Jimmy Anderson after a thrilling day three
Tanya Aldred on Shubman Gill
And here is Ali Martin’s match report from Vizag. Or, as the Guardian spellcheck would like to call it, Visage. Wishing you a happy Sunday.
Anderson has been himself again in this match after struggling in the Ashes. He has as many wickets in one Test in India (5-76) as he managed in four against Australia (5-427). This is your 22nd year in international cricket, Eoin Morgan asks him – what’s the key to your longevity? “I don’t think there’s one key,” Jimmy says. “I’ve always loved playing cricket, that keeps me going, and I just love this group of blokes.”
He points to the moment when Rehan Ahmed went out to bat at the end of the day. “The tannoy said he was a nightwatchman and we went ‘no he’s not’. He’s 19, he’s just bowled 20 overs, but he wants to go out there and hit the ball.”
Time for me to sign off. Thanks for your company and correspondence, and sorry not to get through it all – one of the side-effects of Ben Stokes’s sparkling captaincy is that we get more emails than we used to. I’ll leave you with one from a firm friend of the OBO.
“Thanks for the marvellous commentary,” says Bill Hargreaves. “I have a feeling about Mr Root. He seems to have been struggling for form, maybe concentration, and I just think this damaged finger might be the thing to get him going, sharpen his mind. I think he might take England close tomorrow. Adios, and thank you again.” This is the state of English cricket in the age of Stokes: people can even find hope in an injured finger.
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Now Jimmy Anderson is talking. “We feel well in the game,” he says. “The coach [Brendon McCullum] sat us down last night and said even if India get 600 ahead, we’re gonna chase it.”
“I was trying to think of the best word to describe the chances of a draw,” says Dean Kinsella. “I landed on infinitesimal.” Ha, true.
“There have been some highly and rightly praised performances in this match with both bat and ball,” says Geoff Wignall, “but let’s not overlook that in 190 overs – of which Foakes was standing up to the stumps for 155 – there wasn’t a single bye for India. England might not have enough first-innings runs to make that significant, but it’s still remarkable.” Yes, and Foakes took three catches today, one of them a gem – trapping the ball in the webbing to get rid of Rajat Patidar.
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Shubman Gill is giving an interview. He’s all smiles after his hundred, but he unwittingly confirms that the Indians are wary of England by saying “We have a 70 per cent chance of a win.” Only 70? WinViz makes it 89!
This is not to say that Gill is wrong. WinViz is basing its calculations on hundreds of past Tests, whereas Gill implies, rightly, that the precedents that carry the most weight are the previous chases under Ben Stokes. Those tell us that England will give it a hell of a go and probably get closer than they would have done in the past, when the fourth innings was just a procession waiting to happen.
“Say what you like about B**b*ll,” says Niall Mullen, “but there’s a tiny bit of me that thinks this chase is possible. In the before times I wouldn’t have given it a first or second thought.”
STUMPS! England have made a decent start
14th over: England 67-1 (Crawley 29, Rehan 9) Rohit makes another change, handing the last over of the day to Axar Patel, whereupon Rehan answers the question about whether he was a nightwatchman in no uncertain terms. He plays a slog for four, then a thick edge for four more. Stuart Broad may have retired but the Nighthawk is still with us.
So England, who need another 332, have already knocked off one-sixth of the runs. India are still hot favourites, especially with Joe Root nursing a damaged finger, but they will be wary of England’s taste for the chase.
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13th over: England 57-1 (Crawley 28, Rehan 0) Ashwin v Crawley: a good contest. Crawley straight-drives the first ball of the over for four, so Ashwin goes round the wicket with two short legs. Crawley retorts with a sweep, which bisects the short legs and sounds good off the bat, though it goes straight to the man on the 45.
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12th over: England 53-1 (Crawley 24, Rehan 0) Crawley, facing Kuldeep, tucks for two and cuts for a single. Rehan then does well to keep out a grubber. Mike Atherton reckons he’s a better batsman than bowler – and he bowled very decently today, taking three for 88.
11th over: England 50-1 (Crawley 21, Rehan 0) Duckett had just had a warning as he tried a reverse sweep and got a top-edge. It flew over the keeper for four, but the keeper soon had his revenge. Still, that was yet another 50 partnership for this opening pair. And now here’s Rehan Ahmed, coming out as the nightwatchman, or perhaps the Nighthawk.
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WICKET! Duckett c Bharat b Ashwin 28 (England 50-1)
Got him! This is a fine catch by KS Bharat, dashing to short leg as the ball pops up off bat and pad. And a great bowling change by Rohit, who had just replaced Bumrah with Ashwin.
10th over: England 46-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 24) Duckett, facing Kuldeep again, finds the boundary at deep square with a stroke that has Dinesh Karthik in raptures. “Really good shot this,” he says. “He waits for it, doesn’t get too far forward, then picks the gap… Not quite a sweep, more of a pull.” Shall we call it a swull?
9th over: England 41-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 19) Rohit keeps Bumrah on, reluctant to lay down his lethal weapon. It almost works as Crawley misses a ball that keeps low outside off, but Crawley, unruffled, bides his time and picks up two with a tuck off the last ball of the over.
“Good morning Timya (see what I did there),” says Jamie Henderson. “Woke at 8-ish to see England had picked up a few wickets. But then felt my silent presence and unflinching support really contributed to the flurry of wickets that followed. Stokes, Pope and the phalanx of tricksy spinners aren’t the only England heroes this morning. I’m absolutely Hank Marvin mind. Best wishes and keep up the great work!” Ha, thanks. Hank Marvin, what a player.
8th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 19) Duckett gets his first taste today of Kuldeep, who dismissed him in the first innings. The commentators reckon Duckett is struggling to pick Kuldeep’s variations, but he still takes six off the over – four with a shovelled sweep, and a hard-run two with a flick behind square. These two are so positive: they’ve already got England about one-tenth of the way up the mountain.
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7th over: England 33-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 13) The lights are now shining brightly in the encroaching dusk. Crawley, more relaxed now, gets through an over from Bumrah without a waft and manages a tuck for two. Bumrah has 0-7 from his four overs, while Ilford 2nds have 0-26 off three.
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There’s a pub-quiz question in this. James Tredwell, eh.
England spinners with 4+ wickets in innings in both their first and second Tests (men's) since First World War:
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) February 4, 2024
Nick Cook (v NZ, 1983)
James Tredwell (v Ban 2009-10, v WI 2014-15)
Tom Hartley (v Ind, 2023-24)
6th over: England 31-0 (Crawley 17, Duckett 13) Rohit has had enough of Mukesh’s medium-paced mediocrity, so he brings on Kuldeep for some left-arm wrist-spin. Crawley responds by lofting a full ball for six, with the greatest of ease. England need another 368.
5th over: England 24-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 13) Duckett, facing Bumrah for the first time today, pays his respects with a block, then another. But he is always looking for a four and he finds one by going back to punch a length ball through extra-cover. England are about 92pc certain to lose this match, but they will still be good to watch. To pick up on Hamish’s point (2nd over), yes there is time to try and climb the mountain slowly, but it just wouldn’t be in this team’s nature.
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4th over: England 20-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 9) Mukesh goes round the wicket to Duckett and gets into trouble, first for running on the middle of the pitch and then for overstepping. But he too gets one past the outside edge. Crawley, easily England’s most fluent batter in the first innings, has started with a stammer here – but then he sees a tasty half-volley and puts a straight drive away for four. Suddenly back in form, Crawley flicks the next ball for four more. That may be the last we see of Mukesh for some time.
3rd over: England 10-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 8) Bumrah is first pick for the World XI at the moment and he proves it by beating Crawley three times in this over – twice outside off and once with the ball that nips back. One of the wafts brings a heated discussion from the Indians as the keeper, Bharat, pleads for a review. Rohit says no and then roars with laughter when the big screen shows the ball missing the bat by half a mile. But that’s a superb over and a clear warning from Bumrah.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 8) The new ball is shared by Mukesh Kumar. It’s the World XI at one end and Ilford 2nds at the other, as Graham Gooch said about facing New Zealand in the age of Richard Hadlee. Ben Duckett cashes in with a cut for four, then another, more of a slash. Admirable as he is, Duckett owes England a few runs: since the beginning of July he has half as many as Crawley.
“I’m all for a bit of Bazball,” says Hamish Kuzminski, “but maybe it’s time for a touch of Boycball from England right now. Two days to get 399? Easy peasy.”
1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 0) Zak Crawley, famous for starting with a four, keeps calm and leaves the first two balls. The third keeps low, as if to remind England that they face a hell of a task here. Crawley manages to jab the bat down on it. Bumrah then shows his class by finding lift and movement and beating the bat. The last ball is more benign and Crawley tucks it for a single. England need another 398.
The players are out there. I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I have to report that Bumrah has the ball.
“We’ve just conducted a poll,” says Kim Thonger. “The sample size admittedly is less than ideal, two wire-haired dachshunds in fact, but they are both convinced that a victory is possible. Their optimism should be tempered by the news that when on a beach they both believe they have the ability to fly and pluck seagulls out of the air mid-flight. Still I’m inclined to trust them on this one. They’ve never let me down before. Woof.”
With their 255, India have cancelled out England’s 253. The difference between the sides at the moment is not Jasprit Bumrah’s killer spell, magical though it was, but Yashasvi Jaiwal’s double hundred. Only two other players – Crawley and Gill – have raised their bat for 50.
“They can’t, can they?” says Alastair Cook. Nobody ever has, in India, but Ben Stokes will believe they can. Somebody will have to do an Ollie Pope. The man most likely is Joe Root, but will his damaged finger allow it?
WICKET! Ashwin c Foakes b Rehan 29 (India 255 all out)
Ashwin’s gone! A poke at a leg-break gives Rehan a third wicket as Foakes takes a good catch. And England won’t have to chase 400: the target is 399.
78th over: India 255-9 (Ashwin 29, Mukesh 0) Hartley has two balls at Mukesh Kumar, who may be a ferret – the creature who comes after the rabbits. But he survives to give Ashwin another chance to swing the bat at Rehan. The new ball is imminent if Stokes feels like a bit of Jimmy.
DRINKS! England fighting hard, but ...
That’s four wickets today for Tom Hartley, who now has 14 in the series, twice as many as the next spinner (Rehan). But India lead by 398 and they’re still sitting comfortably in the driving seat.
WICKET! Bumrah c Bairstow b Hartley 0 (India 255-9)
Bumrah, with his eye in now, is good enough at last to get an edge. Jonny Bairstow, at gully, takes a sharp low catch. But that was a very good duck from Bumrah, who lasted 26 balls and helped Ashwin add 26 runs.
77th over: India 255-8 (Ashwin 29, Bumrah 0) Stokes, who is always trying something, brings the fielders in the V into the ring, daring Ashwin to go downtown. Ashwin accept the invitation and lofts for six! Then Rehan bowls one of his periodic shockers, a long hop outside leg, and Ashwin helps himself to a cheap four. India lead by 398.
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76th over: India 245-8 (Ashwin 19, Bumrah 0) After the inevitable single from Ashwin, Hartley has a full four balls at Bumrah. Three men round the bat, all on the off side. Dot, dot, dot … dot. This has not been Boom Boom Bumrah: it’s been Block Block Bumrah. And it’s working. This partnership may have yielded only 16 runs, but it has now lasted ten overs. The ship has been thoroughly steadied. India lead by 388.
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75th over: India 244-8 (Ashwin 18, Bumrah 0) Same old story – one to Ashwin, none to Bumrah – except that Ashwin sets off for a second and threatens a run-out. If the throw had not been way too high, Bumrah would be gone.
74th over: India 243-8 (Ashwin 17, Bumrah 0) Back to form as Hartley continues. Ashwin takes a single, Bumrah is beaten but manages to collect some more dots – he has 14 of them now.
Here’s Krish Krishnamoorthy. “Looking at the number of instances that Stokes is given credit for the wickets that are taken,” he says, “and rightly so, it is time that we introduced the concept of ‘assists’ in cricket.” That’s a lovely idea, though it might take a bit of thinking through.
73rd over: India 242-8 (Ashwin 16, Bumrah 0) Facing his 40th ball, Ashwin finds the boundary at last. He seizes on a long hop from Rehan and pulls it very straight to steer clear of Stokes at wide long-on. Rehan shows his resilience by bouncing back with the next ball, drawing the edge, but it goes wide of Crawley at slip. Ashwin gets two for that and adds a single with a sweep. India lead by 385.
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72nd over: India 235-8 (Ashwin 9, Bumrah 0) Another over from Hartley, another single to Ashwin. Bumrah sets off for a single too, but Ashwin sends him back, rightly, as Foakes dashes towards square leg to field. Time for Jimmy, surely.
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71st over: India 234-8 (Ashwin 8, Bumrah 0) Another over from Rehan, another single to Ashwin, though this time it comes off the last ball. He tried to slog a four but could only find the fielder at deep midwicket.
India lead by 377. So even if the last two wickets fall right now, England will have to match their highest chase under Ben Stokes – 378 for 3 at Edgbaston in 2022 … against India.
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70th over: India 233-8 (Ashwin 7, Bumrah 0) Hartley continues and gives us an instant replay of Rehan’s over. Ashwin takes a single, Stokes brings the catchers in, Bumrah plays and misses. If he was a slightly better batter, he would have been out twice.
69th over: India 232-8 (Ashwin 6, Bumrah 0) Stokes is still changing the field, pulling the strings, running the show. He waits for Ashwin to take a single, then tightens the net around Bumrah – slip, gully, two short legs… It almost works as Bumrah is tentative coming forward and Rehan’s leg-break turns past the outside edge.
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68th over: India 231-8 (Ashwin 5, Bumrah 0) Bumrah, facing Hartley again, plays a half-hearted cut and is dropped by Crawley at slip. It went to his left and didn’t look all that hard, but Crawley is only in there as an understudy for Root, who has gone off with an injured finger. And Root tends to stand a yard wider than Crawley, so he might not have been able to reach it.
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67th over: India 230-8 (Ashwin 4, Bumrah 0) Rehan beats Bumrah with a lovely ball, a leg-break that was more like an outswinger. India’s last four wickets have gone down for only 19. Are they England in disguise?
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66th over: India 229-8 (Ashwin 3, Bumrah 0) In comes Bumrah to face Hartley, his only rival as the leading wicket-taker in the series. Hartley is actually ahead now – 13 to 12 – but Bumrah has a whole innings to add to his tally. And we all know who we’d rather face.
WICKET! Kuldeep c Duckett b Hartley 0 (India 229-8)
Another one! Kuldeep goes for the big heave-ho. The ball sails into the stratosphere, Ben Duckett calls for it and holds on with no bother at all.
65th over: India 228-7 (Ashwin 2, Kuldeep 0) In the last ten overs, India have made 20 for 3.
“I do love a Test in India,” says David Kalucy, “as it gives me something to procrastinate with on a sunny morning in Spain while we set up the bar.” OK, don’t rub it in. “So the question is: can England make 400?” And the answer is: almost certainly not. But you never know.
WICKET! Bharat c Stokes b Rehan 6 (India 228-7)
Rehan drags it down … and Bharat drags it straight to Stokes at midwicket.
Strange but true: on this flat pitch, there have been only three individual fifties. Jaiswal’s 209, Crawley’s 76 and Gill’s 104. Axar’s 45 today, valuable as it was, was the 16th time in the match that a batter had reached double figures without making it to 50. Thirties win matches!
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“Loving the optimism,” says Geoff Savage, “of ‘but is it too late’ at 352 behind. That’s why the Stokes/Baz vibe really works. Nothing is impossible. I don’t mind if we lose, as long as we try to win.”
WinViz, for what it’s worth, gives England a 7pc chance. They’ve had worse.
Here’s Kim Thonger, making a very Kim Thonger point. “I think Stokes has to be careful now,” he reckons, “not to polish off the tail too quickly. Setting himself less than 475 in the fourth innings to win seems like shirking a proper challenge. Ideally I’d like to see the target just above 500 to properly focus minds.”
TEA! India still in charge
64th over: India 227-6 (Bharat 6, Ashwin 1) You’re not going to believe this, but a run has come off the bat. Ashwin, facing Hartley, pushes to midwicket for a single. Then Bharat on-drives for four. The floodgates are open!
As the players troop off for tea, India are still right on top even after those two wickets. They made 97 in the session, they lead by 370 and that is surely enough. Time for some toast – which is what India have England on.
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63rd over: India 222-6 (Bharat 2, Ashwin 0) Still, that was good bowling from Rehan, who has another maiden.
“Morning Tim,” says Simon McMahon. “I like to play a game of ‘guess the score’ when I wake up to an OBO during an overseas Test, more in hope than expectation. I was hoping this morning for India 150-6, then all out 180, England chasing 330 to win. Instead I find Gill has taken the match away from England in the blink of an eye. I’m reminded of the phrase about how it’s better to be thought an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Ha.
“Even Stokes can’t save this one. Though he’ll think he can, however many England are chasing. That’s why he’s England’s greatest Test captain since Brearley.”
It did too much! Well done Marais Erasmus.
Yet another review as Rehan appeals loudly for LBW against Bharat. It’s the googly, and it looks pretty good to me…
62nd over: India 222-6 (Bharat 2, Ashwin 0) This over from Hartley goes for just two leg-byes, so that’s four maidens in a row. Hartley now has 12 wickets in the series, the same as Jasprit Bumrah. They are separated only by their averages – Hartley’s is a respectable 27, Bumrah’s an unbelievable 9.
61st over: India 220-6 (Bharat 2, Ashwin 0) Rehan keeps Bharat quiet again. You wait ages for a maiden from England’s novice spinners, and then three come at once.
60th over: India 220-6 (Bharat 2, Ashwin 0) So Axar finally goes after playing a good tune on second fiddle, and England have two new batters to go after. But is it too little, too late?
And another triumph for Stokes. When nine out of ten captains would have kept Bashir on, he brought back Hartley, who first beat Axar outside off from over the wicket, then went round. He bowled a ball that straightened and scuttled. It wasn’t given, probably because the umpire felt it pitched outside leg, but Stokes reviewed and he was spot-on.
WICKET! Axar Patel LBW b Hartley 45 (India 220-6)
Another one! And another successful review!
59th over: India 220-5 (Axar 45, Bharat 2) And now we have an actual maiden! Rehan, bowling to the new batter KS Bharat, drops the drag-down, keeps it simple and slips in a nice googly.
58th over: India 220-5 (Axar 45, Bharat 2) Buoyed by the wicket, Bashir bowls an over for just two singles, a rookie’s idea of a maiden. But India’s lead is now 363, which if I remember right is more than even Stokes’s England have ever made in the fourth innings.
57th over: India 218-5 (Axar 44, Bharat 1) Can Rehan keep the pressure on? In a word, no. He dishes up a dreadful drag-down outside leg stump that Axar does well to reach, let alone help on its way for four.
56th over: India 211-5 (Axar 38, Bharat 0) That was a thrill for Bashir but a triumph for Stokes, who had packed the legside field, pushing Gill into playing a shot that doesn’t come naturally to him. “Creating something from nothing,” says Eoin Morgan. “It is a huge, huge skill.”
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WICKET! Gill c Foakes b Bashir 104 (India 211-5)
Gill is gone! On review, after missing a reverse sweep. The ball bobbled up off the glove, handing Foakes an easy catch. It wasn’t given, but Stokes reviewed and England have a vital scalp. But is it too late?
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55th over: India 209-4 (Gill 102, Axar 38) Rehan starts well, bowling to the left-handed Axar, landing the ball on the spot. With the fifth delivery, he might have a catch at bat-pad, if there was anyone at short leg. With the sixth, he nearly has Axar caught at short mid-on as a big heave skims the tips of Stokes’s fingers. But it goes for four and India lead by 352.
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54th over: India 205-4 (Gill 102, Axar 34) England are in a deep, deep hole. Bashir manages to turn one ball past Gill’s left pad in this over, but he and Hartley haven’t bowled a maiden between them in 30 overs. And Root is off the field, so that just leaves Ben Stokes with two cards in his hand – a very old bowler (you know who that is) and a very young one, Rehan, who’s coming on now.
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53rd over: India 203-4 (Gill 101, Axar 33) Just a single and a no-ball off Hartley’s over as everyone takes in what Gill has done. He has played the innings Virat Kohli would have played if he’d been here.
52nd over: India 201-4 (Gill 100, Axar 33) Thanks Tanya and morning everyone. Gill tucked Bashir for two, then clipped him for a single and celebrated his third hundred in Tests as if he is already eyeing his second one in this innings.
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A hundred for Shubman Gill!
With no fuss at all.
51st over: India 198-4 (Gill 97, Axar 33) Axar tucks into a short one from Hartley, a cream puff on a Monday morning, chomping it to the rope. A couple of singles and that is DRINKS. With the lead 341, and Gill in sight of his hundred, Tim de Lisle will take you through to stumps.
50th over: India 192-4 (Gill 96, Axar 28) Gill gets fed up with prodding around, sweeping Bashir for four. One shot away from three figures.
49th over: India 186-4 (Gill 90, Axar 28) Another couple knocked onto the total. KP still talking, so much talking!, on comms. I can imagine both how he was so good with the younger England players, reads the game really well, full of ideas and enthusiasm, and irked the older players, ie, never shut up with his theories.
48th over: India 184-4 (Gill 89, Axar 27) A dabbed single. This is the calm before the storm.
47th over: India 183-4 (Gill 89, Axar 25) Just one off Hartley.
“Greetings from Chennai!” Hello stranger.
”You had expressed curiosity about Shreyas Iyer being referred to by his full name. I can’t give you a satisfactory answer on that -- I have certainly heard him called simply Shreyas on comms before -- but I can provide some background.
”There are primarily three types of name used in India, differing based on the region, community and religion.
”Firstly you have Western-style name + family name, as with Virat Kohli or Cheteshwar Pujara. Though many of these are rather clan than family names, there is no issue referring to these people by their surnames as with English names.
”Secondly you have people like Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Mukesh Kumar. Their surnames are much more generic, tied to a community, caste or region than to a family, and thus there has been a shift away from using just those names (eg. “Mr Sharma”) in English coverage in recent years, in favour of using the full name or just the given name. In any case Indian languages have always used given names for such people.
”Thirdly you have people like Ravichandran Ashwin or Washington Sundar who have no surnames as such. They just use their own given name (Ashwin and Washington respectively) plus their fathers’ given name, which can be in any order. This is normal in southern India and the father’s name is usually abbreviated to an initial (eg. “R. Ashwin”). In this case the only correct way is to use the given name. If you refer to Ashwin as “Ravichandran” or Washington as “Sundar”, you are actually referring to their fathers!
”Indeed, if Shreyas Santosh Iyer had been born in Tamil Nadu or Kerala (where the Iyer community originates), he would most likely have been called Shreyas Santosh, as the practice of using community/caste surnames has fallen out of favour there.”
Thank you! That has answered lots of questions (and provoked more!).
46th over: India 182-4 (Gill 89, Axar 25) My husband pollutes the room with marmalade on toast, Bashir throws in some variety, India collect a couple of singles and the fifth wicket partnership stretches to 60.
45th over: India 180-4 (Gill 88, Axar 24) Tom Hartley for the first time since lunch. Axar eyes up his first ball, a half volley, and slots him away past mid-off for four to roars of approval from the crowd. More single milking.
44th over: India 174-4 (Gill 87, Axar 19) Bashir, tall and lean. A couple of easy singles dabbed away into the gaps.
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43rd over: India 172-4 (Gill 85, Axar 18) Six singles, as Rehan bounces in, and the Indian lead stretches to 315.
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42nd over: India 166-4 (Gill 83, Axar 14) Anderson off, Bashir on. Just a single from it.
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41st over: India 165-4 (Gill 83, Axar 14) Gill wakes up the crowd with three successive boundaries off Rehan. Six gloriously down the pitch, a swept four, which nearly takes a ball girl out in the process, and a sublime on drive, back foot raised a little in princely attitude.
40th over: India 151-4 (Gill 69, Axar 10) The 150 comes up with a wristy drive through the covers from Axar; Anderson springs back immediately with a beauty that slips just past the outside edge.
39th over: India 147-4 (Gill 69, Axar 10) Round the wicket from Rehan, sensible accumulation.
38th over: India 145-4 (Gill 68, Axar 9) Just a single off Anderson as the action creaks into action. Not as much threat in that over as those early ones in the first session.
Morning Tanya and Tim! Hello Am Wayward!
”DK’s point about hearing Harsha’s voice after that Bumrah dismissal is spot on! All I thought of was a bit of a shame there wasn’t a Ravi and more vociferous/impactful a commentator for that delivery. Also. Game On!” Too right.
And news from Colombo:
That's Lunch on Day 3!
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 4, 2024
AfghanAtalan go into the lunch of Day 3 on 35/0, trailing by 206 runs. @IZadran18 is batting on 21* whereas @NoorAliZadran is unbeaten on 12*. 👏#AfghanAtalan | #SLvAFG2024 pic.twitter.com/xPeNubPYTg
Joe Root off the field, little finger in ice.
37th over: India 144-4 (Gill 66, Axar 9) Five easy singles off Rehan Ahmed.
Ah, news from the England camp: “Joe Root sustained an external blow to his right little finger, attempting a slip catch in the first session of day three. The England medical team will keep him off the field for the time being to treat and ice. At this stage, there is no indication of when he will return to the field.”
36th over: India 139-4 (Gill 64, Axar 7) To no-one’s surprise, Anderson takes the ball after lunch, though at at a different end from previously. The first ball is a post-prandial pudding, and Gill gratefully takes two runs. A leg bye, then Axar leans way onto the back foot and clops him for four. Nine from the over.
And no, ignore what I said about Root, Dan Lawrence is on the field for him. The cameras have found some footage from practise this morning when Root was also hit on the same finger.
They’re back, with a sprightly looking Joe Root in tow.
Just to catch up elsewhere, at the Bay Oval, Rachin Ravindra has just made his maiden Test century, and Kane Williamson his 30th.
Kane Williamson has completed a 30th test cricket century in front of home fans at Bay Oval, pulling a ball matter-of-factly to the boundary. A standing ovation ensues as he passes Don Bradman's 29. He joins Matthew Hayden, Joe Root and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the mark. #NZvSA
— Andrew Alderson (@aldersonnotes) February 4, 2024
Lunch - India 130-4, lead by 273 runs
35th over: India 130-4 (Gill 60, Axar 2) Rehan nearly breaks through with the very last ball before lunch, a googly that almost squeezes past Axar’s bat. The players stride in for lunch. England’s session, what belief! with Shubman Gill belying his early troubles to play a princely innings. Time for coffee, back shortly
34th over: India 129-4 (Gill 59, Axar 2) Jimmy waves the field into submission, as Rahul Dravid scribbles furious notes on a piece of paper in the dugout. Gill pushes slightly waftily into the covers off the first ball, picks up a couple down towards square leg, and then takes a single to leave Axar Patel to cover the last two balls. Which he does.
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33rd over: India 126-4 (Gill 56, Axar 2) Another maiden for Rehan. And it looks as if Jimmy is coming back.
Hello again Martin Wright. “Just googled the highest successful fourth innings run chase in India. It’s 387. Bazball dictates that Stokesy will reckon anything less than double that is doable...” Ain’t that the truth.
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32nd over: India 126-4 (Gill 56, Axar 2) Four singles off Hartley. On the boundary edge, Jimmy is warming up. Time for a two over blast before lunch?
31st over: India 122-4 (Gill 54) Such a super catch, Foakes standing so close to the stumps, with no reaction time, and watches and lets the ball fall into the gloves as Patidar edges. Had earlier in the over cut Rehan for four.
WICKET! Patidar c Foakes b Rehan Ahmed (India 122-4)
Bang bang! Patidar gets a feather of an inside edge and Foakes watches it into his gloves. Rehan collects him for the second time in the match.
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30th over: India 118-3 (Gill 54, Patidar 5) Hartley, shirt untucked, wheels away. England will be happy to have got rid of Shreyas, who was just getting into his stride.
29th over: India 117-3 (Gill 54, Patidar 4) Just one from Rehan’s over. Twenty minutes or so left till lunch.
28th over: India 116-3 (Gill 54, Patidar 3) Just as India were starting to run away with it, a breakthrough from nowhere. Truly an alpha catch on the sprint, and now Patidar must start from scratch, with the ball nearly 30 overs old. Anderson is back on the field, and reports are that Root will be soon too.
WICKET! Shreyas c Stokes b Hartley 29 (India 111-3)
Astonishing catch by Stokes sprinting at full pelt and catching with both hands on the dive, as Shreyas attempts to go over the top.
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Fifty for Shubman Gill!
27th over: India 111-2 (Shreyas 29, Gill 52) Successive fours, down the ground, through the covers, brings Gill his fifty. He allows himself a modest smile, but little else. He’s really worked hard after the early working over.
26th over: India 103-2 (Shreyas 29, Gill 44) KP is satisfied, the field has been tightened. Gill tucks into a full toss from Hartley and sweeps it for four as the lead stretches to 245 – the highest England have ever made in a fourth innings in India is 241, though Stokes’s side has made those kind of figures almost irrelevant.
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25th over: India 96-2 (Shreyas 29, Gill 37) Better from Rehan, a maiden. And Ali points out this fab looking picture from Andy Brown, who is painting the whole series.
Painting the view from the stadium here in #visakapatnam 🏴🇮🇳🏏🎨
— Andy Brown (@andybisanartist) February 4, 2024
Featuring the wonderful service team, school kids running to see their heroes, tuk tuks, temples a couple of writers @Paul_NewmanDM @NHoultCricket heading for the days work + much more! #INDvENG #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/T8OgDppbKv
24th over: India 96-2 (Shreyas 29, Gill 37) Oh, to die for, as Shreyas wristily drives Hartley through midwicket for four. Then a gentle pushed single past the bowler, on comms KP is not happy – the singles are coming too easily, he says.
23rd over: India 91-2 (Shreyas 24, Gill 37). Time for Rehan Ahmed. Drops a dot short and Gill has no mercy, going back to cuts him twice to the rope.
22nd over: India 82-2 (Shreyas 23, Gill 29) Dan Lawrence is on the field for Root, who has gone off again after clipping the top of his right hand trying to stop that edge off Gill at slip. Three tinkered off Hartley.
21st over: India 79-2 (Shreyas 20, Gill 29) We resume, and India knock four lazy-days singles off Bashir. The large gold studs in Shreyas’ ears shine in the sun like glistening full stops. A quick question, can anyone tell me why the Indian commentators always refer to Shreyas by his full name, eg Shreyas Iyer, and if he should always be referred to like that rather than Shreyas?
“Morning Tanya!” Hello Martin Wright! “Hope you and the dog both well. You do have a dog, don’t you, or is that just my fevered imagination? I vaguely remember dirty stop-outs, but they were back in the days of the Old Queen. It’s a lovely sunny morning here in Tamil Nadu, and I’m about to make a humongous quantity of dal, while trying to stop my turmeric-stained fingers from clutching at little straws of hope....” Oh how delicious that sounds. And yes, dog is snoring gently next to me.
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20th over: India 75-2 (Shreyas 18, Gill 27) A first boundary for Shreyas Iyer as Hartley drifts leg side and he glances stylishly, beating a chasing Bashir down to the rope. And now DRINKS, with Gill and Shreyas grateful to have survived the onslaught.
19th over: India 69-2 (Shreyas 13, Gill 26) Bashir, flannel flapping out of his trouser elastic, wheels in. Three singles without too much effort.
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18th over: India 66-2 (Shreyas 11, Gill 25) Ooof, Gill survives by a whisker again, as he pushes at one from Hartley that bounces and spits and the ball flies past a diving Root at slip. The next ball he glances off his boots for four.
17th over: India 57-2 (Shreyas 10, Gill 17) Gill pings Bashir’s last ball straight and for six to take the Indian lead to 200.
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16th over: India 48-2 (Shreyas 8, Gill 10) Hartley. Both batters in caps now, Gill’s more baseball shaped, Shreyas’ flatter. They pick up a couple and with Anderson’s temporary retirement, the pressure starts to ease.
15th over: India 46-2 (Shreyas 7, Gill 9) Anderson rests his mucles after four overs, one for six, and it’s time for Bashir. A stifled lbw shout first ball, then Shreyas actually moves out of his crease to drive down the pitch for a single.
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14th over: India 42-2 (Shreyas 6, Gill 6) Before play, Finn, or was it Cook, was saying how Stokes could used Hartley to block up one end, and he’s settled in nicely here, though a less jittery India might have tucked into the odd half volley.
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13th over: India 40-2 (Shreyas 5, Gill 5) India poking about like children with sticks outside a tiger’s cage. Anderson again. Shreyas picks up a couple with a slice, Gill edges just short of Joe Root at slip, who bangs the end of his fingers trying to stop the ball.
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12th over: India 36-2 (Shreyas 2, Gill 4) Hartley, tall, long fingered, whisks through an over. Shreyas tentatively prods backwards and forwards to cover him.
Brian Withington wants to se the record straight. “Can I just place myself in the insomniac rather than dirty stop out brigade; laced with a soupçon of hope struggling gamely in a dark sea of experience.” To be clear that was sent at 358am, when hope was bubbling less enthusiastically.
11th over: India 35-2 (Shreyas 1, Gill 4) KP spends the over from Anderson saying how unconvincing Gill looks. An lbw appeal off the penultimate ball, umpires says no, England like it, it hits high on the thrusting front pad… ooof, umpire’s call. Gill survives, just. He’s either about to have his stumps splattered or he’ll make 175.
Finbar Anslow writes “Hi Tanya? Just woken up in hospital! Laid low by a vicious bout of Ghastlyinteritus. I’m sharing a room with 3 old guys, oh, wait, one of them is me.
Big thank you to the Italian health service, especially Tortona A & E, as they had me admitted, examined and put on pain killers on less than half an hour! Btw, how’s the cricket going?
Nothing to see here Finbar, you rest your eyes. And all best wishes to get well soon from the OBO.
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REVIEW! Not out
10th over: India 34-2 (Shreyas 0, Gill 4) Hartley replaces Root and immediate danger as Gill pulls upishly to the rope and then survives being given out lbw on the field. The review shows a sniff of an edge onto the pad. Gill looks as surprised as anyone.
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9th over: India 30-2 (Shreyas 0, Gill 0) Just what Ben Stokes ordered, just what Jimmy Anderson delivered. The wobble seam, and the catch scooped stylishly off the ground. Interestingly, this Test has given us 11 wickets each from spin and pace but the pace wickets have come in 51 overs at an average of 57, and the spin wickets in 125 overs at an average of 11.
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WICKET! Jaiswal c Root b Anderson (India 30-2)
Number 695! Jaiswal drives, Root collects at first slip. In the dressing room Rahul Dravid stands up and walks away.
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8th over: India 30-1 (Jaiswal 17, Gill 0) Jaiswal drives but picks out the lone man on the boundary, Rehan Ahmed. Root runs into Jaiswal fielding off the final ball, and falls over, and they share a laugh.
7th over: India 29-1 (Jaiswal 16, Gill 0) At the other end, Jimmy Anderson spoils the party for the fans chanting Rohit, Rohit outside. Vuvuzelas blow forlornly. Superb stuff.
WICKET! Rohit b Anderson 13 (India 29-1)
Stumps a go-go! Anderson darts one out, Rohit plays down the wrong line and Anderson nips the top of off stump.
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6th over: India 28-0 (Jaiswal 15, Rohit 13) Slip, leg slip, Ben Stokes sets his field as if England are 170 ahead not behind. Pressure, pressure, pressure. A maiden.
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Our man at the ground, Ali Martin, reports that it is chaos outside the stadium and the signs say sold out. If you’re in the queue, do send us your report from masses. Right, the players are out, and here comes Joe Root.
Steven Finn in the studio is singing the praises of Brendan Mccullum “I played with them under Middlesex and he [was amazing] and its no coincidence that success has followed him around.”
Tea in hand, I’m starting to feel a bit more alive.
Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Kartik are out in the middle looking at the pitch. “The cracks are starting to open up,” says DK. “India will be very aware that England are very good at chasing in the fourth innings.”
Time for a quick cup of tea, Ill be back in five.
Preamble
Hello insomniacs and dirty stop outs, peoples of many and differing time zones. Thank you for logging on. Over in Visakhapatnam, England are about to start the grind of trying to bowl out India for the second time, all while computing the business of being well and truly Bumrah’ed yesterday afternoon, done like a kipper by the yorker king with the beguiling smile.
A lead of 143 at the end of England’s innings had grown by 28 by stumps as Rohit and young double centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal had a jolly old hit in the nip of an evening session. Ali Martin is there, and he didn’t sound overwhelmingly confident of England’s chances, but judge for yourself in his excellent match report
But this England relish bad odds, so get comfortable there on the sofa, the benches of Visakhapatnam, or wherever you find yourself and turn on, tune in and definitely don’t drop out. This could be a cracker.
