Washington Sundar's verdict
[Where’s the game at?] Definitely India winning, probably just after lunch!
Being one down at stumps would have been ideal. But the way we bowled, and the pressure the fast bowlers maintained, was amazing.
We expected some seam movement and up-and-down bounce with the hard ball. Akash Deep’s spell to get Brook out, when he was looking really aggressive, [was vital].
When the fast bowlers get tired it’s our turn! The way Jadeja and I bowled was very heartening. The plan was not concede many runs so the way it went for us was very good.
The UK has been very, very kind to me with the drft – I don’t get as much in subcontinent conditions.
Updated
It’s easy to think Akash Deep’s wicket doesn’t really count, he was going to get out anyway, but nightwatchmen can be a pain in the rump in fourth-innings runchases. Australia’s stunning victory at Edgbaston in 2023 was partly because of Scott Boland’s long-forgotten 20 on the final morning.
In this game, England will be able to attack Rishabh Pant from ball one.
Stumps: India need another 135 runs to win
England are roared into the Long Room by the members. Imagine what the atmosphere will be like at 11am tomorrow; Lord’s is already sold out.
A last word for KL Rahul – he was dropped on 5 by Chris Woakes, it’s true, but the way he played in the last hour, when England were all over the batters and Lord’s was at boiling point, was exemplary. Remarkable player.
Updated
WICKET! India 57-4 (Deep b Stokes 1)
Mayhem at one end, KL Rahul at the other. He calmly works Stokes’ first ball for a single, which means he’ll be back in the morning.
Akash Deep won’t! Stokes sends his off stump for a walk with a beautiful delivery that pitches on off stump and straightens. A fittingly dramatic end to a sensational day of Test cricket.
Updated
17th over: India 57-3 (Rahul 32, Deep 1) Carse gives Akash Deep a mouthful, then Stokes and KL Rahul have words. Carse’s last ball of the day vrooms past Deep’s outside edge; he went up for caught behind but nobody else was interested.
If England do win this game, history will highlight that spell of 4-1-11-2 from Brydon Carse. When he came on Lord’s was flat; now it’s feral.
Deep is not out! It was indeed umpire’s call. The ball was hitting a fair bit of the leg bail, and there are some boos from the Lord’s crowd, but England have benefitted from similar decisions in this series.
Actually, I think the boos are because Akash Deep is receiving treatment after being hit on the thigh by that delivery. Still three balls left in the over; England should have time for another.
England review for LBW against Deep
Carse pleads for another LBW when Deep is hit on the pad by a full. It was missing leg and England don’t waste time discussing a review.
He has a better appeal turned down two balls later – and this time Stokes asks for the review. Umpire’s call at best for India I think.
16th over: India 57-3 (Rahul 32, Deep 1) Rahul works Stokes off the hips and scampers back for two. Stokes is jogging back to his mark to get as many overs in as possible tonight.
Deep is given the last two balls to survive. He does so and takes a single off the last ball to keep the strike. Not sure KL Rahul appreciates or needs a nightwatchman, but there you are. England seem keener to bowl to Deep; if they dismiss him India will have a dilemma as to who comes in next.
15th over: India 53-3 (Rahul 29, Deep 0) Akash Deep comes out as nightwatchman. While he finishes putting his pads on out in the middle, Joe Root conducts the Lord’s crowd.
Gill is out! It was a terrific delivery from Carse, a good-length nipbacker that hit Gill on the pad in front of off stump as he tried and failed to get his bat down.
The technology shows that the ball hit Gill in line and would have gone on to hit the top of stumps. Brilliant bowling from Carse, a mighty addition to the England Test team in the last year.
Updated
WICKET! India 51-3 (Gill LBW b Carse 6)
Shubman Gill reviews again – but his body language suggests he doesn’t fancy his chances this time. Only height can save him.
Updated
Gill is not out!
Shubman Gill knew he hadn’t hit the ball. In fact this is a rare shocker from Paul Reiffel. Gill tried to drive another very full delivery from Carse, missed and was caught by Jamie Smith. Replays showed daylight between bat and ball.
Gill given out but reviews immediately!
Oh, the tension.
Updated
14th over: India 47-2 (Rahul 29, Gill 2) Stokes boots the bowling crease angrily in anger after starting with a four-ball on the hips of KL Rahul. The rest of the over is spot on – five dot balls in a row including one delivery that bursts past Rahul’s attempted cut.
Time for four or five more overs tonight.
13th over: India 43-2 (Rahul 25, Gill 2) With everyone expecting a short ball first up, Carse starts with a yorker length outswinger that beats Gill. England’s fielders are flapping their gums incessantly, an inevitable and compelling response to last night’s contretemps.
Gill, beaten again second ball, leans into a pristine extra cover drive to get off the mark. Those two runs mean he has broken Rahul Dravid’s record for most runs in a series by an Indian batter in England: 603 runs and counting.
A misfield from Stokes in the covers gave Rahul a single. It was a blessing in disguise: two balls later Karun Nair offered no stroke to a straight one from Carse and was palpably LBW. No hesitation from the umpire, no review from Nair – he knew it was a fatal misjudgement.
With half an hour to play, Shubman Gill walks out to a lively reception. What goes around comes around. The next 30 minutes could be spectacular.
Updated
WICKET! India 41-2 (Nair LBW b Carse 14)
Ben Stokes is so good that even his misfields can lead to a wicket.
Updated
12th over: India 40-1 (Rahul 24, Nair 14) Another accurate over from Stokes, who is whacking the pitch and making the batters play at as many deliveries as possible. One run from it.
“A five-day match doesn’t hinge on a single moment but man, that Woakes drop feels defining for several reasons,” says Max Williams. “Reckon there’s any way back for Ollie Robsinson or has that ship sailed?”
Sadly, I think it has sailed. He’s got 86 wickets at 22.92, and he had fitness issues in maybe a quarter of those games. Grrrrrrrrr.
11th over: India 39-1 (Rahul 23, Nair 14) Woakes gives way to Brydon Carse, whose first over includes four singles and a cracking yorker that is defended expertly by Rahul. He has been a problem for England throughout the series; he’s becoming an even bigger one in this run-chase. If India are still one down at the close they will be heavy favourites.
Drinks: India need 158 more runs to win
10th over: India 35-1 (Rahul 21, Nair 12) Stokes comes on for archer, whose new-ball spell of 4-0-18-1 wasn’t the best. His first delivery is a no-ball; his first legal delivery is thick edged for four by Rahul.
You feel England need at least one more wicket tonight – and that Stokes is most likely to provide it. He starts to pummel a hard length and beats Rahul with a vicious seaming lifter. Time for drinks.
9th over: India 30-1 (Rahul 17, Nair 12) Karun Nair has started well; he looks solid in defence and certain in his shot selection.
Ben Stokes is getting loose so he should be bowling soon. Match situations like this were invited for him.
“When I look back to that 2018 Indian tour, I think about how Sam Curran was England’s player of the series, and how Kohli said he was the difference between the two teams,” says Matt Emerson. “His Test career never really kicked on after that, did it?”
That’s an understatement. From memory he batted very well on the Total Cricket tour of Sri Lanka the same year and also played an important with the ball in South Africa just before Covid. It’s a complicated case: lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous. He’s got the competitive instinct of a Bazballer but not the skill set; it’s hard to see getting a game under this regime unless he becomes a regular top six batter.
8th over: India 28-1 (Rahul 17, Nair 10) Archer continues – and starts with another very full ball that Nair pushes into the off side. The ball isn’t swinging so Archer’s plan isn’t clear.
When he hits a good length, with the occasional short delivery, he looks a much bigger threat. Just one run from the over.
7th over: India 27-1 (Rahul 17, Nair 9) Archer usually prefers the Pavilion End at Lord’s, which is where Woakes is bowling. That’s because the ball bounced viciously this morning when Bumrah was at the Nursery End so England want Archer to have a similar impact. But perhaps they are getting too cute; by all accounts it’s not easy to change ends at Lord’s given the impact of the slope. You could bowl Carse from the Nursery End, then bring Archer back when Woakes finishes his spell.
Nair leans into a cover drive off Woakes that is excellently stopped by the diving Pope; that surely saved three runs.
6th over: India 26-1 (Rahul 17, Nair 8) A poor ball from Archer, way too full, is driven handsomely through the covers by Nair for India’s third boundary in four balls. Although he took a key early wicket, Archer has been quite poor in this spell – his length has been far too full.
It happens again later in the over when a half-volley is timed beautifully to the cover boundary by Rahul. Archer signals to Stokes that he wants a cover sweeper; Stokes declines.
Updated
5th over: India 17-1 (Rahul 13, Nair 4) The plot thickens: Woakes has dropped Rahul off his own bowling! Rahul clothed an outswinger back towards Woakes, who reached to his left in his follow through but couldn’t hang on. Woakes is such a good fielder and there was a gasp of surprise when he put it down.
Rahul adds to Woakes’s pain by hitting the next two balls through point for four, one of each foot. If the first, played off the back foot, was elegant, the second was struck with sadistic intent. India need another 176 runs to win.
Updated
4th over: India 9-1 (Rahul 5, Nair 4) A full inswinger from Archer is timed nicely through mid-on for two by Nair. Not sure that’s the length to bowl to him.
That’s the length. Nair ducks into a short ball that thumps him just below the left shoulder. The follow-up ball doesn’t come out right and turns into a full toss that is forced through mid-off for two more. Terrific cricket.
3rd over: India 5-1 (Rahul 5, Nair 0) Rahul pads up to an inducker from Woakes that misses the off stump by a micrometre. That was close. Closer than close, but this is no time for Rosie Gaines lyrics.
England are all over India with the new ball. Woakes has a big LBW appeal turned down against Rahul; it didn’t have much going for it, in truth, but you can understand why England got carried away. This is tense!
“Was there any point in making our No11 bat, especially when we will be relying on him to spin the Indians out soon?” asks Rob Lewis. “Shouldn’t his hand have been protected from further damage?”
If it was his bowling hand then maybe, but it’s his left hand so I’m not sure it makes much difference. And those seven runs he added with Jofra Archer could be the difference between rotten eggs and a knighthood.
Okay I’m getting carried away. But this is tense!
2nd over: India 5-1 (Rahul 5, Nair 0) Jaiswal was on strike because KL Rahul had clipped four off the pads and then pulled a single.
Kumar Sangakkara, commentating on Sky, says Jaiswal’s concentration didn’t look right throughout his short innings. His dismissal came from a particularly ill-judged stroke, a hook at a ball that was too high, too wide – and the first delivery he’d faced from Archer in the innings.
WICKET! India 5-1 (Jaiswal c Smith b Archer 0)
Jofra Archer strikes fourth ball! Yashasvi Jaiswal played a horrible hook that went miles in the air and was calmly caught by Jamie Smith. That was the first ball he faced from Archer in this innings, which makes their burgeoning head-to-head record a little one-sided: four balls, two wickets, no runs.
Updated
1st over: India 0-0 (Jaiswal 0, Rahul 0) Woakes goes straight around the wicket to Jaiswal, beating him with successive deliveries just outside off stump. Lovely line.
The fourth ball, left by Jaiswal, bounces twice before reaching Smith. An excellent start from Woakes, whose first over on Friday was panelled for 13 by Jaiswal.
“Talking of (un)true newspaper headlines,” says Simon McMahon it’s often reported that, upon the sinking of the Titanic, the front page of the Dundee Courier – or the Press & Journal in Aberdeen, neither renowned as internationalist in outlook – carried the headline ‘North East Man Lost at Sea’.
“A bit like saying ‘Leach Defies Australia to Guide England Home’ after Headingley 2019.
Chris Woakes will start from the Pavilion End. If this goes badly, he could feasibly be playing his last Test.
The WinViz verdict
India 76 per cent
England 24 per cent
My instinct, largely worthless, is that England’s chances of victory are closer to 35-40 per cent. We’ll soon find out.
Updated
There will be time for around 18 overs tonight. Here’s the deal. If England are to win this game, they have to take wickets plural in that time.
WICKET! England 192 all out (Bashir b Washington 2)
That’s all she wrote. Washington Sundar skids one past Bashir, who becomes the seventh England player to be bowled in this innings and the 12th in the match.
Washington, the quiet achiever of this team, has triggered an England collapse of six wickets for just 38 runs. Ouch. India need 193 to win.
Updated
62nd over: England 192-9 (Archer 5, Bashir 2) Eleven England players have been bowled in this Test, a remarkable statistic and the first time that has happened since the Cape Town Test of March/April 1906.
Bumrah tries to make it 12 but is repelled by Archer and Bashir. The sub keeper Jurel also saves four byes with a smart dive down the leg side. You wouldn’t know it from all the byes India have conceded, but he has kept quite beautifully.
61st over: England 191-9 (Archer 5, Bashir 1) Bashir thick edges Sundar’s first ball for a single to get off strike. The fourth innings of this game, while not quite make or break for Bashir, will be loaded with pressure. One bad spell could cost England the game; one good spell could win it. It’s a lot of responsibility on a 21-year-old.
Archer can’t return the favour, which means Bashir will be on strike at the start of Bumrah’s next over.
60th over: England 190-9 (Archer 5, Bashir 0) Archer turns down a single early in Bumrah’s over. It might be that he only does that at this end because of the threat and pace of Bumrah.
The last ball of the over, an attempted yorker that turns into a full toss, is punched through mid-off for four by Archer. Every little helps.
“Speaking just for myself from a sweaty north west the reason why India are heavy favourites, even before this clatter of wickets, is that their openers are in good nick and have consistently got them through the tough new-ball period,” says Will Vignoles. “England’s change bowlers have struggled to maintain pressure and they’re generally better players of spin. Also bar Pant also less likely to get out trying to slog sweep a guy bowling 85mph+. Maybe I’m just being a miserable git but even as a Bazball true believer this has been a bit disappointing from England. As well as India have bowled, this has felt a bit of a headloss. Am I being unfair?”
I can see both sides! One of the reason I’m reluctant to say we’re all doomed is that we were having the same conversation at this stage of the Edgbaston Test in 2018. India’s target was almost identical and I’m not sure that pitch was worse than this.
59th over: England 186-9 (Archer 1, Bashir 0) “I do wish sometimes we didn’t live in this fast-paced fractured meme society,” writes Pete Salmon. “If ‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington’ had been splashed a newspaper headline in the 1980s we’d still be talking about it now.
“Reminds me of a fun book I had when I was young which had (according to it) true newspaper headlines, including the the winner of a World’s Most Boring Headline competition: Small Earthquake in Chile, Not Many Dead. That became a catchphrase in our family for a day of minor grievances, as in:
‘How was your day?’
‘Oh you know, Small Earthquake in Chile, Not Many Dead’
They won’t be saying that in the England dressing-room tonight.
Updated
58th over: England 185-9 (Archer 0, Bashir 0) Shoaib Bashir comes out at No11 despite a significant injury to his left hand. He wrings his hand in pain after doing very well to keep out another Bumrah yorker.
A wicket maiden from Bumrah, a bowler without compare.
Chris Woakes walks off shaking his head, trying to fathom what just happened. He’s the sixth England batter to be out bowled in this innings. Bumrah got him with a huge breakback that brushed the inside-edge and rattled the bails.
Thirty seconds earlier Bumrah was sitting on his backside receiving treatment after landing awkwardly in his delivery stride. Then he got to his feet and bowled an 86mph off-break.
Updated
WICKET! England 185-9 (Woakes b Bumrah 10)
Pure genius.
57th over: England 185-8 (Woakes 10, Archer 0) Woakes drives Washington to long on for a single, the only run from an over filled with watchful defensive strokes.
Time is still a factor in this game. England would probably like just under about an hour with the ball tonight, as that would give Jofra Archer two spells with the new ball – one tonight and another in the morning.
56th over: England 184-8 (Woakes 9, Archer 0) Jofra Archer emerges from Bumrah’s over with his wicket intact, though I’m not entirely sure how. Bumrah’s skill is mind-blowing.
Archer is not out! Yep, the ball sneaked under the bat, which then scraped the turf. India are down to their last review; I suspect they’ll get by.
India review for caught behind against Archer
The keeper Jurel leads the appeal for caught behind when Archer tries to drive a very full delivery outside off stump. It’s given not out and Gill reviews a little reluctantly. I think Archer’s bat scraped the ground.
Updated
WICKET! England 182-8 (Carse b Bumrah 1)
And it’s goodnight from Brydon Carse. He has just been bowled by a perfect yorker from Jasprit Bumrah, which pegged back the leg stump after sneaking under the bat.
Some of the England wickets today were eminently avoidable; not that one. It was a great delivery from an all-time great bowler. Absurdly, given how well he has bowled, it’s Bumrah’s first wicket of the innings.
Updated
55th over: England 181-7 (Woakes 8, Carse 1) Stokes had dragged a sweep for four earlier in the over, an effective but not particularly convincing shot.
“Hi Rob,” says Anthony Baxter. “Following on from Ray Murphy’s inspired reference, when Mr Smith finally makes it there, he encounters the crooked elder statesman Senator Paine, whose cricketing namesake also had a few, shall we say, bones in his closet.”
WICKET! England 181-7 (Stokes b Washington 33)
Washington Sundar has wiped out England’s middle order! Stokes threw everything into a slog sweep, missed and was cleaned up. He whacked his bat angrily before getting to his feet and stomping off furiously.
Not only has Washington dismissed Root, Stokes and Smith, he’s bowled all three of them.
Updated
54th over: England 177-6 (Stokes 29, Woakes 8) Jasprit Bumrah returns for a post-tea burst. He has a superb record against both these players, especially Woakes.
Stokes almost gets a taste of his own medicine when he survives a run-out chance to Gill at mid-off. The ball bounced perfectly into the hands of Gill, whose throw whistled past the stumps with the diving Stokes just short of his ground.
53rd over: England 176-6 (Stokes 28, Woakes 8) The dangerous Washington Sundar, who took 2 for 13 in seven overs before tea, resumes after the break. Stokes defends a series of deliveries before squirting a thick edge for as single. That takes him to 28 from 89 balls; a strike rate of 31 shows how responsibly Stokes has batted.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “This Test match, being as delicately balanced as the atmosphere when you’re on the night bus to London with Francis Begbie and realise you’ve forgotten to bring the cairds, is an engrossing watch. And the blossoming rivalry that is Alcaraz v Sinner is just about to start in the Wimbledon men’s singles final. The next few hours could be epic.”
Teatime reading
Mr Smith goes to Washington
Thanks for all the fawning nice emails about the above description of Jamie Smith’s wicket. Can I just reiterate that it’s Ray Murphy’s line, not mine? It’s far too classy and understated to have emerged from my brain.
Tea
52nd over: England 175-6 (Stokes 27, Woakes 8) Stokes pushes Jadeja between the legs of short leg, who didn’t have time to get down. Woakes is then beaten by a gorgeous delivery, much slower and bowled from wider on the crease.
This is so good, and there’s another two-and-a-half hours to come after tea. The match remains in the balance after another compelling session. England scored 77 in 27 overs for the loss of two wickets – but they were the wickets India wanted most, Joe Root and Jamie Smith.
The consensus is that India are fractionally ahead in the game. I think it’s closer than that.
51st over: England 173-6 (Stokes 26, Woakes 7) Stokes continues to defend almost solemnly against Washington. Every particle of his being is fighting to produce another Lord’s epic.
An accurate maiden ends with a good delivery that boings past the edge as Stokes goes back to defend.
50th over: England 173-6 (Stokes 26, Woakes 7) Woakes is beaten by a horrible delivery from Jadeja, speared in, just short of a length, from round the wicket before straightening dramatically. Time for two more overs before tea.
“Congratulations!” says John Starbuck. “I bet you were kept awake last night pondering the possibility of ‘Mr Smith goes to Washington’, delighted to get the chance to use it, and hopeful of the Guardian’s Quotes of the Year options.”
No no, I can take no credit. A reader by the name of Ray Murphy coined the phrase (at least on these pages) when Washington dismissed Steve Smith in the 2020-21 Border/Gavaskar series. And here’s the proof.
49th over: England 170-6 (Stokes 25, Woakes 5) Woakes skips down to clip Washington between mid-on and midwicket for four. That’s a fine shot.
The ball is spitting, as you’d expect on a pitch that has been in the oven for nearly four days. It sounds like Shoaib Bashir will be able to bowl despite the injury to his left hand. He’ll surely bat too, even if it’s one-handed like Malcolm Marshall in 1984.
Updated
48th over: England 165-6 (Stokes 24, Woakes 1) Maiden from Jadeja to Woakes.
Domink Hindal has shared an intriguing stat from Cricbuzz: since 2024, when playing the conventional sweep in Tests, Joe Root has scored 101 runs at an average of 17. I’d like to see the dismissals, and his sweeping stats before 2024, but an average that low suggests it’s not the safe shot many of us thought.
47th over: England 165-6 (Stokes 24, Woakes 1) There have been a number of dramatic momentum shifts in this brilliant Test match. We’re in the midst of another: England were 154 for 4 and eyeing 250+. Now they’re 165 for 6 and could struggle to reach 200.
Updated
England are in bother. Washington bowled Root round his legs and now he has done Smith on the outside. Smith pushed defensively down the wrong line and was mortified to see the ball go straight on to plink the off stump.
I’d like to see the replay again as there was probably some drift involved. Not that it matters: the big news is that Jamie Smith is out and India are into the bowlers.
WICKET! England 164-6 (Smith b Washington 6)
Mr Smith goes to Washington!
Updated
46th over: England 162-5 (Stokes 24, Smith 6) Jadeja bowls his fifth over, the ninth of spin in this innings. The only attacking strokes I can recall are sweeps, most of them unsuccessful; Stokes tries another and is hit on the pad outside the line.
45th over: England 159-5 (Stokes 23, Smith 4) Smith has started calmly, getting a long way forward to smother the spin whenever possible. Once he gets his eye in he will surely try to reverse the pressure. What England would give for a Gilchristian cameo today.
44th over: England 158-5 (Stokes 23, Smith 3) Jadeja’s over ends with a hopeful LBW appeal when Stokes is beaten by a sharply spinning delivery. There was doubt over height, line and point of contact; that aside it was plumb.
Stokes doesn’t look comfortable against Jadeja. Few left-handers would with the ball growling out of the footmarks.
“Extras seem to be a marker of difference in this match,” writes John Starbuck. “India gave England 31 of them in the first innings while England gave India only 12. It looks odd because you can’t blame the pitch or other conditions. I know Shubman Gill is a relatively novice captain, but he should be cracking down on this.”
I think that’s a bit harsh. There’s not much he – or Dhruv Jurel, who is a world-class keeper – could do about the byes and leg-byes. The no-balls and wides are even.
43rd over: England 155-5 (Stokes 23, Smith 1) The new batter Jamie Smith advances calmly to drive a single to long on. It feels weird saying this with Ben Stokes at the crease, at Lord’s, but Smith is now the key wicket for India.
WICKET! England 154-5 (Root b Washington 40)
Another dramatic twist in a game chockfull of them. Joe Root, possibly the best sweeper in the world, has been bowled round his legs by Washington Sundar!
I don’t believe that. Root rarely fails to middle a sweep, never mind miss one completely. He got too far across and the ball zipped on to hit middle and leg.
In very different ways, the world’s No1 and No2 batters have been bowled round their legs in the space of three hours.
Updated
42nd over: England 153-4 (Root 40, Stokes 21) Stokes has struggled against Jadeja for most of his career, and on pitches offering less than this. He tries to reverse the pressure with a reverse sweep but toe-ends it meekly on the leg side; then he nails a hard sweep for a single. This is compelling stuff.
41st over: England 149-4 (Root 39, Stokes 20) Washington wasn’t just an end-change facilitator: he stays on for as second over and is treated with caution by Stokes. A maiden.
40th over: England 149-4 (Root 38, Stokes 20) Yep, Jadeja does change ends, and completes an uneventful over in the time it takes me to type the first half of this sentence.
39th over: England 147-4 (Root 37, Stokes 19) Washington replaces Jadeja after just one over, presumably to facilitate a change of ends, and promptly gets one to spit at Root from outside off stump. Root plays it well.
This pitch has got something for everybody. Okay, for every bowler.
38th over: England 145-4 (Root 36, Stokes 18) That was so, so close. For the umpteenth time it showed the importance of the on-field decision. I hadn’t realised at first that Root walked both across the stumps and down the pitch. That’s why it looked plumb to the naked eye rather than very, very close.
Root is not out! Goodness me, the margins in this game. Root walked across to Siraj, missed a flick to leg and was hit on the pad in front of off and middle. To the naked eye it looked out. But to the ball-tracking it was umpire’s call, hitting the outside of leg stump, so Root survives. Siraj, who is probably box office when he’s brushing his teeth, punches the air in frustration.
Thanks Jim, hello ever– never mind the pleasantries, India have just called for a very good-looking LBW review against Joe Root. I think this is out.
Updated
37th over: England 140-4 (Root 36, Stokes 15) We’re going to have some spin for the first time in the innings. Ravindra Jadeja is summoned to see if he can break this partnership between Root and Stokes. Root reverse paddles and Jadeja fancies it as an lbw but runs are given as it came straight off the bat. The single brings up the fifty partnership, England are re-building. Wiser sages than I suggest that England won’t be comfortable unless they get to a lead of three hundred or more but I can definitely see them defending something around 250 on this wearing wicket.
Anyway, it’s time for a slurp of electrolytes/Tizer for the players, here’s Rob Smyth to take you through the rest of the day. It promises to be a belter. Thanks for your company and correspondence, bye!
Updated
36th over: England 135-4 (Root 33, Stokes 14) Siraj slides another four byes down the leg side, England have now benefitted to the tune of 25 runs from byes – second highest scorer, thank you very much. Siraj has his dander up (when does he not?) and hammers away at a good length, targeting the top of off stump and nibbling it about. Gets one to nip back to Root and it clips the pad on the way to Jurel, Siraj goes up but KL Rahul spoils the party by indicating it wasn’t off the edge. Root clips away for two into the leg side to keep England ticking.
35th over: England 129-4 (Root 31, Stokes 14) Thick edge from Stokes and it flashes away over gully for four amongst the dots from Bumrah.
34th over: England 125-4 (Root 31, Stokes 10) Root is nearly cleaned up by an inswinger by Siraj, goes for the drive but it misses everything and beats Jurel to skitter away for four byes.
33rd over: England 119-4 (Root 30, Stokes 9) Bumrah is getting the ball to snake and jag off the wicket but is still, incredulously, wicketless so far in this innings. Stokes survives a nip-backer that hit him too high on the pad to be in real danger. It’s a maiden as both sides tussle for the ascendancy.
Updated
32nd over: England 119-4 (Root 30, Stokes 9) Root nearly drags on to Siraj! A full ball outside off and Root’s eyes lit up. He almost tried to hit it too hard and an inside edge canons into his shoe and dribbles past the stumps. Root chopped on in the first innings and would have been furious to get out to that shot. India know that Root’s wicket is the golden ticket.
Updated
31st over: England 118-4 (Root 30, Stokes 8) Edges of seats are inched onto around Lord’s as Bumrah judders in from the Nursery End. This is the end from which most of the variable bounce has come from but there’s no sign of it in this over. Stoke clips a single off his hip and Root dots out the rest.
Updated
30th over: England 117-4 (Root 30, Stokes 7) It’s been a soporific re-start after lunch but that could all be about to change as Jasprit Bumrah is summoned.
29th over: England 115-4 (Root 28, Stokes 7) The pitch goes up and down again from the Nursery End. Stokes is pranged amidships to a short ball that scuttles through lower than he thought. Deep breaths, Benjamin. Three more added to England’s total amongst the huffin’ and puffin’.
Love this from Scott Blair:
“I don’t generally bother too much with sport - I’m at the age where any kind of jeopardy can become unsettling - but I’d bought “Sky” for the month to watch the Lions tour.
Didn’t realise the cricket was included, to be frank...and now I don’t remember a more entertaining Sunday morning. What a game test cricket can be!”
28th over: England 112-4 (Root 26, Stokes 6) Root accumulates three runs off Akash Deep without any fuss.
Ram Sridhar is feeling bullish…
“Brook can’t be blamed for that extravagant shot. How else would the game move forward?. Had it come off, there would have glorified his batting. Also this will not be a straight forward chase. Anything >150, England should win.”
27th over: England 109-4 (Root 23, Stokes 6) Siraj from the Nursery End. He likes the look of an lbw appeal to Root but it didn’t have much going for it, Root got outside the line and Gill does well not to buckle to the demands of his excitable bowler. Root scampers a run to get a leg bye and brings Stokes on strike. Bosh! Stokes cuts a wide ball away for an emphatic four.
Updated
26th over: England 100-4 (Root 18, Stokes 2) Akash Deep starts from the Pavilion End to Joe Root, Root gets a tickle on a length ball but Jurel spills it! No mither – it was a front foot no ball – Not that Root knew that when he feathered the edge. A steered single from Root takes England to three figures.
Righto, where’s you moolah on this one? The players emerge after lunch and a pivotal session is about to get underway.
Anand is already getting a bit jittery from an Indian perspective… feels a bit premature!
“Afternoon James! Cracking morning session and the afternoon one promises much. I reckon 150 to 175 is what India can chase. Anything more would be difficult with Archer’s extra pace and Stokes in good rhythm. Add Lord’s specialist Woakes and it already looks as steep as the slope. However, I do wish to be proven wrong.”
Updated
Lunch: England 98-4, leading by, well, 98 runs.
Bumrah finds some hooping swing but fires down the leg side to gift England four more byes. Stokes gets off the mark with an outside edge for two wide of gully and then plays a textbook forward defence to the next ball. Can England make it to lunch without losing another? Four in a morning is quite enough thankyou. A bouncer from Bumrah is swayed under from Stokes. One ball left… Stokes blocks it and survives.
A brilliant, magnetic session of cricket comes to a close.
I need a lie down. Or a pint. Or both.
25th over: England 98-4 (Root 17, Stokes 2)
Updated
24th over: England 91-4 (Root 16, Stokes 0) Hands on heads from India as Stokes edges Akash Deep but the ball lands just short of the cordon! Swing and a miss from Stokes! A pull across the line but the ball is too full, it beats Stokes and Jurel and runs away for four byes. England will take ‘em. They need ‘em.
There will be one last over from Bumrah before lunch. Buckle up.
23rd over: England 87-4 (Root 16, Stokes 0) Root survives a probing maiden from Bumrah.
Brook was undone by his own arrogance/bravado but also a subtle change in the field from Shubman Gill who moved a fielder fine to long leg to prevent Brook scooping fine for four as he had done twice in the previous over. Brook attempted to sweep in order to hit the ball squarer, a harder shot and one he is less proficient at. He left his stumps exposed and paid the price. Akash Deep celebrated with real fervour too, a big big moment in the game and series.
22nd over: England 87-4 (Root 16, Stokes 0) Ben Stokes strides out to a hearty cheer but it belies plenty of nerves from the home fans here at Lord’s. His side need him to deliver a score right here, right now. Ayeeeee! Deep whistles one past Stokes’ edge first ball. Pulsating cricket and guess what – Jasprit Bumrah is coming on for a couple of overs before lunch. Gulp.
WICKET! Harry Brook b Akash Deep 23 (England 87-4)
Huge moment in the game as Harry Brook attempts the slog sweep to Akash Deep and sees his middle stump splattered! The India players are cock-a-bleedin’-hoop as well they might be – that twists the needle their way significantly. Brooks’ counter-attack is snuffed out ten minutes before lunch.
Updated
21st over: England 84-3 (Root 13, Brook 23) Liquid wrists from Brook as he pings a full ball from Reddy through midwicket for four.
”I’m not quite on the ‘get Crawley in the bin’ camp yet” writes an exceedingly well balanced Toby Sims, “half because of my ignorance of alternatives, and because there have been some very fun opening partnerships (not something we get to say that often). Willing to be corrected, but pragmatic at the moment.
One thing Barney did get right is the easy life compared to previous eras. I’ve always thought Michael Carberry would have absolutely loved being in this side and it would have suited him. Perhaps rose tinted hindsight, but I thought after that walloping Down Under, he at least came out with credit, and should have been treated better.
Anyway, I’m off to ignore the cricket for an hour and hope we don’t get in the bin in the meantime.”
20th over: England 77-3 (Root 10, Brook 19) The counter attack is on! Harry Brook scoops consecutive fours off Akash Deep and then bunts a full delivery down the ground and into the Pavilion for SIX! Shades of Pietersen to McGrath here in 2005 with that shot. The members on their feet and giving it the full ‘what-ho’ with gusto.
"It’s wonderful cricket to watch, this” Mike Atherton exhales on the Sky commentary. He’s played and seen quite a bit in his time too.
19th over: England 61-3 (Root 9, Brook 5) Pant is still off the field with that dodgy finger so Dhruv Jurel is behind the sticks and he’s up to the stumps to Reddy in an attempt to keep Harry Brook in his crease. It does the job as Reddy stitches together a maiden.
18th over: England 61-3 (Root 9, Brook 5) Shot! Joe Root plays a beautiful square drive all along the baize for four. That’s what you should’ve done Zak! There’s about a fifty-fifty split in my inbox about whether Crawley has indeed run out of rope. There’s a bit of a gap between this Test and the fourth at Old Trafford, the debate will swirl and whirl.
17th over: England 56-3 (Root 4, Brook 5) Harry Brook tries to put the pressure back on India’s change bowlers, Reddy drops short and is cut away viciously square of the wicket for four.
Here’s Barney Ronay on Zak Crawley from day one…
Look at the numbers. Factor in the vibe, the weather, the positive energy around this team. Put it all together and Crawley is a fair candidate for the title of most cosseted England cricketer of all time. It is weirdly beautiful in its own way. Picture this, oh drawn and tortured opening batters of decades past.
Imagine a world where people just tell you you’re great. Where you’re urged to play only the shots you like and be damned. Where you get to bat on flat pitches. Where almost every other cricketer will be saddled with learning white ball skills, rushed between formats. But not you. Rest. Be ready. Do you.”
16th over: England 51-3 (Root 2, Brook 1) Akash Deep replaces Siraj from the Pavilion End. Harry Brook charges down and tries to marmalise him over extra cover but neasrly swings himself off his feet and connects with nowt. “That’s a bit wild” drawls Ian Ward with significant understatement.
Sure enough, the knives are being sharpened for Zak Crawley in the OBO mailbag.
“Well Reddy has finally put Crawley out of his misery. Can the selectors please do likewise for the next Test?” writes Keith Astbury.
“Let that be the last of Crawley please” sighs Steve Downing from the Mound Stand.
15th over: England 51-3 (Root 2, Brook 1) There will be plenty of chatter about Crawley’s place now, especially if England go on to lose this Test and with a talent like Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings. Harry Brook joins Root in the middle. England need some Yorkshire defiance right about… now!
WICKET! Zak Crawley c Jaiswal b Nitish Kumar Reddy 22 (England 50-3)
Crawley plays a loose drive and is caught by Jaiswal at gully! Gah. *Ray Winstone voice* there are ways to get out and ways to not get out and wafting airily to Nitish kumar Reddy ain’t one of them. England in strife here at Lord’s.
Updated
14th over: England 49-2 (Crawley 22, Root 2) “Hello James!”
Back atcha Rowan Tewari.
“Pleased to see you on the OBO double shift. I must say the drama seems to boil over when you’re on, surely a sign to the higher ups that no AI named Jimbot could take over your job!”
I’ve pasted this to the top of my Curriculum Vitae already, Rowan.
“On a more serious note, this series has been defined by tricky new ball periods with batters making hay against the old ball, but I fear run scoring won’t be so easy against the old ball once the spin twins begin operating.”
It’s hard to know what a good score might be in this tricky third innings, Dinesh Karthik on Sky suggests a minimum score for England is 300, far be it for me to disagree with DK but that seams high on the evidence of this pitch at the moment. England are on the brink of reaching fifty with a Root single off Siraj.
13th over: England 48-2 (Crawley 22, Root 1) Bumrah might’ve been tempted to bowl an over at Root but he’s bowled five on the spin and decides it is time for a breather. If I was Shubman Gill (spoiler – I’m not) I reckon I’d have asked my star man to give me on more. Root’s wicket is huge now in the context of this match ands series. Still, it is going to be Nitish Kumar Reddy from the Nursery End. Reddy’s pace is well down on what has come so far this morning, we might see Crawley try and take him down here – sure enough a 78mph short ball is pongoed away on the pull through midwicket for four.
Joe Root emerges for England and the players take a drink. That has been an utterly compelling first hour and India are on top of England here at Lord’s. Play it again, Joe?
12th over: England 42-2 (Crawley 15, Root 0) Mo Siraj is absolutely pumped.
Updated
WICKET! Ollie Pope lbw b Mohammed Siraj 4 (England 42-2)
Siraj scuds one through Ollie Pope and pins him lbw! It was given not out on the field but it looked pretty plum, Siraj certainly thought so and he implored his captain to send it upstairs. Sure enough it was hitting the top of middle stump and Pope has to depart.
Updated
11th over: England 36-1 (Crawley 15, Pope 4) Things quieten down a smidge but it is no less tense at Lord’s. Crawley clips a couple off his pads for two.
10th over: England 36-1 (Crawley 15, Pope 4) Siraj bustles in but Pope is up to the challenge, blocking out a maiden with stout defence. A significant score from him or Crawley today might quieten the doubters once and for all, these are the most challenging conditions for batting all series.
Decent shout from Mike F who messages to say that the pitch reminds him of this:
9th over: England 36-1 (Crawley 15, Pope 4) A length ball from Bumrah keeps low (!) and Crawley squirts an inside edge through square leg for two. Eeesht! Crawley ‘French cuts’ away for four down to fine leg. Crawley then shows decent judgement by leaving well alone outside off. Ball is dominating bat for once in this series and the cricket is all the better for it.
Tom Atkinson has fessed up by the way:
“I’d like to apologise to England fans for causing Duckett’s wicket by saying to myself how great it was to be spending my Sunday morning watching a batter scoring runs against elite level quicks through skilful timing and placement. Obviously the gods must have heard, and the next ball he plays the ramp, then two balls later gets out playing a boneheaded rounders shot. Can’t help but feel responsible, sorry.”
Updated
8th over: England 30-1 (Crawley 9, Pope 4) Nasser Hussain is all for the fired up nature of Siraj’s celebration, he’s not condoning the physical contact but he says it is an emotional game and it is very much on the line right now. Also, the replays show that Siraj walked in a straight line after taking the wicket and it was Duckett that crossed his path. There’s a forensic examination happening on the tv right now. You certainly can’t take your eyes off it.
Crawley decides he’s going to have a flash at Siraj and aims two booming drives to length balls but connects only with fresh air. A clip for two and a leg bye keep England ticking, every run feels so important.
7th over: England 27-1 (Crawley 7, Pope 4) This is electric cricket. The pitch has come alive and Siraj and Bumrah are mining it for its spoils. Crawley is beaten by a Bumrah beauty that zips past the outside edge. A single down to deep third sees Pope come on strike to Bumrah. Spits into the glove once more! Pope wrings out his hand and grimaces, it’s nasty stuff for the batter’s at the moment. My days! Bumrah takes Pope’s edge and it soars over the slip cordon and away for four!
I can see the emails piling up, apologies I will get to them. I’m wringing my knuckles a but here!
6th over: England 22-1 (Crawley 6, Pope 0) The umpire has a word with Shubman Gill, I think Siraj might be called to the Umpire’s office after the close of play. Physical contact is a no-no even if Siraj might protest it was just a glance and was accidental, ump. Ollie Pope arrives in the middle and all eyes are glued to this contest. Don’t go anywhere!
WICKET! Ben Duckett c Bumrah b Mohammed Siraj 12 (England 22-1)
It’s all kicking off! Duckett scoops Siraj for four over the keeper’s head but the bowler gets his revenge and then some! Duckett goes to pull but the ball but it beats him for pace and he plinks an easy catch to mid-on. Siraj gives the pint sized batter a full serve and there’s even a little shoulder barge for afters! It is Feisty.
Updated
5th over: England 18-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 8) Bumrah is getting some real up and down bounce now from the Nursery End. Duckett clips for two and then scampers a single to cover. Crawley flays at a length ball and gets a meaty edge that flies wide of gully and away for four! He wasn’t in control at all but he did flash hard. Cripes! Bumrah gets another ball to lift and slam into Crawley’s gloves. The Kent opener must have robust hands, remember Nasser’s Poppadom fingers*?
*“I’ll be mother!”
Updated
4th over: England 11-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 5) Duckett gets off strike off the first ball of the over once more. Clever lad. Siraj snakes one back into Crawley’s pad and India like the look of it. The umpire says no but they send it upstairs… NOT OUT and review burned – it was missing leg stump. Zak Crawley’s eyes are wider than hubcaps out there at the minute.
Jasprit Bumrah from the Nursery End… sizzling atmosphere here at Lord’s. Duckett continues his perky start by clipping for a single to get off strike. Right, Bumrah vs Crawley take two. Here we go!
Chance! Ouch! Bumrah gets one to spit off a good length and it slams into Crawley’s left hand, that came out of nowhere! The ball flies up off the glove and Bumrah hares after the looping Dukes for the return catch. He doesn’t quite get there, a finger end on it as it drops to the turf. Great drama. Crawley could not do anything about that, no histrionics needed, that would have hurt. This fourth day pitch is starting to offer up some spice too.
3rd over: England 10-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 4)
Updated
2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 3) Siraj steams in and sends a wild delivery down the leg-side, waaaay out of the reach of a diving Pant and a loud cheer goes around Lord’s as four byes are gifted to England. Duckett drives through mid-off for three runs, didn’t middle it but its a positive start from him. Crawley comes on strike and the Lord’s hum goes up a few notches.
Plenty of chatter from India’s fielders. Crawley dots out the rest of the over, here comes Jasprit!
The players emerge onto a now sun soaked outfield. Jerusalem is dispatched into the North London environs. Mohammed Siraj is going to start from the Pavilion End. Lot’s of short sentences. To build up anticipation.
Let’s play!
Cricketing needle strikes me as a good OBO sub plot to the day’s action. My mind goes immediately to Michael Clarke telling Jimmy Anderson to “Get ready for a broken F***en’ arm” in Australia a few Ashes ago. The ‘e’ in the expletive is all important.
Patrick Fullick remembers Snowy and Sunny facing off.
“The little fracas between Crawley and Gill last night took my mind back to the 1971 Lords Test between England and India, in which John Snow barged Sunil Gavaskar out of the way to get to the ball as Gavaskar was running between the wickets. Gavaskar dropped his bat in the collision, which Snow then picked up and casually threw back to him, smiling at the same time. There’s aggression for you! And yes, I remember it well.”
Play will begin in about ten minutes time. No you’re excited. I’m in the press box so have got to keep a lid on it, to an extent. Too much exclaiming and there’s still enough gnarly old boys about who will likely greet such effusing with a withering glance.
Anyway, there’s just time enough to get yourself up to speed by reading young whippersnapper Ali Martin’s report of yesterday’s action:
Simon Law isn’t afraid of a plug on the sabbath:
“Our band put out a song a while back called ‘Sunday Morning, New York City’… I’d like everyone to listen and reimagine it as ‘Sunday Morning, St John’s Wood’.
Meanwhile, Barney Ronay delved into the the murky world of ball chat:
Andy Bull has been in fine fettle as per forever, I loved his piece on Jofra Archer on day two:
and here he is on yesterday and the Gautam Gambhirification of Bazball:
Harry Brook was having some throw downs in the Nursery ground nets as I walked past half an hour ago. Most of the England players are now on the outfield playing their game of keepie uppies.
India’s players are in a huge team huddle about 80 metres away. It’s a tired old cliche but the first hour of play this morning really is the definition of a big one.
Preamble
Sunday morning coming down? Hardly.
This third Test between England and India is on a knife edge. But more than that. How about a trapeze artist in 7inch heels tottering along a greased up machete above shark infested waters. In a howling gale. Something like that I suppose.
England lead by the grand total of two runs on first innings and things got a bit spicy on the third evening last night.
Zak Crawley gave a cynical/hilarious/his best Daniel Day Lewis impression to make sure England only had to face one over at the close, it was less My Left Foot and more My Right Glove (there will be definitely wasn’t any blood). Shubman Gill and his men took umbrage and it all got a bit shouty and pointy at the close.
A bit of good old fashioned needle to keep us all on our toes this morning then. England will likely try and force the game along in the first session but with that comes a certain risk. We wouldn’t want it any other way, eh?
Play begins at 11am, Jim here at a muggy Lord’s (dare I say it could be bowling conditions…) on the tools until this afternoon when Rob Smyth will take you tenderly by the hand at lwead you through the rest of the day.
Do give us a shout if you are tuning in. Thought, theories, predictions and pension advice all welcomed.
Let’s get into it.
