That’s all from me. England will be heartbroken by that: they made their highest ever score in India and had their hosts on the ropes at 63 for four. You really should win any match from there. But, as poorly as they bowled and as badly as Eoin Morgan captained his side - and they were both very bad - that was a brilliant chase from India. Virat Kohli has booted AB de Villiers off that elevated plane and claimed it for himself - his 27th ODI hundred was among his best. And after he struggled for support, Kedar Jadhav came in and didn’t just support but matched his captain. Their 200-run partnership left England with nothing in the tank and rooted the fourth-highest successful run chase in history. Bigger bats, smaller boundaries, pumped up players and all mean that record will probably change hands a few times in the coming years, but India’s batting was bloody brilliant nonetheless.
Join us again on Thursday for match two of three. Thank you for reading and cheers for all your emails/tweets. Sorry I couldn’t get them all in. Bye!
Updated
India win by three wickets
48.1 overs: India 356-7 (Ashwin 15, Pandya 40) target 351 Ravi Ashwin slogs the first ball of the over into the stands beyond cow corner to complete a quite brilliant run-chase.
48th over: India 350-7 (Ashwin 9, Pandya 40) target 351 Cap’n Morgan wants this over and done with, so brings Rashid back into the attack. Attack. Talking of England bowlers who have come out of this in credit, Rashid has not. There is a review for a run-out when Ashwin calls Pandya through for a quick one but the batsman is home by inches. He celebrates by smashing the final ball down the ground for six over long-off. Scores level...
47th over: India 339-7 (Ashwin 7, Pandya 31) target 351 Ball keeps it tight, concedes just five and delays the inevitable. The big Notts man has come out of this with more credit than any England bowler bar Stokes.
46th over: India 334-7 (Ashwin 4, Pandya 30) target 351 One last over from Stokes, who has figures of 9-0-64-2 so far. Another glorious shot from Pandya brings India closer - opening the face and running a bumper to the third man fence. Five more from the other five balls, too, including a nicely timed two through midwicket for Ashwin. This has been a cracking little run-a-ball innings from Pandya, by the way, to nearly see India home.
Shubham Sharma writes: “The odds may still be in england’s favour now as India is known for its batting collapses. last year AUS had given a similiar total to IND in canberra. India were cruising at 250/2(centuries by kohli and dhawan),then they get all out for 300-something. Indians are known to lose their heads when their top man goes.”
No.
45th over: India 325-7 (Ashwin 1, Pandya 24) target 351 Ball’s third wicket gives England a sniff, although the new man is Ashwin; hardly a mug. He might well just want to stand and watch Pandya, though, as the latter drills a drive as sweet as you’ll see through extra-cover for four. Seven from the over, just 26 needed.
Wicket! Jadeja c Rashid b Ball 13
Jadeja’s innings falls a touch flat: a short one from Ball again and this time it sticks in the pitch. Jadeja top-edges to Rashid at midwicket.
44th over: India 318-6 (Jadeja 13, Pandya 18) target 351 And here is Stokes but he’s immediately hurt: Moeen throws from mid-on looking to hit the stumps but Stokes, diving, wears it on the chest. He’s OK to continue, England fans will be pleased to hear. Unusually, given this over features both Stokes and Jadeja, it’s a fairly sedate one.
43rd over: India 314-6 (Jadeja 12, Pandya 16) target 351 Ball is back and he’s very harshly called for a wide from a short ball. That was barely shoulder height. A slightly lower delivery is then given the treatment by Jadeja, who creams it through midwicket on the pull for four. If England squint very hard and look towards the horizon, they might see the wheels.
Wickets win the game. Get Stokes back on. #INDvENG
— The Cricket Paper (@TheCricketPaper) January 15, 2017
42nd over: India 305-6 (Jadeja 7, Pandya 15) target 351 Speaking of optimstic, England are going back to spin and Moeen Ali. A single into the off-side brings up the 300 and one t’other way reduces the runs needed to 50. Expect lots of nudges and singles from hereon in. Six off this over, which is exactly what India’s doctor ordered.
41st over: India 299-6 (Jadeja 5, Pandya 12) target 351 Jadeja becomes, by my reckoning, the fourth batsman in this innings to get his first runs with a boundary and a lovely shot it is too: just a neat push, the bat turned towards the leg-side and the ball sent whistling along the baize to the midwicket boundary. England go for a wildly optimistic review but there’s nowt down.
Not out
It’s going miles over the top.
Review!
Given not out, lbw against Jadeja. Looked high to me.
40th over: India 291-6 (Jadeja 0, Pandya 10) target 351 Hey look at that, a good over for England! Three runs and one lovely wicket. 60 runs needed.
“Is there a harder shot to play than a ‘back-foot on-drive over wide mid-on for an enormous six’ (34th over)?” asks Peter Davies. “How does he do it without falling over?” No is the answer to your first question; if I knew the answer to the second I’d be playing cricket rather than sat on a sofa writing about it.
Updated
Wicket! Jadhav c Stokes b Ball 120
The short ball works again for the tall Ball. Jadhav nails the pull straight to the man at deep midwicket.
39th over: India 288-5 (Jadhav 119, Pandya 8) target 351 England’s bowling is going the way of Manchester City’s defence: two very similar poor balls aimed down the leg-side and each batsman drags it along, round the corner and to the ropes.
38th over: India 277-5 (Jadhav 114, Pandya 2) target 351 Ball returns and Jadhav is more than happy to welcome him back: a length ball is launched imperiously back over his head and over long-off for the batsman’s third six. He is struggling with cramp though and mistimes another big heave; it plugs near cow corner but is a dot ball as he’s down hurt. Surely he can’t continue? Well, Kohli won’t be there to see his team home but Jadhav is damn well going to try. After a break he smashes the final ball high over midwicket for another six!
“Dear Dan,” writes Ravi Raman, “we were doing live coverage of cricket and football since 1998. Two sites, India On The Net (now closed) and Chennai Online (now changed beyond recognition).The dotcom bubble bursting followed by two more boom/bust periods put paid to our glorious experiments.”
37th over: India 264-5 (Jadhav 102, Pandya 1) target 351 Ben Stokes strikes then, as hoped, and the crowd goes quiet with 88 still needed. India should still win this and if they do that’ll go down as one of the great ODI innings. He and Stokes have shown today why they’re two of the most exciting cricketers in the men’s game. The latter nearly has two in an over when Pandya, on none, top edges a wild pull but it lands safely behind the keeper.
Wicket! Kohli c Willey b Stokes 122
A mirage of hope for England. Slower and shorter outside off from Stokes. Kohli misreads it, looking to whack it over mid-on and he top-edges to Willey at cover.
Jadhav reaches his century
35th over: India 262-4 (Jadhav 101, Kohli 122) target 351 A new tactic: Woakes comes round the wicket to Kohli, just 50-odd runs too late. It’s not a brilliant tactic to be honest: the attempt to take the on-side out of the occasion is met with a closed bat face and a thumping clip through midwicket for four. A single later, Jadhav takes the other approach, opening the face and running it down to third man for a fantastic hundred on his home ground!
35th over: India 251-4 (Jadhav 95, Kohli 117) target 351 Kohli gets two with a clip from a low full-toss but that’s about as good as it gets from this over. Still, a smattering of singles won’t dishearten them especially as the 250 comes up.
“This match seems to be heading in a similar way to most of the recent Tests,” reckons Tom van der Gucht. “We bat first and grind out what appears to be a respectable total; a few wickets are taken providing more than a glimmer of hope that England are on top; then, Kohli comes in to bat; all our bowlers suddenly look pedestrian; we lose. I’m off to watch La La Land, hopefully when I come out of the film, England will have engineered a dramatic collapse. Then again, with Ashwin lurking in the wings and waiting to boff out some more runs whilst further breaking our hearts, it seems unlikely.”
La La Land is terrible. I haven’t seen it, but it’s a musical and therefore inherently wrong and weird. As for the cricket, Kohli has won this match; England’s batting was in no way to blame.
34th over: India 245-4 (Jadhav 93, Kohli 113) target 351 Oh this is getting silly. Kohli stands tall to a bumper from Woakes and lifts it, with a back-foot on-drive, over wide mid-on for an enormous six. There was a cheat code on EA Sports Cricket 2005 that gave you a giant bat and enabled you to mistime any ball out the ground; that’s what this is like. A single and then Jadhav tickles one round the corner to move into the 90s himself with a boundary. Time to break this old favourite out:
33rd over: India 232-4 (Jadhav 88, Kohli 106) target 351 After a drinks break, Stokes comes into the attack. He’s gone at more than 10 in his three overs so far but he has looked dangerous. After a couple of singles Jadhav mistimes a pull and top-edges it, but the ball lands safely in front of square-leg. That’s better from England.
Peter Salmon writes: “I’d actually assumed all the OBO correspondents were made-up, your Gary Naylors and John Starbucks and so forth - essentially that OBO is kind of like Sally Field in Sybil. Not even sure cricket exists any more - all this T20, absurd batting collapses and strike rates in the gazillions, all of which started at the same time as OBO. Surely the whole thing is one man’s madness, and somewhere, unwatched, there’s a proper test match going on with England 2-67 at lunch.”
Robert Wilson is warming to the theme: “You’re touchingly naive, dear Dan. Gary Naylor is bad medicine. He is a notorious (and out-dated) performance artist who pretends to be from Liverpool and to know about cricket. He’s actually the unacknowledged lovechild of Phillip K Dick and Cilla Black and a discredited dental hygienist. Never believe anything he says about Adil Rashid - though in fairness to him, he was once an extra on The Larry Sanders Show.”
Good god what if you’re all right?
Kohli reaches his century
32nd over: India 229-4 (Jadhav 86, Kohli 105) target 351 Back comes Woakes, with a wicket or three needed. Kohli drills his first ball out to deep mid-on and wants two but Jadhav has overrun at the other end. Another single next ball brings Kohli back on strike, the crowd noise builds, camera phones (or whatever the kids use now) light up the stands and ... three dot balls but then Kohli drives a full one back down the ground to bring up his 27th ODI century with a stunning six! This is going to be one of the great innings.
Updated
31st over: India 221-4 (Jadhav 85, Kohli 98) target 351 With nowt for 26 from his first three overs, Adil Rashid is back on for Moeen. There’s little change though, another poor short ball is clubbed over midwicket for four then a better, fuller one outside off is driven extraordinarily over extra-cover for six. Magnificent batting from Jadhav, really.
“India should win this now, eh?” writes Simon McMahon, changing his tune.
30th over: India 208-4 (Jadhav 73, Kohli 97) target 351 On Sky, Nasser questions the fitness of the 31-year-old Jadhav. Three days before a certain OBOer, who shall go unnamed, turns 31 himself. Nass also notes that Jadhav has only faced seven dot balls, so his fitness can’t be that shoddy. As for his partner, Kohli knocks one into the leg-side to bring up India’s 200 and move himself into the 90s. I can’t imagine a batsman who would find those less nerve-racking. Buttler comes up to the stumps, Willey drops short and Kohli rocks back to ramp up and over third man for four. Told you. He gets three more from the next two balls. He won’t be in the 90s long.
29th over: India 198-4 (Jadhav 71, Kohli 89) target 351 When it’s not your day... Moeen fires a quicker one down the leg-side, Buttler is too slow to react and off it goes to fine-leg for four byes. Four more singles and, from the last, two from a mistimed chip over midwicket by Jadhav.
The emails are coming as quickly as the runs. Damian Clarke has tried watching A: “Thanks for the reply. I actually made it to 45 seconds of the clip before throwing half a peeled carrot at the speaker. Please give my regards to Grant, I was at Brighton when he tore his larynx. Unfortunately, I was too far back to make it to the stage when he invited volunteers to sing the rest of the gig. The motley threesome of Sussex’s finest that did get on stage had clearly never heard anything other than Buck Rogers, and wasted their shot at glory by just screaming ‘Feeder! Fuck yeah!’ Tragic.”
28th over: India 188-4 (Jadhav 67, Kohli 83) target 351 Now Willey is back. Will he find the swing he got earlier? Will the change of pace trouble this pair? No. Kohli opens his stance, opens the face and flashes it past point for four. There wasn’t even any width for him to play that shot. Ludicrous.
“Bit unfair to call A a Feeder knock off given that they both started at the same time,” reckons Paul Boldrin. “I saw them both at the same gig in London, must have been one of their first big ones. They were supporting Jesus Lizard. I’m sure there are many Jesus Lizard fans reading the OBO who will almost certainly never have seen one of their videos embedded in the OBO, please could you fix this.”
Always happy to disappoint.
27th over: India 181-4 (Jadhav 66, Kohli 77) target 351 “Better for England,” I began writing as India took just three singles from the first five balls. Then Jadhav ruined that with a wonderful inside-out drive, flat over mid-off and it bounces just inside the rope for four.
26th over: India 174-4 (Jadhav 61, Kohli 75) target 351 Almost as if he’d only just remembered that this is Joe Root, a part-time bowler, Kohli comes down the track and launches one high over midwicket for a monstrous six. The replay doesn’t need to add a shotgun sound effect but does for bad measure. Jadhav’s boundary in the previous over brought up the 100 partnership, by the way. It’s now worth Nelson from 87 balls.
25th over: India 165-4 (Jadhav 60, Kohli 67) target 351 Jadhav goes for a walk and thinks about whacking Moeen down the ground, but the bowler sees him coming and drags his length back, forcing the batsman to defend. England only need to find 10 overs of spin and this is the eighth. Jadhav does club the final ball of the over down the ground and, despite a very good attempt at flicking it back in from Stokes, the fielder signals that it’s four runs.
24th over: India 158-4 (Jadhav 55, Kohli 66) target 351 Another break as the batsmen take drinks, as they have every other over. Without wanting to moralise, that’s not really on. Six off the over. This is marvellous chasing.
*very dangerous partnership klaxon* @DanLucas86 Wickets please!
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) January 15, 2017
(PS. OBOer since 2005, printed in '07, books to prove it, even met Naylor)
@GuyHornsby @DanLucas86 don't listen to him: @garynaylor999 is a decade-long collective hallucination
— James Walsh (@jamesofwalsh) January 15, 2017
Not true. I too used to think Naylor was a figment of OBOers’ imaginations but I have met him.
23rd over: India 152-4 (Jadhav 52, Kohli 62) target 351 And there’s Jadhav’s 50 from just 29 balls, the 29th of which was worked into the on-side for one. After a shoddy start, Kohli has found a partner who can not just stay there but match the captain for his contribution to this chase. Later in the over, Kohli takes a single to bring up the 150, which will be rather pleasing given his side were 63 for four. I’d bring Willey back on soon for a short burst.
22nd over: India 147-4 (Jadhav 49, Kohli 60) target 351 Another change: Root is into the attack. Is this a sniff of desperation or a hunch that he might surprise the batsmen from Morgan? My money would be on the former, though Morgan would never admit it. After a handful of singles, Kohli gets two with a push into the leg-side and moves to 60. India on to a snooker-friendly 147.
21st over: India 140-4 (Jadhav 45, Kohli 57) target 351 This is going to be crucial: spin from both ends as Moeen comes on with this partnership looking very settled on 70. Jadhav waits on a straight one wide of off, waits a bit longer, keeeeeps waiting, opens the face with a flourish of the wrists and steers it behind point for - yep - four runs.
More on liveblogging heritage from David Duncan: “Huge fan of OBO, I had a good story about how to cook squirrel chilli noted once. But just a wee shoutout to a dotcom startup from the late 90’s called britsport.com which did (first?) live online cricket text commentary of the Scottish cricket cup final from Linlithgow some time in the late 90s (I can’t find it online). Also did first ever (I think) live video streaming of a sport event (same era, English Youth Basketball finals).”
20th over: India 132-4 (Jadhav 39, Kohli 55) target 351 It seems as though Kohli wants two from every ball and there’s a risk he and Jadhav could fall out over the matter. A run out could be brewing. Jadhav does get two from a mistimed pull over mid-on, then four slog-sweeping a rubbish short one through midwicket. He’s crept up to 39 very nicely.
19th over: India 125-4 (Jadhav 33, Kohli 54) target 351 The way these two are happy to take it easy and just see Ball off suggests they fancy getting stuck into Rashid and, perhaps, Moeen later on. Six off the over, five off the bat and all utterly forgettable.
Angus Doulton asks: “Did you chance upon the episode of Midsomer Murders in which the captain of the village side was murdered in the nets by a full speed beamer from the bowling machine while the vice was impaled by a stump fired from a crossbow-like contraption? It was clear that the script writer had taken the need to redress the balance between vastly over engineered modern bats and the still unreformed ball to heart. I’m wondering whether the ODI format might provide the ideal testing ground for such ideas.”
No, but I was getting updates from my girlfriend and then saw Dan Norcross from TMS live-tweeting the repeat. I’m going to have a look for it online later this afternoon.
18th over: India 119-4 (Jadhav 31, Kohli 51) target 351 A brief pause as, two overs on from drinks, the batsmen take another drink. I guess it must be hotter out there than it is here in Manchester. Not a great amount of turn here (well, there) for Rashid. Kohli drills a full delivery off his toes and out through deep midwicket for two runs, bringing up his 39th half-century in ODI cricket, from 45 balls. He has 26 hundreds to go with those, too. Crivenny. Jadhav goes hard at the final ball, slog-sweeping it hard over long-on (!) for six!
17th over: India 108-4 (Jadhav 24, Kohli 47) target 351 Ball continues from the other end. It’s a rare quiet over, just six singles milked from it. The required rate is above seven, which isn’t a huge ask for this batting lineup, having as it does Ravi Ashwin at No9.
Richard Stanton writes: “I’m reading the OBO lying down in a dark room in Syndey and I’d just like to say that nothing can possibly go wrong now.” Why do I get the sneaking suspicion you’re Australian, Richard?
16th over: India 102-4 (Jadhav 21, Kohli 44) target 351 Spin now from Rashid and sorry to say that rank ball is still there: a half-tracker that Jadhav mullers through square on the pull to bring up India’s hundred.
15th over: India 94-4 (Jadhav 15, Kohli 42) target 351 Ah Jake. Jadhav slashes a cut behind point, Ball comes round and dives for it at deep backward point and promptly palms the ball into his own face. Forget it Jake: the ball spins back to the rope. Jadhav is more convincing next ball, guiding it wide of Rashid at mid-on and away for another boundary. That’s drinks.
14th over: India 82-4 (Jadhav 5, Kohli 40) target 351 Don’t put your money on England while Kohlie is at the crease; he gets his fourth boundary with a sweet, crunching drive through extra cover, a shot he’s played a thousand times if he’s played it at all. His ODI average is 64 chasing, compared to 41 batting first.
“Afternoon Dan.” Afternoon, Brian Flanagan Simon McMahon. “Like, I suspect, a lot of people, I first started reading the OBO during the 2005 Ashes, though it was a few years after that before I started ‘contributing’. Many years later and it remains a thing of wonder. A mistress, wife, mother, daughter, errant child. Bringing tears to your eyes and blood to your shoulders. Highs, lows, hope and despair. Not to mention cocktails. England should win this now, eh?”
13th over: India 74-4 (Jadhav 4, Kohli 33) target 351 Kohli looks to clamber into a wide-ish one from Stokes but is denied all four runs by a cracking dive from Morgan at cover. The scalpel is going to be more effective than the hammer here, you think and Kohli proves as much with a lovely timed push back past the bowler to the long-on boundary. After a single and a wide, Jadhav joins in with the Getting Off The Mark With A Boundary lark, doing so with a mistimed pull over midwicket.
Here’s Ian Copestake: “Not that I wish to cast nasturtiums on your unKohli-like circle of friends, but does your Feeder friend not like cricket? Or is he Phil Starbuck in disguise?” Very good. But he’s a rugby man.
12th over: India 64-4 (Jadhav 0, Kohli 28) target 351 Here’s Ball, who bowled the 10th over I should have said. After a couple of singles he digs one in short and sends Dhoni packing. England are strong favourites now.
Wicket! Dhoni c Willey b Ball 6
This is big! Short from Ball and it comes back into the batsman just a fraction. Dhoni goes for the pull and sends top-edges Ball’s ball to Willey. Don’t say we don’t give you innuendo here.
11th over: India 61-3 (Dhoni 5, Kohli 26) target 351 10 overs done and it’s time for a change of bowling: Stokes is into the attack and a loose line is first punished, Yuvraj turning him off the pads for four to fine leg, then effective as an attempt at repeating the shot brings only a fine inside edge through to the keeper. England are on top now, although that’s a risky thing to say when you see who the next man in is. The former captain is under way with a nice wristy cut behind point for four.
Yuvraj boundary: deafening noise. Yuvraj wicket: silence. Dhoni walks in: deafening noise. #INDvENG
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) January 15, 2017
Wicket! Yuvraj c Buttler b Stokes 15
Tickled down the leg side and, after a long and agonising pause from the umpire, Yuvraj is sent on his way.
10th over: India 51-2 (Yuvraj 11, Kohli 26) target 351 Six more to Kohli but it was touch and go. He wasn’t really in control of the cut and Alex Hales at third man for a moment thought he might snag it with a dive, one-handed. It’s a couple of feet too high for him though, no matter how he went for it. A couple of singles mean the 50 is up for India, 300 to go.
“Dear Dan,” begins the delightfully polite as ever Peter Rowntree. “Dream start for England. Woakes the enforcer bowling an immaculate line, Willey the excutioner with his mixing of the inswinger and the ball that keeps straight. I wondered thoughout the Test series wheteh England had not missed a trick by not having a left-armer in their side - not suggesting that should be Dave Willey, because he has not played that well in the last 12 months. But on the subcontinent the variety the left-armer brings to the attack certainly gives more options.”
You’re not wrong, Peter. The only issue is that there is no one on the County circuit you’d realistically consider, so I imagine the idea got a short shrift from the selectors.
9th over: India 43-2 (Yuvraj 10, Kohli 19) target 351 There we are, fixed it. Kohli guides a short, wide one up and over backward point but it plugs in the outfield and he only gets one. Those wrists though, it’s not just the speed at which they move just gives him so many more options in terms of where to place the ball, but the fact his brain works quickly enough to make the decision in the time it takes for the wrists to roll. That’s what elevates Kohli above the rest.
8th over: India 42-2 (Yuvraj 10, Kohli 18) target 351 What a way to get off the mark for the comeback man: his second ball in his first ODI in two years is back of a length and clubbed over midwicket for six by Yuvraj Singh. Four balls of lovely disciplined bowling follow before the final one is too short and swatted from outside off, through midwicket again, for four. And I’ve lost count of the overs somewhere. Just a minute...
Damian Clarke asks: “Hi. As a fan of Feeder, I was intrigued by the news of an abysmal knock-off group. The internet is, for once, no help. Have you ever tried googling a single letter? So do you have any more information?” I do indeed and apologies for this pile of dross. I love Feeder, by the way, and I don’t just say that because I’m friends with Grant.
7th over: India 32-2 (Yuvraj 0, Kohli 18) target 351 Now this could be a great contest: Woakes v Kohli. Who’d have thought that 18 months ago? The former has 0-3 from his first three overs, the latter has a career average of 52 at a strike rate of 90ish. And after three dot balls, the latter gets going with back-to-back boundaries: he gives himself space and drives imperiously, inside out over extra cover for four, then goes the other way to clip over midwicket.
Tremendous stuff from Woakes*. Going for just two off your first two overs is impressive. *nicest man in cricket.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) January 15, 2017
Updated
6th over: India 24-2 (Yuvraj 0, Kohli 10) target 351 Between overs, Kohli is forced to remove his white wrist bands as ODI rules state you’re not allowed them, in case a fielder can’t pick the white ball out of them. The odds are slim, I know. Perhaps the India captain is angered by this, as he crashes the first legal ball of the over high over mid-on for six! A misfield by Ball at mid-on then allows him through for a couple more, then a single before Rahul is emphatically removed. That really was a peach from Willey.
Updated
Wicket! Rahul b Willey 8
Oh that’s a beauty. Round the wicket and swinging back into KL Rahul, who tries to play across the line and sees his middle stump sent flying.
5th over: India 14-1 (Rahul 8, Kohli 1) target 351 Enter Kohli, who will have the strike as the batsmen presumably crossed while the ball was headed for Moeen from the last ball of the previous over. He’s off the mark with a sweet off-drive, which Hales does well to cut off. Another cracking over from Woakes though.
“May I just point out that it’s eighty-two days until the start of the County Championship?” asks Romeo. Done.
Updated
4th over: India 13-1 (Rahul 8) target 351 India chased exactly 351 against Australia in Nagpur in 2013 for their second highest ever run successful run-chase. I don’t remember it off the top of my head but I would imagine, being Nagpur, the pitch was a fair bit slower than this one. Dhawan is off the mark with an ugly old punch, coming down the wicket, into the off-side. Willey comes round the wicket now to tuck up Rahul, whose score I have corrected in the previous entry if you refresh the page. Anyway, Dhawan goes off the last ball, thanks to a juggled but simple catch from Mo.
Wicket! Dhawan c Moeen b Willey 1
Dhawan opens the face and lifts a wide ball over the slip cordon, only to see the ball float straight to Moeen at third man!
3rd over: India 10-0 (Rahul 7, Dhawan 0) target 351 Clearly a fan of abysmal early 2000s Feeder knock-off A, Chris Woakes offers the batsmen pretty much nothing. Rahul dabs a single to backward point anyway. Lovely line from Woakes.
“Kohli has no one in his life because he once watched Heat and now has a 30 second rule,” reckons yer man Copestake.
Updated
2nd over: India 9-0 (Rahul 5, Dhawan 0) target 351 From t’other end, it’s Northamptonshire’s Poached David Willey. He finds a soupcon of movement but a soupcon proves too much when he swings a couple down the right-hander’s leg side from over the wicket. Twix the two, Rahul takes his ODI average to an even 200 by sliding his back leg back and driving through cover point for four.
1st over: India 2-0 (Rahul 0, Dhawan 0) target 351 Chris Woakes opens the bowling and there’s not much swing for him, bowling to the right-handed, 196-averaging KL Rahul. He fails to add to that with the first run of the innings, coming as it does from a leg-bye. A wide, on height, means India are on course to lose this match by 250 runs.
Guy Hornsby is feeling far too optimistic for the OBO.
Greetings from Kochi @DanLucas86, avid OBOing post-ferry trip to Enkulam. Saw warm-up win in Mumbai last week & reckon we'll edge it by 20
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) January 15, 2017
I know we’ve said it before but Kohli is such an admirable cricketer. He’s explaining to Nasser Hussain the technicalities behind how he can open and close the face of the bat to guide the same ball either side of the wicket and place it to the fence.
Michael Brophy writes: “Following you from the stoop of a house on the Indian Ocean in Knysna, RSA. My fellow countryman Eoin Morgan can bring it off....I hope!”
It seems we’re popular with the Irish this morning: Shay McGuinness is also with us and I hope he’s not saying anything I’ll regret publishing in the Guardian here: “Dia dhaoibh go leir,I m here in Rush ,north County Dublin ,home of Eoin Morgan.I ve recently abandoned my Sky sports contract as I find OBO does the job better and is more entertaining.Go dteigh sibh slan.”
Pakistan have won an ODI in Australia for the first time in 12 years.
Let’s not to be too harsh on Andrew Strauss and Eoin Morgan, yeah?
England have scored seven of their highest nine ODI scores since the World Cup: 444-3, 408-9, 399-9, 365-9, 355-5, 350-3 & 350-7. #IndvEng
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) January 15, 2017
Innings break correspondence
After a quick note on Sky’s interview with Kohli, where the India captain says it helps that he doesn’t have many people in his life that he’s close to. I did feel a bit of sympathy for the run machine there.
Andrew Benton asks: “Just where did OBO-ing start - many media agencies do it these days, was it originally a Guardian initiative?” I will hand you over to Andy Bull for that one.
Ian “Gary Naylor” Copestake writes: “Tell Bob O’Hara to say hello to the Edvard Munch lithographs in Trondheim from me. Alas Frankfurt’s cricket teams will surely miss departing Bob.”
Philip Morton notes “It [was] 2.25am in Berkley and I should be asleep. 7 degrees outside, which treated as cold here. I’ve been an OBO fan since the Ashes in 2005.” That’s when I joined as a reader, too. You too can one day actually know and swap indie music recommendations with Rob Smyth.
Greetings, folks, from Manchester, where no weather-related adjective is needed. Let’s bask, for a moment, in England’s lower-middle order glory before we meet the new boss - same as the old boss - and Virat Kohli chases this down in 46.2 overs.
I’m Dan Lucas, Tim de Lisle is gone. Get in touch with me instead of him, by emailing dan.lucas@theguardian.com or tweeting @DanLucas86.
50th over: England 350-7 (Woakes 9, Willey 10) Willey celebrates his promotion with a six off Bumrah – one-handed, mis-hit, but they all count. And England finish on a nice round number, so India will have to go at seven an over. Joe Root was a bit sluggish, understandably after becoming a dad, but he held the show together, and Jason Roy and Ben Stokes produced the fireworks when then were needed, at either end of the innings. Whether it’s enough, we shall see, but England’s batters have at least given the bowlers plenty to play with.
India were good in parts, but there was some sloppy fielding and a curious number of beamers, and, at times, Dhoni was telling Kohli what to tell the others to do. There’s an art to being an ex-captain and it comes more easily to the quieter types. Alastair Cook may turn out to be better at it than Dhoni. Thanks for your emails and tweets, flying in from all around the world, and do stay here to follow the chase with Dan Lucas.
350 up!
It’s only a bye, but it’s still a landmark: England’s first 350 ever in a one-dayer in India.
49th over: England 338-7 (Woakes 7, Willey 1) Before Moeen’s dismissal, Chris Woakes came to the party with an elegant four, inside-out over extra cover. After it, David Willey comes marching out ahead of Adil Rashid, in another sign of England’s attacking spirit. There have been 103 runs off the last nine overs, and this is now England’s highest one-day score in India. They no longer die wondering.
Richard Harris has an answer for Bob O’Hara (47th over). “Overseas cricket coach?” he splutters. “If only! I would be somewhere much warmer if I were.”
Wicket! England 330-7
Mooen perishes, trying a reverse something – bowled by Yadav for a spirited 28 off 17.
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48th over: England 330-6 (Moeen 27, Woakes 1) Now Moeen goes big, carting Bumrah for six with a superb pull. He saw it so early that it went in front of midwicket, never mind square. In the last half hour England have been immense, even allowing for a small ground.
An email from Sreekanth Nandakumar, who is not happy. “As an Indian from Aachen in Germany, it’s a bit tough watching the match on a 15-inch laptop rather than the comfort of 42-inch HD at home. It’s even tougher when you simultaneously follow the OBO, the Cricinfo commentary and the TMS and it has been snowing bonkers for the last 2 days.” Snowing bonkers: nice phrase.
Wicket! England 317-6
Stokes!! Carried away with his own excellence, he top-edges a pull to deep square. He goes for 62 off only 40 balls, a contender for Cameo of the Year.
47th over: England 317-5 (Stokes 62, Moeen 19) A nightmare for Yadav, who starts with a beamer, sees it go for six, and then concedes two fours as Moeen comes to the party. A full 20 off the over.
And Bob O’Hara is back. “I suspect Intercultural Management is a posh term for ‘overseas cricket coach’.” Over to you, Richard Harris.
Six! Off a beamer
Yadav catches the beamer virus, and Stokes somehow fences it over third man for six, which means it costs eight, and there will be a free hit. Has that ever happened before?
46th over: England 297-5 (Stokes 52, Moeen 10) Bumrah has been bowling beamers, and his third is a comedy of errors – another mis-hit from Stokes, a dropped catch from Kohli, whose blushes are spared by a call of no-ball. Stokes then hits one perfectly, a great big golf-swing for six over long-on, to reach fifty off only 33 balls. Great stuff.
An email arrives from Joe Hunt. “I’m enjoying following the cricket during breaks from painting my living-room ceiling here in Melbourne. It’s a pain in the arse (I’m here all week...), but things are looking up as I’ve just cracked open a nice cold beer. Keep up the good work!” You too.
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45th over: England 285-5 (Stokes 42, Moeen 9) A swish from Moeen for four over cover, and then Stokes hits yet another six – with a mishit, a toe-ender off Ashwin that still clears long-off. That’s why, whatever England get in this innings, they won’t feel sure that it’s enough.
44th over: England 271-5 (Stokes 33, Moeen 4) Stokes helps himself to another six, turning a decent ball from Bumrah into a gimme by sitting deep in his crease. A handy 16 off the over. This is like Roy and Hales earlier: Moeen just has to watch.
43rd over: England 255-5 (Stokes 20, Moeen 2) A few singles off Jadhav, and then Stokes carves him over cover for six. England could really do with a lusty cameo from him.
An email from Robert Darby. “A great day here in Nairobi. The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze. I have just returned from an enjoyable Christmas in the UK and have come back with clothes, smoked salmon and a bad dose of the flu, caught, I believe, at the Frankfurt market in Birmingham. I won’t make a comment about Brexit.”
42nd over: England 245-5 (Stokes 12, Moeen 0) That was the wicket India wanted, and Jasprit Bumrah delivered.
“Comically far flung?” says Richard Harris. “Nothing comic about sitting here in Nakatsugawa, Japan, watching the snow pile up outside in -10 weather. Enjoying the OBO though!” Thanks. His sign-off says he’s Professor of Intercultural Management at Chukyo University. You really are having me on now.
Wicket! England 244-5
And it’s Root, who tries to hit a slower ball for six and falls to a fine catch at long-on by Pandya. He’s gone for 78, and that could be the game.
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41st over: England 240-4 (Root 77, Stokes 9) Five off Jadhav’s over. The fireworks are not quite happening.
An email from Simon Carroll. “Well the sun is shining off the snow and ice today in Stockholm, but not really cricketing weather here! Thanks for the updates! – Simon (a Kiwi living in Sweden).”
40th over: England 235-4 (Root 76, Stokes 7) Ashwin returns, and after a little light milking, Root sweeps him fine for four. He’s done very well for a bleary new dad, but England do need more – in a perfect world, he’ll be 125 not out at the break.
Bob O’Hara is back, responding to the 27th over below. “Ian Copestake should be patient. I’m leaving Frankfurt in a couple of weeks (which is why a couple of Germans were removing the kitchen). There were too many boring bankers here. Are there any OBO followers in Trondheim yet?”
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39th over: England 227-4 (Root 69, Stokes 6) Stokes gets into the swing straight away with a pull for four off Jadhav.
An email from Jim Newman. “Currently sitting in my office in Baghdad, where it’s just had the cheek to rain on my lunchtime circuit training, and following the cricket. Keep it up.” You too. Today’s readership is turning out to be almost comically far-flung.
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38th over: England 221-4 (Root 68, Stokes 1) So Buttler falls but Root remains. Good work from Pandya, who has 2-46 off nine. The partnership was 63 off 65 balls, useful enough.
An email comes in from Adam Hundt. “Thanks for the excellent OBO coverage. You’re continuing a Guardian tradition which has kept me sane for well over a decade. I’m following your reports in Santiago, Chile, whilst suffering from the effects of trying to keep up with my father-in-law’s inhuman appetite for food and booze. It’s not pretty.”
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Wicket! England 220-4
Buttler goes, cutting Pandya to mid-off. He made a breezy 31 but had just been hit on the right ear, so it may be for the best that he gets a breather.
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37th over: England 211-3 (Root 67, Buttler 31) Another big hit from Buttler, who cracks Yuvraj back over his head for an unusually flat six. It’s quite a small ground, so plenty more of those will be needed.
36th over: England 211-3 (Root 66, Buttler 24) The partnership passes 50, and Jadeja takes his shades with figures of 1-50 off his ten overs. He started superbly, then England played him well.
35th over: England 205-3 (Root 63, Buttler 21) Yuvraj Singh is back in the attack, three years after his last ODI. Shame Stuart Broad isn’t here too. He concedes six as England accumulate.
An email from David Ward. “5am wake up in suburban Washington DC.” Ouch. “Inauguration week. Miserable here.” Double ouch. “And the weather is bad too....More espresso...” But he finishes with some poetry: “‘The best way out is always through’ – Robert Frost.”
34th over: England 199-3 (Root 61, Buttler 17) Ten off the over as these two step up the running between the wickets. Jadeja, who bowled seven overs for 25, has now gone for 19 off his last two.
An email from Ian Cumberland. “Bom dia Tim!” I would say the same to you, if only spell-check would let me. (For some reason it’s less harsh on words in quotes.) “Following the OBO from sunny Rio de Janeiro. Finding that TMS on a very low volume is perfect for soothing a Caipirinha-induced hangover🍸😜”
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Drinks: England 199-3
Those sixes have given England back their momentum. They haven’t quite kept going at a run a ball, but near enough. Well played Root, especially.
Six!
From Root this time, an easy slog-sweep off Jadeja.
33rd over: England 189-3 (Root 52, Buttler 16) Five off the over from Pandya, who persuades Buttler to play and miss while attempting the ramp.
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Fifty!
To Joe Root, who isn’t going to let mere fatherhood stop him starting a series with a decent score. He’s been quietly efficient, apart from those outrageous ramps.
32nd over: England 184-3 (Root 48, Buttler 16) So Jadeja, who has been outstanding, goes for a big hit at last – but concedes only nine off the over. He has 1-34 off eight.
John Starbuck has been thinking about babies’ names. “You can understand the option of first names for a Yorkshire lad (over 23) by reflecting that it isn’t always a trendy or hero-worshipping decision. Yorkshire people might see that as sucking up, which certainly wouldn’t do. Joe Root has a brother called William so it may be that, as well as Alfred (grandfather’s name?), is traditionally used in the family. It isn’t always the father’s decision, either.” True enough.
Six!
Buttler goes inside out, takes on the man at long-off, and gets the ball sailing over extra cover. Great shot.
31st over: England 175-3 (Root 46, Buttler 10) Four singles off Pandya’s over, when England could do with a big one. The crowd, getting restless, turn to the Mexican wave.
An email comes in from Alistair Kimpton. “I am likewise about to step out into an ice storm in Skelmanthorpe,” he says, “in the West Riding of the sunshine state that is Yorkshire, to watch my son play football. I might don an extra string vest if it stays like this.”
30th over: England 171-3 (Root 44, Buttler 8) A clever over from Jadeja, varying his pace, frustrating Buttler and conceding only a single. India are firm favourites here, as they were at the start, but England have been respectable. They have enough wickets in hand to double their score from here, if they show more urgency than they have in the past few minutes.
29th over: England 170-3 (Root 44, Buttler 7) Buttler joins in the fun, strolling down the track to flick Pandya for four. The official attendance is in and it’s 37,500. A suspiciously round number, but still an impressive one.
28th over: England 163-3 (Root 43, Buttler 1) Root keeps things ticking with another of his reverse ramps for four. He’s so good to watch, and Roy and Morgan have manfully enabled him to shake off the baby-lag.
Talking of fathers and sons – an email from Simon Thomas, entitled Glamour. “Am following from a car park just off the M1 in Hertfordshire. Just about to step outside to watch my son play football in the freezing pissing rain. Cricket is such a more civilised game.” Yes – it stops for rain. But good on you watching your boy.
27th over: England 157-3 (Root 38, Buttler 0) Morgan did well with that little assault on Ashwin, which shook Kohl’s faith in spin – but then he fell to the seamer. England send Buttler in ahead of Stokes, which must be right.
Meanwhile, Ian Copestake is aghast. “How dare Bob O’Hara be in Frankfurt. For I am the only gay in the vill .... er, OBO follower in Frankfurt!”
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Wicket! England 157-3
India were right. Morgan goes for a sparky 28, off 26 balls.
Review!
Morgan is given not out, trying to glide Pandya, but India review and they are very confident that he got a nick.
26th over: England 154-2 (Root 36, Morgan 27) With Ashwin showing signs of being mortal after all, Kohli turns to another off spinner, Kedar Jadhav. A lesser bowler, but a better over: just four singles from it. England probably need eight an over from here to set a healthy target, and they may want to get Jos Buttler in sooner rather than later.
25th over: England 150-2 (Root 34, Morgan 25) Pandya comes back, Morgan helps himself to a pull for four, and it’s another good over for England – ten off it and the 150 comes up in decent time. They’ve bounced back from that wobble.
24th over: England 140-2 (Root 32, Morgan 18) Morgan gets four with the deftest of leg glances. He has 18 at a run a ball, and he’s played Ashwin beautifully so far.
23rd over: England 132-2 (Root 30, Morgan 12) Root pulls Bumrah for a handsome four. Not bad for a new dad. He missed the warm-up matches, but Roy’s onslaught allowed him to play himself in here instead.
“I’m not in Dubai,” says Bob O’Hara. “I’m sat in my flat in Frankfurt whilst two Germans dismantle and take away the kitchen. I’ve decided I’m disappointed that Root didn’t call his son Alfred Geoffrey.”
22nd over: England 126-2 (Root 25, Morgan 11) With a couple of twos and some singles, the six makes 14 off the over from Ashwin, which is just what England needed. A captain’s hitting.
A reader in Britain, of all places. “Here in digs at #RothamstedManor,” says Andrew Benton, stylishly. “Built about 1600 when ‘creckett’ seems to have started. Today - perfect for chillaxing & OBO.” And, coincidentally, 1600 is what England would have to get to be sure of a win here.
Six!
Morgan slog-sweeps Ashwin, of all people, over midwicket. That came out of nowhere, as good sixes do.
21st over: England 113-2 (Root 21, Morgan 2) Just when things were going so well with the spinners, Kohli decides to revert to seam. It sort of works, as Bumrah goes for only two. But why has Jadeja been taken off?
A tweet from Kevin Shaw. “Listening and reading with excitement and trepidation in equal measure in Goa - by the hotel pool bar!” OK, OK.
And another one, from Brett Turner. “Being driven around Dubai by Sid from India.” Dubai is the new Rick’s: everyone goes there. “Between MBM updates, got him started on cash crisis. His rant worth an MBM of its own!”
20th over: England 111-2 (Root 20, Morgan 2) Ashwin sees the chance to whisk through an over for not many at all, and duly concedes only two. Has the momentum gone with Roy?
A tweet from Dr Sam Willis. “I’m listening in the Gold Souk in Dubai, which is full of Indian gold traders, also listening to the cricket.” That’s terrific. I shall be there myself tomorrow – Dubai, not the souk.
19th over: England 109-2 (Root 19, Morgan 1) That is a hammer blow for England. Jadeja saw Roy coming, and adjusted superbly.
An email from Krishna Pael. “Watching (and reading the OBO) at 3 in the morning through a Minnesotan Snowstorm. Jason Roy is the cure for everything in life. Do you think England should up the ante here? We need to go faster in the middle overs given India’s chasing pedigree.” Yes, but for now it’s just a matter of Morgan getting settled in, after a thin spell.
Wicket! England 108-2
And it’s Roy! Stumped off Jadeja for 73. He went for a walk, missed a quicker ball outside off, and Dhoni was alert to the chance. What a shame for England.
18th over: England 107-1 (Roy 73, Root 18) Roy celebrates his escape with another lovely four, off-driven from a godo length. Eight off the over, which England needed.
Dropped!
Roy’s reverse lap presents a difficult chance at backward point, and it’s grassed.
Drinks
England are 99-1 after 17 overs, slowing down a little now but well in the game, thanks to Jason Roy’s turbo-charged start.
17th over: England 99-1 (Roy 66, Root 17) A couple more singles, and a handsome sweep from Root, orthodox not reverse, which deserves four but gets two.
“Ciao,” says Jonny Mills. Another Young Jonny, I take it. “I’m sat in a freezing office in Brescia, northern Italy, because that’s the only place I’m currently able to access t’internet. I almost intended to do a bit of work when I got here, but visits to Marthas Bar and the lovely Tower of Hercules watering hole in town last night have put paid to any such ideas. Just cricket then, cheers.” Cheers Jonny. Keep ’em coming.
16th over: England 95-1 (Roy 65, Root 14) The milking continues with five off Ashcan’s over. Apart from that first fine careless ramp shot, it’s been all singles off the spinners.
An email from an unexpected quarter. “Following you on the South West Pacific island of Espiritu Santo,” says Tony Whitley. You’re making this up, aren’t you? “It is evening here – balmy at 29 degrees. Am a Yorky so feel YJB should be out there.” That’s Young Jonny Bairstow. I suspect you’re right, Tony.
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15th over: England 90-1 (Roy 62, Root 13) A tidy over from Jadeja, only three off it, which means it’s been a run a ball so far – nearly all of them from the flashing blade of Jason Roy.
Dan Lucas, who will be bringing you India’s innings later on, noticed that the scorecard wasn’t working, and has fixed it.
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14th over: England 87-1 (Roy 60, Root 12) Bumrah gives way to Ravi Ashwin, and, as with Jadeja, England content themselves with singles.
An email arrives from Richard Woods. “Just been out to have a look at some of the decorations in my local mall here in Beijing, as the Year of the Rooster approaches.” Classy. “Some places have simply kept the Christmas decorations up and added sundry cuddly chickens here and there, others are beginning to make everything newly pretty. (Somewhat in advance) Happy New Year, Tim!” Happy new rooster to you too.
13th over: England 82-1 (Roy 58, Root 10) Joe Root comes to the party with a reverse ramp off Jadeja, chipped over Dhoni’s right shoulder. That’s delicious.
12th over: England 77-1 (Roy 58, Root 5) Roy is back in the groove, upper-cutting Bumrah for four.
11th over: England 72-1 (Roy 54, Root 4) The first dose of spin, so often England’s undoing, comes from Ravindra Jadeja. He stops the flow of fours from Roy, but concedes five singles.
Bill Hargreaves is in the inbox. “...’but no-one said appreciating art should be easy.’ Hilarious. And where’s the link to the scorecard, for that matter, dammit man!
“No, I think that yours and the standard of the live commentary of the whole Guardian team is pretty fantastic - thanks.” No, thank you, Bill. I agree about the others.
“I’m in a sleepy village called Glenageary in South County Dublin. I can walk to three beaches from my house, but right now it’s barely light and a little cold for that kind of shenanigans.” Nice one.
10th over: England 67-1 (Roy 52, Root 1) Roy is on fire. He greets the new bowler, Bumrah, with a straight push for four and a n authoritative pull for four more, to bring up his fifty off only 36 balls, with ten boundaries. At the other end, England have managed ten runs. So he may need to turn his fifty into something massive.
And John Starbuck is in the house. “You indicated earlier that there wasn’t much of a crowd. Listening to TMS it sounds like a few people are making a massive amount of noise near the commentators.” A big crowd is expected, but when the eccentric organ rang out, they were all in the car park.
9th over: England 57-1 (Roy 43, Root 1) Roy marches on with a hook and a flick off Yadav, both for four. The hook was a bit of a flap, but the flick was a thing of beauty, eased through square leg with effortless timing.
8th over: England 48-1 (Roy 34, Root 1) The one-man show continues as Root feels his way back from the world of the new baby with an uncertain leg glance. It was a boy, Alfred William Root, who already sounds as if he’s playing for England, albeit in the 1890s.
7th over: England 44-1 (Roy 31, Root 0) Roy, unperturbed, eases a lovely four through square leg off a perfectly decent ball. Root, just in from the birth of his first child, may be as rusty as Hales. As they replay the run-out, it’s clear that Bumrah did a great job, picking his end and hitting the stumps from about t35 yards. Even more remarkably, he seems to have got through the Guardian spell-check unscathed.
“Just waking up to about the most grey, wet and dreary day you could imagine,” writes Stephen Colwill. “Wishing I was in India watching cricket right now.” Let’s have more of this – tell us where you are and what’s happening in your life. In mine, somewhere in London, last night’s pizza is calling to me after my son’s 23rd birthday party. It was once an American Hot.
Wicket! England 39-1
Hales is run out. His bat was on the line as an excellent throw came in from Bumrah at deep square. England will be relieved that it wasn’t Roy.
6th over: England 34-0 (Roy 22, Hales 9) Hales plays and misses again, but then finds the rope for the first time with a comfortable leg glance.
OBO readers are usually very friendly, but I’ve managed to annoy one. “Thanks for the hints of the teams,” writes Felix Wood, deceptively. “I admire your refusal to do anything as prosaic as listing them. Sure it’s annoying for the reader, but no-one said appreciating art should be easy.” Ouch.
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5th over: England 28-0 (Roy 21, Hales 4) The batsmen get some quick singles going off Yadav, which is sensible when the ball is doing a bit. Roy, so far, is motoring along at about four times the rate of his mate: 21 off 17 balls, to Hales’s 4 off 13.
4th over: England 24-0 (Roy 19, Hales 2) Hales is beaten by Pandya, who may well become Panda by the time the Guardian spell-check has finished with him. And then Hales messes up a hook and top-edges, not far from Ashwin at fine leg. Hales, who opted not to go to Bangladesh, is showing clear signs of rust.
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3rd over: England 22-0 (Roy 18, Hales 1) Roy flays another four, over point this time, before Hales has his escape. That was a clear case of the review system doing its job. It was a howler by umpire Nandan, who can be forgiven as it’s only his second ODI.
Not out!
It was heading down leg – a clean “Missing” on HawkEye.
Wicket?
Hales is given lbw to Yadav. Reviewed...
2nd over: England 15-0 (Roy 13, Hales 0) Hardik Pandya pitches it up, looking for that swing, and Roy helps himself to successive fours through extra cover. One is uppish but both are whole-hearted. He gets to 12 as fast as anyone. India react, or over-react, by taking out one of the two slips.
“Sorry to hear that Kohli is oozing charm,” says Ian Copestake. “Does that mean he will require a fitness test?”
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1st over: England 6-0 (Roy 4, Hales 0) Umesh Yadav opens the proceedings and gives Jason Roy some instant discomfort, beating the bat and then taking the edge, which gives Roy a streaky four to third man. There is swing, pace, bounce, and some green patches, so this innings is unlikely to be boring.
The anthems The Queen is 90 and the band take her anthem at the sort of pace at which she walks. It’s mostly organ, like late Johnny Cash without the vocals. India’s anthem is taken more like a Christmas carol, briskly, cheerfully. The crowd, alas, are mostly not here to hear it, as the ground is out of town. “Like the Rose Bowl,” says Simon Mann on TMS.
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Toss: India opt to field
Morgan calls heads, it’s tails, and Kohli fancies a bowl. “Looks a bit damp early on,” he reckons. Morgan is honest enough to say he would have bowled too. The toss, incidentally, now features an overhead camera, just in case we need a slo-mo replay of the coin spinning through the air.
England have left out Billings and Bairstow, which they may regret. They have six bowlers, and Jake Ball gets a reprieve. Both teams bat deep, with the immense Ravi Ashwin down at nine for India and the explosive David Willey at ten for England. But first it’ll be Alex Hales and Jason Roy trying to see off the dew.
Preamble
A new year, a new start, a different format… And where are England? Back in India. It’s a bit like having a painful split from your other half, then finding yourself stuck next to them at a wedding. With five more such weddings to follow.
But where there’s sport, there’s life. We have a fresh venue, Pune, 100 miles inland from Mumbai. We have changes of captaincy: Eoin Morgan resuming for England after electing to miss the series in Bangladesh, and MS Dhoni bowing out for India – but sticking around as a wicketkeeper, finisher and crowd favourite.
We have sub-plots: will Virat Kohli find it easy to be Dhoni’s boss? Will England leave out their in-form batsmen, Sam Billings and Jonny Bairstow, or play three wicketkeepers with the odd batter attached? Will their bowlers carry on being what they were at the end of the Test series: cannon fodder? Will Joe Root soon find himself Test captain, as well as a first-time dad?
Several bookmakers have England at 13/8 for this match, which, in a two-horse race, is either generous or insulting. But then, as Graeme Swann says, their batters play spin “horrifically, on the whole”. And India is a tough place to be the visiting team, in any format. The good news is that if England’s fearless young team can do it here, they will feel they can do it anywhere.
Join me for the start at 8am GMT, and say hello with a tweet @TimdeLisle or an email to tim.delisle.casual@ guardian.co.uk.
Tim will be here from 7am. In the meantime you can read why Barney Ronay thinks Virat Kohli offers a brilliant lesson in how to be a star …
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