Stumps: India seven wickets from victory
16th over: England 72-3 (target 608; Pope 24, Brook 15) Deep has changed ends for the final over of the day. Frankly, after that ball to dismiss Root, he can do what he likes.
He almost does precisely that when Harry Brook, the wicket India would really like to take before the close, clips just wide of the diving midwicket and away for four. Brook helps himself to four more, a freebie to fine leg.
That’s the end of a pretty harrowing day for England, who are being pulverised by India. Shubman Gill added a charming 161 to his first-innings 269 and chose to bat on until the lead was past 600. Nobody is questioning that tactic after Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj bulldozed three vital wickets before the close.
England still have a chance of saving this game, because batting is a whole lot easier when the ball gets old. But right now, with the match situation and the morale of both sides, it’s hard to see anything other than a huge Indian victory.
15th over: England 59-3 (Pope 22, Brook 4) Siraj replaces Deep for the last over of the day at this end. England want it to be the last over full stop so Pope is trying to waste 10 or 15 seconds between each delivery.
Siraj screams for LBW against Pope but there was a big inside edge. A maiden. And yes, there will be time for one last over.
14th over: England 59-3 (Pope 22, Brook 4) Krishna straightens an excellent delivery past Pope’s outside edge. He has settled into a nice rhythm now that he doesn’t have to worry about conceding runs.
England were four down overnight when they saved that Auckland Test in 2013, so it can be done. But all logic suggests India will win by around 350-400 runs and make the series 1-1 with three to play. Oh, and the chances are Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer will return at Lord’s.
13th over: England 58-3 (Pope 21, Brook 4) Deep is into his seventh over, and there should be time for an eighth if he has the energy. So far he and Mohammed Siraj have taken all 13 England wickets to fall, which is deliciously perverse given all the pre-match chat about Jasprit Bumrah.
“‘Joe Root is the likeliest candidate to save England” (6th over),” writes Colum Farrelly, flinging my words back at me. “Well done, sir!”
Even now, with Root back in the pavilion, I’d probably stand by that statement.
12th over: England 56-3 (Pope 21, Brook 2) Pope inside-edges Krishna just past the stumps for four. He’s into the twenties but I’d imagine he has a false-stroke percentage that not even a mother could love. And there’s another, though there wasn’t much anyone could have done with a huge nipbacker that hit Pope high on the leg.
India have been superb with the new ball, ferocious but also forensic. England are a different f-word. Completely a different f-word.
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11th over: England 52-3 (Pope 17, Brook 2) “Any chance,” begins Beau Dure, “that England might salvage a draw through their oldest and most valuable player, Rain?”
Nah. Rain’s gone for a dirty weekend with Slim.
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Deep went wide on the crease and angled in a full delivery that straightened just enough to beat Root’s whip top leg and clatter into the stumps. What a ball!
Root got in such a tangle that I thought it was Ollie Pope. I don’t mean that in a bad way; it’s just that Joe Root is never undressed like that.
Deep celebrates by pointing to his badge and then down to the pitch to signal that he’s here to stay in this series. England will hope Deep meant it literally, that he gets confused and turns up at Edgbaston next week, because he has changed the mood of this series.
WICKET! England 50-3 (Root b Deep 6)
The champagne moment of the entire match. Akash Deep has bowled Joe Root with a spectacular delivery!
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10th over: England 48-2 (Pope 16, Root 6) Siraj’s opening spell was 4-0-29-1. It looks expensive but only one of those numbers is worth a damn.
Krishna comes close to getting something in his wicket column when Pope underedges a wild cut stroke. The ball bounces fractionally short of Pant, who takes the catch and immediately signals that he doesn’t think it carried. The umpires go upstairs just in case.
There are one or two boos when the verdict comes through. That’s unfair on Pant, who at no stage claimed the catch.
Root is not out Not even umpire’s call. It would have gone past leg stump and that means India have already burned two of their reviews.
The Duckett review was understandable, almost compulsory in fact. That one, not so much.
India review for LBW against Root Prasidh Krishna is the bowler this time, on in place of Mohammed Siraj. Height isn’t an issue but it looks legsideish, probably umpire’s call at best for India.
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9th over: England 48-2 (Pope 16, Root 6) Another terrific nipbacker from Deep, bowled from wide on the crease, hits Root on the flap of the pad. He implores the umpire to give Root out LBW, his face a study in desperation and need. Chris Gaffaney says no and so does Shubman Gill when India convene to discuss a review. As good as a delivery as it was, it would have bounced a fair way over the top.
Even so, Akash Deep’s new-ball bowling has been one of the key factors in India’s dominance of this Test. He’ll surely keep his place at Lord’s – not just in the team but as one of the two opening bowlers. Bumrah and Deep followed by Siraj as the first-change hustler is a strong attack.
8th over: England 47-2 (Pope 15, Root 6) India are straining desperately for wickets, which means the occasional bad ball. Root helps himself to four when Siraj arrows one onto his pads.
“Only three things wrong with this England performance at Edgbaston,” says Steve Pye. “India have batted, bowled and fielded better than us. And we really need to talk about Zak…”
The weird thing is he batted with such authority at Headingley in the second innings. He started well on Thursday evening too. But then he stepped on another snake: two poor shots, no runs and he’s under pressure again.
I’m sure Crawley will play the next Test, but I’m not sure how much longer this cycle can continue. At some stage – hopefully not yet – the Sisyphean nature of it all will break him.
I’m also not convinced Ollie Pope’s century has ended the conversation about his place, admirable cricketer though he is. I guess that’s all the fun of the fair, particularly in an Ashes year.
There’s a funny recurring theme on the Wisden Discord in which people try to name the most outlandish (but just about credible) England XI for the fifth and final Ashes Test this winter. Selections range from Farhan Ahmed, who will be 17 when that game is played, and Jimmy Anderson, who will be 43. I don’t think anyone has tried to sneak in Darren Stevens yet.
7th over: England 43-2 (Pope 15, Root 2) Pope is turned round by a beauty from Deep and edges wide of the cordon for four. Sheesh, he’s living dangerously. But he gets a more convincing boundary to fine leg when Deep strays onto the pads.
If you’ll allow me an indulgent aside, last year I did some data analysis for Wisden Cricket Monthly on Donald Bradman. Were there any weaknesses that could have been exploited and so on. One thing that came up is that he was an even more nervous starter than Ollie Pope. Seriously.
Every time I watch Pope start an innings, I recall that Bradman analysis and sigh in the knowledge that surely – surely – I must have cocked the research up completely.
6th over: England 33-2 (Pope 5, Root 2) Joe Root is the likeliest candidate to save England with a defensive epic. He’s the likeliest candidate to do most things that involve a cricket bat. Twelve years ago, in only his fourth Test, he was part of an England team that batted for a memorable, series-saving draw in Auckland. He ate up 79 balls that day, though the real heroes were Ian Bell and Matt Prior.
5th over: England 31-2 (Pope 4, Root 1) Ollie Pope, wearing an unusual pair of trainers that are made out of hot tin, is beaten again by Deep.
“Just checked in after a few hours and wondered if we’ve hit the ‘If this was happening in another country English pundits would be moralising about the state of the pitch’ part of the discussion yet?” wonders Luke Stevenson. “Surely at this point the only way Edgbaston avoids a sanction is by England getting themselves out stupidly?”
This came up during the Multan Test in the winter as well. Can you criticise a pitch on which you get a positive result. I’d say you can, but on this occasion, though the pitch isn’t great, it has produced a fascinating match. We’ve seen four huge hundreds, seven ducks, 24 sixes, several jaffas.
Arguably a more important point, one made a few times by Nasser on SKy, is that India’s seamers have completely outbowled England’s.
This is a beauty from Akash Deep, round the wicket and nipping back to take the inside edge as Duckett tried to play a curtain-rail defensive stroke. It was too late and the ball deflected onto the stumps to spark wild celebration. In fact it broke one of the stumps.
India, sans Bumrah and Kuldeep, are roaring towards a famous victory.
WICKET! England 30-2 (Duckett b Deep 21)
Ben Duckett falls to a defensive stroke – and an absolute beauty from Akash Deep!
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Some excellent analysis on Sky from Nasser Hussain (the excellent is tautologous), who shows that Zak Crawley changed his guard from the Edgbaston Test, moving further across to the off side. That may well have cost him his wicket because the ball he edged was on seventh or eighth stump.
4th over: England 26-1 (Duckett 21, Pope 4) Siraj leaps to grab the ball in his follow through and shapes to throw it at the batter Duckett. He’s trying desperately to get in Duckett’s head and make him do something silly. I’m not sure that’s possible, but I do know that if anyone can, Siraj can.
Duckett slaps Siraj up and over cover point for four, then steers another boundary through the cordon. England are playing for a draw and Ben Duckett has 21 from 12 balls. I think I get it. Attack really is the best form of defence for someone like Duckett; if you don’t believe me, find a video of his miserable 16-ball duck at Visakaphatnam in 2016.
He’ll still be hammered if he gets out to an attackinn stroke though.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Duckett 12, Pope 4) Pope fiddles at Deep and is beaten. India are putting the blowtorch on England’s batters and it’s exhilarating to watch. They could break the back of this wicket-chase tonight.
Duckett is not out!
Wow, what a brilliant piece of umpiring from Sharfuddoula. Duckett was squared up by a jaffa from Deep, and there was a woody sound as the ball deviated into the gloves of Pant. I’ve no idea what the sound was because replays showed the ball missed the outside edge and hit the flap of the pad.
Mohammed Siraj decides to give Ben Duckett a serve anyway. My word he loves a scrap.
India review for caught behind against Duckett! It looked like a clear edge, but the umpire didn’t give it and Duckett stood his ground. We’ll soon find out what happened.
2nd over: England 13-1 (target 608; Duckett 11, Pope 2) Ollie Pope gets off a pair with a drive for two. Before Crawley’s dismissal, Ben Duckett took 11 off his first three deliveries.
“Am I seeing what I am watching? Possibly the greatest multi-year winning strategy, Sun Tzu wrapped into von Clausewitz, on display in Birmingham?” writes Emiel de Bont. “India so scared of England chasing down any total that they keep batting and batting? More scared of losing a match that’s been in their control from the first session than actually trying to win it. How I would love to draft Stokes’s speaking notes for the post-match interviews!”
While I defer to your historical knowledge, I’m not sure India extended their lead past 600 because they were scared of losing.
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WICKET! England 11-1 (Crawley c sub b Siraj 0)
Uh-oh. After leaving so well in the first over, Crawley chases a very wide delivery from Siraj and picks out the substitute Sudharsan at backward point.
That felt like a case of matter over mind. Oh and now seven England players have made ducks in this Test.
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1st over: England 0-0 (target 608; Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Akash Deep starts with a couple of very tempting deliveries outside Crawley’s off stump. Crawley leaves both, then another later in the over. And he probably wishes he could have left the sixth ball, which jagged back to hit him flush in the banter zone. A maiden.
“So, Ben Stokes’ side become the first England team to concede 1000 runs in a Test since 1939,” says Max Williams. “Good or bad, they don’t do things by halves. Very much the joy of them. Cannot see them batting it out, even if they tried - they must be knackered in mind and body. Also made it to Pembroke CC. It’s very pleasant.”
Tonight is the key: new ball, cooked brains. If England are no more than one down overnight they should have a decent chance of saving it. Should.
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There are 18 overs to bowl tonight, assuming India can get them in by 6.30pm. England won’t want to lose more than one wicket. Two tops.
83rd over: India 427-6 declared (Jadeja 69, Washington 12)
A big part of me admires India for calling out on their anti-draw BS, but they will look very silly if England are 300 for 9 at the close of play tomorrow. Risk and reward, I guess, and the psychology of cricket remains endlessly fascinating.
Ah, Shubman Gill has finally called time. At first it looked like India were going to bat on beyond the scheduled drinks break, but then Gill appeared to wave the team.
After a very long day/four days in the field, England’s target is 608 from around 108 overs. Do you feel lucky, punks?
82nd over: India 422-6 (Jadeja 66, Washington 10) Washington Sundar gets off the mark by blasting his second ball over mid-off for six. AND WHY NOT. He hits four more to take India’s lead past 600.
“I checked the West Zone/South Zone scorecard (just got an Airplane flashback typing that),” writes Rob Wolf Petersen. “Did you notice Karthik made 183 and 150 in the match? Fair to say he probably felt a little unfortunate to finish on the losing side.”
I didn’t; that makes it even funnier. Also, look at Yusuf Pathan’s performance: 318 runs from 266 balls, including 15 sixes, and he was only dismissed once!
WICKET! India 412-6 (Reddy c Crawley b Root 1)
Reddy smears Root to long off, where Crawley stoops forward to take a good catch. Still no declaration. Some of the England fans aren’t happy about that, an attitude that is at best confused and at worst [redacted].
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81st over: India 412-5 (Jadeja 66, Reddy 1) The fun continues. India lead by 592 now; they might pull out at 600.
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WICKET! India 411-5 (Gill ct and b Bashir 161)
Gill launches Bashir over midwicket for his eighth six of the innings. There won’t be a ninth: later in the over he’s surprised by a bit of extra bounce and pops a simple return catch to Bashir.
Ben Stokes runs after Gill to congratulate him, and the crowd – at least those who aren’t three sheets shouting “boring boring India” – rise to acknowledge a performance for the ages: 430 runs in the match, almost all of them off the middle of the bat.
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Shubman Gill reaches 150 and makes history!
80th over: India 403-4 (Gill 154, Jadeja 65) Gill blasts Root for six to become the first player ever – ever – to score a double hundred and a 150 in the same Test.
He sweeps the next ball straight down the throat of long leg – but Pope loses sight of the ball completely as it drops over his shoulder for four.
That was bizarre. But these are really good signs for India because England’s brains are in the oven.
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79th over: India 386-4 (Gill 144, Jadeja 61) A single off Bashir brings up the 150 partnership between Gill and Jadeja, which means they’ve added 364 in this match. India really are calling England out on their bee ess, because victory is now totally impossible.
78th over: India 383-4 (Gill 143, Jadeja 59) Beautiful hitting from Gill, who swipes Root for successive sixes over midwicket and deep square. Even his big hit. He could look elegant playing Twister.
Gill’s match total of 412 is the fourth highest in Test history. I wonder how many of those 412 have come from false strokes. Twenty? Thirty? Few batters get as close to perfection as Gill has in this game.
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77th over: India 369-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 58) On and on and on we go. Maybe Shubman’s a Longpigs fan.
76th over: India 367-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 57) Jadeja moves to fifty and beyond with consecutive fours off Root. India’s lead is 547, which means England would need the highest score to win any first-class match.
The record is held by West Zone, who scored 541 for 7 to beat South Zone in 2010.
“And a tremendous bit of information we’ve just received, Nass!” says Mike Atherton on Sky. “The losing captain in that game was Dinesh Karthik.”
Here’s the proof. I’m not doing justice to how funny that was, the sudden burst of joy in Athers’ voice as he realised one of his colleagues failed to defend 541.
75th over: India 358-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 48)
74th over: India 351-4 (Gill 129, Jadeja 42) Root replaces Woakes, who bowled two overs of existential despair at a cost of 22.
Root is a bit more successful, spearing a couple of dot balls well wide of off stump. India’s lead is 531. They don’t need any more, they just want to melt the brains of England’s top order.
73rd over: India 347-4 (Gill 127, Jadeja 40) I missed another bit of record-breaking a few overs ago. India’s match total of 934 runs is their highest in any Test match, beating the 916 they scored in that fascinating Sydney decider against Australia in 2003-04. Here’s the list.
“I know it’s being precious, but do you, like me, get slightly irritated when you see a player so obviously in The Zone as Shubman Gill has been for all but his first hour at the crease on Wednesday?” writes Gary Naylor. “Sure it’s a privilege to watch, but the game isn’t supposed to be this easy. It fascinates us because it’s hard, really hard - but not for Gill, not this week. I feel strangely cheated.”
Gary, I adore you, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. But that thought has never entered my head before, nor shall it ever do so again. Shubman Gill is creating the highest art in industrial quantities and you feel cheated!
72nd over: India 341-4 (Gill 126, Jadeja 36) India have enough runs – they lead by 521 – so this is all about mental disintegration. The longer this goes on, the more I think England could malfunction spectacularly and lose tonight. Unless I’ve forgotten a game I liveblogged while half asleep at 4am, this team have literally never tried to bat for a draw.
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71st over: India 337-4 (Gill 124, Jadeja 34) England’s understandable desire to protect their fast bowlers means Shoaib Bashir has had some extremely sour overs to bowl in the last few months. There was the third Test in New Zealand as well, when the home side led by something like 48,000 when they declared.
Gill sweeps him for four more to move to 393 runs in the match. I said to Steve Stone: before this series, some people thought he was a potential weak link!
“Hello Rob,” says Tim Sanders. “I think India might just be ensuring a half-decent rest for their bowlers, alongside applying a little of the Waughian psychology. Going too hard this afternoon and evening might set a higher target, but they might not want to risk losing wickets too soon, and prefer to accelerate in the evening session. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of recovery for weary legs and bodies. Stuart Broad, quoted in the 61st over, always seemed to appreciate it, prior to his move to the commentary box.”
Yes that’s a very good point. I suspect they also like the idea of England starting their innings later in the day. There’s something about mini-sessions in the evening that increases the pressure, plus the batters are often frazzled after a day in the field.
70th over: India 331-4 (Gill 119, Jadeja 33) Chris Woakes draws the short straw and is invited to bowl one of the more futile spells of his proud career. Gill belts 14 from his first three deliveries, the highlight an almost mishit six over long on.
After a couple of singles, Gill steals a second run off the last ball to make it 18 from the over. This is declaration batting.
69th over: India 313-4 (Gill 102, Jadeja 32) Shoaib Bashir continues after the break. Ravindra Jadeja, strokeless in the afternoon, belts his first ball of the evening session over long for six. And why not. India’s lead clicks up to 393.
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Teatime reading
“I was thinking the opposite to Geoff Wignall (65th over),” says Robert Ellson. “Seems like India want to put a run-chase beyond even the Bazballers’ grasp, thereby forcing England into a defensive batting mode they are far from comfortable with. Doesn’t seem like the worst plan to me.”
Yas on the Wisden podcast has been advocating that approach – “to call England out on their bee ess”.
I love this England team with most of my heart, but if they try to win this game it’ll be an insult. Mind you, they literally haven’t tried to bat for a draw since the Sydney Test of 2021-22*, so don’t rule out a spectacular malfunction. This isn’t a computer game, you can’t just press a button for a different batting mode.
* Only three of that team are playing in this game: Crawley, Root and Stokes
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Tea
68th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Jadeja (25 from 68 balls) plays out a maiden from Bashir to compete a slightly strange session in which India’s batting was less crescendo and more diminuendo. Still, they lead by 484 runs and their captain has just made history by becoming the first man to score a double century and a century in a Test against England.
Another century for Shubman Gill
67th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Gill works Bashir into the leg side, sprints down the other end and raises his arms in delight. This is about as good as batting gets: 269 in the first innings and now a 129-ball hundred in the second. Not just that, but he has been in almost total control throughout both knocks.
Sometimes, when you watch a brilliant performance, you don’t quite know how it will settle historically. But it’s probably safe to say that the start to Gill’s captaincy will be talked until the end of time, or at least the end of cricket.
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66th over: India 302-4 (Gill 99, Jadeja 24) Gill drives Root gently to long on to move to 99. Root then gets one to spit violently out of the rough to Jadeja. Too wide to cause any trouble but, as Nasser Hussain points out on Sky, Jadeja will be spinning it into the left-handers from that same rough.
65th over: India 300-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 23) Jadeja turns Bashir off the pads for a single to bring up the 300. Gill has one ball to reach his hundred; he flicks it along the ground to midwicket.
“Why such mystification among the commentariat about the Indian approach?” says Geoff Wignall. “Surely they want England to believe they have a gettable target in the time available, to dissuade them from playing for the draw: not that they take much dissuading. So 500 in four sessions would sound about right.”
I’m not sure. If that’s the case, why not make it 530 in four-and-a-bit sessions, in case you need that bit to take the ninth and tenth wickets? That said, I’m certain this is part of India’s plan because Jadeja is nobody’s eejit. I’m just not sure what that plan is.
64th over: India 299-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 22) “Given, as you say, the old ball’s done nowt this Test, surely the plan is to declare with 15 overs or so to bowl this evening?” says Nick Wilsher. “You get a second go with a new-ish ball and rested opening bowlers tomorrow morning, and a new ball early in tomorrow’s evening session if you need it. In which case, Jadeja diligently batting time makes complete sense. The runs are immaterial.”
Personally I wouldn’t go that far. You can still take wickets with the ageing ball, especially tailenders, so the more overs India have in the field the better. But I’m sure there is an element of mental disintegration about all this, with time rather than runs the disintegrator of choice on this occasoin.
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63rd over: India 296-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 20) Bashir drops short and is cracked through the covers for four by Jadeja. That’s his first boundary from his 47th delivery. India lead by 476.
62nd over: India 289-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 13) Joe Root replaces Stokes and is swept lazily over backward square for four by Gill, another beautiful shot. He steals a second run to move to 97, though he would probably have been out with a direct hit from Crawley in the deep.
61st over: India 281-4 (Gill 90, Jadeja 12) “I can’t understand this at all,” says Stuart Broad as Jadeja plays another immaculate forward defensive. “He’s playing as if India are behind in the game… England will be loving it.” It’s a maiden.
“There should be a good financial opportunity for Rishabh Pant,” writes John Starbuck. “All he needs to do is find a batmaker willing to take a cricket bat and adorn it with the picture of a flying (mammalian) bat, sit back and wait for the sponsorship money to roll in. They could call it a batbat.”
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60th over: India 281-4 (Gill 90, Jadeja 12) Gill gives Stokes the charge and toe-ends the ball towards the vacant long-off region for two. Still no boundaries since the 53rd over but India have started to reduce their dot ball percentage. And Shubman Gill has moved stealthily into the nineties.
59th over: India 274-4 (Gill 85, Jadeja 10) Jadeja roars into double figures from his 32nd ball. Actually, that’s a bit cheap on my part: it’s Ravindra Jadeja, FHS, his brain is as sharp as almost any in the game. This must be part of the plan.
58th over: India 270-4 (Gill 84, Jadeja 7) Since Pant’s dismissal India have scored 33 from 11 overs, which isn’t quite the platonic ideal of declaration batting. If they win this partnership will become a footnote; if England are eight or nine down tomorrow evening, it’ll be used as a cautionary tale for future generations.
Jadejawatch: 7 from 30 balls now.
57th over: India 269-4 (Gill 83, Jadeja 7) It’s not immediately obvious what Jadeda is up to. He has 7 from 27 balls after playing some more immaculate forward defensives in that Bashir over. “It’s your own time you’re wasting,” says Mark Butcher on Sky. “As my teacher used to say.”
56th over: India 267-4 (Gill 82, Jadeja 6) Gill works Stokes to move past 350 runs in the match. That’s a record for India in Tests, beating Sunny Gavaskar’s 344 in Trinidad on the triumphant tour of West Indies in 1970-71. As I type he’s joint-14th on the list for any country, with the Moustachioed Department of Run-Making at the top. Graham Gooch, what a player, the end.
55th over: India 264-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 5) Gill gets outsaide the line to negate an LBW appeal when Bashir turns one sharply. The non-striker Ravindra Jadeja will have noted that, although at this stage it’s a once-every-ten-overs occurrence.
54th over: India 262-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 4) A maiden from Stokes to Gill. The old ball is doing nothing, so England should have a good chance of saving this game if they get through the first new ball. Should.
53rd over: India 262-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 4) Thanks James. hello everyone. Shubman Gill moves closer to his third hundred of the series, and his third outside Asia in his career, by belting Bashir for four and six. The first was crashed down the ground, the second lifted handsomely over midwicket on the run.
When he’s in this form, Gill looks like he can do whatever he wants to a cricket ball. India lead by 442.
52nd over: India 249-4 (Gill 67, Jadeja 4) Stokes replaces Tongue with the latter in danger of going for a ton off just 15 or so overs. Stokes has a heavily packed leg-side field. Jadeja and Gill are content to pick off the singles. Time for a drink and for Rob Smyth to slip into the OBO armchair and bring you the rest of the day’s action. Bye!
51st over: India 246-4 (Gill 65, Jadeja 3) A single to Gill as he drives Bashir down the ground. The camera pans onto Jofra Archer on the boundary edge. He’ll be in for Lord’s. It’ll be some sight to see him and Bumrah in full flow in the same game.
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50th over: India 245-4 (Gill 64, Jadeja 3) The lead stretches past 418 and so England will need to beat a Test record to win this one.
49th over: India 243-4 (Gill 63, Jadeja 2) A lull in proceedings as India accumulate steadily off Bashir.
48th over: India 237-4 (Gill 58, Jadeja 1) A lesser spotted maiden from Josh Tongue. Some respite after the dismissal of Pant.
47th over: India 237-4 (Gill 58, Jadeja 1) With the lead standing at 416 runs, Ravindra Jadeja strides to the crease. Gulp. The man with the best barnet in cricket (and the top ranked all-rounder in the world) nudges a single into the off side to open his account.
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WICKET! Rishabh Pant c Duckett b Shoaib Bashir 65 (India 236-4)
Gone! Oh my word – Pant throws his bat again whilst trying to moose Bashir into the stratosphere! The ball loops to Ben Duckett in the deep and the bat travels nearly as far. Pant collects his bat from Brydon Carse on the way off, what an entertainer he is.
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46th over: India 232-3 (Gill 58, Pant 61) Gill charges Josh Tongue and swats him down the ground for four. Gill is usually so aesthetically pleasing but there was a real woodcutter’s scythe.
45th over: India 228-3 (Gill 54, Pant 61) Bashir loops up a full toss and Pant sweeps for four with ease. That’s the 100 run partnership between this pair, in just 92 balls. England are starting to look weary, whatever happens in the rest of this match there will need to be some fresh faces (and limbs) injected onto the bowling line up for Lord’s.
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44th over: India 224-3 (Gill 54, Pant 57) Rishabh Pant goes to his 16th Test fifty with a flick off his hips. He then opens his shoulders and bunts Tongue wide over mid-on for SIX. India’s lead is stretched beyond 400.
43rd over: India 215-3 (Gill 52, Pant 49) A single to each batter off Bashir. Some calm before the inevitable storm.
42nd over: India 212-3 (Gill 51, Pant 48) slams another one in short and once again Shubman Gill clobbers it for SIX with a nonchalant hook shot! England’s fielders resemble Brownian Motion but it doesn’t matter where they are if the ball is sailing into the stands. Tongue is now going at more than seven an over in this innings, his two wickets coming at a not insignificant price. Shot! Gill flat backs another short ball through mid on for four and goes to a half century. Yeh, he’s in decent nick.
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ICYMI: Bad news for Sciver-Brunt and England
England women’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of their T20 series against India due to a left groin injury. The all-rounder was ruled out of Friday’s match with a groin injury that she sustained during the second match in Bristol and the ECB confirmed on Saturday she will be unavailable for selection ahead of the ODI series against India, which begins on 16 July.
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41st over: India 199-3 (Gill 40, Pant 47) Bashir tosses one up wide of off stump, Pant shoulders arms and there is some slow but considerable turn. Ravi Jadeja will be looking at that with interest.
40th over: India 197-3 (Gill 39, Pant 46) Splat! Gill hooks Tongue for SIX and then pumps two consecutive fours to the off side fence. Ben Stokes is guilty of a mis-field to gift the second, he looks down at his finger accusingly, he might’ve hurt himself in the process, just what England need.
39th over: India 183-3 (Gill 25, Pant 46) A sign of things to come no doubt – Bashir starts the afternoon session with a drag down and Pant doesn’t miss out – scything square for four. England’s task will be much harder than Headingley, not only because the runs they’ll need will be much higher but also because they’ve will have spent much longer in the field by the time they do come out to bat. Did I mention I was up at 5am this morning. Much the same sort of situation I reckon.
Here come the players post lunch, India will look to bat this session and see where they are at. I know that’s the kind of searingly sharp analysis you are after. Give me a break I was up at 5am.
Lunch: India 177-3 (lead England by 357 runs)
An enthralling session comes to a close, India lost two wickets but put on 113 runs at 4.5 an over. The lead stands at 357. Pant and Gill will return after lunch to put their foot down and set England 500 or more before getting on with the task of bowling them out in a just over a day or so. England will chase whatever they are set and India know it.
There’s a fascinating situation brewing, time to grab a Kumar Sanger-kara and see you back here in half an hour.
38th over: India 177-3 (Gill 24, Pant 41)
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37th over: India 173-3 (Gill 22, Pant 39) Bashir to Pant. Honours even. Pant hoicks a four over the leg side but the young spinner responds well, keeping Pant tied down with five dots.
36th over: India 169-3 (Gill 22, Pant 35) Josh Tongue bowls a tidy over, just a Pant single off it. Things quieten down with just over five minutes to go until lunch.
35th over: India 168-3 (Gill 22, Pant 34) A gnat’s eyebrow! That’s how close Shoaib Bashir has just come to bowling Pant as the pint sized pyro merchant misses a huge sweep across the line. Bashir gets out of the over well, for the cost of just three runs.
Meanwhile, down the road in Worcester, 14-year-old batting wunderkind Vaibhav Suryavanshi has just smashed a 52-ball hundred for India U19s against England U19s. What chance we might see the teenager in a Test this summer…?
34th over: India 165-3 (Gill 21, Pant 32) Pant tries to launch Tongue into the stands but ends up flinging his bat way over square leg instead! Fair to say he was giving that the kitchen sink, kettle, toaster and chest freezer. One of the more curious dot balls you’ll ever see. Chance! Pant gets a leading edge and is nearly grabbed by a diving Chris Woakes running round at square leg. Woakes got a hand to it but it goes begging. England are scrambling courtesy of Rishabh Pant. Somehow there are just three runs off the over.
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33rd over: India 162-3 (Gill 20, Pant 30) Pant takes ten runs off the over with two improvised sweeps through the leg side. India’s lead moves up to 342 runs, it could be a whole lot more if Pant stays in for another half an hour, especially in this mood.
32nd over: India 152-3 (Gill 19 , Pant 21) ‘Zak Zak Zak Zak ZAK!’ I imagine Crawley’s inner monologue is ticker-taping as Pant hacks a four through point with a real flourish and then sweeps a mahooosive SIX into the crowd with a slog sweep. Ten off the over and here comes Shoaib Bashir for a bowl. Stand by your beds!
31st over: India 142-3 (Gill 19, Pant 11) Gill glides a cut for four and then nudges a single. NO! You cannot do that Zak Crawley… not in a good way – DROP! Pant charges Stokes and clubs a flat ball straight to Crawley at mid off and the ball goes straight in and out. A loud groan goes around the ground from the England fans, that could well be a damaging miss.
30th over: India 136-3 (Gill 14, Pant 10) Pant pulls a short ball from Tongue away for four and then charges down the track to bloodaxe a SIX into the stands. Pant missed out in the first innings and this situation is tailor made for him.
Pant looks to run down the track first ball and Tongue follows him with a full ball into the pads. DO. NOT. GO. ANYWHERE.
Buckle up knuckleheads, here comes Rishabh Pant.
WICKET! KL Rahul b Tongue 55 (India 126-3)
Yes he can! Tongue is a wicket taker and he rushes a ball through KL Rahul’s defences to send the middle stump cartwheeling. Rahul was rushed by the speed and seemed to play down the wrong line too. England have their second of the morning.
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29th over: India 126-2 (Rahul 55, Gill 14) Stokes brings himself on and immediately finds the edge of Rahul’s blade but wouldyoubelieeeevit the edge flies through the vacant third slip region. England are trying to stem the runs and take wickets and they can’t have fielders everywhere, the ball has mostly flown in the gaps so far this morning. Top over from Stokes, can Tongue back him up at the other end?
28th over: India 119-2 (Rahul 50, Gill 13) Josh Tongue replaces Chris Woakes and immediately the pressure is released. This is becoming a problem for England, Tongue is a wicket taker but he has also been particularly loose this summer so far. Ten runs off the over as Tongue is too full, driven for three by KL Rahul - as the opener notches another half century - and Tongue is then pinged through the covers for four by Gill.
Some commentary cliches courtesy of Kandukuru Nagarjun and Gary Naylor.
“Gavaskar on Indian commentary just said, while praising Karun Nair as a slipper, that he catches them “more often than not.” I hate that phrase - in this case, it implies Nair could be dropping upto 49% of ‘em.
Also: “He’s good at the hook shot; he middles them more often than not.”
“It’s basically a good pitch for batting. A bit on the slow side, but if you can get through the new ball, there’s plenty of runs in it. There’s a chance it might break up a little on the fourth day and offer some turn to the spinners later in the match.” Every. Single. Test.”
27th over: India 109-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 7) Carse has been excellent this morning, he returns after a slurp of electrolytes and bowls a zippy and probing maiden to KL Rahul. Ben Stokes is warming up, he’ll be a handful in these overcast conditions ifhe can find his groove too.
Good morning to Tom v d Gucht:
“The OBO has its own rich tapestry of unique clichés. Id say my favourite would be oblique references to or quotes from Peep Show. For example, ‘I’m not the sort of person who makes things happen. I’m the sort of person things happen to.’ Keep them coming.”
Have you heard the Big Beats OBO manifesto recently? The OBO manifesto is short posts are the best, do quotes all the time…
26th over: India 109-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 7) Jamie Smith stands up to the stumps to Chris Woakes. Plenty of ego driven club bowlers wouldn’t like the keeper insulting their pace by doing the same. Woakes gets on with the task in hand and skims one past Gills edge, Smith shows off some fast hands behind said sticks. Gill angles the blade to pick up four to deep third, it’s time for a drink for the players and a vat of Kenco pour moi.
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25th over: India 105-2 (Rahul 46, Gill 3) Carse has looked the most dangerous bowler this morning, he gets one to lift at Rahul who flashes an angled blade outside off and gets a meaty edge wide of point for four. That was risky but India are in a position where they can take a few.
24th over: India 101-2 (Rahul 42, Gill 3) A maiden from the Wizard. England are bowling well this morning, India’s lead stands at 281, they haven’t pulled away yet this morning.
23rd over: India 101-2 (Rahul 42, Gill 3) England lose a review much to Ben Stokes’ chagrin. Gill gets a scratch of an inside edge on straight on from Carse, the keeper and slips all fancy it but Stokes – at mid off - reckons he heard something woody. The troops convince their general to give it a whirl but DRS confirms the bat was tickled. Democracy is overrated eh Ben?
“Morning James!” back atcha Anand Kumar.
“Wonder how all pundits say the same thing about the same things for all test matches? First hour is the key. New ball is vital. First half hour of this session is important. This last hour before close of play is crucial
Do fellow OBOers have their favourite clichés?”
Fine to join in - as long as they aren’t OBO cliches (actually…)
22nd over: India 98-2 (Rahul 41, Gill 1) Gill gets off the mark with a nudge into the leg side off Woakes. There’s some movement in the air and the clouds have a grey-ish tinge to them. The floodlights are on and these are about the best conditions for bowling in the match so far.
21st over: India 96-2 (Rahul 40, Gill 0) Shubman Gill arrives in the middle… he won’t be on strike as Nair fell to the last ball of the over. The lead stands at 276 runs. England would dearly love a couple of quick ones to put a bit of pressure back onto India. Easier said than done of course.
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WICKET! Karun Nair c Smith b Carse 26 (India 96-2)
These two batters are two of the most elegant players you could wish to watch, Nair pings a cover drive for four but is then GONE! Carse deserves that, he’s hammered away at a good length and eventually Nair drives at one that wasn’t quite there and the nick goes to hand, Jamie Smith taking a sharp catch with the gloves.
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20th over: India 88-1 (Nair 18, Rahul 40) Woakes has Kl Rahul beaten a couple of times in the over, one nip backer and one that holds its line that the normally unflappable Rahul has an undistinguished flap at. There’s something happening with the ball out there and England are trying to harness it.
19th over: India 86-1 (Nair 17, Rahul 39) Carse has found some real rhythm this morning, he looks to be less bothered by his troublesome toes and is pounding away at a handkerchief sized spot back of a length. He beats Nairs edge with one that moves away late and then gets the edge but it is a thick one and runs away for four backward of point. No justice eh Brydon?
18th over: India 81-1 (Nair 13, Rahul 38) Woakes stitches together a maiden. England have bowled well this morning but with no luck so far.
“Morning James. A packed day of sport today, it’s what the OBO/MBM was made for!”
Indeed Guy Hornsby, it is in fact the busiest weekend of the year on the Guardian Sports desk.
“These next two sessions should be fascinating in how the game is set up. England will feel they can’t chase anything, but yesterday showed that even a monster partnership can’t solve a big total on its own. India will want, you feel, 450+, and England will give that a go. It’s a far cry from forlorn hope of the draw in my formative 1990s. This team has made it an endangered species. But it shouldn’t be off the table, either. Going down in a blaze of boundaries to lose by 200 doesn’t help us in the series. But we’re all just passengers now, eh.”
Spot on Mr Hornsby. Slightly more problematic thinking from Tim Sanders…
“Good morning James. I think Howard Banwell might be mistaken if he caps England’s run-chase ambitions at 350-400. It’s three years to the day, at the same ground, against the same opposition, since Joe and Jonny’s partnership chased down 378 with seven wickets in hand. I think if, come tomorrow evening, England were to need 720 from 20 overs, they’d give it a good go.”
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17th over: India 81-1 (Nair 13, Rahul 38) Eventful over as Carse clangs Karun Nair on the helmet with a brutish delivery and then draws the edge with the next ball but it flies in the large-ish gap between first and second slip! England can’t believe their luck but they were trying to have a bob each way. Nair survives. Top over from Brydon Carse, he really bent his back in that one and got some life out of this placid wicket.
16th over: India 76-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 38) “India are only going to get better as the series goes on” purrs Ravi Shastri, and he’s not wrong. If they win this game sans Bumrah then the series is well and truly anyones with three to play. A leg bye sees India stretch the lead up to 250.
15th over: India 75-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 38) Rahul unfurls another picture perfect cover drive, how good is he at that shot? He never seems to miss out. Carse nips one back and the inside edge from KL saves him from succumbing lbw. Carse asked the question but Stokes wasn’t interested in the review and rightly so. Edge! Safe. Rahul punches off the back foot and the edge flies wide of second slip. Four more for India, they are rollocking along at five an over.
14th over: India 67-1 (Nair 8, Rahul 30) There are no alarms or surprises in the wicket, the roller was on it this morning and it is still very easy paced. We have seen the odd ball nip and bounce, the wickets of Brook and Stokes for example. Kl Rahul picks up a couple of singles in his usual princely fashion. Nair then clips a ball off his hip for a single to make it three off the first over of the day. It’s cloudy but still flat as all flip out there.
Righto, the players are out on the field, its a bit more overcast and breezy in Edgbaston. Chris Woakes is going to start with the ball, England need some wickets to try and keep India in check. India will look to bat most of the day. Fingers crossed for another belter. WinViz gives England just 3 per cent chance of winning, might be worth a flutter you know…
“I’m torn.” Says Howard Banwell, getting his Natalie Imbruglia on.
“I like very much the positive, go-for-it England approach to test cricket in recent years, but here I would rather see a draw than an England loss. I reckon it depends on the lead India is allowed to rack up today. If England restrict them to a 350 to 400 lead (or Shubman declares with that target on the table), Stokes will be very tempted to go for the chase. More than that, I suspect even Stokes will pucker up and kiss his sister.”
Our man Ali Martin had the task of summing up a quite bonkers day of Test cricket:
Pressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during the second world war: “There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.”
Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India’s first innings.”
Ease yourself into Saturday morning with Mr Andy Bull:
The field was set, the slips were waiting, the crowd was up. There was, everyone watching felt sure, only one way the game was heading. The ball was a good one, on a length just outside off and moving in towards middle. Smith took a half-step forwards and, crack, thumped it back down the ground for four.
Everyone else in this England team had to unlearn a lot of what they had been taught to begin to bat like this. But not Smith. He and Harry Brook are hothouse kids.”
Preamble
Here’s something I wrote earlier:
“A draw is like kissing your sister,” Edward J Erdelatz said to the New York Times in 1954. Erdelatz was the United States Navy’s head football coach and his side had just drawn 0-0 against Duke University. “No one asked the mild spoken navy coach to explain,” the report adds. Well, quite. But sister or not, everyone knew what he meant.
Erdelatz’s unique take on the merits or otherwise of not winning are ingrained in American sports where a Lombardian win-at-all-costs mentality prevails. Try explaining Test cricket to an American sports fan, they say, with a wry chuckle – the fact that two teams can battle it out for five full days and in the end, there is not necessarily a winner. Good luck, they smirk. Adelaide 1961? You may as well be describing the plot of Christopher Nolan’s Memento to a toddler. Old Trafford 2005? More chance of a cider-addled bee getting to grips with quantum theory. They do not get it, be gone with your quaint English ways, five days and no winner. That’s crazy, man.
Yet draws are intrinsic to Test cricket, they are written in its DNA – a double helix in the shape of a deadlock. Draws speak to its beguiling and maddening qualities, a testament to the game’s downright peculiarity. That a side can battle back from a point of seemingly no return to pull off the heist of shared spoils, drop anchor, defy logic, battle against their opponents’ desire, their own self-belief, against conditions under their feet and above their heads, against time itself. This makes the game what it is, why it is called what it is called. Even when you are on top, it is still really hard to finish a side off and win a Test match.”
At what point in this game do you think Ben Stokes might decide to pucker up and play for the draw? Or will he laugh in the face of such outdated thinking? Preferring his side to go down in a blaze of wickets rather than entertain not entertaining and batting out to share the spoils?
England are playing a more nuanced version of Bazball but whether they still have the stomach to suck up a draw remains to be seen. India are currently 64 for one and hold a lead of 244. India captain Shubman Gill knows all too well that England will try and chase whatever they are set, at least initially, and 371 wasn’t enough last week in Headingley. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith’s barnstormingly epic three hundred run partnership showed the path of one possible outcome just as England’s quacking and creaking batting card containing six ducks showed the other.
Of one thing we can be sure, it’ll be unmissable viewing on day four at Edgbaston.
Play gets underway at 11am and I’m very much here for your thoughts and theories on where this second Test match might be headed.
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