Our match report has landed, so it’s time to wrap up today’s blog. Thanks for your company, we’ll see you at Trent Bridge. Bye!
The Man of the Match is ... Adil Rashid Chris Woakes, and he has a big dumb grin all over his face “Emotions have run high all game; scoring a hundred and getting on that honours board will stay with me forever. I wish I’d soaked it up a bit more – it kind of went by in a flash. I was very nervous once I got to 80 and was whooshing outside off stump. Jonny [Bairstow] was trying to calm me down, which is quite funny as I’m normally trying to calm him down. It’s been an amazing game and a complete performance from the team, which is more special.”
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Here’s Joe Root “It’s been a fantastic week. The bowling unit were exceptional from the first ball. We had conditions in our favour but we had to perform and we did. Chris has always been a big part of the squad and it was great to see him get some rewards. We’re in a really good position but we have to make sure we don’t take anything for granted.
“I thought Ollie Pope played really well at a challenging time. He put pressure back on the opposition which is a great sign. It’s very promising moving forward. We’ve got an extra day to rest and recover before Trent Bridge. There are still areas we can improve and that’s the exciting part for us. I’m chuffed to bits for the guys, who put a helluva lot of hard work in.”
Virat Kohli speaks “I’m not very proud of the way we played. The credit has go to England – they were clinical. You can’t really think about whether you have the best of the conditions: it is what it is and you have to counter it. Sometimes the rub of the green goes your way.
“They played really well and put a lot of pressure on us. We got the combination of our a team a bit off, but the weather did change from the start of the game. I should be okay for Trent Bridge. It’s a lower back issue, purely because of the workload, but I’ll do a bit of rehab and I think I’ll be fine in five days’ time.”
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It’s time for the presentation. Virat Kohli’s interview could be interesting.
The whole match lasted just 1023 balls. It’s the shortest completed Test at Lord’s since 1888.
Stuart Broad speaks “As a powerful performance from the team, I think this is right up there. We’re realistic: we know we got the best of the conditions. But there was a lot of skill involved and we’re delighted with the way we performed.
“We didn’t chase the game when the ball was swinging. Our economy rate was very good and it meant we controlled the game. On that pitch there was always a ball with the batsman’s name on it. I’m so disappointed with my hat-trick ball. It was so bad!
“Chris Woakes is a wonderful player - he’s good at everything he does - and we were all so thrilled for him.”
India have now lost their last five Tests in England, most by walloping margins. It has all gone badly wrong, very quickly.
There are two outstanding contenders for Man of the Match: Chris Woakes took four cheap wickets and smacked a maiden Test hundred, while James Anderson returned the ludicrous match figures of 25.2-10-43-9.
England lead India 2-0 with three Tests to play
That’s a savage performance from England, who have bowled India out twice in 82.2 overs - less than a full day’s play. In fact, in terms of overs bowled the match was over inside two days. It lasted just 170.3 overs.
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WICKET! India 130 all out (Sharma c Pope b Woakes 2)
Sharma flicks Woakes straight to leg slip, and England have battered India by an innings and 159 runs!
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“Out first ball both innings to the same bowler would be a crimson pair,” says Steve Colwill. “As in the colour of the batsman’s face.”
46.2 overs: India 127-9 (Ashwin 30, Sharma 2) Poor old Ashwin gloves Woakes just short of slip. He was hit on that bottom hand earlier in the innings, and he needs treatment for a second time. This might be the end of the match.
“A Deep Purple Pair, surely?” suggests Janet Stevens (see the 45th over).
46th over: India 127-9 (Ashwin 30, Sharma 2) Anderson has five balls at Ishant Sharma, needing one wicket to end the match and get his first ten-for at Lord’s. He beats the bat twice but can’t end the match in the grand manner, at least not yet.
WICKET! India 125-9 (Shami LBW b Anderson 0)
England are one wicket away from victory. Shami misses a vile heave at an Anderson inswinger and is out LBW. He considers a review for a split second before deciding the shot was so filthy that the only appropriate course of action is to walk straight off the field.
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45th over: India 125-8 (Ashwin 30, Shami 0) “Rob,” says John Starbuck. “I’d like to propose that, as with the fall of Kuldeep, being got out twice for nought by the same bowler should be known as a Purple Pair, most of the other colours having been taken.”
Motion passed. What if he’s out first ball in both innings to the same bowler?
44th over: India 121-8 (Ashwin 26, Shami 0) I thought India were better than this. It’s true they have had by far the worst of conditions, but this batting performance has been straight outta 2014.
REVIEW! India 121-8 (Shami not out 0)
Mohammed Shami is reprived on review. He seemed to top edge a hook off Anderson through to Bairstow, and was given out by Marais Erasmus. But there was nothing on Ultra Edge and the decision was overturned by the third umpire. The strange thing is that there appears to be a deviation as the ball passes the bat. Oh well.
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WICKET! India 121-8 (Kuldeep Yadav b Anderson 0)
Anderson is far too good for Kuldeep, who is beaten outside off stump and drags the next ball onto the stumps. That’s his second duck of the match, and both times he has fallen to Anderson. The mystery swinger has inflicted a pair on the mystery spinner.
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43rd over: India 116-7 (Ashwin 21, Kuldeep 0) “Hi Rob,” says Pete Salmon. “I mean it’s all well and good isn’t it, but do we actually want India to go 2-0 down? Screams ‘dead rubbers’ to me. Is it ok to pray for rain just this one time, to get the match drawn? From 1-0 anything could happen...”
I know what you mean. After the high of Edgbaston, the series has gone very flat. So far, it has followed a very similar pattern to the 2013 Ashes: a heart-stopping England win in the first Test followed by an embarrassing mismatch at Lord’s.
WICKET! India 116-7 (Pandya LBW b Woakes 26)
Chris Woakes strikes with the first ball of a new spell! It jagged back to hit Pandya on the pad in front of middle stump, and though Aleem Dar gave it not out, England reviewed successfully.
It was a fairly safe review, because it was always likely to be umpire’s call at worst. In fact, replays showed it was hitting the top of leg stump and Pandya was on his way.
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42nd over: India 116-6 (Pandya 25, Ashwin 21) Batting looks more comfortable for India than at any stage in the match, though England know they are only one wicket away from the tail.
41st over: India 114-6 (Pandya 25, Ashwin 20) Another excellent stroke from Pandya, a wristy flick for four off Broad, brings up a proud and courageous fifty partnership.
40th over: India 107-6 (Pandya 20, Ashwin 18) Well I got that wrong: Anderson is on for Curran, not Broad. Ashwin edges for four and then Pandya is beaten by an unplayable delivery.
39th over: India 100-6 (Pandya 18, Ashwin 13) Pandya plays another cracking stroke, driving Broad whence he came for four. You can see why Kohli likes him so much; his shot selection isn’t always the best but he has so much talent.
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38th over: India 96-6 (Pandya 14, Ashwin 13) Ashwin squirts Curran uppishly for four. He seems to be over that blow to the bottom hand. I said Anderson might take over from Curran. In fact I’m sure Anderson will replace Broad, with Woakes coming on at Curran’s end.
37th over: India 88-6 (Pandya 14, Ashwin 9) Pandya snicks Broad wide of the slips for four. Apologies, we’re having a few technical problems at the moment.
36th over: India 84-6 (Pandya 10, Ashwin 9) There’s plenty of inswing for Curran, but Pandya and Ashwin are playing him nicely. It won’t be long before we see Anderson at that end.
35th over: India 84-6 (Pandya 10, Ashwin 9) The wounded Ashwin times Broad sweetly to the midwicket boundary, and then Pandya plays an even better drive down the ground for four.
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34th over: India 73-6 (Pandya 6, Ashwin 2) Pandya gets his first boundary with a high-class stroke, flicking Curran through midwicket.
Ashwin is going to continue, though he doesn’t look comfortable. The third Test starts on Saturday and it’s a risk to carry on.
33.5 overs: India 69-6 (Pandya 2, Ashwin 2) Adil Rashid has been a specialist fielder in this match; he hasn’t been needed with bat or ball. The last England bowler to enjoy such a role in a completed Test was Gareth Batty against Bangladesh in 2005.
A lifting inswinger from Curran hits Ashwin on the bottom hand, and now he needs treatment from the physio Paddy Farhart. This might be more serious, not least because it is Ashwin’s right hand.
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33rd over: India 66-6 (Pandya 1, Ashwin 0) Broad is hunting a five-for, maybe even an eight-for. He raps Pandya on the glove, prompting a break in play while Pandya receives treatment. He’s in a fair bit of pain. England have shown no mercy in this game. To them, this series is payback for 2016-17.
Thanks Adam, hello again. Stuart Broad has the ball in his hand and it’s time for the evening session.
For the final session, I’ll leave you with Rob Smyth. It has been lot of fun in the OBO chair over the last couple of days. Thanks for your company and good humour on the email. I’ll talk to you again next weekend from Trent Bridge. Bye!
Tea has been called, by the way (India 66-6)
What if Kohli’s back is cooked? (Or they want to change it up) “Given that India have only until next Saturday to refurbish themselves, how likely is it that they can call up someone now in India?” ponders John Starbuck. “There must be a few decent batsmen and seam bowlers around, preferably from the younger generation, if they follow England’s pattern, but experienced blokes too in an emergency.”
I now have this image of them sitting in the dressing rooms at tea on Skyscanner working out the cheapest and/or quickest connecting flights to Nottingham. If they do, I really hope Parthiv Patel gets the call. Parthiv time! Excellent!
Oof. The field for Broad’s attempted hat-trick... #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/0D71juH4ED
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) August 12, 2018
Nine reviews in this match so far, none of them successful. #ENGvIND
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) August 12, 2018
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Assuming England finish this the way it looks it’ll finish... who is Man of the Match? “Haven’t seen it mentioned, but Chris Woakes’ sterling innings left him on exactly 1000 test match career runs,” writes Mac McDiarmid on the Brummy candidate. “Another knock like that would leave him tied precisely with the Burnley Lara on 1137. A less plausible route to equality would require his taking 480-odd wickets at Trent Bridge.”
Phil Sawyer has slid into our inbox as well. “You’ve got to feel sorry for India here. Two months of heatwave, having to truncate warm up games because of the scorching heat... and then this.” How charitable! Not sure India felt quite the same when running up 700-odd against England in the previous stoush between these sides.
Symbolic turning on of the lights in the press box. A decent chance that’ll be tea once they think about it for a few minutes. That session was meant to run through to 4:40pm, for what little that is now worth. Only the pitch and run-ups covered at this point, though. Heavy enough for umbrellas but only just, my take from upstairs.
“Am I the first to say that your jail time risking faith in Stuart Broad has been amply rewarded?” asks my man Brian Withington, in a throwback to our OBO yesterday. To recap, I went all Super Hans on what I’d be willing to do to keep Broad in the XI. “Can I also confirm that on today’s evidence at Anfield ever young Jimmy should definitely be good for another season or three based on my Faustian pact yesterday to sacrifice European football for West Ham whilst he keeps doing the business for England.”
With that, enjoy the most spectacular of Broad’s four wickets.
What a sight this is!! 🙌
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 12, 2018
Scorecard & Clips: https://t.co/QaHxVc4jQO#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/344XGvPlBk
Play stopped for rain (again)
32nd over: India 66-6 (Pandya 1, Ashwin 0) Curran striving to get himself into the book, racing in at Pandya, who watched the carnage from the other end when Broad was bowling. He does get off the mark first ball of the fresh over, glancing around the corner. Now it is Ashwin’s turn to try and get off his duck and has to survive a shout for leg before but it pitches outside leg. No review. Great stat from Andrew Samson on TMS relating to reviews: last over was the first time ever that DRS was used for three deliveries in a row! Bloody love out sport sometimes. And just as I was about to hit send, the umpires have decided to take them off with the rain getting heavy again. Sigh.
“Performance of the match is Aleem Dar. Can an umpire be MotM?” Romeo suggests. “And it’s probably best for India (and the series) that Kohli can get treatmeant. Any idea what the condition is?” Yep, he’s had a fantastic match. No additional news on Kohli. I don’t expect we’ll find out anything official until stumps. Even then, no guarantees.
No hat-trick!
31st over: India 65-6 (Pandya 0, Ashwin 0) Huuuuuge inswinger that evades Ashwin and Bairstow for the hat-trick ball, down to the rope for four byes! Crazy old over this. Root keeps the field in the same position and he’s nearly caught at short leg in near identical fashion to Kohli a few moments ago. What an over. So much for those who thought Broad might be struggling to maintain his spot in a first-choice England XI.
Ashwin out to face the hat-trick ball. He has two already, one against India the other Sri Lanka. Can he make it a third, at HQ no less? Four slips, two leg slips. Here we go.
WICKET! Karthik lbw b Broad 0 (India 61-6)
Umpires call on impact, which is good enough for the decision to be upheld. Stuart Broad is on a hat-trick!
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Broad two in two! Karthik lbw first ball. But he has reviewed. Three reviews in three balls! Once again... stand by!
WICKET! Kohli c Pope b Broad 17 (India 61-5)
No it won’t! The technology shows a spike as the ball went by the glove, enough evidence to be confirmed as out. Fantastic work from the man on debut, Ollie Pope, who had to lunge forward at short leg. And a great decision from Aleem Dar.
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Is he caught at short leg?! Kohli given out this time but he’s reviewed immediately! Stand by... this might take a while.
Has Kohli tickled Broad down the legside to Bairstow? Aleem Dar says no but Root wants DRS to check it out. Nup, it deflected off the Indian captain’s Victor Trumper. NOT OUT!
30th over: India 59-4 (Kohli 14, Pandya 0) Bairstow up to the stumps now for Curran, charging in from the media spaceship end. He’s nice and full, Kohli electing to drive and grabbing a couple behind point. It is not quite a false stroke but that’ll encourage the bowler. The cover drive later in the over won’t, Kohli striking it a treat. Root chased hard after it and made a dive but he can’t beat the ball. The replay shows that it actually hit him in the head after reaching the boundary padding. At the end of the set, Kohli has called for the medical staff to come out and give his injured back a bit of a stretch.
“It’s like the Truman Show out there,” says Nigam Nuggehalli. “Whenever India bats, the clouds are rolled out.” Very good.
29th over: India 52-4 (Kohli 8, Pandya 0) Afternoon. Broad, who is bowling beautifully, goes again from the Pavilion End. First up after drinks he strikes Kohli and they are up! But Aleem Dar says no and DRS is not consulted. Looked a bit high and TV confirms it. He’s off strike from the next ball with a single to cover. Pandya, yet to get off the mark, has to be on his game here with Broad clocking speeds up to 89mph in this spell. An inside edge is found from the second last delivery then the outside of the bat is beaten to finish. Hard yards for the all-rounder here.
That’s drinks, so I’ll hand over to Adam Collins. You can email him on adam.collins.casual@theguardian.com. Bye!
28th over: India 51-4 (Kohli 7, Pandya 0) Bairstow is standing up to the stumps for Curran, which means Kohli has to go back into his crease. He rotates strike, after which Pandya gets a lovely working-over from Curran. The last ball of the over was a beauty that swerved past the outside edge.
“I don’t think Adam Roberts (o23) has an issue with dropping Broad for a Test - just not a Trent Bridge Test, where Broad has a tendency to turn matches with one of his crazy spells, like ‘the quickening’ in Highlander,” says Mark Hooper.
Oh I realised that, but he’s only done it twice at Trent Bridge, not every game. As I said I would probably play him, especially after this spell, but I think it’s something the selectors will discuss if Stokes is available.
27th over: India 50-4 (Kohli 6, Pandya 0) The new batsman is Hardik Pandya, who batted abysmally in the first innings.
WICKET! India 50-4 (Pujara b Broad 17)
What a jaffa from Stuart Broad! He worked Pujara over relentlessly for a few overs before putting him out of his misery with a hooping inswinger that hit the back pad and sent the off stump flying. Pujara goes for a dogged 87-ball 17; India are facing an innings defeat.
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26th over: India 50-3 (Pujara 17, Kohli 6) I’m surprised England haven’t tested Kohli with the short ball, as he may find it hard to get out of the way. When Kohli drives Curran towards mid-off, Root saves four runs with a fine diving stop - and they gives one of them back with an overthrow.
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25th over: India 48-3 (Pujara 17, Kohli 5) This is a terrific spell from Broad. Pujara inside-edges a delivery onto the pad, after which it loops just short of slip, and then wears a nasty lifter on the glove. The next ball snaps off the seam and hits the pad on its way through to Bairstow. England went up for caught behind, hoping there was an inside edge, but Aleem Dar wasn’t interested. A superb maiden from Broad.
24th over: India 48-3 (Pujara 17, Kohli 5) A fine over from Curran, who angles three consecutive deliveries past Pujara’s outside edge. The last was a peach that swung in before seaming and lifting past the bat.
A good spot from Marie Meyer: the wicket of Rahane has taken Broad into joint-10th on the all-time list, with Anderson in fifth. Not even Quasimodo predicted that when the pair first came together at Wellington in 2008.
23rd over: India 47-3 (Pujara 16, Kohli 5) A wide delivery from Broad is driven for four by Kohli, who is then beaten by another storming legcutter. Kohli nods down the wicket in approval.
“Rob, picking you up on ‘Stuart Broad, who could do with a few wickets to ensure his place in the third Test at Trent Bridge’,” says Adam Roberts. “Only a complete set of lunatics would think it a good idea to leave a fit Broad out of a Trent Bridge Test. It’s like considering not playing Hales in an ODI at Trent Bridge ... oh, the already did.”
I did say ‘ensure’. I’d probably play him, but it’s up for discussion. England have four superior swing bowlers if Stokes is available, and they will want to leave Broad out of at least one Test this summer.
22nd over: India 42-3 (Pujara 16, Kohli 1) Sam Curran comes on for his first bowl of the innings, in place of Chris Woakes. This is not much fun for Kohli, who grimaces as he runs through for a single to get off the mark. Pujara then pushes classily through mid-off for four, his first boundary.
21st over: India 38-3 (Pujara 12, Kohli 0) This is an old-school blockathon from Pujara: 12 from 67 balls. Impressive stuff, though he’s got nothing on the aforementioned John Murray.
20th over: India 38-3 (Pujara 12, Kohli 0) Kohli has a bad back, so you’d expect England - Broad in particular - to hit him with a few short balls. He is clearly struggling and winces after a routine defensive stroke off Woakes.
19th over: India 35-3 (Pujara 10, Kohli 0) The new batsman is Virat Kohli.
WICKET! India 35-3 (Rahane c Jennings b Broad 13)
Broad has got Rahane again! He beat him with consecutive deliveries, a grubber followed by a vicious trampolining legcutter, and that led to a loose stroke at the next delivery. Rahane pushed with hard hands at a wide delivery and edged it to Jennings at third slip.
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18th over: India 35-2 (Pujara 10, Rahane 13) England could do a wicket, or even a near miss, to change the mood. At the moment India are pottering along pretty comfortably. It’s possibly the best non-Kohli batting of the series for India.
17th over: India 32-2 (Pujara 9, Rahane 11) Jimmy Anderson is replaced by Stuart Broad, who could do with a few wickets to ensure his place in the third Test at Trent Bridge next weekend. He has a good record against Rahane, who was troubled by the extra bounce of Stokes at Edgbaston, and almost gets him again when a thick inside edge flashes past leg stump.
16th over: India 30-2 (Pujara 8, Rahane 10) Pujara and Rahane are playing well, with common sense and soft hands. When Woakes slips one onto the pads, Rahane touches it to fine leg for four more. As in his previous over, Woakes follows a fourball with a jaffa that beats the outside edge.
“Hi Rob,” says Tim Rattigan. “As you point out, Anderson’s average overseas recently is very good. I would add that at times he has been bowling in a struggling team in overseas conditions. In particular: 2017-18 Ashes, Anderson averaged 28 (economy 2.1) whereas Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood averaged 24, 25 and 26 with far higher economy rates.Given Anderson had to bowl more overs, at Steve Smith instead of James Vince and Mark Stoneman, and had very little support including virtually no spinner, do you think he would have had better figures than the Australian quicks if he had been on the other side? I do and looked at like that I think his performance last winter is probably not given due recognition.”
Yes, agreed. Can you imagine what he’d do to this flighty England batting line-up, particularly in swinging conditions?
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15th over: India 24-2 (Pujara 7, Rahane 5) Pujara, trying to leave, accidentally deflects Anderson on the bounce to slip. His hands were sufficiently soft to ensure it didn’t carry. Another excellent maiden from Anderson, who has remarkable match figures of 21.2-10-29-7.
Our Brave Boys and Girls
“I thought I’d provide an update on how the very unofficial Guardian OBO team is getting on in the Extra Cover tournament in Brighton,” says Ryan Loonan. “We batted first in our semi-final, and set a not very competitive target of 89 from our 20 overs. This was chased in just 9 overs...
“The rain has started coming down, but I have a feeling that the Brighton college groundstaff might be a little more willing than their Lord’s counterparts to allow us to keep going.
“Most importantly, the tournament is raising money for the Sri Lankan cricket charity Extra Cover, who do some great work, and it would be great if any readers can take a second to go to https://www.extracover.org.uk/ and give what they can.
“Will keep you updated on our progress, but I think we can safely assume that the 4th place trophy has our name on it.”
14th over: India 24-2 (Pujara 7, Rahane 5) A wide, floaty outswinger from Woakes is hustled through the covers for four by Rahane. That seems to sharpen Woakes’s focus, because the rest of the over is superb. Rahane is beaten by a beauty and edges another fractionally short of Cook at first slip.
I love how quick Jimmy is between deliveries. No stares, no words, no fuss. Gets back to his mark, bowls with intent, intelligence and great energy.
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) August 12, 2018
Man knows what he wants (wkts) and most of all, he knows how to get them.
Impressive bro 👍🏼
13th over: India 20-2 (Pujara 7, Rahane 1) Pujara is beaten, feeling almost absent-mindedly at a short one from Anderson, and then wears a short ball in the chest. Anderson, as Nasser Hussain notes on Sky, has pulled his length back a bit because the ball is not really swinging.
12th over: India 20-2 (Pujara 7, Rahane 1) Batting on a stop-start day is difficult mentally, because you know every ball could be the last in more ways than one. For now Pujara and Rahane, two judicious players, are defending nicely.
11th over: India 19-2 (Pujara 6, Rahane 1) Jimmy Anderson, whose match figures are seven for 28, continues at the other end. Pujara shows good judgement to leave a ball that jags back to bounce over middle stump and then helps himself to a quick single on the off side.
10th over: India 18-2 (Pujara 5, Rahane 1) Chris Woakes starts the afternoon session with a biggish shout for LBW against Rahane. I think there was an inside edge, and Marais Erasmus says not out. Replays confirm it was indeed bat first.
The players are back out on the field. Before play resumes, please read this charity appeal on behalf of an impossibly brave 12-year-old girl.
“Now, I’m no expert (Ctrl-C that),” says Gary Naylor, “but it’s not just the volume of cricket that causes injuries isn’t it? It’s also the variety. Crudely put, doesn’t T20 use fast-twitch muscles to sprint in the field, flash fast hands with the bat and bowl one over ‘spells’ with the ball? Whereas a Test series demands physical resilience and mental stamina, the body turning out to do a job day after day, week after week. The same horse doesn’t run a five-furlong dash at Newmarket and, a week or two later, the Grand National at Aintree does it? Something’s Got To Be Done and that something isn’t The Hundred.”
You think switching from Tests to T20 is tough? You should try writing an OBO one day and an 7000-word Long Read the next, “Virat”.
The Curious Case of the 41st Over “As you know, John Murray recently died,” says Justin Horton. “On seeing his obituary. I remembered that he played in the very first professional match I went to see, a John Player League game in 1973, at Lord’s. I posted the details on social media and a couple of friends asked the reasonable question - given that it was a 40-over competition, how did Northamptonshire come to bat for 41? I am sure I must have known at the time, as the scorecard would have carried the competition rules, but now I have no idea. Can any readers with Wisdens or long memories provide an explanation?”
I see Mike Selvey played in that game. Selve, are you out there?
Play will restart at 2pm It is on!
Update Adam tells me the umpires are in the middle, chatting to the groundsman Mick Hunt. It’s on! (Possibly.)
“I remember Mr. Anderson getting no joy on plenty of tours if the ball did not deviate,” says Ian Copestake. “Should we tone down the euolgising?”
I don’t think so. It’s true his record abroad is not as good as, say, Dale Steyn’s. But he played a major part in series wins away to Australia and India, the two big ones, and also bowled obscenely well on two tours of the UAE. Early in his career he was a liability overseas, but he added accuracy, cunning and reverse swing to become a handful in almost all conditions. In the last four years he averages 25.71 overseas, which is very good
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“I’ve just enjoyed an excellent selection of fruit in the Lord’s Media Centre (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries),” says Gary Naylor. “Not sure India feel the same way about the jaffas Jimmy Anderson has served up though.”
That place has never been the same for visiting batsmen since they took pies off the menu.
“Kohli’s injury list (shoulder, neck, now the back) is growing, perhaps as a result of overwork, especially because of the long IPL session,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “I would want to know - for you, is playing the IPL lucrative enough and worth it even if it means seeing the country’s best-ever player risk losing a few international years in his career due to recurring injury problems caused by this overwork?”
It’s a big problem, and it won’t go away while greed remains good. I don’t think it’s a case of choosing the IPL or international cricket, just of managing things a lot better. The physical – and, more importantly, mental – impact of the current schedule is unacceptable.
The rain has started to ease, though the covers are still on. We should hopefully have some play in the next hour.
Since you asked, Jimmy Anderson needs 13 more wickets to overtake Glenn McGrath and becomes the most successful quick bowler in Test history. He has never been more effective, certainly in England: in the last three summers he has taken 89 wickets at 14.59. It’s almost Lohmannesque!
Thanks Adam, hello everyone. The early lunch break has caught me on the hop, so please excuse me for a few minutes while I finish my seaweed sandwich. There won’t be any play for a while anyway.
I’ll race through some emails before grabbing a plate myself.
“Maybe there could be a special class of pair for being taken out by the same bowler each times?” John Starbuck with that suggestion. “Also, you obviously never read The Beano in your youth; Jonah used to be on the back page among the shipwrecks and other calamities.”
I didn’t. But I did read a Ladybird book to my girlfriend as the bill for dinner came out last night (included inside the pages). True romance.
“It looks like Chris Woakes’ cable-knit sweater has been put in the washing machine on the wrong cycle,” spots Romeo. “I guess that’s what happens when you have a new, and your first, baby.”
There’s almost no good way to deal with a proper cricket cable-knit without messing with the wool distribution. In my experience (seven of them on the shelf) the best you can do is get through as much cricket as possible without putting it in the wash.
“I must confess that it is I who have re-designated my brother John as Jonah for his recent effortlessly tardy mozzing of English wickets (5th over),” adds Brian of the Withington clan. “Doubtless he will transfer these gifts to the detriment of West Ham’s fortunes in due course this afternoon.”
I hope you haven’t gone up there for it? Painful.
“I’d actually love to receive a ball like that from Jimmy Anderson while on a pair at Lords,” begins Peter Salmon. “Given the dramatic set of circumstances that would have led me, at 47, to be playing test cricket at Lords.”
Nice technical point. Have you read Nathan Leamon’s novel yet? Highly recommend. About exactly this: playing a Test Match at Lord’s. And lots of other intense stuff.
Last one, via Jonathan Gresty. “Thank you Mike Summers-Smith for a very good counterargument to some of the anti-Root tirades from the earlier contributors. As they say here in Slovakia, after a battle everyone is a general. But the truth is in sport we never really know how things might turn out and if Joe Root isn’t the best qualified person to decide when to declare, then who is? Here’s to showing a bit more faith in our leaders! It’s not as if he’s in the House of Commons after all.”
That’s a nice note to leave you in the capable hands of the master of this craft, Rob Smyth. Please keep him company and I’ll see you at some stage in the middle session for another burst.
Updated
LUNCH: India 17-2 (Pujara 5, Rahane 1)
Yep, it is an early lunch. As the big covers are rolled out. Sigh.
Rain stops play
9th over: India 17-2 (Pujara 5, Rahane 1) Big shout for leg before... turned down by Aleem Dar. Jimmy liked it a lot but not enough to send it upstairs for futher inspection. It came back a long way to beat Pujara on the inside edge and was missing leg stump, the replay confirms. Rahane gets through the rest of the set without concern. Oh, hold on, the umpires are back together again and they have decided the rain is strong enough to go off. I’m tipping that will also mean an early lunch as well. Standing by.
8th over: India 16-2 (Pujara 5, Rahane 1) Rain has arrived but not enough to stop play. The umpires chat and ground staff as Broad bowls to Che, who, I insist, is doing it right so far. I watched him bat for about 17 hours at Ranchi last year so I’m not doubting his patience. He keeps the strike with a single from the final delivery.
7th over: India 15-2 (Pujara 4, Rahane 1) Rahane has to walk out at four with Kohli having spent 37 minutes off the field this morning. Who knows if he is even fit to bat? The vice-captain is off the mark past point first ball, so Pujara has to survive the final four Anderson balls. That’s what it comes down to with Jimmy with the new ball in this match: survival. He’s leaving and defending then grabbing one behind point. Good batting. The number three is looking alright in the circumstances, to be fair.
WICKET! Rahul lbw b Anderson 10 (India 13-2)
Down the slope, jagging off the seam, beating the inside edge, crashing into the knee-roll. You don’t need to review that, KL. He doesn’t. India in all sorts.
Updated
6th over: India 13-1 (Rahul 10, Pujara 3) A single for Rahul to cover then a tuck around the corner for a couple when Pujara is on strike to Broad. Can they put in a proper shift here and shift the pressure back onto the hosts? Let’s be real: I doubt it.
“I remember David Gower being heavily criticised on TMS for batting on and on at Lord’s in 1984,” contributes Mike Summers-Smith. “He eventually declared (overnight, IIRC) at 300-9, setting the Windies a target of 342. Greenidge (244*), Haynes (17) and Gomes (92*) polished that off. There was a shower during lunch, which Gower afterwards described as ‘a waste of some perfectly good rain’.”
5th over: India 10-1 (Rahul 9, Pujara 1) Pujara off strike and off the mark first ball of the new Anderson over, albeit from an inside edge that wasn’t at all far away from hitting a stump. Rahul clips the next delivery for four, beating the man at fine leg, then takes another single in that direction. India, for now at least, moving in the right direction. Pujara looking solid enough to make a go of this as Anderson jags it around.
“I’m getting a bot of a reputation for being a Jonah for English batsmen,” writes John Withington, causing me to google ‘A Jonah’ before going on. I’m with you now. “For years I’ve had this nagging feeling that I always seem to turn on just in time for wickets to fall and now, this teast, I’ve turned on late 3 times and every time England have lost a wicket with the very first ball.”
I have a long, peculiar history mozzing Mitch Marsh. It began on twitter and moved into the radio commentary box. Every time. I shouldn’t be allowed to watch him play.
“But on the subject of quick wickets is there something we can do for poor old Vijay. It doesn’t seem quite right for his stats to be so sorely affected by two absolute jaffas. Is his the most glorious pair in test history?”
He won’t need reminding right now that it’s a hideous game to play most of the time.
4th over: India 4-1 (Rahul 4, Pujara 0) Shot. Rahul away with a compact drive through cover, racing away with perfect timing. But Broad is well in the contest, crashing into the opener’s pad early in the over and prompting a play/leave to finish.
Check out the Jimmy delivery to remove Vijay. Poor bloke, imagine copping that when you’re on a pair at Lord’s? Close to unplayable.
What a jaffa! 💯 wickets at Lord's for @jimmy9! 🙌
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 12, 2018
Scorecard/Videos: https://t.co/QaHxVc4jQO#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/F51SU5EzMg
3rd over: India 0-1 (Rahul 0, Pujara 0) Courtesy again to Andrew Samson, Anderson is only the second bowler to take 100 wickets at a venue. Muralitharan is the other, doing it at three Sri Lankan grounds. “He’s the best we’ve ever had,” says Swann. “Full stop.” Samson again: it is the second time that India have lost a wicket before scoring in both innings of a Test Match. Oh! Nearly a second here too with Jimmy going beyond Pujara’s outside edge to finish with a classic awayducker. Gooooorgeous bowling.
Updated
WICKET! Vijay c Bairstow b Anderson 0 (India 0-1)
A pair for Murali Vijay! Anderson has such a big bag of tricks, dragging this back through the gate off the seam. It does enough to clip the inside edge, nicely taken by Bairstow - those are never easy. James Anderson now has 100 wickets at Lord’s, the ground where he began his Test Match journey some 15 summers ago.
Updated
2nd over: India 0-0 (Vijay 0, Rahul 0) Broad running away from us towards KL Rahul, who nicked off to Anderson early in the first innings. In fairness, most of them did. As Graeme Swann notes on radio, there is a conversation in some corners about whether Broad should hand the new ball to Curran, who gets more natural hoop. I’m nowhere near sold on that. Weren’t people watching when the game was to be won in the fourth innings at Edgbaston last Friday? He was outstanding. Tidy maiden here to begin.
1st over: India 0-0 (Vijay 0, Rahul 0) Jimmy, with 99 Test wickets at Lord’s, begins from the pavilion end, racing towards Murali Vijay who he sorted out fifth ball of the first dig. He can’t get off the pair in this opening Anderson over, defending and leaving in rotation. For the cordon trainspotters out there: Anderson has four slips instead of the five (then six!) he had on Friday afternoon.
This was the one legitimate highlight of the first 37 minutes of the day, via Sam Curran.
What would you call this shot from @CurranSM!? 😱
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 12, 2018
Scorecard/Videos: https://t.co/huba3ztY0g
w/ @Schroders#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/zyuKkXj2Fu
Fair to say that you have a lot of thoughts about England batting this morning. I’ll drop a couple of this in before we close the topic and cast our attention forward.
“It would be interesting if the various instances of English captains batting on needlessly could be compiled,” says David Pearl. “It seems to me that this has often happened, as if a sort of neurosis sets in which causes captains to become excessively cautious. Wins have been forfeited on many occasions because of a disinclination to declare, but it would take a statistician to prove the point.”
Anybody want to have a stab at that over their Sunday lunch?
Steven Larcombe, meanwhile, is scathing. “Cricket, and test cricket in particular, has an unrivalled capacity to shoot itself in the foot, whether, as last night, it’s going off for bad light in front of a full house when the batsmen are happy to continue or, as now, when we have an utterly pointless passage of play for what can only be ludicrously defensive reasons. Why would anyone in the ground who may may well have paid £100 a seat, bother to come again after being treated to this travesty. Root, for all his qualities, is a poor, weak captain and Trevor Bayliss simply has no idea about test cricket.”
As a very good host says on a very bad Australian TV show, I’m going to take that as a comment!
And finally, Robin Hazlehurt with a theory. “Maybe England are aware that Kohli is unavailable for the moment and that without him India could be in a lot of trouble in these conditions, so they are giving him a chance to get better and make a fair game of it. Basic good sportsmanship, don’t see anything controversial in that. Anything else would just not be cricket.”
On that, Andrew Samson informs us on TMS that Kohli was absent for 37 minutes this morning. So, if India lose two wickets in that period of time here, he won’t be permitted to walk out at number four.
The players are back on the field!
ENGLAND DECLARE! WICKET! Curran c Shami b Pandya 40 (England 396-7)
Pandya is on and gets Curran first ball, taken at third man from a fat top edge, safely pouched by Shami. As the left-hander walks off, the lead 289, Root finally calls them in! Woakes receives a standing ovation from the MCC, departing with an unbeaten 137 to his name. Played, boy.
Updated
88th over: England 396-6 (Woakes 137, Curran 40) Sam Curran gets the party belated started for England with a tennis serve for six! That’s a shot straight from the Steve Smith collection, over long-on into the crowd. It comes the ball after a well-struck cover drive. Andrew Samson on TMS notes that, now on 39, he has overtaken Ashwin’s first innings score, meaning that all local players have outscored their opposing number. He speculates that this is the real reason that Root hasn’t called them in yet. Woakes’ turn and he edges again through fourth slip to the rope for the third time today. A couple more to finish makes 17 from the Shami over. “I hate how predictably English we are,” Swann continues. At least it has given us something to talk about before the rain.
87th over: England 379-6 (Woakes 131, Curran 29) Graeme Swann is speculating (tongue in cheek) that the only reason that England aren’t having a trundle today is that Stuart Broad can’t be bothered getting his bowling boots on. Curran strikes a lovely drive to start the Ishant over, cover getting a hand on it to save a couple. He’s beaten by another ripper later in the set.
86th over: England 376-6 (Woakes 131, Curran 26) Shami has been superb this morning, once again beating Woakes here with a delivery that deserved to clip both the edge and the off-stump. Of course, it evaded both by the proverbial coat of varnish.
“Morning, Adam.” G’day to you, Phil Sawyer. “Playing devil’s advocate, this could be very clever captaincy. Give the Indian bats a few overs to see just how much it is swinging and fill their minds with concern, then stick them in. It isn’t that, and Root won’t declare in a few overs, but I wish it was.”
Kohli, of course, is currently watching this on telly in the dressing room as they work on his back, Rahane calling the shots out there. I also note that Jimmy talked about the perfect conditions to bowl during his 5/20 the other day, of how fun it is when he gets these opportunities. This looks a replica of that. I bet he has the hump.
“The overwhelming consensus is for England to declare,” adds David Kelsey, on topic. “But is there an outside chance that England wanted to see how the ball actually behaves before deciding? Some days it looks like it will hoop and it doesn’t so maybe India are just providing Joe with evidence? Nah, that’s nonsense. Declare, Joe!”
Updated
85th over: England 374-6 (Woakes 130, Curran 25) Edge, four! Woakes threw his hands at Ishant’s second ball and it went through about fourth slip and down to the rope for his first boundary of the day. He makes it two in a row, with a skewed drive out behind point that beats Kuldeep racing around from third man who nearly saves it but can’t quite. The right-hander keeps the strike with another single in that direction to finish. The lead is 267. Carn, Joey. Call them in already.
John Starbuck brings answers to earlier queries. “The question of why not have earlier starts came up on TMS yesterday; they suggested one reason not to is that the travel arrangements are usually off-peak i.e. trains will be too full/not running and the road traffic rush hour would be too much. Not that this applies on a Sunday so much, and transport in this country, as we all know, is long past its heyday. But it is an issue worth consideration, since cricket isn’t played just for people who watch on the telly.”
So, because of the train timetable? Faaaair dinkum! Thanks, John. I’m sure there is a gag in here somewhere about nationalising the railways.
Meanwhile, the weather forecast is coming from Richard Morris via TMS. “Helen Willetts on TMS has just forecast rain from 11.30 until tomorrow. Declare and let’s get them 11-6 before the sky opens.” Makes this session look all the sillier.
What do you make of @josbuttler’s off-spin action!? 🙈
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 12, 2018
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/H3pzz3OnZn#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/KUo8gFRvVT
84th over: England 364-6 (Woakes 121, Curran 24) “This is being wasted,” notes Tuffers on TMS as Woakes is beaten by an unplayable Shami legcutter. And again next ball! “Woakes might just walk off himself” adds Aggers. I suspect the sentiment is shared by Jimmy watching from the balcony. Then beats him a third time in a row with another superb offering! Earlier in the set, Curran copped a beauty as well. Perfect conditions to bowl with the new ball out there right now. Hmmm.
🔔 @englandcricket bowler @Anya_shrubsole with MCC Chief-Executive & Secretary, Guy Lavender, prior to ringing the five-minute bell this morning!#ENGvIND#LoveLords pic.twitter.com/ha2uOJUZsP
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) August 12, 2018
83rd over: England 362-6 (Woakes 120, Curran 23) Ishant vs Curran and he beats the bat with a beauty first up. It influences the rest of the over, the southpaw defending carefully throughout. If quick runs are the goal, there are none available here. Maiden.
“I’m a bit stunned that England hasn’t declared,” emails Peter Salmon. “Surely one of the least complicated declaration decisions ever. India, obviously can’t win from here, so either have to draw or lose, and every over eaten up make the former more possible. Goes to a wider problem I found myself worrying about this morning, the English leadership group. Root is ok, Bayliss not, and how is it that Jos Buttler is VC? He’s not yet established in the side, and rarely plays long form cricket. A feels a bit drifty, where someone needs to make strong calls.”
The only reason it can be is that they want to make sure they don’t have to bat a second time. But with time so valuable in a rain-reduced game, the best time to declare is surely during a break to save two overs they would otherwise lose in the changeover?
82nd over: England 362-6 (Woakes 120, Curran 23) Whoa, what doing there? First up, Shami sprays the ball out towards first slip. Plenty of swing as well, too much for Karthik to glove. From first glance, probably a bit stiff for it to be given as four byes rather than five wides. Curran jams down and gets an inside edge to get off strike to give Woakes one ball to see off, and he’s beaten outside the off-stump. The real news is that Kohli is not on the field. TMS are reporting that he has a back complaint. Of course, that could alter where he is permitted to bat in the second dig. Watch this space.
Robert Wilson, good morning to you. “What I love about the RecallRavi people is that during yesterday’s riotous festival of England success and dominance, two and a half hundred ahead, bowlers getting tons and the pitch swinging like a mid-70s Surrey suburb, they still thought the only answer was to bring Bopara back. You gotta admit that there is something jubilantly wonderful about that.”
To think that Vish, to my right, didn’t mention Ravi once yesterday.
A question in from Adrian below. I share his view about Bairstow but in order to achieve that promotion the gloves would need to go. Given they have about seven stumpers in this XI, this is probably the time to look at doing precisely that. But they won’t.
@collinsadam Despite a very tidy looking debut for Pope, coming in at 4 was asking a lot (never batted that high in FC). Is there anybody left apart from ECB (and YJB himself) that doesn't think Bairstow should give up the gloves (Buttler/Foakes), bat at 4 with Pope at 5/6?
— Adrian Morris (@11AMdeclaration) August 12, 2018
The players are on their way! Woakes and Curran with bats in hand, so England to bat on while the weather is good. I’m not sure about this with so much rain forecast for today and tomorrow but we’ll see how long it lasts. India’s second new ball is only one over old, so it should be a spicy start. Shami has the ball in his hand and he’ll run away from us at the Nursery End. Play!
Anya Shrubsole ringing the five-minute bell! The hero of last year’s World Cup win for England. I reckon I was sitting in this very seat on that day OBOing her spell of 5-for sod all to run through India when all looked lost. One of the very best moments I’ve witnessed in the sport.
The emails are trickling in, so let’s crack on. Opening the batting is David Griffiths. “Two questions,” he begins. “If I could listen to a broadcast on BBC of an Ashes test in Australia when a boy (in UK) 60 years ago, why can’t I obtain TMS in Australia today?”
You still can, via the ABC, during an Ashes Test in England. But your broader point is one worth considering. Should there still be such stringent rules about these things (i.e. geoblocking) in 2018? Handy that TMS have the youtube link (see earlier post), though.
He adds: “And if so much time has been lost in this match why not start early?”
Crazy, innit? I believe they had a crack at 10:30am starts in the UK for a time in the noughties but it didn’t take off. Probably because the light is good enough to tack the extra time on at the end of the day. But then, bad light stopped play yesterday. Urgh.
The Afghanistan and Cricket Ireland flags flying at @HomeOfCricket as the two newest ICC full-member/Test nations. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/FXWxXUVCry
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) August 12, 2018
Chris Woakes is warming up to bowl. Make of that what you will but he was limbering up after the England side finished their standard football game to warm-up. No formal news yet. Barney wrote about the Brummy Botham last night - worth a look, as always.
Housekeeping. Before I’m asked, here is the TMS link for those wanting to listen from outside the UK. Speaking of, Gary Naylor relayed to me when he arrived that he saw Aggers nearly clipped by a bus out the front of Lord’s this morning. Thankfully, all is well.
Updated
Let’s chat. You know the drill, email or tweet or AOL or ICQ. Okay, perhaps not the last couple. But my point stands.
From where we could possibly resume on time later this morning with the forecast rain staying away so far. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/l0K0jdJ0S7
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) August 12, 2018
Updated
Preamble
Welcome to day four at Lord’s! Granted, we’ve had 116.2 overs so far in this Test Match, equating to a little under four sessions, but we’ll start this off on a positive note rather than getting into an over rates death spiral. We’ll have the rain delays for that.
Or not? It’s actually not that ugly outside. Looking towards the pavilion, the sky certainly isn’t clear but it is bright enough witih the sun burning through (it doesn’t really burn through, does it?), and I haven’t noticed a drop of rain since waking up.
Logic suggests that when the time comes to play that England will close their innings 250 ahead. For no other reason than they won’t lose two overs for the innings change by declaring oernight. Besidies, if they get even half of the 98 scheduled overs of play in today, that might be enough to rock and roll India a second time and play golf tomorrow. As we know, there’s nothing cricketers enjoy more than playing other sports.
Chris Woakes continued the from his gem of a knock at his presser after we parted ways last night. He discussed the perspective he’s already been able to find through fatherhood, his first daughter born last month. And oh, how he loves this ground.
As for the visitors, their task transitions into locating the calm required to bat out a draw. They haven’t looked any chance of occupying the crease for that long so far in this series, Kohli aside. Surely it’ll come down to the fortunes of their captain. How brilliant would it be if he/they found a way to drag this deep into tomorrow? Dare to dream.
