Time to call it a morning. England will resume tomorrow needing another 429 runs to go 2-0 up, which is about as close to impossible as cricket can get. India need seven wickets and could grab them before most of England’s supporters stir from their beds. Still, before the series began Joe Root would surely have taken 1-1 with two to play, especially as the first of those two (both taking place at Ahmedabad) is the pink-ball Test, which should make Anderson’s swing as lethal as Ashwin’s spin. Thanks for your company and highly entertaining correspondence. The match report will be along soon, and the OBO will be back at 4am GMT sharp.
The last word goes to Hanno Prinz of Deutsche Bank. “It goes without saying, that as a German, I am a complete and utter cricket noob, but have been brought in contact with this marvellous game by my many colleagues from India within the bank. I just wanted to briefly mention that I enormously enjoy your musings to great lengths as they are as witty as they are funny – pure gold, nearly over for over :-) Finally: may I ask, what the meaning of ‘OBO’ is, a term so widely used in the chat, herewith displaying my complete foolishness? Cheers!” I think you’ll find it’s a city in the Central African Republic.
“I’ve never really understood the emotive term ‘a doctored pitch’,” says Ian Forth. “I remember Neil Harvey spitting the word out about the pitch where Jim Laker took all his wickets in 1956. Surely yes, if the curators raked it up between innings. No, if they prepared a pitch which is, self-evidently, the same for both sides. It might favour the home side, but Australians would bristle if the old WACA trampoline had been described as ‘doctored’. Sure, we can argue the odds about the platonic nature of a ‘bad’ cricket pitch, but I’d rather have this one than a flatbed, quite honestly.” Agreed – the really flat ones are the worst, and they are often described as ‘good’.
“I must say there’s a lot of nonsense being talked about this pitch,” says Kim Thonger. “It’s substantially better than some of the wickets I’ve played on immediately south of the Grand Pier on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, between the Punch and Judy show and the whelk stall. I made a stylish triple hundred there in August 1970, against a family from Wolverhampton, admittedly facing a tennis ball, but the turn and bounce was quite remarkable as David Coleman used to say.”
“A daft suggestion from Craig McEwan,” says Jonathan Gresty. “What better practice than batting for the next day and a half and winning the Test by one wicket?”
“England need to remember,” says Shankar Mony, “that this is just round two of a four-Test series. Good batting now could work for them later!”
“Enjoying the OBO!” says Craig McEwan. “Can a case be made for England getting out quickly, so they can have a couple of days’ more practice before the next Test?”
Stumps: England tottering
19th over: England 53-3 (Lawrence 19, Root 2) Later in the over, Root is saved by an inside edge. It’s all happening. And that’s a fiery end to another fascinating day. Virat Kohli recovered from the dent to his pride in the first innings to make a formidable fifty in the second. Ravi Ashwin cashed in, adding a hundred to his five-for and becoming only the second man ever to pull off that trick three times in Tests.
England, handed a doomed mission, set off brightly, but both openers’ techniques were exposed – Sibley right away, Burns after a brief salvo. Dan Lawrence did well to make it through to the close, Jack Leach got a golden duck, and Joe Root is only still there thanks to a large slice of luck.
Still, there’s nothing happening to Root’s team that can’t be sorted with another double hundred, as Ian Copestake senses. “Echoing the Star Wars narrative,” he writes, “one England batsman will find his daddy.”
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Wicket? The Indians think they've got Root
But he’s saved by umpire’s call! On impact – facing Axar, Root appeared to be plumb LBW, although the TV umpire seemed to think the appeal was for caught behind. “I’m flabbergasted,” says Mark Butcher. “I’m giving that out all day long.”
18th over: England 52-3 (Lawrence 19, Root 1) The point of sending out Leach was to save Joe Root for tomorrow, but here he is. If he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, it’s not showing, as he clips his second ball, from Ashwin, into the leg side for a single.
17th over: England 50-3 (Lawrence 18, Root 0) Kohli had four men round the bat for Leach, and I was wondering why he didn’t have nine, but he had one where it mattered.
Wicket! Leach c Rohit b Axar 0 (England 50-3)
England send out a nightwatchman, who doesn’t survive two balls. Leach turns Azar straight to the man at leg gully, and the collapse is on.
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Wicket!! Burns c Kohli b Ashwin 25 (England 49-2)
Ashwin lures Burns into a crooked poke, and the nick loops up to give a simple catch to Kohli at gully. Character will only get you so far.
15th over: England 48-1 (Burns 25, Lawrence 16) Again, a single to each batsman off Axar, who beats Lawrence with a classical delivery, landing on off and spinning away.
14th over: England 46-1 (Burns 24, Lawrence 15) The cameras find Chris Silverwood deep in conversation with Ed Smith. Mark Butcher reckons they’re discussing whether to replace Dan Lawrence with either Zak Crawley, who is fit again after hurting his wrist, or Jonny Bairstow, who’s back from his breather. Lawrence, somehow sensing this, dances down the dustbowl and wallops Ashwin for six. Like Burns, he is showing some character here.
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13th over: England 40-1 (Burns 24, Lawrence 9) A single to each batsman off Patel, who is a slinger, but a high-class one.
“Star Wars,” says Rob Lewis. “To whom it may concern (Stokes?). May the fours be with you...”
12th over: England 38-1 (Burns 23, Lawrence 8) Burns gives Ashwin the charge, only manages a push, but thinks he may as well take a quick single as he’s halfway there already. Lawrence gets a ripper that beats him and Pant to go for four byes. Pant is a thrilling young cricketer but, right now, he’s all mouth and no gauntlets.
“Hi Tim from Ian in a wet Side,” says our Turkey correspondent, Ian Wilson. “Thanks for keeping me awake this morning with some great comments and airing of fans’ missives. I have worked it out: these two will put on 150, Root will score 150, and Stokes and Foakes will take us home with half a day to spare. Still don’t see many face masks in that crowd.”
11th over: England 33-1 (Burns 22, Lawrence 8) Lawrence takes his cue from Burns and tucks into Axar, twice giving him the charge and getting four. The first was an elegant whip, the second a rather shaky chip, but they all count and this is already a better start than England managed in the first innings.
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10th over: England 25-1 (Burns 22, Lawrence 0) Burns, still purposeful, glances Ashwin for four, then risks the sweep and gets it right, meeting the ball early and striking it square for four more. He has rightly decided to ditch the sobriety advocated by Chris Silverwood: for this England top order, on this surface, attack is the only form of defence.
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9th over: England 17-1 (Burns 14, Lawrence 0) So Axar gets the breakthrough and England are on the slide again. Out comes Dan Lawrence, who has done nothing to deserve being thrown in at No.3 on a dustbowl – though, on the other hand, he has nothing to lose.
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Wicket! Sibley LBW b Patel 3 (England 17-1)
Sometimes the OBO is just the chronicle of a wicket foretold. Sibley, all at sea from the start, goes down prodding as he plays across a straight skiddy one from Axar Patel. The finger goes up and his mate Burns says it’s not worth reviewing.
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8th over: England 17-0 (Burns 14, Sibley 3) A maiden from Ashwin to Burns, who is the more assured of the two, not that this is saying a great deal.
7th over: England 17-0 (Burns 14, Sibley 3) A maiden from Patel to Sibley, who is looking as clueless as he did in Galle in his first three innings of this tour.
“Since the result in really not in question now,” says Cathy Anderton, “I have what must be the most useless question ever. Why do all the numbers on all the shirts have little white dots at the bottom? Does nobody in cricket know how numbers work?” Ha.
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6th over: England 17-0 (Burns 14, Sibley 3) “I’m supremely confident,” says Richard Hirst. “The pitch will prove that it’s unplayable by being unwicketkeeperable and England will win with byes the highest scorer.” And just as I paste that in, Burns is dropped by Pant behind the stumps off Ashwin. Deciding that he may as well go out with all guns blazing, Burns trots down the track and plays a straight push for four, then tucks off the hip for two. He’s certainly got the character.
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5th over: England 9-0 (Burns 7, Sibley 2) Off goes Ishant and back comes Axar, from the other end. Burns clips him for a single while Sibley prods at thin air. These two are really not the pair you would choose to open on a dustbowl. Where’s Keaton Jennings when his country needs him?
“So, channelling the Star Wars analogy,” says an email, “England should take heart from the Rebels defeating Darth Vader: bat long and prosper. Chris Purcell, in a galaxy, not so far away.”
4th over: England 8-0 (Burns 6, Sibley 2) Axar’s spell is finished, after one over – it turns out that Ashwin was off the field, possibly renegotiating his contract. Now he’s back and he comes straight on, to torment Dom Sibley, who is staying in his crease and poking at the ball as if it was on fire. He does manage to get off the mark with a tuck for two.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Burns 6, Sibley 0) A maiden from Ishant as Burns plays a pull, too early, and gets it on the toe-end. Meanwhile Kohli is whipping up the crowd with that appears to be a wolf-whistle. I don’t remember Ajit Wadekar ever doing that.
“India’s numbers 8-11 made a combined 132 in their second innings,” says Peter Kingsnorth. “Whole England team made 134 in their first innings. The pitch isn’t anywhere near unplayable, the England spinners just haven’t been/aren’t good enough.”
2nd over: England 6-0 (Burns 6, Sibley 0) Kohli decides to give all-action Ashwin a breather and hands the new ball to Axar Patel. His first ball is a ripper, beating Dom Sibley’s prod and sending up a puff of dust. There are 17 overs left tonight and England will be doing well if they lose only two wickets.
1st over: England 6-0 (Burns 6, Sibley 0) So England set off in pursuit of 482 to win the match, go 2-0 up and break the world record for a fourth-innings chase. Rory Burns starts as if he thinks it might be possible, flicking Ishant Sharma for four, then shovelling into the covers for two. His batting is threatening to resemble his mullet – flamboyant without being very convincing.
“You say Pitch Wars,” writes Raj in Edinburgh, “I say Blade Runner. England may well be channelling that grizzled tailender Roy (Gareth) Batty, who once reminisced: ‘Indian attacks on fire off the shoulder of Ashwin. I watched Carrom-balls glitter in the dust near the Pattabhiraman Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.’” That may be peak OBO.
Wicket! Ashwin b Stone 106 (India 286 all out)
Got him at last! Ashwin plays an understandably weary pull and drags it on. That’s the end of a merry last-wicket partnership of 49, and of a mercilessly efficient innings by Ashwin.
“Loving the completely impartial defence of a wicket that would make even a hardened Taunton groundsman blush,” says Brian Withington. “However, I’m wondering whether a pitch can deteriorate so much that it becomes positively benign – or is that just the England bowling?”
85th over: India 284-9 (Ashwin 104, Siraj 16) It’s difficult to tell why Kohli hasn’t declared. Maybe he wants to give Siraj the chance to reach his hundred. Siraj takes the hint and slog-sweeps another six. Ashwin, by the way, is now second in the all-time table of cricketers from any country who have a hundred and a five-for in the same Test. The only man ahead of him is Ian Botham, now Lord Beefy of Brexit.
“This,” says Andrew Miller of Cricinfo on Twitter, “is turning into a very old-fashioned pants-down England overseas drubbing, fit to rank alongside Brisbane 2002 and Kolkata 1992-93. Still, 1-1 with two to play is better than those series ever threatened to be!”
84th over: India 276-9 (Ashwin 103, Siraj 9) Root removes Moeen, whose last over went for 13 off the bat and 17 in all, and hands the nearly new ball to Olly Stone. His third ball is a 144kph beamer, heading straight for Ashwin’s groin, thankfully fended off. Stone apologises immediately, finds his length and bowls a maiden, which is a minor triumph in the circumstances.
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83rd over: India 276-9 (Ashwin 103, Siraj 9) Leach continues and now Siraj comes to the party, slogging for two, then swinging a straight six. He’s missed by Pope at short leg, then dropped by Root at midwicket – both hard chances, and both red herrings as India’s lead is now a gargantuan 471.
“A very good morning to you Tim.” You too, David Gaskell. “Talk of pitches, then Ireland being mentioned, reminds me of a commentating gem from John Arlott. In a John Player League match, Clive Rice was slinging down some part time off-breaks and his team mate, who was an Irish professional in the English game, stopped a run. Arlott burred, ‘One might say, Rice bowls and paddy fields’.”
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A hundred to Ashwin!
82nd over: India 268-9 (Ashwin 103, Siraj 1) Siraj plays a forward defensive off Moeen, middles it for once, and is so pleased with himself that he holds the pose. Ashwin sees an easy single, charges down the pitch, and practically meets him in the crease, but they get away with it as there’s nobody at cover point. Ashwin celebrates by mowing Moeen for six. There’s a delay while the ball is disinfected after landing in the crowd, who have turned into a sea of screams. Ashwin drives for two to reach 99. And then he charges, edges over the slips... and gets four! That’s a poor shot but a fine hundred, no mean feat on this pitch, from a man who has bowled 96 overs, and taken 14 wickets, in ten days.
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81st over: India 251-9 (Ashwin 91, Siraj 0) England hold a brief conference – Root, Broad and Leach – and take the new ball straightaway. Ashwin, unperturbed, uses it to cut Leach for four.
“Morning Tim, and thanks, as ever, for the great commentary,” says Bill Hargreaves, who is, as ever, the most generous of readers. “May I ask the obvious question, please? Does the batting performance of Ashwin mean that our chaps have a holy chance of getting the required dashes between wickets? Yours in ignorance but with fingers crossed.” I fear not, as Ashwin is batting without any scoreboard pressure. And he doesn’t have to face Ashwin.
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80th over: India 246-9 (Ashwin 87, Siraj 0) Ashwin, facing Moeen, tries a reverse sweep, hits it down into the ground, it leapfrogs Foakes and goes for a single. That brings Mohammed Siraj on strike, whereupon Joe Root, who is often criticised here for defensive fields, posts three short legs, but again Siraj clings on.
“Surely,” says Patrick McGinley, “Simon Hughes must have editing WTC points deducted if he uses ‘lottery’ to mean a lack of fairness/only one team can win. My money is on Ireland…”
79th over: India 246-9 (Ashwin 86, Siraj 0) Siraj, poking and prodding at Leach, looks like a man trying to order lunch in a language he doesn’t speak. But he somehow survives the over.
Here’s Em Jackson, picking up on Andrew Moore (75th over). “If we’re talking dust bowls and Pitch Wars, I remember that game on Tattooine where it was a dust bowl from Day One & the storms, unbelievable.”
78th over: India 246-9 (Ashwin 86, Siraj 0) Moeen keeps Ashwin quiet for four deliveries, then induces a toe-end sweep which goes tantalisingly close to the fielder at deep square leg, but trickles into the rope. Two more overs till the new ball, for what that’s worth.
77th over: India 242-9 (Ashwin 82, Siraj 0) That was a good bowling change by Joe Root, taking Broad off and bringing back Leach, who had had a good rest. Leach has yet another second-innings four-for, and he can slug it out with Moeen to see who gets five.
Wicket! Ishant c Stone b Leach 7 (India 237-9)
A top-edged sweep soars into the Chennai sky and Olly Stone, running round from short fine leg, does well to grab it nine inches off the ground.
76th over: India 236-8 (Ashwin 76, Ishant 7) With the pair safely averted, Ishant goes for the big heave-ho and tonks Moeen for four.
75th over: India 230-8 (Ashwin 76, Ishant 1) Ashwin’s lofted straight drive is working better against Broad, who can only watch as the ball sails over his shoulder for four. Even Ishant joins in the fun, glancing a single to get off a pair after an hour or so.
“Both sides are as guilty as each other in pitch wars,” reckons Andrew Moore. “There were some in the Indian media and even Kohli himself who complained about the first Test pitch favouring the side winning the toss too heavily. In truth both games have been won by the side who didn’t bowl and bat poorly in the first innings, with two stellar innings settling both contests.”
74th over: India 224-8 (Ashwin 71, Ishant 0) And now Ben Foakes misses a catch and a stumping off the same ball. Ashwin gave Moeen the charge, nicked it with the toe end, the ball kept a bit low and Foakes fumbled it as he shimmied to his left to complete the stumping. Ashwin tries again and does a bit better, chipping for a single. He’s suddenly batting as if Kohli said to him over tea, “You’ve got 20 minutes to get your hundred”.
“Seen this by Jarrod Kimber?” says Raj, our official OBO pitch pundit, in Edinburgh. “Time to alter received wisdom (mainly enunciated by English/Aussie sages over the decades) about what constitutes a good cricket pitch.” Raj, you may well be right.
“Not really on topic,” says Chris Goater, “since the incident feels about a decade ago already, but my Dad sent me this amusing limerick (he is not the author, merely passing it on):
There once was a captain called Kohli,
Who to Indian supporters is holy.
But it was comedy gold,
When he was clean-bowled,
And walked off ever so slowly.
It was indeed comedy gold. We need to know who wrote that limerick.
In the case of Naylor vs. the English media, Mr Naylor has now submitted a piece of evidence. “This is a pretty big call,” he argues, quoting a tweet from Simon Hughes, the TV analyst and editor of The Cricketer magazine, which said: “India should be docked WTC points for this pitch. It’s a sandpit. Makes batting a lottery.” Aha. I’d missed that one.
“Thinking outside the box,” says David Melhuish. “England use BOTH their wicketkeepers. Ben Foakes clings close to the wicket for his lightning crisp stumpings. Buttler stands directly behind to catch the edge. Simples!”
Tea: India lead by 416 runs
73rd over: India 221-8 (Ashwin 68, Ishant 0) Ashwin glides Broad for a single to bring up his highest Test score on his home ground. The way he’s going, he may even pip Rohit to the Player of the Match award. And that’s tea, with India in total control. They made 65 for two in the session – no hurry, no mercy. Of the Englishmen only Moeen, who has four for 71, will be able to sit back and enjoy his cuppa.
“‘For England, it’s all over bar the chirping’?” says Richard Harman. “I laughed out loud when I read this. Clearly a spin (hah!) on the well-known phrase, with Pant chirping in English earholes as they collapse... No need whatsoever for any heavy-duty ideological over-interpretations – think Gary Naylor has completely missed the light-heartedness of this one.”
72nd over: India 220-8 (Ashwin 67, Ishant 0) Moeen to Ishant again, and it’s another maiden. Like all good torturers, India are in no hurry.
Meanwhile Deepak Rao has an answer to my question about the English media (69th over). “Michael Vaughan and Simon Hughes have been vociferous in their whingeing.”
71st over: India 220-8 (Ashwin 67, Ishant 0) Ashwin tucks Broad for two, then straight-drives him, in the air, for a handsome four. Foakes has gone back now, which is wise: he will be more vital now as a batsman than a keeper.
70th over: India 214-8 (Ashwin 61, Ishant 0) No such shenanigans at the other end, where Moeen bowls a maiden to Ishant.
69th over: India 214-8 (Ashwin 61, Ishant 0) Ashwin, facing Broad, doesn’t like having Foakes breathing down his neck. He steps away to play a ramp shot at Foakes’s head, which may be a case of intimidatory batting. He misses the ball (I think), so does Foakes, and the umpire gives four leg byes.
Meanwhile Gary Naylor is on Twitter, quoting me back at myself. “‘For England, it’s all over bar the chirping’? Whinging surely @TimdeLisle? It’s all been rather unedifying hasn’t it? It’s a subcontinental pitch demanding subcontinental skills and attitudes: bat long and it gets easier; bowl lines and lengths and things will happen.” In a follow-up, he adds, “the howl from English media has been poor stuff indeed”. Which members of the English media? The loudest complaint I’ve seen came from Mark Waugh, who argued that it’s a poor pitch that sends up puffs of dust on day one.
68th over: India 210-8 (Ashwin 61) So Moeen, who had just beaten Kuldeep with a big off-break, has his second four-for of the match. The collapse is on.
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Wicket! Kuldeep LBW b Moeen 3 (India 210-8)
Trapped in front, below the knee roll, by a non-spinner. India review but as Ralph Fiennes says in The English Patient, that is a very plumb plumb.
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67th over: India 208-7 (Ashwin 61, Kuldeep 1) Oh no! Ben Foakes has dropped a catch. That’s the price you pay for standing up to Stuart Broad. Ashwin was trying to run the ball past slip, and the chance was a sharp one. Next ball, Ashwin does it better and gets four to take the lead past 400. For England, a mountainous task has now become a Himalayan one.
“A rotational proposal,” says Abhijato Sensarma, going all Jonathan Swift. “The usual adage in cricket is ‘you become a better player when you’re out of the team’. However, Ben Foakes has been simultaneously clinical and exquisite enough to remind the world the advantages of having a keeper who can actually keep. He’s an incredible player of spin as well (he always was). ‘Rotate’ him and Buttler like all other players in recent English elevens, I say!”
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66th over: India 202-7 (Ashwin 56, Kuldeep 0) Out comes Kuldeep, who has neither a run nor a wicket in this match. We need to see him face Broad, of whom the same is true.
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Wicket!! Kohli LBW b Moeen 62 (India 202-7)
Umpire’s call! It was an off-break, delivered from round the wicket. Kohli went back, played inside it, and the only question was whether it was too high. That’s the end of a masterly innings. And Moeen’s second triumph over Kohli in the match: something to savour as he sits on the plane.
Review! Kohli given LBW Moeen
The ump is convinced by this one – the commentators are not.
65th over: India 201-6 (Kohli 62, Ashwin 55) Broad keeps Kohli quiet, which will give him a smidgen of satisfaction. He does love his maidens column.
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64th over: India 201-6 (Kohli 62, Ashwin 55) Moeen continues, and concedes a few singles. He’s going home after this match, so for him, as for Jos Buttler the other day, it’s not a series, it’s a one-off Test. India’s 200 comes up, to be greeted by the crowd as if it was 2000. The noise they’re making suggests that all the tickets went to people with high voices.
“What I love about Foakes,” says Seth Ennis, “is the way the ball appears to melt into his gloves when he receives a throw from a fielder. Such exquisite hands.” Yes, he’s an absolute melter.
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63rd over: India 197-6 (Kohli 60, Ashwin 53) Olly Stone comes off to be replaced by Stuart Broad, who has been treated like a part-timer in this innings. For his third over, he again has Foakes standing up to the stumps. He bowls like a spinner too, albeit a speedy one – jagging a leg-cutter past Ashwin’s prod, then drawing a leading edge that goes close to the man at short extra. “Great stamina, Broady!” yells someone with a strong sense of irony.
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In other news, Ben Stokes has just done a handstand. Mark Butcher, commentating with Sunil Gavaskar, says: “Sunny G used to start every session like that.”
Thanks Adam and morning everyone. India are India again, Kohli is Kohli, and Ashwin is Ashwin, only more so. For England, it’s all over bar the chirping.
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62nd over: India 196-6 (Kohli 60, Ashwin 52) Moeen Ali is back into the attack to replace Leach but it feels as though the entire cricketing universe is really just watching to see if Foakes can do another trick. Unfortunately, with the ball turning back into the right-handers, there isn’t an opportunity for that here. Maybe there will be with Tim de Lisle on the tools? He’s replacing me now, with drinks on the field. Thanks for your company. Chat tomorrow!
61st over: India 194-6 (Kohli 59, Ashwin 51) “Go Stoney,” says Ben Foakes as Ashwin plays that forehand smash again, conjuring up memories of Stonefish Rebecchi. You can’t fault the young man’s effort at the bowling crease, getting each delivery in this over through at above 140kph, with one of those hitting 145 clicks.
60th over: India 192-6 (Kohli 58, Ashwin 50) Leach to Kohli: it’s been a fine battle, but the Indian captain has his measure now. Back to Broad? It can’t hurt; he looked the part in his two overs before the lunch break. The lead for India is 387 with this partnership at 86.
Five wickets in an innings plus a half-century for Ravichandran Ashwin, for the fourth time in Test matches. #IndvEng
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 15, 2021
Ashwin reaches his half-century!
59th over: India 190-6 (Kohli 56, Ashwin 50) The forehand smash! As Nick Knight notes on commentary, that belongs at the Australian Open but Ashwin is an innovator, taking Stone down the ground. Unorthodox again next up through point for four! That’s his half-century! From just 64 balls, in these trying conditions - what an effort, outscoring Kohli in this stand of 84. With more to come, too. The roar goes up throughout the Chennai crowd: ‘Ashwin, Ashwin!’
“I haven’t seen a keeper as good as Foakes in a long long time,” writes Aditya Anchuri. “MSD had some skill with the gloves but this guy Foakes is from a different planet.”
He’s been a joy to watch. Makes wicketkeeping an art. More, please.
Geez, how brilliant is Ben Foakes #INDvENG
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) February 15, 2021
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58th over: India 183-6 (Kohli 55, Ashwin 44) Foakes, having completed two brilliant stumpings earlier, is staying involved with some mighty takes off Leach whenever he beats the bat, as he does here against Ashwin. But the problem is the next delivery: a short ball that’s comprehensively carved away for four by the big man.
57th over: India 179-6 (Kohli 55, Ashwin 40) Pace, via Olly Stone, for the first time today. Kohli looks, looks, looks then clips, taking two.
“Hi Adam.” Hello, Colum Fordham. “Ashwin is not just teasing England with the ball. I agree with your prediction that he’ll take wickets in droves when India declare. He’s showing England how to bat and even offers ‘friendly’ advice to the batsmen, reading Tanya Aldred’s piece: ‘It’s just the way you play spin, you have to give time and then cash in, it is another form of art’. England will need plenty of artistry later on. Also, Greetings to Kumar in freezing Winnipeg, my birthplace. Swapped it for the milder climes of Naples. Do come over and have an espresso sometime.”
I’m definitely visiting Winnipeg when Covid is all over (typed while touching wood) given my baby girl (can I still call her that after turning one yesterday?) is named Winnie!
56th over: India 177-6 (Kohli 53, Ashwin 40) Leach continues his shift but Kohli is well and truly up to the task. He’ll need Ashwin to stick with him - India’s tail is nothing to speak of - but if he can, this would be quite the Test ton. Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Kohli reaches a fine half-century
55th over: India 176-6 (Kohli 52, Ashwin 40) A masterful innings, this. He gets to the milestone with a single to Moeen, taken with the spin along the ground as he has been good enough to do so often. 107 balls to get there, with seven boundaries, but with a degree of diffculty right up there in terms of the Test innings he’s played.
Virat Kohli has 27 test centuries but I have little doubt he will value this half century higher than many of those. This is batting mastery. Of the highest class.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 15, 2021
54th over: India 171-6 (Kohli 49, Ashwin 38) Not a lot wrong with this Leach over but both men are able to take singles into the legside when spin isn’t quite as sharp. They’re picking him off the pitch.
@collinsadam What was the point of 'resting' Anderson if his replacement, Broad, has only bowled 13 overs in the match? Anderson couldn't have handled such a light workload?
— Nicholas Varley (@npvarley) February 15, 2021
Fair point. Surely they both play the pink-ball Test?
The only thing this pitch does is distinguish the best from the rest. Foakes with the gloves; Ashwin with the ball; Kohli with the bat. Which, tbh, is exactly what you'd want conditions to do: demonstrate ridiculous skill. Enjoy it. #INDvENG
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) February 15, 2021
53rd over: India 169-6 (Kohli 48, Ashwin 37) Kohli has such a distinctive shuffle back to off-spinners, defending on his terms under his eyes. It forces Moeen to go fuller and he’s ready for it, sweeping and sweeping well with no man out, the lofted shot passing the rope after bouncing just the once. Superb stuff.
52nd over: India 164-6 (Kohli 44, Ashwin 36) Leach to Ashwin, who gets that big foot of his down the track in defence a couple of times before turning a single to midwicket with a minimum of fuss. How he’d love to raise his bat on his home ground after lifting the ball aloft yesterday after taking 5/43. These two are really settling in.
51st over: India 163-6 (Kohli 44, Ashwin 35) Shot, Virat. That’s a fine shot against Moeen’s turn, to the pitch and cover driving him through the gap for four. In theory, that’s low percentage, but Kohli does this with complete control. Deserves (at least) a half-century.
50th over: India 159-6 (Kohli 40, Ashwin 35) Leach back into the act, Dan Lawrence given just the one over before lunch. After a couple of ropey moments before the break, he’s right back on it to Kohli here. He takes a single down the ground with nothing else on offer.
49th over: India 158-6 (Kohli 39, Ashwin 35) Big turn from Moeen to Ashwin, nearly sneaking through, but for a tall man he moves well, keeping it out and getting himself one aroudn the corner. Kohli immediately gives the strike back with a push down the ground and Ashwin deals with the rest without concern. Loads of spin, though.
The players are back on the field. Moeen Ali is back into the attack, starting his fresh spell at Ashwin. India lead by 351. PLAY!
“Evening Adam.” Good morning to you, Brian Withington. “Interesting to hear Andrew Strauss confess his long-standing cynicism about the merits of a ‘specialist’ wicket-keeper in the face of Ebony Rainford-Brent’s enthusiasm. I wonder if said specialist suffers from the lack of an obvious metric, like a batting average, with which to quantify the benefit of the contribution? If so I can only say, just use your eyes, Andrew.”
Adam Gilchrist really did ruin it everyone else, didn’t he?
Meanwhile, here’s my prediction. Nine is enough to get him to 400.
Ashwin's best bowling in Test cricket is 7/59. He'll better that today. #INDvENG
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) February 15, 2021
“G’day Adam! Thanks for the rolling commentary.” David Melhuish, my pleasure. “There’s been a fair chunk of debate on captains not achieving required over rates, and rightly so. But have authorities taken into account the rise in stoppages for DRS, checking catches, boundaries, more care rightly for injuries and concussion checks. Should required rates be revised when they decide on better penalties?”
A fair point - it is more difficult to bowl 90 overs in a day with DRS, certainly. But there’s a lot of taking the you know what, too. Because they know nothing meaningful happens (fines, so what) - why rush? It has to be some sort of in-game penalty. But I don’t expect anything will happen when you look at the worst offenders.
LUNCH: India 156-6 (Kohli 38, Ashwin 34)
Kohli superb. Especially you consider the carnage around him in the first hour, he played the situation perfectly. Now, with Ashwin riding shotgun, they are now very much back into a position where the home side control their own destiny. Truth told, they already did, but the wobble is no more. For England, Leach was dangerous early and Foakes brilliant with the gloves, but they’re just too far behind in this Test match after what happened with the bat yesterday.
48th over: India 156-6 (Kohli 38, Ashwin 34) The runs leak after the failed appeal, singles to both men before Ashwin steers Lawrence away past third man... and Kohli cops a please explain for running straight through the danger area when coming back for his third run. And quite right, too - he absolutely did. Anyway, it doesn’t bother him, the captain finishing with a nicely driven two to raise the 50-partnership between this pair. That’s lunch. Five wickets and 102 runs across 30 overs in the session; India now ahead by 351 runs.
“I am amazed that Foakes is standing up to Broad,” says Sankaran Krishna. “Right up at the stumps. What an amazing keeper! Cannot believe England keep leaving him out.” It’s a compelling argument.
NOT OUT! Lawrence’s delivery spun as sharply as any this morning but it didn’t get anywhere near the inside edge of Ashwin’s bat.
HAS DAN LAWRENCE (YES, DAN LAWRENCE!) FOUND ASHWIN’S EDGE DOWN THE LEGSIDE? Probably not but up we go anyway.
47th over: India 149-6 (Kohli 35, Ashwin 30) Foakes, up to the stumps again to Broad, is taking these with ease. I know they practice this day after day, but it’s such an impressive skill. Sure enough, Broad is on the spot throughout, giving Kohli nothing.
“Morning Adam.” Hello, Kim Thonger. “The England selectors should have brought Derek Underwood out of retirement for this Test. We’d be 2-0 up in the series by now. He’d have mercilessly torn India apart on this pitch.” He’d’ve been... Deadly.
46th over: India 149-6 (Kohli 35, Ashwin 30) Root is on Kohli’s leg stump from around the wicket and the superstar is seeing the ball so well he catches up with it with ease, easing a glance off the middle of the bat to the fine leg rope. Four minutes left until lunch.
“After showing the English spinners how to bowl yesterday,” says Mittu Choudhary, “Ashwin is now teaching the English batsmen a trick or two on how to score runs on this pitch.”
And he’ll be telling them all about it too, make no mistake.
45th over: India 143-6 (Kohli 30, Ashwin 29) Stuart Broad! Welcome to the attack. Foakes is up to the stumps - you love to see it. Edge, dropped! Stokes at first slip puts it down. It’s a fine bit of bowling, a leg-cutter that jags away from Ashwin. It arrived quick with the all-rounder up so close as the one cordon catcher. The lead is 338.
“Morning Adam.” And to you, Martin Wright. “You have to feel for Dom Bess. That’s all I’m saying.”
Not wrong. You get a pitch like this once or twice in a Test career.
44th over: India 138-6 (Kohli 30, Ashwin 24) A maiden from Leach to Kohli to settle things down just a touch after a busy burst for India.
43rd over: India 138-6 (Kohli 30, Ashwin 24) Ash goes again on the sweep, clearing backward square leg! Shot! Gavaskar declares that, because India have made in excess of 130, there is nothing too difficult about batting on the pitch. Well, that’s that, I suppose.
Meanwhile, what an innings from India’s captain.
False Shots Played - Today
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 15, 2021
Virat Kohli - 12%
R Ashwin - 24%
Rohit Sharma - 25%
Rishabh Pant - 36%
Axar Patel - 39%
C Pujara - 40%
Ajinkya Rahane - 40%
Kohli has played brilliantly on this tough pitch today. Measured & playing half as many false shots as the next best. #INDvENG
42nd over: India 133-6 (Kohli 29, Ashwin 20) I suppose if one man is going to handle a ragging track it is the man who knows how to bowl on this his home ground. Ashwin here, for the umpteenth time since walking in, sweeps at Leach and nails it behind square - his third four. Another clip follows for two, albeit standing tall this time. Ohhh, but to finish the over Leach sends down a beauty, turning huge to beat the outside edge. That’s the dangerous length here.
41st over: India 127-6 (Kohli 29, Ashwin 14) Ashwin is going okay here, slapping a couple past the square leg umpire early in the over before adding a single to fine leg to keep the strike. The lead is 322.
Updated
40th over: India 124-6 (Kohli 29, Ashwin 11) I love Ben Foakes’ Essex accent, chatting away at Leach, who gets another go. And despite beating the edge of Kohli early in the over, he quickly is back down the other end, turning the strike over. Ashwin then does as you would expect, lifting the tweaker over midwicket for three. It would have been four if not for Broad, who makes a diving stop on the line. He’s so committed to the task that he tears his trousers on the knee.
Foakes supports his bowler with a fine stumping, but on the other hand he’s been calling Jack Leach “pal” all morning. Swings, roundabouts.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 15, 2021
39th over: India 120-6 (Kohli 28, Ashwin 8) Captain to captain with Root introducing himself into the attack for the first time in this second innings. Around the wicket, he gets plenty of purchase from the get-go but Kohli adjusts nicely, taking one to midwicket. Ashwin takes a good look, defending the rest of the over. Broad is yet to bowl in this innings, it’s worth noting, with Stone sending just two down.
38th over: India 119-6 (Kohli 27, Ashwin 8) Leach to continue and Kohli is all over him when dropping short, slamming him away through cover for another boundary - his fourth. Leach re-finds his groove straight away but he looks tired now. Time for... Stuart Broad? I can see that working with his range of cutters and so on.
37th over: India 114-6 (Kohli 22, Ashwin 8) A fantastic response to local hero Ashwin as he walks out to the middle, and an even bigger roar in the crowd when he sweeps Moeen for four! Shot! And now a reverse! That’s less elegant, a top edge that could have gone to hand, but he gets himself four more. This should be a fun little period.
WICKET! Axar lbw b Moeen 7 (India 106-6)
No inside edge there, that’s hitting enough of middle stump for the call to go with Moeen. That was the one that didn’t spin, Axar done on the inside edge. England have taken five wickets in the session.
IS AXAR LBW TO MOEEN? He’s given. The left-hander reviews.
36th over: India 106-5 (Kohli 22, Axar 7) Kohli pushes the lead beyond 300 with a whip through square leg, taking full advantage of a rare Leach full toss. That’s reward for patience - he’s been superb.
Updated
35th over: India 102-5 (Kohli 18, Axar 7) Goodness me, can you turn a ball further than square? I suppose it is, now that I think about it for more than one second. And Moeen is doing just that, away from Axar from around the wicket, beating his edge by a mile with one that explodes early in his fresh over. But once again, the left-hander picks the length well later on, rocking back to clip with control through midwicket for four, bringing up India’s 100 in the process.
34th over: India 98-5 (Kohli 18, Axar 3) Axar is looking good early on, defending Leach fairly easily then easing a single off his pads.
“Possible late night in San Francisco!” says Ian Jefferson. “Oooh, I might stay up for this one. It’s a holiday in The US tomorrow.”
I still think the most likely scenario is this Test finishing today.
“First up birthday wishes for your daughter,” says Abhi Saxena. Thank you! It was a very special day. “Got to know about it on your engaging podcast with the curly Lemon (sorry couldn’t resist, but his lustrous curls remind me of the expert citrus peelers..). On another note, it is good to see that England have not pre-emptively assumed that a rank turner means that they will lose. I didn’t like the fields they were setting in first innings. On a pitch like this spin becomes the seam and seam the spin ie. you need to attack with spin and defend with seam. England were very passive and loose with spin on the first day, giving Indian batsman a loose ball every other over. Now they are bowling much more as an attacking unit and reaping rewards. Also England will do well to not allow Kohli to get in his stride, he is a bit like Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, they need to ensure that his heavy metal play is either kept at bay or used against him, as he tends to get rash at times. Otherwise, this series is going to be a very long one for England, as good as Root is he can’t make up runs to counter Rohit, Kohli and Pant single handedly.”
Well summed up. I think on day one, it took everyone a bit by surprise that the track was turning and Rohit was exploding. They got their act together but it was all a bit too late.
33rd over: India 97-5 (Kohli 18, Axar 2) Axar plays Moeen nicely with soft hands behind point for one and Kohli defends the rest. Drinks! Another eventful session; this Test is being played in fast-forward.
32nd over: India 96-5 (Kohli 18, Axar 1) Kohli through the gears now, carving away a short ball from Leach for three then - when getting a chance again later in the over after Axar gets off the mark to mid-on - jumping on a half-volley, hammering his straight drive for four.
“Hi Adam.” Hello, Spencer Francis. “I know it’s been said enough times, but it’s a travesty that Foakes is not a certain starter. It’s not just his keeping (best in the world I reckon), but also his general demeanor and attitude. Let’s just hope England don’t treat him like Pakistan treated Fawad Alam.”
This performance will turn heads. There’s obviously room for Jos as a batsman alone in this team. I can see it happening for the Ashes.
31st over: India 86-5 (Kohli 9, Axar 0) Axar gets through the successful Moeen over, defending confidently to finish. England have snared 4/32 so far this morning, making India’s lead 281.
WICKET! Rahane c Pope b Moeen 10 (India 86-5)
Four wickets in 50 minutes! And it’s Moeen into the book this time, turning big back at Rahane, who was cramped up after advancing down the pitch. His inside edge jumped up to the diving Pope under the lid at short leg who made no mistake. He’s very good in there.
Updated
30th over: India 86-4 (Kohli 9, Rahane 10) Another boundary, Kohli this time riding the bounce and steering through about second slip. No concerns with the control there - fine batting from the captain.
29th over: India 82-4 (Kohli 5, Rahane 10) That helps to settle things down just a tad for India, Rahane helping a Moeen full toss down the ground for four then backing it up with another boundary, putting away a half-tracker. The first poor over of the session for England. Doubly frustrating given he nearly cut the vice-captain in half earlier in the set with a delivery that spun as sharply as any we’ve seen.
28th over: India 74-4 (Kohli 5, Rahane 2) Leach to Kohli, so close to a fourth wicket! The Indian captain advances and drives but doesn’t quite get to the pitch, nearly giving a chance to Burns at catching cover. It clipped his fingers on the way through; a half chance.
27th over: India 69-4 (Kohli 2, Rahane 0) Under edge, four. Via Foakes’ pads, and given leg byes, but I reckon Kohli had plenty of bat on that jagging Moeen delivery. Extraordinary turn, ball after ball.
26th over: India 65-4 (Kohli 2, Rahane 0) So close to two in the over for Leach! Rahane beaten to begin outside the off-stump and then, to finish, goes back to cut but the ball got caught in the surface, bouncing higher than he anticipated. It sliced away towards Stone who was a foot away from being able to reach it diving forward.
“Good afternoon Adam!” And to you, Kumar G Vishwanath. “This is Kumar from freezing Winnipeg again! Following you on OBO Hoping to see India to come good and set a good target! Do you reckon England have fight in them to make it a game? Take care and stay safe.”
Thanks, and you too. In reality, I can’t see how any team in the world could make 300 in the final innings against Ashwin on this surface other than maybe India themselves, but that’s not how it works.
Healy-esque from Foakes. Can't pay him a higher compliment than that. #INDvENG
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) February 15, 2021
WICKET! Pant st Foakes b Leach 8 (India 65-4)
Brilliant wicketkeeping! Pant danced and missed, Leach went through the gate, and Foakes had the presence of mind to hold his shape and take the ball outside the leg stump line and get the bails.
25th over: India 61-3 (Kohli 2, Pant 4) Sjarp running from Pant with one to cover, giving the strike back to Kohli... who is off his pair with a couple to fine leg. The crowd go up as one - their guy is away.
24th over: India 58-3 (Kohli 0, Pant 3) Huge turn from Leach to Kohli, giving the Indian skipper nothing, He goes past the outside edge with one that jags. The Indian No1 has faced 16 balls so far.
Chennai pitch hysteria is a symptom of something bigger. Power shifting from the Anglosphere to Asia. Seam is peripheral, spin is king. Chests and pipes are endangered, now usurped by hands, wrists and fingers. New attitudes, new rigs now needed. #INDvENG
— Sam Perry (@sjjperry) February 15, 2021
23rd over: India 58-3 (Kohli 0, Pant 3) Pant top edges a full toss from Moeen, nearly creating something else from nothing for England. Not to be, he returns for a second run. The lead is 253. I’m fairly certain India could declare now with plenty of runs to play with, however, they will tell themselves that 320 (let’s say) is gettable.
22nd over: India 56-3 (Kohli 0, Pant 1) Two new batsmen yet to score, the fresher of the pair Rishabh Pant who we know will take Leach on in no time at all. That was just about unplayable from Leach to Rohit, watching the replay - he had to play from the leg stump line, it just turned and bounced too much. Pant is off the mark past point. Kohli’s turn, who is watchful and careful. Understandably so given he’s livin’ in a pair for the time being.
WICKET! Rohit st Foakes b Leach 26 (India 55-3)
Yep, that’s out - excellent from Foakes, celebrating his 28th birthday today with a fine stumping. Leach did the job beating the bat but the Surrey man had to get the ball down from his chest and did so quickly enough that Rohit didn’t have time to straighten his foot.
Updated
HAS FOAKES STUMPED ROHIT? Sharp work. Up we go again.
21st over: India 55-2 (Rohit 26, Kohli 0) Kohli, batting in a helmet this time around after Moeen skittled him in the first dig wearing a cap, is well forward defending, so much so that he has to wear one in the tummy after the tweaker gets one to bounce. A maiden.
20th over: India 55-2 (Rohit 26, Kohli 0) A huge roar at the fall of the Pujara wicket because it means Kohli, on a pair, is walking to the middle. We’ll have to wait for that though, with Leach and Rohit acquainting themselves first, a maiden played out safely. On telly, Sunny Gavaskar makes a funny saying that Pujara’s dismissal is one where you can blame the pitch because his bat got stuck.
WICKET! Pujara run out [Pope/Foakes] 7. (India 55-2)
What an odd dismissal! Pujara did as he does so well, dancing and defending Moeen into the legside, but when throwing his bat back to make his ground, it got stuck on the crease and fell to the turf. That gave Foakes enough time to whip the bails off with the Indian number three just unable to get his foot over the line.
19th over: India 55-2 (Rohit 26) The lead advanced to 250 from the first ball of the morning, Rohit turning a single around the corner.
Updated
IS PUJARA RUN OUT? He’s dropped his bat! Up we go!
The players are on the field. Moeen Ali to begin for England, bouncing in at Rohit Sharma (25) with Cheteshwar Pujara (7) down the other end. India are resuming at 54/1; a lead of 249. PLAY!
The TV coverage has started. The programme begins with the tired old golf bit about the third day of a Test being moving day - not so relevant today, I don’t think. The pitch report: dry as dry can be.
“Morning Adam!” Hello, Abhijato Sensarma. Afternoon here again, it must be said. This week you find me in Sydney, where I accidentally managed to be when Melbourne locked down on Friday. However, I’m on a plane back to London next Monday. Eeek! “It’s another morning, another day, and another session in this thrilling Test - can we also see another Rohit masterclass today? I’m hedging my bets on it. He’s unparalleled in the modern era in terms of batting at home. And he’ll fancy his chances of pushing that average of 88.50 upwards against an underwhelming bowling attack! Ooof, what a player.”
A home average of 89 and an away mark of 27. Extraordinary.
Updated
Ali Martin on Ashwin’s latest bag. His 29th 5-for in 76 Tests.
Preamble
If it walks like a three-day Test and it quacks like a three-day Test, well, you get the picture. That’s the grim starting point for England as they begin the third morning at Chennai some 249 runs in arrears with nine wickets still to snare in India’s second innings after the hosts put on a masterclass yesterday, skittling the visitors for 134.
With the pitch playing like a fourth day surface on the opening afternoon, since then offering more assistance by the session to the tweakers, there is a big opportunity for Jack Leach and Moeen Ali (and Joe Root) to make a real menace of themselves here. Much as it was with Ashwin in the First Test when India were well behind the game in the third innings, they can use this opportunity to bowl themselves into the heads of the Indian batsmen before moving to Ahmenabad for the remainder of the series. That’s not for nothing.
Nor is it that Rohit Sharma has every chance to push on and collect himself another big score after his priceless 161 on Saturday - surely the innings that will define this Test Match. Yes, he was a lucky man to get off the hook on an lbw shout before the close yesterday, but he’ll be there facing the first ball this morning on 25 not out.
Okay, how about I hit the big button and we can begin our conversation? Have you still set your early alarm despite the situation England find themselves in? If so, explain yourself. I’ll pick up your emails from the usual place, or tweet me if you prefer.
