Ali’s report is here
Jeetan Patel, England’s spin-bowling coach, reacts
If you put the hard yards in, the circle eventually turns. India batted really well in the first two sessions, when we threw a lot at them, but to walk away with them eight down is a helluvan effort. There’s a lot of tired guys in there, and rightly so – they put in a big shift.
[On Hartley and Bashir] They’re young guys trying to forge their careers. One thing the group has stressed to them is that this is the most exciting time of their careers. You should want to celebrate every wicket and have as much fun as you can with your teammates.
[Bashir] was ill the day before the game, he wasn’t well yesterday and he’s still a bit iffy today, so to bang out 45 overs and near-enough take a five-for… he’s put in a helluva shift. So have all the bowlers.
The first thing is to get the two wickets in the morning and then set up some partnerships. India showed us that once you did get in on this wicket you can build partnerships. That’s what we need to look for. It’s exciting: it’s an opportunity for a few guys to rack up some big runs.
Sports quiz of the week
Here’s something to do while you wait for Ali Martin’s match report.
Shubman Gill’s reaction
[On his father] It was his dream to see me play at this level. I’m thinking of him and I’m sure he’ll be proud of me today.
[On hitting Jimmy Anderson back over his head for six] I thought the ball wasn’t doing much at that time. Instinctively I wanted to go over the top to put some pressure on him.
I missed out on a big one day. The ball I got out to, I didn’t sight it properly. But apart from that I’m feeling good and hopefully I’ll be able to convert these starts into the big ones.
[What did you and Jimmy Anderson say to each other?] I think it would be better for both of us to keep that private!
🎙️ "What have they had for breakfast?!"
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) March 8, 2024
Shubman Gill wastes no time getting started, as he follows up Rohit Sharma with a six of his own!
Watch #INDvENG LIVE on TNT Sports and @discoveryplusuk 📺 pic.twitter.com/yTTQDV1TN4
That was a pretty good day of Test cricket: 90 overs, 338 runs, eight wickets. It didn’t feel like a contest, but it was rich in moments and stories. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made beautiful, occasionally disdainful centuries; Ben Stokes took a wicket with his first ball is almost nine months; Devdutt Padikkal made a serene 65 debut; Sarfaraz Khan entertained everyone royally with a rapid 56; and the impressive Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley induced a mini-collapse after tea.
Updated
Stumps: India lead by 255 runs
120th over: India 473-8 (Kuldeep 27, Bumrah 19) Wood can’t get past Bumrah in the final over of the day. The ease with which this ninth-wicket pair have added 45 will give England a bit of hope, but realistically this match should end tomorrow.
119th over: India 472-8 (Kuldeep 27, Bumrah 18) Bashir bowls his final over of another very long day at school – and he should have been rewarded with his fifth wicket. Kuldeep was dropped by Stokes, a tough diving chance at gully after he bottom-edged a sweep onto the boot. Root at slip would have had a much simpler catch, but Stokes instinctively dived across.
Kuldeep adds some sodium chloride by sweeping emphatically for four, after which Stokes effs and jeffs with frustration. That’s the end of another good day for Bashir, better than figures of 44-5-170-4 might suggest.
“If Anderson is marooned here on 699 wickets, he could do worse than consider becoming bowling’s ‘answer’ to Bradman’s 99.94 batting average,” says Darryl Accone. “Imagine walking away just one short of 700! The legend and the lore would grow and grow. Seven hundred? Pah!”
118th over: India 467-8 (Kuldeep 23, Bumrah 17) Mark Wood can’t help himself. Lost cause, long day, crap day - but he comes back for more right at the end.
The first delivery, which Bumrah pushes stylishly for four, doesn’t do much for his joie de vivre. Wood starts to rev up as the over progresses and beats Bumrah outside off stump with a bit of extra zing.
A quick single leads to a run-out chance, but Pope can’t pick the ball up on the run.
Got to love Bumrah's attitude to batting. Even here, constantly trying to get better.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 8, 2024
You could easily replace ‘batting’ with ‘life’. That’s the thing about happy-go-lucky geniuses: we’re infectious they’re as rare as hen’s teeth.
117th over: India 462-8 (Kuldeep 23, Bumrah 12) A maiden from Bashir to Kuldeep, who defends with impressive certainty. This is the third consecutive innings in which he has reached 20, a nice detail to go with all those wickets. I do hope this isn’t a brief high in an unfulfilled Test career because he is a bowler of rare brilliance. You’d expect him to become the main spinner when Jadeja and Ashwin retire, though he’s already 29.
116th over: India 462-8 (Kuldeep 23, Bumrah 12) With the match drifting, there’s an argument for bringing back Mark Wood in place of Tom Hartley. I don’t think it’s going to happen tonight; after another quiet over from Hartley, there are 24 balls remaining.
115th over: India 461-8 (Kuldeep 22, Bumrah 12) India continue to potter their way into the distance. A graphic on the TV coverage shows that Bashir’s average speed has been 5kph lower since lunch, which explains his greater success. Working out the best speed for different pitches is such an intriguing skill, another thing Shane Warne was brilliant at.
114th over: India 460-8 (Kuldeep 21, Bumrah 12) There’s no sign of India pushing for a declaration. Maybe they’ve been spooked by the first Test in Hyderabad, or maybe they’re just enjoy the feel of England’s throat against the sole of their boot. Never mind winning the game; a lead of 242 may be enough to win it by an innings.
113th over: India 457-8 (Kuldeep 19, Bumrah 11) Ben Stokes considers a review when Bashir has an LBW appeal against Kuldeep turned down. Eventually he decides against it, rightly concluding there was an inside edge. Had it been pad first it would have been close.
“Reversing the batting order (109th over) now and again is a standard in club cricket,” says John Starbuck, “but has it ever been done in Tests?”
It happened in the days of sticky dogs – not a full reversal, but moving the best players down the order. The most famous example inevitably involved Don Bradman, a story told here with Andy Bull’s usual majesty.
112th over: India 456-8 (Kuldeep 19, Bumrah 11)
111th over: India 455-8 (Kuldeep 17, Bumrah 11) Bumrah just manages to keep out a good ball from Bashir that keeps slightly low. Axar Patel is waiting to come on with a drink, which may also contain a message for Bumrah to start swinging. For now he opens the face to guide Bashir past slip for four; that’s a really nicec shot.
110th over: India 451-8 (Kuldeep 17, Bumrah 7) Kuldeep has looked composed with the bat ever since his recall. India would love to get him in their team overseas, particularly in Australia later in the year, as he has been their best spinner in this series. Not sure how you do it but these lower-order runs won’t hurt.
109th over: India 450-8 (Kuldeep 17, Bumrah 6) Kuldeep and Bumrah are pottering along, no great hurry. Bumrah fiddles Bashir wide of slip for a couple, thrn works a single to bring up the 450. There are 11 overs left today, so there may still be a few overs for England to bat at the end. If so, they should send in Mark Wood and Tom Hartley for a laugh.
108th over: India 444-8 (Kuldeep 15, Bumrah 2) Ben Stokes has a dilemma – should he continuing bowling the spinners, who learn a little more with each ball, or give Jimmy Anderson the chance to take his 700th wicket? There is unlikely to be a second Indian innings.
There’s also an argument that, rather than bowling Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammad Siraj at the tail end of a 4-1 pasting, Anderson deserves to take his 700th in front of a full house next summer. Oh my god it’s going to be Kraigg Brathwaite again isn’t it?
107th over: India 443-8 (Kuldeep 14, Bumrah 2) Murali Kartik, commentating on TV, is lauding Bashir’s unwavering enthusiasm and lust for battle. At tea he had grim figures of 26-4-127-1; since then he has taken 3-26 from 12 overs. Good lad.
106th over: India 441-8 (Kuldeep 13, Bumrah 1) Kuldeep, who would be a shoo-in for player of the series were it not for that pesky pair of Jaiswal and Bumrah, sweeps Hartley for four to move into the double figures. Bumrah gets off the mark by clunking just short of mid-on.
“All it needs is for Stokes to win this Test and all the obituaries will be converted into coronations,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “That shows the kind of life these sportsmen need to live EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.”
Very true, which makes the drastic shortage of empathy in modern society even more… interesting.
105th over: India 435-8 (Kuldeep 8, Bumrah 0) Bashir beats Kuldeep with a jaffa, similar to the delivery that bowled Padikkal, then does it again two balls later. For good measure, he beats Bumrah later in the over as well. We shouldn’t get carried away, but we should be excited about what Bashir might achieve in this thing of ours.
104th over: India 434-8 (Kuldeep 7, Bumrah 0) “I don’t think this tour has gone too badly,” says Felix Wood. “India are very good, and England did well to even get to positions that they could throw away - and while I’d have preferred they didn’t implode, it’s hard to ignore quite how good India are. England simply havent been good enough with the bat as a team - but looking at their averages that shouldn’t really be a surprise. I wonder how long Pope can hang on for, and I worry that Brook will revert to his career average before his purple patch. There are some big gaps to fill in the team, can we play a game of next cab off the rank to pass the time?”
I agree – when the dust has settled and the sneering has stopped, I think history will judge that England’s performance was above par. The frustration comes from the opportunities they had and the unforseeably poor performance of the middle order.
Next cab off the rank: which rank are we talking about? I suppose No3 is the position I would be most concerned about. Josh Bohannon is probably the next in line, though I think he batted No4 for England Lions against India A.
Updated
103rd over: India 433-8 (Kuldeep 6, Bumrah 0) It’s very hard to see this game going to a fourth day now, and if England get a wriggle on it might be over tonight. Stokes cocks up a run-out chance with a weird throw that is well off target. Root, smiling, seems to motion that the ball might have got stuck in the crooked finger.
“Getting the odd window of opportunity to catch up on the cricket with the OBO whilst ostensibly teaching in sunny Naples,” says Colum Fordham. “If nothing else, this tough end-of-term Test is giving excellent practice for our young spinners Bashir and Hartley against top batsmen in the subcontinent. Beats a cloudy day in Northampton. Really enjoyed seeing Bashir’s beautiful ball (in my break).”
Yep, it’s invaluable. If one of them goes on to make it at Test level, you’d imagine they’ll cite this tour as a crucial rite of passage.
102nd over: India 428-8 (Kuldeep 1, Bumrah 0) Those wicket mean Hartley has overtaken Ashwin as the leading wickettaker in the series, 22 to 21, though Ashwin has another innings to come.
WICKET! India 428-8 (Ashwin b Hartley 0)
Two wickets in the over! Ashwin getse a duck in his 100th Test, and I don’t think he’ll be batting again. He pushed defensively down the wrong line and was gated by a ball that didn’t turn.
Updated
Drinks
England are having a dignified session: in the face of certain defeat, they’ve taken four wickets for 51 in 17 overs.
Updated
WICKET! India 427-7 (Jadeja LBW b Hartley 15)
Tom Hartley roars with delight - and relief - after taking his first wicket. Jadeja pushed around a delivery that turned sharply to hit him on the knee roll in front of off and middle. The umpire gave it out LBW and, though Jadeja reviewed, technology was England’s friend.
Updated
101st over: India 427-6 (Jadeja 15, Ashwin 0) Shoaib Bashir came into this series with 10 first-class wickets at an average of 67. He’s now one wicket away from consecutive five-fors agianst India.
The new batter is Ravichandran Ashwin, who gets a nice ovation to mark his 100th Test.
WICKET! India 427-6 (Jurel c Duckett b Bashir 15)
Another wicket for this highly impressive young spinner. Jurel charges Bashir and swishes the ball high towards long on, where Duckett steadies himself to take a comfortable catch.
Jurel is annoyed with himself as he walks off. Sometimes you eat the bear…
Updated
100th over: India 426-5 (Jadeja 14, Jurel 15) Jadeja comes down to Hartley, who sees him coming and drags the ball much shorter. Jadeja improvises to bat-pad the ball to safety on the off side. Hartley looks a little tired, and his returns with bat and ball have diminished as the series has progressed, but overall 20 wickets at 39 is a fine effort in the circumstances. And as with Bashir and Rehan, the education is priceless.
Updated
99th over: India 421-5 (Jadeja 10, Jurel 14) Bashir has an LBW appeal against Jadeja turned down, and again he dismisses talk of a review, this time because of a probable inside edge. That’s such an impressive quality for any bowler to have, never mind a 20-year-old. India lead by 2034.
“This is an interesting observation,” says Krishnamoorthy V.
Is this the first time ever that four different players are playing in their 100th Test at the same time? Ashwin, Bairstow, Williamson, Southee.
— Thejaswi Udupa (@udupendra) March 8, 2024
Good point. I think Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Stephen Fleming all played their 100th Test in the same game but I don’t think four have done so simultaneously.
Updated
98th over: India 420-5 (Jadeja 9, Jurel 14) Jurel cuts Hartley elegantly for four to move into double figures. The performance of India’s newbies in this series is a little chilling for the rest of world cricket. Okay, the rest of the world cricket apart from Australia, who are dealing with it just fine.
Updated
97th over: India 414-5 (Jadeja 8, Jurel 9) Bashir has taken plenty of tap in this innings, including eight sixes, but his puppy-dog enthusiasm has never waned. He bowls another good over, mainly to Jadeja, and there’s one run from it. This is an incredibly valuable education.
“Of the three young spinners on this tour, I am interested in the fact that Rehan Ahmed - before the tour - commented that he sees himself primarily as a batter who bowls,” says Mark Slater. “The future would indeed be bright if he could establish himself as an all-rounder in the team, especially if his ability to score runs would cancel out the usual habit of leggies being expensive. Of the other two, it might come down to whether Hartley’s better batting will keep out Bashir’s fantastic action to accompany Rehan. Personally, I would love to have all three operating in England in a few years’ time along with a couple of seamers (Jimmy?) plus a batter who turns over some military medium.”
Somewhere up above, Ray Illingworth is nodding with approval.
96th over: India 413-5 (Jadeja 8, Jurel 8) Both Jadeja and Jurel are taking time to get their eye in. India have lots of time, more than three days of the stuff.
“There’s a debate ongoing in my cricket WhatsApp about the closeness of this series,” says Max Williams. “I fear a 4-1 which will include two almighty thrashings weakens the case for the defensive. Yet in the 4th Test, we’re 180 ahead on a tough batting surface with three wickets to take – surely you win from that position 8 or 9 times out of 10. At that point, even if we get slaughtered in the decider, the team emerges with immense credit. There’s also the argument that we’re one Ollie Pope innings away from 5-0 and abject humiliation...”
Nuance lives! My instinct is that 4-1 is a par score but England’s performance has been slightly better than expected. It’s really complicated, though, not least because the Bazball Wars mean there are two different areas of criticism: approach and performance. That’s always been the case to some extent, though it has been amplified in this era of English cricket.
95th over: India 412-5 (Jadeja 8, Jurel 7) “If England had a B team, would Liam Dawson finally get a game?” says Victor Manley. “The other problem is, I expect India could also field a pretty competitive C team, and perhaps even D. How far down the ranks would we have to go before, say, Sri Lanka would give them a game? India Q?”
That’s a good and slightly scary point. And unlike the 1980s West Indies and 1990s Australia, they have frightening depth in every position.
94th over: India 410-5 (Jadeja 7, Jurel 6) Hartley replaces Root as there’s a right-hander at the crease now. Jurel cuts his first ball for four thanks to a sloppy misfield from Crawley, who chunters angrily at himself.
93rd over: India 406-5 (Jadeja 7, Jurel 2) This match may determine whether Hartley or Bashir play for England next summer. I think Bashir is edging ahead of Hartley and Rehan, so it could depend on a) Jack Leach’s fitness and b) how England balance the present, the future and their sense of loyalty to Leach.
WICKET! India 403-5 (Padikkal b Bashir 64)
Every cloud has a silver lining; England’s is Shoaib Bashir. He has just bowled Padikkal with a gorgeous delivery from around the wicket. It curved onto the stumps and straightened sharply to beat Padikkal’s defensive push and hit the off stump.
Padikkal made an accomplished, clear-headed 65 on debut. India A have found another one!
Updated
92nd over: India 403-4 (Padikkal 65, Jadeja 6) Root skids one on to hit Padikkal on the pad. He instinctively turns to appeal for LBW, but after his body has moved approximately 135 degrees his brain registers that it would have missed leg.
The DJ celebrates with a blast of It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy.
91st over: India 400-4 (Padikkal 63, Jadeja 5) India’s top five have all reached fifty in this innings. The last time that happened in a Test against England was at the Oval in 2001, a real funfest for England fans. Australia 641-4 dec (S Waugh 157* on one leg, M Waugh 120, Langer 102*, Hayden 68, Martyn 64*, Ponting 62)
Padikkal nods respectfully after playing and missing at a fine delivery from Bashir, then taps a single to bring up India’s 400. The match is over but we’re all contractually obliged to be here unti the end so don’t even think about it.
Updated
90th over: India 399-4 (Padikkal 62, Jadeja 5) With two left-handers at the crease, Root replaces Hartley. He’s milked for four runs, and the over is done in about 150 seconds.
“I’ve been thinking about two India teams for a while now,” says Deepak Puri. “Rather than an India team vs an India A team I’d go N India vs S India, or W India vs E India. You’d know the squads then and there would be no problems with players wanting to graduate from the A team to the full team. Perhaps not though, it’s a bit hubristic.”
Yes, in practical terms I doubt it would work but it would be so much fun. I loved watching England lose to Australia A in 1994-95.
89th over: India 395-4 (Padikkal 60, Jadeja 3) One run from a nice Bashir over. Here’s a question: of the three young England spinners on this tour, who will (not who should) play the most Tests? Right now Bashir looks the best of the three. He’s also the weakest batter, though, and he’s not a wristspinner.
I guess it’s a blank canvas, as it was for the four England debutants at Trent Bridge in 1993. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Those lives have included two Test caps for Mark Lathwell, three for Martin McCague, five for Mark Ilott and 100 for Graham Thorpe.
Updated
88th over: India 394-4 (Padikkal 60, Jadeja 2) A double misfield from Bashir and Crawley allows Padikkal to get four more off Hartley. “There’s a definite end-of-tour feel against Engnaldn today,” says Graeme Swann on commentary, although he does so with empathy rather than entitlement. Paddikal classily cuts another boundary later in the over.
Updated
87th over: India 386-4 (Padikkal 52, Jadeja 2) Padikkal reaches a debut half-century in swaggering style, launching Bashir back over his head for six. It’s an even more eye-catching stroke because of how serenely he has played until that point. This generation of Indian batsmen have a scary level of confidence and certainty. The Kohli generation aren’t exactly Mark Corrigans either.
86th over: India 379-4 (Padikkal 45, Jadeja 2) It’s spin at both ends, with Tom Hartley returning ot the attack, so Jimmy Anderson will have to wait for his 700th wicket.
85th over: India 377-4 (Padikkal 44, Jadeja 1)
WICKET! India 376-4 (Sarfaraz c Root b Bashir 56)
Blimey, a wicket straight after tea! Sarfaraz opened his face and steered Bashir’s first ball straight to Joe Root at slip. I think some extra bounce undid Sarfaraz, maybe a bit of drift too, so that’s a nice wicket for Bashir to take – especially as it came with the new ball.
Updated
I haven’t thought this through, at all, but should we consider adding India A to the World Test Championship? Instinct says no, everything says no really, but just imagine India v India A.
Tea: India lead by 158
That was another draining session for England, despite the best efforts of Ben Stokes’ scriptwriter. He bowled Rohit Sharma with his first ball since June, a laughable jaffa, and Jimmy Anderson cleaned up Shubman Gill soon after.
The new boys, Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan, soaked up the pressure and then put it back on England with a classy, confident partnership of 97 from 21.4 overs. It was exemplary cricket from a frighteningly good team.
BREAKTHROUGH STOKES.
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) March 8, 2024
The England camp can only laugh as the captain gets Rohit Sharma out with his first ball 😅
Watch #INDvENG LIVE on TNT Sports and @discoveryplusuk 📺 pic.twitter.com/6oIDASHSWq
Updated
84th over: India 376-3 (Padikkal 44, Sarfaraz Khan 56) Anderson continues to hunt his 700th wicket, an achievement that is almost beyond comprehension. Sarfaraz gets two bonus runs when a futile direct hit, I think from Bairstow, ricochets past the man backing up. That’s tea.
83rd over: India 373-3 (Padikkal 44, Sarfaraz Khan 53) A fairly harmless over from Bashir. England started the afternoon session well but India have restored ordure in the second hour: 12 overs, 58 runs, no wickets.
As Nick Knight says on commentary, Sarfaraz’s innings has not just been about the exhilarating strokeplay. He did his due diligence at the start, especially against Mark Wood. He just looks a fantastic player, with lightning-fast hands, feet and brain.
The next 18 months – Australia away, England away – will tell us where he stands on the TendulKambli scale, assuming he can get into the team. I hope it’s a long way to the left because watching him is a joyous experience.
Updated
82nd over: India 370-3 (Padikkal 43, Sarfaraz Khan 51) Padikkal is quietly playing a gem of an innings, with no major signs of debutant nerves of impatience. He moves into the forties with a pristine extra-cover drive for four off Jimmy Anderson.
Updated
81st over: India 366-3 (Padikkal 38, Sarfaraz Khan 51) Interesting. Ben Stokes takes the new ball but gives it Shoaib Bashir. That decision could be tactical, educational or both. Sarfaraz couldn’t care less: he just plonks his front foot down and flashes a pair of sweeps for four. The second boundary brings up a coruscating, mischievous fifty from only 55 balls, includes 42 runs off the last 25.
Sarfaraz is so much fun to watch. The ballad of Vinod Kambli tells us we shouldn’t get carried away until we’ve seen him overseas. But he could – could – be India’s next superstar. (If we accept that Sir Donald Jaiswal has already crossed over.)
80th over: India 357-3 (Padikkal 38, Sarfaraz Khan 43) Joe Root replaces Mark Wood, who bowled a four-over spell that crescendoed unpleasantly for England: maiden, two runs, eight runs, 13 runs.
The new ball is available after this over but England might save it until after the tea break. Padikkal, the Ernie Wise of this partnership, takes another low-key single before Sarfaraz fails to punish a loopy full toss from round the wicket.
79th over: India 356-3 (Padikkal 37, Sarfaraz Khan 43) Bashir replaces Hartley. Sarfaraz, who is playing a shot a ball, slices high over backward point for a couple. He’s playing so well that the commentators are discussing whether he meant it.
78th over: India 352-3 (Padikkal 36, Sarfaraz Khan 40) Sarfaraz is taking Wood to the cleaners. He clips his first ball through midwicket for four, then pulls the next handsomely for six. His handspeed is spectacular. At one stage Sarfaraz was 9 not out from 30 balls; since then he has blistered 31 from 16. India may have found a(nother) serious player.
India have found their feet again, Sarfaraz Khan with a big 6️⃣
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) March 8, 2024
Watch #INDvENG LIVE on TNT Sports and @discoveryplusuk 📺 pic.twitter.com/9k2zN5OcXw
Updated
77th over: India 339-3 (Padikkal 35, Sarfaraz Khan 28) There’s a whole lot more medicine for England to take before they get to fly home. India could feasibly bat for another day and a half, score 750 and crush England by an innings and 400 runs.
“Having had a quick squizz at the match in the night, I reopened the Discovery app just now to be met with the message, ‘Something went wrong. Please try again’,” says Alex Book. “You know AI is getting more advanced when it does a good line in cricket-themed gallows humour...”
Is It Cowardly To Pray for AI?
76th over: India 337-3 (Padikkal 34, Sarfaraz Khan 27) An 89mph reverse inswinger from Wood is launched back over his head for four by Sarfaraz. What a player he looks, an infectious pocket rocket of talent and charisma.
He plays an even more outrageous shot later in the over. Wood follows him with a short ball, so Sarfaraz limbo-dances and opens the face to glide the ball past the keeper for four. The speed of hand and thought was extraordinary.
Wood rarely loses his rag; he’s losing it now. He follows through after the next ball, kicks the ball past the stumps and gives Sarfaraz a mouthful.
75th over: India 329-3 (Padikkal 34, Sarfaraz Khan 19) A long hop from Hartley is savaged over midwicket for four by Sarfaraz. He has suich fast hands, and later i nthe over he usually them to slog-sweep four more. The ball only just cleared Crawley, who is a few yards in from the deep midwicket boundary.
Sarfaraz started quite cautiously; now it’s time to have some fun.
74th over: India 318-3 (Padikkal 33, Sarfaraz Khan 9) Wood beats Padikkal with a beauty from around the wicket. Graeme Swann, commentating on TV, thinks there was a bit of reverse swing. Padikkal mistimes a short ball into the off side and then clips a single to leg. Another single from Sarfaraz takes India’s lead to 100.
Wood has a good record in dead rubbers, something like 21 wickets at 27. With many players that would be a criticism; with Wood it reflects his inability to give anything other than 100.00 per cent.
Updated
73rd over: India 316-3 (Padikkal 32, Sarfaraz Khan 8) It’s every player’s dream to start their Test career when they are bang in form. In nine first-class innings this year, Padikkal has hit four centuries and made 747 runs.
Hartley continues to him, bowling round the wicket, and Padikkal pushes another single. Is it too early to say he’s 68 away from a century on debut.
72nd over: India 315-3 (Padikkal 31, Sarfaraz Khan 8) Wood is nursing the kind of figures he had in India during the World Cup: 9-0-60-0. He improves them a little with a sharp, stump-to-stump maiden to Sarfaraz.
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone. Ben Stokes, his latest script signed off by the publishers, is about to be replaced by Mark Wood.
71st over: India 315-3 (Padikkal 31, Sarfaraz Khan 8) Anderson pulls on his jumper after that mauling by Padikkal in the last over, and Hartley gets another go. Lots of ooohs and lots of ahhs but no cigar. And suddenly it is drinks, after a gripping session and a theatrical, magical, comeback. Thanks for all your messages – Rob is here to take you majestically through till stumps. Bye!
Updated
70th over: India 313-3 (Padikkal 30, Sarfaraz Khan 7) A Stokes maiden, can’t say much about it as I had to give my sons a shake for school/college.
Updated
69th over: India 313-3 (Padikkal 30, Sarfaraz Khan 7) And the pressure releases a breath, as Paddikal drives through extra cover for four, then with most elegant high backlift pushes behind point where Hartley misfields on the rope. And a third boundary, as Pakkikal makes the most of a loosener on leg. Suddenly he has raced to 30 at nearly a run a ball.
68th over: India 301-3 (Padikkal 18, Sarfaraz Khan 7) Anderson comes over to whisper sweet nothings into Stokes’s ear. Honest to god, the man looks like he’s never been away. Round the wicket he pounds, long run up and all, shirt untucked and fit as butcher’s dog. A gem turns Sarfaraz inside out. A super stop in the field. Forget the scoreboard, England suddenly feel they have control.
67th over: India 299-3 (Padikkal 17, Sarfaraz Khan 6) Pakkikal getting a working over from Anderson, who is a breath away from catching an edge, but next ball a wristy push flies away for four. The drums beat away, to urge the youngster on.
66th over: India 295-3 (Padikkal 13, Sarfaraz Khan 6) Sarfaraz pokes forward and the ball nearly falls into the hands of Stokes in his follow through, but he can’t cling on. He’s furious, until he hears the sound of the no-ball hooter and puts his hands together in gratitude. A definite logic of sorts. Padikkal opens the face to send the ball flying for four, batting, the commentators note, outside his crease.
“Morning Tanya.” Hello Guy Hornsby. “I woke up to see Stokes take a wicket with his first ball, and then Jimmy hoop one back in for no.699, so are we good again now? It’s good to see Stokes back with the ball in hand, and what a ball to start with, but I hope there’s not damage from coming back too early in a dead rubber. Having him as an all-rounder really changes the balance. It’s vital he can stay fit. I know we should be taking positives, but this has been a chastening morning, despite these wickets. We’ve seen it all before, of course.”
Updated
65th over: India 286-3 (Padikkal 13, Sarfaraz Khan 2) Padikkal eyes up Anderson watchfully. A similar technique to Moeen Ali, says Graeme Swann who watched him get runs for the U19s, a lovely driver but vulnerable. And there goes an outside edge off Anderson, past a valiantly diving Joe Root, through the vacant second slip for four. Suddenly, everything is edgy.
Good morning Tom King! “Anyone who’s watched this series will know that Anderson remains a world class bowler operating in thankless conditions against a seemingly bottomless well of Indian batting talent, getting less rest than ever thanks to England’s batting approach.
“There will always be people who underrate the greatest bowler ever to play for England, but he’s earned the right to decide. He’s certainly not been outbowled by anyone here (as he was in the Ashes).”
Updated
64th over: India 286-3 (Padikkal 9, Sarfaraz Khan 2) After getting off the mark in Stokes’ previous over with a streaky edge, a languid cover drive from Padikkal just as Kandukuru Nagarjun (43rd over) told us.
Updated
63rd over: India 280-3 (Padikkal 4, Sarfaraz Khan 1) What ho! And so the wind blows. A debutant and an ingenue now facing Anderson and Stokes on a roll.
WICKET! Gill b Anderson 110 (India 279-3)
And another! Gill finally made mortal with an inseamer that fizzes between bat and pad to dismantle the stumps. Anderson, on 699, pumps his fist and gives Gill a hard stare.
Updated
62nd over: India 279-2 (Gill 110, Padikkal 4) Unbelievable, yet somehow totally believable. After months on the sidelines, unable to bowl, a knee operation and all the rest, Stokes trots in, releases a thing of beauty that deviates cruelly off the pitch and incredulous smiles stretch over England’s supporters and players. On the balcony Baz slowly shakes his head as Rohit kicks his way over the rope.
Updated
WICKET! Rohit Sharma b Stokes 103 (India 275-2)
It takes just one ball… one that seams off the pitch to knock the top of off stump! Who, as Graham Gooch asked Ian Botham, writes your scripts. Rohit looks behind him in disbelief, as do England’s fielders.
Updated
Afternoon session
61st over: India 275-1 (Rohit 103, Gill 110) Jimmy starts off the afternoon session, as he did the morning. No great menace, though it might yet reverse swing. He stops a drive from Gill with his left boot, smiles until he sees the over-stepping hooter. Gill swots him through mid-on for four. Jonny Bairstow seems to be asking the umpire for a new ball – no luck son. And four more, with even more panache, over mid on. Hang on – Ben Stokes has the ball…
“Morning Tanya! Hello Darryl Accone! “I hope your choice of tea leaf has been appropriate to the high-altitude affair brewing in the Dalai Lama’s adopted home.
“Having watched two great South African fast bowlers - Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini - resist eviction from the national team as their pace and menace dropped and any claims to taking the new ball disappeared, I see the same tragicomic scenario playing out with James Anderson. They don’t call them strike bowlers without cause. Taking wickets is their duty, not maintaining the statistic - impressive as it is - of miserly runs conceded over many long years. And of course the most effective brake on the opposition scoring is to take wickets, as India so devastatingly demonstrated yesterday.
“One understands the duty of care to a great servant of the English game and the sentiment to allow him to achieve the tremendous feat of broaching the 700- wickets barrier. But it was truly awful to see the death throes of Pollock’s career, reduced to the equivalent of a very high-class Ollie Robinson minus the pantomime aggro and racism. England must not let Anderson fade away - when he achieves that glorious milestone, a mercy killing that says adieu to 700 and all that and hello to life after cricket - for all of us.”
Updated
On International Women’s day, a fascinating lunchtime read by Firdose Moonda here.
And an email to chew on from Ajey Sangai: “That’s the mental disintegration that a tour to India can cause a visiting side. Credit to England that they could postpone it till the last match of the series. Final frontier for a good reason.
“England should to all it can to enable Bashir and Hartley, develop into contemporary Swann and Panesar. With Brook waiting, they are a formidable unit.” A nice way of looking at it - with them, England have the bare bones of a team to take into the late 2020s and 2030s. I’d have thought it unlikely that Stokes, Wood, Anderson, Root or Bairstow will make another tour of India. Actually, make that a Test tour of India – it turns out we’re back again next January for white-ball adventures.
Lunch: India 264-1 lead England by 46 runs.
60th over: India 262-1 (Rohit 102, Gill 101) 129 runs, two centuries, no wickets - Gill and Rohit stroll off as if they’ve just eaten a bag of chips on Llandudno seafront, applauded sportingly by Ben Stokes. Good luck to him, he’s got to find some inspiring words from somewhere at lunch. Time for a coffee – back shortly.
Updated
A century for Shubman Gill!
59th over: India 262-1 (Rohit 101, Gill 100) And Gill is just behind him, if more flamboyantly, reaching his hundred with a knelt slog-sweep for four. Bloody gorgeous it is, and after he doffs his cap and kisses his bat, he is enveloped in a bear hug by a beaming Rohit. Master and apprentice. And as Abhi Saxena puts it
”Gill batting in Dharamshala against that backdrop, might just break the elegance-meter.”
Updated
A hundred for Rohit Sharma!
58th over: India 257-1 (Rohit 100, Gill 95) Gill cuts, like a man finely slicing a cucumber, and the ball flies to the rope. The field are in, and he leans forward in immaculate defence to Hartley. Will he be tempted to overtake his captain? Aha, he fancies two but Rohit puts out a restraining paw. And, with a wristy single, that’s Rohit’s century, off 154 balls, his 12th as captain and his second of the series. Brilliant.
57th over: India 252-1 (Rohit 99, Gill 91) Cat and mouse as, to shouts of Rohit, Rohit, he plays out a maiden.
56th over: India 252-1 (Rohit 99, Gill 91) Just one needed for the magic three figures, as Rohit flicks Hartley, up and over, so near but so far over the head of the mid-on fielder.
55th over: India 246-1 (Rohit 94, Gill 91) A diving stop by Wood on the boundary prevents a delicate dab becoming four.
54th over: India 242-1 (Rohit 92, Gill 88) Three singles, as outside the robin sings. On the telly they flash up England’s batting averages this series: only Zac Crawley in the 40s, only Duckett and Pope in the 30s.
Updated
53rd over: India 238-1 (Rohit 90, Gill 87) Bashir disappears over deep midwicket and into the stands.
Updated
52nd over: India 231-1 (Rohit 89, Gill 81) A maiden. Hartley and Bashir putting the breaks on a little here.
Hello there Sanket Dhume. “On the topic of “aggressive/attacking” Bazball, it always makes me chuckle how Stokes, the chest-thumping champion of ‘aggressive’, innovative, revolutionary cricket reverts to the questinnential short-ball tactic everytime England begin to get smacked around the park. I have thoroughly enjoyed this humbling of this entitled leadership duo. Be interesting to see if there’s an aota of humility to be seen at the end of this inevitable trouncing.
"PS. special mention to this gorgeous venue - the pictures on screen are absolutely stunning.”
I haven’t really been around Stokes and McCullum as I don’t cover much Test cricket in person, but as far as can tell much of the impression of the “entitled leadership duo” has been lost in translation through the media/social media. Yes some of stuff coming out the team camp can sound ridiculous –here’s looking at you Ben Duckett – but I think the whole Bazball idea was to resurrect a moribund England team and make it fun.
51st over: India 231-1 (Rohit 89, Gill 81) Bashir rushes through an over before I could see it, but I can tell you that Gill has added to his princely aspect by pulling on a cap.
50th over: India 230-1 (Rohit 89, Gill 80) Gill may yet beat Rohit to three figures, though as I type that, Rohit sweeps Hartley for a[nother] casual four.
“Hi Tanya, Andy reading OBO in Northern Australia. Saw your comments on the Rise of India during the drinks break when it was raised by Deepak Puri. Sorry, but based on this series, what makes you think that England are “keeping up” with India now, let alone in the future?”
Ah, yes, forgive my morning lack of articulacy . I really meant financially England can just about keep up. On the field, in India especially, not so much.And that’s before looking at England’s position in the WTC table – albeit with a big points deduction for slow over rates. But thems the rules.
49th over: India 225-1 (Rohit 85, Gill 79) And India go into the lead when Gill deposits Bashir’s first ball over the rope.
Scores level
48th over: India 218-1 (Rohit 85, Gill 72) I remember being told off for having “a mother’s meeting” by the thread box in needlework class. Stokes, Wood and Pope do the same in Dharasmsala, playing with the field, in and out, but with no greater result than I had with my cross stitch. An over-pitched ball from Wood is on-driven by Gill with panache. Scores grow level when Hartley fluffs some fielding on the boundary.
Updated
47th over: India 206-1 (Rohit 80, Gill 65) Another tidy maiden from Hartley.
46th over: India 206-1 (Rohit 80, Gill 65) Wood really going for the short ball now – four out of six balls up by the chest. Rohit backs away and flames through the covers to bring up the first 100 stand between him and Gill in Tests. To his last ball he takes a mini step back to leg, but lets the ball go. He grins his Rohit grin, and Gill joins him.
45th over: India 202-1 (Rohit 76, Gill 64) A maiden from Hartley, and they take DRINKS!
Good morning Deepak Puri! “I’m approaching 60 and have spent decades watching the Indian team being all smiley and affable while being tonked around the park. For me, I think it was Ganguly that changed the ethos of the team to make us a little more snarly and challenging, and Virat picked up the torch for the next generation of players.
”I’m glad we’re now more competitive; to have a quick bowler who tops the world rankings is amazing - Jasprit is such a joy to watch. Long may it continue.”
They are a wonderful team to watch: Bumrah, Yadav, Ashwin, Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill…..Kohli already almost an afterthought. For World Cricket’s sake, I just hope the other Test nations, other than England and Australia, can keep up with them.
44th over: India 202-1 (Rohit 76, Gill 64) A red and a blue turban sit together in the crowd, delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red). A tasty over from Wood, Gill is beaten by a fiery bouncer, but still picks off three.
43rd over: India 199-1 (Rohit 76, Gill 62) Hartley, in shades, replaces Bashir. Gill and Rohit are respectable watchful.
“Hi Tanya,” hello Kandukuru Nagarjun!
“Devdutt Padikkal is in next. Languid, loose-limbed, lithe Yuvraj Singh type leftie.
“He’s from my city Bangalore. Our state Karnataka has had a fixture or two in the Test side for half a century: Chandra & Prasanna, Viswanath & Kirmani, Kumble & Dravid, Srinath & Prasad, Agarwal & KL Rahul.
“When I first saw Padikkal in 2020, he looked like the next major Karnataka player. I inked him in for 10 years and 100 Tests. Our boy lost his way for a year or two (it happens) but is in prime form now.
“He’s fulfilled at least 1% of my prophecy. Good luck to him.”
Why thank you for that lovely introduction. I really look forward to watching his languid charm – though maybe time for India to dig out a scratchy plodder just for a change? What a production line of young talent there is.
42nd over: India 197-1 (Rohit 75, Gill 61) Poor Mark Wood. A double bluff – goes long when Gill is expecting something short – a super ball, Gill is squared up and the ball flies through where second slip just been taken out. Two balls later, an incredible punch wide of point for four more.
41sh over: India 189-1 (Rohit 75, Gill 53) A handful of singles off Bashir as the camera find two tiny dots, that turn out to be humans, trekking in the foothills. My son is obsessed with climbing Everest one day, but apart from being unfathomably expensive, I think climate change is making it even more dangerous and unpredictable.
Fifty for Shubman Gill!
40th over: India 186-1 (Rohit 74, Gill 51) Wood fires in a nasty bouncer, Gill rolls his wrists and picks up a single – fifty glorious runs off 64 balls. England have played him back into form. He and Rohit share a brisk handshake. Wood gets up to 150kph late in the over, but no cigar.
39th over: India 183-1 (Rohit 73, Gill 49) “That’s beautiful Bash,” says someone – Foakes? “Keep it going Bash.” And to be fair, since the Rohit early onslaught, he’s been pretty on point. “Morning Tanya,” hello Martin Wright!
“Back in England after six weeks in India; six weeks when cricket started at the sensible time of Half Past Nine rather than Stupid O’Clock, and now I’m wondering why God insists on leaving the air-conditioning on everywhere here. Just one thing remains constant: India’s well-deserved utter dominance. They’re just going to be 447-4 by close of play aren’t they? And that ‘for 4’ is probably optimistic. Or can someone change the script? Jimmy (Jimmy)?” He’s out to pasture at the moment. I think they’re waiting for the ball to reverse.
Updated
38th over: India 180-1 (Rohit 72, Gill 47) After three overs, Wood replaces Anderson but the runs they keep on rollin. Gill: a back foot punch to die for, a dreamy cover drive. No boundary next ball, just an off drive stopped in the follow through.
Updated
37th over: India 171-1 (Rohit 72, Gill 38) Oh dear. Rohit goes to turn the ball round the corner off Bashir and the ball flies – at rapid though catchable height – but Crawley at leg slip doesn’t see it in time and it flies through the paws of Crawley and down to the boundary.
36th over: India 166-1 (Rohit 68, Gill 37) Better from Anderson, and as I write that Rohit glides four from an open face.
Updated
35th over: India 162-1 (Rohit 64, Gill 37) An over of calm from Bashir. The stadium DJ is now going for restful Hindi (?) tunes. Imagine swirling saris by waterfalls. If you’re there, please write in and tell us how gorgeously, gorgeous it is.
Good morning Andrew Crossley. “9pm in Colorado. Dog snoozing on sofa. Just finished an episode of “One Day” with American wife and daughter, then turn to the cricket. I can’t suppress an instinctive “oh Jimmy Jimmy”, and it’s followed immediately by a chorus of the appropriate “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Anderson” in American accents (not the dog)
”So proud!” (You should be)
”Three of us hoping to see Jimmy make history.” Me too, though he won’t be happy after that treatment by Gill. And, by the way, I loved One Day – the series more than the book.
34th over: India 161-1 (Rohit 63, Gill 37) Just a casual step-dance, a perpendicular elbow and Gill has hit a straight six off Anderson. A couple of balls later, he cuts, ferociously, for four more. Four more follows off the pad. The deficit is down to 57. Already.
33rd over: India 147-1 (Rohit 63, Gill 27) Rohit launches Bashir for six over mid on and four over long off. He over pitches slightly and the second lands wide of off stump, but still, that was unnecessary at this time in the morning. Bashir puts his hands on his head.
32nd over: India 137-1 (Rohit 53, Gill 27) Jimmy Anderson, hungry for those two wickets, yellow-orange quiff, runs in towards the mammoth mountains. On the television they flick up a graph of his average speeds sice 2015 – pretty much unchanged year on year. A single or two.
Morning session
31st over: India 135-1 (Rohit 52, Gill 26) Trumpets and Jerusalem accompany Bashir’s first over – a maiden.
Just had a look at the scorecard at Christchurch. New Zealand having an England day at the office – and some. All out for 162, with Kane Williamson, also in his 100th Test, also unable to capitalise on the occasion. Catch up here :
And the players are out in the middle at Dharmasala, with Jimmy Anderson needing just two wickets for the magic 700.
The dog still loves me, and I have tea. I come back to Cooky and Finny talking about Rohit’s languid charm, and how we haven’t seen his best in Test cricket yet (good luck England). Finn says that England had “a passive day yesterday” which is a cute observation. Then they move onto Yadav: “One of the most improved bowlers I’ve seen,” says Cook. “He’s straightened up his run-up, he bowls quicker, he tucks his right arm in more, spins the ball hard and his control yesterday was fabulous.”
Graeme Swann is standing in the middle of the pitch, the sun it out, the air is clear and all is well and beautiful. He knocks the pitch – tap, tap -hard as teak. Runs, he says, to be had. Time to grab a quick cup of tea, back very soon.
Preamble
Good morning! Day one was something nasty in the woodshed – England done over by Kuldeep Yadav and friends, and then blasted away by Rohit and Jasiwal as the sun dropped gracefully in beautiful Dharamsala, the snowy peaks of the Himalayas adding drama to the mid-afternoon collapse.
That loss of five for eight in just 36 balls is going to take some coming back from – but really the attention should fall on India, whose bowling was magnificent: from the swinging early morning gems of Bumrah and Siraj to Yadav’s ball of brilliance to dismiss Zac Crawley. They resume this morning with a deficit of just 83 runs. I’ll be there, do join me to chew the fat with the blackbirds.
