And as Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad and Nick Knight continue to chew, chew, chew the fat and use up the remaining broadcasting minutes - the England team must jump in the coach and drive to Trent Bridge for the final T20 of the series tomorrow. Two losses do not make a summer, but England have to find a way of combating the swinging white ball of India’s attack. Chris Jordan’s form and Richard Gleeson’s debut are something positive for Jos Buttler to think on as he makes the Midlands dash.
Just as the Test team becomes watchable, the T20 team…
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) July 9, 2022
Thanks for all your messages - we’ll be back tomorrow. Bye!
Eoin Morgan, who could have a very successful second career as a door-to-door evangelical, is phlegmatic. “Jos will be relying on Moeen and CJ and to continue that message and continue that truth, they’ve been there for some good times and some dark times. But there’s lots of good things - Richard Gleeson ...and Chris Jordan.”
Stuart Broad is full of admiration for Bhuvneshwar, particularly that he gives no indication of which is the inswinger and which is the away swinger.
“These things can happen,” says Moeen Ali, “the discussions are to keep backing ourselves, be even more positive. We’ve got some new players in the side, it’s going to take time, obviously we don’t want to keep losing but Jos is cool with it.”
Already Brendan Large?!
@tjaldred Am I the only one thinking Buttler wasn't the right choice? The guy has enough to focus on with WK & opening duties. What about giving Livingstone responsibility to try something new. Morgan reinvented white ball cirkcet but now without him they need another change?
— Brendan Large (@brendanlarge) July 9, 2022
The player of the match is Bhuvneshwar Kumar after his 3-15, ripping out Buttler, Roy and Kumar and mastering the suddenly swinging magic white ball.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma: “I really wanted to see how we perform after a win and challenge ourselves.
“We were 90-5 and we needed someone to bat to the end and Jadeja was quite calm and collected, at no point did we feel he was panicking. was good to finish at a score that was par and then we were clinical with the ball.
“We do understand the importance of the power play, it is always important to take wickets or score runs.
“Fingers crossed, we’re going in the right direction. The only red flag, we can’t get carried away by a performance like that.”
England captain Jos Buttler [I paraphrase]: “Very disappointed, but we didn’t play anywhere well enough to win the game so we got what we deserved. Fantastic debut for Richard Gleeson and excellent again from Chris Jordan. Any time you lose early wickets you’re in trouble.”
: Not just the wickets but the guys he got out, a great day for Richard Gleeson. CJ always bowls the tough overs, he’s under pressure a lot, and the figures can sometimes cloud how well he’s done. Delighted for him.”
“We don’t have much time to reflect but will consider [order and extra batsmen} for the next game tomorrow.”
Rohit Sharma leads India to yet another T20 win, outfoxing England at every turn, despite the happiest of debuts for Richard Gleeson (3-15: Rohit, Kohli and Pant in the bag) and more excellent bowling from Chris Jordan (4-27). England had no answer to India’s attack, the opening pair failing again, with only Moeen Ali, and Dawid Willey at the last, hitting the accelerator.
17th over: England 121 all out ( Willey 33) Willey steps towards the ball, sweeps and Axar catches as he falls backwards over the boundary. SIX! Four more through the covers, then he misses a scoop and escapes a yorker. Parkinson can’t hold on and that’s a thrashing by India, who take the series 2-0 with one to play.
WICKET! Parkinson b Harshal 0. (England 121 all out) India win by 49 runs
Hook, line and leg stump! Parkinson had one ball to survive in the over and falls to a perfect yorker.
16th over: England 109-9 ( Willey 22, Parkinson 0) Bhuvneshwar is not who you want to see with the target in the teens and rising and only rabbits in the hutch. He duly collects Gleeson and concedes just four runs.
Updated
WICKET! Gleeson c Kohli b Bhuvneshwar 2 (England 109-9)
Gleeson has to go for it, and does, but can only fly it to Virat Kohli at long off who dinks himself a little catch in celebration.
Summary
15th over: England 106-8 ( Willey 20, Gleeson 0) The business end! A slower ball from Hardik but Moeen lets fly and the ball just whistles over Virat Kohli in front of the Hollies stand for six. Virat shushes the crowd when Moeen holes out the next ball. Then the run out, before Willey smashes Hardik for four then six in an attempt to make amends.
Updated
WICKET! Jordan run out (Chahal) 1 (England 95-8)
Jordan charges the first and sprints the second head down, looks up about a foot from the stumps to find Willey wooden in his crease, his arm outstretched in a halt sign.
WICKET! Moeen c Rohit b Hardik 35 (England 94-7)
Moeen eyes up Hardik and attempts to loft one over mid-off but instead just lofts it to Rohit
14th over: England 81-6 ( Moeen 28, Willey 9) Willey picks off Jadeja for four before Moeen plays the most effortless pick-up for six. Dreamy. Fourteen from the over - briefly on target.
13th over: England 74-6 ( Moeen 21, Willey 3) “Personally, I think now would be the time [to go for it],” says Eoin Morgan” just as Moeen eases a short ball from Harshal over the wicketkeeper’s head. But the rate is 14 an over and climbing.
12th over: England 69-6 ( Moeen 17, Willey 2) Just the one boundary off Jadeja’s first over - Moeen shovels down to the fine leg boundary. A polite shovel, of course.
England: the weatherhouse team.
@tjaldred England's cricket teams are the cricket equivalent of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. It is impossible for the white and red ball teams to play well at the same time#ENGvIND #cricket #obo @GuardianCricket
— Anand (@anandkumarn) July 9, 2022
11th over: England 61-6 ( Moeen 11, Willey 0) This relentless Indian attack proving just too difficult for England to handle. Bumrah’s wicket was off a slower ball - but I couldn’t tell, and, more importantly, the TV commentators think it was almost impossible to tell at full speed.
WICKET! Curran c Hardik b Bumrah 2 (England 59-5)
Brilliantly caught by Hardik at mid-off, over his head, treading backwards and holding on as he tumbles onto his behind.
10th over: England 59-5 ( Moeen 9, Curran 2) A wicket and just four runs off the over leaves England behind the eight-ball at the half way stage. Eoin Morgan sees “a huge change in India’s attitude to risk, which is very impressive.”
Updated
WICKET! Malan c Harshal b Chahal 19 (England 55-5)
Everything Rohit does turning to gold! He sends in Chahal from the other end, only for Malan to reverse-sweep a full bunger to point.
9th over: England 55-4 (Malan 19, Moeen 7) On Sky they reckon that Harshal has been brought back to counter Moeen. But Moeen square drives for four easy runs. Harshal appears to be wearing a vest in the best tradition of England sides pre 1990-ish. Just a squirt of singles to follow.
Does the white-ball side need Baz-balling, asks Guy Hornsby.
Are we not allowed to be good at more than two formats at once @tjaldred? India have been excellent so far but just very strange seeing us so insipid with the bat. Maybe they just need Alex Lees at the top 👀
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) July 9, 2022
Updated
8th over: England 46-4 (Malan 17, Moeen 1) Hardik picking off where he left off at Southampton - just four off the over as England hesitate consolidate.
India's new ball bowling has been exceptional in this series so far. Their Powerplay strike rate is just 10.3, the lowest they have ever recorded in a bilateral T20I series. #ENGvIND
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) July 9, 2022
Updated
7th over: England 42-4 (Malan 15, Moeen 0) Apologies, signal problems rather messed that over up from my point of view. But happy days for England. Moeen and Malan have a long hill to climb.
Updated
WICKET! Brook c Suryakumar b Chahal 8 (England 41-4)
Straight to long on!
Key event
6th over: England 32-3 (Malan 13, Brook 4) Harshal is thrust into the limelight. Malan cuts, with a hint of desperation, through backward point for four, then Brook tips the last ball to the rope.
Updated
5th over: England 27-3 ( Malan 8, Brook 0) Target 171 Pressure, pressure! Harry Brook walks out after Livingstone is done by the King of brussell sprouts,and is gracious enough to smile in appreciation. Rohit then overrules Bumrah for an lbw review, a hunch he won’t repeat in a hurry. A wicket maiden for Bumrah and India have pulled it back.
“The England white ball side have clearly allowed their collective untramelled primeval instinct to take over,” taps Kim Thonger. “The id, if that’s what it’s called, is adopting the modus operandi of the red ball team, allowing four or five wickets to fall early, lulling the opposition into a false sense of security, enabling batters 5, 6 and 7 to romp home with a display of power hitting. At least I HOPE that’s what’s happening.”
WICKET! Livingstone b Bumrah 15 (England 27-3)
An off-cutter of your dreams/nightmares, clops the top of off stump. Bumrah smiles at Livingstone and shrugs as he celebrates.
Updated
4th over: England 27-2 ( Malan 8, Livingstone 15) Target 171 The benefits of flaying hard! Livingstone top edges, kissing the ozone layer, and Chahal is all at sea as the ball goes down, with Pant sprinting back from the stumps as well. A nudge through midwicket brings Livingstone four more, then a one-handed dig for a single to finish over.
3rd over: England 19-2 ( Malan 7, Livingstone 8) Target 171 A busy over, the wicket, followed by two fours off his first two balls by Liam Livingstone - through midwicket and - ping - through the covers. Bhuvneshwar fancies his last ball, as Livingstone tries to cut a ball too close to him, but Rohit isn’t giving a review this time.
WICKET! Buttler c Pant b Bhuvneshwar 4 (England 11-2)
Buttler goes early again! Given not out on the field, but Bhuvneshwar is convinced, Kohli is convinced, and finally Rohit too. The review shows a spike, off the foot of the bat. Buttler not happy but off he must go.
2nd over: England 8-1 (Buttler 2, Malan 6) England see out an over from Bhuvneshwar only to find themselves facing Bumrah. But Malan senses an in and kisses the ball through the covers for a crisp four
1st over: England 0-1 (Buttler 0, Malan 0) Roy can’t believe what has happened and trudges off picking at his gloves and shaking his head. Lots of swing again and an lbw appeal off the last ball, which Rohit refuses to review. Advisedly. How’s a wicket maiden for starters?
WICKET! Roy c Sharma b Kurmar 0 (England 0-1)
A first baller! Roy’s rotten series continues as he gives Sharma catching practise at first slip.
Updated
Here we go - Roy and Buttler stroll to the middle in full battle gear.
20th over: India 170-8 (Jadeja 46, Bumrah 0) Sam Curran lets fly a full toss which Jadeja gleefully accepts and crabs to the square leg rope. But that’s the only boundary. Eleven from it which takes India from just below par to just hitting it. . Jadeja walks off with highest T20I score; India with not quite enough. Probably.
Excellent from Gleeson and Jordan - and India will be disappointed that they didn’t manage to spark off that excellent start from Pant and Rohit.
Time to put the kettle on quickly - back in five!
19th over: India 159-8 (Jadeja 36) Fabulous from Jordan, so tricky to get away - just one four from his final over, as Jadeja cracks him through mid-off.
WICKET! Bhuvneshwar c Willey b Jordan 2 (India 159-8)
A fourth for Jordan! Bhuvneshwar goes for the big one but the ball meets only Willey at cover.
18th over: India 151-7 (Jadeja 29, Bhuvneshwar 1) Richard Gleeson take a bow. A modest approach, picking up speed and becoming more vertical as he gets closer to the stumps, daintily on point, has finished with figures of four overs, three for 15. Plus a catch.
“Judging by earlier photos, much of men’s English cricket seems to be dependent on beard-wearers, or those trying it out as an experiment,” writes John Starbuck. “As someone who has been bearded since 1969, I reckon the great thing about it is that you don’t have to worry quite so much about personal appearance, but do actually need to develop a proper personal hygiene routine.”
17th over: India 152-7 (Jadeja 24, Bhuvneshwar 0) Jadeja getting frisky - an expansive cut off Jordan reaches the boundary, but the England fielders are on form , busying their way to preventing any more boundaries. Harshall pulls wristily over long-on for SIX, before rather giving his wicket away. Jordan excellent again.
“Glorious first two overs from Gleeson,” types Colum Fordham, “turning around what was promising to be a pasting for England. England need to keep making life difficult for India, perhaps restricting the bowling of Curran and Wiley have been to the Indian batters’ liking. With a seven-man attack, including Parkinson and Livingstone, Buttler can afford to bowl the medium-pacers a little less today.”
Updated
WICKET! Harshal c Gleeson b Jordan 13 (India 145-7)
Harshal angles his bat expectantly but the ball doesn’t go over the rope as he’d hoped, but straight to that man Richard Gleeson.
16th over: India 132-6 (Jadeja 19, Harshal 5)) Jadeja advances, and Livingstone sprays a wide ball which misses batter and keeper and runs away for four. The wicket follows, then Jadeja picks up four through the covers and Harshal joins the fun, splitting the sprinting men on the rope.
WICKET! Karthik run out 12 ( India 122-6)
Defeated going for the third! An arrow-straight throw from Brook beats Karthik diving full length and Buttler whips off the bails.
15th over: India 114-5 ( Karthik 12, Jadeja 11) Ah, Sam Curran is back on after that catch, and he must be ok as he is bowling. I don’t know if it just the Birmingham light but both Buttler and Gleeson seem to be sporting ginger beards. Dinesh Karthik flicks Curran behind square, just beating a diving Gleeson to the boundary - but it’s the only rope he crosses. Eight from the over.
14th over: India 107-5 ( Karthik 7, Jadeja 10) Livingstone’s allsorts do their business, with only six being squeezed off the over. India need to make whoopee in the final six.
13th over: India 101-5 ( Karthik 3, Jadeja 8) India look as if they will go another over without a boundary, until a misfield on the rope by Harry Brook, who somehow lets the ball through is body despite being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
Kohli thoughts:
The concern for Kohli is that the 1 (3) is quite a lot better than some of the 45 (40)s he was dropping in the IPL. If they want to play anchoring, conservative cricket (a legit plan), then he's fine, but if India do want to be more aggressive, you'd say there are better options.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) July 9, 2022
12th over: India 91-5 ( Karthik 0, Jadeja 1) Gleeson grins to himself as he walks back to his mark. And so he should. Just two from the over, with current figures of 3-8 from three overs, twice beating Karthik’s bat. Are India just going to play him out? I think they are!
Law change on new batter facing the next ball after a catch, regardless of players having crossed, yet to come into international cricket ... India in this innings have seen two set men dismissed, when after 1 October this year they'd have been at non-striker's end
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 9, 2022
11th over: India 89-5 ( Karthik 0, Jadeja 0) India are at risk of disappointing this full house in Birmingham, with two new batters at the crease, both yet to score. The big guns not helping India much so far, let’s see what Jadeja can do. Sam Curran, incidentally, is off the field after landing awkwardly taking that catch from Suryakumar.
WICKET! Hardik c Malan b Jordan 12 (India 89-5)
Hardik carefully directs the ball straight to Malan who gleefully collects at backward point. Hat-trick ball for Jordan!
WICKET! Suryakumar c Curran b Jordan 15 (India 98-4)
From deep mid-wicket, emerges Sam Curran as Suryakumar flicks the ball towards the moon and Curran catches - seeming to jar his elbows in the process.
10th over: India 86-3 ( Hardik 3, Suryakumar 15) Fours apiece, as Hardik flays Parky back past the bowler’s ankles and Suryakumar sends a wide one spinning through the covers. Chris Jordan somehow cuts off a wristy dab to the boundary with some audaciously athletic fielding. And that’s half way, with India more contained than they like.
9th over: India 73-3 ( Hardik 3, Suryakumar 8) Chris Jordan, who bowled beautifully on Thursday, is thrown into the mix. He beats Hardik with a beauty - and Buttler summons Moeen Ali into the slips. How quickly a match can change, batting suddenly tricky.
Glees lightning etc
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 9, 2022
8th over: India 69-3 ( Hardik 3, Suryakumar 6) Time for Parky, long sleeves and Suryakumar plays an inside out flick, up and flirty, to the boundary. Tip and run follows.
“Just a thought - Glesson’s taken 3 wickets in his first 8 balls in international cricket. There can’t be many - if any - people who’ve got off to a better start than that, can there?”
James Brough, I don’t think there can! Especially when you count the calibre of batters: Rohit, Kohli, Pant.
7th over: India 61-3 ( Hardik 0, Suryakumar 0) A double wicket maiden! Northants and Lancashire’s little secret makes the big time!
WICKET! Pant c Buttler b Gleeson 26 (India 61-3)
Two in two! Pant has a swing and edges through to Buttler who celebrates by throwing the ball high in the air. What a debut!
WICKET! Kohli c Malan b Gleeson 1 (India 61-2)
Kohli fails again! Marvellous catch from Malan scooting backwards and swallow diving.
Updated
6th over: India 61-1 (Pant 15, Kohli 0) Moeen again, bowling at his (soon to be) new home.A couple of astonishing shots from Pant: six ooofing over mid-off, the second some magic - imagine someone limbo dancing while chopping salami. And that’s the end of the power play.
5th over: India 49-1 (Pant 15, Kohli 0) Richard Gleeson’s first ball in international cricket is a lovely fat dot - ignore the fact that the second is waffled over mid-on. And then the wicket! Congratulations!
Incidentally, Gleeson is the third oldest debutant in T20 cricket for England, ahead of him lie Darren Gough and Paul Nixon.
Updated
WICKET! Rohit c Buttler b Gleeson (India 49-1)
A debut wicket for Gleeson in his first over as Rohit swivels to hook but only top edges behind, where Buttler scurries and leaps with green gloves open. A delighted Gleeson roars and is engulfed by his teammates.
4th over: India 43-0 (Rohit 25, Pant 15) Moeen into the attack quickly, as he was on Thursday. Doesn’t really do the trick as Rohit shuffles to the right and slams him through the covers for four, before pulling him in the opposite direction for four more.
3rd over: India 32-0 (Rohit 15, Pant 14) Willey gets some tap: Rohit slotting him over mid off for six before Pant belies his whack-a-mole image with the most dainty of late cuts for four. Willey tries to out-fox Pant - but it results in a couple of wides - and then the last ball is flicked over fine leg and across the rope.
2nd over: India 15-0 (Rohit 8, Pant 6) The bleached Sam Curran bustles in - 99 Red Balloons always comes into my mind when I watch him bowl (worry, worry, super scurry) . Pant wham-bams a slower ball straight back over his head for four.
The first email wings in. and touchingly it is about the late John Gwynne: “John’s first commentating work was for BT’s Cricketcall service in 1988, providing ball by ball commentary over the phone- revolutionary at the time.He was the Lancashire commentator ( of course ) and was as brilliant from the off as you’d expect.”
Thank you Jon Salisbury ( Cricketcall’s Nottinghamshire commentator).
1st over: India 8-0 (Rohit 7, Pant 1) David Willey has the ball, and the first runs come with a kitchen-sink slice from Rohit down to fine leg where Richard Gleeson doesn’t fluff his first touch of the ball in international cricket. A quick single, and Pant has to hurry as Brook throws on the dive. Then a drop - Rohit drives a wide one and Roy fumbles on his knees at backward point - before the over finishes with a lofted six, easy as you like, over long leg.
Virat Kohli had a miserable IPL by his standards. But his recent T20 stats are decent:
Virat Kohli:
— 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) July 9, 2022
in T20Is: 51 avg, 138 SR
in last 10 innings in T20Is: 61 avg, 132 SR
in last 12 innings in T20Is: 62 avg, 135 SR
in last 30 innings in T20Is: 60 avg, 141 SR
in Australia in T20Is: 64 avg, 145 SR
On what basis is his place under doubts? #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/w2cOdJSELf
Anyway, he’s not opening the batting after all: the fireworks to be provided by Pant and Rohit. And here they come!
I struggled to hear the discussion on Sky between Broad, Morgan and Hussain due to connection issues. This seems to be the crux of it though:
Fun to help @nassercricket, @Eoin16 @StuartBroad8 with their discussion on death bowling before the game today. The margin for error on yorkers is tiny & England have been adapting lately - particularly at venues with large square boundaries - by bowling hard lengths. #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/RlYQO4bNby
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) July 9, 2022
Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad are in the commentary seats today.
Updated
Sad news from Manchester: long-time Old Trafford PA announcer John Gwynne has died. RIP, John, one of cricket’s great enthusiasts.
We are saddened to learn of the passing of our much loved former Public Address Announcer, John Gwynne, following his battle with cancer.
— Lancashire Lightning (@lancscricket) July 9, 2022
Our thoughts and condolences are with John’s family and friends. 🌹 pic.twitter.com/XDxguQOWpF
It’s a full house under a scalding sun at Edgbaston today. Somewhere in the crowd are spotters, employed to keep an eye out for trouble after reports of racist abuse during the Test.
England win the toss and will bowl!
TEAMS
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Richard Gleeson, Matt Parkinson.
India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
The news from Edgbaston is that Lancashire’s Richard Gleeson is due to make his debut today - encouraging news for late developers everywhere.
Looks like Richard Gleeson is to make his England debut at Edgbaston this afternoon. Remarkable story for someone who did not play his first professional county match until he was 27
— Simon Wilde (@swildecricket) July 9, 2022
Preamble
Hello! We’re back already - match two in a white-ball July rollercoaster, this the second T20 between the two top sides in the world.
The players are at Edgbaston, but I’m in Surrey, where my brother and his family have arrived from New Zealand without any of their baggage. Talking of baggage (sorry) - winning India will cast aside some of their foot-soldiers as the Test warriors return. Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ajay Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah are all expected to wriggle back into the lineup.
England tripped up at the Ageas Bowl, a fifty run spanking, with Jos Buttler having to slither back to the dressing-room with a first-ball duck in his debut official gig as captain. But we expect the side to be similar, with a possible tweak to the bowling.
The action starts at 2.30pm BST - see you there!
