Woakes on his return.
Jonathan Liew on Woakes.
Here is Ali Martin’s report.
Chris Woakes: “A relatively good day still, to win the toss and bowl them out for 190 is job done . But to lose three tonight, including Joe, puts things in the balance. Thakur got away from us a little bit but sometimes you have to say fair play. We’d have taken 190 at the start of the day.
I was a little bit nervous, haven’t done that for a while, nice to be back out there, my first over calmed me down, came out quite nice. I was always a bit unsure how it was going to got but I snapped into a nice rhythm early on. I’m sure I’ll hurt in the mornig but I’m glad for the pains.”
And I’ll leave him talking to Ian Ward in an endless interview. Thanks for all the emails, have a wonderful evening and we’ll see you tomorrow!
How to sum that up? A reckless Indian batting performance, rescued by fifties from Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur, who indulged in some enjoyable humpty. Good bowling from England all round, especially from Chris Woakes. England had a plonker of a start, with both Hameed and Burns falling to shots they wouldn’t have played in their dreams, and Root done by a beauty, pitched full and nipping in. Thirteen wickets in the day - in the words of Michael Vaughan, “not a great day for Test match batting.” But, so much fun.
16th over: England 53-3 (Malan 26, Overton 1) We see Ollie Pope standing in the door of the dressing room balcony, illuminated by sunlight. Overton ducks a steaming bouncer from Bumrah. The last ball of the day is a yorker, which Overton crouches to keep out. What a day!
15th over: England 53-3 (Malan 26, Overton 0) It turns out that Umesh from the Vauxhall End, was the magic ingredient. It took a ball of distinction to dismiss Root, and a ball of distinction it was. Overton is Root’s choice from a wide selection of nightwatchmen.
WICKET! Root b Umesh 21 (England 52-3)
The big one! Root is late on a beauty that is full and zips back. Umesh leaps skyward and punches the air
Updated
15th over: England 52-2 (Malan 26, Root 21) The batsman is now in the shade, Thakur bowling from the last scraps of sun. He plays with his lengths, tempting Malan with a succession of short ones, that he sways and ducks away from.
Geoff wrote a great pice on Root:
Looks like we have to fire up this thread again for a short burst on Day 1? Joe Root is on 20, and 5 runs away from the next spot on the list.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) September 2, 2021
14th over: England 52-2 (Malan 26, Root 21) Pant seems to be struggling with cramp and is handed a pink drink stuffed full of electrolytes. He continues. Siraj runs in, chased by the encroaching shade. England seem to be playing for stumps now.
13th over: England 51-2 (Malan 25, Root 21) Thakur bustles in for his second over. No boundaries but easy pickings. I wonder how Virat Kohli feels when Root is batting. Admiration? Empathy? Envy?
12th over: England 45-2 (Malan 22, Root 18) A double changes as Kohli calls for Mohammed Siraj, but Root picks up another boundary angled down to fine leg. I think it was Malan at Headingley who said that Root suddenly is on 30 and you don’t quite know how. Ain’t that the truth. Unobtrustive brilliance. Siraj is not hitting his straps, and Malan tucks into one on his legs. Eleven from the over.
11th over: England 34-2 (Malan 16, Root 13) This suddenly feels easy for England, as Malan plays the angles and sends Thakur, in his first over, to the third man boundary.
10th over: England 29-2 (Malan 12, Root 12) Yeah baby: Malan drives a fat half volley from Bumrah through the covers and doesn’t bother moving a toe.
9th over: England 25-2 (Malan 8, Root 12) Umesh appeals for lbw against Root, but no-one really feels it. He then effortless peels off a couple of boundaries, through square leg, then zipping past gully. Simply gorgeous.
8th over: England 17-2 (Malan 8, Root 4) I’d like Dawid Malan to come round and clean my house. He’d do it very calmly, but with righteous anger when he saw the state of the oven. Here he picks six off Bumrah’s over, off his legs then a boundary to third man.
7th over: England 11-2 (Malan 2, Root 4) Umesh jogs in and send the ball down without looking particularly threatening (famous last words). Malan pulls him round without rhythm and picks up a single.
6th over: England 10-2 (Malan 1, Root 4) Root mops fevered England brows by sending Bumrah, with gentle nursing hands, past the slips for four. He has remember, a hundred in every match of this series to date. That pesky law of averages would suggest...
I’m not going to engage with this tweet. (Wasn’t that shot out of character though? India can’t have planned for him to play a cut shot so early. Surely..)
Is that twice out and no runs in Haseeb's last 40 balls @tjaldred? I fear India have worked him out #ENGvIND.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) September 2, 2021
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5th over: England 6-2 (Malan 1, Root 0) Some light relief from Umesh.
Updated
4th over: England 6-2 (Malan 1, Root 0) Game on! Two in his second over. An angled bat to a Bumrah beauty is not a jam sandwich. Then Hameed attempts an out of character cut. In between, Malan, true to one-day mode, scampers one off his first ball. Root has the look on his face of a man who was dreaming of a long bath, but has been called down to unblock the downstairs loo.
WICKET! Hameed c Pant b Bumrah 0 (England 6-2)
Bumrah! Pant makes up for his batting with an acrobatic fizz to gather the ball in the air,off a risky Hameed cut.
Updated
WICKET! Burns b Bumrah 5 (England 5-1)
A good length, snappy, nips back, and Burns plays onto the stumps. He looks back, just to check.
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3rd over: England 5-0 (Burns 5, Hameed 0) Burns drives Umesh square, down on knee with some pizazz, but it is picked up on the rope and he only gets three. Hameed faces three, but Umesh doesn’t make him play.
2nd over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Hameed 0) Bumrah takes the second over. He must fancy this end. He squares up Hameed with a screamer. And Sky show us Hameed marking his guard, which he seems to do three times on leg, middle and leg and indown the pitch a little . Kohli seems to complain, but the umpire tells him to jog on.
England's first innings
1st over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Hameed 0) Umesh cuts a relatively burly figure, imagine a squashed Kapil Dev. His moustache stretches questioningly around his top lip. Burns shovels the first ball square to get the car started.
England are on their way out. Virat Kohli intensely unfolds his jumper, but the wool, mysteriously, doesn’t spontaneously combust. It seems Umesh Yadav will take the new ball.
Phew. That was a mini epic. A mild-mannered start in grimy black and white, followed by irrepressible England bowling, followed by success/failure from Kohli, a shambolic cameo from Pant, furious glory from Thakur and a chaotic final chapter. England will be delighted. India less so. Woakes the pick of the bowlers, with 4-55 on his comeback, and three more wickets for Robinson.
WICKET! Umesh c Bairstow b Robionson 10 (India 191 all out)
Umesh goes for broke, and Bairstow takes a smashing catch in front of Overton’s nose.
Updated
WICKET! Bumrah run out (Burns) 0 (India 191-9)
Village cricket all round. Umesh is dropped by Overton overhead at first slip, but a quick-thinking Burns runs the advancing Bumrah out with a direct hit. He departs, without facing a ball.
61st over: India 190-8 (Umesh 10, Bumrah 0) Woakes gets his man, at last.
WICKET! Thakur lbw Woakds 57 (India 190-8)
A standing ovation for Thakur for providing the most divine fun of the day. A timely filip for India. The lbw wasn’t given originally, but hit the back pad and the review reveals that the ball would have been hitting leg stump.
Updated
Thakur reaches his fifty with a six!
60th over: India 185-7 (Umesh 9, Thakur 53) Carnage. The fifty partnership races past the line as Thakur has a swing and smacks the ball to the long off boundary. He reaches fifty with a six off a short ball from Robinson, aiming for the Shard . The Indian balcony has something to grin for, and they do. Thakur now has the fastest Test fifty on this ground (31 balls), beating Ian Botham against New Zealand in 1986!
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59th over: India 172-7 (Umesh 6, Thakur 31) A six! A palpable six! Thakur slams a full ball over long-off. Woakes is getting the treatment. An outside edge flies over second slip for four more. A festival feeling starts to build.
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58th over: India 160-7 (Umesh 6, Thakur 31) Did someone put Bairstow’s shirt in a hot wash? Anyway, Overton has six balls to have a go at Umesh Yadav. England think they might have got him to an inside edge third ball, but no-one is confident enough to review. Their reluctance was correct. In relief, Umesh sends a wonky drive wide of mid-on for four.
Chris Woakes halfway along his journey from boyishly good looking to ruggedly handsome, a path not many get to tread @tjaldred #ENGvIND
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) September 2, 2021
57th over: India 154-7 (Umesh 0, Thakur 31) Chin chin! Thakur pulls Woakes through mid-wicket for a tasty four . Root, at slip, folds his arms. The sun is shining. And now a ridiculously debonair flick in the air through mid-wicket for another boundary. Thakur is having fun.
Very good:
Expected job description for Ashwin:
— Anand (@anandkumarn) September 2, 2021
- Needs to take 5 wickets
- Needs to score a 100
- Needs to take 3 catches (2 stumpings extra an advantage)
- 15 years experience with DRS
- Umpiring experience a plus#IndvsEng #hiring #jobdescription@ESPNcricinfo @tjaldred @81allout
56th over: India 146-7 (Umesh 0, Thakur 23) Thakur disdainfully yee-hahs Overton over mid-off for six. Pant-esque. If this tail can thwack and inch India to 200, we have more of a game on our hands.
The answers, to Tim’s quiz question:
Thanks to everyone who's answered. Congrats @hamish75599123, @JonathanWest_ & @brianmw58 on mentioning Bob Willis, who's 4th. Only @geoff7866 got the other one: Richard Ellison, who's 2nd.
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) September 2, 2021
Onions 7th, Broad 8th, Botham 17th, Underwood 21st, Swann 22nd. Top spinner: @MontyPanesar https://t.co/2uu6x57s2q
55th over: India 139-7 (Umesh 0, Thakur 16) Thakur shows Pant the way. He has apparently been working on his batting and it shows. The first four shimmies over square leg for four. The second is a straight drive that threatens to guillotine the umpire’s toes. The third an off drive chased down by Anderson, who pull the ball back just before the rope. Smashin battin.
“Tanya,” says John Starbuck.
“ It isn’t always about who is the best Indian no. 5, it’s who’s the best at fitting into the team. It could be inter-personal, it could be jealousy, it could be skill, it could be nerve and patience, but if your face doesn’t fit for some reason you’ll get left out a lot.”
Wise words. In cricket, John, as in life.
54th over: India 128-7 (Umesh 0, Thakur 5) My bones tell me this tail won’t last long. Yadav survives his first three balls from Overton.
53rd over: India 128-7 (Umesh 0, Thakur 5) Pant watches Woakes. Carefully. Then comes the edge - the fifth stump line the commentators have been dreaming of, and that haunts Pant’s nightmares - but Overton puts it down, lolloping one handedly from third slip in front of second. A visibly fed up Woakes has to watch the second catch put down off his bowling today. This England slip cordon are not working like clockwork. But, it turns out, it doesn’t matter. Pant has a wild swing and, once more, it doesn’t come off.
WICKET! Pant c Moeen b Woakes 9 (India 127-7)
Dropped in the slips in the same over, Pant goes for the big one and merely sends the ball skywards and into the hands of Moeen at deep mid-off.
Updated
52nd over: India 127-6 (Pant 9, Thakur 4) Settle in my friends, this is going to be a looong session. We watch Pant adjusting his gloves on a bench outside the pavilion, and then bounce out to the middle. Overton has the ball. Pant greets his second with a dancing slap through cover for four. Pleasingly wild. He ignores the rest, till the last ball where he steals a single.
Hello Column Fordham!
“India are in all sorts….
“As to Tim De Lisle’s quiz question, I’m assuming that the two other most successful test bowlers in the current England team are Moeen Ali and, although I can’t quite believe it, Joe Root’s occasional off-spin. Can’t be true, can it?”
Evening session India 122-6
The dog demanding some tennis ball throws prevented me picking up what sounded a very interesting point from the excellent Mark Butcher about this being the perfect conditions for the bowlers England have picked. But Nasser spoke excellently about India’s batting line-up. Is there really not a better No.5 in the whole of India than Jadeja?
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51st over: India 122-6 (Pant 4, Thakur 4) With tea in sight, Robinson has one more before resting his big boots. Pant and Thakur play for the interval, sensible this and thats to see them through. And that is tea! Three wickets in the session, 68 runs scored. Advantage, undoubtedly, England. Time to put the kettle on, back shortly.
50th over: India 119-6 (Pant 3, Thakur 2) A suave drive for four by Rahane, a hasty Pant pull which buys him nothing. A thoroughly boring single into the covers. And then the wicket: a quite brilliant catch. I think Pant will now be told to hit the stratosphere.
“Is this England’s most well-wished test team?” asks Tom vdGucht. “ It seems to be especially full of likeable players England supporters have become emotionally invested in with the hope they’ll do well and finally nail down a regular place in a settled position? Ali, Woakes, Bairstow, Hameed... They all seem to have been shuffled around despite being consistent professionals and likeable characters whilst suffering the slings and arrows of form loss, injury, selectoral whims etc. Imagine if they’d got Leach and Wood in there too.”
“Perhaps a team containing Malcolm, Hick and Ramps in the 90’s would have attracted a similar sense of hope that they’d finally make it.”
This is so true. The most likeable team of my lifetime I think. Though my heart still bleeds for Ramps.
WICKET! Rahane c Moeen b Overton 14 (India 117-6)
A beautiful low two handed catch from Moeen at third slip, swooping to rescue a sparrow from the wheels of a bus
Updated
REVIEW! Rahane c Moeen Ali b Overton 14
It looks clean but the umpires are checking
Updated
49th over: India 111-5 (Pant 2, Rahane 9) A pull -not without risk- off Robinson gives Rahane succour. Then Pant has runs, a nudge into the leg side for two. Restraint oozes out of every pore.
48th over: India 108-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 8) Overton returns from the pavilion end. A needless run-out averted, when Hameed’s throw doesn’t hit. Rahane stop-started, ball watching I think. The force is not strong between these two.
Can anyone help Tim with his query?
#ENGvIND If you look up the most successful England bowlers, in Tests in England, of the past 50 years (by average, min 20 wickets), the top five contains three members of the current team – Robinson 1st, #Woakes 3rd, Anderson 5th. Quiz question: who are the other two?
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) September 2, 2021
47th over: India 107-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 7) Robinson stretches into his run-up; long legs reluctantly doing as commanded. Rahane executes an inelegant one-handed poke into the legside for a single, which brings us, once more, Robinson v Pant. Pant calmly plays him defensively, and ignores the next.
Some Woakes worship from Guy Hornsby. A common emotion for a very likeable chap.
So happy for Woakes @tjaldred. Like Mo, the last year has been a mostly unmitigated disaster, and they're due some success. Of course, it doesn't work that way, so seeing this on their return, lovely people that they are, is all the more cheering. Robinson too, has been superb.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) September 2, 2021
46th over: India 106-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 6) A run! Rahane trots through with a workmanlike single into the leg side. I heard someone - shamefully I can’t remember who - suggest that Pant plays himself in slowly to reach ten before searching for the moon. Can he be persuaded at The Oval, host of his first Test hundred in 2018?
45th over: India 105-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 5) Pant takes two shuffle n change steps down the wicket, has a huge swing at Robinson, and misses, much to the bowler’s amusement. Another maiden. Pant, you imagine, isn’t going to stand for this.
44th over: India 105-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 5) Rahane survives an absolute beauty from Anderson, that zips of the seam with vigour, and England notch up another maiden.
43rd over: India 105-5 (Pant 0, Rahane 5) The boy Robinson does it again! Kohli couldn’t capitalise on being dropped: he just can’t get past 50 at the moment. An uncertainty hovers around which balls to play and which to leave. Enter Pant - whose Test average, despite an undistinguished tour, is still above 40.
“Afternoon Tanya.” Hello Brian Withington!
“Looking for a Kohli century at the Oval? Currently finding it difficult to tear my attention away from Autumn Crane Watch at Southampton, where nightwatchman Mason is currently 22 not out off 154 balls and methodically working his way through his limited supply of batting gloves, to the mounting consternation of Yorkshire.”
Oh dear, Yorkshire need that win. Follow Hampshire v Yorkshire and more with Geoff here:
WICKET! Kohli c Bairstow by Robinson 50 (India 105-5)
The big one! He plays across a short ball, gets in a tangle, shivers an inside edge and it is an easy catch for Bairstow.
Updated
42nd over: India 105-4 (Kohli 50, Rahane 5) The Barmy Army’s trumpeter blasts away- The Oval is packed to the gunwales. We get a glimpse of Anderson’s leg, and there seems to be a blood stain on his right knee, which must be from when he fell over at the end of his previous over. Rahane makes an elaborate leave and succeeds only in nearly playing on to his own stumps. Another maiden.
41st over: India 105-4 (Kohli 50, Rahane 5) Robinson’s third passes the edge of Kohli’s bat and is caught by a beardless Bairstow shimmying to his left. Another Virat Kohli might have whistled through his teeth. Kohli’s fifty was off 85 balls, with eight fours. And that’s a maiden.
Virat Kohli 50!
40th over: India 105-4 (Kohli 50, Rahane 5) Anderson resumes after drinks, that familiar figure darting in. Three slips, as Kohli leaves the first two balls. The fourth is angled past third slip to the boundary and a quick single brings the fifty. He raises his bat briefly as if to say: there’s more to come.
Updated
Thanks Rob, awesome as ever. I’m here for the Kohli century, not sure about the rest of you?
Updated
39th over: India 100-4 (Kohli 45, Rahane 5) Rahane forces a square drive for two off Robinson, the first really attacking shot of his innings. The previous ball bounced just over the stumps, with Rahane offering no stroke. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and say he left it on length. That’s drinks, and time for me to hand over to Tanya Aldred for the rest of the day. You can email her here or tweet @tjaldred. Bye!
Updated
38th over: India 96-4 (Kohli 45, Rahane 1) Exquisite stuff from Kohli, who times an Anderson outswinger through extra cover for four more. England will be worried that he is starting to write his own script, and there’s a nascent whiff of Steve Waugh at Old Trafford in 1997 about his innings.
37th over: India 92-4 (Kohli 41, Rahane 1) So much for an Ollie Robinson injury. He’s back in the attack, with Kohli in his sights, but his first over is on the loose side. The third ball goes for four leg-byes and the next is laced through extra cover for four by Kohli. It hasn’t been flawless, it never will be in these conditions, but for the most part Kohli has played brilliantly.
36th over: India 83-4 (Kohli 36, Rahane 1) Anderson replaces Woakes. His third ball is timed sweetly through point for three by Kohli, who is starting to look a little ominous. Rahane is beaten by the last ball of the over.
“Woakes has a lower career bowling average (22.5) in England than Anderson (23.9),” says Daniel Howell. “Woakes started playing Tests in August 2013. Since when Anderson is averaging 20.1 in England. Woakes is very good. Anderson is incredible…”
While nobody would deny Anderson is the better bowler, I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison. Anderson was the finished article by August 2013, whereas Woakes was starting out. It takes a while to get used to playing at Test level. I’d have to check it to be sure, but after his first three Tests at home I’m pretty sure Woakes was averaging 129.50 with a strike rate of exactly 222.
Updated
35th over: India 80-4 (Kohli 33, Rahane 1) Overton bowls his ninth over in a row, which suggests Robinson might have an injury. If England are down to three seamers, even temporarily, they’ll need Overton to do the donkey work. Another quiet over, one run from it.
“Per Felix Wood’s question (29th over), I’ve had a bit of a google, and it seems Root is indeed a very good slip fielder - or at least good by the standards of the England team,” says Hugo Spindler. “Since 2015, he has a catch success rate of 82% in the slips, while England as a whole (since 2019) have a rate of 76%. Slightly different timeframes, but an interesting and marked difference nonetheless!”
Updated
34th over: India 79-4 (Kohli 32, Rahane 1) Ollie Robinson is off the field - not sure why - and Woakes continues. Kohli makes the most of a wide half-volley, spanking a flamboyant drive through extra cover for four.
“Great to see Woakes fit and achieving,” says Ian Copestake. “Like a woodpecker that looks like Jeff Bridges, he is both lesser-spotted and under appreciated.”
Updated
33rd over: India 74-4 (Kohli 26, Rahane 1) Overton has bowled a decent spell, though nowhere near as threatening as Woakes at the other end. This his eighth over on the reel, and probably his last for the time being. Nothing much happens, with just a single to Kohli.
32nd over: India 73-4 (Kohli 25, Rahane 1) That would have been Woakes’ third wicket. It was really close, so you can understand why it was given out on the field.
REVIEW! India 73-4 (Rahane not out 1)
A successful review from Ajinkya Rahane, who overturns an LBW decision. He was hit on the flap of the pad by a big nipbacker from Chris Woakes, and looked resigned to his fate until Virat Kohli encouraged him to review. Replays showed the ball was just bouncing over the top of the stumps.
31st over: India 72-4 (Kohli 24, Rahane 1) Chris Woakes now has a bowling average of 22.50 in home Tests, which is the best by an England quick bowler since Fred Trueman played his last Test in 1965 (minimum: 50 wickets). What’s that Fall song? “Check the record, check the record, check the guy’s track record... He. Is. Not. APPRECIATED.”
30th over: India 69-4 (Kohli 23, Rahane 0) That was a good ball from Woakes, angled across the left-handed Jadeja. He had to play and, even though he tried not to go too hard at the ball, he nicked it to Root. Woakes, playing his first first-class game in over a year, has figures of 8-5-13-2.
WICKET! India 69-4 (Jadeja c Root b Woakes 10)
It’s not the wicket England really want, but they’ll take it. Jadeja edges Woakes low to first slip, where Root takes a good two-handed catch by his left shin.
Updated
29th over: India 69-3 (Kohli 23, Jadeja 10) A maiden from Overton to Kohli.
“What is Root’s catch/drop ratio?” says Felix Wood. “In my mind he drops a lot of catches - more than someone who generally fields at slip should do. Is this a trick of the mind, I only notice it because it’s Root, or is he actually a proper butterfingers?”
I don’t have the relevant data upon my person, but in my head he is a really good slip fielder, England’s best apart from maybe Ben Stokes.
KOHLI DROPPED BY ROOT!
28th over: India 69-3 (Kohli 23, Jadeja 10) Oh my. Kohli pushed at a shortish awayswinger from Woakes and edged it between Root at first slip and Burns at second. Burns didn’t move and Root, standing behind him, was late in going for it. He moved to his right but could only fingertip the ball for a single. On commentary Shane Warne reckons England’s slips are too close, which is why they weren’t sure whose catch it was.
Jadeja gets his second boundary later in the over, clipping Woakes through square leg.
Updated
27th over: India 64-3 (Kohli 22, Jadeja 6) Craig Overton continues, which is slightly surprising as he feels the least likely of the four seamers to dismiss Kohli. For now he is bowling to Jadeja, who edges a loose push through the vacant gully region for four.
Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, Dom Sibley has made a half-century in his first match since being dropped by England. His mental strength is so impressive.
26th over: India 60-3 (Kohli 22, Jadeja 2) Chris Woakes returns to the attack after lunch. Virat Kohli, who looked good before lunch, leaves the first two balls and then skims a square drive for four.
Lunchtime reading
India started well, skittering to 28 for none after seven overs. Then the ball started to move around and batting became a bit of a trial. Anderson, Robinson and Woakes took out the top three, though India will take encouragement from Virat Kohli’s fluent start. See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
Lunch
25th over: India 54-3 (Kohli 18, Jadeja 2) Craig Overton switches round the wicket to Jadeja, who chases a full-length delivery that straightens past the outside edge. That was a beautiful bit of bowling, and an apt way to end another terrific session for England.
24th over: India 53-3 (Kohli 17, Jadeja 2) Anderson is giving Jadeja quite a working over. Two set-up outswingers are followed by two big inswingers that Jadeja leaves. The first just misses the off stump; the second leads to an LBW appeal that is turned down on height. Jadeja then tries to leave another delivery at the last minute and steers it on the bounce to slip.
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23rd over: India 53-3 (Kohli 17, Jadeja 2) When Overton goes a bit fuller, Kohli times another glorious drive down the ground for four. He gets another boundary later in the over, this time with a thickish edge along the floor. Although there was a bit of fortune in the second shot, he looks keen to put some pressure back on the England bowlers.
22nd over: India 43-3 (Kohli 7, Jadeja 2) Kohli, trying to leave at the last minute, inadvertently steers Anderson past leg stump for a single. The pair, whose battle has been enhanced by the increasing mutual respect, have a good-natured exchange when Kohli reaches the non-striker’s end.
Anderson’s over ends with two lovely inswingers to Jadeja. The first brought an unsuccessful LBW appeal - too high - and the second was squeezed onto the pad. That would have been really close had it hit the pad first.
21st over: India 40-3 (Kohli 6, Jadeja 0) Kohli works Overton off the hip for another single, the only run from another uneventful over. It’s not even lunch on day one but this already feels like a huge innings for Virat Kohli. He’s 32 years old, and this could be his last chance of winning a Test series in England.
20th over: India 39-3 (Kohli 5, Jadeja 0) Hello! Ravindra Jadeja is India’s new No5. This is only the third time in Tests that he has batted higher than No6, and it’s either an inspired tactic or a reflection of a scrambled collective mind.
One thing we do know: in the last 14 overs India have scored 11 runs and lost three wickets.
Updated
WICKET! India 39-3 (Pujara c Bairstow b Anderson 4)
Immaculate bowling from Anderson. Pujara feels for a beautiful outswinger, delivered from slightly wider on the crease, and snicks through to Jonny Bairstow. After a promising start, India are now in a bit of bother.
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19th over: India 38-2 (Pujara 4, Kohli 4) Craig Overton replaces Chris Woakes (5-4-4-1) and starts - you got it, hotshot - a maiden. He found a decent length straight away but his line was fractionally too wide.
“I’m watching the game in my lunch break today and can’t for the world of me understand why Indian batsmen have been hell-bent on blocking everything in swinging conditions,” says Sanket Dhume. “Sure England has bowled well on occasion, but I feel like allowing the likes of Anderson & co. to settle into a rhythm and bowl an attacking line & length has proven counterproductive. All the Indian batters with the exception of Pujara are natural strokemakers. Why not back your natural game? In the end, I’d take them nicking one behind on a scoring shot over nicking one behind on a forward defence (like Rohit, yet again today).”
They started quite positively today, Rahul in particular, so I don’t think it’s a deliberate plan. For a lot of the series they’ve been ground down by the England bowlers. In their defence, batting has looked fiendishly difficult for most of the summer.
18th over: India 38-2 (Pujara 4, Kohli 4) Anderson replaces Robinson, who has delicious figures of 8-6-8-1. Kohli is on strike, with three slips, a gully and a deepish short leg. Anderson’s fourth ball moves back to hit Kohli amidships; then Kohli gets off the mark with a majestic, almost disdainful drive to the left of mid-on for four. Shot!
17th over: India 34-2 (Pujara 4, Kohli 0) Pujara wants to be more positive but it’s really not easy in conditions like this. Woakes bowls another maiden, the ninth in the last 10 overs. India just need to get to lunch and reassess.
“No mention of pacy Oval wickets of yore is complete without homage to its former groundsman, the late, great Harry Brind, MBE,” says Brian Withington. “Harry cut his teeth preparing excellent wickets at Fairlop (Barkingside) as enjoyed by the likes of my Dad’s club, the Old Westhamians. He went to Surrey in 1975 via a stint for Essex CCC at its new home in Chelmsford, and made his name by relaying the whole Oval square to universal acclaim.
“Harry shipped in tons of Ongar clay, excavated during construction of the M11 motorway, and mixed it with Surrey loam to replace the previous London shale with a proper subsoil. Work started in the late 70s and continued into the early 80s. His last Oval wicket was for the 1994 Devon Malcolm Test when in his own words ‘the surface shone; it was the best pitch I ever prepared’. Apparently he felt that the wickets would need relaying in 25-30 years, which looks about right.”
Thanks, some of that detail is lovely. That Oval surface of the early 1990s was, with a respectful nod to one or two at Old Trafford, comfortably the best English pitch of my lifetime.
16th over: India 34-2 (Pujara 4, Kohli 0) It won’t be long before we see Anderson against Kohli. But Robinson has troubled him in this series too, so he deserves first crack. Kohli defends most of the over with authority before inside-edging the last delivery into the leg side. Just two leg byes fromthe over, which means a fifth consecutive maiden from Robinson.
15th over: India 32-2 (Pujara 4, Kohli 0) Pujara gets off the mark from his 13th delivery, skimming a poor ball from Woakes through square leg for four.
“Why is The Oval not hosting the final match of this series?” asks Carl. “I’ve been looking for the reason but can’t seem to find one.”
It’s a good question. This is the first time since 2012, I think, that the final Test of the summer has not been at the Oval. But I have no idea why. I suspect some of our readers will know.Pujara gets off the mark from his 13th delivery, skimming a poor ball from Woakes through square leg for four.
“Why is The Oval not hosting the final match of this series?” asks Carl. “I’ve been looking for the reason but can’t seem to find one.”
It’s a good question. This is the first time since 2012, I think, that the final Test of the summer has not been at the Oval. But I have no idea why. I suspect some of our readers will know.
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14th over: India 28-2 (Pujara 0, Kohli 0) Robinson and Woakes have now bowled seven consecutive maidens, dismissing both openers in the process.
He’s out! It was a typical Robinson delivery, nipping back sharply to beat the inside edge and hit the flap of the pad. Robinson barely appealed, proceeding straight to the celebration, and Richard Illingworth. Rahul reviewed, which was the correct decisio, but Hawkeye suggested it would have hit the off bail.
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WICKET! India 28-2 (Rahul LBW b Robinson 17)
It looked a bit high to me, but KL Rahul has been given out LBW. He is going to take it upstairs.
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13th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Pujara 0) Woakes has a big LBW shout against Pujara turned down by Alex Wharf. England barely discuss a review, though, and replays confirm there was an inside edge. It’s another maiden though, the sixth in a row, and after a slow start England will be pleased with their first hour’s work. Time for drinks.
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12th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Pujara 0) Robinson beats Rahul with a good delivery that holds its line outside off stump. Rahul started positively, racing to 17 from 21 balls, but he hasn’t scored off the last 19 deliveries. That’s not a criticism; with the ball starting to move around he is focussing on defence.
Robinson tries to tempt him with a floaty, swinging half-volley. Rahul shapes to drive, then decides to leave and smiles in acknowledgement. The next ball, the last of the over, led to that LBW review when Rahul fell over a delivery that was angled in. It was good bowling but clearly missing leg stump, so England lose a review.
ENGLAND REVIEW FOR LBW AGAINST RAHUL Don’t get excited, it’s not going to be out.
11th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Pujara 0) Woakes has hardly bowled this summer year, just a bit of white-ball stuff and a 2nd XI game last week, but he’s straight into his work. Another maiden from him, which makes it four in a row in tandem with Robinson.
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10th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Pujara 0) The last few overs have been much more encouraging for England. Rahul thick edges Robinson to gully and then inside edges back onto the pads. Finally there’s an LBW appeal, from the cordon if not Robinson, when Rahul pushes defensively. Even if it was pad first, he was outside the line. Consecutive maidens from Robinson.
9th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Pujara 0) “I was there to see Devon do his stuff,” says Charles Sheldrick. “Sitting square of the wicket, it was impossible to follow the ball, and the wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes was standing so far back he could almost have been a longstop!”
Chris Woakes, playing his first since August 2020, strikes in his first over! He’s an expert in these conditions and this was fine bowling. He beat Rohit with a full, floaty outswinger and then, two balls later, dug in a short one that Rohit could only fence through to Bairstow.
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WICKET! India 28-1 (Rohit c Bairstow b Woakes 11)
Guess who’s back.
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8th over: India 28-0 (Rohit 11, Rahul 17) The ball isn’t doing as much as England expected when they put India in, so they have started to mix things up just slightly. Robinson goes wider on the crease to beat Rahul with consecutive full-length deliveries That’s lovely bowling, skilful and intelligent.
7th over: India 28-0 (Rohit 11, Rahul 17) Rahul inside-edges Anderson this far wide of leg stump and is beaten by the next delivery. An eventful over continues with Rohit driving consecutive deliveries through mid-off for two and then playing and missing at a shorter delivery. Anderson has unusually expensive figures of 4-0-20-0; I would replace him with Chris Woakes at this end.
6th over: India 21-0 (Rohit 7, Rahul 14) The floodlights are on at the Oval. It’s also really blustery, evoking that miserable injection of reality on the first day at Old Trafford two years ago. For whatever reason, England have not started particularly well, though they almost get a bonus wicket when Rohit chips Robinson just short of Anderson at mid-on. The ball slips through Anderson and runs away for four, which is unlikely to improve his joie de vivre.
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5th over: India 17-0 (Rohit 3, Rahul 14) It’s been a low-key start, which is exactly what India would have wanted when they were put into bat. Rahul defends consecutive inswingers from Anderson and then square-drives for four with authority. He looks in great touch; Anderson looks cheesed off.
#ENGvIND Two vacancies for bowlers in India's team, and they still don't pick Ravichandran #Ashwin. He's becoming cricket's answer to Donny van de Beek
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) September 2, 2021
I can understand the decision, even if I’d also have picked Ashwin. The odd thing is that Kohli justfied India’s selection by saying they wanted Jadeja to bowl to the left-handers in the England line-up. There are only four of them, one of whom is Jimmy Anderson, and normally it’s a preferable for a left-arm spinner to bowl to right-handers.
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4th over: India 13-0 (Rohit 3, Rahul 10) Rohit and Rahul, the unsung heroes of this series in many ways, have made a pretty assured start. The Oval pitch looks really slow, which helps. As Mike Atherton says on Sky, things have changed since Devon Malcolm scared the living daylights out of Michael Slater in 1993 and the entire South African team in 1994.
“I’m back in Istanbul after attending my son’s wedding in Cambridge,” says Robert Lewis. “Getting back to Blighty involved 10 days in Bulgaria, six Covid tests and a hell of a lot of jumping through hoops. And my son married an Aussie, so they are moving to Melbourne. Josh has got tickets for two of the Ashes Tests (if they ever go ahead), and he promises to teach the Aussies how to play cricket properly.”
Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Josh!
3rd over: India 9-0 (Rohit 1, Rahul 8) A half volley from Anderson is pinged sweetly through the covers for four by Rahul. After a short delay because of a bald fella in the batsman’s eyeline, Rahul edges another boundary along the floor. Anderson doesn’t look entirely happy, but then I suppose this is a weekday. And he still manages to slip a good delivery past Rahul’s outside edge.
“Greetings, Rob, from outside the Oval where entering the ground has so far taken 25+ minutes,” says Tom King. “Having experienced the same at Lords, but not at Headingley, I do wonder why it is that London grounds can’t get this right. On the upside, I saw Ashley Giles queuing up for a bit just now, so it’s not just the plebs.”
That’s no way to treat the King of Spain, honk.
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2nd over: India 1-0 (Rohit 1, Rahul 0) Chris Woakes is back but Ollie Robinson has dibs on the new ball after his performance in the last two Tests. Rohit Sharma, who has got a start in every innings in this series, deals with most of Robinson’s first over comfortably but is beaten by the last ball, a good outswinger.
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1st over: India 1-0 (Rohit 1, Rahul 0) Three slips and a gully for Anderson, who starts with some gentle outswing to Rohit Sharma. The fourth ball, an inducker, is shovelled round the corner for the first run of the match. There’s enough movement to encourage England, although the early signs are that the pitch is on the slow side.
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The players are ready, the crowd are ready and the word on the street is that you were born ready. Let’s follow some Test cricket.
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TMS overseas link
Since you asked, here are Ashwin and Jadeja’s stats in Tests outside India:
- Ashwin 1220 runs at 25.95, 127 wickets at 30.55
- Jadeja 912 runs at 30.40, 66 wickets at 34.46
And in the four frontiers (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia)
- Ashwin 757 runs at 22.26, 67 wkts at 38.38
- Jadeja 730 runs at 29.20 44 wkts at 37.97
I’d still have picked Ashwin.
“Anyone who knows Manchester can have a fair stab at what’s going to happen at Old Trafford next week,” says Paul Boldrin. “The Met Office think they know, anyway. I’m pretending this is the last Test, then if I don’t spend next week playing the rainfall radar backwards and forwards it will be a nice surprise. At least we should get a full five days in here, quality of batting permitting.”
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County Championship It’s the final day of the latest round of County Championship fixtures, and Geoff Lemon is keeping ‘em peeled.
The teams
England Burns, Hameed, Malan, Root (c), Pope, Bairstow (wk), Ali, Woakes, Overton, Robinson, Anderson.
India Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, Kohli (c), Rahane, Pant (wk), Jadeja, Thakur, Yadav, Bumrah, Siraj.
Two changes for India: Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav replace Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, who both have niggles. Virat Kohli looked thrilled when the first follow-up question was about Ravichandran Ashwin’s absence. He said Jadeja was preferred because England have a number of left-handers and India like the match-ups. I know.
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England have won the toss and will bowl first
And why not? Virat Kohli says he would have bowled first as well.
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My hunch is that India will make one change: Shardul Thakur for Ishant Sharma. We’ll find out in the next few minutes.
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Right here, right now, Joe Root is the best batsman in the world
The weather also reduces Ravichandran Ashwin’s chances of playing, as Virat Kohli will want four seamers if India bowl first. In short, nobody knows anything.
Some more pre-match reading
It’s overcast at the Oval, so whoever wins the toss will have a tricky decision. Actually, that’s a load of nonsense - they’ll have already made the decision in the expectation of winning the toss. Ach, you know what I mean.
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Early team news
It looks like England will make two changes from Headingley. Ollie Pope comes in for Jos Buttler, who is about to become a father for the second time, with Jonny Bairstow taking over as wicketkeeper. And the lesser spotted Chris Woakes, who has missed the last 11 Tests for all sorts of reasons, will replace the out-of-form Sam Curran.
No news yet on the India team, though there are rumours that Virat Kohli has been seen swallowing some pride while having a chat with Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ali Martin’s match preview
Preamble
Morning. There is a robust body of research, only some of it imaginary, that confirms the character-building qualities of Test cricket. Watching it, never mind playing it, promotes fairness, patience, wisdom, generosity of spirit and an unashamed appreciation of statistical minutiae. It also has hidden health benefits. Take this series between England and India, which is stealthily guiding millions of people towards a life of mindfulness.
In a series with so many unlikely twists, living in the present is the only way to stop your brain from overheating. Don’t look back and certainly don’t look forward. On Tuesday I tried to put the series so far in some kind of context and work out what might happen next. The next thing I remember is waking up in bed, being fed grapes and Lucozade by Mother Cricket while uttering the same, sorry sentence: “Why are they setting funky fields to a man who averages 4 in Test cricket?”
England’s meltdown at Lord’s has gone now, but so has their Headingley melt-up. All that matters is that it’s 1-1 with two to play. None of us have the foggiest what is going to happen at the Oval in the next five days, never mind at Old Trafford next week. Anyone who says otherwise is either a gnave or a descendant of Biff Tannen.
I realise this isn’t a sentence you hear too often, particularly at the rarefied altitude of Guardian Towers, but the people I really feel for are the bookmakers. How do you begin to price this game up? Well, at the moment, they have England as slight favourites. This may have changed by midday. But that’s in the future, and the future is none of our concern.
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