Here’s our early take. Hot off the, er, keyboards.
Stumps
90th over: England 268-8 (Rashid 4, Batty 0) Umesh, upon taking that wicket, looked as relieved as a man who wakes to discover that it was just a nightmare he had about sleeping through the start of play when he’s meant to be OBOing. It’s Shami with the final over of the day, Rashid on strike. The batsman pushes past midwicket for two and settles for that, seeing off the rest of the over without incident. India’s session, with three wickets in it, and indeed India’s day. You feel it’s theirs to lose from here.
Cheers for reading and for keeping me company. Bye!
89th over: England 266-8 (Rashid 2) Beautiful from Woakes: Umesh puts it in the slot and Woakes accepts the gift, timing the pants off it through extra cover for four. He’s beaten twice thereafter in the over, but we’ll let him off for that shot... ah no he’s been bowled. Pushing the goodwill too far there, Chris.
In worse news, I’ve just found out that Jonny Bairstow’s character in Heartbeat died. He seemed like a good egg, too.
Wicket! Woakes b Umesh 25
Lovely, lovely ball this. It’s fast, straight, perhaps keeps ever so slightly low, and rattles off stump out the ground. It was just too good for Woakes to get his bat in the way of.
Updated
88th over: England 262-7 (Rashid 2, Woakes 21) You will be unsurprised to hear Shami is sharing the new ball. He gets a wee bit of movement, both away from and back into the right-hander this time, but nothing to unduly worry Rashid. Maiden.
New ball taken
87th over: England 262-7 (Rashid 2, Woakes 21) This does seem like a good time to take it. Another wicket and it will be a woeful day for England, rather than a disappointing one, and a fantastic one for India, rather than a very good one. Anyway, Umesh Yadav has the nut/cherry/ball/letsstickwithball and is milked for two singles.
@DanLucas86 What's the surface like, Dan? What do you see India getting?
— William Hargreaves (@billhargreaves) November 26, 2016
It’s a bit podgy, I reckon, as even the new ball regularly isn’t carrying to the keeper. 350+ they’d want, if the pitch holds together.
86th over: England 260-7 (Rashid 1, Woakes 20) Four overs/18 or so minutes left.
85th over: England 260-7 (Rashid 1, Woakes 20) Still no sign of the new ball, even with the new batsman at the crease. Might as well see what Ashwin can get out of this old one for a quick while, I suppose. Rashid opens his account with a thick outside edge down to third man for one.
@DanLucas86 Re: PC Bellamy as Bairstow - Greengrass as Farbrace?
— Toby Davies (@tobypeterdavies) November 26, 2016
84th over: England 258-7 (Rashid 0, Woakes 19) At long last Jayant comes round the wicket. As far as I can recall, that’s the first time today the off-spinner has come round the wicket to a right-hander. And just a couple of balls in, Bairstow edges on to the fingertips and then the knee of Patel, who drops a very easy one. Not that he’ll feel too guilty, as the change of angle does for Bairstow the very next ball. A shame that his outstanding innings has fallen short of three figures. He dug England out of a big ol’ hole today.
Wicket! Bairstow lbw b Jayant 89
Pitches on off and turns back in, past the inside edge and Bairstow is in trouble here I think. Yep it’s hitting halfway up leg-stump!
Updated
Review! Bairstow lbw b Jayant
Given...
83rd over: England 256-6 (Bairstow 88, Woakes 18) It never rains but it pours for Ashwin: He drags one down short and down the leg-side too, bisecting keeper and Pujara at short-leg (!!!) and away for four hilarious byes. Not quite sure why that isn’t wides given it almost went to long, rather than fine, leg. Woakes adds four “proper” ones by thumping away a wide ball that doesn’t turn, on the cut and behind point.
“It’s surely a dissertation for an MSc?” asks Damian Walsh. OH FINE I’LL JUST GO HOME AND BACK TO BED AND YOU CAN FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CRICKET LATER YEAH?
82nd over: England 247-6 (Bairstow 87, Woakes 14) Oh that’s the best sweep of the lot from Bairstow, picking it from off stump and nailing it along the ground for four through square-leg. Absolutely exquisite. He repeats the shot next ball but this time sends it to the fielder in the deep for a single.
Jen Oram, MSc in pedantry student, submits her thesis: “Just because something’s a simile doesn’t stop it being a metaphor. One’s a subset of the other, metaphor being the whole business of seeing one thing in terms of another. Likewise analogy, which much of Mr van der Gucht’s email was.” Smart arse.
Updated
81st over: England 242-6 (Bairstow 82, Woakes 14) No sign of the new ball yet, although we do have a new bowler in Ashwin. Bairstow does very well to keep out a scooter, turning back into him. Actually that’s a very good shot from YJB, who jams the bat down and opens the face to get it behind point for a single.
80th over: England 241-6 (Bairstow 81, Woakes 14) Bairstow turns one round the corner, just past the diving short-leg and away for two. That’s sandwiched by a pair of singles.
Tony Walton, in an email headed “Inaccurate Proposal” (nice) corrects me on Nick Nolte/Woody Harrelson, adding: “Jonny Bairstow is The Man - for all reasons. But who’d play him in a biopic?”
This guy out of Heartbeat.
A reminder of when @jbairstow21 was in Heartbeat pic.twitter.com/kc1dCUj6NC
— Dan Lucas (@DanLucas86) November 19, 2016
79th over: England 237-6 (Bairstow 78, Woakes 13) The lights are on now. Because of the nearby airports, there are lots of them at this ground. Bairstow survives a run-out review when Patel flicks a return throw on to the stumps, but by the time the ball came into him Bairstow was already past him and back for the second run. Two more to deep backward square off the last.
Kimberley Thonger writes: “I am debating with my dachshund puppy Dakkers as to which cricketer’s style Fidel Castro would have resembled had he been born in England or Australia rather than Cuba. I’m arguing for Mike Gatting, pugnacious right handed middle order batsman and occasional right arm medium pace bowler. Dakkers says no, he would play more like Allan Border, doughty left hand bat and slow left arm orthodox. We have reached an impasse. Dakkers is now threatening to bite me and I’m not wearing a box. Please adjudicate before things get messy?”
I’m siding with the dog. He’d be a leftie.
78th over: England 233-6 (Bairstow 74, Woakes 13) We’re going to have an over or two of Jayant before the new ball becomes available.
Woakes goes for a massive slog-sweep second ball and connects with naught but contrails. Patel whips the bails off and the umpires check, but Woakes had his back foot firmly planted behind the line. One run, which I can’t for the life of me remember seeing, off the over.
77th over: England 232-6 (Bairstow 73, Woakes 13) Jadeja gets his way and the ball, with its split seam and wonky shape, is changed. After the review Jadeja forgets to let go and pitches it by his own feet, the ball trickling towards slip. Bairstow resists the temptation to spank it.
@DanLucas86 Q for the obo'ers, can you chop and change your Keeper during an innings. Say bairstow is better against pace and Buttler spin
— Jimmy Tyldesley (@JimmyTyldesley) November 26, 2016
There’s nothing to stop them, I’m pretty certain, but Atherton and Shastri were talking earlier about how they liked to have a settled slip cordon. I would imagine shuffling the keeper could disrupt them, thinking about it.
Not out
It brushed the front pad first as Bairstow propped forward, then deflected on to the back pad. It’s missing by a long way but they might as well have used the review.
Review!
Bairstow is hit on both pads. Given not out but I reckon it’s missing leg.
76th over: England 230-6 (Bairstow 72, Woakes 13) Four to Woakes. Yadav goes wide again, and full, and Woakes gets forward to drive it square on the off-side to the rope. After which, we’re treated to a montage of Ashwin’s misfields. It’s nearly as good as one of the Simpsons clip-show episodes. That should be drinks by my reckoning.
Brian Withington is back: “I was wondering if Tom Van Der Gucht was employing a metaphor or a simile and then you clarified it! Clearly you can take the man out of the sub-editor seat but you can’t take the sub-editor out of the man. Respect.” I’m back in that seat tomorrow.
75th over: England 226-6 (Bairstow 72, Woakes 9) Wahey, as they say. Poor old Ashwin can’t get a break in the field: Woakes pushes it in his direction at cover, he bends down, the ball skips up and he goes tumbling a over t. Woakes thus turns one into two.
“Morning Dan.” Morning, James Taylor (not that one) (nor that one). “Enjoying the OBO as always. Regarding the ex boyfriend simile (though I see it as more of an analogy), I see Buttler as more of a prodigal son, the one who squanders his father’s riches while his brother works hard on the family farm, who returns to great fanfare and celebration. Bairstow doesn’t seem the type to get too upset by this, though, he’ll just get on with it. Beat me to it with Woody Harrelson by the way.”
In my defence, I’ve only seen Indecent Proposal once and that was once too many. It was rubbish.
74th over: England 223-6 (Bairstow 72, Woakes 6) Time for a change: Umesh is on for Shami. It’s all very wide of off stump and, after Bairstow bottom-edges a cut into a gap to get one, Woakes is beaten on the outside edge.
73rd over: England 221-6 (Bairstow 71, Woakes 5) Jadeja isn’t happy and wants to change the ball. Erasmus tells him to do one. A maiden. This is England’s penance for the “bowling dry” years.
72nd over: England 221-6 (Bairstow 71, Woakes 5) Woakes is pinged in front by Shami and it’s a very fair question to ask. Kohli declines to review, oddly, given they’re topped up in nine overs. The questions are height and line, and Hawkeye reveals it wouldn’t have been overturned, but barely as it was umpire’s call on the former and pretty much on middle for the latter. Woakes celebrates his reprieve with a leg-bye. That was the one that came back in, by the way. Shami is reading this, clearly.
It was Woody Harrelson, not Nick Nolte, wasn’t it?
71st over: England 220-6 (Bairstow 71, Woakes 5) I’m going to dedicate this entire over to Tom van der Gucht, because he’s put some effort into this missive:
All the gushing about Buttler, and Stokes, in over 66 seemed a little harsh on Bairstow: after all, he’s the top test run scorer in 2016, has the record for most runs in a calendar year by a keeper and must, surely, be closing in on most dismissals by an England keeper in a year. It’s a bit like being a really good boyfriend, who kindly provides for, cares for and supports their new partner to a really reliable and effective standard during a difficult period and after they’d been burnt during a messy period. Only for the ex-boyfriend (who despite being flashy, eye-catching and full of potential had been binned, during a painful breakup, due to their unreliability and for sadly repeatedly letting them down) to roll back into town to fanfare after spending the last year travelling around enjoying short term flings (ODIs and IPL innings in this convoluted metaphor*) and have everyone talking again about how impressive they are and how the girl should dump Mr Steady and Reliable for this flashier model.
Yeah but he’s not as much fun to watch is he? I mean, you’d rather be Robert Redford than Nick Nolte (it was those two in Indecent Proposal, wasn’t it?). I mean, in this over even Woakes outflashes him, picking the gap between two men on the off-side perfectly and getting three for his efforts.
*Simile, Tom.
70th over: England 216-6 (Bairstow 70, Woakes 2) It’s somewhat puzzling that Shami is reluctant to throw in the odd inswinger here – everything is going away from the batsmen.
Brian Withington writes: “Mike Atherton mentioned the nearby military airbase early in the commentary and casually asked (I think) Ravi whereabouts it was located. There was a pause and some laughter before Ravi said (I “paraphrase” loosely) – ‘You tell us where yours are and we might think about it’.
“Speaking of my earlier shameful abuse of the term, I can only apologise and blame my working class 60s upbringing (and 70s grammar school and Oxford education).”
Yeah but you need at least an MSc in pedantry to do this job. Sorry.
69th over: England 215-6 (Bairstow 69, Woakes 2) The over begins with that rarest sight: a settled England batsman getting out to a soft dismissal. Jadeja did well to induce the drive, but it was a poorly executed shot. In comes Chris Woakes and he gets his innings under way with a thick outside edge down to third man for two.
Wicket! Buttler c Kohli b Jadeja 43
What did I say about Kohli? Buttler charges, almost-but-not-quite to the pitch of the ball, and chips to extra cover where Kohli flings himself to his right and holds a damn fine catch.
Updated
68th over: England 213-5 (Bairstow 69, Buttler 43) Marais Erasmus turns down an appeal for lbw against Buttler. “Good decision and good decision not to go for DRS,” says the Sky man. It hit him a few miles outside off and cannoned off a thick inside edge, but I suppose technically they’re good decisions, in that they weren’t wrong. But come on. Buttler knocks the final ball into the leg side for a single.
67th over: England 212-5 (Bairstow 69, Buttler 42) There isn’t much of a crowd in but those who are there are in thrall to Kohli every time the ball goes near him. In fairness he is quite magnificent in the field, hurling himself hither and tither and hurling the ball back in with vim. His beard is crap though.
66th over: England 210-5 (Bairstow 68, Buttler 41) Patel makes a great diving stop when Shami flings a wild one down the leg-side. Other than that not much of interest (a single to cover and another to deep midwicket, to be precise), so let’s turn to the emails.
“Morning, Dan.” Morning, Guy Hornsby. “I’m so bloody terrified of jinxing this lot I’m really second guessing every word I type (qwerty, obv). I briefly saw the score after lunch & contemplated sedatives to avoid the rest of the innings and the accompanying angst, but us England fans are masochists above all, so here we are, this merry band of sporting self-harmers, wallowing in the glory and disaster of this mighty sport. All hail, Test Cricket.” You are watching Jos Buttler, Guy. The only way this could be better is if Ben Stokes was the man with him.
65th over: England 208-5 (Bairstow 67, Buttler 40) I know this ground is close to an airport but I didn’t realise how close: off camera, an overhead aeroplane flies low enough and close enough to drown out the commentary.
64th over: England 207-5 (Bairstow 67, Buttler 39) It’s Shami, one for 46 from 13 at the start of this over, from the other end. There’s a bit of movement away from the right-hander and Bairstow does cut a couple of them, but he can only pick out the ring of fielders. By the end of the over, Shami has one for 46 from 14.
Updated
63rd over: England 207-5 (Bairstow 67, Buttler 39) There are 28 overs to go in this session, so if India bowl their spinners we might finish around about on time. The ball is reversing though, so we could see a fair bit of Shami and Umesh. Jadeja to start after tea though, bowling wide and looking to tempt Buttler into the cut. No dice though, as they don’t really say, as the batsmen work a couple of singles.
“Zach Mann’s suggestion is excellent,” reckons Paul Mitchell. “I’m in. Can we raise enough to get Brian Blessed?”
Guys, you’re thinking of a radio.
Tea-time correspondence
“Dan Lucas you are a QWERTY imperialist!” begins Damian Walsh, inspired by the late Fray Bentos. “The P is just above the M on my AZERTY model. I bet you drive on the left too.” I live in London, I don’t drive.
Ian Copestake is bored writes: “My Buttler love also means I will only have a few hours dreaming of his improvised strokes before rising to watch my football team at a pub run down the road by an Evertonian (not him) that opens at 4am for such things.” I can’t remember who Ian supports.
Tea-time reading/shameless self-promotion
I risked my life to a staffordshire bull terrier for this. Admittedly he turned out to be lovely.
Tea
62nd over: England 205-5 (Bairstow 66, Buttler 38) I’m not sure we’ll have time for another over after this one. Buttler stands tall and pulls a short ball away for a single, looking for a moment curiously like a minature Kevin Pietersen. That’s tea and that’s England’s session, with just the one wicket falling for 113 runs scored. Back in 15 or so.
Zaph Mann has a suggestion: “Insomniacs and fanatics of ‘hope’ would surely fund a patreon/kickstarted/indiegogo type fundraiser for an app that just speaks the latest OBO and let’s us doze in our individually chosen haze.” I’d ask James Dart, my only company in the office, if he fancies going on YouTube and reading this into a camera, but he’s my boss and I don’t want him to sack me.
61st over: England 202-5 (Bairstow 65, Buttler 36) Practice in red-ball cricket is overrated. Buttler eyes up a wide one, opens the face and guides the ball beautifully through cover point for four more. He’s already hit as many boundaries as his partner at the crease. Fun stat: 13% of Buttler’s Test boundaries against spin have been scored with the reverse sweep.
Updated
60th over: England 197-5 (Bairstow 65, Buttler 31) It’s all change here: Shami is on from t’other end. It’s not the most edifying of starts for him as Buttler times a perfectly reasonable ball so well it flies along the turf, through extra cover, and away for four. That’s the 50 partnership – England’s sixth-wicket doing it again.
“Can we look forward (after a double century stand) to Bairstow and Buttler alternating wicket keeping duties between sessions?” asks Brian Withington “Shades of Ron Greenwood selection policy re Shilton and Clemence back in the day.” Tervor Bayliss has said not, although I can’t really see any problem with it.
Brian’s back a few minutes later, too: “I fear Joe Hancock is applying the term ‘sacrifice’ rather loosely. Some of us have finished late night poker with a reckless all-in just to be home in time for start of play. Lie-ins are for wimps, to paraphrase Gordon Gecko in Wall Street.”
I’m going to preempt all the emails that come in and tell me that’s a misuse of “paraphrase”, but I’m going to leave it.
59th over: England 192-5 (Bairstow 65, Buttler 26) Jadeja is on for Jayant. This could be fun if he gets a look at Buttler. It happens when Bairstow pushes into the off-side for a single and the close catchers come swooping in. Bit of a waste of time, as Buttler drives to cover for a single. Then two more on the drive for YJB. The runs are coming in a very steady trickle now.
58th over: England 188-5 (Bairstow 62, Buttler 25) A misfield at mid-off gives Buttler two barely deserved runs after he inelegantly clumps the ball in that direction Off the last ball, Buttler leans into a full one and hammers it in his own inimitable fashion through cover for four. Umesh has bowled very nicely and probably deserves better than his one for 46.
“I could explain that I am currently staying up lateish as I am in Venice, CA,” explains Copestake. But that would make me sound like one of those bearded internet nomads sounding off about my fancy travels when I am just from the north.”
I’ve met Ian. He does exist, even if he really is a bearded nomad.
57th over: England 182-5 (Bairstow 62, Buttler 19) Reverse sweep time for Buttler! Alas, he just knocks it along the ground to the man at backward point for naff all runs. A more conventional sweep brings Bairstow one to deep midwicket.
56th over: England 179-5 (Bairstow 61, Buttler 17) Well this is a strange one. India are very interested in an lbw appeal against Bairstow, when the ball flies between bat and pad, past leg-stump, past the keeper and away for four byes. It might well have brushed the pad, although it wasn’t given as such by the umpire, but even if it had then it was miles off line. Very strangely they give serious consideration to a review.
“Ian makes a good point despite his odd sleeping patterns,” says Joe Haycock. “I’ve sacrificed my Saturday lie in just to watch Buttler bat, such is the excitement he creates, and that’s whether he’s played any red ball games or not.” Yeah you’re both right.
55th over: England 173-5 (Bairstow 60, Buttler 16) [andytownsend] Better [/andytownsend] from Bairstow on the sweep, hitting it hard and flat from outside off for a single. A couple of balls and a well-run two later, Buttler has a moment of panic when Jayant throws down the stumps after the ball is played back to him, but the batsman has slid back safely. A nice drive out to deep extra cover brings Buttler three, the one saved by a nice sliding stop by – I think – Rahane.
It's becoming a cliché now but what would the England cricket team do without Jonny Bairstow? Going well, unlike everyone else! #INDvENG
— Ian Stafford (@IanStaffs) November 26, 2016
I did wonder, when I left this morning, if I’d be starting off the India innings on here but Bairstow has been excellent. Stokes offered great support until, well, he didn’t.
54th over: England 166-5 (Bairstow 58, Buttler 11) Er, I don’t want to drop anyone in it, but I’ll apologise now to anyone offended by the unfortunate typo in the description of Stokes’ wicket. It’s been corrected now, for anyone joining late. And yes, it has been pointed out that “p” is nowhere near “m” on the keyboard. Back to the cricket and Buttler gets his first two boundaries with a pair of thick outside edges, along the floor and down to third man. The second bisected first and second slip, but it was nowhere near carrying.
“Call me old fashioned, but I can”t go to bed when Buttler is batting,” writes Ian Copestake. It’s also 8am Ian. You’ve probably missed the boat.
53rd over: England 158-5 (Bairstow 58, Buttler 3) Or not, because Virat Kohli has tossed the ball back to the aesthetically pleasing flight of Jayant Yadav. The massive spoilsport. Buttler goes for a wander down the wicket and, after giving the ball a spank, keeps going and takes the single on offer to long-on.
52nd over: England 157-5 (Bairstow 58, Buttler 2) On Sky, Nasser Hussain notices that Bairstow has a tendency to close the bat face when he’s late on one, as he is when Yadav finds just a bit of extra bounce into the body. Another maiden means it’ll be Buttler v Ashwin next up.
51st over: England 157-5 (Bairstow 58, Buttler 2) Like Maverick, Kenny Loggins and Sterling Archer, Bairstow enters the danger zone by sweeping a full, straight one off middle. Fortunately he connects and gets it round the corner for a single, almost as if the man who has his 10th half-century of the year – a record for a wicketkeeper – knows what he’s doing. A couple more singles off the over, both pushed down the ground.
“So, Dan, what are the test stats on two-wicketkeeper partnerships?” asks John Starbuck. “These two must have the chance of setting some kind of record.”
I haven’t looked that up, to be honest, because I hadn’t thought of that didn’t want to tempt fate.
50th over: England 154-5 (Bairstow 56, Buttler 1) Umesh Yadav is back into the attack and there is very little pace in the wicket for him, by the looks of things. He goes up for perhaps the shortest appeal ever howzatted when Bairstow follows one down the leg-side; aborted because (a) he was nowhere near hitting it and (b) the ball went through to Parthiv Patel along the ground. A leg-bye off the last.
More importantly, Facebook tells me it’s a year to the day since the best thing ever to happen in cricket happened.
49th over: England 153-5 (Bairstow 56, Buttler 1) Thanks Vish, the lie-in until 5am was very much appreciated. And indeed needed, after a certain former head of sport misunderstood a key part of “oh go on, I’ll have a small glass of wine”. Anyhow, back to the cricket, back to Ashwin and Bairstow – about whom I might have been wrong when I said he didn’t have what it takes for Test cricket – grimaces his way through the over before nudging a single off the last ball.
48th over: England 152-5 (Bairstow 55, Buttler 1) Not only was it a missed stumping chance, but turns out Bairstow nicked it, too. Straight in and straight out of the gloves. Meanwhile, in the now, Buttler gets off the mark with a scampered single off his 11th delivery. That’s it from me. Here’s Dan Lucas to take you through the rest of today. Thanks for the company!
47th over: England 150-5 (Bairstow 54, Buttler 0) Good bowling from Ashwin beats Bairstow’s outside edge only for pan hands from Patel to cock up the stumping chance. By my count, the first chance Jonny has offered.
BAIRSTOW GOES TO FIFTY
46th over: England 150-5 (Bairstow 54, Buttler 0) Well played Bairstow, as he angles a shot backward of point to bring up his 13th Test fifty, from 76 deliveries. He’s also passed 1,300 runs for the year, which is frankly obscene. Buttler defends three more deliveries with the sort of EXPLOSIVE ambivalence we’ve come to expect.
45th over: England 145-5 (Bairstow 49, Buttler 0) Buttler defends five balls. Five bloody balls. Defended. With INTENT.
Updated
44th over: England 144-5 (Bairstow 48) Consider this late filler to a deleted passage on how dull and toothless Ravi Jadeja’s bowling is. Anyway, HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE’S JOS!
WICKET! Stokes st Patel b Jadeja 29 (England 144-5)
A real test of patience set by Ravi Jadeja and, ultimately, failed by Ben Stokes. After an array of dots, Stokes charges down the pitch and misses a flatter delivery and Partiv Patel completes the stumping.
Updated
43rd over: England 143-4 (Bairstow 47, Stokes 29) Perhaps the first sign of insolence from Stokes. After watching three deliveries outside off stump from Ashwin, he misses the quicker, fuller one and attempts to cut but misses completely.
42nd over: England 141-4 (Bairstow 46, Stokes 28) The running has been ramped up between these two, who at times look like they’re trying to lap one another. With a nudge to square leg, no more than 30 yards from the striker’s end, they manage to pinch two.
41st over: England 138-4 (Bairstow 44, Stokes 27) Two to Bairstow, lapped around the corner, brings up the fifty partnership between these two, from 14.1 overs.
When you wake up hoping England won the toss and batted, only to realise they did. And promptly collapsed. A too familiar feeling
— amol rajan (@amolrajan) November 26, 2016
40th over: England 136-4 (Bairstow 42, Stokes 27) Another minute, another Jadeja over. Stokes plays all six with a straight bat for no reward.
Bairstow and Stokes now past 800 runs together in 2016 https://t.co/tHmsc3EOGm #INDvENG
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) November 26, 2016
39th over: England 136-4 (Bairstow 42, Stokes 27) Stokes, too, picks off Ashwin on length. It’s not that bad a ball, but the time offered to Stokes allows him to drive through point for four. Meanwhile, this is a crazy stat
Yet to field the same 11 in consecutive matches !!! #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/GHhpsVwREU
— Nibraz ramzan🏏 (@nibrazramzan) November 26, 2016
38th over: England 130-4 (Bairstow 41, Stokes 22) Jadeja’s not turning many and Stokes isn’t too fussed about taking a risk so we reach something of an impasse. The pair don’t even exchange glances as the over is completed inside a couple of minutes. Maiden.
37th over: England 130-4 (Bairstow 41, Stokes 22) Ravi Ashwin, comes in, seven overs too late I’d say. Not sure why he wasn’t bowling straight after the break considering how good his rhythm was in the morning. Bairstow, well set, punishes a short ball with a firm drive off the back foot, through extra cover, for four.
36th over: England 124-4 (Bairstow 35, Stokes 22) Bairstow biffs a single into the covers, leaving Stokes to see out the over. Jadeja doing little but help the over rate, here.
35th over: England 123-4 (Bairstow 34, Stokes 22) Utterly glorious from Ben Stokes, who drives Shami down the ground, well inside mid on, for four. He looks in tremendous nick. If this England innings is anything to go by, it won’t be long before he gets himself out by stepping on a rake.
34th over: England 119-4 (Bairstow 34, Stokes 18) Ravi Shastri lamenting the use of Jadeja here instead of Ashwin. He’s probably right: Bairstow has looked comfortable against the left-arm spin, having struggled on both edges against the ball turning into him. Three from the over, albeit with a streaky two from Bairstow passing wide of first slip.
33rd over: England 116-4 (Bairstow 32, Stokes 17) Shami around the wicket to Stokes, Stokes playing down the ground to Shami. And still, with a worn ball, the pitch – and perhaps a bit of reverse? – sees Stokes edge wide of second slip. Angled in to off stump is no good, as per Stokes’ follow-up, which is a tidy flick through midwicket.
32nd over: England 107-4 (Bairstow 32, Stokes 8) Bairstow just so forceful on the front foot. Even when he’s keeping Jadeja out, the fielders close in have to do their best to stop him from getting off strike. Annoyed, Bairstow pummels a drive through extra cover for four bits.
31st over: England 101-4 (Bairstow 26, Stokes 8) Shami taking the ball from the other end, bang on the money, as per. Three from the over, with Jonny’s brace off the final delivery, through cover, takes England to three figures.
30th over: England 98-4 (Bairstow 25, Stokes 6) Ravi Jadeja comes into the attack and his first over finishes with a five (5!) to wake everybody up. Rather unfortunate, to be honest: Bairstow pushed for a run and the throw into the striker’s end ricocheted off Stokes, who apologies and didn’t run, but the ball over the rope means four are added to Jonny’s score.
ICYMI
Fidel Castro gets a send off in the #AUSvSA cricket live blog https://t.co/QNvy1E6vWQ pic.twitter.com/PujDvm2h66
— Dave Earley (@earleyedition) November 26, 2016
Right, should be back underway soon. “That was all a tad depressing,” writes Ian Copestake. “I still think one of our batters will hang around but the dreaded “momentum” all seems to be with India. Unless someone has the attacking talent to take this game away from the hosts. No pressure then, Jos...”
LUNCH
29th over: England 92-4 (Bairstow 20, Stokes 5) More excellence from Shami. He should probably have a few more in the wickets column this series but the near-misses and drops haven’t suppressed his endeavour. He forces Bairstow to play at every delivery that over, including the fourth delivery that just misses taking the edge. And that, mes amis, is lunch. England’s toss, India’s session.
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28th over: England 92-4 (Bairstow 20, Stokes 5) In case you were wondering if England were going to take what they have into the lunch break, Stokes hits the first ball of this over for four through midwicket. That being said, there was no risk in the shot, as Stokes pushed forward and muscled the ball through midwicket.
27th over: England 88-4 (Bairstow 20, Stokes 1) Kohli back to his seamers now, with Mohammad Shami coming around the wicket to Moeen Ali, with two slips for company. Moeen wafts at the first ball and then wafts at the fourth to end some promising resistance on 36. Ben Stokes gets off the mark with his first ball.
WICKET! Ali c Vijay b Shami 16 (England 87-4)
Too easy for India, this. Kohli brings back Shami, who digs one in short. Moeen hooks out of habit and top edges down to fine leg, where Murali Vijay makes no mistake.
26th over: England 87-3 (Ali 16, Bairstow 20) Bit of aggro during the previous over, as Virat Kohli throws into the keeper, but strikes Bairstow on the shoulder, who wasn’t paying attention. Not sure how, but Kohli seems to think it’s Bairstow’s fault. Umpire Chris Gaffaney steps in and quells that minor nonsense. Having pushed mid off back, Moeen skips down to nick the strike with a single down the ground.
25th over: England 85-3 (Ali 15, Bairstow 19) Good from Bairstow, lap sweeping Jayant for four, as the off spinner’s drift and bounce mean it’s something of a freebie. That being said, the fielder should have done better.
24th over: England 80-3 (Ali 15, Bairstow 14) More sedate, that over, as Ashwin heeds Jayant’s previous to bowl a bit flatter. Bairstow and Moeen content with a single apiece.
23rd over: England 78-3 (Ali 14, Bairstow 13) Yeah, Moeen’s awake. Jayant’s merry dance has gone on too long and Moeen Ali skips down the track to take him downtown twice in as successive balls. The first is straight and flat for four. The second, straight and high for six. A single off the third ball in the sequence acts as the Alpha pat on the back. Lovely stuff.
22nd over: England 67-3 (Ali 3, Bairstow 13) Still watchful from these two, as Ashwin teases with some subtle changes hither and thither.
21st over: England 66-3 (Ali 2, Bairstow 13) After four maidens, Jayant Yadav concedes his first runs, as Bairstow uses the first short delivery of this spell to work through square leg for two. The off spinner is around the wicket to both batsmen, as it happens, despite having caused Jonny some discomfort from over. Just as I type that, Jayant moves back and lures Bairstow into a drive that he misjudges and skews through his own legs for two. Jonny has the final say, though, getting right to the ball this time and nailing it through extra cover for his first boundary.
Jonny Bairstow vs spin in Tests
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 26, 2016
869 runs at 48.27 #INDvENG
20th over: England 56-3 (Moeen 2, Bairstow 3) Ashwin getting into a nice groove, here. Flight, dip and a bit of length play – stop that giggling – sees Ali put a few drives in the air. Bairstow’s approach seems to be to get to the nonstriker’s end, which isn’t a bad one when Ashwin settles.
19th over: England 54-3 (Ali 1, Bairstow 2) Jayant beats Bairstow on the outside edge, with a genuine off spinner that doesn’t grip and goes on through to Patel. A bit frenetic from Bairstow but he plays out a maiden.
18th over: England 54-3 (Ali 1, Bairstow 2) Looks like Ashwin wants to catch Moeen Ali camped on the front foot. After bringing him forward, he takes pace off the ball and, while Moeen plants, he delays his hands to work the ball off the pitch. One from the over.
17th over: England 53-3 (Ali 1, Bairstow 1) Moeen Ali plays out a maiden, though not by choice. He uses his feet well to Jayant, but finds fielders with his drives and pushes.
Left hand/right hand combination restored. #advantageEngland
— Ashley Connick (@AshleyConnick) November 26, 2016
16th over: England 53-3 (Ali 1, Bairstow 1) Perhaps England figured they should be attacking the spinners to throw them out of sync early and get to a position where Kohli has to bring back his quicks. But it hasn’t quite worked and they’ve lost two of their top order giants in the process. Still, more to do for the overworked duo of Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow.
WICKET! Cook c Patel b Ashwin 27 (England 51-2)
Oh that’s not very good. At all. Ashwin comes into the attack and, first ball, Cook tries to cut him. Nicked behind. Ashwin, after shelling Cook on 23, has his man. England are 0-2 in seven balls after drinks...
15th over: England 51-2 (Cook 27, Ali 0) Moeen Ali comes out to bat at four. As George Dobell pointed out in his preview, Moeen has now batted in every position in the top nine apart from number three – where he bats for his county, Worcestershire.
WICKET! Root LBW Jayant 15 (England 51-2)
Looked like a dream, out like a drain. Right after the drinks break, Root goes neither forward or back as he attempts to work a risky single to leg. Right in front of all three. Goneski. You were saying, Ian Copestake...
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14th over: England 51-1 (Cook 27, Root 15) “I fear a David Gower waft from Root given all these tempting outswingers. I hope his career does not go in that direction.” Don’t fear, Ian Copestake. While he has the class, I don’t think Root has the ambivalence of Gower. He’s far too hard on himself. Just as I typed that, he times one imperiously through midwicket for four – beating the man in close and the sweeper on the fence. He doesn’t quite do the same through cover point, where there’s a similar array of fielders, but a brace brings up the England fifty.
13th over: England 44-1 (Cook 27, Root 8) Maybe Kohli is punishing him for his uselessness in the last couple of overs, but Ashwin watches on as off-spinner Jayant Yadav gets a go ahead of him. Maiden. Morning to Brian Whitington: “So much for the bounce only going to get lower according to the sage of the commentary box. Oh and we need to score our runs in the first innings. Next we’ll be hearing that 2-0 is a dangerous lead.” Another couple of wickets and it might be “a good toss to lose”, Brian.
I'd advise Alastair Cook to buy a lottery ticket for tonight's draw @Vitu_E
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) November 26, 2016
12th over: England 44-1 (Cook 27, Root 8) Piss-poor few minutes for Ashwin. After the drop, and a glorious square drive from Joe Root to get off the mark, the lumbering offie tries to chase down a push to midwicket. Going to ground early in an attempt to scoop the ball up and hurl it in, Ashwin misses his cue and allows the ball to pass through him for a second boundary in the over. Virat Kohli’s face...
11th over: England 36-1 (Cook 27, Root 0) Good grief, that might be the worst drop I’ve ever seen! Alastair Cook is early on a push into the leg side and dollies a catch straight to Ravi Ashwin at midwicket. Somehow – SOMEHOW! – the ball hits Ashwin’s hands and flops out. Offensively bad. Typically, the next ball is worked behind square for four.
10th over: England 32-1 (Cook 23) “How refreshing is it to see an English opening partnership looking so secure?” writes Krishnan Patel. “It’s been so, so long since we had two secure batsmen at the top and gee it feels good. It was affecting Cook’s batting too and it’s more than a coincidence that he is looking more like the Alastair Cook that we know and love.” It’ll help those lower down, too. Even with Bairstow moving up to number five, the reliability of these two mean he’ll get as long a wait as he was getting at number seven when England’s top order would make a habit of collapsing to 20-odd for three. And yes, Krishnan – that wicket is on us...
WICKET! Hameed c Rahane b Yadav 9 (England 32-1)
Unplayable, that. A full length ball has Hameed pressing forward but the ball seems to hit a land mine and explode off the pitch, clattering into the top-hand glove of Hameed. Rahane, at gully, takes a simple looping catch.
9th over: England 32-0 (Cook 23, Hameed 9) Those defensive prods that Cook was squirting behind square and now lusty, full-faced blocks that race into the off side. When his edge comes back into play, it is to save him from an LBW appeal, as Shami gets one to straighten, but not beyond the left-hander’s inside edge.
Alastair Cook was dropped by Ravindra Jadeja at Rose Bowl in 2014 on 15, went on to score a much needed 95. Averages 53.00 since #INDvENG
— Richard V Isaacs (@RVISkyStatto) November 26, 2016
8th over: England 32-0 (Cook 23, Hameed 9) Hameed giving it the full “opening day of a Champo game in May”. He plays and misses, regroups, then brings soft hands to a gunfight, guiding a bullet from Yadav through the slips, all along the floor, for his first boundary of the innings. Oooo hello – Shami has been warned for running on the pitch. Not sure if that’s an official one, but he has certainly been told to stay off the danger zone.
7th over: England 28-0 (Cook 23, Hameed 5) Shami pinned Hameed a few times during that second innings at Vizag, in a two-man reenactment of the opening scene of RoboCop. The youngster keeps his cool before pushing one to leg for a single. “Just working on a witty observation suitable for both test OBO’s in an attempt to get in both at the same time.” Thanks, Phil Withall. Look forward to it. Peter Roy is surprised that England have opted to open with Hameed and Jos Buttler in disguise.
6th over: England 27-0 (Cook 23, Hameed 4) As much as the ball is doing a bit off the pitch, it’s also racing onto the bat. Cook manages to work a decent length ball off the back foot through midwicket for four. A few deliveries later, Umesh tests him with a short delivery and is pulled around the corner. Cook off like an unconvincing train...
5th over: England 18-0 (Cook 15, Hameed 3) The patented “when Cook’s driving, you know he’s in good nick” drive. Shami over-pitches, Cook over-presses. Four. Shami gives a bit back, though, beating Cook for the remainder of the over, getting movement from the surface with a well-presented seam. Ravi Raman emails in with some important context on the sparse crowds: “Surely the two moaning about small crowds realise that India is currently undergoing a cash crisis of massive proportions? It is quite something that even some people turn up at all.”
4th over: England 14-0 (Cook 11, Hameed 3) The ball is doing a lot off the straight and Umesh Yadav bowls a cracker that forces Hameed to play before leaving him and his outside edge for dead. However, rather than persist on that line, Umesh gets greedy and goes for the stumps. Hameed picks him off for two.
@Vitu_E suffering suffering from man flu here I'd hate to be in the 'crowd' at Mohali as my coughing and sneezing would disturb the players
— Gary Weightman (@ellan_vannin) November 26, 2016
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3rd over: England 12-0 (Cook 11, Hameed 1) DROP! Actually, no drop at all – Ravi Jadeja at third slip gets nowhere near it, as Cook tries to defend to leg and offers his outside edge. The ball, having seamed away from the leftie off the pitch, races off and beyond Jadeja for four. It’s a bad miss from supposedly India’s best fielder. A second, more deliberate boundary comes off the penultimate ball, as Cook times nicely through midwicket. All happening.
2nd over: England 4-0 (Cook 3, Hameed 1) There’s swing out there and, crucially for India, it’s late. Twice Hameed was tempted into a bit of a feel outside off stump. Twice he resisted temptation (take note, Eve). Maiden. A good morning to Ian Copestake: “I had also been following the South Africa match yesterday and my abiding impression was imagining who would one wish to slap first if one was locked in a lift with du Plessis or Steve Smith. Smith won hands down. Faf is greatly impressive.” Slapping Smith seems harsh. Sure, he’s Australian, but I’d probably rather give him a hug after the month he’s had.
1st over: England 4-0 (Cook 3, Hameed 1) Mohammad Shami, so impressive in the first two Tests, starts India off with the ball, as Alastair Cook leaves the first ball outside off stump. The second shows a bit of shape and is timed through square leg for the first two runs of the day. Conditions out in Mohali sound similar to an English September morning: sunny and dry but with a hint of “getting chilly now, isn’t it?”.
Abysmal crowd in Mohali. Take away the England travelling fans and you can count the supporters on one hand. It is like a championship match
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) November 26, 2016
If you’re wondering where they are...
Hundreds at ticket office, been here over an hour and no one to sell tickets. #IndvEng @Aggerscricket pic.twitter.com/x0nq4YPQt3
— Hazel (@hackneyhaz) November 26, 2016
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Richard Woods from Beijing kicks us off on the emails: “In red ball cricket, I’m sure Jos is to the manna born and he will do a thoroughly good Job as a specialist batsman.”
@Vitu_E Is there any point in playing this game now? Because the experts are all telling us "win toss, win game" in India like at Rajkot!
— Satish (@TheFinalCountUp) November 26, 2016
Satish has a point. The easiest bit is done, now England need to bat into tomorrow...
Not for the first time this year, I’ve woken up alongside Adam Collins. This time, luckily, he wasn’t towering over me at 4am in a Chelmsford hotel, asking it was possible to head home (west London) and then to Stansted Airport (middle of nowhere) in the space of two hours because he’d forgotten his passport. Somehow, he made it with time to spare. Yep, he’s one of those jammy sods. He’s next door OBOing day three of Australia v South Africa. As he says, keep us both open for maximum joy:
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TOSS NEWS
Coin goes up...
England win the toss ... and bat
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 26, 2016
As expected, England make three changes – Buttler for Duckett, Batty for Ansari, Broad for Woakes. Moeen Ali moves to four, Bairstow to five, Buttler slots in at seven. India make two of their own, with Karun Nair debuting, at number six, while Parthiv Patel takes the gloves ahead of the injured Wriddhiman Saha and will also open the batting.
India: M Vijay, PA Patel†, CA Pujara, V Kohli*, AM Rahane, KK Nair, R Ashwin, RA Jadeja, J Yadav, Mohammed Shami, UT Yadav
England:AN Cook*, H Hameed, JE Root, MM Ali, JM Bairstow†, BA Stokes, JC Buttler, CR Woakes, AU Rashid, GJ Batty, JM Anderson
“Good toss to win”
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GOOD MORROW!
So, here we are... You and I... England and Jos Buttler... It has been coming. After the first coming went, and Jos left the red seam behind to spend 40 days and 40 nights soul-searching in the arid limited overs desert (Religious Studies was never my strongest suit) he is back. And, at a glance, less prepared than ever.
Since getting the boot in October of last year, after the second Test against Pakistan, Jos has batted just once in first class cricket: a couple of months ago, against Middlesex, scoring 16 off 15 balls (three fours, obviously). The questions back in the UAE remain, only now they are punctuated by a startling lack of game time that suggests Buttler’s iffy defensive measures remain. The selectors can and probably should be queried, too: how is it so, that in England’s most important Test of the year, their middle order is being plugged by a player with just four first class hundreds to his name and never more than one in a calendar year? There are players with better records, “more worthy” of selection that are plugging away on Lions tours or faffing about on winter placements at clubs in Australia and South Africa. They, too, will be muttering into their Little Creatures and Windhoeks about how Jos is getting his second chance on their time.
And just when the frustration reaches excruciating levels that you bury your head in your pillow and scream “WHY, ECB, WHY IN ALL YOUR CASH-ADDLED, STATISTICAL MODELLED, PERSONALITY TESTED, QUINOA OBSESSED WISDOM DO YOU GO BACK TO A BLOKE WHO AVERAGES 30 AND ONLY PASSED THAT FIGURE ONCE IN HIS LAST 12 INNINGS”... you spend the next 204 seconds watching this video and realise, oh yeah, English cricket has never known his like before. Play on, Jos...
Gareth Batty’s probably getting a recall too, by the way.
Vithushan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Vic Marks:
The brutal truth is that England have three dead men walking in their squad and there are still three Tests to go. This may not be unprecedented on tour but it might be unnecessary.
Ben Duckett, Gary Ballance and Zafar Ansari, to use the ill-chosen yet candid assessment of Ashley Giles when talking about Steven Finn during England’s one-day campaign in Australia in January 2014, are currently “unselectable”. With Stuart Broad injured, England are picking from 13 for the Test in Mohali.
There is no disgrace in this for the unfortunate trio, but such redundancy could become a more regular occurrence as overseas tours increasingly comprise only Test matches without any games in between for players to recover touch and confidence.
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