentary box Ricky Ponting, who loves cricket far more than he loves himself or his own records, hails Root’s achievement with an enthusiasm you can’t fake.
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100th over: England 428-4 (Root 119, Stokes 32) Ricky Ponting enters the commentary box just in time to see Joe Root join him on 13,378 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more. I don’t know about you but I’m almost numb to Joe Root’s greatness.
Stokes tries to club Thakur into a different postcode, doesn’t make proper contact and breaks his bat in the process.
“OBO handover” is the subject of John Starbuck’s email. “Do OBO scribes have a competition regarding who’s on duty for significant targets achieved?”
It’s done by the clock. That’s been the case ever since a sickening incident when Andy Bull and Lawrence Booth both thought they should call Steven Finn’s first Test fifty.
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99th over: England 424-4 (Root 116, Stokes 32) Siraj goes for the glory ball, strains too hard and is flicked effortlessly through midwicket for four by Joe Root.
Now Siraj is limping. This is becoming a nightmare for India. Bumrah is on the field but can’t bowl until after tea, and that might be a struggle given how frequently he’s grimacing.
At the end of the over, Siraj moves slowly off the field to receive treatment. Mike Atherton’s arm-wrestle analogy feels custom-made for a day like today.
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98th over: England 415-4 (Root 108, Stokes 31) Bumrah is back on the field – but he looks really uncomfortable and is grimacing every team his foot hits the floor. Shardul Thakur comes on for Kamboj, whose latest spell lasted just two overs, and is milked for four.
It almost beggars belief that Thakur is in the team ahead of Prasidh Krishna, never mind Kuldeep Yadav. India’s selection in this series has been a mess. From afar, Gautam Gambhir always seemed a Rhadamanthine character but he and the selectors have changed their mind on a number of players in this series.
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97th over: England 411-4 (Root 106, Stokes 29) The luckless Siraj zips consecutive deliveries past Stokes’s outside edge. I have no idea how he is still wicketless innings.
Siraj tries to engage Stokes in some hard-faced discourse. No luck there either.
96th over: England 409-4 (Root 105, Stokes 28)
All right lad, you okay, you’re playing well there.
Those were Joe Root’s first words to Kevin Pietersen when he walked out to bat on his Test debut at Nagpur in 2012. It was obvious during that innings, a serene five-hour 73, that England had found a player. We had no idea they’d found the player, the greatest English batter of all time.
That hundred, Root’s 38th in Tests, takes him to joint-fourth on that all-time list.
51 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
45 Jacques Kallis (SA)
41 Ricky Ponting (Aus)
38 Joe Root (Eng), Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
36 Rahul Dravid (Ind), Steve Smith (Aus)
JOE ROOT'S 38TH TEST CENTURY!
Boos ring round Old Trafford as Joe Root clips Kamboj fine for four to reach – just dwell on this for a second – his 38th Test century. He celebrates modestly, then takes his helmet off to acknowledge an ovation full of unconditional love. For a Yorkshireman, in Manchester.
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95th over: England 402-4 (Root 99, Stokes 27) Siraj, bless him, is charging in as if the future of humanity depends on him taking a wicket THIS INSTANT. He’s bowling very straight, looking for LBW or bowled, but Stokes and Root are up to it in that over. They take a single apiece, which means Root will start the next over on 99 not out.
94th over: England 400-4 (Root 98, Stokes 26) Bumrah has left the field after only one over with the ball. That’s a huge problem for India because this, right here, is probably their last chance of saving the series. Kamboj replaces him, prompting Stokes to alter his approach ever so slightly.
Okay, a lot. He charges down the pitch and wallops a length ball back past Kamboj for four. Stokes has reached 20 in eight of his last 10 innings, yet his highest score in that time is 49 not out. If he gets through the new ball he’ll have every chance of changing that statistic.
“I see India took the new ball after 90 overs, not 80,” notes Michael Rowbottom. “Does that mean they can get another new ball after just 70 overs, or do they have to have it for the full 80 overs?”
They have to wait another 80. Should that happen in this innings, they will be in a galaxy of pain.
93rd over: England 394-4 (Root 98, Stokes 21) Sheesh, Root has multiple scares during a terrific Siraj over. He plays and misses three times, then almost drags the ball onto the stumps via the thigh pad. That was similar to the freakish dismissal of Michael Vaughan at Trent Bridge in 2007, a decisive moment in India’s series win.
Cheers James (to be said in a David-from-the-Royle-Family voice), hello everyone.
That’ll do for the pleasantries before Joseph Edward Root, Jolly Excellent Root, is on strike on 98.
92nd over: England 394-4 (Root 98, Stokes 21) Root goes to 98 with a clip and brisk single to mid on off Bumrah. He’ll have a drink to calm the nerves. Ali Martin, sat beside me whispers that Root has fallen in the nineties just three times in his Test career.
That’s me done. Here’s Rob Smyth to bring it/Root home.
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91st over: England 383-4 (Root 95, Stokes 14) Siraj takes the new ball after a couple with the old and he gets one to slam into Stokes’ box. Ouchy. After a few deep breaths, Stokes is good to resume and clips a single to hobble off strike. Root nurdles two into the gap square of the wicket to go to 95…
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90th over: England 378-4 (Root 93, Stokes 11) Ten runs off Sundar’s latest as England begin to accumulate more comfortably. Root reverse-sweeps with aplomb to move into the nineties. Shubman Gill has seen enough, Mohammed Siraj is replacing Jadeja from the Statham End. New ball imminent! The next passage of play may well define this Test series.
89th over: England 368-4 (Root 88, Stokes 7) Root and Stokes have negotiated this tricky period and are starting to rotate strike a bit more easily. It might not be long before we see Bumrah with the new ball.
“Afternoon, Jimbo. That analogy to a 3am campfire (77th over) does make me wonder how it would work out with this England XI. Who’s liable to whip out an acoustic guitar unbidden? Who brought smores? And who’s most likely to burst into tears because they heard a noise in the woods that might be the Bumrah bogeyman?”
Well Sean Clayton, here are the answers – Root, Woakes and Pope. In that order. No further questions.
88th over: England 363-4 (Root 84, Stokes 6) India still don’t call for the new ball, Jadeja rattles through another, Stokes cuts for a single, Root drives for one and Stokes dabs a single off the last to keep strike. Washington Sundar will keep going, the fourth umpire can be spotted waiting in the wings with the new Dukes.
87th over: England 360-4 (Root 83, Stokes 4) A cheer goes around Old Trafford as Root clips the single off Sundar that takes England into the lead. A lead of 80-100 runs could be monumental on this wicket.
86th over: England 358-4 (Root 82, Stokes 3) Jadeja rushes one through and it hits Root on the pad… a huge appeal but the Umpire says no and India choose not to burn their last review. Wisely – it was heading down leg. Root drives to mid off to bring the scores level. Every one from now will hurt India that little bit more.
85th over: England 357-4 (Root 81, Stokes 3) Washington Sundar has men around the bat and is in some lovely rhythm. Shubman Gill must be cursing that he didn’t toss him the ball until the 68th over of the innings! Stokes plays out a maiden.
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84th over: England 357-4 (Root 81, Stokes 3) Root sweeps Jadeja into the deep for three runs, Kamboj nearly makes a hash of the boundary fielding but has his blushes spared by a millimetre or two right in front of the ‘Party stand’. They are loosening up in there by the look/sounds of it.
83rd over: England 353-4 (Root 78, Stokes 2) Root clips a single but England are watchful against Sundar.
82nd over: England 352-4 (Root 77, Stokes 2) Gill stays with spin, Stokes goes deep in his crease and gets off the mark with two runs poked past slip. Feels like a different game now, England still trail by nine runs.
81st over: England 349-4 (Root 76, Stokes 0) Ben Stokes arrives in the middle, Sundar is twirling away full of confidence after the double strike. Stokes is watchful in defence, the atmosphere has ramped up here at Old Trafford. England were coasting but losing Pope and Brook in the early stages after lunch has given India some hope of limiting the first innings damage.
WICKET! Brook st Jurel b Washington Sundar 3 (England 349-4)
Another to Washington Sundar! Harry Brook is done in the flight, dancing out of his crease and left stranded by the drift, Jurel whips off the bails and India have snared two quick wickets after lunch to come back into this match!
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80th over: England 349-3 (Root 76, Brook 3) Just a single off Jadeja to Brook. India aren’t going to take the new ball straight away, Washington has his dander up…
79th over: England 348-3 (Root 76, Brook 2) Washington Sundar has some lovely drift and flight going on here, I wonder if Gill might delay taking the new ball with spin looking threatening all of a sudden.
77th over: England 345-3 (Root 75, Brook 0) Root nails a sweep off Jadeja to the leg-side fence. England trail by 13 runs, they’ll want a sizeable first innings lead here, with Jofra Archer carded to come in at number 11 England bat deeper than a sixth form philosophy student sat around a campfire at 3am. Deep.
76th over: England 341-3 (Root 71, Brook 0) In strolls Harry Brook. Do not adjust your set. Sundar lopes in and beats him on the back foot! Close to edge and off stump. Suddenly India’s dander is up and the new ball is just around the corner. A wicket maiden for Sundar, why wasn’t he introduced earlier in the piece?
WICKET! Pope c Rahul b Washington Sundar 71 (England 341-3)
Flight, drift and a Pope poke to slip! Sundar strikes in the second over after lunch. India needed that, a familiar dismissal for Pope who stomps off furious with himself, there was a ton for the taking out there.
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75th over: England 341-2 (Pope 71, Root 71) Here come the players for the afternoon session. India need wickets. Jadeja starts to Root who flicks his very first ball behind point for a couple and then rocks back to a shorter ball and times it through midwicket for four.
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Ali getting his statto on:
Joe Root moves to 50 for the 104th time in his Test career. Only Sachin Tendulkar, 119 times, is fiftier @englandcricket
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 25, 2025
A very serviceable chicken curry in the Old Trafford press box and then a check of the emails… Neil Gibson is having a bad day, he doesn’t really mean this, I hope.
“Sorry to say it but this is now a boring Test match”
There’s no pleasing some people.
Lunch - England 332-2 (trail by 26 runs on first innings)
Root reverse sweeps for three and exchanges a couple more singles with Pope to take England serenely to lunch. 107 runs added in 28 overs, no alarms and no surprises.
Time for some scran, back soon.
74th over: England 332-2 (Pope 70, Root 63)
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73rd over: England 327-2 (Pope 69, Root 59) Root and Pope are picking up singles and rotating strike at will. After a few scares from balls spitting and scudding in the first half hour this has been a relative cakewalk for England so far on day three.
72nd over: England 323-2 (Pope 66, Root 58) Jadeja drops short, Root rocks back and angles away for four more.
71st over: England 318-2 (Pope 65, Root 54) Bosh! Root steps down to Sundar and clatters a drive back past the bowler for four. England trail by just 40 now. India are hurting at the moment.
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70th over: England 313-2 (Pope 64, Root 50) Pope drives Jadeja for another single.
“Hi James, Rowan Tewari’s mate passing comment on England’s greatest ever run scorer reminded me of my only included OBO missive during the immortal ’05 Ashes series, which can still be found on page 172/173 of the marvellous Is it Cowardly to Pray for Rain:
“My wife - forced to assume some interest as the cricket was on all day - asked me genuinely “That blond one is getting hit all the time - is he no good because he’s fat? He doesn’t look like a professional sportsman.”
I don’t think we even need to say who she was referring to, do we? RIP.”
Lovely stuff from Ben Heywood.
69th over: England 312-2 (Pope 63, Root 50) Here comes Washington Sundar for his first bowl of the innings… he’s welcomed by a Joe Root reverse sweep for four and a scampered single into the covers that takes Root to another half century. Death, taxes… Root and Pope pick off more runs, more singles than a Thursday night in Clapham out there right now.
68th over: England 305-2 (Pope 61, Root 45) Root dabs past point for a couple off Jadeja, who then goes too straight and is clipped square on the leg side for two more. Lunch can’t come soon enough for the visitors at the moment.
67th over: England 301-2 (Pope 61, Root 41) Shot! Pope leans into a high elbowed straight drive and pings the ball back past Kamboj for four. That brings up the 100 partnership between this pair as England close in on 300. More brisk running sees the 300 hundred breached, India being run ragged at the moment.
66th over: England 292-2 (Pope 53, Root 40) Death by a thousand cuts for India at the moment as Root and Pope exchange quick singles off Jadeja.
65th over: England 290-2 (Pope 52, Root 39) Pope scurries a single to mid-off. Since drinks England have really been hustling the quick ones.
64th over: England 289-2 (Pope 51, Root 39) Pope passes fifty with a perky single. These are big runs for him after his scores have tailed off since that ton at Headingley. If he scores a century here it will be the first time he has two tons in the same series.
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63rd over: England 285-2 (Pope 49, Root 37) Kamboj continues and Jurel comes up to the stumps to try and keep Root and Pope confined to barracks. DROP! Pope gets a meaty-ish inside edge and the ball hits the keeper on the thigh. It was a tough chance stood up to the stumps but you’ve seen them taken.
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62nd over: England 281-2 (Pope 47, Root 35) Grease applied to the knuckles as Jadeja does indeed rattle through five dots, Pope drives to mid off to scamper a single off the sixth.
61st over: England 280-2 (Pope 46, Root 35) Frustration for India and Kamboj as Pope is beaten on the inside edge attempting an elaborate drive but then picks up five off the next ball as an errant throw from – who else – Mo Siraj evades the keeper and slips and races to the fence. India need to dig in here, they are looking a bit ragged.
Gill summons some spin from Ravindra Jadeja, love the guy but with his warp speed overs he is an OBOers worst nightmare.
60th over: England 275-2 (Pope 41, Root 35) Runs beginning to flow more freely for England now as Pope survives another ball that keeps low from the Statham End from Siraj, a toe end jabbed down and past Jurel for a couple followed by a sublime cover drive all along the Old Trafford baize for four. England trail by 83 runs.
The players take drinks after an unthreatening over from Anshul Kamboj that is taken for five runs – the first hour belongs to England and Joseph Edward Root.
“Hello there James”
Back atcha Rohan Tewari.
“Watching the cricket with a mate who has no real proclivity for cricket. “Not much impressed with this Root chap” he says. “Celebrating getting to 30, hasn’t clubbed the ball once and the crowd seem to boo him everytime he does scores from an attacking shot!” he cries out incredulously. God I love Test cricket.”
59th over: England 266-2 (Pope 32, Root 35)
Joe Root goes to number 3 in the all time Test runs list!
58th over: England 261-2 (Pope 32, Root 31) A nudged single to deep third takes Root past Dravid and level with Jacques Kallis. Pope returns the strike and Root glides with velveteen hands into the covers to get the single that takes him to 13,290 Test runs and number three on the list! If he gets to 120 in this knock then he’ll have Ricky Ponting’s scalp too. A true great.
57th over: England 259-2 (Pope 31, Root 30) Shot of the morning from Root who stand tall and punches Bumrah off the back foot and in the gap square on the off-side for four. Glorious. That boundary takes Root level with Rahul Dravid in the all time runs list.
56th over: England 253-2 (Pope 30, Root 25) Siraj has been at his bustling best this morning, making Root and Pope play and targeting stumps and pads. Pope plays another jabby jabby jab at a length ball that he suggests keeps low but his footwork was nowhere, man.
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Apologies my emails were seemingly on the blink but they are back up and running now and a flurry of correspondence has landed in the OBO mailbag. Johno from Melbourne has been getting his simian stroll on Down Under:
“Aside from the Edgbaston heist, yesterday felt like the first day that England had properly won all series. Not only that, Cousin Zak finally found himself as the rock and roll star he can ben and some might say that the Indian bowlers acquiesced. England’s masterplan of losing whole days but winning the odd session, rather than just rolling with it, seems to, little by little, be making the Indian men slide away.
Whatever.”
55th over: England 252-2 (Pope 30, Root 24) Better from Pope, he gets on top of a short ball from Bumrah and pulls away decisively for four. That brings up England’s 250 and reduces the first innings deficit to 106.
54th over: England 247-2 (Pope 26, Root 23) Root plays and misses to Siraj outside off stump and then has a stern word with himself. Close! Siraj gets one to pop from the Statham End, the same one that he got one to scud through at shin height a few overs back. Gulp. Root then gloves another lifter wide of point and Pope calls him through for a quick single, Root was on the back foot and scrambling for his ground… the throw misses but he was a goner there had it it. It’s all happening.
53rd over: England 246-2 (Pope 26, Root 22) Pope gets a leading edge to Bumrah that somehow lands safe! Another spitting delivery from Bumrah but Pope jabbed at it unconvincingly. Lucky lad. Root pulls into the leg side to bring up 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford. Chalk it up.
52nd over: England 240-2 (Pope 25, Root 21) Siraj pins Root on the pad and it looks a close call! The ball flies away for four byes and India mull going for a review. Siraj is keen, of course he is. Root did wander across his stumps. Gill makes the T-sign and they go upstairs. NOT OUT! The ball was sliding down and India lose their second review.
51st over: England 240-2 (Pope 25, Root 21) Bumrah gets one to spit sharply at Pope from the Statham End. Pope has a flirt at it and it whistles past the edge. I’ll say it again. There’s plenty in this pitch. Maiden.
50th over: England 240-2 (Pope 25, Root 21) Pope flashes Siraj away wide of the cordon for four and Root nearly forces the the indomitable bowler to combust with his own loosey-goosey drive that flies to the fence backward of point! I think Root meant the stroke but it was a little close to gully for comfort. A perky if a little risky start for England.
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49th over: England 231-2 (Pope 20, Root 17) Bumrah it is after one over of Thakur. Root picks a full ball off his toes for four, he looks in decent nick does Joe. A majestic drive is unfurled later in the over but pings straight to the fielder. Be still my…
48th over: England 227-2 (Pope 20, Root 13) Mohammed Siraj opens up from t’other end and he bustles in to Pope, honing in on pads and stumps. Five dots are stitched together before the last ball of the over scuds through at no more than shin height and nearly scuttles Pope! That did not bounce at all, if that was straight then Pope was a goner and there’s nowt he could do have done about it. Pope wanders down and gets his Monty Don on, trust me, this pitch is going to go more up and down than a hormonal teenager on a paternoster.
47th over: England 227-2 (Pope 20, Root 13) Righto, the players are out there and let’s be havvin it. Shardul ‘Lord’ Thakur has the ball with two slips in place. This might just be a solitary over for ‘Lord’ so that Bumrah can switch ends. I’d be surprised if Gill has given Thakur the ball straight away though he does have something of a golden albeit military medium arm.
Root flicks for two off his pads to start England off, no doubt making Jacques, Ricky and Rahul (and Sachin!) a little more twitchy in the process.
Well, it turns out the downright doleful Robert Heath is in luck. John Stedman emails to say Zaltzman has been crunching the numbers (been emailing the Beeb too Bobby?)
Those numbers look prettay good to me:
Joe Root:
72 innings when not out overnight
3227 runs added
Average 53.7 added to overnight score (12 not outs)
Shubman Gill is currently on the outfield practicing his slip catching, he’s pouched everything FYI.
India need to make inroads this morning after their least incisive day with the ball yesterday. If England are still batting post tea then they’ll have a hefty lead and the series could well be slipping out of view for the visitors.
Catch up on yesterday’s action with Ali Martin’s report and Simon Burnton’s analysis:
Robert Heath pings in the first email of the day and its given me heavy boots:
“I promise I’m not predicting anything or tempting fate, but – I’d love to see the stat of how many times Joe Root has been not out overnight but has been dismissed in the first half an hour next day. It seems to me that it’s a thing for him!”
You’d love to see it eh Bobby? Well, you’re bang out of luck on this OBO. Smyth might indulge your entirely hunch based statistical pessimism later in the day. I won’t stand for it.
Ben Stokes has been a bowling colossus in this series:
Wonder how Rishab Pant’s foot is this morning? Bag of Petit Pois and couple of Ibruprofen pronto?
Taha Hashim was on hand to cover yesterday’s biggest sub plot:
Preamble
Welcome to Manchester. They do things differently here.
Alighting at Piccadilly Station this morning there was a gaggle of Crusading Knights, a handful of Hulk Hogans and four Richie Benaud’s queuing for a Greggs Breakfast. They were all headed to the same place…
It’s day three of England v India from Old Trafford. Moving Day. The sun is shiiiining and England are Definitely/Maybe going to enjoy batting in these conditions.
Ben Stokes’ side are 133 behind with eight first wickets in hand and will be looking to bat once and big on a wicket that has got some life in it and will likely offer some up ‘n’ down bounce and keep the spinners interested as the match goes deeper.
Ollie Pope is currently at the crease with plenty to prove to himself and the doubters after his average has once again turned thin and gruelly after a century earlier in the series.
At the other end there’s this fella called Joe Root, he’s got Messrs Dravid, Kallis and Ponting in his sights on the all time Test run scorers list.
Rob Key is currently playing keepy uppies with the England team (Hello fellow kids and mind those toes Brydon Carse!) play begins at 11am and as always do get in touch with your thoughts and theories. You and I are gonna live forever OBO till an hour after lunch before the Supersonic Rob Smyth takes over. Know what I mean?
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