That’s all for today. We’ll leave you with Ali Martin’s report. Night!
Ollie Pope’s reaction
Slow day. Very slow day. Credit to the way India bowled on a pitch that, after lunch, didn’t really offer loads. We wanted to make it happened a little bit quicker but that’s still a pretty solid score if we can kick on tomorrow.
There wasn’t much pace in the pitch. It felt like you really had to force it – usually in England you get reward for your cuts and your clips. Here even when you beat the infield it only seems to get for two. Still, a pretty solid day.
The outfield at Lord’s is pretty lush so hopefully we can keep the ball swinging for a long time as well.
They bowled pretty wide to me today so I knew the risk was to drive through the covers with the bounce early on. We knew batting would get easier so that was the plan [to play watchfully].
It didn’t rag today, I played a pretty average shot, but there was probably more turn than I expected even with the slope. It’s a dry surface so hopefully that’ll benefit us in the fourth innings.
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In some ways the story of the day can be told by England’s scoring rate: 3.02 runs per over, which is about 50 per cent down on their average under Ben Stokes. That’s a reflection of an awkward pitch, some forensic seam bowling, England’s increasing maturity and the sheer importance of this game.
Stumps Root 99 not out
83rd over: England 251-4 (Root 99, Stokes 39) The early signs are that India have picked a very good second new ball. Root, surprised by some extra bounce, pops a leading edge up in the air but wide of the bowler Deep.
Root forces two to Jadeja at deep point to 98. He plays a similar shot later in the over – but this times it’s closer to Jadeja and it’s too risky to come back for a second. Jadeja teases Root by putting the ball on the ground, encouraging him to try for the second. That’s nice.
There are pantomime boos when Stokes defends the penultimate delivery, because it means Root can’t get back on strike, and applause when he does the same to the final ball of a brilliant day’s play.
Joe Root will resume tomorrow morning on 99 not out, an innings of unobtrusive brilliance without which England would be in a spot of bother. I never thought I’d see an England batter as good as Joe Root; sometimes it’s lovely to be wrong.
82nd over: England 248-4 (Root 96, Stokes 39) Root pushes Bumrah for two and then one to move to 96. Bumrah almost swallows a ladybird on the way to his mark, not that it affects the quality of his bowling. The next two balls are huge inswingers that hit Stokes on the pad; both would have missed leg stump.
Time for one more over. Root will be on strike, on 96.
“Bob,” says Mac Millings. “Please allow me to present, for Matt Dony’s pleasure and probably no one else’s, the All-time What If We Let Millings Do the OBO XI.”
I’ll grudgingly admit that he’s excelled himself this time.
Mark Regretbatch
Everton Two Weekes’ Notice
Sacked ‘im Tendulkar
W.G. Disgrace
Quinton de Kock-up
Adam Gilchrist’sSake
Kapil Dever Again
Appalled Allott
Bill “Call the” Copson
Cameron Cuff him
Willie Watsonearthwereyouthinking?
81st over: England 245-4 (Root 93, Stokes 39) The umpires eventually tell the players to crack on, though Ben Stokes isn’t happy and keeps waving them away with his glove. He’s going to be raging if he gets out here.
Stokes offers no strokes to the last two deliveries of the over, so now it’ll be Bumrah to Root at the other end.
Ladybirds stop play!
80.4 overs: England 245-4 (Root 93, Stokes 39) Akash Deep gets first crack with the new ball. He bowls one delivery with the old, three with the new… and then there’s a delay because a load of flying ants of ladybirds are whizzing round Lord’s. What on earth?
“Wonderful slow day’s play,” writes Jonny Sultton. “More Batenaccio than Bazball. I was pondering midway through the last test if Duckett/Crawley could run into each other and we get some blockers in as concussion substitutes. The second innings called for Sibley/Hameed, both who have had experience of course and seem to have matured rather marvellously. They are also in cracking form this season.”
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80th over: England 242-4 (Root 91, Stokes 38) Apologies, we’ve had technical problems for the last 10 minutes or so. Seems to be fine, just in time for the second new ball. India will have time for three, maybe four overs tonight.
79th over: England 240-4 (Root 90, Stokes 37) India are rushing through the overs so that they can take the second new ball. Ben Stokes isn’t rushing anywhere with his leg problem, and at this stage it looks unlikely he’ll be able to bowl. For now England need his runs and you wonder whether he should retire hurt. Send a nightwatchman out for the new ball.
78th over: England 237-4 (Root 89, Stokes 35) Root feels for a vicious delivery by Jadeja that bursts past the edge and is beautifully caught by the sub keeper Jurel. He goes up for caught behind – actually it was more of an excitable hop – but it’s given not out and Gill declines to review.
Replays confirm that it beat the bat; only just mind.
77th over: England 236-4 (Root 89, Stokes 35) Stokes is struggling again. “Doesn’t look like cramp to me,” says Stuart Broad on commentary.
76th over: England 234-4 (Root 88, Stokes 34) Root hammers a sweep off Jadeja to cow corner to move to 88. That’s the ninth boundary of what has generally – and I say this purely as a compliment – been an anonymous innings.
75th over: England 228-4 (Root 83, Stokes 33) Spin at both ends now. That’s mainly because of the proximity to the second new ball, but it doesn’t hurt to test Stokes’ ability to push forward. He looks comfortable enough during another relatively uneventful over from Sundar.
74th over: England 226-4 (Root 82, Stokes 32) Root deals with that problem for six balls by playing out a maiden from Jadeja.
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73rd over: England 226-4 (Root 82, Stokes 32) Stokes is continuing for now. He’s still not happy and is stretching between deliveries. As Ravi Shastri says, that could make life difficult when he tries to get a stride in against the spinners.
There’s a break in play while Ben Stokes receives treatment. He signalled to the boundary immediately after tweaking something while leaving the ball outside off stump. The physio is on and Stokes is stretching his right leg; the commentators think it might be a groin problem.
72nd over: England 225-4 (Root 81, Stokes 32) Root brings up the fifty partnership with a gorgeous on-drive for four. That’s his first boundary of the session yet at no stage has he been bogged down. Sure he has scored only 19 of that 50 partnership but that’s mainly because of his superior ability to get off strike.
71st over: England 219-4 (Root 76, Stokes 31) Root unfurls the reverse sweep for the first time today to get another single. Stokes adds two more to move into the thirties; he was out for 33 in each of the first two Tests, if you’re into that sort of thing.
“If we’re going to get Millings to write the OBO, I’ll chip in a fiver,” says Matt Dony. “Can you imagine the themed XIs we’d get if we gave him free rein for a few hours?”
I can imagine the PXLV that would appear in my pigeonhole if I gave Millings access the publishing system.
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70th over: England 216-4 (Root 75, Stokes 29) Reddy is given another over and switches over the wicket to Stokes. He tries to force a wide ball that keeps low and hits the bottom of the bat. That’s another delivery to support Stuart Broad’s view that this pitch will go up and down.
If it does, how England will lament their lack of a 6ft, 90mph bowler who gets close to the stumps and bowls wicket to wicket. Wait a minute…
“Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Continuing the OBO world tour via Siberia, upstate New York, central Brazil and west Wales, greetings from Dundee on the east coast of Scotland where it’s currently warmer than central Brazil, a cloudy but pleasant 21 degrees, a marvellous day for playing watching cricket.
“Just cut my grass and am now admiring my Old Father Time weather vane that I installed on my shed roof a few summers ago, following the OBO, pretending I’m at Lord’s. And I’ve got beers in the fridge, and am about to fire up the barbecue. Couldn’t do that if I really was there, could I? Winning at life, that’s what I say.”
69th over: England 215-4 (Root 75, Stokes 28) All of England’s top six have got into double figures today, which may something about the pitch. The fact only one has gone past fifty definitely says something about Joe Root.
“Akash Deep’s sister is being treated for cancer and he dedicated his performance last Test to her,” writes Ram Sridhar. “One thing I have learnt over the years and trying to mature as an avid cricket fan is: never criticise any cricketer without knowing what they have gone or going through.”
I didn’t know that about Deep. I guess it reinforces your point, with which I completely agree.
68th over: England 213-4 (Root 74, Stokes 27) Stokes swishes and misses outside off stump. Careful Benjamin.
Stokes is not out!
It was umpire’s call on line, hitting the outside of leg stump. Stokes survives.
India review for LBW against Stokes!
India want to bring Jadeja on but he has to wait three minutes due to a short spell on the field. It’ll be Nitish Kumar Reddy, presumably for a solitary over unless he takes a wicket.
His second ball is too straight and turned fine for four by Stokes. It feels like England have scored a lot of runs down there today.
Stokes tries a similar stroke, this time on the walk, and is hit on the pad. India go up for LBW and then decide to review. This could be close.
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Drinks: Root and Stokes regroup
67th over: England 207-4 (Root 74, Stokes 23) Washington is bowling his overs at Jadejan speed. Stokes works two off the pads and hits a single on the off side. That’s drinks.
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66th over: England 203-4 (Root 73, Stokes 20) Root borrows some sailor’s vocabulary after being hit in the stomach by Siraj. I didn’t hear it but Sky’s Ian Ward apologised for any effin’ and jeffin’ that was picked up by the stump mic.
It’s Root’s turn to apologise, or at least explain, when he pulls away just as Siraj is about to enter his delivery stride. The Spidercam was in Root’s peripheral vision, a reasonable explanation for which Siraj has absolutely no sympathy.
I think Siraj is playing up to his angry reputation on this occasion. He’s so watchable. He couldn’t bowl a bloodless spell if he tried.
65th over: England 202-4 (Root 72, Stokes 20) For the last half hour we’ve only really spoken about Ben Stokes’ batting. The reason for that is that Joe Root is getting off strike almost at will. Sundar’s over is another example: Stokes scores one from five balls, Root one from one.
“My guess is that your insights into the 61st over were mindblowing,” writes Mac Millings, “and the fact that it remains, through no fault of your own, unpublished, leaves the world a poorer place.”
Come on then, Cardus, name your price to write the OBO for a couple of hours. I’ll sell my retro football shirt collection to pay for it.
64th over: England 200-4 (Root 71, Stokes 19) Stokes looks pretty good at the crease but I’m not sure that counts for much; by that I mean he has rarely looked all at sea during his lean run. He just keeps getting out, often for nothing scores between 11 and 49.
Siraj digs in a short ball and Stokes gloves a pull for a single. That brings up the England 200.
63rd over: England 196-4 (Root 70, Stokes 16) Gill flips his spinner in an attempt to flip the script. On comes the offspinner Washington Sundar, who trapped Stokes LBW on the final day at Edgbaston. Really good over to start, including a big turner past the edge and a skiddy straight ball that almost gets through Stokes to trap him LBW.
62nd over: England 196-4 (Root 70, Stokes 16) Siraj, who reminds me of Darren Gough in his unflinching belief that his wicket is just a ball or two away, replaces Akash Deep. Stokes plinks a drive off the bottom of the bat and flips it round to take a look. It’s not the bat, Ben, it’s the pitch and/or the ball.
Any thoughts on whether this is a good score? My hunch is England would be satisfied with 350, but who knows.
“Regarding the discussion during the previous OBO about Bradman being a nervous starter, how did you quantify it?” asks Kishalay Banerjee. “Is it based on the control percentage of shots in the initial stage of the innings?”
For Bradman I think it was purely on dismissal ratio in the first 10/20 balls (I think) because there isn’t any data on control percentage for his era. It was partly a bit of fun, partly a serious attempt to see whether Bradman had any weaknesses and largely a waste of the readers’ time.
61st over: England 193-4 (Root 70, Stokes 13)
60th over: England 192-4 (Root 70, Stokes 12) It’s not just batters who can struggle to back up a career-defining performance. Akash Deep has followed his ten-for at Edgbaston with of 15-2-68-0 today. They’re a bit harsh, in truth, as he’s bowled a number of jaffas. But he’s also bowled more loose balls, presumably because of mental and/or physical fatigue.
59th over: England 188-4 (Root 67, Stokes 11) Jadeja replaces a weary Jasprit Bumrah, who has bowled 17 of a possible 29 overs at one end. (He’s switched ends during the day but you know what you mean, and if you don’t there’s nothing I can do for you.)
Root, stealthiness itself, moves to 67 with a couple of no-risk singles.
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58th over: England 185-4 (Root 65, Stokes 10) Short and wide from Deep, a rare piece of filth that Stokes slaps wristily through backward point for four.
Oof, Stokes almost falls next ball when he toe-ends another cut shot that loops over the head of Bumrah at backward point. Four more.
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57th over: England 177-4 (Root 65, Stokes 2) Stokes is beaten by a snorter from Bumrah that straightens and lifts from round the wicket. He gets off the mark next ball with a clip for two.
Stokes’ diminishing returns with the bat, revealed exclusively on the OBO about six months ago, have been discussed a lot in the last couple of weeks; he hasn’t made a Test century since that serene rampage against Australia on this ground two years ago.
56th over: England 173-4 (Root 63, Stokes 0) Akash Deep replaces Ravindra Jadeja and goes straight round the wicket to Stokes. A challenging over ends with an inside edge onto the pad; Deep started to go up for LBW and then realised.
“I can’t help feeling today is a real victory for all of us at the OBO,” says Pete Salmon. “It’s taken a few years but we’ve finally seen of Bazball, and we are back to proper criggid. As a bonus for all us cricket nerds, this is also of course an example of regression to the mean. I was watching a game about ten years ago with some Americans, and they asked why the batsmen didn’t just try and hit every ball for six. I patiently explained it all to them as they gradually drifted away. The last few years have sorely tested my confidence. But now we are back where we belong. If we can see off T20 then all will be well in the world.”
55th over: England 172-4 (Root 62, Stokes 0) A wicket maiden from Bumrah, who has cracking figures of 16-3-29-1.
A replay of Brook’s dismissal shows he was caught on the crease, possibly because Bumrah pushed him back in the short ball. It was still a brilliant delivery but maybe Brook could have played it better. That’s three innings in a row he’s been out bowled or LBW to the nipbacker.
A mouthwatering contest between the No1 batter and bowler in the Test rankings has been won hands down by Bumrah. A seemingly innocuous over came to life when the penultimate delivery roared back off the seam to beat Brook and thump into off stump. Stunning work from Bumrah, a bowler of mind-blowing brilliance.
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WICKET! England 172-4 (Brook b Bumrah 11)
Maaaaaaaaagnificent bowling from Jasprit Bumrah!
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54th over: England 172-3 (Root 62, Brook 11) Jadeja rushes through his fourth over, and why not.
“The OBO is a brilliant community,” says Matt Dony. “Seeing interesting emails from interesting people the world over genuinely improves the experience of following live sport. (And the actual, yknow, commentary and journalism and top-quality writing, natch!) Still, sitting in an office in West Wales at the end of a long day, reading about sunny New York mornings and Brazilian evenings… Well, it’s easy to go off people, isn’t it?”
53rd over: England 170-3 (Root 61, Brook 10) Root inside-edges Bumrah past the stumps for two. Brook then wears a big nip-backer on the leg; this one, unlike Akash Deep’s devastating delivery on Sunday, was too high for an LBW.
“We were discussing balls at my son’s juniors game the other week,” writes Andy Pechey, “and wondered if Test balls go out of shape because they’re being hit harder and further, into concrete stands etc. than they used to be, and so go out of shape sooner. It doesn’t appear in T20 or even 50-over games as the ball doesn’t need to last as long. Or are we, a bunch of ill-qualified dads, talking rubbish?”
Apparently that viewed is shared by the people at Dukes, who make the balls that are used in England, so stop being so hard on yourself: you’re not ill qualified.
(Joking aside, because it’s not all merriment and cookies round here, I’ve no idea whether that theory has merit but is it certainly gaining the old traction.)
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52nd over: England 167-3 (Root 58, Brook 10) Jadeja is getting plenty out of his day one pitch. Brook glides him for four, a shot played with soft hands to ensure it landed short of gully.
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Bumrah to Root: case closed Nothing on UltraEdge, and I’ve no idea what the noise was because it didn’t hit the helmet either.
51st over: England 160-3 (Root 56, Brook 5) India go up for caught behind when Root plays a flappy hook off Bumrah. The umpire is unmoved and both Gill and Bumrah aren’t convinced it hit the top edge. There was definitely a noise though.
While we wait for UltraEdge to satisfy our curiosity, Brook times Bumrah crisply to the cover boundary.
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URGENT
Could somebody please help our friend and colleague Emma John, because she’s about to drop a very, very weighty name
So I got five hours sleep last night after hosting a charity event for Cricket Beyond Boundaries but it was all worth it because this morning I was in the Lord’s Museum at 7.30am to meet Sachin before the start of play so that he could unveil his new Lord’s portrait…” writes Emma. “The chap in the picture is the artist Stuart Pearson Wright, who admitted he knows so little about cricket he had no idea who Sachin was when he first met him. I especially love that he chose an outfit he thought would look ‘crickety’ (I’m thinking he watched a lot of Peter Davis-era Doctor Who).
50th over: England 155-3 (Root 55, Brook 1) That catch gets better each time you see it because there was a big deflection. Harry Brook is the new batter.
“Greetings from sunny central Brazil,” writes Rishi Desai. “Here in the dead of winter, we’re shivering at a frigid 19°C. When my uncle was a child, he got in trouble in school for loudly celebrating a timely wicket – thus revealing the contraband radio he’d smuggled into his rural Indian classroom.
“By only checking the OBO during my regularly scheduled computer screen breaks (one must always remain vigilant against excessive eye strain), I worry that any genetic predisposition toward the daring has not made it to my branch of the family tree.”
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WICKET! England 153-3 (Pope c sub b Jadeja 44)
Ollie Pope has gone first ball after tea! Jadeja tempted him into a drive with a flighted delivery that found the edge and was superbly caught by the sub keeper Dhruv Jurel.
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Tea
49th over: England 153-2 (Pope 44, Root 54) Jadeja got through his over so quickly that there’s time for Washington Sundar to bowl his first over at the other end. More drift, less turn, the end.
It’s also the end of a quietly compelling session, in which Pope and Root added 70 runs in 24 overs. It was hard going on a slow pitch but they have manoeuvred England into a decent position.
48th over: England 150-2 (Pope 43, Root 52) We’re going to see spin for the first time, a single over from Ravindra Jadeja before tea.
And we’ll see plenty more after the break because that was an encouraging first over, including one delivery that turned sharply to beat Pope’s defensive lunge.
47th over: England 149-2 (Pope 42, Root 52) Pope plays a similar shot to Root’s in the previous over, helping a straight delivery from Deep to the fine-leg boundary. That brings up the hundred partnership. Pope was dropped first ball, and there will always be a but when we talk about him at no3, but this has been a crucial innings.
Deep thrusts his hands to his head when he realises Pope has got an inside edge on a ball that would otherwise have trapped him LBW.
“I remember a game on a sunny day at Tunbridge Wells where Tav was well and truly in,” writes Mike Appleton. “Many in the crowd observed the ritual of ordering a pint every time the great man scored a four. Made for a pleasant afternoon of civilized drinking . Couldn’t do that with Bazball.”
Imagine playing a Rishabh Pant drinking game. Two fingers if he hits a boundary; two bottles if he throws his bat into outer space. You’d be flootered before he’d faced 30 balls.
Fifty for Joe Root
46th over: England 142-2 (Pope 35, Root 52) Root works Reddy off the pads for four to reach a patient, economical and absolutely vital half-century from 102 balls. One day we’ll appreciate just how good he is.
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45th over: England 136-2 (Pope 34, Root 47) Pope is beaten, trying to force the pace against Deep. He’s starting to show a bit of frustration with the slowness of the pitch – but he alleviates some of it with a stiff-wristed pull through square leg for four. That’s his first boundary in almost two hours. Root should keep reminding Pope that this scoring rate is fine; if England are 240 for 3 at the close they’ll have had a superb day.
“These ball changes, what’s going on here?” wonders Felix Wood. “Is it because balls are less hardy these days, or because they’re being hit harder, or are players just less willing to get on with it with a sponge? If it’s either of the first two options is it time to start making a new ball available after 60 overs and telling the fielding side that unless the umpire decides of their own accord to have a look they should just suck it up? Because it’s starting to get on my wick a bit (apart from the last Ashes. That was fine).”
I’ve waited 21 years to be invited to talk balls and, er, I’m not sure. Presumably it’s a manufacturing problem but I don’t understand why it has persisted for three or four years now.
44th over: England 130-2 (Pope 29, Root 46) Reddy, armed with the replacement ball, is late cut masterfully for four by Root. That makes him the first person ever, ever, to score 3,000 Test runs against India. The first 93, made breezily at Nagpur in 2012, hinted at a great future for Root, aged 21 at the time. We had no idea.
“Just finished a morning pot of tea, sitting on the deck in the sunshine in Ithaca, upstate New York,” writes John Tagg, no doubt singing Freddie Mercury’s It’s a Hard Life under his breath. “You may want to remind expats that live coverage on the BBC Sport app always has the overseas TMS link in its header. (Sorry for plugging a rival that, of course, I only use to find the link!)”
Rishabh Pant latest He’s chipped a nail on his index finger and should be fine to play a big part in the match.
Yep, here comes the fourth umpire with the box of balls. That means a break in play, and a chance for Mike Atherton to do a number of his fellow commentators Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik by showing a replay of an infamous dropped catch apiece on this ground.
43rd over: England 126-2 (Pope 29, Root 42) Pope drives Deep through the covers for… three, which is another sign that run-scoring isn’t completely straightforward. A shot like that invariably goes for four.
Deep hits Pope on the pads with a big nipbacker, runs a couple more paces and then suddenly spins round to appeal. Too high.
“None of his teammates were interested whatsoever,” says Stuart Broad of Deep’s appeal. His co-commentator Mel Jones leaves a little pause and then says, “Not a good feeling is it, Stuart.”
New balls, pllleeeeeeeeease
There’s a break in play while India try to get a change of ball. The fourth umpire starts to walk onto the field, only to be told that the old ball is now going through the ring so can he please toddle off.
He might as well hang around near the gate because his services will be required soon enough.
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42nd over: England 120-2 (Pope 24, Root 41) Root softens his hands to glide Reddy between the slips and gully for four. Like his mentor Graham Thorpe, Root at his best is a chameleon who adjusts his approach depending on the bowlers and the conditions.
Stuart Broad thinks this pitch will get lower and lower, so it’s hard to know what constitutes a par score. India made 587 batting first last week; England won’t be getting that many.
41st over: England 116-2 (Pope 24, Root 37) Careful now! Root tries to drive a very wide outswinger from Deep and also plays on. He dragged the ball back onto his body and not far wide of leg stump.
Stuart Broad, such a great micro-analyst in the commentary box, thinks this might be a deceptively awkward pitch on which to drive once the ball gets softer. There’s been only one boundary on the off side, and three in total, since the 20th over.
40th over: England 115-2 (Pope 24, Root 36) “Are we watching Tavareball?” wonders Paul Haynes?
Tavball? No no no no no, this is Tavball.
39th over: England 112-2 (Pope 23, Root 35) Akash Deep continues, with a statbox popping up to show that he averages roughly 17 with the new ball (overs 1-20) and 78 thereafter. He’s certainly a new-ball expert this is only his ninth Test so the sample size is quite small. I’d like to see the equivalent figures for his first-class career.
“Adding to your global menagerie, I’m keeping myself updated on the day’s proceedings from Krasnoyarsk, Siberia,” writes Gerard Mullally. “I’m in an Irish pub with a mini painted in the colours of the union jack in the beer garden. There’s a discussion to be had on that, but I think I’ll let it slide and hope for a great day’s cricket instead.”
38th over: England 110-2 (Pope 22, Root 34) Pope waves Reddy for a single. We love a statgasm round these parts [‘we’? – Ed] and Pope’s innings – 22 from 73 balls – is a quiet example of the genre [’genre’? – Ed].
England still have their moments but they have developed as a batting line-up; it’s impossible to imagine Pope scoring at that rate two years ago. Or England scoring 25 for 0 in 13 overs, which is the tale of the tape since lunch.
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Thanks Jim, afternoon everyone. England – Bazball England – are scoring at less than three an over, and it’s utterly compelling.
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37th over: England 109-2 (Pope 21, Root 34) Root square drives for four, Lord’s is too refined to give the Rooooooot full gusto. Siraj goes full but strays onto the pads, the deflection flies wide of stand-in keeper Jurel and away for four leg byes.
“Blessed are the strokemakers, for they shall cleave air. Blessed are the audience, for they shall tear hair.”
John Starbuck in fine fettle.
Right, that’s me done – the players are taking some electrolytes/Tizer on board and Rob Smyth is here to take you through the rest of the day. Thanks for your company, bye!
36th over: England 101-2 (Pope 21, Root 30) Bumrah takes a breather and the dangerous and double wicket taking Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces him from the Nursery End. Root clips off his pads and they scamper three. Close! Pope gets into a mess outside off stump again but his half-hearted flash falls just short of the waiting cordon.
35th over: England 98-2 (Pope 21, Root 27) England approach three figures but there’s nearly a calamitous run out between Root and Pope as a non existent single sees Pope sprawling for his ground! Face full of dirt and not a run added.
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34th over: England 95-2 (Pope 19, Root 26) There’s a long delay here whilst Pant is seen to. We wait to see whether he’ll be able to carry on with the gauntlets… he can’t! Dhruv Jurel is taking the field. That’s certainly one to keep an eye on.
Hearing Tom Osborne’s tales of tearing his hair whilst following in Colombia in 2019 reminded me of this soppy as all hell piece I wrote on a similar topic.
By the time of the final, we were on the Aeolian Islands. You’d struggle to find a more picturesque place. We spent our entire first day there indoors as the whole bonkers game played out. By the time of the Super Over I was losing it, prowling around in my pants, using a curtain pole as a bat, shadow playing every delivery from Boult. T sat on the same cushion, as long as she stayed in contact with that cushion, England were still in it. When Jimmy Neesham launched Archer into the Mound Stand it was a gut punch similar to heartbreak. T looked at me, concerned. “What does that mean?” I couldn’t answer. Couldn’t speak. And then.
Archer. Guptill. Roy, Buttler, Bails! Relief. Joy. Tears.”
A break in play as Pant takes a ball on the finger end and the magic spray is called for.
Time for a rootle in the wonderfully global OBO mailbag. Check out this lovely lot:
Mike Wilner in LA:
“Global check-in from Los Angeles. It’s 6 am, and heading for a high of 32C today. So, whilst following the OBO, I do what any normal Angeleno would do; I bought airline tickets to New Zealand for a January hiking trip. Perhaps I’ll catch a cricket match when I’m down there.”
Rob Petersen in Bali:
“I’m currently following in Bali, probably one of a very small contingent on the island taking an interest in the match (there might be a bit more buzz when the Ashes rolls around). I’ve tried to persuade my dog of the merits of Test cricket, but so far he’s unconvinced. He loves padel, though.”
Robert Lewis in Istanbul:
“To tie in the tropes of scorchio and following in odd places (not to mention your advice to office workers in the UK), I am watching between pages of proofreading in our flat with a Bosphorus view in Istanbul. Tempting to take a leap into the slimy waters of the straits, with 38 degrees yesterday, but it’s a manageable 30 today.”
Tom Osborne in Colombia – sort of:
“Not now but back in 2019, I spent a delightful few days in San Agustin in the coffee region of Colombia. On the day of the world cup final, my wife and I were walking around an excellent archaeological site with tombs dating back over 3,000 years. Whilst the tombs were fascinating (and the visit mainly for my benefit), I spent the whole time furiously refreshing the OBO, particularly during the super over, whilst holding my phone above my head trying desperately to get/maintain signal.
Not sure what the locals thought of my erratic behaviour and associated noises. On another note, this morning affirms my feeling that Pope should open instead of Crawley, with Bethel in at 3. Cheers for the coverage as always!”
Jeremy Boyce in the South of France:
“I’m indoors with the windows and shutters closed hiding from the heat, although it’s “only” 33 today. There are only mad tourists walking down my main street, the natives (I count myself among them, been here 25 years) are all keeping cool.
Pope and Root sounds like the name of a provincial solicitors’ or architects’ practice. Let’s hope they can lay down some law and construct a decent partnership so we’re not looking at a dodgy collapse and eventual proceedings.”
33rd over: England 90-2 (Pope 18, Root 25) Siraj whistles though another over for the cost of just a single. This is Bazball 2.0 manifest, England are going along at 2.75 runs an over but nullifying some impressively nagging Indian seam bowling.
32nd over: England 89-2 (Pope 17, Root 24) England soak up 28 dot balls in a row before Pope digs out a Bumrah yorker and squeezes it into the leg side for a single. You can’t take your eyes off it, though some of the punters at Lord’s clearly have. That Veuve Clicqot is going to quaff itself now is it?
31st over: England 88-2 (Pope 16, Root 24) Dot follows dot follows dot. You guessed it, Siraj dots up Root who then plays an extravagant cut shot but fortunately the ball misses the edge. India suffocating England’s engine room after lunch.
Restricted are the strokemakers.
30th over: England 88-2 (Pope 16, Root 24) Another probing maiden from Bumrah, he has it on a string here at Lord’s. Decking one into Ollie Pope and then snaking one away with the next ball. Too good.
29th over: England 88-2 (Pope 16, Root 24) It’s all gone a bit Bjork out there after lunch. It’s all so quiet… a maiden from Siraj to Root.
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28th over: England 88-2 (Pope 16, Root 25) Bumrah to Root. This is a key battle. Root gets a single off the first ball of the over to get off strike. He’s not daft. Bumrah then works Pope over but the batter is up to it for now, blocking out five dots.
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27th over: England 88-2 (Pope 16, Root 24) Siraj from the Pav end. It’s a maiden but a leg-bye gets England a single.
“Any chance of someone sharing the TMS link? I have a long drive in front of me and I’m feeling the need for soothing reflections on the qualities of the cake etc. BTW, eleven o’clock starts make great breakfast listening for those of us in upstate New York.”
Here you go Robin Gleed. Happy driving.
26th over: England 87-2 (Pope 16, Root 24) Pope clips Bumrah off his pads for four through the vacant square leg. The bowler responds by darting one back at off stump that Pope shoulders arms too. There are only two types of leave…
“Missoula, Montana checking in” writes Matt Guthrie.
“Re: the global reach of the OBO. I’m sitting on my porch in the town of Missoula (altitude 3200’) where today’s high will be in the mid-70s and there is currently a deer walking down the middle of the street…”
Lovely stuff. Reckon Ollie Pope would snatch you hand off for something in mid 70s right about now.
The players emerge after lunch and Jasprit Bumrah is going to start with the new ball. He’s well rested after missing the last Test and is into his ninth over of the day. Ollie Pope will be on strike with three slips and a gully in place.
Love this, one of the great things about the OBO is how global it is. For every office worker in a British city surreptitiously* tuning in there is someone like Tom Kirkpatrick:
“Following the OBO while walking in the Italian Alps with my partner and baby. Despite Duckett and Crawley going for low scores they at least took 13 overs out of the ball, which is a job done at least. I’m hoping the rest of the day is fairly quiet because the footing later on looks it will demand my attention back!”
Tom sends in a glorious photo of a precipitous stretch of alpine pathway that I can’t share because of… I dunno - The Man. If Pope play as skittishly as he has this morning in the afternoon session then I’d definitely flick the OBO off whilst you negotiate that stretch, you might come a cropper otherwise.
*Incidentally, I wrote something a few weeks ago trying to tap into that furtive following of cricket at work.
Those Thursday starts are a pain, eh? What with all that annoying “work” getting in the way and a manager/team who inexplicably don’t seem to be bothered about whether Sam Cook will jag the new Dukes and be quick enough on his Test debut or even whether Zak Crawley’s Teflon coating might finally wear through?
Where do these people get off organising meetings for 11am? No matter, you’ve got your methods, your strategies. You’ve been in good form during the first months of the County Championship, honing your skills for the first Test. You do what the teenagers do and surreptitiously use an ear bud so you can tune in to Test Match Special on the sly. Do not – repeat NOT – start tapping your tea mug with your teaspoon when Soul Limbo kicks in, have some self-control. Play the long game. It’s Test cricket for God’s sake, show some grit and determination! Wait, who are you calling old-fashioned?
Open up your tabs on your desktop. Go on, fire up that trusty out-of-date spreadsheet ready to cover the over-by-over and live text alerts with the flick of a shortcut key should someone walk past. Concentrate. Use your process. “Be where your mouse is.” This thing could be over in an instant. Get your head down. Take each ball at a time.”
“I can’t have the Swedes take over the OBO” says Sarah Torvalds, “So here are some greetings from southern Finland as well!”
I did think there was something of a Scandi hue to today’s proceedings. The Guardian love a bit of Hygge… tak you very much.
“I had the resources for one cricket-related trip to the UK this year and decided Lord’s at June for the Test World Championship would be a better bet than England v India in July. So far, I’m convinced I made the right choice - it was a brilliant game and sunny rather than Scorchio. (Being a Finn, I much prefer what Ben Bernard in the 2nd over terms a shit summer, though I naturally reserve the right to moan about the weather, whatever it’s like.) Also, with England not in the picture, it was restful to happily cheer South Africa on as an almost neutral.”
That was a brilliant game Sarah and wonderful to see South Africa cast the ICC Trophy shaped monkey off their back. I’ve got a sneaking feeling that this one might well rumble into something special too you know, it doesn’t look to be a batting snoozefest.
Lunch: England 83-2 (Pope 12, Root 24)
Ben Stokes stands to applaud on the Lord’s balcony as Root and Pope make it through to lunch unscathed. Both sides will be happy with their morning’s work I reckon, England recovered well after they were left teetering from a Nitish Kumar Reddy double wicket over. There’s a bit in it for the bowler’s despite the sweltering batting conditions.
Time for some scran. Thanks for your the emails, do keep them coming in. I’ll wade through the OBO mailbag with my quail eggs and beetroot remoulade or whatever the Lord’s media centre chef has rustled up.
25th over: England 83-2 (Pope 12, Root 24)
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24th over: England 82-2 (Pope 11, Root 24) Bumrah gets through his eighth over of the morning. He’s gone for just 13 runs but it Reddy who has done the damage in the early exchanges. Pope punches off the front foot down the ground for a single. We might have one more before the lunch break.
23rd over: England 81-2 (Pope 10, Root 24) Don’t bowl there, son. Akash Deep strays onto Root’s pads and is clipped away with nonchalance for four. The ball seems to be doing a little less now, Mike Atherton called it at the ten over mark, maybe England have survived the trickiest period of the day now? They’d be quite happy to get lunch two down with near to a hundred on the board – I don’t think this is a 600 plays 550 match on this morning’s evidence, especially when you factor in the highest first inning score at Lord’s this season is 260.
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22nd over: England 73-2 (Pope 7, Root 19) Bumrah returns for a quick burst before lunch. He loses his line slightly and slams one down the leg side that tickles Root’s thigh and runs away for a welcome boundary. Root then keeps strike with a flick off his pads to long leg.
21st over: England 68-2 (Pope 7, Root 18) Three singles off Deep as England’s rebuild continues after the loss of both openers (and nearly Pope too) in Nitish Kumar Reddy’s first over at the start of the second hour. Can they make it through to lunch?
20th over: England 65-2 (Pope 6, Root 16) Root drives Reddy through mid off for three runs, the lush Lord’s outfield isn’t as glassily quick as the ones at Headingley and Edgbaston. There’s clearly not a hosepipe ban in North London. That’s four though! Pope settles his nerves with a nicely timed drive through the covers.
19th over: England 58-2 (Pope 2, Root 13) Akash Deep replaces Siraj. Root is compact, defending late with an arrow straight blade. Three singles rotated off the over with no dramas.
“Greetings to you from Sunny Southern Sweden James!”
Kennedy Ross has a theory…
“I think no batsman in the history of cricket has more experience than Joe Root of reacting to the immediate tumble of both opening wickets. I assume it is part of his game-prep.”
There’s certainly a meme* out there somewhere.
*Hello fellow kids
18th over: England 54-2 (Pope 1, Root 10) Pope’s jitters transfer to Root as he fences at a back of a length ball from Reddy that he had no business bothering with.
Brian Withington is spluttering through white smoke:
“This innings by England’s no. 3 is already straining the concept of Papal Infallibility to the very limits of elasticity. Survival to lunch might be regarded as a small miracle?”
17th over: England 54-2 (Pope 1, Root 10) Lovely from Joe Root, he plays a high elbowed drive to whistle Siraj away through cover for four. Siraj spears a straighter one in at Root’s pads but its meat and drink to a player of Root’s class and clipped for four more with a side of Henderson’s Relish.
16th over: England 45-2 (Pope 1, Root 1) Root opens the face and runs Reddy backward of point for a single to get off the mark. The atmosphere of the innings has really shifted at Lord’s. England feel very much on the ropes here, Reddy has been a revelation.
15th over: England 44-2 (Pope 1, Root 0) Oh my days. Ollie Pope is back to his frenetic ways, lunging and poking at balls that he should leave well alone. He’s like a kid poking a wasp net with an ice pop. He jabs at a ball from Siraj that takes the shoulder of the blade and drops just short of second slip. England clinging on here at Lord’s at the start of the second hour.
14th over: England 44-2 (Pope 1, Root 0) ‘Where’s me box?’ All of a sudden Joseph Edward Root finds himself in the middle.
WICKET! Zak Crawley c Pant b Nitish Kumar Reddy 18 (England 44-2)
Crawley goes to Reddy in the same over! Nowt much he could do about it to be fair to the big guy, pitched on middle and seamed away late, taking the edge of Crawley’s bat as he stayed back in the crease. Reddy has cracked the game open in his first over.
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Ollie Pope arrives in the middle and he drives at his first ball, a thick edge flying to Shubman Gill in the gully who drops it! A tough chance but it carried and Gill is sick with himself. Pope gets a life early on!
WICKET! Ben Duckett c †Pant b Nitish Kumar Reddy 23 (England 43-1)
Nitish Kumar Reddy is on for a bowl straight away after drinks. His first ball is a beauty that pitches on middle and and nips past the off stump. Duckett then pings through mid off to pick up four but is OUT the next ball to a rank long hop! He swished the blade and got a tickle through to the keeper. India and Reddy have burgled one.
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13th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 18, Duckett 19) England make it through to drinks unscathed. It’s been a riveting first hour.
“Greetings from sunny central Sweden James!” writes Julian Menz. “Nevermind Bazball. As someone of a certain age who grew up watching the likes of Boycott and Tavare (apologies, don’t have the ’swoosh’ on my keyboard), even Graham Gooch’s relative bravado as an opener was a hard watch.”
It certainly not dull. Michael Atherton thinks the next ten overs are going to be the trickiest in England’s innings with the lacquer off and the ball moving about with interest.
Alex in Cardiff has a slightly more bullish view than Iron Mike:
“Got through the first 8 overs with a lot of luck, but they have done it. It is easy street now, big score coming in these conditions. Scoreboard pressure and a day and a half in the field will cause all sorts of physical and mental issues for India now.”
I think I know who’s word I believe more. Clue – they aren’t in Wales.
12th over: England 36-0 (Crawley 18, Duckett 16) Bumrah is around the wicket to Duckett and he sends down an absolute jaffa than angles in and then moves late up the slope. I’m sat right behind the bowler’s arm in the media centre and confirm that delivery was a work of art.
Duckett glides away to deep third for a single and gets a breather. Close! Bumrah nips one back into Zak Crawley’s pads but after a debate India decide not to review, Pant suggesting it was sliding down. Bumrah has got this ball hooping now that the lacquer has started to wear off, dangerous signs for England.
11th over: England 35-0 (Crawley 18, Duckett 15) Oooosht! Crawley charges Siraj once again and throws the kitchen sink, chest freezer and last night’s leftovers at a length ball but fails to connect once more. Despite all the bluster, its a maiden.
10th over: England 35-0 (Crawley 18, Duckett 15) It’s just a change of ends for Bumrah, gotcha! A quieter over as each batter knocks a single to keep the scoreboard ticking and the strike rotating – such a crucial part of this tall and short, left and right opening partnership.
9th over: England 33-0 (Crawley 17, Duckett 14) England have seen off Bumrah’s first spell, which is something. Mohammed Siraj, him of the Oliver Reed wild energy and love of the contest is coming on to bowl. Duckett takes a single to the leg side to bring Crawley on strike. Flogged through the covers on the up! That’s some shot from Crawley, he seems to have got his eye in now. A packed Lord’s is soaking up the first hour of this contest.
“Crawley clearly batting like someone who doesn’t give a tinker’s cuss what anyone thinks because his position is guaranteed until after the Ashes.”
Hmm, there is a certain Jacob Bethell lurking in the wings but Crawley has certainly has a Teflon coated Test career thus far.
8th over: England 28-0 (Crawley 13, Duckett 13) Liquid Crawley! Akash Deep serves up a full ball that Crawley spanks away through cover for his first four of the day. That’ll loosen the shackles a little… crikey! Crawley charges down and flays at Deep, he doesn’t get it out of the middle but a meaty edge flies over the cordon for four more. Shot! Crawley plays a back foot punch to pick up his third boundary of the over. Cry and laugh and laugh and cry about it all again.
7th over: England 15-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 13) Bumrah stitches together a third maiden. England under the cosh a bit here, the pitch has a bit of life in it and India are bowling tight lines.
“I have tickets for Monday with a couple of old school chums, one a vicar, the other a retired professor.” Is the start of a bawdy joke Kim Thonger?
“It will all be terribly jolly, if the England batting unit can just CALM THE FECK DOWN and make sure the game lasts to the 5th day. Pretty please?”
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6th over: England 15-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 13) Zak Crawley comes trotting down the crease to Deep but his long limbed swish connects with nothing but North London air. Close! A plink of a drive is nearly caught by the fielder at close cover. A frenetic over of batting but he somehow survives. Crawley living a charmed life at the moment, insert joke here.
5th over: England 15-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 13) Bumrah from the Pav end. They like it when you call it that here. He spears one down the leg side that Duckett swishes at but misses. The next ball is full pitched and Duckett drives through mid off for four! Cheers around Lord’s, that will just dissipate the tension a little in this first half hour.
4th over: England 9-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 7) Akash Deep beats Crawley with an absolute beauty that jags off the pitch and carries through to Pant above waist height. Signs of life! Deep is bowling beautifully here, he rips one back through Crawley that bounces over the stumps and nearly flicks the inside edge. Riveting stuff in the first 20 minutes. It is nibbling about in St John’s Wood, Deep completes a maiden.
Bonjour Michael Jelley:
“Hi Jim, following you from Bordeaux this afternoon; scorchio scarcely covers it.
I’m hoping England’s bowling sextet can keep it up for the duration. I’m a little worried that between Stokes’s stamina, Archer’s fragility, Bashir’s inexperience and Root’s part-timer status there’s a lot of burden on Woakes and Carse to bowl lots of overs and take the majority of the 20 wickets as well.
However, Baz and Ben have repeatedly demonstrated that I know the square root of very little, so here’s to England declaring on 700-2 just after tea, and using their mystery bowler Mr S Pressure to extract the visitors…”
I hear you, but you haven’t mentioned Jofra, Michael? He’s guaranteed to get a ten-fer, that’s how cricket works. Right?
3rd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 7) Crawley gets off the mark with a nudge into the off and a quick call of his partner. Ben Duckett does not leave many and duly has two wild swipes at length balls from Bumrah. “A yawning gap between bat and pad” says Ravi Shastri, which is - can you believe it from the big man - an understatement. Bumrah pins Duckett on the pad but the strangled appeal suggests it was going doing. It was. It’s heating up at Lord’s!
2ndover: England 8-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 7) Akash Deep opening up from the Nursery End. He was a revelation at Edgbaston. He strays too straight from around the wicket and Duckett flicks away fine for England’s first boundary.
“Plenty of examples of teams being rolled for booger all in this scenario” laments Ben Bernards. “A pitch cultivated at England’s request to be “livelier”, Bumrah’s back, Deep in form …. Bazball going full Baz, or Bazball losing its head under pressure? Promises to be fun! Oh, and stop banging on about the bloody heat. Up here in the Nordics we’re flying the flag for shit summers and usually have the UK as a reliable meteorological bedfellow…”
1st over: England 2-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 1) Crawley leaves two length balls alone from Bumrah, there’s a bit of swing in the air but I don’t think the pitch is lightning quick on first glance. Crawley got out to a couple of poor shots at Edgbaston and is a great big chicken for not launching a cover drive showing some restraint off the first few deliveries. A bye wide of the diving Pant opens England’s account, a bit loosey goosey from Jasprit there and Crawley can breathe at the non-striker’s end for a second or two. Close! An angled ball slanted across Duckett finds the edge but falls short of Pant. Duckett then scampers a single to the off side to get himself going.
Righto, here we go. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett mark their guards. The returning Jasprit Bumrah prowls at the top of his run up. Let’s play!
The players head out for the anthems. There’s a crackle as well as the oft mentioned hum around Lord’s and nearly everyone is in their seat rather than socialising, which is nice.
Martin O’Donovan-Wright, clearly a Fast Show ultra, sends a NICE email.
“Seeing as you’ve got us off to a marvellous Scorchio! start to the day, could I just add that I hope we can say at the end of today’s play that, “Jofra had a great return to test cricket, taking a five-fer, and he gave us all a big wave as he went off. Which was nice.”
Ding dong! Ben Heywood is tearing into Ramps!
“Hi James, I’m not sure I’d take Mark Ramprakash at his word when it comes to advice on getting Shubman Gill out. I was hoping for some analysis and clues as to potential weaknesses but Ramps’ article doesn’t even offer solutions until the final para, at which point he names Sam Cook as the answer…
Vaguely terrified as to what Bumrah might do to us first up but as ever, I will be delighted when Ben Stokes proves me 100% wrong and England are 160-0 at lunch.”
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England’s first job is to get a decent score on the board. Their second is to work out a way to winkle the imperious Shubman Gill out. Ramps has been scratching his head:
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Andy Bull leans over from his laptop with a mischievous grin to tell me that the average first innings score at Lord’s this year is… 213. Ah. Stokes and McCullum have supposedly ordered a livelier pitch than we saw Headingley and Edgbaston but we’ll see what the ‘curator’ has been able to produce in about twenty minutes. There is a slight green tinge to the wicket at the moment… no you stop it.
I just saw a security guard just rugby tackle a guy for having a northern accent and wearing shorts! Just kidding, that’s actually me. I’ve broken my no shorts in public rule for the first time in years, Bazball gets us all in the end I guess.
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England win the toss and will... bat first!
Ravi Shastri has gone full man from Del Monte out on the field, creamy linen suit, fedora and MCC tie. Resplendent. A blue blazered Ben Stokes wins the toss and chooses to bat first. A cheer goes up around Lord’s! I think Stokes wanted to pull our legs for a moment there and pretend to elect to bowl, he’s a cheeky so and so.
Teams:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
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Lord’s is an absolute picture, sun beating down and it is very warm already. I’ve taken my seat next to Messrs Bull and Martin in the press box where the air con is thankfully ramped up to eleven.
Simon Burnton has some more on Jofra’s return:
Preamble
Scorchio! That’s the weather forecast for the next five days and the level of excitement building for this third Test between England and India at Lord’s.
I’ve just waggled my way through the avalanche of chinos on the way down to the ground from St John’s Wood station, red trouser count already at seven but I’ll let you know if that changes before the start of play at 11am.
Today sees the return of Jofra Archer in a home Test match in six long years and his first anywhere in four. Archer burst onto the scene in 2019 and tore up international cricket in his first six months, emerging almost fully formed as a searingly quick fast bowler with a liquid action who had all the white ball skills in his armoury and a taste for the big moment.
He dazzled in England’s 2019 World Cup win, bling bouncing off his neck like a souped up Dennis Lillee he troubled nose and toes whilst slipping in skilful cutters and slower balls with a midas touch. Twenty wickets across the tournament and that Super Over integral to England’s first World Cup Win.
He dazzled in whites too, the 2019 Ashes Test at Lord’s saw one of the great battles between Steve Smith in the form of his life and Archer throwing everything at him, mostly at about 95 mph. Smith was eventually clonked on the helmet (as was his concussion substitute later Marnus Labuschagne) and forced to retire hurt and miss the next Test at Headingley. Surely you don’t need reminding what happened there?
A series of freakish and horrible injuries have plagued Archer since, a stress fracture of the elbow threatening to cut down his career before he was able to build on that most electric of beginnings. England have been managing his return with the utmost caution, another lengthy injury would be catastrophic.
Jasprit Bumrah also makes his return to the series after missing Edgbaston last week. His side did just fine without him, pummelling England into the Birmingham dust to level the series at 1-1.
To watch two of the most eye-catching fast bowlers going toes to toe will be a real thrill. Play gets underway at 11am and the toss will be at around 10.30am.
Please do get in touch if you are tuning in… it promises to be… scorchio!
