| 0.0 : It is time for the final encounter of this extremely exciting and entertaining series. A Dead rubber? Not sure England or India will look at this game in that manner. It is chance for the home side to further establish their dominance over the visitors in home conditions. Whereas, the away side will want to end the tour on a high. Changes in the XI? Well, we do expect a few from the Indian side. Who comes in? How will the pitch play in this game? The pitch report and all information from the tos |
| Pitch Report - Sanjay Manjrekar says that the pitch looks similar to the Wankhede stadium pitch in Mumbai. Adds further, that the deck has a decent covering of grass. Feels that because the batting for both sides has not done well this series, the captain who wins the toss may elect to bowl first to put pressure on the opposition batters early on. Reckons, this pitch will do something for the first couple of hours. Also expects it to dry up as the game progresses. |
| TOSS - Up goes the coin and it lands in the favor of the home side. Five out of five for Joe Root as he elects to bat first. |
| England's captain Joe Root says, that the pitch looks difficult to read. Adds further that it looks like it is a bit dry underneath and hence, the two spinners will come into play later in the game. Reckons that they will have to wait and see if this wicket is similar to the one at Southampton but states that it should be good for batting from the afternoon period. About his former captain, Alastair Cook, mentions that they have had some memorable games together and have enjoyed battling it out |
| India's captain Virat Kohli says, he would want a coin with heads on both sides if he wants to win a toss. Adds further that the wicket looks good at first sight and feels it has a bit more grass than the one at Southampton. Expects that there will be some help for the bowlers early on. Informs that Hardik Pandya makes way for Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin is replaced by Ravindra Jadeja. Talking about Cook, says that sometimes they have had too much of him. Ends by saying that he is a great great p |
| We are all set to get underway... out come the Indian players along with the umpires. They are followed by the English openers, Alastair Cook, who is playing his last Test and Keaton Jennings, who needs to get his career kick-started with some runs in this game. The former will be on strike and he will face Jasprit Bumrah. He has three slips and a gully in place. Here we go... |
| 0.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Starts off with a length slightly on the shorter side, not giving the ball a lot of chance to move and hence, no movement seen on the first delivery. It slants across the batsman from the off pole. Cook covers his off pole and makes a leave. |
| 0.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, BEATEN! Excellent second delivery, it is almost similar to the last one. This time it is a touch fuller and closer to the off. It pitches and angles away from Cook. He has to play at it due to the original trajectory but is beaten by the angle away. |
| 0.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Action replay of the last delivery! Excellent start by Bumrah. He once again bowls it on off, on a back of a length. Makes good use of the angle as he slants it across the southpaw. Cook pokes at it and gets beaten. Good carry also as Pant collects it head height. |
| 0.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Good take by Pant! He bowls it down the leg side, Cook misses the flick and Rishabh dives to his right and stops it. Erred in line there Bumrah. |
| 0.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Gets back to attacking the stumps and bowls it around off, Cook gets behind the line and keeps it out. First ball to hit the bat today. |
| 0.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, BYE! England are underway, courtesy an extra. Bumrah once again sprays it down the leg side, Cook lets it be and Pant dives full stretch to his right but fails to hang on. It rolls towards fine leg and the batsmen run a bye. |
| Ishant Sharma to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : I Sharma to Cook, A loosener to start with by Ishant! Full and way too wide outside, so wide that it would have been signaled one in an ODI. Cook shoulders arms to it. |
| 1.2 : I Sharma to A Cook, Off the mark is Cook in his final Test and he does so with a classic cover drive. Full and on off, he leans into it and times it through covers for three. |
| 1.3 : I Sharma to Jennings, On the off stump, no movement for Ishant. Jennings easily blocks it out. |
| 1.4 : I Sharma to Jennings, Keaton now gets off the mark! Ishant once again goes full, searching for the outswing he has been getting through out the series. There ain't any. Jennings strokes it through covers. Jadeja runs after it from point, slides and saves a run for his side. This is what the left-arm spinner adds to the team, not only can he bat and bowl but he is an exception fielder. |
| 1.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Back of a length on off, Cook defends it onto the ground. |
| 1.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Good length again on off, Cook shuffles across to his off pole and defends it off the back foot. |
| 2.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Starts the new over with a length ball on leg stump, angling away from KJ. The ball lands and moves away considerably, squaring up Jennings in the process as he gets rapped on his thigh pads. Bumrah getting the ball to talk now. |
| 2.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, A bit shorter of a length on off, Jennings gets right behind the ball and defends. |
| 2.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Bumrah continues in that corridor around the off stump, Jennings, initially looking to play at it, pulls his bat near his body at the last moment as the ball fizzes past the outside edge into Pant's gloves. |
| 2.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Keeps it a bit behind good length on middle and off, Jennings stays withing the crease, taps it towards the point region to pick up a quick single. |
| 2.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Similar delivery to the last one, this time Cook punches it off the back foot into the cover region to add another run to the total. |
| 2.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Bumrah misses his line and strays down the leg side, KJ tries to get bat on ball but is unable to do so and the ball is pouched by Pant behind. |
| 3.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Attacks the off stump from around the wicket. Looking to swing it away after angling in. The movement which has troubled the left-handers through out and hence, Cook blocks it with ease. |
| 3.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Angles it into the batsman, Cook with the angle tucks it to mid-wicket. |
| 3.3 : I Sharma to Cook, FOUR! First boundary of the innings! Bread and butter stuff for Cook, on his pads. He says thank you very much, flicks it through square leg and bags a boundary. |
| 3.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Again Ishant angles it into the pads of the batsman. Shorter in length this time. Cook works it to mid-wicket. |
| 3.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Bowls it wide outside off, Cook need not play at those. |
| 3.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Finishes of the over with a good nut! On off and straightining a touch. Cook gets squared up a little as he defends it to covers. So no real seam or swing on offer for the bowlers, looks a real good batting deck from what we have seen now. |
| 4.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Slightly too straight by Bumrah, Jennings tries to flick but misses to get hit on the pads. He might feel he missed out there on a scoring opportunity. |
| 4.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Down the leg side, Jennings watches it go through to the keeper. |
| 4.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Outside off this time, left alone. |
| 4.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Bumrah gets this one to shape back in just a touch from outside off, Jennings watchfully makes the third leave of the over. |
| 4.5 : J Bumrah to Jennings, On the shorter side, not a lot of bounce from the wicket as Jennings tucks it off his hips towards mid-wicket. |
| 4.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, OHHH! The sucker ball almost does the trick. Smart change in length there by JB. He goes full after continuously bowling length. It is also wide outside off, tempting the batsman to go for a loose shot. He is successful as Keaton goes after it with no foot movement but luckily for him gets beaten. |
| 5.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Excellent start to the over! Ishant finds some movement and bowls it full and on off. It shapes away at the very last moment, beating the outside edge of Cook's bat. |
| 5.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Leading edge... but safe! On middle angling into the batsman. It pitches and straightens. Cook tries to flick but the ball takes a soft leading edge. |
| 5.3 : I Sharma to Cook, The ball is down the leg side but the batsman still goes after it. |
| 5.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Hits the length hard and bowls it on off, Cook gets behind the line and defends it. |
| 5.5 : I Sharma to Cook, On off, defended. |
| 5.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Again bowls a tight line on off, Cook is solid in defense. |
| 6.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Fullish on off, Jennings punches it down towards mid off, waited for the ball to cross the bowler and takes a run after that. |
| 6.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Shortish in length and outside off, Cook stands tall, gets on top of the bounce and punches it through covers for a run. |
| 6.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Good length on middle, Jennings pushes it to mid on. |
| 6.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Back of a length outside off, Jennings opts not to play at it. |
| 6.5 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Outside off, not a lot of carry. KJ lets it be. |
| 6.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Full again on off, Jennings strokes it through mid off and keeps strike for the next over. |
| 7.1 : I Sharma to Jennings, Good length around off, Jennings guides it to point. |
| 7.2 : I Sharma to Jennings, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 7.3 : I Sharma to Jennings, Just ahead of a length around off, Jennings first thinks of playing at it but then looking at the away movement, lets it be. |
| 7.4 : I Sharma to Jennings, Back of a length on off, Keaton with soft hands plays it to gully. |
| 7.5 : I Sharma to Jennings, On off, KJ blocks it out. |
| 7.6 : I Sharma to Jennings, On the shorter side, KJ stays inside the crease and blocks it. |
| 8.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah starts a new over from around the wicket, lands this fractionally fuller than a good length, just wide of off and angling into Cook. The left hander leaves it watchfully. |
| 8.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, FOUR! Cook at his best here. How many times have we seen this from the great opener? JB lands this a bit short and wide of off. Cook rocks back and unleashes a Cook special square cut. The timing and placement is exquisite as the ball runs past the point boundary. |
| 8.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, FOUR! One more excellent shot by England's most capped player. Bumrah tries to surprise the batsman with a short ball. But Cook is aware enough to sight the length early, go back, swivel and play the perfect pull shot through square leg. The ball races across the deep square leg boundary. |
| 8.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Length ball attacking the stumps, defended off the back foot by Cook. |
| 8.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Lands this a bit fuller but wide of off. Cook has nothing to do with this one as he shoulders arms. |
| 8.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah changes his length again and pulls it a bit behind good length, around off, the England opener goes back and blocks it under his eyes. |
| 9.1 : I Sharma to Jennings, Decent carry for Ishant but the line is way too wide outside off, Keaton shoulders arms to it. |
| 9.2 : I Sharma to Jennings, On the stumps, Keaton works it to mid-wicket. |
| 9.3 : I Sharma to Jennings, Outswing but the line is wrong, outside off. Jennings is not interested at playing at those. |
| 9.4 : I Sharma to Jennings, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 9.5 : I Sharma to Jennings, Bang! Right on the grille! I feel Jennings misjudged the length there. It was short but not very short. Certainly not a ball which you should be ducking on a slow wicket. Jennings does so by taking the eyes off the ball. He is hit right on the helmet as the ball rolls towards square leg. The batsmen run a leg bye. Takes his helmet off after getting to the other end and signals to the dressing room that he is fine. |
| 9.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Bowls it on a length around off, Cook blocks it out. |
| 10.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Bumrah who is into his sixth over bowls it just behind a length outside off, left alone. |
| 10.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Good length on off, Jennings is half-forward as he keeps it out. |
| 10.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Good length on off, it comes on to the bat quite nicely and KJ defends it. |
| 10.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Fuller in length on off, Jennings pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 10.5 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Length again outside off, the batsman need not play at those. |
| 10.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, A single to end the over! Good length on off, KJ taps it towards covers and takes a brisk run. |
| 11.1 : I Sharma to Jennings, On the 5th stump channel! Also on a length which impresses Michael Holding in the commentary box. Jennings plays it towards point. |
| 11.2 : I Sharma to Jennings, The line this time would not have impressed the Windies great as it is on the pads. Jennings flicks it through square leg. There is protection in the deep so, only a run results. |
| 11.3 : I Sharma to Cook, On a length outside off, Cook away from his body has a feel for it as he plays it to point. |
| 11.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Hits the length hard on off, Cook off the back foot keeps it out. |
| 11.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Fuller in length on off, shaping away from Cook, late. Alastair goes for the drive but the ball takes the outside edge and goes towards backward point. |
| 11.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 12.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Bowls it on a fuller length on off, Jennings prods forward and blocks it. |
| 12.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Good length again on off, KJ plants his front foot forward and pushes it to covers. |
| 12.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Nicely bowled! Not a lot you can do about that as a batsman. Bumrah first draws Jennings into a stroke as he angles it into the batsman. It pitches and then leaves Jennings late. Beating the outside edge. |
| 12.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Driven towards the mid on region. |
| 12.5 : J Bumrah to Jennings, A little too wide outside off, left alone. |
| 12.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, FOUR! Easy-peasy! Signs of Bumrah tiring? Maybe. He bowls this on the pads, Jennings flicks it fine down the leg side for his first boundary of this innings. |
| Hanuma Vihari, the debutant, is into the attack. A surprise move by Virat Kohli. Not a lot of people would have expected him to bowl at this stage. Can he deliver the goods? |
| 13.1 : H Vihari to Cook, Starts off with a flatter delivery outside off, Cook punches it through covers and takes a run. |
| 13.2 : H Vihari to Jennings, Drift! A lot of it into the batsman. Also it is bowled quicker. Jennings goes back and keeps it out. |
| 13.3 : H Vihari to Jennings, Fires it on off, KJ blocks it out. He is bowling it too quick, needs to slow it up a touch. |
| 13.4 : H Vihari to Jennings, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 13.5 : H Vihari to Jennings, Tries to toss this one up but ends up bowling a full toss. Jennings strokes it to covers. |
| 13.6 : H Vihari to K Jennings, Very full again on middle, Keaton drives it to mid on. A tight over to begin with by Vihari. |
| That's the first drinks break of the final match of the series. England have had the perfect start. They have reached 32 without losing any wickets. The Indian pacers have tried hard, keeping the ball in good areas. However, they have not been able to extract too much from the wicket and this has made life easier for the English openers. Can India strike after the break? Or will England continue their procession? |
| Mohammad Shami comes into the attack. |
| 14.1 : M Shami to Cook, EDGED AND FOUR! Shami starts off with a very good delivery, on off and straightening a touch. Cook plays inside the line, the ball takes the outside edge and goes to the third man fence. |
| 14.2 : M Shami to Cook, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 14.3 : M Shami to Cook, On a length around off, Cook defends it. |
| 14.4 : M Shami to Cook, On the shorter side and width is on offer outside off, Cook punches it through point and runs two. |
| 14.5 : M Shami to Cook, Good length again on off, Cook defends it. |
| 14.6 : M Shami to Cook, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. They pick up a single. |
| Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack. |
| 15.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Jadeja starts off with a flatter delivery on the stumps. Cooks comes forward and defends. |
| 15.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, 4 Byes! Strays down on his second ball and concedes four byes. Pant won't be happy as this one was way quicker and down the leg. The keeper tried his best to stop it but could not. |
| 15.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires this flatter one on his pads, Cook works it down with the angle into the square leg region and gets a single for it. |
| 15.4 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Much better by the left handed spinner. He bowls this a bit slower and on the middle stump line. Jennings, looking to defend off the front foot, is beaten by the spin and the ball strikes him very low on the pads The touring team is asking the question bu the umpire shows no interest in the appeal. |
| 15.5 : R Jadeja to Jennings, A bit fuller this time in the off stump area. KJ keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 15.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, FOUR! Reverse Broomed! Second four of the over but this time off the bat. Jadeja fires this one quicker and very full on off. Keaton premeditates, goes down and plays a wonderful reverse sweep, much to the surprise of, everyone. His connection is near perfect as the ball flies past the cover-point region for a cracking boundary. |
| 16.1 : M Shami to Cook, Length again on off, it pitches and comes back in a touch. Cook tries to block but the ball goes off the inner half towards square leg for a run. |
| 16.2 : M Shami to Jennings, On a length and around off, coming back in. Jennings defends it. |
| 16.3 : M Shami to Jennings, Length again on off, KJ is solid in defense. |
| 16.4 : M Shami to Jennings, On the shorter side outside off, Jennings goes for the cut but gets a bottom edge to point. |
| 16.5 : M Shami to Jennings, On a length and around off, Jennings makes a leave. |
| 16.6 : M Shami to Jennings, Very full and it tails back in. Jennings covers it and works it to mid on for a run. |
| 17.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Strays it down the leg side. Cooks tries to flick but misses as Pant collects it. |
| 17.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller on middle and leg, pushed through the mid-wicket region. |
| 17.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit wide of off, Cook plays it off the front foot into the point region. One run added to the total. |
| 17.4 : R Jadeja to Jennings, KJ blocks this delivery off the front foot into the ground. |
| 17.5 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Jadeja gets a bit too straight and fires this one on the bats,am's pads. Keaton drives this to mid-wicket to pick up a quick single. |
| 17.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Strays on his pads again, Keaton has nudged the ball fine down the leg side. One run added to the total. |
| 18.1 : M Shami to Jennings, tarts the new over with a length ball outside off. Jennings leaves it alone. |
| 18.2 : M Shami to Jennings, Keeps it full just outside off. Looks like KJ has got his eye in now as he leans and creams this drive through the covers region to pick up a brace. |
| 18.3 : M Shami to Jennings, Lands this one abit shorter of good length outside off. Keaton shoulders arms. |
| 18.4 : M Shami to Jennings, Pulls the length back and keeps it on the stumps. KJ gets right behind the ball and keeps it out. |
| 18.5 : M Shami to Jennings, Shami, in trying to suck the batsman into a drive, lands this very full and wide of off. Jennings squeezes this one off the ground into the covers region and gets a single for it. |
| 18.6 : M Shami to Jennings, Much better from Shami to end the over. Lands this on fuller around off. Jennings trying to push at the ball, gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 19.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Cook has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 19.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Appeal for an LBW, but turned down. Jadeja fires this one a bit shorter of full length outside off, the ball pitches and turns in sharply. Cook, looking to play the sweep shot, misses the ball and gets hit on his pads. The Indians appeal but the umpire immediately turns it down as the impact was outside off. |
| 19.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tosses this up around off, Cook defends off the front foot. |
| 19.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Lands this one a bit straight attacking the stumps, Cook gets across the line and turns it away into the mid-wicket region. No run on offer there. |
| 19.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Similar delivery to the last one, but this one is pushed a bit far from the fielder at mid on. The batsmen exchange strike. |
| 19.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, A bit flatter and shorter by Jaddu. Jennings gets behind the line of the delivery and blocks it out. |
| 20.1 : M Shami to Cook, Good length outside off, left alone. |
| 20.2 : M Shami to Cook, On a length again, this time it comes back in with the angle. Also skids through after pitching. Cook tries to keep it out but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 20.3 : M Shami to Cook, Tucks it around the corner with the angle for a run. |
| 20.4 : M Shami to Jennings, Wide outside off, Jennings opts not to play at it. |
| 20.5 : M Shami to Jennings, A bumper but the line is outside off, KJ watches it go through to the keeper. |
| 20.6 : M Shami to Jennings, A dot to end! Just a single from it. On a length around off, Jennings tries to defend but gets an inside edge towards mid-wicket. |
| 21.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, The left-handed spinner starts off a new over with a flatter delivery on Cook's pads. The English opener will accept such delivery all his life, now that he's retiring after this game. He flicks it towards the square leg region for a single. |
| 21.2 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Fires it on the stumps. Worked towards mid-wicket with the spin. |
| 21.3 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Again on the pads, flicked straight to mid-wicket. |
| 21.4 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Flatter and fuller on off, KJ comes forward and defends. |
| 21.5 : R Jadeja to Jennings, LUCKY, VERY LUCKY! Jadeja tosses this one a bit and keeps it full around off. Keaton skips down the track and tries to play a lofted flick over the mid-wicket region. The ball pitches and skids through to take the top edge and flies towards the cover region. The fielder at mid off runs towards the ball to catch it but cannot reach it. The batsmen. Much better from Jadeja. |
| 21.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Fuller ball on the stumps, flicked to mid-wicket. |
| 22.1 : M Shami to Cook, Lands it fractionally shorter of a good length around off, Cooks keeps it out off the back foot. |
| 22.2 : M Shami to Cook, lands this one a bit fuller and just outside off. Cook leans across and defends off the front foot. |
| 22.3 : M Shami to Cook, Cook shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 22.4 : M Shami to Cook, Shami pulls the length back, the experienced England opener defends it from within the crease. |
| 22.5 : M Shami to Cook, Shami strays this down the leg side. Cook tries to flick it but misses. The tourists appeal as they feel there was some bat on it. The umpire stays unmoved. Replays are inconclusive. |
| 22.6 : M Shami to Cook,Fuller on off, Cook blocks it out off the front foot. |
| 23.1 : R Jadeja to Jennings, OUT c Lokesh Rahul b Ravindra Jadeja. England have lost their first wicket. |
| 0.0 : Moeen Ali is the new man in. |
| 23.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, A bit tossed up, fuller on the stumps. Ali flicks it to the mid-wicket region. |
| 23.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, 1 run. |
| 23.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, No run. |
| 23.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, 1 run. |
| 23.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, No run. |
| 24.1 : M Shami to Cook, Very wide outside off, Cook lets it go through. |
| 24.2 : M Shami to Cook, On a length and around off, the batsman blocks it out. |
| 24.3 : M Shami to Cook, Nice shot! Shami changes the angle and bowls it very full on off, Cook strokes it down the ground for a brace. |
| 24.4 : M Shami to Cook, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 24.5 : M Shami to Cook, Tucks it with the angle to mid-wicket. |
| 24.6 : M Shami to Cook, Back of a length on off, kept out. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is back on. |
| 25.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, Lovely start! He bowls it on off and gets it to move away. Ali pokes at it and gets beaten. |
| 25.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, On the stumps this time, Moeen gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 25.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Angles it into the pads, Ali works it through square leg and gets to the other end. |
| 25.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, A little too straight by Bumrah. Cook off the back foot, flicks it through backward square leg for a brace. |
| 25.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Attacks the off pole now, AC goes back and keeps it out. |
| 25.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, On off, Cook pushes it to covers. |
| 26.1 : M Shami to Ali, On the shorter side, Ali does have problems facing the short ball but the line is outside off. He lets it go. |
| 26.2 : M Shami to Ali, On middle, Moeen works it to mid-wicket. |
| 26.3 : M Shami to Ali, Excellent bumper there! Good pace and a well-directed one. Moeen, at the last moment, ducks under it. Pant collects it one-handed. |
| 26.4 : M Shami to Ali, Very full this time, maybe trying to bowl a yorker after the bumper but he misses by quite a lot. Moeen blocks it out. |
| 26.5 : M Shami to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 26.6 : M Shami to Ali, Fuller outside off, Moeen makes another leave. A maiden. |
| 27.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah keeps it fuller of a good length but wide of off allowing Cook to have a good look at it and shoulder arms. |
| 27.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Similar length but a much better line, around the off pole. Cook leans across and flicks it wristily towards mid-wicket and runs across for a single. |
| 27.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Bumrah lands it fuller outside off, Ali patiently lets it go. |
| 27.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Similar ball, similar response from Ali, a leave. |
| 27.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, That's a Peach! Bumrah extracting some movement and these are encouraging signs for the visiting pacers. Lands this one around off, angling into Ali. The ball hits the deck and deviates away. The movement is enough for the ball to beat Ali's tentative push. Bumrah has his hands on his head. Ali survives a scare. |
| 27.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Better from JB who keeps it fuller on the off stump line. Ali comes forward and defends. THAT'S LUNCH! |
| So, England will be the happier of the two sides heading into the break but India won't be too disappointed. The home side's openers started steadily, leaving balls, defending off a straight bat. You can also argue that the Indian fast bowlers missed a trick or two as they were unable to hit the ideal length for this pitch consistently enough. They were a bit too short and wide which gave the English southpaws that much extra time to react to any movement and survive the initial difficult phase |
| They grinded it out and added 50 runs for the first wicket. However, the introduction of Jadeja brought India back into the game. He struck and made an impact straightaway on his return. Bumrah too has now found his length and is also getting the ball to talk. They have kept it tight till now but would look for more wickets after the break. The hosts, on the other hand, would want Cook to continue in the same manner and build a solid stand with Moeen Ali. |
| ... Day 1, Session 2 ... |
| The post Lunch session is about to get underway. The players are out in the middle from both the sides. Cook will be on strike and Ishant will start the proceedings. Off we go... |
| 28.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Starts the session with a length ball angling across Cook who lets it be. |
| 28.2 : I Sharma to Cook, On off on a similar length. Cook blocks it. |
| 28.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Similar to the first ball this. Cook again leaves it for the keeper. |
| 28.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Swings this length ball away from Cook from the leg stump. A solid defense by the English legend. |
| 28.5 : I Sharma to Cook, A touch fuller and wide of off, left alone. |
| 28.6 : I Sharma to Cook, A watchful start from Cook. He doesn't fiddle with the deliveries angled away from him. A maiden to start with. |
| Bumrah to share the attack. |
| 29.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, Too full outside off. Moeen looks to squeeze it out from his crease but fails. Pant collects and appeals but the umpire ignores him and rightly so. There was day-light between bat and ball there. |
| 29.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Ali lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 29.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Closer to the off pole, defended. |
| It's chilly here in London. The umpires have called for extra protection from the cold winds. |
| 29.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 29.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Geez! Squares him up there. Almost a wicket. Bumrah pushes it into the stumps from over the wicket and then takes it away from Ali. He looks to have a tentative poke at it from his crease but only manages a thick outside edge. The ball rolls towards Jadeja at backward point. In the end, no harm done. |
| 29.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Peach! An absolute peach this. Bumrah keeps it around off and swings it away once again. Ali looks to play the line but misses by a margin. Some excitement in the Indian camp as the overcast conditions could come to assist them here. |
| 30.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Around off, left alone. |
| 30.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Gets behind the line of this one and keeps it out. |
| 30.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Away swinger around off from Sharma. Cook plays it to the off side off the back foot. |
| 30.4 : I Sharma to Cook, On a length, outside off, left alone. |
| 30.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Dropped! I don't believe it. Rahane drops a dolly. Cook gets a reprieve. Sharma produced a gem here. He bowls a length ball on middle and off. It lands and moves away just a touch but enough to create doubts in Cook's mind. He pokes at it from his crease and a thick outside edge is induced. The ball flies low to Rahane standing in the gully region. It went in and out in a flash. I still don't believe it. One of the best fielders in the world has given a chance to Cook in |
| 30.6 : I Sharma to Cook, The ball is way wide on the leg side but the batsman still goes after it. |
| 31.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, On a length around off, almost another edge there but misses by a tiny margin. |
| 31.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, And another. What is happening here? First Rahane and now Kohli. Two of the best fielders in the world have dropped two catches. This time it was Moeen who is squared up by the outswinger from Bumrah on off. He hangs his bat in anticipation and gets a thick outside edge. The ball flies at the rate of knots to the left of Kohli. He tries to get both his hands behind it but it wasn't to be. In the end, two drops in 4 balls and both Moeen and Cook survive. |
| 31.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Gets behind the line of this one and defends. |
| 31.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Ali chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. |
| 31.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 31.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Down the leg side, Ali looks to flick but fails. |
| 32.1 : I Sharma to Cook, The ball is way wide on the leg side but the batsman still goes after it. |
| 32.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Angled away from Cook who lets it be. |
| 32.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Again in the same channel and another easy leave for Cook. |
| 32.4 : I Sharma to Cook, That's the length. This is where Cook is reaching for the balls. It is a tad fuller around off and Cook lunges forward to get a feel of it but misses. |
| 32.5 : I Sharma to Cook, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 32.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Outside off, left alone. |
| 33.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, Full around off, pushed to long off for a brace. |
| 33.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Not Out! And height it is what saved him again. Bumrah is asking questions and a lot of it. He lets it rip around off on a length. The ball goes in with the angle as Ali leaves it and gets hit on the top of his right leg. The visitors appeal but the umpire was never interested in it. Bumrah pleads to his skipper for the review and Kohli does exactly that after a lot of thinking. The replays roll in. The ball hit him outside off and as mentioned earlier, it goes over the st |
| DRS time! Bumrah has urged his skipper to take the review and he has gone with him. Moeen Ali is the man in question. The height though looks to be the issue. |
| 33.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 33.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, FOUR! This is salt on the wounds. Another beautiful ball on middle and off and going away. Ali looks to defend and gets a thick outside edge. The ball races through the slip cordon and gully region. A boundary results. |
| 33.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Gets behind the line of this one and defends it. |
| 33.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, A half appeal this. The overcast conditions and the tight line and length from Bumrah has made life difficult, especially for Ali. He bowls another angled in delivery on a length and Ali fails to connect yet again. The ball hit him height and that was the reason the umpire declined it once again. |
| 34.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Around off, defended. |
| 34.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 34.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Around off, left alone again. |
| 34.4 : I Sharma to Cook, On the pads, flicked to the on side for a run. |
| 34.5 : I Sharma to Ali, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 34.6 : I Sharma to Ali, Outside off, another easy leave. |
| 35.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, In line of the stumps, tucked to mid-wicket for nothing. |
| 35.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Another solid leave on to the ground. |
| 35.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, 143 kph! That was quick and in line of the stumps. Cook does well to get behind this one and keep it away from his pad and stumps. |
| 35.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Flicks this one off his pads to the fine leg region for a run. |
| 35.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Similar length and line, Ali flicks it to the on side this time and gets a brace. |
| 35.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, High! Gets hit on the pads again but luckily for Ali, it is high. No harm done. |
| 36.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 36.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Around off, kept out off the front foot. |
| 36.3 : I Sharma to Cook, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for Cook. |
| 36.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Hangs in his crease and gets his bat behind the line to defend it. |
| 36.5 : I Sharma to A Cook, FOUR! Full, outside off and asking for trouble. Cook brings the exquisite cover drive out and gets the desired connection. Pujara runs after it but fails to keep it in. |
| 36.6 : I Sharma to Cook, On middle and off, blocked. |
| 37.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 37.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Shortish around off, nicely kept out by Ali. |
| 37.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, The ball is down the leg side but Moeen still goes after it. |
| 37.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 37.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Prodigious movement through the air and off the deck as well. Bumrah is in nice rhythm here. It lands around off and swings in sharply. Ali looks to flick but misses and gets hit on his thigh pad. A leg bye stolen through the fine leg region. |
| 37.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Wide outside off stump, Cook leaves it alone. |
| First change. Shami is on. |
| 38.1 : M Shami to Ali, Short of a length around off, Ali gets on his toes and keeps it out to the off side. |
| 38.2 : M Shami to Ali, A bumper second up. Ali ducks under it. |
| 38.3 : M Shami to Ali, Full around off, Ali gets on the front foot and square drives it through the off side. A brace results. |
| 38.4 : M Shami to Ali, Drags his length back and keeps it outside off. Ali happy to let it pass. |
| 38.5 : M Shami to Ali, Wide outside off, on a length, another easy leave for Ali. |
| 38.6 : M Shami to Ali, FOUR! Crisply times the full ball down the ground. Ali presents the full face and the connection is sweet. A boundary to end the over. |
| Spin time! Jadeja is on now. Bumrah gets a break. |
| 39.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fast and full, Cook blocks it out. |
| 39.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Shortish around off, Cook hangs back and keeps it out. |
| 39.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, A touch slower around off, Cook gets forward to defend it. |
| 39.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 39.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Pushed through by Jaddu on middle and leg, Cook rocks back and punches it through the on side for a run. |
| 39.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Pushes this one down the ground to keep the strike for the next over. Jadeja finishes his over in a blink of an eye. Too quick! |
| 40.1 : M Shami to Ali, Angles this length ball on the pads and Ali flicks it through the square leg region for a couple. |
| 40.2 : M Shami to Ali, Gets behind the line of this one and keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 40.3 : M Shami to Ali, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 40.4 : M Shami to Ali, Again wide of off, Cook has nothing to do with it. Some problem for Pant behind the sticks as the ball wobbles and dips just before reaching him. |
| 40.5 : M Shami to Ali, Ali defends it from within the crease. |
| 40.6 : M Shami to Ali, A boundary saved there by Pant. A quick length ball angled across Ali but it is wide down the leg side. Pant scampers and dives to his right and manages to save a boundary for his team. |
| 41.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Pushes this one on the pads and Cook works it to the on side for nothing. |
| 41.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Similar ball in line of the stumps. Cook defends. |
| 41.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Again fast and attacking the stumps. Cook keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 41.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 41.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Quicker one on the pads, worked to the on side for a quick single off the back foot. |
| 41.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Ali looks to play the sweep but Jadeja's pace isn't easy to tackle. He gets an inside edge onto his pad but no harm done. |
| 42.1 : M Shami to Cook, Gets behind the line of this one and keeps it out to the off side for no run. |
| 42.2 : M Shami to Cook, Close, so close this. A back of a length ball outside off and asking Cook to reach for it who does exactly that. It goes past the outside edge and into the mitts of the keeper. |
| 42.3 : M Shami to Cook, outside off, left alone. |
| 42.4 : M Shami to Cook, Almost the similar ball to the one bowled two balls earlier. Cook again looks to force the matter from his crease and once again, it goes past the outside off. Shami is testing out the opener before the drinks break. |
| 42.5 : M Shami to Cook, And again! What an over this has been. Cook could have easily edged all three but he somehow managed to miss all. Another shortish ball around off, Cook stays put in his crease and does not move his feet. Some away swing is there and that means, the ball goes so agonizingly close past the outside edge. A nervy moment for the English highest run-getter in Tests. |
| 42.6 : M Shami to Cook, Hangs back to keep this one out to the off side for nothing. Cook would have a sigh of relief now. |
| Drinks! |
| 43.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Starts off after the break with a Shortish delivery on the stumps. Worked into the mid-wicket region. |
| 43.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, Full around off, Ali leans forward, drives a bit wide of mid on and run through to complete a single. |
| 43.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Quicker and a bit outside off from Jaddu. Cooks tries to cut it but gets beaten for Pant to collect it. That was the skidder and Cook got beaten in pace there. |
| 43.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller on the stumps, kept out off the front foot. |
| 43.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller again on the stumps, worked away into the on side by Cook. |
| 43.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Similar delivery and a similar shot by Cook pushing the ball into the mid-wicket region. |
| 44.1 : M Shami to Ali, keeps it a bit shorter of a good length but outside off which allows Ali to shoulders arms. |
| 44.2 : M Shami to Ali, Beaten! Ripper. Shami, from around the stumps, fires this in to Ali and lands it on a length on off. The ball pitches and strengthens just that wee bit to beat the outside edge of Ali's bat. Luck ridding with the hoe tea,. |
| 44.3 : M Shami to Ali, Lose shot from Ali. Loss in concentration may be. Shami lands this one on a length but quite wide of off, Ali throws his hand at it but luckily misses the ball. Ali surviving on the edge of a knife. |
| 44.4 : M Shami to Ali, Length on off, Keep out off the front foot. |
| 44.5 : M Shami to Ali, 4 Byes. Watta Ball! Shami lands this on just a bit short of a good length around off. Ali, from within his crease, tries to push at the ball. It hits the deck and comes in prodigiously cutting Ali in half and beats his inside edge. The ball keeps moving even after passing the batsman. Pant dives to his right but cannot even get a glove on it. Four byes for the hosts. |
| 44.6 : M Shami to Ali, Too wide of off, left alone. |
| 45.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller on the off stump, worked to mid-wicket. |
| 45.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and straighter again, blocked out off the back foot. |
| 45.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Cracker from Cook! Jadeja drops it short and just outside off. Cook ponces on it and punches it through the point area. The timing and placement is too good for the fielders to cut that one out from crossing the ropes. |
| 45.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Keeps it fuller on middle, driven softly towards mid on. |
| 45.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit shorter this time, kept out off the back foot. |
| 45.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit shorter and just outside off. Cook taps it late towards the point region. |
| 46.1 : M Shami to Ali, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 46.2 : M Shami to Ali, Ali shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 46.3 : M Shami to Ali, A bit fuller and straighter in line, Ali drives it a bit wide of mid on to change the strike. |
| 46.4 : M Shami to Cook, Beaten, again! Shami looks up to the sky as if to ask Him - When will find the edge?. He lands this one on a length around off, Cook tentatively comes forward to block it out. The ball lands and nips away slightly, enough to beat Cook's outside edge. India still searching for that wicket. |
| 46.5 : M Shami to Cook, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 46.6 : M Shami to Cook, Fuller on the off stump, driven through mid-on by Cook. Two runs added to the total. |
| 47.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Fires this one down the leg side. Cook tries to flick but misses. |
| 47.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, This time he leaves this one alone which is straying down the leg. |
| 47.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 47.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Ali works this straighter ball down the leg side. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 47.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Wide down the leg side, No trouble at all for Cook to let it alone. |
| 47.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, The England legend flicks it away into the mid-wicket region with a wristy shot. |
| 48.1 : M Shami to Ali, Shami keeps it a bit fuller and wide of off. Ali throws his hands at it, hoping to get good connection but he misses it completely. Another one goes past the bat. |
| 48.2 : M Shami to Ali, Moeen shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 48.3 : M Shami to Ali, Ali chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. |
| 48.4 : M Shami to Ali, Comes behind the line of this good length ball on off and keeps it out. |
| 48.5 : M Shami to Ali, Ali defends it from within the crease. |
| 48.6 : M Shami to Ali, Similar ball to the one with which he started the over. keeps it fuller around off and gets some away movement. Ali's poke is beaten again. |
| 49.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 49.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter on the stumps, Cooks looks to punch it through covers but the ball lands and spins in a bit to get the inside edge on his pads and deflected towards covers. |
| 49.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Lovely Shot! that's so pleasing for the eyes. Jadeja lands it too full this time. Cook picks up the length early, transfers his wait forward and creams this drive through the mid on region for a beautiful boundary. |
| 49.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 49.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and fuller on off, driven to mid on. No run on offer. |
| 49.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, A similar delivery is tucked towards mid-wicket. |
| 50.1 : M Shami to Ali, Short of a length ball outside off, Ali fails to connect to it. |
| 50.2 : M Shami to Ali, Comes closer to the off pole and lands this one a length. Ali gets behind the line to defend it. |
| 50.3 : M Shami to Ali, Flicks the fuller ball through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 50.4 : M Shami to Cook, In line of the stumps, Cook gets it to the on side off the inner half of the bat for another single. |
| 50.5 : M Shami to Ali, And this one leaves Ali from the short of a length area. Shami has been so good in this session and yet nothing to show for it. |
| 50.6 : M Shami to Ali, There has been a pattern with Ali against Shami. He has played numberous times and missed almost 80 percent of the time. A short of a length ball outside off, Moeen hangs his bat but again, no outside edge. Shami is almost frustrated now. |
| A slight delay as the tourists have asked for some protection gear for their fielder at short leg. |
| 51.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Jadeja starts a fresh over with a shortish delivery outside off. Cook punches it through covers and picks up a couple of runs. |
| 51.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and fuller on the stumps is worked towards mid-wicket. |
| 51.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it down the leg side, Pant collects. |
| 51.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Full toss on his pads, Cook misses out as he gets a bit surprised with the length and punches it very late towards mid on. No run on offer. |
| 51.5 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Fuller one is driven to mid on. |
| 51.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Quicker and a bit shorter on off, defended off the abck foot |
| 52.1 : M Shami to Ali, The same story continues, angling in around off, lands and nips away beating the bat f the batsman's tentative poke. The hosts must be praying for some luck. |
| 52.2 : M Shami to Ali, A bit shorter outside off, Ali keeps his bat near his body as the ball whizzes past his bat. |
| 52.3 : M Shami to Ali, Third in a row, a hat-trick of misses. Similar ball to the previous one and a similar result. |
| 52.4 : M Shami to Ali, That's unbelievable! It's a fourth miss in a row by Ali. Shami looks up and Kohli seems in disbelief. Ali is still out there. |
| 52.5 : M Shami to Ali, Guess what? Fifth one in a line. A bit shorter around off, Ali continues to poke outside off and continues to get beaten. 5 out of 5, this might be a record of some kind... |
| 52.6 : M Shami to Ali, Way outside off, left alone. |
| 53.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and fuller, defended off the front foot. |
| 53.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Similar delivery, kept out easily by Cook. |
| 53.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Lands this one a bit shorter, Cook goes back and punches it through covers to get a run. |
| 53.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Ali defends it from within the crease. |
| 53.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, A bit shorter and blocked out off the back foot by Moeen. |
| 53.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Fuller on off, driven crisply but straight to mid on. |
| 54.1 : M Shami to Cook, Shortish around off, defended. |
| 54.2 : M Shami to Cook, in the same channel and Cook keeps it out. |
| 54.3 : M Shami to Cook, Full and straight, Cook drives it down the ground for a run. |
| 54.4 : M Shami to Ali, Goodness me, how many times has Ali failed to edge the ball in this session and that too against Shami? Countless. He plays away from his body once again but fails to connect. Shami has stopped showing any disappointment now as he is unable to get Ali edge one. |
| 54.5 : M Shami to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 54.6 : M Shami to Ali, Full on off, driven back to the bowler. |
| 55.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller around off, Cook lunges forward to keep this out. |
| 55.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter on off, this one pitches and skids straight on, Cook defends well with a straight bat. |
| 55.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Full ball fired at the batsman's legs, Cook leans and drives it through mid on. |
| 55.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit slower on the middle stump line, turned away towards the mid-wicket region. |
| 55.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Cook seems to be loving this. He's getting a lose delivery every once in a while and a batsman of his caliber will not miss out many times on such deliveries. Jadeja lands it a bit short outside off, Cook gets his fierce cut out and gets the ball racing across the deep point boundary. |
| 55.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and fuller ball is driven through mid-wicket. |
| Ishant Sharma comes into the attack. |
| 56.1 : I Sharma to Ali, Sharma starts the new spell with a good length ball in the corridor, Ali shows respect and defends it. |
| 56.2 : I Sharma to Ali, Keeps it in the same area, Ali blocks it out comfortably. |
| 56.3 : I Sharma to Ali, Bouncer, Tries to surprise with the change in length. But Ali ducks under it easily. |
| 56.4 : I Sharma to Ali, A bit short of a good length, defended off he back foot. |
| 56.5 : I Sharma to Ali, This full ball on the stumps is blocked out off the front foot by Ali. |
| 56.6 : I Sharma to Ali, A shorter ball is treated well by going back and defending with a straight bat, under his eyes. |
| 57.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Very full, flicked towards mid-wicket. |
| 57.2 : R Jadeja to Cook,A bit flatter on the pads, worked down towards square leg. |
| 57.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Full again on the stumps, flicked straight to mid-wicket again. |
| 57.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Jadeja keeps firing it on his legs and the southpaws are creaming their drives into the off side with not much of a trouble. |
| 57.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit slower and shorter on off, Cook gets across the line and whips this through mid-wicket to get a single. |
| 57.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Ali flicks this on to mid on with a wristy shot. |
| 58.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Sharma lands this one fractionally behind a good length, Cook stands tall and blocks it under his eye line. |
| 58.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Full er outside off, the left hander shoulders arms. |
| 58.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Lands this one short again in line with the stumps. Cook rocks back and keeps it out with ease. |
| 58.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Good patience shown by Cook. He is respecting the good deliveries and punishing the bad ones. He's looking in real good touch. Does he really have to retire? Looking too good to have done that though! |
| 58.5 : I Sharma to A Cook, Very full ball is driven straight to mid off. |
| 58.6 : I Sharma to Cook, A length ball around, Alastair, looking to flick it into the leg side, gets an inside edge onto his pads. The ball rolls down towards the cover-point region and the batsmen run through for a run. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 1! |
| We have witnessed another excellent session, a wicket less one, for the home side. They are marching forward towards a big first innings total. Cook continued from where he left off after the break. He is making India pay for the reprieve he got. Moeen, also after being dropped, has now got his eye in and the hosts would dearly like this association to continue after the Tea interval. |
| On the other hand, the Indian bowlers did try their best but not a lot is on offer on this wicket. They will need to break this stand and put pressure on the out of form English middle order as soon as possible. Will the visitors fight back? Join us after the break to find out. |
| ... Day 1, Session 3 ... |
| We are back for the final session! 31 overs left in the day. Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali will resume their innings. Jasprit Bumrah will start the proceedings for India. Here we go... |
| 59.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Starts off with a loosener outside off, Cook leaves it. |
| 59.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a length again around off, this one pitches and straightens a touch. Cook tries to defend but it goes off the outer half towards point. |
| 59.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Length again on off, it again shapes away. Cook guides it towards point and takes a brisk single. Jadeja did have a shy at the bowlers end but misses. |
| 59.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Down the leg side, Ali lets it go. Pant dives and collects it really well. |
| 59.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Play and a miss! How many times have we seen that happen today? Another length around off, it pitches and moves away. Moeen plays inside the line and gets beaten. |
| 59.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, FOUR! Ends the over in style! Poor delivery by Bumrah, on the pads, Ali is too good a batsman to miss out there. He flicks it through square leg and the ball races away. |
| Ishant Sharma will bowl from the other end. |
| A late review taken by Kohli. An LBW decision against Cook has been challenged. Looks high. |
| 60.1 : I Sharma to Cook, NOT OUT! A poor, poor review from India there. That always looked high and that turned out to be the case. Both reviews have gone down the drain. Ishant bowls it on a length around middle, Cook hops and tries to clip it but misses to get hit on the pads. The players appeal and the umpire shakes his head. Kohli probably on the 14th second signals for 'T'. The replays roll in and it shows the ball to be going over. |
| 60.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Back of a length on off, Cook defends it onto the ground. |
| 60.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 60.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Tucks it around the corner and gets to the other end. |
| 60.5 : I Sharma to Ali, Again angles it onto the pads, Ali flicks it through square leg and takes one. |
| 60.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Another ball on the pads and it is once again played on the leg side for a run. |
| 61.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Length ball angling into the pads, turns it into the leg side with the inward angle for a single. |
| 61.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Very full on off, defended off the front foot. |
| 61.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Lands it on a length but the line is wide of off. This allows Ali to point his bat skywards and watchfully see the ball go past him. |
| 61.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Attacking the stumps, Ali keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 61.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Pulls his length back marginally, angling into Ali who stays in his crease and blocks it out. |
| 61.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Beaten again! Someone count the number of times the batsman has got beaten without edging the ball. Lands this on a bit fuller outside off. Ali comes forward to block it bu the ball lands and seams away beaten the bat's edge. This is called Test cricket for exactly this reason. It's a true test of patience and temperament. |
| 62.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Length on off, defends it from within the crease. |
| 62.2 : I Sharma to Cook, A bit shorter outside off from Sharma, Cook stands tall and punches it through the covers and adds a run to the English total. |
| 62.3 : I Sharma to Ali, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for Moeen. |
| 62.4 : I Sharma to Ali, Ali shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 62.5 : I Sharma to Ali, Bowls it full but the line is too wide to entice Ali into a lose shot. Ali leaves it alone. |
| 62.6 : I Sharma to Ali, Much better from Ishan. Keeps this one full around off. It moves away slightly on pitching. The length is that in between length where a batsman is not sure whether to come forward or go back. Ali is in a similar confusion and due to the lack of foot work is beaten by the away movement. |
| 63.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, lands this one on a length in line with the stumps. The former England captain blocks it out off the front foot. |
| 63.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, OUT! INDIA GETS A BREAKTHROUGH, that too of the most experienced English player! Can the touring team pick up a few more and throw the cat amongst the pigeons. Bumrah is the man who is rewarded as he lands it a bit shorter of good length just outside off. Cook, seeing the ball a bit shorter of a length, goes back and tries keep it out. The ball hits the deck, skids back into cook who gets cramped for room. The ball takes the inner edge as Cook is late to get his bat down |
| Joe Root is the next batsman in. |
| 63.3 : J Bumrah to Root, The ball is too wide on the off side for Root to try and make any contact. |
| 63.4 : J Bumrah to Root, Keeps it in line with the stumps, Joe gets behind the line of the ball and keeps it out. |
| Have India got another? The umpire has given Root out LBW but he has challenged the decision. Looks plumb, only an inside edge can save him. |
| 63.5 : J Bumrah to Root, OUT! Boom Boom Bumrahhhh! Double strike for the pacer and the visitors and it's the big one - the English captain. JB lands this one on a good length just a bit outside off. The ball lands and seams in considerably. Root, stuck in his crease, tries to push at the ball with his bat in front of his body. The inward nip beats joe's inside edge and raps him right in front, or at least it looked like it was right in front. But the umpire does not move for about 10 secs and as |
| Jonny Bairstow is the new man in. |
| 63.6 : J Bumrah to Bairstow, No run. |
| 64.1 : I Sharma to Ali, On the pads, looking for the swing away but does not get it. Ali flicks it through backward square leg and takes a run. |
| 64.2 : I Sharma to Bairstow, Gets some shape into the right-hander this time. It is outside off. JB makes a good leave. |
| 64.3 : I Sharma to Bairstow, Closer to the off pole this time and tailing back in. Jonny gets right behind it and defends it. |
| 64.4 : I Sharma to Bairstow, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! One brings two, two brings three. The Indians are on fire here and Jonny Bairstow once again walks back for a duck. From 133-1, England are now 134-4. Ishant gets his first. Excellent bowling by the tall fast bowler. He was constantly getting the ball to come back in but this time he gets it to straighten after pitching it on off. Bairstow plays inside the line, the ball takes the outside edge and goes into the mitts of the keeper. The players a |
| Ben Stokes walks out to the middle. |
| 64.5 : I Sharma to Stokes, LOVELY STUFF! This is the delivery with which he so often gets the southpaws out. On a length and around off, it pitches and moves away. Stokes is forward in defense but is beaten by the movement. |
| 64.6 : I Sharma to Ben Stokes, EDGED but does not carry! The Indians can sniff another wicket here. Stokes tries to cover the swing but walking down the track. He tries to drive it down the ground but the ball takes the outside edge and lands just in front of the diving slip fielder. End of an excellent over by Ishant, a wicket and a run from it. |
| 65.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 65.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Lands it a bit short of good length, Ali defends off the back foot. |
| 65.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Bumrah fires it down the leg side, Moeen tries flicking it but misses. Pant collects it behind. |
| 65.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Ali has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 65.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Good length on off again, the left hander played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 65.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Ali gets right behind this short of a length ball around off and blocks it under his eyes. |
| 66.1 : I Sharma to Stokes, Jaffa! Ishant lands this on a length just outside off from around the wicket. The initial angle into Stokes tempts him in pushing at the ball. But the nut hits the deck and moves away from the all rounder who gets beaten. |
| 66.2 : I Sharma to Stokes, A bit full but way wide of off, Stokes shoulders arms. |
| 66.3 : I Sharma to Stokes, Way outside off, Stokes raises his bat and watches the ball go behind. |
| 66.4 : I Sharma to Stokes, Big appeal, turned down. India can't review it as they don't have any left. Sharma from around the wicket fires this one into Stokes and keeps it on a good length on off. Stokes, seen walking towards the bowler, leans across and tries to flick it through mid-wicket. But the ball has pitched and it seams in prodigiously to beat the bat and he gets raped on the front pad. India appeal but the umpire disagrees. The ball was going down the leg side. |
| 66.5 : I Sharma to Stokes, Full length ball is driven to mid off. |
| 66.6 : I Sharma to Stokes, Outside off, left alone by Stokes. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is back on. |
| 67.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Works it around the corner with the turn and takes a run. |
| 67.2 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Down the leg side and the batsman lets it be. |
| 67.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, On the pads, Stokes nudges it towards square leg and takes a single. |
| 67.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Tosses it outside off, Moeen lunges forward and pushes it through covers for a run. |
| 67.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot. They pick up a single. |
| 67.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, On the pads, it is flicked very fine, just past the leg slip fielder for a brace. |
| Mohammed Shami is back on. |
| 68.1 : M Shami to Stokes, Good length outside off, left alone. |
| 68.2 : M Shami to Stokes, Another ball outside off, the batsman need not play at those. |
| 68.3 : M Shami to Stokes, Stokes again gives the bowler the charge and defends it towards point. |
| 68.4 : M Shami to Stokes, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 68.5 : M Shami to Stokes, Lovely bowling! Back of a length outside off, Stokes half-heartedly tries to defend it but gets beaten. |
| 68.6 : M Shami to Stokes, Back of a length on off, Stokes stands tall and defends it out. |
| 69.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Flatter on off, Moeen goes back and defends it onto the ground. |
| 69.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, On off, Moeen Ali blocks it onto the ground. |
| 69.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, With the turn works it to mid on. |
| 69.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Driven towards the mid-on region. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 69.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, On off, Stokes keeps it out. |
| 69.6 : R Jadeja to Stokes, On the stumps again, Stokes defends it solidly. |
| 70.1 : M Shami to Ali, Lovely bowling again! He has been excellent till now. He again angles this into the off pole first and then gets it to leave the batsman. Ali tries to defend but is beaten. |
| 70.2 : M Shami to Ali, Back of a length on off, Moeen guides it towards point and takes a run. |
| 70.3 : M Shami to Stokes, FOUR BYES! No chance for Pant. The lad has had a tough time behind the stumps today. This is down the leg side and it swings away further. Pant has no chance as the ball crosses the fine leg fence. |
| 70.4 : M Shami to Stokes, On the fuller side, Stokes plays it through the off side and takes a single. |
| 70.5 : M Shami to Ali, The batsman works it down the leg side. One run added to the total. |
| 70.6 : M Shami to Stokes, Back of a length on off, Stokes defends it onto the ground. |
| 71.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Clever stuff! Sees the batsman dancing down the track and bowls it a touch short. Moeen tries to work it across the line but is beaten to get hit on the pads. |
| 71.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, Very wide outside off, left alone. |
| 71.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 71.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Uses his feet and slams it straight back to the bowler. |
| 71.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, Fires it outside off and gets it to turn into the batsman. Ali tries to flick but misses to get hit on the pads. The players appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Impact outside off. |
| 71.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Good running! Ali tucks it besides the pitch and goes for a run. Jadeja quickly gets to the ball and fires it to the keeper but Stokes makes it in. |
| R Jadeja to Ali, Good running! Ali tucks it besides the pitch and goes for a run. Jadeja quickly gets to the ball and fires it to the keeper but Stokes makes it in. |
| 72.1 : M Shami to Ali, Four Byes! Shami starts this over from around the wicket with a length ball angling into the batsman. The ball is constantly moving inwards in the air. The prodigious movement takes the ball past Moeen's pads and keeps going with the angle. Pant behind has no chance to stop it as he is seen fake diving to his right but the ball is way wide and goes to the boundary for four byes. Kee a count of the extra's conceeded today. |
| 72.2 : M Shami to Ben Stokes, Shami keeps it on a length outside off, Stokes comes forward to defend, taps it towards the point region and takes a single. |
| 72.3 : M Shami to Stokes, FOUR! Crisp from Stokes. Shami lands this one full and just outside off. Stokes comes forward, crouches a bit and creams this drive through covers for a magnificent boundary. The home team need Stokes to hang around for longer and play a substantial innings. |
| 72.4 : M Shami to Stokes, Way outside off, Stokes shoulders arms. |
| 72.5 : M Shami to Stokes, Toe-Crusher! Clever thinking by Shami as he tries to take the batsman by surprise by firing in a yorker on the middle and leg line. Stokes though does well to dig it out at the last moment. |
| 72.6 : M Shami to Stokes, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 73.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, On off, kept out. |
| 73.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, floats it up on off, Jadeja strokes it to mid on. |
| 73.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Slightly shorter on off, Ali rocks back and works it with the turn through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 73.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Quicker on off, Stokes goes back and guides it to covers. |
| 73.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Goes back and works it to mid-wicket with the turn. |
| 73.6 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Fires it on off, Stokes keeps it out. Ufff! How quick was that over bowled? Just Jadeja things. |
| Drinks! What a passage of play for the visitors! They have made their way back into this match by taking three important wickets. They would look to pick up some more and dent the home team's batting line-up before the end of play today. England, on the other hand, would want both their southpaws to build a strong partnership and hold fort till the last ball is bowled today. The third session to resume in a short while, hang around! |
| 74.1 : M Shami to Ali, On a length outside off, Moeen Ali makes a leave. This has been an innings in which he has shown a lot of patience. |
| 74.2 : M Shami to Ali, Good length again outside off, MA shoulders arms again. |
| 74.3 : M Shami to Ali, BEATEN AGAIN! Moeen Ali has really rode his luck. Those play and misses will be so frustrating for Shami. Again he bowls it full and outside off, Ali goes for the drive but gets beaten. |
| 74.4 : M Shami to Ali, FOUR! Caressed! A half-volley and Moeen Ali times it through covers. Need not run for those and Ali is now in the 40s. |
| 74.5 : M Shami to Ali, On the pads, it is worked fine down the leg side for a run. |
| 74.6 : M Shami to Stokes, On off, Stokes defends it on the ground. |
| 75.1 : R Jadeja to M Ali, Full on the pads, Moeen works it to mid-wicket. |
| 75.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, Uses his feet and whips it through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 75.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Floats it up on off, Ben lunges forward and defends it. |
| 75.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, FOUR! Tickled and tickled fine! On the pads, Stokes works it through short fine leg and the ball races away. |
| 75.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Ball hits the batsman low on the pads. |
| 75.6 : R Jadeja to Stokes, On off, Stokes defends it onto the ground. |
| Ishant Sharma is back on. |
| 76.1 : I Sharma to Ali, On a length outside off, left alone. |
| 76.2 : I Sharma to Ali, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 76.3 : I Sharma to Stokes, Good length outside off, Stokes lets it be. |
| 76.4 : I Sharma to Stokes, Back of a length on off, Ben defends it onto the ground. |
| 76.5 : I Sharma to Stokes, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| 76.6 : I Sharma to Stokes, Short of a length again on middle, Stokes defends it onto the ground. |
| 77.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Very full on off, Moeen Ali works it to mid-wicket. |
| 77.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, Flatter on off, Moeen defends it onto the ground. |
| 77.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Eases it through mid on and takes a run. |
| 77.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, That stayed low! That was really well played by Stokes. It pitches on off and then shoots along the ground. Stokes gets his bat down in time and keeps it out. |
| Jos Buttler is the new man in. |
| 77.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, OUT! Plumb in front! Jadeja gets his second and England have half the side back in the hut. Stokes walks back for yet another low score. Jadeja spears this in very full and quite quick. It was almost a yorker. Stokes just did not read the length there. He was initially looking to go for the sweep but then realized the shot is not on. He tried to adjust but was late to do so. The bat did not come down in time and the ball pings him on the pads. The players appeal and the |
| 77.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Off the mark with a flick through the leg side for a run. |
| 78.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, Sharma keeps the first ball of the over fuller outside off. Buttler watchfully lets it go past him. |
| 78.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, Beaten! Beauty from Sharma. Lands this one on a length just outside off. Buttler, seeing the initial angle on the delivery, gets sucked into a shot and tries to push at the ball. The nut pitches and nips away, beats the right-hander's outside edge. Sharma continues to impress. |
| 78.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, Buttler gets right behind the line of this one and keeps it out. |
| 78.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, A bit shorter and a bit outside off this, Buttler goes back and taps it into the point region. |
| 78.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, Buttler shoulders arms to this ball wide of off stump. |
| 78.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, Sharma ends the over with a tight line and length delivery in the corridor of uncertainty. But the attacking batsman gets behind the ball and blocks it solidly. |
| 79.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Slower through the air on middle, Ali works it through square leg and takes a single. |
| 79.2 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Floats it up on off, Buttler keeps it out. |
| 79.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Again slower through the air on off, Buttler pushes it to mid off. |
| 79.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Outside off, left alone. |
| 79.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Misfield and a few extra runs to England! On off, Buttler squeezes it towards point. The fielder there dives over the ball and the batsmen run two. |
| 79.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Flighted ball outside off, Buttler tries to slap it through the off side but gets an under edge to covers. Jadeja seems to be bowling a little slow to the right-hander. |
| 80.1 : I Sharma to Ali, A little too wide outside off, the batsman lets it be. The new ball is no available but has not been taken. |
| 80.2 : I Sharma to Ali, The bumper on middle, Moeen ducks under it. |
| 80.3 : I Sharma to Ali, BEAUTY! On a length around off, it pitches and straightens. Ali tries to keep it out but gets beaten. |
| 80.4 : I Sharma to Ali, A bumper and Moeen ducks under it. |
| 80.5 : I Sharma to Ali, Outside off, Ali leaves it. This has not been such a great over by Ishant, he has either bowled too wide or too short. |
| 80.6 : I Sharma to Ali, This time he bowls it a touch too straight. Moeen flicks it through mid-wicket and runs two. |
| 81.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Uses his feet and works it to mid on. |
| 81.2 : R Jadeja to M Ali, Floats it up on off, Moeen tucks it to mid-wicket. |
| 81.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Down the leg side and Ali lets it be. |
| 81.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 81.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, Fifty for Moeen Ali, his 13th in Tests. He has justified his selection with the ball in the last game and now contributing with the bat. Also, making a point as to why he should be batting at the no. 3 position. Not to forget, he was dropped on 2 and now he is making India pay for that. He whips this through mid-wicket and takes a run. He raises his bat to the pavilion. |
| 81.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, On off, blocked. |
| 82.1 : I Sharma to Ali, Sharma starts the new over with a fuller than good length delivery outside off. Moeen leaves it alone. |
| 82.2 : I Sharma to Ali, Similar delivery is given the same treatment. Rishabh collects. |
| 82.3 : I Sharma to Ali, OUT! What a Rippa! Sharma is rewarded for his persistence and consistency. Patience, that's the word. India now are right back in the match. Getting back to the ball, Sharma keeps this one on a length just marginally outside off. However, his angle from around the wicket entices Ali into a defensive push. The ball straightens on pitching, takes the outside edge and finishes in the mitts of Pant. England lose their sixth and India are right on top now. |
| Curran is the new batsman in. |
| 82.4 : I Sharma to Curran, Four Byes! bang in short, too short. Also a too wide down leg. Sharma tries to go for a bouncer but misses his radar. Pant tries hard to scamper, dive and stop it but fails. |
| 82.5 : I Sharma to Curran, OUT! A Beauty again! Two in an over for the visitors and the second time it's happened in this innings. It's a big one as England's star all rounder of the series, Sam Curran, is gone for a duck. Ishant keeps this one a bit shorter of good length outside the off stump line. Curran, trying to counter attack as he has done so successfully this series, goes back trying to leave the ball. However, his decision to leave is a bit late as the ball kisses the bottom of his bat |
| Adil Rashid is the new man in the middle. |
| 82.6 : I Sharma to Rashid, Fuller around off, Rashid gets forward and blocks it out. |
| 83.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Flighted ball on off, Buttler strokes it through covers and takes a run. |
| 83.2 : R Jadeja to Rashid, That has crisply been driven towards covers but for no runs. |
| 83.3 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Floats it up on off, Rashid pushes it to covers. |
| 83.4 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Turn there but way outside off, Rashid shoulders arms to it. |
| 83.5 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Fires it just outside off, Rashid lets it be. |
| 83.6 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Third leave in a row as it is once again bowled outside off. |
| 84.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, On a length around off, Buttler pushes it to covers. |
| 84.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, Good length again outside off, Buttler opts not to play with it. |
| 84.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, Outside off, Buttler again leaves it. |
| Has that been taken cleanly? The Indians surely feel so but the umpire has taken it upstairs. The soft signal is out. |
| 84.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, NOT OUT! Well, even if it had carried, it would not have made a difference as there was no bat involved there. However, a good ball by Ishant. He bowls a big inswinger. It comes in like a banana. Buttler hops and tries to keep it out but misses. The ball goes off something and lobs towards the slip cordon where Kohli takes it and appeals. The umpire though is not sure and I feel he goes upstairs for the catch. Replays roll in and they show a big gap between bat and bal |
| 84.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, FOUR! Trademark Buttler! Sharma bowls it just ahead of a length on off, Buttler leans into it and times it through covers for a boundary. |
| 84.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is back on. |
| 85.1 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Back of a length on off, Rashid defends it onto the ground. |
| 85.2 : J Bumrah to Rashid, On off, this one comes in with the angle. Rashid defends it onto the ground. |
| 85.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, FOUR BYES! Another one down the leg side, it swings away further. Pant once again has no chance and the ball races to the fine leg fence. |
| 85.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Back of a length again on off, Rashid gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 85.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 85.6 : J Bumrah to A Rashid, A big indipper on off, Rashid at the very last moment hits it towards long on. |
| Mohammed Shami is back on. |
| 86.1 : M Shami to Buttler, Back of a length on off, Buttler blocks it out. |
| 0.0 : Review time! Buttler has been given out LBW but he reviews it. Looks out unless there is an inside edge. |
| 86.2 : Shami to Jos Buttler, NOT OUT! And guess what? That is what saves him there. Buttler survives to fight another day. The crowed here erupts. Shami bowls it full and gets it to tail back in. Buttler tries to flick but he seems to have missed it. The ball hits him on the pads, the players appeal and the umpire raises his finger. Buttler asks his partner and then goes for the review. Time for the replays and to everybody's surprise it shows an inside edge. |
| 86.3 : M Shami to Buttler, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 86.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Nudges it around the corner and the batsmen take one. |
| 86.5 : M Shami to Rashid, Wide outside off, left alone. |
| 86.6 : M Shami to Rashid, On a length around off, Rashid blocks it onto the ground. |
| The second new ball has been taken! Three overs to go in the day, can they get the remaining three wickets with it. |
| 87.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Leg bye! Jasprit starts the over by keeping it on a good length around off, angling into Buttler. He tries to work it into the leg side with the angle but gets beaten and the ball raps him on his front pad. the batsmen run a leg bye to exchange strike. |
| 87.2 : J Bumrah to Rashid, FOUR! keeps it a bit shorter of a good length around off, Adil stays back in his crease, opens the bat face at the very last moment and glides the ball through the vacant gully area for a boundary. |
| 87.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Full ball on off is defended off the front foot. |
| 87.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Bouncer! The batsman ducks in time to let that one go over him. |
| 87.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Rashid has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 87.6 : J Bumrah to Rashid, To wide of off to tempt Rashid into a shot. |
| 88.1 : M Shami to Buttler, Shami starts the penultimate over of the day with a length ball outside off. Buttler has nothing to do with it. |
| 88.2 : M Shami to Buttler, Strays a bit on the batsman's pads, Jos flicks it towards mid-wicket and they change strike. |
| 88.3 : M Shami to Buttler, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. |
| 88.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Lands it shorter around off, defended off the back foot by Buttler. |
| 88.5 : M Shami to Buttler, Shami fires this one a bit straighter in line with the stumps. Buttler leans across and flicks it towards the square leg region to add a brace to the total. |
| 88.6 : M Shami to Buttler, Length ball outside off, Jos points his bat skywards. |
| 89.1 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Good start to the final over of the day. Keeps it very full on off. The ball has a bit of an away shape on it. Rashid does well to account for it and block it out. |
| 89.2 : Bumrah to Rashid, Half-hearted appeal by the touring team, declined by the umpire. Lands this one very full outside off. Adil reaches for the ball, misses it and Pant collects the nut behind and politely asks the question. Replays show that the ball bounced over the bat by a margin. |
| 89.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Smart from Bumrah as he goes for the block hole and executes it well. However, Rashid is alert enough to get his bat down in time and dig it out. |
| 89.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Keeps it a bit outside off, and Rashid is happy to leave it alone. |
| 89.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Tries to attack the stumps but overdoes it and strays it down the leg side. Adil tries flicking it but misses. Rishabh does well to pouch it behind. |
| 89.6 : Bumrah to Rashid, Another excellent yorker and it seems as though he has dug it out well. However, the Indians feel that the ball has hit his toe first and they go up in an appeal. The umpire is unmoved and Rashid survives. Replays show that the ball has hit the middle of his bat. THAT WILL BE STUMPS ON DAY ONE! |
| This session - 31 overs, 75 runs and 6 wickets. Probably the session which India needed, probably the session which turns the tide in their favor. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Cook and Jennings got off to an ideal start. The two added a 50-run stand and after that, Moeen and Cook both lived a charmed life and added another 50+ stand. Both got to their half tons and England entered the third session eyeing a big first innings total. |
| Though, that was not to be as Bumrah got rid of the well set Cook which opened the flood gates. Root and Bairstow were sent back for a duck each. Stokes and Ali did try to steady the ship but Jadeja then struck to get rid of Ben. Ishant then dismissed Ali and Curran in the same over. The tall fast bowler ended up being India's bowler of the day as he finished with a three-fer. |
| The day, however, could have turned even better for the visitors had Buttler not taken the review after being given out LBW. An inside edge, which was surprising to many, saved him. He though now holds the key for England. He has Rashid along with him, who is no mug with the bat and England would hope the two can take them somewhere close to 250. Whereas, India will look to bundle out the remaining wickets as soon as possible. We now take your leave from Day 1, join us for all the action on Day |
| ... Day 2, Session 1 ... |
| Hello and a warm welcome to our coverage of Day 2 of this 5th Test between the hosts, England, and India. So, after being behind the eight ball for a major part of the day, the bragging rights for the opening day were seized by the visitors. |
| Nonetheless, the hosts would now hope that their highest run-getter of the series, Jos Buttler, with some able support from the 'tail', takes them out of the danger zone and put up a fighting total on the board. The touring team, in contrast, would be keen on winding up the English innings as soon as possible before shifting their focus towards their willows. |
| Ishant Sharma, being interviewed on the boundary ropes, says it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride yesterday. Reckons that there was nothing in the wicket during the first session but later on, as the game progressed, the wicket got slightly quicker. Admits that both his colleagues, Shami and Bumrah, bowled really well and maintained constant pressure on the English batsmen. Mentions that they were always in the game as they did not allow the home team to score easily and gain control. States th |
| PITCH REPORT - Sanjay Manjrekar says, it's not as cold as yesterday and the conditions are slightly overcast but there is no fear of rain. Regarding the surface, he feels the Indian seamers bowled superbly on the opening day, used the conditions well and troubled the English batsmen. However, he also states that because of the Indian pacers' footmarks, especially Ishant Sharma's, a lot of rough has been created. Reckons this will benefit Moeen Ali. Ends by saying that the most important battle w |
| We are all set for the action to begin. Out come the Indian players along with the umpires. They are followed by, the birthday boy, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid who will resume their innings. Ishant Sharma has the second new ball in his hand which is relatively new. He has two slips in place. Here we go... |
| 90.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, Starts off with an inswinger but bowls it a little too wide outside off, Ishant was looking for the banana swing there. Does not get it and Buttler makes an easy leave. |
| 90.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, Play and a miss! The only reason I see Buttler having a poke at that was due to the previous ball. The last one came in, this one is also pitched around off but straightens. Buttler could have left it but he felt it was coming back in. He hangs his bat out and luckily for him gets beaten. |
| 90.3 : I Sharma to Jos Buttler, Slightly fuller and closer to the off pole. No swing this time. Buttler strokes it to mid off. |
| 90.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, Nicely bowled! Length again outside off, the outswinger this time. Buttler chases it but does not put bat on it. So Buttler is straightaway looking to score. |
| 90.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, A mild appeal but nothing from the umpire. Down the leg side. Buttler misses the flick, the ball brushes his pads and Pant behind takes it by diving to his left. The players appeal but the umpire is unmoved. |
| 90.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, Finishes a very good first over with a big booming inswinger. From outside off this one comes back in sharply. Buttler tries to flick but misses to get hit high on the pads. |
| Jasprit Bumrah to bowl from the other end. |
| 91.1 : J Bumrah to Rashid, FOUR! Classical shot there! First runs of the day and it comes in the form of a boundary. A stylish shot to bring up the 200. Full and outside off, Rashid needs no sighters. He plants his front foot forward and strokes it through covers for a boundary. |
| 91.2 : J Bumrah to Rashid, On the pads, Rashid fails to clip it away. It brushes his pads and goes towards the keeper. Two looseners to begin with by Bumrah. |
| 91.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Better from Bumrah. On a length and around off, Rashid is solid in defense. |
| 91.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, And again rocks back and defends it right underneath his eyes. Rashid looks really confident in the four balls he has faced. |
| 91.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Good change in length there, the surprise bumper. Rashid, however, is seeing the ball well out there and he is quick to duck under it. |
| 91.6 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Rashid keeps the strike with the single! The in-dipper by Bumrah. Rashid taps it towards point and takes a brisk single. |
| 92.1 : I Sharma to Rashid, Gets this one to tail back in but it is slightly short, Rashid misses the flick and is hit high on the pads. Ishant needs to get it a touch fuller as he is getting a little extra bounce due to his height. |
| 92.2 : I Sharma to Rashid, On a length again and around off, Rashid defends it. |
| 92.3 : I Sharma to Rashid, A huge appeal but not given! The Indians are not happy and rightly so as that looked very, very close. Ishant bowls this one a touch fuller than the previous delivers. Also gets this one to come back in. Rashid seems to have missed the ball as it hits him on the front pad. The Indians are pleading but the umpire stays put. Virat Kohli can't believe it but he can't do anything as they have no reviews left. Hold on now... replays later on show, even if India would have ha |
| 92.4 : I Sharma to Rashid, Tries an another inswinger but this does not move. Rashid shoulders arms to it. |
| 92.5 : I Sharma to Rashid, On off, this one is kept out. |
| 92.6 : I Sharma to A Rashid, Another excellent delivery to end another excellent over by Ishant. Once again though, he is guilty of bowling it slightly short outside off. The ball tails back in late. Rashid is forward in an attempt to defend but misses to get hit near the crouch. |
| 93.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, JB starts the over with a good length delivery outside off. The ball lands and seams further away but it is too wide to trouble Buttler, who leaves it alone. |
| 93.2 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Better from Bumrah, keeps this one a bit shorter of good length on the off stump line. The ball hits the deck and nips away slightly. Buttler does well to wait for the ball to arrive, account for the away movement and tap it into the cover-point region to take a quick single and change strike. |
| 93.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Length ball on middle is defended from the crease. |
| 93.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Beaten! That is much better from Jasprit. He lands this one on a length just on the off stump line and gets it to move away on pitching. Rashid looks to block it but gets beaten due to the deviation. |
| 93.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Good length delivery on the middle and off line, the ball lands and moves in this time. Rashid gets a bit cramped for room but keeps it away in the end. |
| 93.6 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Similar ball from Bumrah and Rashid blocks this one from within the crease. |
| 94.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, Sharma lands this on a length just outside off. Buttler tries to drive it hard through covers but the ball moves in on pitching. Buttler mistimes his drive to mid off. |
| 94.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, Flicks it with the swing towards fine leg and takes a run. |
| 94.3 : I Sharma to Rashid, A short ball on middle, Rashid gets on top of the bounce and nudges it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 94.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, Howzzat? Doing a little too much. Another good decision. Full and tailing back in from off. Buttler misses the flick to get hit on the pads. The players appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Hawk Eye later confirms that it would have missed the leg pole. |
| 94.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, Goes full again on off, Buttler strokes it crisply to mid off. |
| 94.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, Good length again, Buttler pushes it towards mid off and takes an easy run. |
| 95.1 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Nicely driven but there is a fielder in the deep. Jasprit bowls it full and outside off, Buttler hits it towards sweeper cover for a run. |
| 95.2 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Slightly outside off, Rashid need not play at those. |
| 95.3 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Another ball a little too wide outside off, Rashid shoulders arms to it. |
| 95.4 : J Bumrah to Rashid, Third ball in a row which is outside off, Adil makes his third leave in a row. Bumrah not as effective as he was yesterday till now. |
| 95.5 : J Bumrah to Rashid, FOUR! Excellent use of the wrists there. Full and on middle, with the angle, Rashid flicks it through mid-wicket and the ball races away. That went to the fence very quickly, no soul moved there. |
| 95.6 : J Bumrah to Rashid, A typical fast bowler's response, goes for a boundary on the last ball, this time he bangs it short, tries to roughen the batsman up. Rashid however, is up to the task and ducks under it. |
| 96.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, BYE! Another inswinger but Ishant errs in line. Bowls it down the leg side. Pant dives but fails to stop it cleanly, a bye is taken. |
| 96.2 : I Sharma to Rashid, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 96.3 : I Sharma to Rashid, Fuller again on middle, Rashid tries to drive it to mid on but gets it off the inner half towards mid-wicket. |
| 96.4 : I Sharma to Rashid, Another inswinger, maybe becoming a little too predictable here is Ishant. Rashid waits for it and then tucks it with the movement towards square leg for a run. |
| 96.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, Gets this one to hold its line but it is a little too wide. Buttler opts not to play at it. |
| 96.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, Better, again bowls the straighter one on off, Buttler however, gets right behind the line and defends it. |
| Up goes the finger and Rashid has been given his marching orders. He, though, has decided to review it. Looks close, however, the angle can just save him. |
| 97.1 : J Bumrah to Rashid, OUT! The angle does not save him as the ball is clipping the leg pole and it is umpire's call. England however, do not lose a review. India though, get the breakthrough they so desperately wanted today morning. End of the frustrating stand for India. Bumrah comes running in and bowls it around off, this one jags back in after pitching. Rashid is rooted in his crease as he tries to block it out but misses to get hit on the pads. The players appeal and the umpire, after |
| 0.0 : Stuart Broad is the new man in. |
| 97.2 : J Bumrah to Broad, Full and outside off, Broad square drives it through the off side for a run. Don't understand why Kohli had that man in the deep, Broad gets off the mark on his first ball. More importantly for England, Buttler is back on strike. |
| 97.3 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, EDGED AND FOUR! Back of a length on off, Buttler, away from his body, tries to push it through the off side. The ball takes the outside edge and goes just wide of the diving second slip fielder and into the fence. |
| 97.4 : J Bumrah to Buttler, The batsman has flicked the ball off his pads. |
| 97.5 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Another edge which goes wide of the second slip fielder. Virat though has a man at third man this time and only a single results. |
| 97.6 : J Bumrah to Broad, From around the wicket, he bangs it on a length around off. Broad tries to defend but gets it off the inner half towards square leg for a run. |
| 98.1 : I Sharma to Broad, Back of a length on off, defended towards point. This time Kohli has that man in the ring. |
| 98.2 : I Sharma to Broad, Short again on off, Broad pushes it towards covers for a run. |
| 98.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, Shortish again outside off, Buttler slaps it through covers for a run. |
| 98.4 : I Sharma to Broad, Lands this one very full on off, Broad drives it politely to mid off with soft hands. |
| 98.5 : I Sharma to Broad, FOUR! Beautiful shot! That will instill some confidence in the English pacer. Ishant keeps this fuller outside off. Broad comes forward and creams the drive through covers for a boundary. |
| 98.6 : I Sharma to Broad, Shorter in length and on the body. Broad gets inside the line and tucks it with the angle to deep fine leg for a single. |
| 99.1 : J Bumrah to Broad, Starts off with a rib-tickler, which surprises Broad. bangs it in on the leg stump line, but the angle is taking the ball across the batsman. Broad sways back a bit and lets the ball go past him. |
| 99.2 : J Bumrah to Broad, Strays on his pads, Broad tries to tuck it around but does not get bat on ball. |
| 99.3 : J Bumrah to Broad, Nice shot by Broad. Good length delivery around off stump, Stuart comes on the front foot and punches it through covers to take a brace. |
| 99.4 : J Bumrah to Broad, FOUR Leg byes! Bumrah misses his line and length on this one as he fires a knee high full toss at Broad's body. Luckily for the batsman, the ball swings in too much, brushes his thigh pad and runs down towards deep fine leg for a boundary. |
| 99.5 : J Bumrah to Broad, Bouncer! Broad has been hit on the gloves but the ball drops just besides his feet.. Good change of length from JB. |
| 99.6 : J Bumrah to Broad, Wide of off, left alone. |
| Shami comes in to bowl. |
| 100.1 : M Shami to Buttler, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. He shoulders arms. |
| 100.2 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, Much better from Shami as he lands this one on a good length on the middle and off line, with some away movement. Buttler does well to block it and the ball rolls towards the cover region. They take a quick single. |
| 100.3 : M Shami to Broad, A bit shorter of length on off, Broad, at the very last moment, opens his bat face and runs it down towards the third man region for another single. |
| 100.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Beauty! Shami gets this one to lands in the corridor of uncertainty. The ball pitches and moves away. Buttler, trying to go for the drive on the up, is beaten. |
| 100.5 : M Shami to Buttler, Short of a length on off, Buttler taps this one towards point to pick up a single. |
| 100.6 : M Shami to Broad, beaten outside off. keeps this one shorter of good length. It lands and moves away to beat Broad's outside edge. |
| 101.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Looks like Buttler has confidence in Broad. He takes a single off the first ball by tapping it into the point region for a single. |
| 101.2 : J Bumrah to Broad, Nasty! Banged in short angling towards Broad's head who does really well to duck under it at the last moment. Pant behind, leaps like a frog, to pouch it with his left glove. Nice take that by the young keeper. |
| 101.3 : J Bumrah to Broad, On the pads, flicked away into the square leg region for a single. |
| 101.4 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Pulls the length back a bit and keeps it around off. Buttler rocks onto the backfoot and punches the ball towards the cover-point region. One run added to the total. |
| 101.5 : J Bumrah to Broad, Too wide of off, left alone. |
| 101.6 : J Bumrah to Broad, Broad gets rapped on the pads but Survives. Broad keeps it in line with the stumps. Broad tries to flick it but misses and gets rapped on the pads. |
| 102.1 : M Shami to Buttler, Unlucky Shami! Beats the batsman again but is still wicketless in the innings. lands this one on a good length just outside off. Buttler looking to score fast runs goes for the big booming drive through the off side. The ball moves away on landing and beats Buttler's bat. |
| 102.2 : M Shami to Buttler, Gets a bit too straight, Buttler works it into the mid-wicket region to come back for a brace. |
| 102.3 : M Shami to Buttler, A bit too wide of off to entice the batsman into a shot. |
| 102.4 : M Shami to Buttler, A bit short on off, defended well off the back foot by Jos. |
| 102.5 : M Shami to Buttler, Buttler flicks this fuller one on middle towards the mid-wicket region and takes a single. |
| 102.6 : M Shami to Broad, The left-hander shows the full face of the bat and defends this straight ball off the back foot. |
| Drinks break. England have done well so far to survive the first hour by losing only one wicket. Jos Buttler is holding one end firmly and is adding vital runs to the total. A bit frustrating for India as once again they are struggling to get rid of the English tail. Change in plans now from the tourists, Ravindra Jadeja to bowl... |
| 103.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Flatter and shorter outside off, slapped to sweeper cover for a single. |
| 103.2 : R Jadeja to Broad, Flighted and full around off, Broad lunges and defends it back to the bowler. |
| 103.3 : R Jadeja to Broad, Tossed up delivery outside off, Broad got forward to drive and played it wide of backward point for three runs. |
| 103.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Buttler has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 103.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, FOUR! Very poor delivery by Jadeja. Drops it short and wide outside off, Buttler picks his area and whacks it square of the wicket on the off side. A boundary results. Vital runs these. 250 up for England, they still have two wickets in hand, how many more can they add? |
| 103.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Too wide outside off and an easy leave for Jos. A pretty harmless first over by RJ. |
| 104.1 : M Shami to Broad, Shami starts his first over after the break with a short ball but he has banged it well wide of off stump. Broad has absolutely no issues leaving it alone. |
| 104.2 : M Shami to Broad, Fuller but too wide again. Broad points his bat skywards. |
| 104.3 : M Shami to Broad, Leading edge but safe. Keeps it on a length on the middle stump line. The ball lands and moves away from Broad. Broad looking to work it into the leg side is squared up because of the movement and gets a leading edge. The ball flies over Shami's head and falls in between mid on and mid off.They take a single. |
| 104.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Outside off, left alone. |
| 104.5 : M Shami to Buttler, A bit shorter outside off, Buttler rocks back and punches it into the cover region to pick up another run. |
| 104.6 : M Shami to Broad, Strays on his pads, Broad taps it to square leg. |
| 105.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Easy runs here for Buttler. India leaking runs. Jadeja bowls this short and outside off, Buttler punches through covers to take a single. |
| 105.2 : R Jadeja to Broad, Fuller on his pads, Broad flick it to square leg to pick up another run. |
| 105.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, A bit slower and straighter. Buttler defends off the front foot. |
| 105.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, A flatter and shorter in length ball outside off is cut fiercely into the point region and Buttler adds a brace to the total. |
| 105.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Tapped towards point. No run. |
| 105.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Punches this one into the cover region for yet another easy single. Not impressive this from the visitors. |
| 106.1 : M Shami to Buttler, A good length this and also a very good line around off. However, Jos is too good a form to get beaten by this. He defends solidly. |
| 106.2 : M Shami to Buttler, Lands it fuller but outside off, Buttler leaves. |
| 106.3 : M Shami to Buttler, A bit shorter in length outside off, Jos punches this off the back foot into the cover-point region to add a run. |
| 106.4 : M Shami to Broad, Broad shoulders arms to this wide of off delivery. |
| 106.5 : M Shami to Broad, Beats the bat again. Shami might not have beaten the batsmen so many times in a single innings in his life! It might be some kind of a record - Most misses induced or highest deliveries beating the bat, may be? |
| 106.6 : M Shami to Broad, FOUR! That's a shot even a top order batsman will be proud off. Shami keeps it a bit short of good length, Broad transfer his wait on the front foot and makes contact with the ball simultaneously, hence the super timing. The ball flies past mid on's right and races to the boundary. England recovering well. |
| Ishant Sharma is back on. |
| 107.1 : I Sharma to Buttler, Buttler walks down the wicket and also shuffles across to cover the swing. But the ball comes back in very sharply. Buttler is cut into half as there a noise as the ball goes between bat and pad. There is a stifled appeal from the Indians but nothing from the umpire. The noise was of the bat hitting the pad. |
| 107.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, FOUR! Right in gap! Buttler moves into the 40s, also it brings up the 50-run stand between the two. Another annoying stand for the Indians but a vital one for England. This is full and on the pads, Buttler flicks it through square leg and the ball races away. |
| 107.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, Shortish in length outside off, Buttler chops it towards point for a run. |
| 107.4 : I Sharma to Broad, Short again on off, Broad guides it towards point. |
| 107.5 : I Sharma to Broad, Broad now makes room, Ishant bowls it way outside off. Broad reaches out for it and gets it off the toe end towards deep point for a run. 31 shy of the 300 run mark now England. |
| 107.6 : I Sharma to Buttler, With another single, Buttler keeps the strike. Back of a length on off, Buttler pushes it through covers for a run. |
| 108.1 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Streaky! But as they say, luck favors the brave. Buttler has been brave and the visitors the opposite. Shami starts the over with a beautiful delivery. Keeps it on a good length around off. Buttler goes for the drive on the up with no foot movement. However, the ball moves away on landing and takes Buttler's outside edge and flies towards the slip cordon. The Indians here are not brave enough as they have just two slips in. The ball flies through the third sl |
| 108.2 : M Shami to Buttler, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 108.3 : M Shami to Buttler, Buttler punches this crisply through covers to add a brace to the total. Jos reaches his half century and it's is a very important one for the hosts. |
| 108.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Wide of off again, Buttler shoulders arms. No need to take risks as runs are coming easily. |
| 108.5 : M Shami to Buttler, Fuller around off, Buttler leans forward and drives it towards the cover region for a single. India letting it slip now. |
| 108.6 : M Shami to Broad, Good line and length from Shami. Broad shows respect by confidently defending it. |
| 109.1 : I Sharma to Broad, Nicely played again! Back of a length on off, Broad with soft hands guides it through backward point for a run. |
| 109.2 : I Sharma to Buttler, Full and on off, Buttler times it towards mid off but for no runs. |
| 109.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, On a length and it comes back into the batsman. Buttler off the back foot keeps it out. |
| 109.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, FOUR! Exceptional! Buttler at his best! A half-volley and Buttler says thank you so much, he leans into it and strokes it through covers for a boundary. |
| 109.5 : I Sharma to Buttler, Shorter in length outside off, Buttler pushes it through covers and takes a run. |
| 109.6 : I Sharma to Broad, A brace to end a good over for England! 8 from it. Outside off, Broad reaches out for it. Gets it through cover-point and runs two. |
| 110.1 : M Shami to Buttler, Well bowled. keeps it on a good length fractionally outside off. The ball lands and moves away. Buttler watchfully lets it go. |
| 110.2 : M Shami to Buttler, And luck is still unhappy with Shami. He gets the edge again but not a wicket. Lands it on a length around on middle and gets it to deviate away on hitting the deck. Buttler, from his crease, tries to keep it out but gets an outside edge. The ball rolls towards the vacant gully region for yet another brace. Hard luck Shami! |
| 110.3 : M Shami to Buttler, Beaten..again! A typical Shami delivery. On a good length around off, moving away. Batsman gets sucked into the drive and gets beaten. This has become a copy paste stuff for me now. |
| 110.4 : M Shami to Buttler, Fires it on his pads and gets flicked to the square leg region for a single. |
| 110.5 : M Shami to Broad, This is probably the one hundred and twenty first time the ball has beaten the bat of Shami's bowling. This time it's the southpaw who is beaten. Shami from around the wicket keeps it on a length around off and nips away just slightly. Broad goes for the drive and as per the rule, gets beaten. |
| 110.6 : M Shami to Broad, Fuller and straighter, defended off the front foot. |
| 111.1 : Sharma to Buttler, Sharma angles this one into Buttler and lands it a bit shorter of good length. Buttler fails to make contact and is rapped on the thigh pad. The ball deflects into the cover region and the batsmen take a single. |
| 111.2 : I Sharma to Broad, Strays on Broads pads and he flicks it nonchalantly to the square leg region for one more. |
| 111.3 : I Sharma to Buttler, Fuller and attacking the stumps, Buttler lunges forward and blocks it out with a straight bat. |
| 111.4 : I Sharma to Buttler, A bit shorter on middle and off, Buttler goes back, taps it into the point region and runs through to add a run to his and England's total. |
| 111.5 : I Sharma to Broad, FOUR! If you slash, slash hard! Broad does exactly that as he sees the width on this short of a length ball. Goes for the fierce slash, gets a top edge and the ball flies over the slip cordon for a boundary. The hosts motoring along. |
| 111.6 : I Sharma to Broad, Keeps it outside off, Broad leaves. |
| 112.1 : M Shami to Buttler, Shami starts with a one on Buttler's pads. Jos flicks it through mid-wicket to get a single. Looks like the visitors are losing faith and it is evident that their intensity is dropping. |
| 112.2 : M Shami to Broad, Shorter in length around off, defended off the back foot. |
| 112.3 : M Shami to Broad, Bowls this one outside off, broad leaves it alone. |
| 112.4 : M Shami to S Broad, Edge found but single results. Shami continues with the tight line and length, Broad looking to keep it out pushes at it but gets a thick outside edge. the ball rolls towards the third man region for a single. |
| 112.5 : M Shami to Buttler, And the never-ending story continues. A bowler lands this on a length around off, the batsman is beaten. |
| 112.6 : M Shami to Buttler, This time it's good news for Shami. Buttler leaves this one instead of getting beaten and add to India's frustration. |
| 113.1 : I Sharma to Broad, Fires it wide of off, angling across Stuart. He's very happy to shoulder arms. |
| 113.2 : I Sharma to Broad, A solid front foot defense this from Broad. That was like a proper batsman. |
| 113.3 : I Sharma to Broad, Sharma is the victim this time as he lands this one on a good length on off, angling across Broad. The left-hander tries to poke at it but the ball misses the bat. |
| 113.4 : I Sharma to Broad, Shorter in length, blocked out off the back foot. |
| 113.5 : I Sharma to Broad, And England's 300 comes up with this double. They were 181 for 7 at one stage yesterday but have done magnificently well to reach where they are now. Sharma on Broad's pads, Stuart gets across and tucks it into the leg side for a brace. |
| 113.6 : I Sharma to Broad, Wide of off stump, left alone. |
| 114.1 : Shami to Buttler, Starts a new over with a bit shorter of a good length on the middle stump line. The ball lands and seams in a bit. Buttler, looking to flick it, misses and gets rapped on the pads because of the inward movement on the ball. The ball is missing leg stump though. They take a quick leg bye too. |
| 114.2 : M Shami to Broad, Not the outside edge but it's the inside edge this time as Broad goes hard at it with a drive. Shami is lucky enough to find the edge this time but the ball deflects towards the square leg region for the English pair to exchange the strike one more time. |
| 114.3 : M Shami to Buttler, A bit shorter of a good length, just outside off. Buttler stays back and taps it towards the point region to pick up a single. |
| 114.4 : M Shami to Broad, This time it's the number 10 batsman who opens his bat face at the last moment and steers this towards the third man area. One more run to be added in the home side's total. |
| 114.5 : M Shami to Buttler, Buttler is well set and will not play at these wide ones outside off stump. |
| 114.6 : M Shami to Buttler, Wide again but at the other side of the poles this time. Shami fires it down the leg side. Jos looks to flick it but misses the ball. Pant collects it with ease. THAT'S LUNCH ON DAY 2. |
| What a session for the hosts! How many of you would have thought they would cross the 300-run mark at the start of the day? Well if you did so, you should surely buy yourself a lottery ticket because it has been a commendable effort by them. It is once again, that man, who has been exceptional for them down the order, Jos Buttler. He walks off to a standing ovation from the crowd and his teammates. He deserves every bit of it as he has not only bailed his team out of trouble but now has put them |
| The Indians entered into Day 2 with a thought of restricting the English side to something under 250 but that was not meant to be. History repeated itself, as once again, the hosts' lower order has come to haunt them. It was Rashid and Buttler at the start who frustrated the visitors with a 33-run stand. Bumrah did get the breakthrough but the frustration did not end there. Broad then joined forces with Buttler and the two now are closing in on a 100-run stand. |
| More than 100 runs were scored in this session and England are not done yet. They still have two wickets to go and would now be eyeing to get somewhere close to the 350-run mark. The away side, on the other hand, has bowled well but just did not have luck on their side. They would hope the break changes their fortunes and they get rid of the remaining two wickets as quickly as possible. Join us for the second session in a while. |
| ... Day 2, Session 2 ... |
| We are back for the post lunch session. The Indian players make their way out to the middle along with the two umpires. The English pair of Buttler and Broad walk out and the latter will be on strike. |
| Jadeja to start after the break. He has a slip and a short leg. |
| 115.1 : R Jadeja to S Broad, Starts with a faster one around off, Broad pushes it to the off side. |
| 115.2 : R Jadeja to Broad, Paddles this slower ball on off to the fine leg region for a single. |
| 115.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Opens the bat face and gets it to third man for another easy brace. |
| 115.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, A flash and a miss. Jadeja turning it square at such pace, not easy to get under his deliveries. Jos looks to hoick it over covers from his crease but fails to connect with the ball. |
| 115.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot. |
| 115.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Guides the shortish ball to square leg and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| Bumrah to share the attack. |
| 116.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Short of a length ball around off, Buttler punches it off the back foot through covers and takes a run. Bumrah has five balls to remove Broad. |
| 116.2 : J Bumrah to Broad, Chops the back of a length ball to covers for no run. |
| 116.3 : J Bumrah to Broad, Good stop! Saves a certain boundary there does Indian skipper. Broad gets a thick outside edge to the fullish ball on off. Kohli at third slip gets his left hand out and manages to stop the ball going past him but can't save the single though. |
| 116.4 : J Bumrah to Buttler, On the pads, flicked to mid-wicket for another easy single. |
| 116.5 : J Bumrah to Broad, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot. |
| 116.6 : J Bumrah to Broad, Another length ball on off, Broad defends it down the ground for no run. He has looked solid in his approach. Have edged quite a lot but didn't threw away his wicket. |
| 117.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Pushed through by Jaddu again on off. Jos goes back and punches it through the off side for a run. |
| 117.2 : R Jadeja to Broad, On the pads, pushed to the on side for nothing. |
| 117.3 : R Jadeja to Broad, OUT! What. A. Catch! Guess who's the Superman? The star in the slip cordon, KL Rahul. He has caught an exceptional one in the deep this time. Broad finally had enough of defending the balls out as he goes for a wild hoick over the long on fence. He lines up the quicker delivery on middle and off from Jadeja and lofts it over the infield. Rahul runs back from mid on and keeps his eyes on the ball. Just at the last moment, he dive in front to held on to it. He stands up |
| Last man, James Anderson walks in. |
| 117.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 117.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Shortish in line of the stumps, pushed back. |
| 117.6 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Drives the full ball down the ground and keeps the strike. End of a successful over for Jadeja. |
| 118.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Fullish around off, pushed to mid off for no run. |
| 118.2 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Crisp! Buttler is oozing class right now. He flicks this fuller ball on his pads through mid-wicket. Dhawan runs from square leg and puts his foot between the ropes. Saves a couple there. |
| 118.3 : J Bumrah to Jos Buttler, Outside off, on a length, punched to the mid off for another easy run. |
| 118.4 : J Bumrah to Anderson, Hangs back to play out the full delivery. |
| 118.5 : J Bumrah to Anderson, A play and a miss. A length ball outside off, Anderson looks to poke at it but misses. |
| 118.6 : J Bumrah to Anderson, Shows the full face and keeps it out onto the pitch for no run. |
| 119.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Buttler looks to go for the reverse sweep but fails to find the gap at point. |
| 119.2 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Jaddu-speed, which means a flat darter, on off, defended. |
| 119.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Plants his front foot down the track to defend it nicely. |
| 119.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, A fierce square cut for no run. Buttler chops the shortish ball from the back foot and Dhawan in the deep, stops it from going past. Buttler denies the single as well. |
| 119.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, The batsman rocks onto the back foot and punches the ball. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 119.6 : R Jadeja to Anderson, Hangs back and keeps it out off the back foot. |
| 120.1 : J Bumrah to Buttler, SIX! And T20 mode it is. What a swat that was. Buttler and his power. He gets a length ball on off and Buttler pulls the trigger from there. A swat across the line and it goes up and over the mid-wicket fence and into the crowd. 500 runs for Buttler in the season as well. Bang! |
| 120.2 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Short of a length ball around off, pushed to covers. |
| 120.3 : J Bumrah to Buttler, SIX! Boom! Short ball but Buttler is unfazed by that. Bumrah looks to surprise the batsman with the bumper but Buttler hooks it from the top half of his blade. It sailed over the fence and into the crowd once again. |
| 120.4 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Nice. This is a good contest now. Seeing Buttler changing gears, Bumrah gets into the T20 mode as well. He bowls a slower ball outside off and entices Buttler into a shot. He does exactly that but is late on it. It goes uppishly but in the gap so no harm done. |
| 120.5 : J Bumrah to Buttler, Pushes this ball through covers and takes a run. |
| 120.6 : J Bumrah to Anderson, The batsman tries flicking a ball that is down the leg side but misses. |
| 121.1 : R Jadeja to Buttler, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 121.2 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Gets in line and defends the flatter ball on off. |
| 121.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Kohli misfields to allow Buttler a brace. Not something you'd see e'rryday. A tossed up ball outside off and Buttler drives it. The misfield in the inner ring from Kohli. Rahul runs from long off to cut out the batsmen for two. |
| 121.4 : R Jadeja to Buttler, In line of the stumps, defended. Some change in the field as just two balls are left now. |
| 121.5 : R Jadeja to Buttler, Outside off, left alone. |
| 121.6 : R Jadeja to Jos Buttler, OUT! Taken, a four-fer for Jadeja! A beautiful innings from Buttler comes to an end. The change in field does wonders for RJ and India. Jadeja tosses this one on off and turns it away from Buttler. He goes after it from his crease and with hard hands. But the ball spins away to take the outside edge and flies towards Rahane standing as the lone slip. That's travelling and Ajinkya really showed good reflexes to grab it. Buttler misses out on a well-deserved century |
| That's the end of the sheer will and grit from the English lower order. They hung around long enough to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Broad's perseverance finally ended as he went for the big hit against Jadeja and ended up breaking the 98-run stand. Buttler looked to up the ante and managed to get a few in the middle as well. He too lost to Jadeja in the end. Another class innings from him meant Innings holds the steering wheel and they can steer this Test now. |
| 0.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Off the mark first ball! Anderson starts with a back of a length delivery in the channel around off. Rahul stays back footed and punches it through covers for three runs. India are away as well. |
| 0.2 : J Anderson to Dhawan, Anderson switches to 'round the wicket for Dhawan but he slips a length ball down the leg side. It's left alone and Bairstow dives across to his right to collect the ball. A good warm-up for the keeper. |
| 0.3 : J Anderson to Dhawan, Serves it on a length and just outside off, holding its line after pitching, Dhawan stays back to cover his stumps and then shoulders arms. |
| 0.4 : J Anderson to Dhawan, Closer to the off stump this time. It's on a length and Dhawan is forced to defend it from the back foot. |
| 0.5 : J Anderson to Dhawan, Fine shot! A touch short and outside off, Dhawan rises with the bounce and steers it through point. Moeen chases it down near the rope as the ball slows down. They take a couple of runs. Dhawan is off the mark as well. |
| 0.6 : J Anderson to Dhawan, Straying down the leg side, Dhawan clips it off his pads and places it through square leg for one. |
| Stuart Broad to share the attack. |
| 1.1 : S Broad to Dhawan, Dhawan has been given out LBW. Looks very close though. He has a chat with Rahul and then signals 'T' to the umpire. But, he was so engrossed into his discussion with his partner that it seems he forgot about the 15 sec rule of DRS. As soon as he signals for the review the umpire inform him that the 15 secs are over and he cannot review it now. Dhawan, dejected, walks back with face down. India lose their first. Can the hosts make more inroads? Replays show that the impac |
| Cheteshwar Pujara is the new batsman in. |
| 1.2 : S Broad to Pujara, Che is welcomed with a full pitch one around off, Pujara drives it politely to mid off, very Pujara-like. |
| 1.3 : S Broad to Pujara, On a good length just outside off. Pujara comes forward and blocks it out. |
| 1.4 : S Broad to Pujara, Wide of off stump, Pujara will leave those all day long. |
| 1.5 : S Broad to Pujara, keeps it in line with the stumps and a bit behind a good length. CP rocks back and keeps it out from his crease. |
| 1.6 : S Broad to Pujara, Solid defense from a solid player. Broad keeps this last nut of the over on a good length around off. Pujara gets in line of the delivery and blocks it out. |
| 2.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Outside off, left alone. |
| 2.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, On a length around off, KL defends it down. |
| 2.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, This one comes in sharply. Rahul plays it late from his crease and taps it down adjacent to the pitch. |
| 2.4 : J Anderson to L Rahul, A thick edge but doesn't carry. Rahul does well to play it with soft hands. The ball takes the outside edge but no harm as it goes to third slip on a bounce. |
| 2.5 : J Anderson to L Rahul, FOUR! Class! Not the kind of shot you'd see everyday. Anderson lands this one shortish around off and KL goes back to late cut it through slip cordon and gully. The ball beats the gully fielder and races to the fence. |
| 2.6 : J Anderson to L Rahul, Driven towards the mid-off region. |
| 3.1 : S Broad to Pujara, On off, on a length, kept out. |
| 3.2 : S Broad to Pujara, Outside off, left alone. |
| 3.3 : S Broad to Pujara, Swings in prodigiously. Pujara plays it late and with the swing to the on side. |
| 3.4 : S Broad to Pujara, A play and a miss. So close to the edge. Broad bowls a short of a length ball around off and entices CJ with a shot, who does that exactly. He though fails to get in line of the ball and gets beaten. Some oohs and aahs in the English camp. |
| 3.5 : S Broad to Pujara, Comes in with the angle again. Pujara clips it off his pads and takes a run. |
| 3.6 : S Broad to Rahul, Another in swinger from Broad. Rahul hangs back and shows the full face of the bat. The ball goes through the off side and a ru is taken. |
| Ben Stokes comes in to bowl. |
| 4.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, FOUR! Goodness, gracious! This is out of the top bracket from Rahul. Stokes dishes a full ball outside off. Rahul sees the width and lines it up. He gets low, gets his bat under the ball and lofts it up and over. The ball lands just inside the fence but not before the crows applauds the beauty of a shot that was. |
| 4.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Tucks this length ball to the on side and takes a quick single. He lost his shoe in the process but he was comfortably in. |
| Comedy of errors here. Rahul lost his shoe while taking a run and it follows his for a couple for seconds. Stokes, ever so helpful, picks it up for him, gets the laces untied and hands it over to Rahul. |
| 4.3 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, On middle and leg, tucked to mid-wicket for another easy run. |
| 4.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Wrists the shortish ball through the on side and takes a single. |
| 4.5 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, On a length, outside off, left alone. |
| 4.6 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 5.1 : S Broad to Rahul, In the air... and safe! Rahul is looking to be aggressive and rightly so but this time, he fails to get the timing right. He gets a full ball on off. Looks to loft it over the infield but gets it off the outer half of the bat. The ball goes over the head of the fielder at mid off and a run is taken in the end. |
| 5.2 : S Broad to Pujara, Back of a length ball, defended. |
| 5.3 : S Broad to Pujara, Similar line and length from Broad and Pujara is happy to block it out. |
| 5.4 : S Broad to Pujara, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 5.5 : S Broad to Pujara, FOUR! Touch of Pujara on display. Broad errs in line and bowls it on the pads. CJ tucks it fine and gets it to fine leg for a boundary. |
| 5.6 : S Broad to Pujara, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 6.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Shortish outside off, pushed through cover-point and a run taken. |
| 6.2 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Outside off, left alone. |
| 6.3 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Hangs back to play the back of the ball onto the pitch. |
| 6.4 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Another solid defense from Che. A length ball, coming in with the angle and it meets the full face of the bat of Pujara. |
| 6.5 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Hangs back and keeps it to off the back foot. He is playing the deliveries coming in very nicely and late. |
| 6.6 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Played to mid-wicket region by the batsman. |
| 7.1 : S Broad to Rahul, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 7.2 : S Broad to Rahul, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 7.3 : S Broad to Rahul, Gets behind the length ball and keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 7.4 : S Broad to Rahul, Square drives the full ball outside his off stump to the fielder at deep backward point region. A run taken. |
| 7.5 : S Broad to Pujara, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 7.6 : S Broad to C Pujara, FOUR! Great effort from Buttler but couldn't stop the boundary there. Che punches the length ball off the front foot and through covers. Buttler there runs after it, dives in front, pushes it back but it hits his foot and hits the fence. The umpire signals a boundary. |
| 8.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Looks to cut the short ball but couldn't get it past the point fielder. |
| 8.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Driven through mid off by the batsman. |
| 8.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, The batsman manages only a bottom edge on that one. |
| 8.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, FOUR! Short and pulled handsomely over fine leg region. Stokes targets the grille and Rahul is up to it. He goes after it and gets it to the fence. |
| 8.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 8.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Outside off, left alone by KL. |
| Anderson is brought back for another spell. |
| 9.1 : J Anderson to Pujara, Starts with an outswinger around off and Che defends it to the off side. |
| 9.2 : J Anderson to Pujara, Gets behind the line of this length ball and keeps it out. |
| 9.3 : J Anderson to Pujara, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 9.4 : J Anderson to Pujara, Full, wide of off, left alone by Pujara. |
| 9.5 : J Anderson to Pujara, Another easy leave to the length ball outside off. |
| 9.6 : J Anderson to Pujara, Nothing doing to the ball in the same corridor. Watchful Pujara is happy to let it pass to the keeper. |
| The ball has been changed in between the overs for some reason. Root showed it to Pujara who wanted to have a feel of it but the request was declined by the English skipper. No love lost there. |
| 10.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Comes forward to defend the length ball onto the ground. |
| 10.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Short on off, defended. |
| 10.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On the 5th stump channel from Stokes and Rahul looks to have a feel of it but misses. |
| 10.4 : Ben Stokes to L Rahul, FOUR! Whenever Rahul drives, it pleases the eyes. This may sound like a poetry but that's how his batting style is. It brings the poet out of the person watching him. A full ball from Ben on off, Rahul comes forward, gets on top of it and drives it through covers. A boundary results. |
| 10.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 10.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Short outside off, cut through cover-point for a run. |
| 11.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Beaten! That's a typical Jimmy delivery and beats the batsman. Lands this one on a length around off. The line is very near to the off pole and hence it draws a poke from KL. The ball pitches and moves away further to beats the opener's outside edge. Luckily for Rahul, he's still out there. |
| 11.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, This short of a length delivery lands on off and nips back in. The inward nip surprises Pujara as he tries to whip it but gets hit on the thigh pad. |
| 11.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Fuller one around off. Rahul looks to defend off the front foot but gets a bottom edge and the ball rolls towards covers. |
| 11.4 : J Anderson to L Rahul, Keeps it on a length just outside off. Rahul taps it towards point to steal a single. |
| 11.5 : J Anderson to Pujara, Wider one this, Pujara points his bat to the clouds. |
| 11.6 : J Anderson to Pujara, Good finish to the over from England's highest wicket taker. Dishes this on a length around off. The ball seams in on landing and takes Pujara's inner edge as he's looking to keep it out and deflects onto his thigh pad. |
| 12.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Short of a length ball around off, pushed to the off side for no run. A run taken. |
| 12.2 : Ben Stokes to C Pujara, On a length, outside off, Che reaches for it and gets an outside edge. The ball rolls towards the slip cordon. |
| 12.3 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Pujara defends it from within the crease. |
| 12.4 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, A bumper! Pujara ducks under it. |
| 12.5 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Another bouncer and another easy duck for Pujara. |
| 12.6 : Ben Stokes to Pujara, Around off, pushed to the off side. No run taken. |
| 13.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Starts the new over with a good length delivery on the off stump line. Rahul defends it solidly. |
| 13.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Similar delivery and similar solidity shown by Lokesh. |
| 13.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Jimmy pulls his length back a bit and that is enough for Rahul to go back and punch it into the cover region and change strike. |
| 13.4 : J Anderson to Pujara, Short of a length ball on off, Pujara has kept it out off the back foot. |
| 13.5 : J Anderson to Pujara, Good consistency from England's premium pacer. A similar ball to the previous one and blocked by Pujara in a similar way. |
| 13.6 : J Anderson to Pujara, Outside the off stump line, Pujara has pulled his bat near his body. The ball whizzes past his bat and into Bairstow's mitts. |
| Sam Curran, the hero for England in this series, comes into the attack. |
| 14.1 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Sam starts his spell by landing the nut just back of a length on off and angling away. Rahul stands tall and blocks it onto the ground. |
| 14.2 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Sam throws it a bit wider, tempting Rahul to go for it. KL has good patience to let it go through without flirting with it. |
| 14.3 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Shorter of a good length and attacking the stumps, Lokesh defends off the back foot. |
| 14.4 : Sam Curran to Rahul, This time Rahul waits for this length ball to come near him and opens the bat face very late to tap it into the point region and take a single. |
| 14.5 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Sam attacks his pads, Pujara flicks it but straight to square leg. |
| 14.6 : Sam Curran to Pujara, keeps it tight on off, Pujara respects the line and length by getting behind the line of the ball and defending it onto the ground. |
| Moeen Ali, England's trump card, comes into the attack. |
| 15.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up on his pads, flicked to the square leg fielder. |
| 15.2 : M Ali to Rahul, A similar ball on his pads and this time he flicks it into the gap towards the square leg region and gets an easy single. |
| 15.3 : M Ali to Pujara, Ali fires this flatter and on the middle and leg line. Pujara tries to whip it into the leg side but misses and gets rapped on the pads. |
| 15.4 : Ali to Pujara, Tossed up delivery in line with the stumps. Pujara comes ahead to block it but is beaten and gets hit on the helmet. England ask the question but the umpire refuses. |
| 15.5 : M Ali to Pujara, Dropped! That too by the guy retiring soon, very soon. Was very difficult though. Ali tosses this one a bit slower and a bit behind the full length in line of the stumps. |
| 15.6 : M Ali to C Pujara, FOUR. |
| 16.1 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Short ball angled across KL, he cuts it through cover-point and changes strike. |
| 16.2 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 16.3 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The ball is too wide on the off side for Che to make any contact. |
| 16.4 : Sam Curran to Pujara, A play and a miss. Around the off stump from Curran. Pujara looks to play it from his crease but fails to connect. |
| 16.5 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 16.6 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Outside off, left alone. |
| 17.1 : M Ali to Rahul,Flatter and a bit shorter on off, Rahul stays back and defends. |
| 17.2 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up around off, Rahul shows the full face of his bat and blocks it onto the ground. |
| 17.3 : M Ali to Rahul, Slower and a bit fuller on the stumps, Rahul comes forward and drives it cleanly to mid on to take a single. |
| 17.4 : M Ali to Pujara, Tossed up in line with the stumps, blocked out off the front foot. |
| 17.5 : M Ali to Pujara, Skidder from Moeen, on a fuller length around off. Pujara, instead of coming forward, stays back and tries to keep it out.. The ball skids, takes a thick outside edge and rolls towards the point region to allow the batsmen to run through for a single. |
| 17.6 : M Ali to Rahul, A shorter in length delivery, just outside off is punched off the back foot into the cover-point region to get a brace for the visiting team. That's Tea on Day 2. |
| End of another exciting session. After getting the remaining two wickets, India had a bad start once again. Dhawan misjudged the line of the inswinger and Broad got him right in front of the sticks. However, after his dismissal, things have calmed down for the visitors. Rahul and Pujara have played sensibly and didn't allow any more hiccups. Rahul has been the aggressor and hence, he has managed to score 35, his second best in this series till now. The ball is still doing enough and the contest |
| ... Day 2, Session 3 ... |
| The last session is about to get underway. Players from both the sides are out in the middle. Pujara will be on strike. Sam Curran will continue for England. Here we go again... |
| 18.1 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Starts with the short of a length ball on off, Pujara defends. |
| 18.2 : Sam Curran to Pujara, FOUR! Cuts and cuts hard. Curran dishes another short ball outside off and Che cuts it fiercely through backward point for the first boundary after the break. 50-run stand is up between the duo. |
| 18.3 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The batsman has driven it through mid on. |
| 18.4 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Gets behind the line of this one and keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 18.5 : Sam Curran to Pujara, On the hips, clipped fine for a run. |
| 18.6 : Sam Curran to Rahul, On a length outside off, defended. |
| Moeen Ali to share the attack from the other end. |
| 19.1 : M Ali to Pujara, Tossed up outside off, Pujara comes forward and blocks it. |
| 19.2 : M Ali to Pujara, Similar line and tossed up there. Che defends it with a straight bat. |
| 19.3 : M Ali to Pujara, Comes charging down to play the floated ball on off and punches it back to the bowler. |
| 19.4 : M Ali to Pujara, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 19.5 : M Ali to Pujara, Short outside off, cut off the back foot for a run. |
| 19.6 : M Ali to Rahul, Four Byes! Uuf! Risky stuff from KL. He looks to sweep the slower floated ball and it goes agonizingly close to the stumps without touching anything. The slip fielder tries to cut it down and so does the fielder running from the square leg region but both fail. Ali has his hands on his head as he knows he could have had him there. Nonetheless, four byes stolen and more importantly for India, Rahul survives. |
| 20.1 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 20.2 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Full ball on off, driven to mid off for no run. |
| 20.3 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Shortish around the same channel, Che punches it off the back foot through covers and takes a brace. |
| 20.4 : Sam Curran to C Pujara, Again short around the rib-cage. Pujara swivels and pulls it to deep square leg for a couple. |
| 20.5 : Sam Curran to Pujara, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 20.6 : Sam Curran to Pujara, Down the leg side, Pujara failed to get bat to it. |
| 21.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Lands the ball again in the rough and it turns in to Rahul. He comes forward to defend and gets and inside edge to the fine leg region. One run taken. |
| 21.2 : M Ali to Pujara, Outside off, tossed up, Che fails to get bat on ball and gets hit on his pads. |
| 21.3 : M Ali to Pujara, Fullish on the pads, clipped but straight to the short mid-wicket fielder. |
| 21.4 : M Ali to Pujara, Che comes down the track to smother the spin but get on the pads again. No harm done in the end. |
| 21.5 : M Ali to Pujara, The floated delivery in line of the stumps is pushed to mid on for a single. |
| 21.6 : M Ali to Rahul, Pushes this one to the on side and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 22.1 : Curran to L Rahul, OUT! What an absolute peach. Take a bow, Sam Curran. Rahul is beaten all ends up here. He gets a length ball which lands on middle and off and it goes with the angle from over the wicket. Rahul plays inside the line and the ball goes past the bat and clips the top of off pole. England is ecstatic and rightly so. Rahul was looking dangerous and he has been sent back packing. |
| 0.0 : Indian skipper Virat Kohli walks in next, in a dicey situation once again. Can he reciprocate his innings in the previous Tests to get his team out of troubled waters? |
| 22.2 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Kohli picked that bouncer early and let it through to the keeper. |
| 22.3 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Outside off, on a length, defended. |
| 22.4 : Sam Curran to V Kohli, In the same channel for Kohli. It goes off the inside edge of his bat onto his pad. Luckily for him, it doesn't go towards the stumps. |
| 22.5 : Sam Curran to Kohli, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 22.6 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Virat solidly defends the fullish ball outside his off stump. Young Curran ends a successful over. |
| 23.1 : M Ali to Pujara, Flighted on off, kept out off the front foot. |
| 23.2 : M Ali to Pujara, Comes down the track but fails to connect with the ball. |
| 23.3 : M Ali to Pujara, Flicks the flatter delivery on off for nothing. |
| 23.4 : M Ali to Pujara, He gets to the pitch of this on and works it to the on side for a run. |
| 23.5 : M Ali to Kohli, Ooh! Close. Inside edge saved him there. Kohli lunges forward to play the flight ball which lands in the rough and comes in sharply. The ball goes off the inside edge off the bat and onto his pad. An appeal ensues but the umpire was never in doubt. Root contemplates about the review but decides against it. |
| 23.6 : M Ali to Kohli, Works this one of his pads and takes a run. |
| 24.1 : Sam Curran to Kohli, BEATEN! How much would have the England side loved if that would have taken the edge? Brilliant by Curran. He is in amidst of a brilliant spell here. He once again bowls it full and just outside off, gets it to slant across the batsman. Kohli goes for the drive but is beaten comprehensively. |
| 24.2 : Sam Curran to Kohli, A little too wide outside off, Kohli need not play at those. The length was the difference here, the last one was a touch fuller and hence, Kohli was tempted to go after it. This one was slightly short and Kohli is not bothered playing at it. |
| 24.3 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Not the right line to this guy! On the pads, Kohli flicks it through square leg and runs a brace. |
| 24.4 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Perfect! This is what Curran should be bowling! Full and on off, looking for some movement. Kohli pushes it to covers. |
| 24.5 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Hits the length again on off, Kohli lunges forward and defends it. |
| 24.6 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Errs in line this time and bowls it down the leg side. Maybe he is trying to get the ball into the right-hander. Kohli tries to flick but misses to get hit on the pads. |
| 25.1 : M Ali to Pujara, Shortish outside off. It comes in with the spin and CP plays it down to the on side nicely. |
| 25.2 : M Ali to Pujara, Similar delivery from Ali and similarly tackled by Pujara. |
| 25.3 : M Ali to Pujara, He lets this shortish delivery spin and plays it late under his eyes. |
| 25.4 : M Ali to Pujara, Too straight and too full from Ali this time. Pujara works it fine and takes a brace. |
| 25.5 : M Ali to Pujara, And again works it to the on side for a single. Pujara has looked unfazed by spin. |
| 25.6 : M Ali to Kohli, Works the flighted ball to the mid-wicket region and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 26.1 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Short and wide. Kohli opens the face to guide it fine through the third man region but finds the fielder. Dangerous! |
| 26.2 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Curran continues to trouble Kohli. He bowls a similar delivery to the one bowled to Rahul. Kohli, just like Rahul, plays for the inswinger but gets beaten inside the line. |
| 26.3 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Shortish again around off but this time Virat has time to play it through backward point and take a couple. Good aggressive running from the skipper. |
| 26.4 : Sam Curran to Kohli, FOUR! Full. Wide. Driven. Boundary. As easy as you like. Gets beaten two ball earlier and drives this through covers handsomely. That's Kohli for you in a gist. |
| 26.5 : Sam Curran to Kohli, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. |
| 26.6 : Sam Curran to Kohli, Sam changes his angle and bowls a yorker on middle and leg. VK clips it through the on side and takes a run. |
| 27.1 : M Ali to V Kohli, FOUR! Short and punished. A rare loosener from Ali in line of the stumps. Kohli goes back, swivels and plays the pull to the square leg fence for a boundary. |
| 27.2 : M Ali to Kohli, A touch fuller but still short. Kohli goes back in quickly and pushes it to short mid-wicket. |
| 27.3 : M Ali to Kohli, And again. He has played it down to the on side for nothing. |
| 27.4 : M Ali to Kohli, Virat works it down the leg side. |
| 27.5 : M Ali to Kohli, Flighted outside off,VK reaches for it and drives it through covers and changes strike. |
| 27.6 : M Ali to Pujara, FOUR! Now Pujara gets into the act. Ali again flights it nicely on off. Che comes down the track and crunches it past the bowler and into the fence at long on. Runs coming thick and fast now. |
| Anderson has been brought on to remove Kohli. Can he? |
| 28.1 : J Anderson to Kohli, And almost produced the gems on the very first ball. Kohli reaches for the length ball on the fifth stump channel. He gets beaten but just by a whisker. |
| 28.2 : J Anderson to Kohli, Played to the point region by Kohli. |
| Review time! An LBW appeal declined by the umpire. Kohli is the man in question as Jimmy is certain it's hitting. |
| 28.3 : Anderson to Kohli, Not Out! Kohli hangs on to his life and so frustrating for Anderson. He has bowled 254 balls to Kohli as of now and he is yet to get the Indian skipper out in this series. This one looked out though. Anderson bowled a full ball coming in with the swing after pitching. Kohli plays all over it and fails to connect. The English team cries out in an appeal but the umpire, after a lot of thinking, declines the request. Jimmy is convinced and so is his captain. They take the r |
| 28.4 : J Anderson to Kohli, FOUR! And a gentle loosener to let him off the hook. It way down the leg side, Kohli just clips it and gets it to fence ever so easily. |
| 28.5 : J Anderson to Kohli, VK has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 28.6 : J Anderson to Kohli, Again defends the length ball under his eyes. End of an eventful over. |
| Stuart Broad is the next change. |
| 29.1 : S Broad to Pujara, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 29.2 : S Broad to Pujara, Outside off, left alone. |
| 29.3 : S Broad to Pujara, Too wide to entice Che with a shot. |
| 29.4 : S Broad to Pujara, In the same channel and ignored by Pujara. |
| 29.5 : S Broad to Pujara, Pujara has flicked the ball off his pads. |
| 29.6 : S Broad to Pujara, Punches the shortish ball off the back foot to covers. |
| 30.1 : J Anderson to Kohli, outside off, left alone. |
| 30.2 : J Anderson to Kohli, On a length, on the fifth stump line, left alone. |
| 30.3 : J Anderson to Kohli, Virat has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 30.4 : J Anderson to Kohli, Again outside off, left alone watchfully by Kohli. |
| 30.5 : J Anderson to Kohli, On off, defended by Kohli under his eyes. |
| 30.6 : J Anderson to Kohli, Closer to the off pole but Kohli lets it pass again. |
| 31.1 : S Broad to Pujara, Outside off, skiddy, Pujara looks to go after it but fails. |
| 31.2 : S Broad to Pujara, Flicks the inswinger to the on side for no run. |
| 31.3 : S Broad to Pujara, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 31.4 : S Broad to Pujara, The ball is too wide on the off side for CP to make any contact. |
| 31.5 : S Broad to Pujara, Solidly defends the short of a length ball down the track. |
| 31.6 : S Broad to Pujara, Clips and clips in the gap. A full ball on middle and leg. Che flicks it through mid-wicket. The short mid-wicket fielder chases it and saves a run for his team. 100 for the visitors as well. |
| 32.1 : J Anderson to Pujara, Outside off, left alone. |
| 32.2 : J Anderson to Pujara, On off, on a length, defended. |
| 32.3 : J Anderson to Pujara, Wide of off, no shot offered. |
| 32.4 : J Anderson to Pujara, Closer to the off pole and tad shorter, Pujara leaves it on a length. |
| 32.5 : J Anderson to Pujara, OUT! There it is, there it is. If not Kohli then, Pujara. England and Anderson will take them all, very happily. A short of a length ball outside off, Pujara has been so good till now to leave them but has a go at this one. He ends up nicking it to Bairstow behind the sticks who does the rest. India in a spot of bother now. |
| Ajinkya Rahane walks in at no. 5. |
| 32.6 : J Anderson to A Rahane, Geez! What a legend this man is. He has never been average in his career and he hasn't disappointed today either. Another full ball with shine on the outside from Jimmy. It lands on middle and leg and moves towards the off stump. Rahane does well to get his bat behind it else he would have been a dead duck in front of the sticks. Phew! |
| 33.1 : S Broad to Kohli, Short of a length outside off, played to point for no run. |
| 33.2 : S Broad to Kohli, Short ball in line of the stumps, pulled to fine leg for a run. |
| 33.3 : S Broad to Rahane, And now reverse for Broad as well. It lands on off and hit Rahane's pad but down the leg side. An appeal but in vain. |
| 33.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Outside off, left alone. |
| 33.5 : S Broad to Rahane, Cuts him in half there. A jaffa! It lands outside off and comes back in sharply. Rahane looks to play it off the front foot but the ball goes through his pad and pad. A scare survived. |
| 33.6 : S Broad to Rahane, Driven through mid-on by Rahane for nothing. |
| 34.1 : J Anderson to Kohli, Outside off, on a length, left alone. |
| 34.2 : J Anderson to Kohli, Rocks back and plays the shortish ball to the off side for run. |
| 34.3 : J Anderson to Rahane, Ajinkya opens the face of the bat and helps it to third man. |
| 34.4 : J Anderson to Rahane, Rahane has pushed it to the cover region. |
| 34.5 : J Anderson to A Rahane, OUT! And another. What a spell from the champion that Anderson is. Rahane goes for a duck. It lands around off and goes away from Rahane with the shine. Rahane, just like Pujara, goes fishing. The edge is found and Cook takes a comfortable catch at first slip. India are under the cosh now and they are still behind by 229 runs. |
| Drinks! What a passage of play for the home team. After the Tea break, they have come out all guns blazing and made the ball talk. Reverse swing is on offer and both, Anderson and Broad, have used it comprehensively. India is in deep, deep trouble. Vihari is the next man in. Can he, along with his skipper, pull them out of troubled waters? |
| 34.6 : J Anderson to H Vihari, On a length around off, Vihari gets an inside edge onto his pads. End of another beautiful over from Jimmy. |
| 35.1 : S Broad to Kohli, Slightly shorter, aimed at the rib cage of the batsman. Kohli tries to flick but the ball brushes his gloves and goes towards short fine leg for a run. |
| 35.2 : S Broad to Vihari, A confident leave there by the debutant. On a length and outside off, he plants his front foot forward and shoulders arms to it. |
| 35.3 : Broad to Vihari, Howzzat? Not given! Looked close, very close. Not sure why the England captain did not take the review. An inswinger from Broad from outside off. Vihari tries to flick but misses to get hit above the front leg's knee role. The English players let out a huge appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Root has a chat but opts not to take the review. Ohkay... replays later show three reds, just as I wrote at the start, not sure why England did not go for the review, especially wi |
| 35.4 : S Broad to Vihari, The outswinger this time, Vihari spots it and lets it be. |
| 35.5 : S Broad to Vihari, Now the indipper, lovely form Broad. Vihari this time is up for it and flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 35.6 : S Broad to Vihari, Confident drive to end the over! Full and on off, HV strokes it to covers but finds the fielder. End of a testing over. |
| 36.1 : J Anderson to Kohli, Goes very full, Kohli times it back towards the bowler who gets down quickly and makes a very good stop. |
| 36.2 : J Anderson to Kohli, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 36.3 : J Anderson to Kohli, Good length on off, Kohli defends it onto the ground. |
| 36.4 : J Anderson to Kohli, A little too straight by Anderson, Kohli flicks it through mid-wicket and runs two. |
| 36.5 : J Anderson to Kohli, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 36.6 : J Anderson to Kohli, Good length outside off, Kohli shoulders arms to it. |
| Review time! Vihari has been given out LBW, he though has taken the review. Height can save him here. |
| 37.1 : S Broad to Vihari, NOT OUT! Yes, height does save him as the ball is going over the stumps. The on-field call has to be overturned and Vihari continues to live a charmed life. This seemed high to be honest. This was another inswinger by Broad. Vihari goes back and tries to nudge it but misses to get hit on the pads. The players appeal and the umpire after giving it a thought raises the finger. HV gets a nod by his skipper and the youngster goes for the review straightaway. Time for the rep |
| 37.2 : S Broad to Vihari, Good length on off, Hanuma defends it onto the ground. |
| 37.3 : S Broad to H Vihari, First runs for Vihari in Test cricket! A good single there. Also some respite for him now as he stand at the non-striker's end and see how the master tackles with such excellent bowling. HV taps it towards covers and takes off. Ali has a shy at the bowler's end but misses. |
| 37.4 : S Broad to Kohli, Well, he wasn't at the non-striker's end for long as Kohli tucks it towards mid-wicket and gets to the other end. |
| 37.5 : S Broad to Vihari, Plays this one nicely as he defends it onto the ground. |
| 37.6 : S Broad to Vihari, Fuller in length on off, Vihari strokes it to mid off. |
| 38.1 : J Anderson to Kohli, On a length outside off, left alone. |
| 38.2 : J Anderson to Kohli, VK has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 38.3 : J Anderson to Kohli, In the air... but safe! Almost squares up Virat there. He looks to play the full ball a bit too square and ends up getting a leading edge to it. To his delight, it bounces before the fielder at point. |
| 38.4 : J Anderson to Kohli, Works the length on his pads to the on side and changes strike. |
| 38.5 : J Anderson to Vihari, Vihari picked that bouncer early and let it through to the keeper. |
| 38.6 : J Anderson to Vihari, On off, short of a length, kept out under the eyes. |
| 39.1 : S Broad to Kohli, OHHHH! Almost falls into the trap there. This came back in sharply from middle, Kohli flicks it and the ball just bounces in front of Ben Stokes at leg gully. He puts in a dive but can't stop it. A single results. |
| 39.2 : S Broad to Vihari, A bumper on middle, Vihari does well to play it down with soft hands. |
| 39.3 : S Broad to Vihari, The inswinger again causing problems for Vihari. The length though is slightly short as Vihari misses the flick to get hit on the thigh pad. The ball rolls towards the off side and the batsmen run a leg bye. Well, the umpire feels it has taken an inside edge so second Test run for Vihari. |
| 39.4 : S Broad to V Kohli, On the body of Kohli, he is hurried into the shot as he mistimes his pull towards square leg for a run. |
| 39.5 : S Broad to H Vihari, Good length again on off, Vihari tries to block but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 39.6 : S Broad to Vihari, On a length around off, Vihari lunges forward and keeps it out. |
| Ben Stokes is back on. |
| 40.1 : Ben Stokes to Kohli, This one stays a touch low! Good length on off, Kohli tries to defend but gets an inside edge onto his pads. The ball rolls towards the off side for a run. |
| 40.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 40.3 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Back of a length on off, Vihari, off the back foot, guides it to point. |
| 40.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, On the shorter side, Hanuma, from within his crease, defends it onto the ground. |
| 40.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| Some umbrellas have been opened in the crowd. Seems like there is a slight drizzle, a very slight one, lets just hope it does not get heavier. |
| 40.6 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Outside off, left alone. |
| 41.1 : S Broad to Kohli, FOUR! HAMMERED! That made a cracking sound off the bat! Short ball and on middle, Kohli swivels and pulls it through backward square leg and the ball races away to the fence. |
| 41.2 : S Broad to Kohli, A gentle appeal but not given! On a length around middle, this one jags back in late. Kohli misses the ball by a month as it hits him on the thigh pad. Rolls towards square leg for a leg bye. |
| 41.3 : S Broad to Vihari, Good length outside off, Vihari shoulders arms to it. |
| 41.4 : S Broad to Vihari, Closer to the off pole this time but not close enough for the batsman to play at it. |
| 41.5 : S Broad to Vihari, Back of a length on off, Vihari defends it. |
| 41.6 : S Broad to Vihari, Another inswinger from outside off, Hanuma lunges and blocks it out. |
| 42.1 : Ben Stokes to Kohli, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| 42.2 : Ben Stokes to Kohli, The away-swinger outside off, Kohli lets it be. |
| 42.3 : Ben Stokes to V Kohli, The bumper on middle, Kohli somehow pulls it all along the ground towards Moeen Ali at deep square leg for a run. |
| 42.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Down the leg side, Vihari misses the flick. |
| 42.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Good length on off, Vihari is once again quite solid in defense. |
| 42.6 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Mixing it up here is Stokes! Gets the ball to tail back in now, Vihari misses the flick to get hit high on the thigh pad. Testing times these for the youngster, has done well till now, with some luck. |
| Sam Curran is back on. |
| 43.1 : Sam Curran to Kohli, On the shorter side outside off, Kohli guides it through backward point for a couple. |
| 43.2 : Sam Curran to Kohli, FOUR! Bread and butter stuff for Kohli. You bowl it to him there all day and he will keep murdering you. Full and on middle and off, Kohli whips it through mid-wicket and you need not run for those. |
| 43.3 : Sam Curran to Kohli, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Through the off side this time. A friendly full toss outside off, Kohli guides it through cover-point and the ball races away. |
| 43.4 : Sam Curran to V Kohli, Runs again, not a boundary this time but a couple. Full and wide outside off, Kohli strokes it through covers for a brace. |
| 43.5 : Sam Curran to Kohli, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 43.6 : Sam Curran to Kohli, A couple to end the over! 14 from it. Kohli now is two short of a half ton. Once again on the pads, Kohli works it through square leg and runs two. |
| 44.1 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, SIX! Not in convincing manner though but it should break the shackles for him. A bumper on middle, he takes on the challenge of pulling it. The ball takes the top edge and flies over the keeper and into the sightscreen. |
| 44.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, On a length around off, Vihari defends it. |
| 44.3 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, The batsman has driven that ball straight back. |
| 44.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, On the shorter side around off, Vihari defends it. |
| 44.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, FOUR! In the air... but just short! Luck going Vihari's way here. He once again tries to pull it. This time though he tries to drag it from outside off. The ball takes the top edge and goes towards Rashid at fine leg. He comes running in but can't reach it. He lets it through and the ball races to the fence. |
| 44.6 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Back of a length on middle, HV tucks it towards mid-wicket and takes a run. |
| 45.1 : Sam Curran to Vihari, FOUR! Boundaries now coming thick and fast for Vihari! On the pads, he flicks it fine and the ball races away to the fence. |
| 45.2 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Looks very confident now! He flicks this to fine leg and takes a run. |
| 45.3 : Sam Curran to Kohli, A well-controlled pull shot to deep square leg for a run. 150 up for India. They trail by another 182 runs. |
| 45.4 : Sam Curran to Vihari, A huge appeal but Vihari has smashed the ground. Full and outside off, Vihari goes for the drive but does not connect. There is a noise as the ball passes the bat and the players appeal but the umpire shakes his head. The noise was of the bat hitting the ground. Not afraid to play his shots is the young guy, his skipper though wants him to calm down as he walks up to him to have a word and rightly so. |
| 45.5 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Well, maybe those words of wisdom from Kohli has not worked as Vihari chases a wide ball outside off. Luckily for him, he gets beaten. |
| 45.6 : Sam Curran to Vihari, FOUR! However, if he plays shots like these, nobody would tell him to calm down. That is crisp. Full and on off, Vihari eases it through mid off and the ball races to the fence. The 50-run stand is up, a very, very important one in the context of the game. India were struggling when the two joined forces. However, the job is not yet over. |
| 46.1 : Ben Stokes to Kohli, Good length outside off, left alone. |
| 46.2 : Ben Stokes to Kohli, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Shades of 2014 there! Stokes gets the big fish and it is a timely wicket as this partnership was starting to flourish. Kolhi falls one short of a well-deserved half ton. However, I wonder, why did he play that shot when an over ago he had a word with Vihari who attempted a similar shot. Lapse of concentration? Maybe. Stokes bowls it full and wide outside off, it swings away further. Kohli goes for the booming drive through covers, looking to get t |
| Rishabh Pant is the next man in. |
| 46.3 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Short and outside off, Pant needs no sighters. He goes after it with a cut shot but gets a bottom edge to the Anderson at third slip. |
| 46.4 : Ben Stokes to Pant, A little too wide outside off, left alone. |
| 46.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, On a length around off, Pant defends it onto the ground. |
| 46.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Good length again, a little too wide outside off. The batsman need not play at those. |
| 47.1 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Full outside off, driven to mid off for a quick run. |
| 47.2 : Sam Curran to Pant, Good effort in the deep by Buttler. Saved certain runs for his team. Pant flicks the ball which was bowled on his pads. The ball races towards the fine leg fence but Jos stops it in its stride. One run taken. |
| 47.3 : Sam Curran to H Vihari, Soft hangs saved him. An outside edge was induced there but didn't carry. HV plays the line and the moves away a bit, taking the edge on the way. |
| 47.4 : Sam Curran to Vihari, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 47.5 : Sam Curran to Vihari, In line of the stumps, defended. |
| 47.6 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Wide outside off stump, Vihari leaves it alone. |
| 48.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Outside off, a play and a miss from Pant. |
| 48.2 : Ben Stokes to Pant, FOUR! No stopping this. It was asking to be hit and Pant obliges. A leg slider and a flick was enough to send it across the fine fence. |
| 48.3 : Ben Stokes to R Pant, OUT! Another one bites the dust. Pant, his Test career and India are loosing the plot here. Stokes corrects his line and bowls it on a length outside off. Pant goes after it with an angled bat with no real determination. The ball takes the edge and Cook, at first slip, pouches it comfortably. |
| Jadeja walks in next. |
| 48.4 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 48.5 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, An inside edge on this one. This one comes in with the angle from Ben. RJ looks to defend it from his crease but gets and inside edge onto his pads. |
| 48.6 : Ben Stokes to R Jadeja, FOUR! Edge and just wide of the third slip. A full ball on off, Jadeja looks to dig it and gets a thick outside edge. The ball races to the third man fence. Stokes ends another successful over |
| Moeen Ali is back on. |
| 49.1 : M Ali to Vihari, Slower through the air on off, Vihari lunges and blocks it. |
| 49.2 : M Ali to Vihari, Lovely bowling! Moeen floats it up outside off, enticing the batsman for a drive. Vihari plants his front foot forward and tries to drive but misses. The ball turns in, sneaks through the gap between bat and pad. Jonny fails to collect it cleanly. |
| 49.3 : M Ali to Vihari, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 49.4 : M Ali to Vihari, With the turn works it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 49.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, FOUR LEG BYES! Down the leg side, Jadeja tries to flick but misses. The ball brushes the pads and races away to the fine leg fence. The umpire first gave it as byes but then corrects himself to signal leg byes. |
| 49.6 : M Ali to Jadeja, Loopy ball on off, Jadeja defends it off the front foot. |
| 50.1 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, On the hips, worked to fine leg for a run. |
| 50.2 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Comes in with the angle and RJ gets his bat down in time to defend it. |
| 50.3 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, FOUR! Too full and straight. Jadeja flicks the ball on his pads to the fine leg fence and adds four valuable runs to his team's total. |
| 50.4 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 50.5 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Shortish on off, kept out off the back foot. Last ball of the day coming up next. |
| 50.6 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Full on off, Jadeja defends it watchfully onto the ground. That's Stumps on Day 2. |
| Well, well, well, someone said at the start of Day 1 that it is a batting paradise, the best they have seen in this series, really? What is going on here now? The hosts have clawed their way back into this Test just like they did in the previous successful victories in this series with the virtue of their bowlers. They chipped away with five Indian wickets in the evening session and have tilted the fulcrum to their side. Anderson and Broad put on an exhibition of reverse swing bowling and broke |
| When the play started earlier this morning, everyone was expecting the Indian bowlers to get the remaining wickets as quickly as possible. But, Jos Buttler had other ideas. He played superbly well for his 89 off 133 balls, put on healthy partnerships with the tailenders and pushed the score to 332. In reply, Dhawan failed once again but the Pujara-Rahul stand gave the Indian team some hope. |
| Once Curran went through Rahul's defense and brought Kohli in the middle, the ball started to do the talking. Two loose shots from Pujara and Rahane meant that their lower-middle order was exposed and their team was left reeling at 103/4. Kohli, along with the debutant Vihari, added 50 for the fifth wicket but the skipper departed just one run short of his fifty. Vihari is still there in the middle, hanging out by a thread. The third day promises to be another exciting day of Test cricket. We wi |
| ... Day 3, First Session ... |
| Hello and welcome to the third day of the final Test between England and India. The weather looks bright unlike the visitors' situation in this innings. Day 2 was not what they would've hoped for at the start. However, it's a new day today, a chance to change the fortunes or get washed away by the high tide. Things could change for better or get worse but either way, it promises to be another crucial day for both the cricket power blocs. |
| England have a stronghold on this Test is putting it subtly. Their bowlers have brought them back into the contest after the heroics of Jos Buttler along with the tailenders. Things could've been even better had Anderson got the back of Kohli himself but Dharmasena didn't comply with him. As a result, England's highest wicket-taker in Tests showed dissent and hence, he's fined 15-percent of his match fees and one demerit point. All said and done, we're looking forward to this day, just like the |
| Pitch report - Sanjay Manjrekar says that the pitch has roughs on either side now. Adds that the spinners will surely use it to their advantage. Asserts that the dryness is outside the danger area and there is a tinge of grass in the middle of the track which is assisting the fast bowlers as well. |
| We are ready! Out come the Indian domestic cricket legends, Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja, with average over 40 in First-class for both. The former will face the first ball this morning. Stuart Broad has the 51 overs old cherry in his hand and has three slips and a short leg in place as well. Get, set, go! |
| 51.1 : S Broad to H Vihari, Nice crunchy sound first up. Broad targets the sticks and bowls a full ball. Vihari punches it to mid on. |
| 51.2 : S Broad to Vihari, On the pads, clipped to square leg for the first runs of the morning. Vihari is off the mark. |
| 51.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, Shortish outside off, RJ opens the face of the bat and guides it towards third man. Jennings at gully makes a half stop and a brace results. |
| 51.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 51.5 : S Broad to Jadeja, Good nut. Broad goes fuller around off. Jaddu hangs his bat but misses the line. |
| 51.6 : S Broad to Jadeja, Full, around off, left alone by Jadeja to end the first over of the morning. |
| James Anderson to share the attack with Broad. |
| 52.1 : Ben Stokes to H Vihari, And almost a wicket straightaway. Anderson lands it up there and swings it away from Vihari who has a go with a straightish bat. The ball moves away late and takes the outside edge. The ball however lands short of the fielder at third slip. No harm done. |
| 52.2 : J Anderson to Vihari, Vihari lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 52.3 : J Anderson to Vihari, Some swing for the king again. Vihari hangs his bat at the ball moving away from outside his off stump. He can afford to leave these. |
| 52.4 : J Anderson to Vihari, And another. Vihari looks to defend away from his body and misses. |
| 52.5 : J Anderson to Vihari, Tell you what, third miss in a row. Vihari is looking to edge on to the keeper it seems. Could leave these length balls on the fifth stump line. |
| 52.6 : J Anderson to Vihari, Lucky, very lucky. This one was the dangerous of the lot. Anderson bowls it wide of the crease and makes it straighten from there after landing it outside off. HV again hangs his bat in anticipation but misses, once again. End of a magnificent over. |
| 53.1 : S Broad to Jadeja, Outside off, shortish, left alone. |
| 53.2 : S Broad to Jadeja, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 53.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, Short, coming with the angle and then moving away after pitching. RJ plays the line and misses it by some margin. |
| 53.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, Extravagant movement for Broad. This pitch has lit up. The weather is assisting for sure. Jadeja looks to play the line again but it moves away from the face of the blade. |
| 53.5 : S Broad to Jadeja, On the pads, Jaddu fails to put bat to ball. A leg bye stolen from the fine leg region. |
| 53.6 : S Broad to Vihari, Defended off the front foot by Hanuma presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 54.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 54.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Short of a length, outside off, played down carefully. |
| 54.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, shortish, left alone. |
| 54.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, This one comes in with the angle of Jimmy from around the wicket. Jaddu gets on the front foot and keeps it out. |
| 54.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Back of a length ball, on off, Jadeja leaves it on length. |
| 54.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Covers his off pole with a nice stride and gets his willow away from the line. End of the end, a maiden. |
| 55.1 : S Broad to Vihari, Shortish on the hips, HV gets some bat on it to work it to the on side for a run. |
| 55.2 : S Broad to Jadeja, Chest high, in line of the stumps, defended. |
| 55.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, Too wide to entice Jadeja into a shot. |
| 55.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, Better, much better from Broad. A lot fuller, a lot straighter and more swing as a result. Jadeja fails to make any connection as he attempts to drive. |
| 55.5 : S Broad to R Jadeja, On a length, on off. The ball gets a thick outside edge and the fielder at third slip stops it on one bounce. |
| 55.6 : S Broad to Jadeja, FOUR! Full, on the pads, flicked with ease. Jadeja gets a rare loose ball from Broad and he makes sure he gets it in the gap and all the way to the square leg fence for a boundary to end the over. |
| 56.1 : J Anderson to Vihari, Swinging away from the fifth stump, left alone. |
| 56.2 : J Anderson to Vihari, Similar line and length from Jimmy, Vihari lets it be. |
| 56.3 : J Anderson to Vihari, Straight, too straight and into the body of Vihari who works it to fine leg and changes strike. |
| 56.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Beauty, both the ball and the leave. Anderson brings the short of a length ball into the left-hander and Jadeja seeing the short length, leaves it to allow it to go over his stumps. Trusting the bounce there, RJ! |
| 56.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 56.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Jadeja lets it go. It was outside off and Jimmy couldn't get the batsman to go for a shot. Just one off this over. |
| 57.1 : S Broad to Vihari, A lot of swing, in the air, for Broad. Vihari gets in line of the ball pitched outside off and defends it under his eyes. Solid! |
| 57.2 : S Broad to Vihari, In line of the stumps, flicked to the on side for an easy single. |
| 57.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, On middle and leg, pushed to short mid on for nothing. |
| 57.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, Watchful again from Jaddu. He has left the deliveries outside his off pole very nicely this morning. |
| 57.5 : S Broad to Jadeja, And again. A bit fuller but too wide for Jadeja to play at it. |
| 57.6 : S Broad to Jadeja, Another ball closer to the off pole and another watchful leave. A good contest between patience and will. |
| 58.1 : J Anderson to Vihari, In the same corridor outside off, HV lets it be. |
| 58.2 : J Anderson to Vihari, Closer to off, defended. |
| 58.3 : J Anderson to Vihari, A tad fuller around off. Vihari plays with soft hands and the edge rolls to Ben Stokes at third slip. |
| 58.4 : J Anderson to Vihari, This one is down the leg side and the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 58.5 : J Anderson to Vihari, On off, going away from HV who plays it down solidly. |
| 58.6 : J Anderson to Vihari, Short and wide, left alone. |
| 59.1 : S Broad to Jadeja, Outside off, on a length, left alone. |
| 59.2 : S Broad to Jadeja, Crouches down and forward to meet the fullish ball with an angled bat and gets it to gully for nothing. |
| 59.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, The batsman lets the ball go outside his leg stump. |
| 59.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, Full on middle, pushed back to the bowler. |
| Moeen Ali has been sent to the deep square leg region for the hook. A short ball coming soon or just mind games? |
| 59.5 : S Broad to Jadeja, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 59.6 : S Broad to Jadeja, On off, pushed to the off side for a run. Broad is toying with Jadeja by putting the fielder in the deep and bowling it a lot fuller than he has been. Cheeky! |
| 60.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 60.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Too wide again, left alone for the keeper. |
| 60.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On a length, around off and swinging away from Jaddu who has nothing to do with it. |
| 60.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Gutsy, gutsy leave this. Heart in mouth stuff from Jadeja. Anderson changes his angle and goes over the wicket. Lands a shortish ball in line of the stumps and just like a few previous occasions, Jadeja leaves it on a length. The ball goes over the stumps but it was too close to comfort I suppose. |
| 60.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| 60.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Angling away from the batsman, Jadeja goes fishing to the ball way outside of off and fails. |
| 61.1 : S Broad to Vihari, FOUR! Creamed! Broad bowls a full ball wide of off looking for some extravagant swing. But it's too full and Vihari pounces on it. He brings out the drive out and gets it through covers. A beautiful looking shot this and patience is helping for sure. |
| 61.2 : S Broad to H Vihari, In line of the stumps, inside edged to the on side for a quick single. |
| 61.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, Amateurish this from Vihari. Jadeja gently taps the shortish ball towards mid on and calls for a quick single. Vihari obliges. Anderson at short mid on gets to the ball in a jiffy and has a shy at the batting end. Vihari makes it in comfortably but for some reason, does not drag his bat in. Had the ball hit the stumps, Vihari would've been a goner. |
| 61.4 : S Broad to H Vihari, FOUR! Edged and four! Closer to the off pole on a full length, HV again plays at it with soft hands and manages to find the gap between first and second slip. The ball races to the fence. Broad is not happy. |
| 61.5 : S Broad to Vihari, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 61.6 : S Broad to Vihari, Again full around off, defended. |
| 62.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Going across the left-hander who lets it be. |
| 62.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, FOUR! 200 up for India. Well played by Jadeja there. He sees the short ball on his off pole and opens the face of the bat to get it through the third man region for a boundary. |
| 62.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, FOUR! Not so convincing this time. Jimmy lands this one full and closer to the off stump. Jadeja lunges forward to defend but gets it off the outside edge. The ball flies past the third slip and into the fence. |
| 62.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 62.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Back of a length ball on off, defended. |
| 62.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Swinging away after landing on off, Jaddu lets it be. Better, much better now. |
| Adil Rashid is on for the first time in this innings. |
| 63.1 : A Rashid to Vihari, Tossed up on off, defended. |
| 63.2 : A Rashid to Vihari, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 63.3 : A Rashid to Vihari, Wrong 'un from Adil, HV goes back and defends. |
| 63.4 : A Rashid to Vihari, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 63.5 : A Rashid to Vihari, Lunges forward and keeps the slower tossed up ball on off. |
| 63.6 : A Rashid to Vihari, Another googly from Rashid. Vihari gets on the front foot to defend it. |
| 64.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Full and wide, easy leave for RJ. |
| 64.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On the pads, Jaddu failed to get it away and gets hit on his pads. |
| 64.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Defends it late and away from his stumps. |
| 64.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Jadeja shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 64.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Shortish in line of the stumps, defended. |
| 64.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, A quick single there. A short ball on the hips, Jadeja gets it to the on side and finds the gap. |
| 65.1 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Tossed up leggie outside off. Jaddu guides it to point and changes strike. |
| 65.2 : A Rashid to Vihari, A lot of air and right up there. HV taps it through covers and takes a run. |
| 65.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, In line of the stumps, a faster one, defended. |
| 65.4 : A Rashid to Jadeja, The batsman has played it towards mid-wicket. |
| 65.5 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Wide of off, defended to covers. |
| 65.6 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Pads the slower, flighted ball which was pitched outside off. An appeal but the umpire ignores it. Not turning in enough. |
| Breather time! India have managed to negotiate the first hour nicely and without any hiccups. The action continues after the short break, stay tuned! |
| Ben Stokes comes into the attack. |
| 66.1 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Starts with a length ball around off, Vihari covers the line and blocks it safely. |
| 66.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, This time the line is wide outside off, going straight on, Hanuma watches it closely before making a leave. |
| 66.3 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Solid again. Covers the line of the delivery and presents a straight bat in defense. |
| 66.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Angling into the batsman, on a good length, Vihari defends it with ease. |
| 66.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Slips one down the leg side, Vihari attempts flicking it but misses. |
| 66.6 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Bowls a bouncer to vary things, it's just around off and Vihari ducks. 30 odd runs in the morning and more importantly this pair has braved things quite nicely. |
| 67.1 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Spinning into the batsman from outside off but the length is on the shorter side. Jadeja gets enough time to go back and block. |
| 67.2 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Rashid goes full this time, around off and turning in, Jadeja drives but finds mid off. |
| 67.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, This time Adil fails to land it. Serves a low full toss on off and Jadeja hammers it down the ground. There is a fielder in the deep at long on and they cross for a single. |
| 67.4 : A Rashid to Vihari, Too full this time, around off, Vihari flicks but finds the mid-wicket fielder who dives to stop the ball. |
| 67.5 : A Rashid to Vihari, Tossed up ball on off, defended off the front foot this time. |
| 67.6 : A Rashid to Vihari, 50-run stand comes up! This is good going from India and this pair is showing a lot of grit and determination. The debutant Vihari also moves into the 40s. Floated full ball on middle, it's nudged behind square leg for a brace. |
| 68.1 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, On a good length and around off, Jadeja taps it down towards backward point and collects a single. |
| 0.0 : It appears that there is some issue with the ball. It has lost its shape we are told. The umpires are getting it changed. Still 11.5 overs left before the second new nut will be available. |
| 68.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Stokes runs in with a changed ball and angles it around off. Hanuma draws forward and defends it solidly. |
| 68.3 : Ben Stokes to H Vihari, FOUR! Fine shot. Good placement. Stokes overpitches outside off, Vihari leans forward with a still head and compact balance, opens the face of the bat at the last moment as he leans into the drive and places it through cover-point. It speeds through scattering all the pigeons there and reaches the fence. A couple of fielders were after it but once the ball rolls through the practice pitches, it becomes very tough to stop it. |
| 68.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Back defending. Fullish and around off, Hanuma defends it by getting on the front foot. |
| 68.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Stokes is straighter in line this time and Vihari works it in front of square leg for a run. |
| 68.6 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Ben goes from 'round the wicket and lands a length ball on off, Jadeja stays back to block it. |
| 69.1 : A Rashid to H Vihari, A low full toss on off, Vihari drives off the front foot but finds the cover fielder. |
| 69.2 : A Rashid to Vihari, A touch flat and short on off, Vihari plays it down towards point. |
| 69.3 : A Rashid to Vihari, Out comes the googly from Adil Rashid. It lands around off, Vihari leans forward and defends it close to his front pad. |
| 69.4 : A Rashid to Vihari, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 69.5 : A Rashid to Vihari, More of an edge that. Turning away from the batsman after landing on a fuller length around off, Vihari tries defending but it gathers a thick outside edge and hurries past first slip and backward point. A couple taken. |
| 69.6 : A Rashid to Vihari, Rashid drops it short and on off, Vihari slaps it square of the wicket on the off side for a run. |
| 70.1 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Bouncer to begin this over. On and around off, Vihari lets it be. |
| 70.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Maiden Test fifty for Hanuma Vihari! The Oval explodes to acknowledges this knock from the debutant. Skipper Virat Kohli is also on his feet in the dressing room clapping for him. A length ball around off, Vihari plays it down with soft hands to the off side and scampers across for a single. His partner was also very keen on that run and set off straightaway. A big moment for Hanuma Vihari. All the grind he put in the domestic cricket to get at this stage is finally |
| 70.3 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, In the channel outside off, left alone. |
| 70.4 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Jadeja has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 70.5 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Bowls it on a length and outside off, Ravindra allows it through with ease. |
| Review time! Jadeja is the man in question as Dharmasena declines a roaring appeal for a caught behind. It looks close though! |
| 70.6 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, NOT OUT! Nothing on the Snicko and once again umpire Dharmasena is right on the money. He is having a great Test match. A good length ball landing just outside off and angling back in, Jadeja sticks back inside the crease but hangs his bat out. Tries pushing inside the line probably but misses. Although after collecting the ball, Bairstow and the English players go up in a big appeal. The umpire stays unmoved. Joe Root goes for the referral but fails to get the decisi |
| Moeen Ali is on replacing the other spinner, Adil Rashid. |
| 71.1 : M Ali to Vihari, Tossed up ball outside off, left alone. |
| 71.2 : M Ali to Vihari, Appeal for an lbw, not given. Ali lands it outside off, Vihari gets forward and across to defend but is beaten by the excessive spin. He is hit on the pads but the umpire turns down the appeal. The impact is well outside off and it's spinning too much as well. |
| 71.3 : M Ali to Vihari, Leans forward and defends it with the spin. |
| 71.4 : M Ali to H Vihari, Spinning back into the batsman, from a shorter length, Vihari goes back to work it across the line but gets an inside edge onto the pads. |
| 71.5 : M Ali to Vihari, Takes a big stride forward and defends it compactly. |
| 71.6 : M Ali to Vihari, Once again Vihari lunges forward and across before bringing his bat and pad together in defense. Keeps it out safely. |
| 72.1 : Ben Stokes to R Jadeja, FOUR! Boom! Short and wide, begging to be punished, Jadeja stands tall inside the crease and cracks it through point for a boundary. Great start to the over for India. |
| 72.2 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Good length ball angling into the batsman, Jadeja is forward in defense. |
| 72.3 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 72.4 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Another delivery outside off, left alone by RJ. |
| 72.5 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Smell the leather! Ben bends his back and digs in a short ball around off. It's targeted at the batsman who just leans back a bit to sway away from the line of fire. |
| 72.6 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, A length ball on off, Jadeja defends it solidly to the off side. |
| 73.1 : M Ali to Vihari, Floated off spinner landing outside off, Vihari gets forward with a big stride and defends. |
| 73.2 : M Ali to Vihari, Once again Hanuma defends it towards the point region. |
| 73.3 : M Ali to Vihari, Lunges to a full ball around off and defends it with soft hands to the on side. |
| 73.4 : M Ali to Vihari, Goes down on one knee, reaches out for it and takes it on the full before paddling it down to fine leg. A single taken. |
| Two slips in place for Jadeja along with a short cover. |
| 73.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, A slider by Moeen, a bit short and skidding into the left-hander. Jadeja goes deep inside the crease and punches it to sweeper cover for one. |
| Keaton Jennings under the lid now. He comes in at silly point. There is already a forward short leg in place along with a slip. |
| 73.6 : M Ali to Vihari, FOUR! Strong shot! Moeen is a bit too full with his length, it's around off and turning back in, Hanuma kneels and powers his sweep in front of square leg for a boundary. Growing in confidence, Hanuma. |
| 74.1 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, A gentle delivery, on a good length outside off, not moving much, Jadeja stands back to guard his sticks and then leaves it alone. |
| 74.2 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Another harmless delivery wide outside off, it's left alone without being entertained. |
| 74.3 : Ben Stokes to Jadeja, Stokes darts it short and wide outside off, Jadeja slaps it through point but will get only a run. England now have a fielder in the deep square on the off side. They lead by 101 runs. |
| 74.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Full and angling on off, Vihari strides forward and defends it to the leg side. |
| 74.5 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Back of a length ball just outside off, Hanuma remains on the back foot and taps it down on the off side. |
| 74.6 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Ambitious attempt. A short ball to which Vihari tries to upper cut. He has batted so well until now and would not like to get out attempting a silly shot with lunch around the corner. |
| Sam Curran is brought into the attack. Two slips and a gully in place. |
| 75.1 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, First delivery is a shorter one, around middle and leg, Jadeja stays back and glances it to deep square leg for a run. |
| 75.2 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Quick single. A length ball outside off, angling away, Vihari gets on the front foot and bunts it in front of mid off. He sets off for a brisk run and reaches safely as Broad misses his shy at the bowler's end. |
| 75.3 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, Full and in line of the stumps, a bit of away movement, Ravindra Jadeja tries to play it across and closes the face of the bat early. It pops out off the leading edge and rolls towards third man for a run. RJ wanted the second run but it was never on. |
| 75.4 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 75.5 : Sam Curran to Vihari, A length ball on off, it's been defended watchfully off the front foot. |
| 75.6 : Sam Curran to Vihari, Curran goes short, angles it away from the batsman, Vihari gets away from the line easily. Not sure bowling short should be a plan at least with Curran. He ain't express and needs to pitch up in order to fetch some movement which is his stronger suit. |
| Change of ends for Moeen Ali. The breeze behind him will help. |
| 76.1 : M Ali to Jadeja, Flighted full ball on off, Jadeja defends it off the front foot to covers. |
| 76.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Short and on off, turning in, Jadeja goes back and slaps it to sweeper cover for three runs. Adil Rashid does the mopping up job in the deep. His return to the bowler was very ordinary though. |
| 76.3 : M Ali to Vihari, Flighted and wide outside off, Vihari fails to connect with his sweep shot properly. |
| Appeal for a caught behind. Umpire Dharmasena raises his finger. Hanuma Vihari takes the DRS. |
| 76.4 : M Ali to Vihari, OUT! End of a superb knock by the debutant, his partnership of 77 runs has brought down the deficit to 95. Moeen is the man for England yet again. He serves a tossed up ball outside off and gets it to spin back in just a bit. Hanuma Vihari is forward as he wants to defend but fails to meet the ball from the middle of his willow. It sneaks past the outside edge, Bairstow catches the ball, they appeal and umpire Dharmasena agrees. Vihari goes for the referral and it's quite |
| Ishant Sharma walks in next. |
| 76.5 : M Ali to Sharma, This one skids on after landing outside off, Sharma plays for the spin and gets beaten. |
| 76.6 : M Ali to Sharma, Sharma has played that off the front foot and into the ground. End of a successful over. |
| Adil Rashid is back on. |
| 77.1 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Slow, short, in line of the stumps, punched down the ground for a run. Ishant is on strike now. |
| 77.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, Leggie around off, the ball turns from the face of the bat. England go up in the appeal, especially Jonny Bairstow but there was never an edge. |
| 77.3 : A Rashid to Sharma, Pushes the tossed up ball to mid off for no run. |
| 77.4 : A Rashid to Sharma, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 77.5 : A Rashid to Sharma, Outside off, left alone. |
| 77.6 : A Rashid to Sharma, Googly, full but it does too much. Goes down the leg side and Ishant lets it be. |
| 78.1 : M Ali to Jadeja, Flighted on middle and off, defended. |
| 78.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Similar length on off, blocked. |
| 78.3 : M Ali to Jadeja, Goes back and pushes the shortish ball through the off side and goes to the safer end. |
| 78.4 : M Ali to Sharma, Looks to sweep but misses the ball. The ball hits him outside his off pole so no harm in that approach either. |
| 78.5 : M Ali to Sharma, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 78.6 : M Ali to Sharma, Sweeps the full ball on off and survives. One run taken and that's Lunch on Day 3. |
| Another hard-fought session, just like the last two days! Once again only one wicket fell as the batsmen showed a lot of character and determination to survive some challenging deliveries. Credit to the pair of Jadeja and Vihari, who mixed caution with aggression, in their attempt to revive India's fortunes. They added 77 runs before the debutant got out at the stroke of the Lunch break. |
| Hanuma Vihari seemed to be one for the future. In his knock, he showed all the ingredients needed to cook a delicious Test career. For England, it was all about trying hard and asking tough questions. Without much luck though. None of their bowlers can be faulted here. They still have a handy 92-run lead and their target will be to pick the remaining three wickets as soon as possible. Join us at 1340 local (1240 GMT) for the afternoon session. |
| ... Day 3, Second Session ... |
| The afternoon session is about to get underway. The players are out in the middle. Ishant will be on strike to face the first ball after the break. Rashid will resume the proceedings for the home team. Here we go... |
| 79.1 : A Rashid to I Sharma, Start with a loopy ball outside off, Ishant punches it straight to the fielder at short covers. |
| 79.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, Driven through the covers by Sharma again. |
| 79.3 : A Rashid to Sharma, Gets forward and defends under his eyes. |
| 79.4 : A Rashid to Sharma, Defended off the front foot by Ishant presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 79.5 : A Rashid to Sharma, In line of the stumps, pushed up there, defended again. |
| 79.6 : A Rashid to Sharma, On the pads, Ishant looks to clip to the fine leg region but it goes off the pads and a run results. Ishant will be on the strike for the next over as well. |
| Spin from both ends. Moeen Ali is on from the other end. |
| 80.1 : M Ali to Sharma, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 80.2 : M Ali to Sharma, Shortish, defended off the back foot. |
| 80.3 : M Ali to Sharma, Gets behind the line of the flighted ball and blocks it out. |
| 80.4 : M Ali to Sharma, Shortish outside off, tapped towards point and a quick run stolen. |
| 80.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, Outside off, shortish, Jaddu goes back and pucnhed it through the off side for another run. |
| 80.6 : M Ali to I Sharma, The ball takes the outside edge goes towards the slip region. They pick up a single. |
| 81.1 : A Rashid to Sharma, Fast, in line of the stumps, easily negotiated off the front foot. |
| 81.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, Down the leg side, Ishant misses it and Jonny takes the bails off. Ishant was already in, so no harm done. |
| 81.3 : A Rashid to Sharma, Sweeps the fuller ball on the pads to the fine leg region. One run taken. |
| 81.4 : A Rashid to Jadeja, The batsman works it down the leg side. |
| 81.5 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Outside off, Jaddu pads it away. |
| 81.6 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Gently pushes the full ball down the ground and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 82.1 : Ali to Jadeja, Ooh! So close. That could have been easily given. But it went on with the angle. Ali bowls the arm bowl and Jadeja looks to defend it. He misses and the ball hits him on his front pad. An appeal ensues but the umpire declines and rightly so. |
| 82.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 82.3 : M Ali to Jadeja, Shortish on off, Jaddu goes back and chops it through cover-point for a brace. |
| 82.4 : M Ali to Jadeja, Similar shot from Jadeja in the same region. One run more. |
| 82.5 : M Ali to Sharma, OUT! Gone. Ishant and his resistance ends. A straighter one bowled outside off and it goes on with the angle. Ishant plays for the spin but it never did. The outside edge is found and Bairstow does the rest. Ashwin with his so many variations was looking unimpressive and Moeen with nothing much to show in that department has troubled the Indian batters in the last couple of matches, just like this one. There's a lesson in there somewhere for him. Anyway, India still trail |
| Shami is in. |
| 82.6 : M Ali to Shami, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 83.1 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Tosses it up on middle, Jadeja prods forward and keeps it out. |
| 83.2 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Again, tossed up delivery on middle, Jadeja blocks it out. |
| 83.3 : A Rashid to R Jadeja, Slightly shorter in length outside off, Jadeja cuts it to sweeper cover and does not take the run. |
| 83.4 : A Rashid to R Jadeja, This is floated up on off, Jadeja drives it to mid off. |
| 83.5 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Flatter on middle, Jadeja goes back and tucks it around the corner with the turn for a run. Shami now has one ball to play out. |
| 83.6 : A Rashid to Shami, And he does it well as he blocks it right onto the ground. |
| 84.1 : M Ali to Jadeja, Flighted and in comes in again from the off pole. Jadeja gets some bat on it. |
| 84.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Similar line and length, defended off the front foot. |
| 84.3 : M Ali to Jadeja, Shortish, Jaddu rocks back to punch it off the back foot but couldn't get the timing right. |
| 84.4 : M Ali to Jadeja, Once again he moves back to he play the shortish ball down the ground. |
| 84.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, And again. He gets the timing right but couldn't beat Buttler at short covers. The field will come up now to save the single. |
| 84.6 : M Ali to Jadeja, FOUR! Fifty up for Jadeja, his ninth in this format. The field was up so it was easy to cut the short ball through the vacant cover-point region. He reaches the milestone, dusts off his willow and does his usual 'swordplay' celebration. Kudos to him, making a statement on his comeback. |
| 85.1 : A Rashid to Shami, The short of length delivery has been cut away through square on the off side. |
| 85.2 : A Rashid to Shami, Shortish in line of the stumps, Shami goes back and pushes it through the off side and takes a run. |
| 85.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, FOUR! Not that short but enough for the now set Jadeja. He rocks back and half-pulls it through mid-wicket. The ball races away to the fence. |
| 85.4 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Around off , chopped through the off side for another run. |
| 85.5 : A Rashid to Shami, OUT! Shami couldn't stop himself for long and pays the price for it. It was tossed up right up there and he lofts it powerfully towards long on. Stuart Broad stationed there runs in a bit, stays low and hangs on to the catch to send Shami packing. All Shami needed was to hang in there with Jadeja but it wasn't to be. |
| Last man, Jasprit Bumrah is in. He needs to hang in there with Jadeja, just like the previous Test where he hung around for over an hour. |
| 85.6 : A Rashid to J Bumrah, Dropped! Almost another one there. A flighted wrong 'un outside off, Bumrah plays for the leg spin but it came in, took the inside edge and lobbed towards silly point. Jennings there failed to hold onto the catch and Bumrah survives to fight another day. |
| James Anderson is back on. |
| 86.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Short, on off, defended. |
| 86.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, cut to point. |
| 86.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Full and some room to play with. Jadeja caresses it through covers and takes a brace to stay on strike. |
| 86.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 86.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On the pads, flicked away towards deep square leg region. Two runs added to the total. |
| 86.6 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, FOUR! Wide of off and enticing Jadeja. He chops it from his crease and a thick outside edge makes it race through the slip cordon for a boundary. England won't mind that though. Bumrah is on strike for the next over and they can finish the innings there. |
| Broad to start a new spell with the second new cherry. |
| 87.1 : S Broad to Bumrah, Oops! Bumrah was ball watching there else they could have changed strike. It was bowled on leg and Bumrah got something on it. As a result, the ball bounces before reaching Bairstow behind the sticks. Jadeja was half way down there for the run but Bumrah wasn't on the same page as him. Bairstow throws at the bowlers end but no before Jaddu made it in. |
| 87.2 : S Broad to Bumrah, This one came in viciously from outside the off stump. Bumrah was looking to make an easy leave but ended up getting hit on his arm. The ball goes towards the slip cordon but no harm done. |
| 87.3 : S Broad to Bumrah, Some chin music now. He does well to get out of the line. |
| 87.4 : S Broad to Bumrah, On a length in line of the stumps, defended. |
| 87.5 : S Broad to Bumrah, Another bumper and another uneasy, yet important leave. |
| 87.6 : S Broad to Bumrah, He leaves the back of a length ball all alone. Bumrah survives. It was closer to the off pole, a lot closer to comfort. |
| 88.1 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, Comes in with the angle and RJ gets an inside edge onto the ground. |
| 88.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The batsman has played it to the point region. |
| 88.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Swinging in, defended. |
| 88.4 : Anderson to Jadeja, SIX! Bang! Thwarted! What a hit. Jimmy bowls a full ball in line of the stumps and swings it in. Jadeja counters for that and goes with the straight bat over the bowler's head. The connection is sweet and it goes way back and into the sight screen. |
| 88.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Too straight down the leg side, missed. |
| 88.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, An easy single this. Outside off and easily guided to third man for a single. He keeps the strike for the next over. |
| 89.1 : S Broad to Jadeja, A play and a miss. A short of a length ball outside off, Jadeja goes fishing but misses. |
| 89.2 : S Broad to Jadeja, Back of a length ball coming in with the angle. Jadeja looks to play across the line but gets hit on his pads. The ball races towards the third man fence and Stokes there does well to cut it off. A couple of runs taken. |
| 89.3 : S Broad to Jadeja, On the pads, Jaddu fails to put bat to ball. |
| 89.4 : S Broad to Jadeja, FOUR! Short, on the leg pole and asking for it. Jadeja swivels and gets it fine to the fine leg region for a boundary. Runs coming thick and fast now. |
| 89.5 : S Broad to Jadeja, A wild swing but too wide. A length ball outside off, he fails to connect. |
| 89.6 : S Broad to Jadeja, Full outside off, Jadeja slashes hard at it and gets it through cover-point for a run but not before Buttler half stops it and helps him. Trail is exactly 50 now. |
| 90.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The batsman gets an inside edge and the ball hits him on the pads. |
| 90.2 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, Gets the length ball to deep covers but denies the single. |
| 90.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Trail under 50 now. Clever, very clever this. He gets the short of a length ball off the inner half of the bat. The ball gently goes towards the long on region. Jaddu calls for a double and his partner obliges. The crowd applauds the genius of Sir! |
| 90.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, FOUR! More pain for England as Jadeja is chipping away the trail. A wild hoick across the line to the length ball and it reaches the mid-wicket fence just in time. |
| 90.5 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, Short, outside off, Jadeja pulls it over the fielder previously stationed at long on. He was brought in and hence, it was an easy double for the batsmen. |
| 90.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Angled towards the ribs, Jadeja tucks it fine and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| Adil Rashid to try his luck out against the last wicket. |
| 91.1 : A Rashid to Jadeja, The batsman has driven it through mid off but Jadeja does not take the run. |
| 91.2 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Flighted up there, defended. |
| 91.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Hangs back and keeps it out off the back foot. |
| 91.4 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 91.5 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Was there a run out chance? It feels that way. RJ gently taps the shortish ball to the on side and runs straightaway. Bumrah wasn't convinced as the ball went to Jimmy at short mid on. He failed to collect the ball and an easy run results. |
| 91.6 : A Rashid to Bumrah, Too full and easily negotiated by JB |
| Moeen Ali is back as well. Spin from both the ends. |
| 92.1 : M Ali to Jadeja, On the pads, pushed to the on side for no run. |
| 92.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Flighted outside off, defended to the off side. |
| 92.3 : M Ali to Jadeja, copy paste stuff from the bowler and the batsman. |
| 92.4 : M Ali to Jadeja, Another run on offer but not taken. RJ taps this one to the on side again but realizing there are still two balls left, he declines it. |
| 92.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, A bit of drift and turn. Perfect seem pitching, gripping and turning away. Jaddu looks to defend it off the front foot but misses. |
| 92.6 : M Ali to R Jadeja, Ooh! Alsmot gets chopped on just before the drinks break. This one comesin with the angle and takes the inside edge of Sir's blade. The ball goes to the fielder at short fine leg who gathers it and throws it back quickly. So, no single means JB will be on strike for the next over. |
| Drinks! Two wickets and 52 runs in this hour. England's hopes of taking a lead in excess of 50 has been dented thanks to Jadeja's counter-attacking yet watchful innings. The play resumes after the break, hang around for more entertainment. |
| Stuart Broad is back into the attack. |
| 93.1 : S Broad to Bumrah, Good length outside the off stump, Bumrah shoulders arms to it. |
| 93.2 : S Broad to Bumrah, The indipper but the line was a little too straight. Bumrah misses the flick and gets hit on the pads. |
| 93.3 : S Broad to Bumrah, As solid as a rock was Bumrah in that defensive stroke. On a length and around off, Bumrah gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 93.4 : S Broad to Bumrah, A muted appeal but nothing! This came back in a long way from off, Bumrah tries to tuck it around the corner but he seems to have missed it. The ball hits his pads and lobs towards short leg. Jennings there takes it and appeals but the umpire does not agree. |
| 93.5 : S Broad to Bumrah, One more ball to go in this over! Somehow he manages to dig this inswinger out towards short leg. |
| 93.6 : S Broad to Bumrah, And he does it really well! A huge applause for him as he goes back and defends the ball onto the ground. |
| 94.1 : M Ali to Jadeja, A little too full on off, Jadeja strokes it to covers. |
| 94.2 : M Ali to Jadeja, Floats it up on middle, Ravindra defends it out. |
| 94.3 : M Ali to Jadeja, Three balls, three dots as Jadeja works this with the angle to mid-wicket. |
| 94.4 : M Ali to Jadeja, On the stumps, Jadeja keeps it out. |
| 94.5 : M Ali to Jadeja, Flatter and on the stumps, Jadeja goes back and pushes it towards mid-wicket. One ball to go, he will be looking for a single. |
| 94.6 : M Ali to Bumrah, OUT! Out! Gone! That's the end of the road for Bumrah and Jadeja. The latter sold his short there as he tapped this flighted one the pads to the fielder at short square leg. Broad there runs and in throws the ball back to Bairtow who does the rest. Bumrah was always struggling. A 32-run stand is broken and India give up a dangerous 40-run lead. |
| What an excellent hour of play this was for India. England came out after the Lunch break hoping of bundling the remaining wickets out quickly and for once it also looked like that when Shami and Ishant fell quickly. However, Jadeja and Bumrah frustrated the English side. The former played his shots and the latter hung in there with him and courtesy their partnership, the two have only given a small lead of 40 to the hosts. |
| Surprisingly it was Indian lower order which came to the fore. They have given England a taste of their own medicine. At 160-6 it seemed like the home side would get a big lead under their belt but it was not so. Vihari and Jadeja joined forces and the two, took their time and built a 77-run stand. Vihari impressing one and all on his debut. However, once he departed, a few quick wickets fell but Jadeja's highest score overseas see India still hang in the balance. |
| The English bowlers were rampant against the Indian top order but failed to bundle the lower order out quickly. Every bowler had their name in the wickets column. They though still will be disappointed with their effort as they could have had a much bigger lead. However, they would now want to put that aside and concentrate on building the lead they already have. India on the other hand will look for some early wickets. The ball is swinging out there and the away side's bowlers will want to make |
| 0.1 : Bumrah to Cook, Slightly shorter on middle, it comes back in. Cook tries to work it on the leg side but misses to get hit high on the pads. Pant appeals but he is the only one doing so. |
| 0.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Back of a length on off, Cook is solid in defense. |
| 0.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Well bowled! Uses the angle to his advantage and slants it across the batsman. Cook pokes at it and gets beaten. |
| 0.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, A little too full outside off, Cook shoulders arms. No swing as of now for Bumrah. |
| 0.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a length again around middle, Cook tries to defend but it goes off the outer half towards point. |
| 0.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Slightly shorter in length and the line is outside off, Cook leaves it alone. A maiden to begin with by Bumrah. |
| Ishant Sharma to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : I Sharma to Jennings, OHHHH! Starts from around the wicket and bowls it full outside off. Jennings goes for the drive but gets beaten. |
| 1.2 : Sharma to Jennings, A huge appeal but not given! Height I feel was the issue there. On a length around off, this one comes back in with the angle. Jennings tries to defend for the outswing but gets beaten on the inside. The ball hits him on the pads. The players appeal but the umpire shakes his head. Hawk Eye shows it is missing the leg pole. |
| 1.3 : I Sharma to Jennings, The outswinger this time. Jennings tries to defend but gets an outside edge towards gully. It did not carry as he played it with soft hands. |
| 1.4 : I Sharma to Jennings, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 1.5 : I Sharma to Jennings, On the stumps, Jennings is solid in defense. |
| 1.6 : I Sharma to Jennings, And England are underway! He gets a ball on his pads, does not let the scoring opportunity go, he flicks it down to fine leg and gets to the other end. |
| 2.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Back of a length on off, Jennings defends it onto the ground. |
| 2.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Just ahead of a length but the line is outside off, the batsman need not play at those. |
| 2.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Lovely bowling! On a length and just outside the off stump. Jennings was not sure whether to play at it or not but does well to get his bat out at the last moment. |
| 2.4 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Hits the length again on off, slanting it away from the batsman. He lets it be. |
| 2.5 : J Bumrah to Jennings, On the stumps, Jennings blocks it out confidently. |
| 2.6 : J Bumrah to Jennings, On the shorter side, Jennings keeps it out. Second maiden in a row for Bumrah but again no swing visible for him in this over as well. |
| 3.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Outside off, on a length, Cook is half forward to have a poke and gets beaten. |
| 3.2 : I Sharma to Cook, On the pads, flicked to the on side for no run. |
| 3.3 : I Sharma to Cook, On a length on off, defended. |
| 3.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Down the leg side, Cook fails to make connection. |
| 3.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Again straying down the leg side. Too far away to make any connection. |
| 3.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Ends the over with a beauty. A full ball on off and Cook goes after it with hard hands. The ball goes towards backward area where the field is set for such an uppish shot. He survives. |
| 4.1 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Hits the length hard on off, Jennings guides it to point. |
| 4.2 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Slightly shorter on off, Jennings goes back and defends it onto the ground. |
| 4.3 : J Bumrah to Jennings, Some zip off the surface for Bumrah. On the shorter side, that skids through. Jennings tries to defend but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 4.4 : J Bumrah to K Jennings, Slightly fuller in length on off, Jennings strokes it towards wide mid off and takes a run. |
| 4.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, FOUR! Off the mark in style! On the pads, Cook loves it there, he flicks it through square leg and the ball races away. |
| 4.6 : J Bumrah to A Cook, Changes the angle and goes over the wicket. Bowls it full on off, Cook pushes it to mid off. |
| 5.1 : I Sharma to Jennings, Three runs! A little too straight and Ishant pays the price. He is clipped through mid-wicket and the batsmen get three. |
| 5.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Good length on off, Cook guides it towards point. |
| 5.3 : I Sharma to Cook, On a length around off, Cook is solid in defense. |
| 5.4 : I Sharma to Cook, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 5.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Pitches it around off, Cook tries to defend but gets it off the inner half towards mid on. |
| 5.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Gets this one to straighten a touch after pitching on off, Cook is squared up as he tries to defend. The ball rolls towards point and the batsmen take a run. 50 is the lead now. |
| Mohammed Shami is on. |
| 6.1 : M Shami to Cook, What does he do first up, something he did many a times in the first innings. BEAT THE OUTSIDE EDGE! Starts off with a ball just ahead of a length. Cook plants his front foot forward and goes for the drive but does not connect. |
| 6.2 : M Shami to Cook, Bowls it slightly fuller this time, easier for Cook to caress it through covers. Not for a boundary but two valuable runs. |
| 6.3 : M Shami to Cook, FOUR! Expensive start for Shammi here. Cook gets another ball on his pads. Bread and butter stuff for him. He flicks it through mid-wicket and the ball races away. |
| 6.4 : Shami to Cook, A huge appeal but not given again! Shami shortens his length and bowls it around off, it comes back in. Cook lunges and tries to defend but the ball hits him on the pads and lobs towards Pant. The Indians first start appealing for an LBW and then for a catch after Pant takes it but the umpire shakes his head for both. Impact was outside off. |
| 6.5 : M Shami to Cook, The outswinger now! Testing stuff from the pacer! On a length around off, Cook hangs his bat out only to get beaten. |
| 6.6 : M Shami to Cook, Hits the deck hard on off, Cook defends it onto the ground. So a good second half to the over for Shami. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is into the attack. |
| 7.1 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Flatter on off, Jennings goes back and blocks it. |
| 7.2 : R Jadeja to Jennings, On the pads, Jennings this time flicks it away from the fielder at leg slip and takes a run. |
| 7.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tucks it to short leg with the turn. |
| 7.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, On middle, Cook flicks it through square leg for a run. Bowling a little too straight is Jadeja, the rough is just outside the off stump. |
| 7.5 : R Jadeja to Jennings, That is where I am talking about. Also the pace is quite slower. He tosses it up outside off, this one grips and turns into the batsman. Jennings tries to defend but gets hit on the body. |
| 7.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Again on the stumps, Keaton blocks it out easily. |
| 8.1 : M Shami to Cook, Cook with the angle works it to square leg for a run. |
| 8.2 : M Shami to Jennings, A confident punch there but only a run! Shorter in length outside off, Jennings pushes it through covers and takes a run. |
| 8.3 : M Shami to Cook, BEAUTY! He bowls it again on a length around off and gets it to straighten. Cook has to play at it as it is angled into him but is beaten by the away movement. |
| 8.4 : M Shami to Cook, Close shave! Luck is just not favoring Shami in this game. Another top nut. Full and around off, it again first angles into the batsman and then leaves him. Cook tries to push at it but the ball whizzes past the outside edge. |
| 8.5 : M Shami to Cook, BEATEN! Third time in a row! Cook though just has to put all this behind and look forward. Again it pitches on off and straightens. Cook tries to defend but the ball beats the outside edge. |
| 8.6 : M Shami to Cook, Defended solidly this time. A huge round of applause from the crowd as Cook pushes it to covers. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 3! |
| So, the England openers have batted out the nervy period and end the afternoon session unscathed. A session I believe both teams will be happy with. India, courtesy Jadeja, have not given away a big lead. England, because they have a decent advantage and their openers have begun well. However, we still have one more session to go and it is that time of the day where wickets have fallen the most in this Test. The away side will surely want that to happen whereas the home side will look to build o |
| ... DAY 3, THIRD SESSION ... |
| We're back for the final session. So far, 11 wickets have fallen in the evening so far in this Test. A minimum of 35 overs left in the day's play. Ravindra Jadeja to begin proceedings. |
| 9.1 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Tossed up ball on off, Jennings stays back and defends it. |
| 0.0 : Shout for an lbw. Keaton Jennings has missed his sweep shot and is thudded on the pads. The umpire turns down the appeal and Kohli takes the DRS after consulting his bowler and the keeper. Is impact outside off? |
| 9.2 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Not out! The impact indeed is outside off. Jadeja tosses this one up and lands a full ball outside off. It spins back in after hitting the deck as Keaton opts for the sweep shot. He though fails to connect and is rapped on the pads. They put in an unsuccessful appeal. Kohli consults his bowler who tells that there was no bat and then his keeper also is confident. India take the DRS but the replays find that the point of impact outside off. A review wasted. |
| 9.3 : R Jadeja to Jennings, This time Jennings defends it with the spin to the leg side. |
| 9.4 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Once again Keaton brings out the sweep shot and this time succeeds in making connection. It speeds wide of leg slip and they collect a brace, |
| 9.5 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Short and around off, Jennings does well to punch it out. |
| 9.6 : R Jadeja to Jennings, Jadeja again is on the shorter side outside off, Jennings hits it wide of the cover fielder for a run. |
| Mohammed Shami to bowl from the other end. |
| 10.1 : M Shami to Jennings, On a length outside the off pole. Jennings shoudlers arms. |
| 10.2 : M Shami to Jennings, Back of a length on off, Jennings defends it onto the ground. |
| 10.3 : M Shami to Jennings, Fuller in length than the last delivery. Keaton lunges and blocks it out. |
| 10.4 : M Shami to Jennings, FOUR BYES! That was quick there by Shami. Ufff! Bends his back on this one and bowls it on off, it skids through. Jennings tries to defend but gets beaten. Pant is not sure on how to collect the ball, he fails to do so and the ball races to the fine leg fence. |
| 10.5 : M Shami to Jennings, On a length around off, KJ is solid in defense. Looking good here is Jennings, probably the best he has looked in this series. |
| 10.6 : M Shami to Jennings, A little too wide outside off, left alone. |
| 11.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tosses it up on off, Cook defends it onto the ground. |
| 11.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Play and a miss! Quick and short outside off, Cook goes back and tries to cut but he misses. |
| 11.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, On the stumps, worked to mid-wicket. |
| 11.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it on off, Cook pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 11.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| Review time! Another shout for an LBW has been denied. Kohli again goes for the review. Impact looks outside off. |
| 11.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, NOT OUT! And that is the case, impact is way outside off. India have lost both their reviews inside 15 overs. It is a poor, poor one. Jadeja bowls it flatter and outside off, it pitches and turns back in sharply. Cook goes back and tries to defend but is beaten by the turn. The ball hits him on his pads and the players appeal. The umpire shakes his head. Kohli gives it a though and goes for the review. Replays show the umpire once again made a correct decision. |
| 12.1 : M Shami to Jennings, A little too wide outside off, left alone. |
| 12.2 : M Shami to K Jennings, Fuller on off, stroked to mid off. |
| 12.3 : M Shami to Jennings, Back of a length around off, Jennings keeps it out. |
| 12.4 : M Shami to Jennings, OUT! TIMBER! There are two types of leaves in cricket, a good one and a bad one and that was a bad one. Shami however, won't care as he gets a well-deserved wicket. He comes steaming in from around the wicket and bowls an inswinger outside off. It comes back in sharply. Jennings offers no shot and he does not cover his stumps as well. The ball kisses the top of off and Jennings has to take the long walk back, cheaply again. An early wicket after the break, exactly what |
| Moeen Ali is the new man in. |
| 12.5 : M Shami to Ali, On off, Ali prods forward and keeps it out. |
| 12.6 : M Shami to Ali, Off the mark is Ali, on a length, Moeen taps it towards covers for a run. |
| 13.1 : R Jadeja to Ali, Tosses it up on off, Moeen defends it. |
| 13.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, FOUR! That is Moeen's go-to shot! He gets down on one knee and sweeps it hard through square leg and the ball races away. |
| 13.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Floats it up on off, MA pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 13.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Flatter on off, Moeen defends it. |
| 13.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, BEATEN! He fires this outside off, it goes on with the arm. Moeen plays for the turn and gets beaten as there is none. |
| 13.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Played to mid-wicket region by the batsman. |
| 14.1 : M Shami to Cook, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 14.2 : M Shami to Cook, Lovely stuff! Good length around off, it again straightens. Cook goes back and tries to defend but gets beaten. |
| 14.3 : M Shami to Cook, Outside off, Cook leaves it. |
| 14.4 : M Shami to Cook, On the stumps, Cook works it to mid-wicket. |
| 14.5 : M Shami to Cook, Back of a length on off, Cook punches it to mid on. |
| 14.6 : M Shami to Cook, Just ahead of a length on off, Cook lunges and defends it to covers. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is back on. |
| 15.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, The slower ball first up outside off, Moeen lets it be. |
| 15.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Down the leg side, Moeen misses the flick and Pant collects it behind the stumps. |
| 15.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 15.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Nicely bowled! On a length and around off, it pitches and moves away. Moeen first goes to play at it but then pull his bat back. |
| 15.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, Shortish again on middle, Moeen defends it onto the ground. |
| 15.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Bowls it on off, Moeen is solid in defense. A maiden by Bumrah. |
| 16.1 : M Shami to Cook, BEATEN AGAIN! Not sure whether Cook needed to play at this delivery. It was outside off, Cook has a poke at it and gets beaten. |
| 16.2 : M Shami to Cook, A little too wide to make a batsman of Cook's caliber play at. |
| 16.3 : M Shami to Cook, BEATEN AGAIN! Once again it is that around the wicket channel which is making Cook play as it is angled in. Then it straightens and Cook's bat's outside edge is beaten. |
| 16.4 : M Shami to Cook, Goes even wider of the crease and bowls it full on middle, Cook pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 16.5 : M Shami to Cook, This one goes on with the angle on off and hence Cook defends it. |
| 16.6 : M Shami to Cook, The sucker ball almost did the trick! Full and wide outside off, Cook's eyes must have lit up as he would have sensed a scoring opportunity. He goes for a drive but is beaten. |
| 17.1 : J Bumrah to Ali, Pitches it around off and gets it to straighten, also bounce. Moeen tries to block but the ball hits the splice of the bat. |
| 17.2 : J Bumrah to Ali, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 17.3 : J Bumrah to Ali, Tight line there again. On off, Moeen is solid in defense. |
| 17.4 : J Bumrah to Ali, Accurately hits the length around off, Moeen patiently defends it. |
| 17.5 : J Bumrah to Ali, This one comes back in after pitching. The length though is a touch short and hence Moeen has time to adjust. He tucks it to mid-wicket. |
| 17.6 : J Bumrah to Ali, Around off, Moeen guides it to point. Another maiden, Bumrah's fourth in the 5 overs he has bowled. |
| 18.1 : M Shami to Cook, Fuller in length on off, Cook opes the face of the bat and guides it to point. |
| 18.2 : M Shami to Cook, Just behind a length on off, Cook pushes it to covers. |
| 18.3 : M Shami to Cook, Lovely! Again that angle means Cook has to play but the straightening off the ball beats the outside edge. Not much you can do about that. |
| 18.4 : M Shami to Cook, This is why experience is key! All those plays and misses is not playing on Cook's mind. He gets a scoring opportunity and ensures he puts it away, not to the fence but for a brace. Slightly short and width on offer outside off, Alastair punches it through covers and takes two. First runs for Cook in this session. |
| 18.5 : M Shami to Cook, On the stumps, kept out. |
| 18.6 : M Shami to Cook, Ohhs and ahhs all around as the bat's edge is once again beaten. Just ahead of a length outside off, Cook goes for the drive but is beaten. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is back on. |
| 19.1 : R Jadeja to M Ali, He is welcomed back with a run as Moeen eases it down to long on. |
| 19.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Very full outside off, Cook goes for the sweep but misses. |
| 19.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it on off, Cook pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 19.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Outside off again, Cook plants his front foot outside the off pole and goes for the sweep. He misses, the ball hits him on the pads and the players appeal but the umpire shakes his head. |
| 19.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Pushes it towards wide mid on for a run. |
| 19.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, How nonchalant was that? Moeen steps down the track and whips it over mid-wicket. The outfield is a touch slow and hence it does not cross the fence. A couple. |
| 20.1 : M Shami to Cook, Well bowled and well played! On a length and around off, this one stays a touch low. Cook gets his bat down in time and works it through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 20.2 : M Shami to Ali, The awayswinger this time outside off, Moeen goes for the drive but the ball whizzes past the outside edge. |
| 20.3 : M Shami to Ali, FOUR! In the air... but in the gap! There were a few fielders there but the way Shami's luck is running, that was never going to go to hand. Full and outside off, Moeen goes for the full-blooded drive but the ball takes the outside edge and flies through gully for a boundary. |
| 20.4 : M Shami to Ali, On a length around off, Moeen keeps it out. |
| 20.5 : M Shami to Ali, He beats the inside edge, he beats the outside edge, he gets the edge but just not getting another wicket. Another brute of a delivery. On off and it jags back in, Moeen is cut into half as the ball goes over the stumps. Pant behind fails to collect and a bye is taken. Needs to be a touch fuller Shami. |
| 20.6 : M Shami to Cook, FOUR! Not this full as he is driven crisply through mid on and the ball races away,. A good over for England, 10 from it. |
| 21.1 : R Jadeja to M Ali, Tosses it up, Moeen pushes it to mid on. |
| 21.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, Outside off, left alone. |
| 21.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Flatter on off, kept out. |
| 21.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Uses his feet but Jadeja sees that, he shortens the length and Ali can only defend it. |
| 21.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, Works it with the turn towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 21.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Darts it on off, Cook prods forward and defends it. |
| Ishant Sharma is back on. |
| 22.1 : I Sharma to Ali, Good length around off, Moeen blocks it. |
| 22.2 : I Sharma to Ali, Bowls it on a length again around off, looking to take it away from the left hander but no swing. Moeen defends. |
| 22.3 : I Sharma to Ali, On the pads, Moeen tries to flick but misses to get hit on the pads. A huge appeal follows by the slip cordon but nothing from the bowler. It was slipping down. |
| 22.4 : I Sharma to Ali, Good length again outside off, left alone. |
| 22.5 : I Sharma to Ali, Just behind a length outside off, Moeen makes a leave. |
| 22.6 : I Sharma to Ali, Attacks the stumps, Moeen gets behind the line and defends it. |
| 23.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tosses it up on off, Cook defends it. |
| 23.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, A little too wide outside off, left alone. |
| 23.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter outside off, Cook defends it. |
| 23.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it outside off again, Cook pushes it towards covers and takes a run. The 50 is up and the lead is 90 now. |
| 23.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 23.6 : R Jadeja to Ali, Nudges it around the corner with the turn for a run. |
| 24.1 : I Sharma to Ali, Full in length and around off, Moeen keeps it out safely to covers. |
| 24.2 : I Sharma to M Ali, EDGED AND DROPPED! It's FOUR also! Sharma delivers an overpitched delivery outside off, Moeen goes for a big booming cover drive but gets a fat outside edge behind. It flies to KL Rahul at second slip who tries to grab it in front of his face but fails to hold on. It bursts through his hangs and races behind for a boundary. KL has been so good with his catching in the series and must be upset with himself. |
| 24.3 : I Sharma to Ali, Pitches it full again, just outside off, Ali defends it off his front foot. |
| 24.4 : I Sharma to Ali, Another fuller length ball on off has been defended watchfully by Moeen. |
| 24.5 : I Sharma to Ali, On the leg stump line this time, a length ball, Moeen defends it off his pads. |
| 24.6 : I Sharma to Ali, Serves it on a length just outside off, Moeen covers the line and defends it to the off side. |
| 25.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flighted and full outside off, Cook gets forward and across before defending it back to the bowler. |
| 25.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter this time, it's on the shorter side as it turns back in, Cook defends it from the back foot. |
| 25.3 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Leans forward and knocks it wide of mid on for a quick run. |
| 25.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, Spin and bounce into Moeen who somehow manages to keep it out safely. |
| 25.5 : R Jadeja to Ali, This one is a little too full by Jadeja and Moeen sweeps it through backward square leg for a run. |
| 25.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Floated one landing full outside off, Cook strides forward in defense. |
| 26.1 : I Sharma to Ali, Bowls it in line of the stumps, Moeen defends it by getting right behind it. |
| 26.2 : I Sharma to Ali, Sliding down the leg side, Moeen nudges it to fine leg and rotates the strike. |
| 26.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Angling away from the batsman, Cook stays back to cover his stumps and then allows it through to the keeper. |
| 26.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 26.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Back of a length ball angling away from the batsman, Cook gets on his toes as he plays it down to covers. |
| 26.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Bowls it on the pads and Cook eases it through square leg for one. The lead is one short of 100. |
| Drinks break. Unlike the last two days, there hasn't been a flurry of wickets in the last session. Although the session started with England losing Keaton Jennings. Another highlight of the evening's play has been India wasting both their reviews inside 12 overs. Their bowlers are trying hard, beating the edges and causing trouble to the Englishmen but so far have managed only one wicket. A minimum of 17 overs still left in the day's play, let's see which team ends on top. |
| 27.1 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Tossed up ball outside off, Cook reaches out for it with a drive and places his shot through covers. Pujara chases it down near the rope and they collect three runs. Lead crosses 100 now. |
| 27.2 : R Jadeja to Ali, There's the turn. This one perhaps lands on the rough outside off and turns back in with sharp bounce. Moeen stays back to defend and does so with a little bit of discomfort. |
| 27.3 : R Jadeja to Ali, Turning back in from around off and Ali defends it on the leg side. |
| Once again some issues with the ball. They already changed it once a few overs back but India were not at all happy. This time the umpires feel that it has lost its shape and have called for the replacement. |
| 27.4 : R Jadeja to Ali, OUT! Bowled 'em! The changed ball brings luck for Jadeja as he pegs the middle stump back. Another delivery which lands in the rough around off and turns back in sharply. Moeen gets on the front foot to drive it but misses the ball completely. It sneaks through the gap between bat and pad and shatters the stumps. The Indians are ecstatic. The 35-run stand has been broken. |
| Skipper Joe Root is in next. He bagged a duck in the first innings and will be keen to get off the mark first up. England are effectively 102/2. |
| 27.5 : R Jadeja to Root, A touch flat and short outside off, Root stays back footed as he defends it to the off side. |
| 27.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Shorter again, Root goes back and cuts it through backward point for a couple. He's off the mark. |
| 28.1 : I Sharma to Cook, Slants a length ball wide outside off, Cook offers no shot. |
| 28.2 : I Sharma to Cook, Again too wide outside off to bother Alastair Cook. |
| 28.3 : I Sharma to Cook, Switches to 'round the wicket and angles in a full ball on off, Cook defends it solidly by getting half-forward. |
| 28.4 : I Sharma to Cook, Tries to tempt the batsman by bowling it on a driving length outside off. Cook lets it be and it nips away off the pitch while going to the keeper. |
| 28.5 : I Sharma to Cook, Good length ball on middle and leg, going down with the angle, Cook fails to glance and is hit on the thigh pad. |
| 28.6 : I Sharma to Cook, Full and outside off, shaping away, Cook is very watchful currently as he makes a leave. |
| 29.1 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! Easy pickings! Jadeja drops it short wide outside off, Root loves it there. He goes deep inside the crease and whacks it through point for a cracking boundary. |
| 29.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Flighted ball around off, a bit short again, Root goes back and defends. |
| 29.3 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! Once again the length is short and Root cashes in. He rocks back immediately and hammers it past the point fielder. The English skipper is off and running in style. |
| 29.4 : R Jadeja to Root, That's more like it from Jadeja. Drawing the batsman forward by bowling it full and around off. Root mistimes his drive. |
| 29.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Fires this one in. Flatter and on off, Root defends it at the last moment off his back foot. |
| 29.6 : R Jadeja to Root, A front foot defense by Root to complete the over. A couple of boundaries coming from it. |
| Jasprit Bumrah to operate now. |
| 30.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Straighter in line first up, Cook works it through mid-wicket and picks up three runs. |
| 30.2 : J Bumrah to Root, Excellent delivery, beating Root all ends up. An inswinger landing on a length outside off, Root walks forward to play at it but it stays low and whizzes past the inside edge of his bat. |
| 30.3 : J Bumrah to Root, Back of a length ball outside off, Joe keeps his weight on the back foot and taps it down in front of the gully fielder. |
| 30.4 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Angling into the batsman, Root takes his front leg forward and across, away from the line of the sticks, as he defends it towards mid on. |
| 30.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Good length delivery in the channel outside off, Root gets across a bit before making a leave. |
| 30.6 : J Bumrah to Root, On a length and outside off, Root dabs it down towards gully. Rahane picks it up on one bounce and immediately scores a direct hit at the striker's end. No harm done though as Joe never left the crease. |
| 31.1 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Nearly drags it on! Sharp spin back into the batsman from outside off, Cook tries to drive but gets an inside edge past the stumps. A single taken. |
| 31.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Goes on the back foot and punches it to backward point for one. |
| 31.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, In the air... Kohli sprints across to his right from leg gully, puts in a full length dive, catches the ball but as his hand hits the ground, it comes out. No, not a dropped catch. You know why? Because there wasn't any edge. Coming to the delivery, it spun back into the batsman who tried to flick but missed. The ball had ballooned off his thigh pad. A momentary excitement. |
| 31.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up ball outside off, Cook fails to defend and is hit on the pads. Appeal is made but the impact is outside off. |
| 31.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Shortish outside off, played down to point. |
| 31.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Spinning down towards leg, Cook works it across, finds the gap on the on side and collects a single. |
| 32.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Edged but safe! Full length ball around middle and off, Cook closes the face of his bat and gets a leading edge. It goes safely towards point though. The fielder is in the deep and a run is taken. |
| 32.2 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Movement back into the batsman, Root gets an inside edge onto the pads as he comes across the stumps. It deflects to covers and they steal a run. |
| 32.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Testing over! Bumrah angles this across the batsman, Cook pokes inside the line and misses. One can smell a wicket here. Top stuff by Jasprit. |
| 32.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, More assured this time by Cook. He covers the line of the delivery and defends it from the back foot. |
| 32.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Fuller and straighter, Cook picks the scoring chance and eases it through mid-wicket for a brace. |
| 32.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, This time Cook jumps on his back foot and works it in the gap on the leg side. Another run. |
| 33.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 33.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Turning back into the batsman from outside off, Cook stays back footed as he defends. |
| 33.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Full flighted ball landing outside off, Cook lunges and defends it watchfully. |
| 33.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Once again AC is forward with a big stride as he meets the ball before defending it to the off side. |
| 33.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up ball on off, Cook flicks it a bit aerially past short leg for a run. |
| 33.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Flighted and outside off, Root defends it nicely. |
| 34.1 : J Bumrah to A Cook, Pitches it full and on off, Cook plays a punchy drive down the ground but finds the mid off fielder. |
| 34.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Good length ball around off, angling away, Cook remains on the back foot and defends it with gentle hands to the off side. |
| 34.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bowls it around middle and off, Cook covers the line and defends it off his front foot. |
| Mohammed Shami seems to be stretching. Might see him soon into the attack. |
| 34.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Back of a length ball on off, Cook goes on his toes and defends it to the off side. |
| 34.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Beauty from Bumrah! Bumrah takes this delivery away from the southpaw, Cook is lured into the drive and is beaten. Good take by Pant. |
| 34.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Straighter delivery, Cook flicks it off the inner half of his bat to square leg. A single taken. Lead is now 125. |
| Here comes Mohammed Shami for another spell. |
| 35.1 : M Shami to Cook, Shami starts from 'round the wicket angle but his line is too straight. Cook eases it through mid-wicket and takes a single. |
| 35.2 : M Shami to Root, Pitches it up and outside off, Root drives it on the up towards extra cover for a run. |
| 35.3 : M Shami to Cook, Slightly short in length and outside off, Cook goes on the back foot and taps it down to covers. |
| 35.4 : M Shami to Cook, Gets on the front foot to a delivery angled into him and pushes it out to covers. |
| 35.5 : M Shami to Cook, A touch short and around off, it's angled in, Cook stays back and works it in the gap at mid-wicket for one. |
| 35.6 : M Shami to Root, A hint of inward movement back into the batsman. First signs of reverse? Maybe. It's full and around off, Root presents a straight bat and keeps it out off the inner half. It rolls to mid on. |
| 36.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Lands it on a length and on middle, Cook gets a bit squared up as he pushes it off the outside half of his blade to point. |
| 36.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Zipping across the surface. It's around off and angling away from the batsman. Cook stays his ground and allows it through. The artificial lights are on and it might help the Indian bowlers. |
| 36.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Length delivery on middle and off, Cook gets across and tickles it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs. Kohli has a wry smile on his face after watching Ishant Sharma getting to the ball. He was a bit lazy there. Possibly tired. |
| 36.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Once again the line is too straight and it's easy-peasy for Cook. He turns it in the gap in front of square leg to pick up a run. |
| 36.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Slants in a length ball on off, Root stays back, allows it to come at him and then defends it stoutly. |
| 36.6 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Full and angling into the batsman, Root leans forward and across before flicking it wide of mid on. Once again his head fell a bit too much across as has been the case with him of late. A single taken. |
| 37.1 : M Shami to Joe Root, EDGY FOUR! Runs are coming thick and fast. Shami serves a delivery in the channel outside off. It's on a length and Root is sucked into a cover drive. He doesn't account for the movement and edges it behind. Luckily for him it goes wide of the slip cordon for a boundary. |
| 37.2 : M Shami to Root, FOUR! Shot of the evening! This time his head was right on top of the delivery. Full and around off, Root presents a straight bat as he unfurls a fabulous drive down the ground for a boundary. England racing away here and India are lacking intensity in the field. |
| 37.3 : M Shami to Root, Good length ball on off, Root defends it off his back foot. |
| 37.4 : M Shami to Root, A pitched up delivery around off, Root slices his drive a bit to the off side. Finds the mid off fielder. |
| 37.5 : M Shami to Root, Lands it on a full length outside off, Root pushes it with an angled bat through point and hurries across to the other end. |
| 37.6 : M Shami to Cook, Shami runs in from 'round the wicket and angles in a length ball on off. Cook blocks it solidly to end the over. Around 20 minutes more left in the day's play and six overs to be bowled. Hmm... |
| 38.1 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Full and outside off, Root drives it on the up but finds the cover fielder. |
| 38.2 : J Bumrah to Root, Angles in a good length ball on off, Root covers the line and defends it right under his watchful eyes. |
| And again! Issues with the shape of the ball. Poor quality Duke balls? The umpires have called for replacement. Last time this happened, India picked a wicket next ball. What will happen this time? |
| 38.3 : J Bumrah to Root, Straightaway big movement. Length ball landing around off and jagging back in sharply. Root gets across in an attempt to flick but misses. It goes behind and it's a good take by Pant. |
| 38.4 : J Bumrah to Root, FOUR! Beautifully picked up off his pads. Almost similar to the last delivery. Moving back into the batsman from outside off, Root shimmies down the track a bit and flicks it superbly to the deep square leg fence. |
| 38.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Two men dropped back on the leg side hinting that Bumrah will bowl short. But this one is on a length outside off and Root defends it down safely. |
| 38.6 : J Bumrah to Root, There is certainly extra life and venom in this ball. Bumrah serves it wide outside off, it lands and shoots off the surface. Root has nothing to do with it. A good carry to the keeper. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is back on. |
| 39.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up ball on off, Cook defends it with a big lunge. |
| 39.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Gets on the front foot to a full ball and forces it down towards mid on. |
| 39.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Stifled appeal for an lbw! Jadeja bowls it on off and gets it to spin back in. Cook fails to flick and is hit a bit high on his pads. The impact too seemed to be outside off. |
| 39.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires one on middle and leg, Cook flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 39.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 39.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Width on offer outside off, Cook plays late and wide of backward point for one. |
| 40.1 : Bumrah to Cook, Sharp delivery, on a good length and down the leg side, Cook is beaten for pace as he tries to flick. He is hit on the pads, they appeal mutely but nothing doing. A cry of desperation more than anything. |
| 40.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Too wide outside off, Cook has an easy leave. |
| 40.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Angling away from the batsman, Cook leans forward and pushes it in the gap at covers for a run. |
| 40.4 : J Bumrah to Root, Lands it on a length and outside off, Root gets forward and pushes it with gentle hands to point. |
| 40.5 : J Bumrah to Root, The batsman works it down the leg side. One run added to the total. |
| 40.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Four byes! Poor Pant having a tough time. Way wide outside off, keeps on going further with the movement, Pant tries collecting it with a dive but fails. 50-run stand comes up. Lead also crosses 150! |
| 41.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Leans forward to a full ball and defends it to the off side. |
| 41.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Quicker and fuller on off, Root pushes it with an angled bat to short third man. |
| 41.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Short this time, outside off, Root plays a back foot cut but once again finds short third man. |
| 41.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Fires a full ball on off, Root draws forward and defends it back. |
| 41.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Keeps darting it in. Full and on middle, defended on the leg side. |
| 41.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Whoa! Skidding in with extra bounce around off. Root goes back to cut but is cramped for room. Misses the ball and it goes over the stumps. Risky! |
| 42.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Play and a miss! Bumrah from 'round the wicket takes a full delivery away from the left-hander. Cook pushes at it and gets beaten. |
| 42.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah gets greedy. Tries repeating the last delivery from the middle stump line but ends up bowling it too straight. Cook clips it off his pads to deep mid-wicket for a run. |
| 42.3 : J Bumrah to Root, Shortish and outside off, Root gets across the stumps and plays it down to gully. |
| 42.4 : J Bumrah to Root, Slight change of angle now. Bumrah runs in straight, behind the umpire and then at the last moment pops out, a bit like Bob Willis quips Nasser Hussain on air. Goes wide of the crease and bowls it wide outside off. Root leaves it alone. |
| 42.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Conventional run-up this time. On a length and outside off, a solid push off the front foot by Root. |
| One ball to go... |
| 42.6 : J Bumrah to Root, It's wide outside off, Root keeps it out towards point and takes a single. That will be it. Stumps on Day 3. |
| Huge roar from the crowd as Alastair Cook and Joe Root leave the field. England will be delighted at the moment. They have extended their lead to 154 for the loss of only two wickets. The hosts started the day's play in front and have ended it that way as well. Although, in between they had to grind hard. |
| Just like the English lower order, the Indian lower order also wagged. Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari showed a lot of resilience in the morning session as they raised a 77-run stand. Post that, Jadeja counter-attacked and reduced the deficit down to 40. In reply, as has been the norm, Keaton Jennings got out cheaply but the tourists failed to open the floodgates. Moeen Ali added a little partnership with Alastair Cook and then Joe Root took it forward. |
| Ravindra Jadeja, who is up for an interview, says it is all about pride and that is what they are playing for now. Adds further that he looked to play his normal game and it went well for him. Mentions that it was very tough playing the English bowlers but he tried battling it out for as long as possible. Admits after a long time he played a long innings and hence, he was suffering from cramps. States Test cricket is the real test and he is happy to play well. Tells that the plan with Bumrah was |
| So, this Test match once again gets tilted in England's favour. Batting last won't be easy on this pitch. The visitors have their backs to the wall even after putting up a brave performance in the first two sessions today. The Indian bowlers have tried hard, in fact too hard, but sometimes you need luck on your side as well. Plenty of times they beat the bat but failed to induce the edges. Let's see how Day 4 pans out. Do join us at 1100 local (1000 GMT) for all the action. Cheers! |
| ... Day 4, Session 1 ... |
| Hello and welcome to the fourth day of the final Test between England and India at The Oval. The visitors start Day 4 not very different to where they stood at the start of Day 3, looking to crawl their way back into this Test. A day when the tourists will need to raise their game and try to make early breakthroughs before the match starts to slip away from their hands. |
| England, currently, are placed in a dominant position and will look to build on their lead. Their aim will be to bat the Indians out of the game but also give enough time to their bowlers to bowl them out. What lies in store for us? We will find out in the all-important first session itself. Stay tuned. |
| Pitch report - Sanjay Manjrekar says it looks similar to what it was on Day 3. Informs there is rough on both the sides, which should probably assist the spinners. |
| We are all set for the action to get underway. Out come Alastair Cook, who walks out with the bat for probably the final time in Test cricket. He gets a huge round of applause from the crowd as he makes his way in the middle. Joe Root walks alongside him and the two will resume their innings. The English skipper will be on strike and he will face Ishant Sharma who will start the proceedings. Here we go... |
| 43.1 : I Sharma to Root, Some swing for the tall fast bowler as the ball tails back in from outside off. Root takes a step or two ahead, maybe to cover the swing and blocks it quite confidently. |
| 43.2 : I Sharma to Root, Another inswinger but the line is down the leg side. Ishant is probably trying to hit Root's pads. However, this time it misses everything and Pant, behind the stumps, collects it. |
| 43.3 : I Sharma to Root, England are underway! Ishant once again gets appreciable movement from outside off, it comes back in. Root guides it through point and takes a run. |
| 43.4 : I Sharma to Cook, First run for Cook today! Should have been two there but these two aren't the quickest between the wickets. Ishant lands it on a length around middle, this one goes on with the angle. Cook tries to defend but the ball goes off the inner half towards square leg for only a run. |
| 43.5 : I Sharma to Root, BEATEN! Root looks like he has come out in an aggressive mode! A length ball outside off, Root would have probably left that alone on any other day but he goes for it and gets beaten. |
| 43.6 : I Sharma to Root, Fuller in length on off, Root strokes it to mid off. |
| Jasprit Bumrah will bowl from the other end. |
| 44.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, FOUR! Fifty for Cook, his 58th in Tests. He is bowing out in some style, consecutive fifties for him. This time though, he would want to convert it into a big one and if he does so, it will be the 7th ton against India, which will be his most by him against a team in Tests. He has the time and he is also looking good out there. He gets a gift to get to his milestone. On the pads, that is one place you do not want to bowl to him. He flicks it through square leg and the bal |
| 44.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, A bumper down the leg side, Cook lets it go. |
| 44.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Another one, this time though it is a well-directed one. Cook goes for the pull but is beaten by pace. |
| 44.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Changes strike with this one as Bumrah bowls it on a length around off, Cook pushes it to wide mid off and scampers through. |
| 44.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Third bouncer in the over by Bumrah, Root though spots it early and ducks under it. |
| 44.6 : J Bumrah to Root, That stays a touch low or maybe Root just misjudged the length. On the shorter side on middle, it comes back in. Root goes for the pull but misses to get hit near the box. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is into the attack. |
| 45.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it on off, Cook lunges and blocks it out. Not a lot of turn on the first delivery for Jadeja. |
| 45.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! This time it is a touch too full, the spin is out of contention as Cook reaches to the pitch of the delivery and strokes it through covers. No stopping that and runs coming thick and fast for England this morning. |
| 45.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires it outside off, Cook prods forward and tries to defend. The ball this time turns back in sharply, hits his pads and rolls towards the off side. The batsmen run a leg bye. |
| 45.4 : R Jadeja to Root, On the stumps, kept out. |
| 45.5 : R Jadeja to Root, How deft was that! Always risky to play this against Jadeja due to the pace he bowls. RJ darts it around off, Root goes back, waits for the ball and then guides it through short third man for a brace. |
| 45.6 : R Jadeja to Root, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 46.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Pitches it on a length and on middle, Cook defends it onto the ground. |
| 46.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, A little too wide outside off, Cook does not play at it. |
| 46.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, A solid punch but only for a run. Back of a length on off, Cook pushes it towards mid off and takes a quick single. The lead is now 169. |
| 46.4 : J Bumrah to Root, On the shorter side outside off, Root watches it go through to the keeper. |
| 46.5 : J Bumrah to Root, Another bouncer but it comes off the wicket quite slowly. Root easily ducks under it. |
| 46.6 : J Bumrah to Root, Another bumper but again Root evades it with ease. So two dots to end the over. |
| 47.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Starts the new over with a very full delivery on off. Cook comes forward and blocks. |
| 47.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit slower and shorter this one, Cook waits a bit longer and blocks it with a straight bat. |
| 47.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up on off, defended. |
| 47.4 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Very full outside off, Cook drives crisply but straight to the fielder at mid off. |
| 47.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit flatter on middle, Cook prods forward and keeps it out. |
| 47.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Slower and fuller on the stumps, the English opener flicks it to mid-wicket to end Jaddu's maiden over. |
| 48.1 : J Bumrah to Root, A snorter there by Bumrah! He has bowled quite a few bumpers till now but this is the best of the lot. Maybe he is doing so as Root is standing outside the crease. The bounce gets big on Joe as he tries to fend it. The ball hits the splice of the bat and goes uppishly towards gully. No fielder there so a run results. |
| 48.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Another bumper but this one bounces a little too much. Cook misses the pull, Pant, behind the stumps, fails to collect it cleanly and concedes a bye. |
| 48.3 : J Bumrah to Root, Good change in length! Bowls it fuller this time, the only thing missing there was some movement and hence, Root easily defends it out. |
| 48.4 : J Bumrah to Root, Another bye! However, Pant is not to be blamed this time. Good captaincy though by Kohli as he has his fine leg really fine. Bumrah delivers another short ball on the body of the batsman. Root ducks out of the way. The ball moves away further giving no chance to Pant and the batsmen run a bye. |
| 48.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Excellent delivery! Very good use of the angle there. On a length and around off, it pitches and slants across the batter. Cook has a feel for it but gets beaten. |
| 48.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Goes for a similar delivery but this time he starts it from the leg pole. Cook goes back and guides it towards point for a run. |
| 49.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, A little too short on off, Cook has all the time in the world to rock back and defend it. |
| 49.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fires this one just outside off, expecting some vicious turn out of the rough. Does not get any and Cook blocks it easily. |
| 49.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 49.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, BEATEN! Clever bowling, he bowls it quicker and a touch fuller. Cook misreads the length and goes back to defend it. He also plays for the non-existent turn. His outside edge is beaten as the ball goes straight on. |
| 49.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Pushes this against the turn through the off side for a run. |
| 49.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Root has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. End of a tight over by Jadeja. However, wickets is what India need. |
| 50.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Certainly a plan this from India. Another short ball outside off, Cook goes for the pull but gets a bottom edge to the keeper. This tactic, maybe because the bowling ain't doing as much. |
| 50.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a length outside off, Cook does not play at it. His confidence and concentration surely won't be rattled even after bombarding him with a lot of short balls. A reason why he is considered as one of the greats. |
| 50.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a length around off, Cook confidently pushes it to mid off for a run. |
| 50.4 : J Bumrah to Root, Driven through mid on by the batsman. |
| 50.5 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, A yorker, which I feel he should bowl quite consistently in the longer format. Root manages to dig it out. |
| 50.6 : J Bumrah to Root, A rib-tickler to end the over. Root plays it down well. |
| A silly point in place now. India looking for wickets here. |
| 51.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! No Jadeja, you just brought in an extra catcher but then you bowl a short ball outside off. Easy pickings for Cook, he goes back and cuts it through point for a boundary. |
| 51.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Quicker and on off, Cook pushes it through covers and takes a run. |
| 51.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Easy again as the length is way too short. Root goes back and plays it to sweeper cover for a run. The lead has now crossed 180. |
| 51.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, On the stumps and Cook pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 51.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Works it with the turn to short leg. |
| 51.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. So, no real turn seen for Jadeja, despite the rough marks outside off. |
| 52.1 : J Bumrah to Root, On a length around off, Root tucks it around the corner on the leg side and takes a run. |
| 52.2 : J Bumrah to Cook, Top shot and equally well fielded. Full and on off, Cook strokes it through covers. Jadeja, from deep backward point, runs to his left and keeps it down to two. |
| 52.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, Back of a length outside off, Cook shoulders arms to it. |
| 52.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 52.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Another length ball around off, Cook is solid in defense. |
| 52.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Again solid from Cook. He looks very determined today and the crowd is applauding every run he scores. Slightly fuller on off, Cook strokes it through covers and takes two. |
| 53.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Runs again! The lead is now upto 188. Nicely timed this. Jadeja tosses it up on off, Root times it through covers for a brace. |
| 53.2 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! It looks just too easy at the moment! Jadeja bowls it outside off, Root plants his front foot down and sweeps it through square leg for a boundary. |
| 53.3 : R Jadeja to Root, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 53.4 : R Jadeja to Root, On the stumps, Root lunges and keeps it out. |
| 53.5 : R Jadeja to Root, The batsman rocks onto the back foot and punches the ball. |
| 53.6 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! Second boundary in the over! Again, he goes down on one knee and sweeps it through mid-wicket. No stopping it and Root is 5 shy of a half ton. A much-needed one. |
| Mohammed Shami is into the attack. |
| 54.1 : M Shami to Cook, Slightly fuller on off, Cook strokes it through covers for a run. |
| 54.2 : M Shami to Root, On the stumps, Root defends it. |
| 54.3 : M Shami to Root, Down the leg side, Root misses the flick and Pant collects it. |
| 54.4 : M Shami to Root, Back of a length outside off, Root punches it through point and takes a run. |
| 54.5 : M Shami to Cook, Goes around the wicket to the southpaw and bowls it on off, Cook pushes it to mid on. |
| 54.6 : M Shami to Cook, On the pads, Cook fails to put it away. A scoring opportunity goes abegging. |
| 55.1 : R Jadeja to Joe Root, Floats it up on off, Root strokes it to mid off. |
| 55.2 : R Jadeja to Root, DROPPED! A sharp chance but you expect Rahane to take those. Well, you can excuse Rahane there as that came really quickly. Once again, Root tries to play it very late as he rocks back and tries to cut. Not an easy shot to play against Jadeja. Root almost pays the price as he edges it. The ball flies to the right of Rahane at first slip. The ball hits his hands and rolls towards short third man. A run taken. India need these to stick if they are to have any hope in this g |
| 55.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, That's hit the batsman on his pads. |
| 55.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, The lead is now above 200! Slightly shorter in length and outside off, Cook waits for it and guides it through backward point for a brace. |
| 55.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter on off, Cook lunges and keeps it out. |
| 55.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, A muted appeal but not given! Jadeja floats it up on off, it turns back in. Cook plants his front foot outside the line and tries to defend but the ball hits his pads and goes into the hands of silly point. |
| 56.1 : M Shami to Root, On the shorter side, Root cuts it through point for a run. |
| 56.2 : M Shami to Cook, On middle, Cook tries to work it on the leg side but gets an inside edge, It then hits him on his pads and then goes towards point for a run. |
| 56.3 : M Shami to Root, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 56.4 : Shami to Root, Howzzat? The answer to that question is not out! An inswinger, something which he has ben vulnerable against. He goes for the flick but misses to get hit on the pads. The players appeal and the umpire shakes his head. Missing leg and the Hawk Eye confirms it. |
| 56.5 : M Shami to Root, On off, pushed to mid off. |
| 56.6 : M Shami to Root, FOUR! Fifty for Root and he gets there in style! His 42nd in this format. A much-needed one for him and it has been a very fluent fifty. A freebie to get there, short and width on offer outside off. He pounces on it and cuts it through point for a boundary. |
| 57.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Jaddu starts his new over with a shorter length delivery outside off, Cook goes back and cuts it to deep square leg to change strike. |
| 57.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Very full on off, Root drives but straight to extra cover. |
| 57.3 : R Jadeja to Root, A bit slower and shorter in length. Root punches it towards the covers. |
| 57.4 : R Jadeja to Root, A bit quicker this one, Root goes back but gets his bat down very late to keep it out. |
| 57.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Fuller and slower through the air, just outside off, Root drives in the gap at covers to pick up a single. |
| 57.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up around off, Defended off the front foot. |
| Time for the first drinks break on Day 4. A very good first hour for the home side. They have added 55 runs today without losing any wicket. The Indian bowlers though have not looked penetrating at all. The pitch has flattened out as well. Can the visitors come back after the break or will the wheel keeps on rolling? We shall find out soon, after the break... |
| 58.1 : M Shami to Root, Leg bye! Lands this on a length opn middle. The ball nips in on pitching. Root tries to flick it but gets rapped on the pads and the ball deflecst into the leg side. They run a single. |
| 58.2 : M Shami to Cook, Bumper again, Cook goes for the pull, is a bit too early into it. The ball takes the bottom edge and rolls towards point and the batsmen have taken a single. |
| 58.3 : M Shami to Root, Strays on Root's pads, Joe flicks it for a single to the fine leg region. |
| 58.4 : M Shami to Cook, Well bowled! Shami fire this on on off, keeps it on a length and gets the ball to shape into Cook. The left hander looks to push it into the cover region but the inward movement takes the inside edge and rolls towards square leg. They take another single. He goes past Kumar Sangakara to become the 5th highest run scorer in Test history. |
| 58.5 : M Shami to Root, Fires this on his pads, flicked to square leg for yet another single. |
| 58.6 : M Shami to Cook, Wide off off, left alone by Cook. |
| 59.1 : R Jadeja to Root, very full on off, Root drives through covers for a single. |
| 59.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up and defended off the front foot. |
| 59.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and straighter, Cook whips it towards square leg to exchange strike. |
| 59.4 : R Jadeja to Root, SIX! That is wonderful from the English skipper, shows how confident he is feeling in the middle now. Jadeja tosses this one in line of the stumps, Root dances down the track and lofts it, through the line, straight over the bowler's head. The timing is supreme and the ball lands in the stands. He is looking to stamp his authority and up the ante as well. Ominous signs these for India! |
| 59.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Full on off, defended off the front foot. |
| 59.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Jaddu lands this wide of off, Root shoulders arms. |
| 60.1 : M Shami to Cook, Good length outside off, left alone by Cook. |
| 60.2 : M Shami to Cook, Keeps it a bit shorter outside off, Cook punches it through covers to take a single. |
| 60.3 : Shami to Root, Good yorker but well dug out by Root as he gets his bat down just in time. |
| 60.4 : M Shami to Root, Beaten! Shami gets the ball to move out after landing it on a length around off. Root looks to tentatively keep it out but gets beaten by the outward movement. That is a rare miss we have seen today. |
| 60.5 : M Shami to Root, FOUR! Cracker of a pull! For all the students of the game - the English skipper shows exactly how you play the shot. Shami bangs it in short, looking to surprise the batsman. But Root is upto the task, as he swivels quickly and gets the pull out. The connection is near perfect as the ball races across the deep square leg boundary. |
| 60.6 : M Shami to Root, Shorter of a length on off, tapped towards point for another single. |
| Hanuma Vihari is on now. |
| 61.1 : H Vihari to Root, Vihari bowls his first ball of this innings a slower and just a bit shorter outside off, Root waits for the ball and then opens the bat face very late to guide it towards he third man region to get a brace. |
| 61.2 : H Vihari to Root, Fuller and slower on the stumps, Root goes down on his knee and sweeps it, all along the ground, to the deep square leg region to add a run to the total. |
| 61.3 : H Vihari to Cook, Vihari drops it a bit shorter in length, Cook goes back and punches it through covers for a single. |
| 61.4 : H Vihari to Root, Pull again but this time against the spinner. Root playing aggressive cricket and looking for quick runs. Vihari fires in a quicker but shorter delivery on the stumps, Root quickly goes back and pulls it towards the deep square leg region for a single. |
| 61.5 : H Vihari to Cook, Slower ans shorter outside off, Cook punches this into the cover region for a single. |
| 61.6 : H Vihari to Root, Ends his first over of the innings with a fuller one on off. Cook drives it to the fielder at covers |
| Change of ends for Jadeja. |
| 62.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Short and wide and asking to be punished. Jadeja is known to be accurate with his line and length but today, he has been sloppy. Cook goes back and gets it through covers for a boundary. |
| 62.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Again shortish on the pads, worked to the leg side for a single off the pads. Leg Bye signalled by the umpire. |
| 62.3 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! And he paddles this full ball fine to the fine leg region for second boundary of the over. 200 is up for England as well and Lead up to 240. |
| 62.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 62.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Hangs back and works the slower shortish ball off the back foot through the off side and changes strike. |
| 62.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, On the pads, flicked through the leg side for another easy single. Jadeja has gone for 5 runs an over this morning. Missing Ashwin now? |
| 63.1 : H Vihari to Cook, Tossed up around off. Cook prods forward and defends. |
| 63.2 : H Vihari to Cook, A slower and a bit shorter on the stumps, Cook comes forward and keeps it out |
| 63.3 : H Vihari to Cook, A bit fuller from Vihari on off, Cook flicks it against the spin through mid-wicket for a brace. |
| 63.4 : H Vihari to Cook, Tossed up on off, Blocked out off the front foot by Cook. |
| 63.5 : H Vihari to A Cook, Floated this one fuller on off, Cook drives crisply through covers for a single. |
| 63.6 : H Vihari to Root, Root goes down to sweep this fuller ball outside off, misses the ball as it raps him on the pads, but outside off. |
| 64.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit straighter this one, Cook works it down the leg side towards square leg for a single. |
| 64.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Flatter and fuller on the stumps, defended off the front foot. |
| 64.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Tossed up on the off stump, Root defends off the front foot. |
| 64.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Quicker and a bit shorter outside off, Root punches through covers for yet another easy single. |
| 64.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter and fuller this one outside off. Cook goes back, looking to push it into the off side, but the ball skids through and also keeps a bit low for the ball to beat the outside edge. |
| 64.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up on off, Cook keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 65.1 : H Vihari to Root, The broom is out again as Root sweeps this fuller length delivery towards square leg region for a single. |
| 65.2 : H Vihari to Cook, Tossed up in line with the stumps, Cook defends off the front foot. |
| 65.3 : H Vihari to A Cook, Drives this nicely but straight to covers. No run on offer. |
| 65.4 : H Vihari to Cook, Beaten! Vihari tosses this one a little and probably that is exactly why he gets a bit more purchase from the pitch this time. The ball lands, grips a bit and turns away from Cook to beat his forward defense. |
| 65.5 : H Vihari to Cook, 2 Byes! Vihari dishes this one a bit flatter but the line is wrong. He fires this on the leg side, Cook tries to put bat on ball but misses. Pant cannot collect it cleanly and the batsmen run a brace. |
| 65.6 : H Vihari to Cook, Cook has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 66.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Fast, in line of the stumps, defended. |
| 66.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Slower, on the same line, pushed to the off side for an easy single. |
| 66.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Around off, worked to mid on. |
| 66.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defends the ball right under his eyes. |
| 66.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has played it towards mid-wicket. |
| 66.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, A leading edge but drops in front of Jaddu. A slower ball landing in rough and gripping. Cook is early into his shot and as a result, leading edge is induced. No harm done in the end. |
| 67.1 : H Vihari to Root, On the shorter side outside off, Root goes back and cuts it towards point for a run. |
| 67.2 : H Vihari to Cook, Loopy ball on off, Cook with the turn, strokes it towards covers. |
| 67.3 : H Vihari to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 67.4 : H Vihari to Cook, WIDE! Way too wide outside off, the umpire has also signaled it one. Not often do you see those in Test matches. |
| H Vihari to A Cook, Floated it up on off, Cook strokes it to mid off. |
| 67.5 : H Vihari to Cook, On the shorter side, Cook cuts it through point and now he is just 10 short of a ton. What a fairy-tale ending this can be for one of the greatest English batsmen. |
| 67.6 : H Vihari to Joe Root, Driven through the covers by the batsman. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is back on. |
| 68.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah starts his spell with a length ball on Cook's pads. The left-handed opener flicks it nonchalantly through the fine leg region for a single. |
| 68.2 : J Bumrah to Root, Fuller and a bit wide of off, Root comes ahead and drives towards mid off and sets off for a quick single. The fielder at mid off has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses the stumps. |
| 68.3 : J Bumrah to Cook, FOUR! Classic Cookkie! One of the best of his innings this one. He moves to 95 with this amazing straight drive. Bumrah, looking for some movement, pitches this one a bit fuller than good length around off. Cook comes on the front foot and with a straight bat plays one of the most beautiful shots in the game. The straight drives bisects the fielders at mid off and mid on to races across the boundary. |
| 68.4 : J Bumrah to A Cook, Wide! banged but too short. Wide given. |
| J Bumrah to Cook, On the pads, Cook works it fine on the leg side. For a moment all my colleagues felt it was a boundary but there was a fielder at fine leg who was very fine. So only a run. |
| 68.5 : J Bumrah to Root, That ball has struck the batsman on the thigh pad. |
| 68.6 : J Bumrah to Root, On a length around off, Root keeps it out. |
| Ravindra Jadeja is back on. |
| 69.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, 5 runs. |
| 69.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Tossed up on off, Root has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 69.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Jaddu fores this one a bit straighter, Root works it down the leg side towards the square leg region for a single. |
| 69.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller on the off stump, Cook drives this straight to mid on. |
| 69.5 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Similar ball but a bit outside off. Cook this time drives to mid off. |
| 69.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, No run. |
| 70.1 : J Bumrah to Root, Goes wide of the crease and bowls it on off, Root defends it onto the ground. |
| 70.2 : J Bumrah to Root, BEAUTY! I will tell you why? Firstly, Bumrah goes wide of the crease and angles it in. Now due to that angle, Root has to play at the delivery. He tries to do with a back foot defense. The ball though pitches and then shapes away beating the outside edge of Root. |
| 70.3 : J Bumrah to Root, Similar to the off pole this time. Root guides it down to third man for a run. |
| 70.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a length and outside off, left alone. |
| 70.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Good leave! He left that on length I feel. Good length ball around off, Cook shoulders arms to it. |
| 70.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, The batsman flicks it away with a wristy shot. |
| 71.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Fires it on off, Root defends it. |
| 71.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Quicker outside off, Root guides it to backward point. |
| 71.3 : R Jadeja to Root, FOUR! Swept and swept fine! How well has he played this shot? Full and outside off, Root goes down on one knee and sweeps it through mid-wicket and the ball races away. He moves onto a score which the Australians consider as unlucky. |
| 71.4 : R Jadeja to Root, He now pushes this through covers and gets to the other end. |
| 71.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Slower through the air on off, Cook tries to tuck it around the corner on the leg side for a run but gets a leading edge towards point for a run. |
| 71.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Punched off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 72.1 : J Bumrah to Cook, Bumrah, from the around the wicket, keeps it shorter in length outside off. Cook guides it towards the third man region off the back foot to pick up another run. |
| 72.2 : J Bumrah to Root, Some T20 thinking by Bumrah. Bowls this off cutter on a good length just outside off. Root is beaten in pace as he looks to come forward to defend but is way to early and is beaten by pace. Pant collects it on the bounce. |
| 72.3 : Bumrah to Root, Fires this one very full on the middle and leg line. Root tries to flick it but misses complete;y to get rapped on the pads. The visitors appeal in unison but the umpire turns it down. India don't go for the review and wisely so as Hawk shows the ball would have missed the leg stump by a good margin. |
| 72.4 : J Bumrah to Root, tries to attack the stumps again but strays a bit too down the leg. Root looks to flick it but misses and Pant collect. |
| 72.5 : J Bumrah to Root, A bit shorter of a good length around off, tapped towards point to pick up a single. |
| 72.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, On a good length around off, Cook comes forward to keep it out but the ball moves away on landing and the English opener is beaten. |
| 73.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Starts the new over with a flatter and a bit shorter delivery on the stumps. Root, from within the crease, defends. |
| 73.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Fuller and wide of off. Root shoulders arms. |
| 73.3 : R Jadeja to Root, This one is a bit slower and in line with the stumps. Root picked it early and slog sweeps it through the square leg region. An excellent chase and stop by the sub Karun Nair at deep square leg, saving a run for the visitors. |
| 73.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Skidder on a bit fuller length outside off. Cook comes forward to block, the ball skids through and beats Cook. |
| 73.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Cook tries to whip this off the back foot. This one is a bit quicker. Cook tries to whip it through the leg side but he misses and gets hit on the pads. |
| 73.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter delivery outside off, Cook leaves it alone and enters Lunch on Day 4 unbeaten! |
| 31 overs, 129/0 - a session where runs have flowed! The most expensive one in this game and probably it has taken India out of the Test. However, it will though be remembered more for a century by one of the game's greatest openers, Alastair Cook. He is still unbeaten and along with his captain, who is also on 92, has put his team in a position where they can now look to bat India completely out of this game. A quicker run rate after Lunch would also mean their bowlers will have enough overs lef |
| The tourists, on the other hand, looked as if they had given up the match from the start of the day's play. Ishant Sharma was changed after just an over due to an injury and Jadeja, who replaced him, was not looking dangerous at all. The English pair of Cook and his skipper were able to score at a fast pace and the Indian bowlers were never allowed to settle in on a tight line and length. How fast and how long will England bat are the main questions at the moment. We will find the answers after |
| ... Day 4, Session 2 ... |
| The Indian players are out in a huddle and now they make their way out to the middle. Alastair Cook and Joe Root make their way out and they would look to continue in the same manner as they did in the first session. Mohammed Shami will start the proceedings. Here we go... |
| 74.1 : M Shami to Joe Root, A run straightaway! Shami starts off with a bumper on the body of the batsman. Root goes for the pull but mistimes it towards backward square leg for a run. |
| 74.2 : M Shami to Cook, Comes around the wicket and bowls it on a length around off, Cook defends it onto the ground. |
| 74.3 : M Shami to Cook, Just ahead of a length around off, no swing on offer. Cook pushes it to mid off. |
| 74.4 : M Shami to Cook, FOUR! Crunched! That was right off the middle and that went to the ropes like a tracer bullet. Fuller and outside off, Cook caresses it through the cover region and the ball races away. |
| 74.5 : M Shami to Cook, Another trademark Cook cover drive but this time a little too closer to the man at sweeper cover. The batsmen complete one, Root wants a second but is sent back in time by his partner. |
| 74.6 : M Shami to Root, On the fuller side again but no swing whatsoever. Root tries to drive but gets it off the inner half towards mid on. |
| Ravindra Jadeja will bowl from the other end. |
| 75.1 : R Jadeja to A Cook, One more run through the cover area! Too full and outside off, timed through the off side for a single. |
| 75.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Stays over the wicket to the right-hander. Bowls a friendly full toss, Root fails to put it away and finds the cover fielder with a drive. |
| 75.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Fires it on middle, Root defends it onto the ground. |
| 75.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Eases it down to long off and moves onto 94. A biggie away now is Root from a ton. |
| 75.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, A little too wide outside off, Cook pads it away. |
| 75.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 76.1 : M Shami to Joe Root, EDGED AND DROPPED! Another chance goes abegging! Maybe Pant's dive there put Pujara off but that should have been taken. Shami still does not have lady luck on his side. This time he induces the edge but is let down by his teammate. He bowls it on a length around off, Root goes after it away from his body. The ball takes the edge and goes to the left of Pujara. Pant does dive for it but gets nowhere close to it. Pujara at first slip, gets two hands to it but spills it |
| 76.2 : M Shami to Joe Root, A bumper down the leg side, Root lets it go through to the keeper. |
| 76.3 : M Shami to Root, Back of a length on off, Root defends it onto the ground. |
| 76.4 : M Shami to Root, Another back of a length delivery on off, Root tries to play it with an angled bat but gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 76.5 : M Shami to Joe Root, The batsman has driven it through mid on. |
| 76.6 : M Shami to Root, On a length on off, kept out. |
| 77.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Works it with the turn through the leg side for a run. |
| 77.2 : R Jadeja to Root, On middle, Root defends it. |
| 77.3 : R Jadeja to Root, With the turn guides it through point and gets to the other end. |
| 77.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, On off, kept out. |
| 77.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Cook again tries to work it with the turn on the leg side but misses to get hit on the pads. The ball rolls towards fine leg and the batsmen take a leg bye. |
| 77.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Root again brings out the broom and he connects well through square leg for a brace. |
| 78.1 : M Shami to Cook, FOUR! Nailed! Slightly short on middle, Cook picks the length early and pulls it through square leg. The sub, Karun Nair, makes good ground to his left, dives but his knee gets stuck into the turf and he lets it through for a boundary. He is down on his knee. Not good this, he though is up now. |
| 78.2 : M Shami to Cook, Shortish outside off, Cook pushes it through point and takes a run. |
| 78.3 : M Shami to Root,Played to the point region by the batsman. |
| 78.4 : M Shami to Root, On a length around off, Root pushes it to covers. |
| 78.5 : M Shami to Root, On the stumps, Root defends it out. |
| 78.6 : M Shami to Root, Once again hits the length but the ball goes straight on. Root pushes it to mid off. |
| 79.1 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Eases it down to long on and Cook is now 4 short of 120. |
| 79.2 : R Jadeja to Root, 14th Test ton for Joe Root. No mic-drop celebration this time as he only takes his helmet off and raises his bat to the crowd. A much-needed one for him but he needs to do this on consistent basis as he does have the caliber. He taps this quicker ball on the off side with soft hands and scampers through for a run. 'ROOOOT' - the stadium erupts in their standard celebration for the English skipper as he completes the milestone. |
| 79.3 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Works it with the turn to mid on. |
| 79.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman offers no stroke and gets hit on the pad. |
| 79.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Outside off, left alone. |
| 79.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Flatter outside off, Cook punches it through covers and keeps strike. |
| 80.1 : M Shami to Cook, Shami starts off the new over with a short of a length ball around off, from around the stumps and angling into Cook. Cook blocks it out from within the crease. |
| 80.2 : M Shami to Cook, Similar ball but this time the English great whips it off his pads towards mid-wicket. The fielder there mis-fields letting the batsmen cross over for a single. |
| 80.3 : M Shami to Joe Root, FOUR! A smashing cover drive! That is so beautiful to watch. Shami lands this on a good length but a nit wide of off. Root sees the width on it and goes for a flamboyant drive on the up. His timing and placement is superb and the ball races across the deep cover boundary for the crowd to applause out loud. |
| 80.4 : M Shami to Joe Root, Lands it just a bit shorter of a good length, Root tries to push it into the off side but gets a thick outer half of his bat and the ball rolls towards the third man region. The English pair cross for a single. |
| 80.5 : M Shami to Cook, A bit shorter around off from Shami. Cook waits back and punches through covers for an easy single. |
| 80.6 : M Shami to Root, Shami lands this last ball of the over a bit fuller and around off. Root drives crisply through covers and takes a single to retain strike. |
| 81.1 : R Jadeja to Root, On the leg pole, turning away. Root keeps it out. |
| 81.2 : R Jadeja to Root, Root uses his feet but does not get to the pitch of the ball, he drives it to mid off. |
| 81.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Works it through square leg and takes a run. |
| 81.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Short, wide and punished! Cook cashes in on the poor delivery and cuts it through covers for a boundary. 319 is the lead. |
| 81.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Worked with the turn to mid-wicket. |
| 81.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is into the attack. |
| 82.1 : J Bumrah to Root, Fuller in length on middle, Root strokes it to mid on. |
| 82.2 : J Bumrah to Root, On a length around middle, Root works it to mid-wicket. Not sure why the new ball has not been taken yet. This ball is doing absolutely nothing. |
| 82.3 : J Bumrah to Root, A little too straight on middle, Root flicks it down to fine leg for a run. |
| 82.4 : J Bumrah to Cook, Slightly short and outside off, skids through after pitching. Cook goes for the cut but misses. |
| 82.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, Works it with the angle to mid-wicket. |
| 82.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Goes for the yorker but bowls a full toss on middle, Cook works it to fine leg for a run. |
| 83.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! Timed and timed to perfection! Short and outside off, another poor delivery. Cook punches it through cover-point and the ball races away. |
| 83.2 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Tosses it up on middle, Cook pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 83.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, EDGY FOUR! This one goes away from the batsman with the angle after pitching on off. Cook tries to defend but the ball takes the outside edge and goes past the diving Rahane at first slip and into the fence. |
| 83.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, So the around the wicket angle is troubling Cook. An edge earlier and now one almost pops back. Jadeja again fires it on off, it may have stopped in the surface as Cook goes at it with hard hands. The ball lobs back to the right of the bowler but it is a little too far for Jadeja to make an attempt. |
| 83.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has driven it through mid off. |
| 83.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, BEATEN NOW! Quicker and outside off, Cook goes for the cut but misses. |
| 84.1 : J Bumrah to Root, Bumrah starts the new over with a short of a length ball attacking the stumps. Root looks to block it from within his crease but gets a think inside edge. The ball rolls down towards the fine leg region, a bit wide of the fielder there and this allows the English pair to come back for the second run. |
| 84.2 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Very full, fast and straight. Root drives it to mid off. |
| 84.3 : J Bumrah to Root, On a good length attacking the off stump, Root blocks of the back foot. |
| 84.4 : J Bumrah to Joe Root, Super shot but jfor just a single. Bumrah lands this one again on a good length just outside off. Root unleases the on-the up cover drive and connects well. However, Dhawan at extra cover does well to dive and half stop it for the batsmaen to cross over for a single. |
| 84.5 : J Bumrah to A Cook, Fuller on the stumps, driven to mid off. |
| 84.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, A bit shorter of good length around off, Cook has tapped towards point to retain strike. |
| 85.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up on off, Cooks blocks it out. |
| 85.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up very full on off, Cook leans ahead and smoothly drives to long on for a single. |
| 85.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Very full ball on the leg stump from over the wicket. Root sweeps this one to the fielder at deep square leg to get a run. |
| 85.4 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up on off, Cooks defends solidly. |
| 85.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller on off, driven straight to mid on. |
| 85.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up on off, Cooks and kept out well by Cook. |
| 86.1 : J Bumrah to Root, Keeps it a bit shorter of a good length around off, punched off the back foot by Root to mid off. |
| 86.2 : J Bumrah to Root, Fires this one on a legnth but on the pads of the England skipper. He is playing on 112 and will not miss out on these as he flicks this towards square leg region for a brace. |
| 86.3 : J Bumrah to Root, A shorter of length delivery on the stumps, defended from within the crease. |
| 86.4 : J Bumrah to Root, A bit shorter outside off, punched through the covers by Root to get another run. |
| 86.5 : J Bumrah to Cook, A very full delivery attacking the stumps. Cook drives this one to mid off. |
| 86.6 : J Bumrah to Cook, Similar length to the previous ball but tthe line is on the leg stump. Cook flicks this one towards the deep fine legf region to retain the strike. |
| 87.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up in line with the stumps, turned away to mid-wicket. |
| 87.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, FOUR! A bit shorter and flatter and a bit outside off. Cook waits for it to arrive and at the last moment opens his bat face to glide it down to the third man area to get a boundary. 300 comes up for the hosts. They are rubbing in now. |
| 87.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Cook brings the broom out and sweeps this fuller tossed up ball in line with the off stump towards square leg region to add a run to the score. |
| 87.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Jadeja fires this one on his pads, Root flicks it to square leg for a single. |
| 87.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Floated and in line with the stumps, turned away to mid-wicket. |
| 87.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, A bit flatter and fuller around off, defended by Cook off the front foot. |
| Hanuma Vihari is back on. |
| 88.1 : H Vihari to Root, Slower and a bit shorter on off, Root defends off the back foot. |
| 88.2 : H Vihari to Root, Tossed up delivery on off, swept to square leg region for a single. |
| 88.3 : H Vihari to Cook, Vihara drops it a bit short and a bit outside off as well, Cook cuts this nicely to the deep point region for a single. |
| 88.4 : H Vihari to Root,Fuller and straighter ball is flicked to mid-wicket. |
| 88.5 : H Vihari to Root, Root picks the shorter length very early, rocks back and pulls it over the mid-wicket region. Shami from long on runs across and stops the ball from crossing the boundary with his boot. Batsmen come back for a brace. |
| 88.6 : H Vihari to Root, Root taps this floated ball around off towards the point region to get a run an retain strike. The lead is now 350. |
| 89.1 : R Jadeja to Root, Flatter on middle, Root defends it off the back foot. |
| 89.2 : Jadeja to Root, On the leg stump, Root goes for the sweep but misses to get hit on the pads. Jadeja puts in a loud appeal but nothing from the umpire. It pitched outside leg. |
| 89.3 : R Jadeja to Root, Works it with the angle to mid-wicket. |
| 89.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Down the leg side, Root fails to put it away. |
| 89.5 : R Jadeja to Root, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 89.6 : R Jadeja to Root, Sweeps this ball outside leg, down to deep backward square leg for a run. They have a fielder in the deep as they know how well Root plays that shot. |
| Drinks! |
| 90.1 : H Vihari to Root, On the pads, Root flicks it to square leg. |
| 90.2 : H Vihari to Root, Plays the paddle sweep well and cross ends. 250 is now the partnership. This is surely draining the Indian players out, mentally and physically. |
| 90.3 : H Vihari to A Cook, Flatter and drifts in from outside off, Cook jams it out at the very last moment. |
| 90.4 : H Vihari to Cook, A full toss, Cook plays the paddle sweep, it goes fine down the leg side and a couple results. |
| 90.5 : H Vihari to Cook, Eases it down to long off for a run. |
| 90.6 : H Vihari to Root, Fires it on middle, kept out. |
| 91.1 : R Jadeja to Cook, Slightly slower through the air outside off, Cook tries to guide it through point but misses. |
| 91.2 : R Jadeja to A Cook, In the air... but no fielder and also it was not of the bat. Jadeja tosses it up outside off, it turns back in. Cook tries to defend but the ball hits the pads and lobs towards the leg side. |
| 91.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, The batsman has played it to the point region. One run added to the total. |
| 91.4 : R Jadeja to Joe Root, Strokes it to mid on. |
| 91.5 : R Jadeja to Root, Bowls it with a round arm action and lands it aorund off, Root gets it off the inner half towards covers and runs through for a single. |
| 91.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 92.1 : H Vihari to Root, Vihari starts the new over with a tossed up ball outside off. Root, looking to guide it late towards third man it beaten because of the extra bounce and spin. Pant does well to collect it cleanly. |
| 92.2 : H Vihari to Joe Root, Tossed up on off, driven to long on for a single. |
| 92.3 : H Vihari to Cook, Keeps it slower and a bit shorter outside off, Cook, who is initially looking to go for the sweep, changes his shot at the last moment and cuts it to the man at point. |
| 92.4 : H Vihari to Cook, Tossed up delivery on off, defended off the front foot. |
| 92.5 : H Vihari to Cook, Floated and straighter on the stumps, Cook blocks it out with a straight bat. |
| 92.6 : H Vihari to Cook, Cook sweep this slower and fuller ball to the deep square leg region to get a run and retain strike. |
| 93.1 : R Jadeja to A Cook, Fuller on off, driven to mid-wicket. |
| 93.2 : R Jadeja to Cook, Fuller but a bit slower on off, the senior opener flicks it straight to the man at mid-wicket. |
| 93.3 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up around off, turned into the leg side with the spin and takes a single. |
| 93.4 : R Jadeja to Root, Root skips down the track, looking for a biggie, but Jadeja pulls his length back and keeps it on off. Root goes through with the shot and the ball flies towards the mid on region for a run. |
| 93.5 : R Jadeja to Cook, Quicker a shorter on middle stump. Cooks tries to flick it but misses and gets rapped on the thigh pad. |
| 93.6 : R Jadeja to Cook, Tossed up around off, Cook comes forward and works it towards mid-wicket. |
| 94.1 : H Vihari to Root, OUT! Root holes out! All eyes at the England dressing room and there is no declaration. So something to rejoice for India and a big moment for Vihari, his first Test wicket and that too it is one he would just not forget. Root walks back in disgust but he has played an extremely fluent innings. His 259-run stand with Cook has probably batted India out of the game. Now coming to the delivery - it was tossed up around off, Root goes for the slog sweep but gets a top edge. I |
| 0.0 : Jonny Bairstow is the new man in. |
| 94.2 : H Vihari to Cook, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! End of Cook's innings, end of an era in English cricket. He bows out in some style, a mangnificient innings by him and walks off the field to a huge ovation from the crowd. Excellent gesture by the Indians too as they walk upto him and shake his hand. Such is the respect, every player has for this guy and this is the last we have seen of him with the bat in Tests. Coming to the delivery - It is a short ball, quicker in pace and outside off. Cook had |
| Ben Stokes to face the hat-trick ball. |
| 94.3 : H Vihari to Stokes, No hat-trick but a good delivery. On off and coming back in with the angle. Stokes lunges and defends it. |
| 94.4 : H Vihari to Stokes, Another one on the stumps, Stokes blocks it out. |
| 94.5 : Vihari to Stokes, Very full on middle, Stokes somehow digs it out. |
| 94.6 : H Vihari to Stokes, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. End of a double wicket-maiden by Vihari. |
| 95.1 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Tossed up slower around off, Bairstow comes forward and defends. |
| 95.2 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Slower and fuller on the stumps, Bairstow keeps it out off the front foot. |
| 95.3 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Slower in the air and a bit shorter of full length, Bairstow stays back and keeps it out. |
| 95.4 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, The English keeper has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 95.5 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Tossed up on the stumps, Bairstow leans ahead and flicks this one to mid-wicket with a wristy shot. |
| 95.6 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, A bit slower and shorter outside off, Bairstow punches this off the back foot towards covers and takes off for a single. The fielder has a shy at the non-striker's but the bowler cannot stop the ball. The ball goes behind him and the batsmen think of stealing an overthrow but due to good backing up fro the fielder in the deep, they cannot take the extra run. Bairstow gets off the pair. |
| Mohammed Shami comes into the attack. The new ball has also been taken. |
| 96.1 : M Shami to Bairstow, Starts with a short of a length delivery down the leg side. |
| 96.2 : M Shami to Bairstow,Very short and way down the leg side. Left alone. |
| 96.3 : M Shami to Bairstow, FOUR! Watta shot! Bairstow cracks his first boundary in style. A shorter ball outside off is cut by the English wicket-keeper batsman and the timing on it is exquisite and placement even better as the ball races across the deep point fence. |
| 96.4 : M Shami to Bairstow, Wider of off and left alone by Jonny. |
| 96.5 : M Shami to Bairstow, A bit shorter and in line with the stumps, Bairstow gets behind the line and keeps it out. |
| 96.6 : M Shami to Bairstow, Keeps it a bit wide of off and Bairstow, trying to get his eye in, leaves it alone watchfully. |
| 97.1 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Tossed up on off, Stokes turns it around into the mid-wicket region to get off the mark. |
| 97.2 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, FOUR! Up and over! Bairstow now displaying his intent and in some style. Jadeja keeps this a bit slower and around off. Bairstow, from within the crease, swings through the line, gets good elevation and the ball goes over the mid on fielder to race across the long on boundary. |
| 97.3 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Tossed up but outside off, left alone by Jonny. |
| 97.4 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Wide of off again and Jonny shoulders arms again. |
| 97.5 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Jaddu corrects his line right and makes the batsman play, but Jonny is up for it and keeps it out off the back foot. |
| 97.6 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, A bit wider of the off stump and left alone by Jonny. |
| 98.1 : M Shami to Stokes, A little too straight on middle, Stokes flicks it towards fine leg and takes a run. |
| 98.2 : M Shami to Bairstow, Down the leg side, Bairstow tries to flick but misses. |
| 98.3 : M Shami to Bairstow, More runs! Width on offer and with the one day mode on. JB won't let it go by. Full and outside off, he slashes hard and gets it through cover-point. Pujara in the deep runs to his left, slides and makes a good stop. Two taken by the batsmen. |
| 98.4 : M Shami to Bairstow, Back of a length on off, Jonny defends it onto the ground and the pair run through for a run. |
| 98.5 : M Shami to Stokes, FOUR! The slightest of room was enough for Stokes to put that away. Not a bad delivery, a little short and outside off, Stokes slaps it through covers for a boundary. |
| 98.6 : M Shami to Stokes, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Another top shot! Just ahead of a length around off, Stokes times it on the up through covers and the ball races to the fence. |
| 99.1 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Jadeja continues with a tossed up ball just outside off. Jonny decides to shoulder arms to this but it was a bit risky. The ball lands and skids through whizzing past the off stump. That was close! |
| 99.2 : R Jadeja to Bairstow, Jadeja fires this one on the off stump line and keeps it a bit shorter in length. Bairstow goes for the punch through covers but gets a bottom edge and the ball rolls towards the mid off region and the batsman take a quick single. |
| 99.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Stokes goes for the sweep but fails to connect it. |
| 99.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Stokes tries to cut this flatter and shorter one outside off but is beaten completely. |
| 99.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, tossed up on off, defended off the front foot. |
| 99.6 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Keeps this one a bit slower by giving it a bit more air keeps it outside off, Stokes leans forward and looks to flick it into the mid-wicket region. The ball lands and spins in sharply, beating Stokes and rapping him on the thigh pad. |
| 100.1 : M Shami to Bairstow, Starts with a short of a length ball just outside off, Jonny taps it towards point to run a single. |
| 100.2 : M Shami to Stokes, Keeps it fuller and straighter, Stokes flicks it to deep square leg for a single. |
| 100.3 : M Shami to Bairstow, Beaten! Shami still producing these beauties. He has been the unluckiest amongst all the Indian bowlers. Lands this a bit short of a good length just outside off. The ball pitches and cuts back into Jonny who looks to keep it out but gets beaten because of the movement. |
| 100.4 : M Shami to Bairstow, Beaten again! Excellent length from Shami and that does the batsman again. Jonny, not front not back, tries to keep it out but gets beaten again as this length ball on off cuts back into him on landing and beats his inside edge this time. He survives though. |
| 100.5 : M Shami to Bairstow, FOUR! Nailed the cut perfectly! Shami dishes this wide outside off and shorter in length. Bairstow reaches for it with a horizontal bat and cuts it into the point region. The placement is supreme as the fielder at the boundary line races across to try and stop it but cannot as the ball races across the deep point fence. |
| 100.6 : M Shami to Bairstow, OUT! If there is anyone who deserves a wicket, it has to be this man. Shami produces a beauty, yet again, but this time gets rewarded for it. Shami continues to attack that good length around the corridor of off stump. The ball lands and deviates into Jonny. The length is such that the English Keeper is not sure whether to come forward or rock back. This confusion makes him stay at the crease and he tries to block it out. The inward movement beats his inner edge and c |
| Jos Buttler is the new man in. |
| 101.1 : R Jadeja to Ben Stokes, Tossed up on off, pushed through the off side for a run. |
| 101.2 : R Jadeja to Jos Buttler, Drives the floated ball on down the ground. |
| 101.3 : R Jadeja to Buttler, OUT! Buttler walks back! The norm continues after the mammoth partnership. Buttler, looking for quick runs, top edges one to Shami at backward point. It was a tossed up ball outside off, spinning away from the right-hander and he had a wild hoick across the line. These wickets, however, shouldn't bother the hosts too much as they have enough to win this match probably. |
| Superman of England, Sam Curran, is in now. Let's see if he can do something different. |
| 101.4 : R Jadeja to Curran, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 101.5 : R Jadeja to Curran, In line of the stumps, blocked. |
| 101.6 : R Jadeja to Curran, Outside off, pushed to covers for a run. End of a successful over for India and spinners doing the work for them, finally. |
| 102.1 : M Shami to Curran, Shami starts the new over with a length ball attacking the stump, angling into Curran. The English start of the series waits for the ball to arrive to him and tucks it into the on side with the inward movement. This young lad looks so solid in his defence. |
| 102.2 : M Shami to Curran, Short and wide outside off. Curran sees the width on this and cuts it deep point for a single. |
| 102.3 : M Shami to Stokes, Edge but does not carry! Shami continues in the corridor of uncertainty. It's too good for Stokes as he tries to keep it out off the crease, the ball moves away slightly on landing, taking Stokes' outer edge and flies to first slip. However, the ball drops way short of the fielder there and Stokes survives. |
| 102.4 : M Shami to Stokes, Wide outside off this, left alone. |
| 102.5 : M Shami to Stokes, lands this one a but shorter of a good length outside off. Stokes tries to keep it out but plays the wrong line and misses the ball. |
| 102.6 : M Shami to Ben Stokes, Very very similar to the third ball of the over. The only difference, if any, is that the ball dropped just a bit short of first slip. |
| 103.1 : R Jadeja to Curran, Tossed up on off, Curran prods forward and blocks it out. |
| 103.2 : R Jadeja to Curran, Beaten! Jaddu fires this fuller and outside off. Curran plays for the non-existent spin and gets beaten. |
| 103.3 : R Jadeja to Curran, Flights this one a bit more around off, Curran comes forward nicely to defend it. |
| 103.4 : R Jadeja to Curran, Tossed up but a bit straighter this time. Curran leans across and flicks towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 103.5 : R Jadeja to Stokes, A similar delivery is treated similarly, this time by the other left-hander. One more run to the total. England's lead now reaches 400. Is the game out of India's reach now? |
| 103.6 : R Jadeja to Curran, Curran goes back to this quicker one on the stumps from RJ and turns it around into the mid-wicket region to cross over and retain strike. |
| 104.1 : M Shami to Curran, Another gem! Shami stands there in the middle of the pitch and thinks, what more does he have to do, to get another wicket. On a length around off, this one pitches and straightens. Curran plays inside the line and gets beaten. |
| 104.2 : M Shami to Curran, On the stumps this time, Curran defends it onto the ground. |
| 104.3 : M Shami to Curran, Beaten again! This time it also goes agonizingly close past the off pole. Another length ball coming in with the angle from outside off. Curran once again plays inside the line and the ball whizzes past the outside edge. |
| 104.4 : M Shami to Curran, Confident shot there! On the shorter side on off, Curran off the back foot, punches it through covers and takes two. |
| 104.5 : M Shami to Sam Curran, Very full on middle, Curran strokes it towards mid on for a run. |
| 104.6 : M Shami to Stokes, Another ball which beats the outside edge! Good length again in the corridor of uncertainty. Curran hangs his bat out but gets beaten. THAT WILL BE TEA ON DAY 4! |
| So, another session in which we saw a lot of runs being scored. Once again it was the pair which dominated the bowling in the first session, Cook and Root. The two brought up their tons and then continued to milk the bowlers. The pair added 259 runs before Vihari struck twice to get rid of both of them. Then India enjoyed a good passage of play as after they took the new ball they were able to take some quick wickets. |
| The quick wickets though will not make a lot of difference as the lead has already crossed the 400-run mark. Now it is a matter of time before the English side declares and put India in. How long? Was the question at the Lunch break and it still is. One however would say the wait could be a lot shorter than the one after the Lunch break. Let's see how the play unfolds in the final session. Stay tuned. |
| ... Day 4, Session 3 ... |
| We are back for the final session. 28 overs to go in it, so it probably won't be a long one. Curran and Stokes make their way out and I don't think we will be batting for long as the declaration will be around the corner. Ravindra Jadeja will start the proceedings. Here we go... |
| 105.1 : R Jadeja to Curran, Slow, around off, pushed to the off side. |
| 105.2 : R Jadeja to Curran, An inside edge there. Similar length on off, Curran lunges forward to bat it out. On run taken from the on side. |
| 105.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Punched off the back foot through the off side for an easy run. |
| 105.4 : R Jadeja to Curran, Comes down the track and pushes it back to the bowler. |
| 105.5 : R Jadeja to Sam Curran, That spun in viciously off the rough. Sam goes back to defend it. A dangerous thing to do. |
| 105.6 : R Jadeja to Curran, Forward and kept out for no run. |
| Mohammed Shami from the other end. |
| 106.1 : M Shami to Stokes, Shami beats the outside edge once again. How many he must be asking. Anyway, it was outside off and Stokes misses to put bat to ball. |
| 106.2 : M Shami to Stokes, Hangs back and gets it through cover-point for a run. |
| 106.3 : M Shami to Curran, Chops it through backward point and changes strike. |
| 106.4 : M Shami to Ben Stokes, FOUR! Shot! Crisp! On off, driven on the up down the ground and beats the fielder at mid on. A boundary. |
| 106.5 : M Shami to Stokes, Short outside off, pushed through the point region. A run results. |
| 106.6 : M Shami to Curran, Beats another edge, Shami. Not his day, not his innings, not his Test. Curran plays the line but gets beats on the outside. |
| 107.1 : R Jadeja to Ben Stokes, Shortish, punched off the back foot down the ground for a run. |
| 107.2 : R Jadeja to Curran, Similar length on the pads, punched through mid-wicket for another easy run. Not sure what approach the English batters have here. They are happy to take singles and not go for boundaries straightaway. |
| 107.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Ouch! This will sting! A full ball on middle and leg, Stokes looks to slog sweep it, middles it and straight on the helmet of short leg fielder, Vihari. He seems to have got into the firing line bad as he is seen rubbing his forehead. Goo thing from Stokes who goes up to him and asks about his whereabouts. A mandatory concussion test being done by the physio. Hope is fine! |
| 107.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Short outside off, cut to backward for a run. |
| 107.5 : R Jadeja to Curran, FOUR! Beautiful. Curran has played spin extremely well throughout his short International career. He played Ashwin well and now he is milking Jadeja well. He gets a short ball on off, spinning in. Curran goes back and times it through covers. No chance for any fielder to get anywhere near it. |
| 107.6 : R Jadeja to Curran, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. |
| 108.1 : R Jadeja to Curran, Four! Up and over. Lead climbs to 424. Stokes making his intentions clear. A short ball outside off, Stokes goes after it with hard hands and get it up and over the slip cordon. A boundary results. |
| 108.2 : M Shami to Stokes, A play and a miss to follow. Similar length, a touch too wide. Stokes fails to play the similar shot to this one. |
| 108.3 : M Shami to Stokes, Hangs back and gets it through cover-point for a run. |
| 108.4 : M Shami to Curran, Chops the short of a length ball through backward point for a run. |
| 108.5 : M Shami to Stokes, Bye! Shortish ball down the leg side, Pant fails to hang on to it and concedes a bye. |
| 108.6 : M Shami to Curran, Curran plays and miss now. Short of a length ball outside off. It comes in with the angle from 'round the wicket and them moves away after landing. Curran plays inside the line and misses. |
| 109.1 : R Jadeja to Stokes, SIX! Bang! A mere chip off the front foot and it gets the distance. Wow! Stokes gets a flighted ball on middle and off, he lofts it to wide long on for a maximum. |
| 109.2 : R Jadeja to Stokes, Drives the full ball to mid on for no run. |
| 109.3 : R Jadeja to Stokes, FOUR! And another! What power he has. Stokes is making his and his team's intentions clear here. A flighted ball on off, driven past the cover fielder for a boundary. |
| 109.4 : R Jadeja to Stokes, OUT! In the air... taken! One shot too many Stokes. A flatter delivery on middle and leg, Stokes reaches for it and slog it over square leg region. KL Rahul, in the deep there positions himself under it and holds onto it nicely to complete his 14th catch of the series. He goes past Rahul Dravid's record of 13 catches. |
| Adil Rashid is in. |
| 109.5 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 109.6 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Drives it through covers and keeps the strike for the next over. |
| Hanuma Vihari to roll his arm over now. |
| 110.1 : H Vihari to Rashid, Hangs back and keeps i out off the back foot. |
| 110.2 : H Vihari to Rashid, Paddles it fine and gets to the other end. It was loopy ball outside leg and Rashid does well to get bat on it to reach 400 runs for the first time in this series for either team. |
| 110.3 : H Vihari to Rashid, On the pads, played to the on side for no run. |
| 110.4 : H Vihari to Rashid, Rough comes into play. It lands there and bounces and Rashid does well to get out of the way. No harm done. |
| 110.5 : H Vihari to Rashid, FOUR! Dancing shoes on display here. Rashid charges down and gets it on full. The connection is sweet and it races through covers for a boundary. |
| 110.6 : H Vihari to Rashid, Adil plays it with an angled bat and guides it to third man. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 111.1 : R Jadeja to A Rashid, In the air... but safe! Slow, outside off, it grips and turns. Rashid again goes after it with hard hands and the ball takes the upper edge. The ball hangs in the air towards backward point but there is no fielder to catch it. |
| 111.2 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 111.3 : R Jadeja to A Rashid, Rashid looks to guide it past slip but fails. |
| 111.4 : R Jadeja to Rashid, Lead up to 451 now. This time Rashid times this shortish ball outside off with an angled bat. The ball goes to the deep and a brace results. |
| 111.5 : R Jadeja to Rashid, FOUR! Oh, this is a beauty! Rashid lofts this on over the mid on fielder and gets it to the fence easily. Runs coming thick and fast. |
| 111.6 : R Jadeja to Rashid, FOUR! And again. Declaration is around the corner it seems. A slow ball but shortish. Rashid goes back and square cuts it through cover-point for another boundary. 12 came off this one. |
| 112.1 : H Vihari to Curran, Full and outside off, Curran looks to play the reverse sweep but misses. |
| 112.2 : H Vihari to Curran, SIX! The runs continue to flow. Tossed up outside off, a bit wide, but no problem for Sam. He dances out, gets to the pitch of the ball and sends it sailing over widish long off. |
| 112.3 : H Vihari to Curran, OUT! In the air... and caught! Curran walks and England declares as well. He goes after another biggie but couldn't get to the pitch of the ball which was flighted in line of the sticks. He still goes after the ball and ends up top edging it. The ball lobs towards short square leg and Pant runs to complete the formalities. Joe Root signals from the balcony to end India's agony. The target is 464. They'll have to beat their overall highest if they are to win this. |
| So, England have finally declared. They batted for around 8 overs before they declared but have added above 50 runs in those overs. They have now set a mammoth target of 463 runs and they have close to 4 sessions to bowl this Indian side out. They entered into their second innings with a decent advantage of 40 runs. They lost Jennings early but then did not look back after that. Alastair Cook and Joe Root joined forces and they tried the visitor's players out there. They batted, batted and batte |
| England are now favourites to win the series 4-1. Their bowlers now will come out fresh and they would hope to get a few breakthroughs with 18 overs remaining in the day. The Indian batters on the other hand, will have to take it session by session. Their first task will be to battle out today without losing a lot of wickets, actually they would hope they do not lose any wickets. The pitch does look a good one to bat on but it is not going to be easy. Do India have some fight left in them or wil |
| 0.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Starts his innings, just like the first one, with a back foot punch. Last time he got it through covers but he found the fielder this time. A good channel around off from Anderson to start the last innings of this elongated tour. |
| 0.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Outside off, left alone. |
| 0.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Outside off, defended. |
| 0.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, Wide down the leg side, No trouble at all for KL as he leaves it alone. |
| 0.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Hangs back and keeps out the short of a length ball outside off. |
| 0.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, Oooh! A play and a miss. Not a shot you should play against Jimmy, that too in the initial spell. A flash to play it through backward point but he fails to connect with the ball. |
| Stuart Broad to share the attack. |
| 1.1 : S Broad to Dhawan, Wide, full, left alone |
| 1.2 : S Broad to Dhawan, Similar channel and Dhawan lets it be. |
| 1.3 : S Broad to Dhawan, Gets off the mark. A short ball around off, SD taps it to point and takes the runs to get to the other end. |
| 1.4 : S Broad to Rahul, Comes back in with the angle in line of the stumps, KL defends it. |
| 1.5 : S Broad to Rahul, Short and down the leg side, Rahul fails to put bat to ball. |
| 1.6 : S Broad to L Rahul, In line of the stumps, on a length, kept out. |
| 2.1 : J Anderson to Dhawan, On middle and leg, tapped to the on side. |
| 2.2 : J Anderson to Dhawan, On off, shortish, defended. |
| 2.3 : J Anderson to Dhawan, OUT! Gone! Dhawan and his Test career walking back perhaps. Another failure for him. Anderson has his first, adds another victim to his long list of 563 wickets. He equals another great as the highest wicket taker in Test cricket, Glen McGrath. He traps him in line of the stumps with a full ball and Dhawan fails to get bat on it. The players appeal and the umpire obliges. England need just need 9 more such balls to wrap this Test and series up! |
| Pujara is the next man in. |
| 2.4 : J Anderson to Pujara, On the hips, tucked to the on side. |
| 2.5 : J Anderson to Pujara, High, too high for the umpire to give him out. This one comes in with the angle and hits on the thigh pad of Pujara on his back pad. An appeal from the bowler but the umpire declines. |
| 2.6 : J Anderson to Pujara, OUT! Anderson, you beauty! What a bowler he has been. Two wickets in an over and India are in are all kinds of trouble here. A full ball coming in with after swinging. Pujara fails to get his bat behind the line and gets rapped on the front pad. Before Anderson could appeal, the umpire has his finger up. Pujara has an extended discussion with Rahul, goes for the review but he was too late as the given 15-second flew away faster then he would've have wanted. India is 2/ |
| Virat Kohli walks in at no. 4 and quite early then he would've liked. |
| 3.1 : S Broad to Rahul, On the pads, flicked to the on side for a run. |
| 3.2 : S Broad to Kohli, OUT! OMG! Skipper, what have you done? Don's record stays intact of scoring 600 or more runs in four series as of now. Broad bowls an enticing full ball way outside off. Kohli reaches out for it, unlike his previous innings. He edges it to Bairstow and Broad runs in celebration right-away. What a scalp to have but he took a chance away from his counterpart. Had Anderson taken his wicket, he would've had him for the first time in this series. Nonetheless, England isn't comp |
| Ajinkya Rahane comes in to try out and salvage something now. |
| 3.3 : S Broad to Rahane, Around off, shortish, kept out. |
| 3.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 3.5 : S Broad to Rahane, Outside off, easily left alone. |
| 3.6 : S Broad to Rahane, Another solid defense off the front foot. Broad ends a successful over. |
| 4.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, On middle and leg, flicked through square leg for a couple. |
| 4.2 : J Anderson to L Rahul, FOUR! No point in defending balls when they are moving so much. Better make use of the gifts. Short and wide outside off, Rahul leaps and slashes it over point for a boundary! |
| Is that another? England reckon they have Rahul caught at slip. Umpire Wilson has shook his head, so Root takes the review. |
| 4.3 : Anderson to Rahul, NOT OUT! England lose a review. Perhaps they got carried away with the flow. A length ball outside off, nipping back in sharply, Rahul looks to defend but misses. He is hit on the pads and the ball then lobs to slip. Anderson appeals for LBW but then the slip cordon comes charging in, celebrating. Captain Root is forced into the review by his mates, as they reckon there is an inside edge. Technology shows that there is no bat involved in contact with the ball. Moving over |
| 4.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, Full on middle, pushed towards mid on. |
| 4.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 4.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, On a length outside off, Rahul feels for it but misses. |
| 5.1 : S Broad to Rahane, Outside off, Rahane taps it to the off side and sets off for a quick single. The fielder from short cover charges in, gets to the ball, picks it up, turns and looks to throw but Broad comes in his way and the fielder aborts his throw. |
| 5.2 : S Broad to Rahul, FOUR! Short and wide outside off, Rahul crashes it through point for a boundary. |
| 5.3 : S Broad to Rahul, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 5.4 : S Broad to Rahul, Way outside off, left alone again. |
| 5.5 : S Broad to Rahul, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 5.6 : S Broad to Rahane, On middle and leg, Rahane works it through square leg for a run. |
| 6.1 : J Anderson to Rahane, Full and just outside off, watchfully defended. |
| 6.2 : J Anderson to Rahane, Outside off, played towards point for a single. |
| 6.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 6.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR! ELEGANT! Rahul continues to strut his stuff. Half volley outside off, the opener comes forward and drives it through the covers for a boundary! |
| 6.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Another lovely shot. Overpitched, outside off, Rahul comes forward again and drives it straight back past the bowler. The ball stops near the ropes and Sam Curran comes from somewhere to stop it. Three runs taken. |
| 6.6 : J Anderson to Rahane, Outside off, Ajinkya comes forward and pushes it towards point for a run. |
| 7.1 : S Broad to Rahane, FOUR! FABULOUS! That is extraordinary timing from Rahane. Full and outside off, Ajinkya gets a good stride forward and just pushes it through the covers. The timing and the outfield make the result as a four. |
| 7.2 : S Broad to Rahane, A bit wider outside off, left alone. |
| 7.3 : S Broad to A Rahane, A length ball outside off, Jinx comes forward and pushes it towards mid off. |
| 7.4 : S Broad to Rahane, On a length ball wide outside off, angling in, AR shoulders arms. |
| 7.5 : S Broad to Rahane, Much straighter, turned straight to square leg. |
| 7.6 : S Broad to Rahane, On a length outside off, coming in, pushed back to mid off. |
| 8.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR! When you flash, flash hard. Well, as long as Rahul is around, batting is going to be fun and we are going to be at the edges of our seats. Full and wide outside off, swinging away, Rahul reaches out and looks to drive but is done in by the away movement. The outside edge is induced but it flies over the slips to the third man fence. The stand moves to 30 from just 29 balls. Rahul gets his 4th boundary in his 23. 59 more deliveries left in the day... |
| 8.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Good comeback. The inswinger, around off, but Rahul watches it closely and pushes it towards mid-wicket. |
| 8.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR! Not too convincing. On a length outside off, Rahul opens the face of his bat and guides it past gully. Ben Stokes dives to his left, gets a hand to it, but is not able to save the boundary. |
| 8.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| Moeen Ali is warming up... |
| 8.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Fuller length, outside off, watchfully blocked out. |
| 8.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, In the corridor of uncertainty, Rahul thinks about playing at that but then also feels he should let it go. In that indecision, the ball whizzes past the outside edge. |
| 9.1 : S Broad to Rahane, Full and outside off, watchfully defended. |
| 9.2 : S Broad to Rahane, On middle and off, flicked through square leg for a single. |
| 9.3 : S Broad to Rahul, Superb bowling. The inswinger, comes in pretty late, Rahul does not vouch for the late movement and looks to flick. Is squared up eventually but the leading edge does not carry to any fielder. Along the ground goes the ball, towards cover. |
| 9.4 : S Broad to Rahul, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 9.5 : S Broad to Rahul, Rahul continues playing his shots. On middle and leg, flicked through mid-wicket. However, the ball stops near the ropes and Adil Rashid gets to it from mid-wicket. Three runs taken. Rahul moves to 30 from 32 balls. |
| 9.6 : S Broad to Rahane, Miles outside off, let through. |
| Here he comes. First sign of spin in this innings. Moeen Ali to bowl. |
| 10.1 : M Ali to Rahul, A touch short to start, outside off, punched through the covers for a single. |
| 10.2 : M Ali to Rahane, Good loop and change of speed, dips onto the batsman, Rahane comes forward and works it to the leg side. |
| 10.3 : M Ali to Rahane, This is outside off, pushed towards cover. |
| 10.4 : M Ali to Rahane, Full and outside off, Rahane looks to defend but gets a thick inside edge. The ball falls short of short leg. |
| 10.5 : M Ali to Rahane, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 10.6 : M Ali to Rahane, Outside off, punched towards the bowler. |
| Double change. Sam Curran replaces Stuart Broad. The left-arm seamer was the one who dismissed Rahul in the first innings. |
| 11.1 : Sam Curran to Rahul, The inswinger first up, around off, watchfully pushed towards cover. |
| 11.2 : Sam Curran to Rahul, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 11.3 : Sam Curran to Rahul, On a length outside off, this one goes away, pushed towards cover. 39 balls left for the day... |
| 11.4 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Back of a length around off, watchfully blocked out. |
| 11.5 : Sam Curran to L Rahul, Full and on middle, swinging in, worked wide of mid-wicket for a quick single. Adil Rashid has a shy at the bowler's end but misses. Rahul would have been in anyways. The stand moves to 40 from 51 balls. |
| 11.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Outside off, pushed towards point. |
| 12.1 : M Ali to Rahul, LUCKY! Outside off, Rahul goes back and tries to run it down to third man but the ball spins in off the rough, takes the bottom edge and goes past the stumps towards fine leg. A single taken. |
| 12.2 : M Ali to Rahane, On middle and off, pushed towards the bowler. |
| 12.3 : M Ali to Rahane, Fuller, outside off, Rahane comes forward to block but the ball goes off the outside edge, towards point. A run taken. Moves to 10. |
| 12.4 : M Ali to Rahul, Overpitched outside off, blocked back to the bowler. |
| 12.5 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! Fine shot. Full and around off, Rahul gets down and reverse sweeps it behind point for a boundary. |
| 12.6 : M Ali to Rahul, Gets across and works it towards mid-wicket. |
| 13.1 : Sam Curran to Rahane, On a length around off, pushed towards cover. 29 more balls left today... |
| 13.2 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Similar ball, blocked to the off side again. |
| 13.3 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Back of a length outside off, defended nicely. |
| 13.4 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Full and outside off, driven beautifully but straight to cover. |
| 13.5 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Outside off, punched towards cover. |
| 13.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, That is a beauty to end the over. Curran lands it on a length outside off, Rahane looks to defend but then the ball moves away late to beat the outside edge. A maiden over. |
| Ben Stokes time. |
| 14.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Full and outside off, pushed towards cover. |
| 14.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Around middle, Rahul looks to tuck it to the leg side but misses. The ball goes off his pads to the leg side and the batsmen take a leg bye. |
| 14.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahane, Full and wide outside off, left alone. |
| 14.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahane, The batsman has pushed it to the cover region. |
| 14.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahane, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. 29 balls left. |
| 14.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahane, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| 15.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Around off, spinning in, pushed towards cover for a single. 50 UP FOR INDIA. 17 balls more to go. |
| 15.2 : M Ali to Rahane, Full and outside off, pushed towards mid off. |
| 15.3 : M Ali to Rahane, Down the leg side, spinning a long way, Rahane misses his flick. Bairstow starts to appeal for a catch but then thinks better of it. |
| 15.4 : M Ali to Rahane, Full and around off, Jinx gets across and works it towards short leg. |
| 15.5 : M Ali to Rahane, ALMOST CHOPPED ON! Nervy times for Rahane. Outside off, Rahane looks to block but the ball hits the bottom of his bat and goes over the stumps! |
| 15.6 : M Ali to Rahane, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 16.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Full and around off, watchfully defended. |
| 16.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 16.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, FOUR! 50-RUN STAND IS UP! Much needed for India. They were three down for not many and this stand will give the dressing room a good boost. The rate is good too, consuming just a bit over 13 overs. A half volley, on the pads, Rahul ticks it towards the fine leg fence. Rahul moves to 42 from 48 balls. His 7th boundary. |
| 16.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 16.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Peach. Landed on a length outside off, Rahul feels for it but then the ball moves away and beats the outside edge. Bairstow starts to appeal but no review is taken. Snickometer shows a big gap between bat and ball. |
| 16.6 : Ben Stokes to L Rahul, FOUR! FANTASTIC! Half volley outside off, Rahul leans and drives it through the covers for a boundary! |
| 17.1 : M Ali to Rahane, Full and just outside off, Rahane comes forward and defends. |
| 17.2 : M Ali to Rahane, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 17.3 : M Ali to Rahane, Tossed up outside off, driven towards mid off. |
| 17.4 : M Ali to Rahane, On middle and off, Jinx works it towards short leg. |
| 17.5 : M Ali to Rahane, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| Last ball of the day... |
| 17.6 : M Ali to Rahane, Full and outside off, Rahane goes back and looks to defend. The ball spins in, takes the inside edge but does not carry to Alastair Cook at short leg. STUMPS ON DAY 4! |
| A massive relief for Indian fans. They end the day 3 down. Will not have taken that when Dhawan and Rahul walked out to bat but after a nightmarish 20 balls, they would be more than happy to see Rahul and Rahane unscathed at the end of the day. |
| The Oval gives a standing ovation to that man - ALASTAIR COOK. He accepts it and waves in reply, with the cheers growing even louder. It has been his day - scoring a century in his final ever innings with the bat, putting his team on top. Both camps sport smiling faces - England, for picking up 3 wickets with the new ball and India, well, for not losing more than 3 wickets. |
| Right then! A forgetful session and a forgetful day for India. They would be happy with that last 45 minutes, with Rahul and Rahane staging some sort of a recovery, but they have a lot of work going into Day 5. Forget the target - they need 406 runs in a possible 90 overs - the fact that they have only 7 wickets in hand, makes it even difficult. |
| The session initially began with England in hot pursuit of 500 but then a flurry of wickets changed that. The good thing for them was - there was a flurry from the next innings as well. It was a mad period of 30 minutes. We saw 5 wickets fall in the space of 38 balls - 2 of England and 3 of India. Anderson's twin beauties got Dhawan and Pujara while Broad broke the backbone of India by getting the captain for a nought. |
| Earlier in the day, it was all about Cook and Root. The duo got to their fifties and converted them into triple figures. The massive 259-run stand took the game away from the visitors as they struggled to cope with Ishant and Shami's injuries. |
| What's up in store for Tuesday? 90 overs in store in terms of allotment. Can India bat the day out and play the old, gritty style of Test cricket? Or will England claim the series 4-1? Given that we have had results in all the previous matches of this series, a good fighting draw will not be a bad outcome. Join us at 1100 local time (1000 GMT) for all the action from Day 5. ADIOS! TAKE CARE! |
| ... Day 5, Session 1 ... |
| Finally, the day has come! After a hard-fought tour spanning over two months, we enter into the final day. Hello and a warm welcome to Day 5 of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval with the number one Test team in the world keen on saving the match and restoring some lost pride. The pair of KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane is gutting it out for them but they have a mighty storm to weather. Will the home side finish on a high and send the Indians packing 4-1? Or will the unbe |
| PITCH REPORT - Sanjay Manjrekar from beside the pitch starts by saying that there is no possibility of rain today. Adds further that the pitch is still good enough for batting. Reckons that the three Indian wickets that fell yesterday evening had nothing to do with the pitch. States that even though there are some rough patches, the pitch is still good enough to survive. Ends by saying that more than the condition of the pitch, it is more about how strongly do the Indian batsmen want to save the |
| The young sensation, Sam Curran gives a quick interview. Says that this series has been really special for him and he is confident that they will win it 4-1. Adds that he concentrates on playing his natural game and luckily it has come off well. Hopes to celebrate an England victory and ending the series on a high. On sharing the dressing room with Broad and Anderson, he replies that it has been a special feeling and is hopeful that the latter overtakes McGrath today. Further adds that he has be |
| We are all set for play to get underway. The umpires and the home team make their way to the middle. The overnight batsmen Lokesh Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane stride out with the former taking strike. It's going to be James Anderson (23/2) to kickoff proceedings. He has three slips in place. |
| 18.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Jimmy starts the day with a short of a length delivery wide outside off. Rahul lets it go. He will have to do that quite a bit today. |
| 18.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Similar line but a bit fuller this one. Rahul watchfully shoulders arms. |
| 18.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Jimmy doing what Jimmy does best, consistently landing the nut in the corridor of of stump. Rahul points his bat skywards and leave. |
| 18.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, This time Anderson gets it straighter which makes Rahul play at it with a straight bat and block it out. |
| 18.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Goes wide again, left again by KL. |
| 18.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR! On the last ball of the over Jimmy drifts on Rahul's pads. KL has flicked it beautifully through square leg for a boundary. It brings up his 12th fifty. But the job is half done, or even lesser than half. He needs to carry on and stay there as long as possible. |
| Stuart Broad to share the attack. |
| 19.1 : S Broad to Rahane, Keeps it on a good length around off, Rahane defends off the front foot. |
| 19.2 : S Broad to Rahane, Pulls his length back a wee bit and lands it on off, Rahane blocks it off the back foot this time. |
| 19.3 : S Broad to Rahane, Fuller length ball on off, Rahane prods forward and keeps it out. |
| 19.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Lands this one on a good length again and starts from just wide of off with the ball coming into Rahane in the air and a bit off the pitch as well. Rahane does really well to account for the movement, gets his foot forward and across and defends it solidly. |
| 19.5 : S Broad to Rahane, Good length ball around off, Rahane shows full face of the bat to block it out. |
| 19.6 : S Broad to Rahane, Similar ball to the previous one and watchfully defended by Ajinkya. |
| 20.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Anderson starts the new over will a fuller length delivery just outside off and with a bit of away shape on it. Rahul leans forward and creams the drive through the cover region. The ball goes to the man at sweeper cover and allows the exchange of strike. |
| 20.2 : J Anderson to Rahane, Keeps it a bit fuller and attacking the off stump. Rahane does well to come forward slightly and block it out. |
| 20.3 : J Anderson to Rahane, A bit shorter of a length around off, Rahane stands tall and defends with a straight bat. |
| 20.4 : J Anderson to Rahane, Similar delivery from Jimmy but this time the Indian vice-captain has tapped it into the point region for a single. |
| 20.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, A short of a good length out-swinger around off, Rahul waits back. Opens the bat face at the last moment and steers this one towards the third man region for yet another single. |
| 20.6 : J Anderson to Rahane, Well wide of off, Rahane will not play at those, or rather, he should not. |
| 21.1 : S Broad to Rahul, Broad starts the over with a short of a length ball around off. The ball lands and nips back ever so slightly. Rahul, from the crease, looks to keep it out with the bat coming from a slight angle. The movement takes the inner half of his bat and the ball rolls towards the square leg region for a single. |
| 21.2 : S Broad to Rahane, FOUR Leg byes! Broad starts the over with a short of a length ball around off. The ball lands and nips back ever so slightly. Rahul, from the crease, looks to keep it out with the bat coming from a slight angle. The movement misses the inside edge of his bat and the ball rolls towards the square leg region and allows the batsmen to cross over for a single. |
| 21.3 : S Broad to Rahane, Fuller ball with some inward movement around off, Rahane drives this crisply through mid on for a brace. |
| 21.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Fuller on off, Rahane comes forward and defends. |
| 21.5 : S Broad to Rahane, A bit shorter in length around off, The ball lands and seams in to Rahane who is looking to whip it off his hips but misses and gets rapped on the thigh pad. |
| 21.6 : S Broad to Rahane, FOUR Leg byes! Similar ball to the second ball of the over and the same result. Rahane tries to flick but the ball brushes his pad and runs down to the fine leg boundary. |
| 22.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Beaten by a beauty! Jimmy special this one. He lands it on a length just outside off. Rahul, tentatively looks to play at it but the away movement beats the outside edge of his bat and the Indian opener survives. |
| 22.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Strays on his legs and Rahul flicks this to square leg for a single. |
| 22.3 : J Anderson to Rahane, Fuller around off, defended off the front foot. |
| 22.4 : J Anderson to Rahane, Beaten! Lovely bowling this. Anderson lands it on a length around off and gets it to move away on landing. The movement has beaten Rahane's attempt to play at the ball. |
| 22.5 : J Anderson to Rahane, Fuller and a bit wider of off, Rahane comes forward and a bit across as well to block it out. |
| 22.6 : J Anderson to Rahane, Wider of off and left alone. |
| 23.1 : S Broad to Rahul, Broad drops it on a good length outside off, angling in a bit, Rahul takes his front leg forward to cover the line and has his bat hiding behind his pads as he allows it through. |
| 23.2 : S Broad to Rahul, Angling back into the batsman on a length, Rahul stays back to cover the line and blocks it safely. |
| 23.3 : S Broad to Rahul, FOUR! A very confident drive off the front foot by KL Rahul. Broad delivers it full and outside off, Rahul leans forward and drives it crisply through the gap at cover-point. Didn't try to hit it hard, just placed his shot with sweet timing. From England's point of view, they won't mind Rahul driving. |
| 23.4 : S Broad to Rahul, Full and shaping back in around middle and off, KL is forward as he pushes it down to mid on. |
| 23.5 : S Broad to Rahul, Some visible inward movement again. It's on a good length outside off and curls back in off the seam. Rahul covers the line with a front foot stride and then leaves it. So far so good from him. |
| 23.6 : S Broad to Rahul, Shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 24.1 : J Anderson to Rahane, Back of a length ball on off, Rahane stays back footed as he plays it down square of the wicket on the off side. Not in the gap though. |
| 24.2 : J Anderson to Rahane, Anderson keeps probing in the region outside off. It's on a length and shaping away just a bit, Rahane shoulders arms. |
| 24.3 : J Anderson to Rahane, This one is angled back into the batsman by Anderson. Closer to the off stump and Rahane presents a straight bat in defense. |
| 24.4 : J Anderson to Rahane, Not timed well but runs for Ajinkya. Anderson offers a plenty of width outside off, Rahane reaches out for it but fails to time his square cut properly. But still he finds the gap at point and collects a couple of runs. |
| 24.5 : J Anderson to Rahane, Straighter delivery, on a length, it's defended off the back foot. |
| 24.6 : J Anderson to Rahane, Slightly short and on off, Rahane once again blocks it off his back foot to end the over. India have dealt with the first 30 minutes quite bravely. |
| 25.1 : S Broad to Rahul, Beaten! Peach! Starts a fresh over with a peach. He lands this one a bit short of good length around off. This time the ball hits the deck and seams away from Rahul. KL, looking to keep it out, is beaten but the important thing is that, survives. |
| 25.2 : S Broad to Rahul, Fuller on off, KL comes forward and defends. |
| 25.3 : S Broad to Rahul, Smashing pull shot for just a single. Broad bangs this one short. Rahul spots it early, rocks back and across, swivel and pulls it hard towards the square leg region. However, the hosts have kept Jennings at the deep square leg fence who keeps the batsmen down to one. |
| 25.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Lands this on a good length around off, Rahane defends solidly. |
| 25.5 : S Broad to Rahane, A bit fuller this on attacking the stumps, Rahane blocks it out. |
| 25.6 : S Broad to Rahane, He survives to fight another day! Broad lands this one on a good length around off. The ball is moving considerably both ways. This one lands and comes into Rahane who does well to watchfully block it out. |
| 26.1 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Wide of off stump. Rahul, not tempted into a shot, leaves. |
| 0.0 : England's hero of the series, Sam Curran, comes into the attack. |
| 26.2 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Fuller and in line with the stumps, driven by Rahul to mid on. |
| 26.3 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Keeps this a bit shorter of a good length around off and angling away from Rahul who does well to wait for the ball to come to him. He opens the bat face to glide it to third man for a single. He has looked unfazed barring a few misses this morning. |
| 26.4 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Beaten! Rahane is lucky again. Ridding their luck is the Indian pair. Curran keeps this fuller around off. The ball, having the original angle on it from around the wicket, moves further away and this beats Rahane's outside edge. |
| 26.5 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Wide of off, left alone. |
| 26.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Fuller on the stumps, blocked out off the front foot. |
| 27.1 : S Broad to Rahul, Bumper pulled handsomely. he looks so good when he is playing like this, no inhibitions no confusions. Rahul sees the ball banged in short and pulls it towards the deep square leg region for a single. That shot deserved more though. |
| 27.2 : S Broad to Rahane, A bit shorter of good length outside off, Rahane taps it through the point region for a brace. |
| 27.3 : S Broad to Rahane, Fuller length ball attacking the stumps, Rahane defends with the dead straight bat. |
| 27.4 : S Broad to Rahane, Beautiful defence! Sometimes even a defence is an attractive shot, if the batsman is of the class of Ajinkya Rahane. He covers the line nicely and defends off the front foot. |
| 27.5 : S Broad to Rahane, Similar ball from Broad and similar class shown by Rahane in his defence. |
| 27.6 : S Broad to Rahane, Creamed the cover drive! Broad dishes this one a bit fuller in length outside off, Rahane comes forward confidently and drives crisply through covers for a brace. |
| 28.1 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Sometimes a wonderful shot gets you nothing, this was the case on this delivery. Curran keeps it very full just outside off, maybe looking for some movement. Rahul leans forward and drives it elegantly but straight to the man at covers. |
| 28.2 : Sam Curran to Rahul, A bit shorter of good length on off, Rahul defends with a straight bat. |
| 28.3 : Sam Curran to Rahul, A bit shorter in length on off, Rahul stands tall and blocks it from within the crease. |
| 28.4 : Sam Curran to Rahul, A good length delivery around off, blocked out confidently by KL. |
| 28.5 : Sam Curran to Rahul, Beaten! That's the umpteenth time the ball has beaten the bat but we have got used to it now. Curran keeps it full around off, angling it across Rahul. KL tries to keep it out but gets beaten because of the movement. |
| 28.6 : Sam Curran to Rahul, A bit shorter in length, punched towards covers for no runs. |
| Moeen Ali comes into the attack. |
| 29.1 : M Ali to Rahane, Tossed up straighter on the pads, Rahane turns it into the mid-wicket region. |
| 29.2 : M Ali to Rahane, Beaten by the spinner! Moeen tosses this one just outside off. Rahane comes forward looking to block it, plays for the spin but the ball skids through beaten the outside edge. Moeen now has his hands on his head. |
| 29.3 : M Ali to Rahane, Lands this a bit fuller and on his pads, flicked towards square leg for a single. |
| 29.4 : M Ali to Rahul, Rahul comes forward to this tossed up delivery and pushes it into the gap at covers to run a single. |
| 29.5 : M Ali to Rahane, Rahul goes back to this ball outside off, it is a bit shorter in length and that allows Rahul to tap it towards point to add another run to the total. |
| 29.6 : M Ali to Rahul, Floated one around off, Rahul has defended this off the front foot. |
| 30.1 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Curran dishes this one a bit fuller and attacking the stumps, Rahane flicks this nicely but straight to the man at mid-wicket. |
| 30.2 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Lands this a bit shorter of good length around off, Rahane stands tall in his crease and blocks it out. |
| 30.3 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Fuller, just outside off, driven well but straight to the man at covers. Good shots are being played for no runs. The Indian pair should not get frustrated by this as the runs are not important but staying on the pitch is. |
| 30.4 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Lands it a bit shorter of a good length around off, Rahane has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 30.5 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, FOUR! Cracking Cover Drive! Is there a more beautiful shot in cricket? Sam dishes this one very full, looking for some swing. Rahane is up for it as he comes forward, crouches a bit and plays a beautiful cover drive with near perfect timing and placement. |
| 30.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Bumper from Sam, Rahane ducks under it. |
| 31.1 : M Ali to Rahul, A bit flatter and in line with the stumps. The ball lands and spins in. Rahul, looking to turn it into the leg side, gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 31.2 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up on off, Defended solidly off the front foot. |
| 31.3 : M Ali to Rahul, Ali gives this one a bit more air, Rahul does well to smother the turn. |
| Review taken by England. Rahul has been given out LBW. The English team have a chat and signal the 'T' tot take their second review. |
| 31.4 : M Ali to Rahul, Not Out, impact outside off is the savior here. Looked safe to the naked eye, however a great decision. Ali lands this one a bit shorter than full length, well outside off. Rahul, walks across outside the off stump line, looking to work it into the leg side. The ball lands, keeps very low, spin in sharply and hits Rahul on his front pad. It looks to have hit him outside the line of off but England appeal hard. The umpire gives a gem of a decision but the hosts feel they hav |
| 31.5 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up on off, prods well forward and keeps it out safely. |
| 31.6 : M Ali to Rahul, No run. |
| That's the first drinks break on Day 5. The Indian pair has made it through unscathed in the first hour. The play resumes in just a short while. Let's see what it has in store for us. |
| 32.1 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Shortish on off, defended. |
| 32.2 : Sam Curran to Rahane, FOUR! 100 up for India. Short and width on offer and Rahane obliges. He hangs back and punches it through cover-point as the ball races away. The partnership grows to 99 with this shot and the pair is growing in confidence. |
| 32.3 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 32.4 : Sam Curran to Rahane, On a length, around off, blocked. |
| 32.5 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Outside off, played to short third man for no run. |
| 32.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Jinx takes a couple of steps down the track and turns the length ball into a fuller one. Driven to short cover fielder for no run. |
| 33.1 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! 100 of the partnership comes up between the duo, a well-deserved and a much, much-needed as well. Tossed up right up there, Rahul waits for it to come and then drives it through covers for a boundary. Rahul is looking good. Can he make it big for his team and stretch this partnership into a double ton? |
| 33.2 : M Ali to Rahul, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 33.3 : M Ali to Rahul, Takes a few steps down the track and then defends it. |
| 33.4 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! Paddles and paddles fine. Clever stuff from Rahul. First through the cover region and then to the opposite side. It was pitched on off and he drags it fine with a stretched bat. Curran gives a chase but he coudln't stop it. |
| 33.5 : M Ali to Rahul, On off, defended. |
| 33.6 : M Ali to Rahul, Risky but effective. Rahul is playing Moeen of the back foot again even after the last over's LBW scare. The ball misses the rough this time and bounces nicely for Rahul to punch it through cover-point for another brace. |
| 34.1 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Taps the shortish ball to the third man region and looks for a run but his partner declines. |
| 34.2 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 34.3 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Full on the pads, flicked to mid-wicket and Ben makes a diving stop at short mid-wicket. |
| 34.4 : Sam Curran to Rahane, FOUR! Shot of the day for me. Indianesque in this shot as Rahane flicks the full swinging ball on his pads through mid-wicket. |
| 34.5 : Sam Curran to Rahane, FOUR! A lot of width and a player of Rahane's class won't miss out on such opportunities. He cuts it off the back foot and finds the gap through cover-point. The ball races to the fence and pressure easing off India with every run this pair scores. |
| 34.6 : Sam Curran to Rahane, Outside off, left alone. |
| 35.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up outside off, defended. |
| 35.2 : M Ali to Rahul, Sweeps the flighted ball to fine leg and changes strike. |
| 35.3 : M Ali to Rahane, OUT! In the air... taken! Just when things looked to be getting easier, Rahane falls. A tame end to a gutsy knock. What a pity but England won't mind at all. A tossed up ball outside off, Rahane reaches for it to sweep it down but the ball takes the top edge and lobs in the air towards Jennings at short mid-wicket who completes the formality. A 118-run stand comes to an end. England need 6 more wickets to wrap it up. |
| Hanuma Vihari is in. 50 in his debut innings. What will he get in the second one? |
| 35.4 : M Ali to Vihari, The batsman appears to have been struck on the thigh-pad. |
| 35.5 : M Ali to Vihari, Around off, defended. |
| 35.6 : M Ali to Vihari, Shortish on off, defended off the back foot. |
| Stokes to roll his arms over now. |
| 36.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Short around off and Rahul pokes at it. The ball goes through the keeper and wide slip but now Root as stationed a player at third man, right behind the slip cordon, to man the boundary. A run taken. |
| 36.2 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Bumper! Left alone. |
| 36.3 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, Shortish around off, defended off the back foot. |
| 36.4 : Ben Stokes to Vihari, OUT! Gone! One brings two and Vihari takes the long walk back. He goes for a duck in his second innings. Coming to the ball, it was dug in at pace and climbing onto Vihari. He gets on his toes, tries to get his willow behind the line but the ball takes a slight outside edge and goes into the mitts of Bairstow. England are celebrating. It could end sooner than they would have hoped for. |
| Rishabh Pant is in. |
| 36.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 36.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Bouncer. He sways away to leave it. End of a successful over for Stokes. |
| 37.1 : M Ali to L Rahul, Tossed up and very full just outside off, Rahul is well set now and he drives this through the cover-point region for a brace. |
| 37.2 : M Ali to Rahul, LBW appeal turned down. Ali tosses this one outside off. Rahul gets down on one knee, looking to sweep it but misses the bat and gets rapped on the front pad. England appeal but the impact is clearly outside off and the umpire declines the appeal immediately. |
| 37.3 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up on the stumps, flicked to square leg for a single. |
| 37.4 : M Ali to Pant, Beaten! Lovely flight and turn from Moeen. He floats this one full outside off. Pant comes forward looking to push at the ball. The ball lands and spins sharply to beat the outside edge. Pant needs to focus here, this is his last opportunity on this tour to prove his mettle. |
| 37.5 : M Ali to Pant, FOUR! Nice reply from Pant. Moeen drops this one a bit shorter in length. Pant quickly rocks back and pulls it through mid-wicket for a handsome boundary. |
| 37.6 : M Ali to Pant, Fuller on off, the Indian keeper prods forward and keeps it out to end the over. |
| 38.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Bouncer! KL ducks under the bouncer at the last moment. |
| 38.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Another bouncer! KL lets it be. |
| 38.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On the pads, clipped in front of the short leg fielder. |
| 38.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Another bumper and another duck. |
| 38.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 38.6 : Ben Stokes to L Rahul, Great effort in the deep by Ali, saved three for his team. Though runs don't matter but keeping KL on strike does. Another short ball around the grille of Rahul who swivels and pulls it to deep square leg region. Mooen there runs to his left quickly and stops the ball. |
| 39.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up on off, defended. |
| 39.2 : M Ali to Rahul, Shortish outside off, kept out off the back foot. |
| 39.3 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! Rahul and his shots are not stopping. He is playing his natural game and scoring quick runs. He needs them desperately as well. A flighted ball outside off, KL reverse sweeps it through third man area and takes the boundary on offer. |
| 39.4 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! Clever, so clever from Rahul. Excellent stuff from him. First the reverse sweep and now the conventional one through the deep square leg region. The ball races to the fence and KL is cruising towards his ton. |
| 39.5 : M Ali to Rahul, Another reverse through the third man area but he couldn't get the timing this time. It goes to Curran at backward point and a run taken. |
| 39.6 : M Ali to Pant, Outside off, flighted, left alone. |
| 40.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, SIX! Bang! Where did this come from? Rahul has gone into T20 mode and rightly so. No point getting into a shell and getting the ball with your wicket written on it. Stokes bangs it in again outside off, Rahul goes back to make some and he pulls the trigger. A tennis forehand on this and the ball sails into the crowd at cover region. He gets into 90's now. |
| 40.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, This one is down the leg side and the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 40.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, FOUR! Ducked all the short balls in the last over and takes on them this time. A banged in ball in line of the stumps. Rahul swivels and plays it fine to fine leg fence to move to 97. Can he complete the ton in this over itself? |
| 40.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Outside off, left alone. |
| 40.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Ducks under this bouncer to let it through to the keeper. |
| 40.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, FOUR. |
| 41.1 : M Ali to Pant, Starts off with a quicker ball on the stumps. Pant goes back and flicks it towards the square leg region for a brace. |
| 41.2 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up on off, Pant pushes it to covers. |
| 41.3 : M Ali to Pant, A bit slower and shorter in length. Pant waits for the ball to arrive and keeps it out with a straight bat. |
| 41.4 : M Ali to Pant, A very full delivery on the stumps, Rishabh lunges forward and blocks it out. |
| 41.5 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up around off, Pant has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 41.6 : M Ali to Pant, Ali dishes this one a bit wide of off, tempting the Indian keeper into a drive. However, Pant shows good control as he lets it be. |
| 42.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Bouncer! The batsman ducks in time to let that one go over him. |
| 42.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Short of a length on off, blocked out. |
| 42.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Another short ball and another solid defense. |
| 42.4 : Ben Stokes to L Rahul, FOUR! Solid! Short, into the body and pulled to the fine leg fence for another boundary by KL. |
| 42.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On the pads, worked to the on side for a run. |
| 42.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Hangs back and keeps it out. |
| 43.1 : M Ali to Rahul, In the air... no fielder there. A tossed up ball on off, Rahul lunges forward and the ball takes the inside edge of his willow. It goes wide of the fielder at short leg so no harm done. |
| 43.2 : M Ali to Pant, Full, driven to covers. |
| 43.3 : M Ali to Pant, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 43.4 : M Ali to Pant, Pant chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. |
| 43.5 : M Ali to Pant, Flatter on off, kept out off the back foot. |
| 43.6 : M Ali to Pant, SIX! Block, block, block and a one-handed six to finish the over. That's Rishabh Pant for you. He gets another tossed up ball on off but couldn't resist the temptation. He hurries down the pitch and launches into the ball with one hand coming off the handle. It still sails over the long on fence with a lot of hang time. |
| Adil Rashid is on to bowl the last over before Lunch. |
| 44.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Shortish in line of the stumps, defended. |
| 44.2 : A Rashid to Rahul, Slow and wide of off, KL cuts it through point and takes a run. |
| 44.3 : A Rashid to Pant, Pant has been hit on the pads as he tried to sweep that one. It hit him outside off so no harm there. |
| 44.4 : A Rashid to Pant, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 44.5 : A Rashid to Pant, Short and wide outside off but lacking the expected bounce. Pant stays back and tries to hit it across the line but it goes under his willow. Jonny appeals for something but no one else knows what he was appealing for. Under edge? |
| 44.6 : A Rashid to Pant, Lunges forward and defends the ball pitched outside off. This brings the end of the morning session and it's Lunch on Day 5. |
| Gritty, gutsy, glamorous and feisty! That's how I'd sum up this session. Well, the overcast morning brought a lot of joy for the English bowlers but they had to toil hard in the first hour. The Indian pair of Rahul and Rahane played sensibly to keep the Anderson-Broad pair out. They played and missed a lot but luckily, didn't nick any. After they got settled in, both started to flourish, especially Rahul, who scored at a rate of knots in the latter half. |
| Rahane was looking good as well but he had a tame end to his gutsy innings. After his dismissal, Vihari got a peach from Stokes and he walked back for a duck. After that, Rahul breezed to his fifth Test ton in a matter of minutes. He has stitched a small little stand with Pant. 109 runs came in this session courtesy Rahul and the duo will look to keep on going for the sake of their team. The post-Lunch session starts in a short while, keep a cuppa handy and do join us! |
| ... Day 5, Session 2 ... |
| We are all set for the post-Lunch session to get underway. The umpires along with the English team make their way out. The Indian pair of Lokesh Rahul and Rishabh Pant stride out to the middle with the former taking strike. He will be facing Moeen Ali who will continue after the break. Can the visitors continue their rearguard action? We will soon find out as. Here we go... |
| 45.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Starts the session with a slower flighted delivery outside off, Rahul goes back and works it with the spin towards the fine leg region to take a run. |
| 45.2 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up on off, defended back. |
| 45.3 : M Ali to Pant, A bit slower and flighted on the stumps, Pant blocks it out. |
| 45.4 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up around off, Pant looks to push at it, gets a bottom edge and the ball rolls down towards covers. |
| 45.5 : M Ali to Pant, Very full delivery on off, Pant bends low and drives it through covers for a single. |
| 45.6 : M Ali to Rahul, The straighter delivery is flicked into the square leg region with a wristy flick and they cross over for a single. |
| Adil Rashid to bowl from the other end. |
| 46.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Very full and flighted googly first up, Rahul drives it through covers for a brace. |
| 46.2 : A Rashid to Rahul, A bit shorter in length this outside off, Rahul cuts this through point. |
| 46.3 : A Rashid to Rahul, Tossed up outside off, Rahul shoulders arms. |
| 46.4 : A Rashid to Rahul, Very full ball on the stumps, Rahul keeps it out. |
| 46.5 : A Rashid to Rahul, A similar delivery to the previous one, driven to the right of mid on to bring Pant on strike for the last ball. |
| 46.6 : A Rashid to Pant, FOUR! Fires this a bit quicker outside off, Pant stays back and late cuts it through backward point for a boundary. |
| 47.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Tossed up delivery on off, Rahul lunges forward and defends. |
| 47.2 : M Ali to Rahul, Very full ball just outside off, driven crisply to sweeper cover for a brace. |
| 47.3 : M Ali to Rahul, Flighted and very full around off, Rahul comes forward and pushes it through covers for a single. |
| 47.4 : M Ali to R Pant, Full on off, enticing a drive, Pant obliges and drives through covers to change strike again. |
| 47.5 : M Ali to Rahul, A fuller length delivery on the stumps, it is flicked towards mid-wicket but straight to the fielder. The Indian pair is trying to change strike and keep the runs coming. |
| 47.6 : M Ali to Rahul, This full ball on off is driven to mid on for a single. Ali is not able to extract much spin or bounce from the surface. The Indian pair seem to have no problem in negotiating his off spin, from the rough. |
| 48.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Gives this air and floats this full ball on off, Rahul creams the drive through to sweeper cover for a single. |
| 48.2 : A Rashid to Pant, Keeping it very full, Pant drives politely towards mid off. |
| 48.3 : A Rashid to Pant, Rashid fires this a bit straight and the aggressive keeper-batsman is on the look out for runs, almost always. He flicks this one through mid-wicket to get a brace. |
| 48.4 : A Rashid to Pant, FOUR! Rashid tosses this one on off, Pant this time cannot resist as he goes up and over the mid off fielder for a boundary. This is good from India, they are showing no signs of nerves and are ready to play their shots. We are in for a interesting and exciting passage of play. |
| 48.5 : A Rashid to Pant, Again the flighted ball around off but this time Pant shows some respect as he defends it off the front foot. |
| 48.6 : A Rashid to Pant, Overpitched ball in line with the stumps, flicked into the mid-wicket region for another brace. The partnership moves on to 70. |
| 49.1 : M Ali to Rahul, The batsman works it down the leg side. |
| 49.2 : M Ali to Rahul, This is flatter outside off, it does turn back in but it is slow turn. Rahul has enough time to rock back and punches it through covers for a run. |
| 49.3 : M Ali to R Pant, Cut hard but the fielder is found! On the shorter side and quicker in pace. Pant goes onto the back foot quickly, he cuts hard but finds the fielder at point. |
| 49.4 : M Ali to Pant, Slower through the air this time, looking to turn it away and take the outside edge but the ball goes straight on and Pant defends it. |
| 49.5 : M Ali to Pant, Quite similar to the last ball but this one is a little more fuller. Pant lunges and keeps it out. |
| 49.6 : M Ali to Pant, Fires it outside off, Pant makes a leave. |
| 50.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Tossed up delivery around off, Rahul comes forward and pushes it into the cover region to change strike. |
| 50.2 : A Rashid to Pant,Tossed up on off, defended by coming forward. Good mixture of aggression and defense on display here. |
| 50.3 : A Rashid to Pant, Pant tries to work this one from the stumps into the on side, he's early into the shot and the ball takes the leading edge but rolls down in no man area. No harm done. |
| 50.4 : A Rashid to Pant, Rashid keeps this a bit full outside off. Pant, looking to punch it through covers, gets beaten. |
| 50.5 : A Rashid to Pant, This time he punches it through covers for a single. |
| 50.6 : A Rashid to Rahul, Tossed up around off, Rahul comes forward and softly taps it in the gap towards the cover region to retain strike. |
| 51.1 : M Ali to Rahul, Flighted and full delivery on off is pushed into covers for a single off the very first ball of the over. The scoreboard moving quickly now. |
| 51.2 : M Ali to Pant,Tossed up around off. Pant blocks it out. |
| 51.3 : M Ali to Pant, Ali lands this one a bit shorter of full length outside off. Pant being Pant, walks across into the off side and whips this through the mid-wicket region for a single. |
| 51.4 : M Ali to Rahul, Ali attacks the stumps, Rahul works it into the leg side with the turn to add one more to his and his team's total. |
| 51.5 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up around off, Pant comes forward and blocks with a solid defense. |
| 51.6 : M Ali to Pant, Ali gives this one air and bowls this a bit wide of off. Pant is not tempted to go for the drive as he shoulders arms and lets this one go to end the over. |
| 52.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Floats it up on off, it is the leg spinner. Rahul prods forward and blocks it. |
| 52.2 : A Rashid to Rahul, With the turn Rahul pushes it through covers and gets to the other end. He moves onto 124. |
| 52.3 : A Rashid to Pant, FOUR! Slightly short and Pant pounces on it. 200 up for India. It is a half-tracker outside off, Rishabh punches it through cover-point and the ball races away. |
| 52.4 : A Rashid to Pant, The googly this time but not a lot of turn on offer. Pant easily keeps it out. |
| 52.5 : A Rashid to Pant, Extremely full outside off, Pant jams it out towards mid off. |
| 52.6 : A Rashid to R Pant, The leggie now, Pant eases it down to long on and keeps strike for the next over. The two are ticking along quite well here. |
| 53.1 : M Ali to Pant, FOUR! Slow, flighted and full on off. He gets it above the batsman's eye line. But Pant shows his class by coming down the track and crunch this cover drive to the boundary. That was some very good use of the feet there by the Indian keeper-batsman. |
| 53.2 : M Ali to Pant, Tossed up on off, Pant blocks. |
| 53.3 : M Ali to Pant, Gives it a bit more air, enticing Pant into one more expansive drive, but Pant keeps it out politely. |
| 53.4 : M Ali to Pant, A bit quicker and shorter, Pant goes back and punches through covers for a single. |
| 53.5 : M Ali to Rahul, Flighted ball on off, Rahul defends by lunging forward. |
| 53.6 : M Ali to Rahul, FOUR! Ali gives the ball some air, as has been the story so far. Rahul takes on the bait, skips down the track and lofts this over the mid off region for a smashing boundary. Some attractive cricket on show here. Don't leave your seats. |
| Ben Stokes is the first change bowler after Lunch. |
| 54.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Keeps it on a length around off, pant leans across a bit and pushes it to mid-wicket. |
| 54.2 : Ben Stokes to Pant, FOUR! Fierce square-cut from Pant. Stokes dishes this a bit short and wide of off. Pant unleashes the cut which results in the ball racing across the deep point boundary for a super four. The pair is not afraid to take on the pacer as well. The Indian aggression continues. |
| 54.3 : Ben Stokes to Pant, A bit wide of off, left alone. |
| 54.4 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Pant punches this short of length ball into covers. |
| 54.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, FOUR! SHOT! That's exactly what I heard around me when this young lad played this shot. Stokes fires this one a bit straight in line with the stumps. pant leans across a bit and flicks it nonchalantly through the mid-wicket region for another cracking boundary. That brings up the 100-run partnership off just 108 balls. This is super stuff from this attacking pair. Are they going for the chase?...Intent?? |
| 54.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Wide outside off, is left alone by Rishabh. |
| Joe Root is into the attack. Trying everything here is the England skipper. |
| 55.1 : Joe Root to Rahul, Starts on a wrong line as he fires this one down the leg side. |
| 55.2 : Joe Root to Rahul, Flatter and quicker on the stumps, kept out with a straight bat. |
| 55.3 : Joe Root to Rahul, No run. |
| 55.4 : Joe Root to Rahul, Quicker and outside off this one, Rahul looks to play at it initially but leaves at the last moment. |
| 55.5 : Joe Root to Rahul, Fuller ball on the stumps, Rahul keeps this out watchfully. |
| 55.6 : Joe Root to Rahul, Root fires this last ball of the over from around the wicket into Rahul's pads, KL flicks it straight to mid-wicket. |
| 56.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Stokes keeps this one a bt shorter of a good length angling into Pant from around the wicket. Rishabh gets inside the line and works it down to fine leg for as easy single. |
| 56.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, A bit short and on his body, Rahul tucks it nicely into the square leg region to add a run to his total. |
| 56.3 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Strays down the leg side, pant tries to flick but misses. |
| 56.4 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Pulls his length back a bit and lands this around off, the Indian keeper defends it off the back foot. |
| 56.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, In the blockhole, nice surprise ball from the English all-rounder. But Pant is alert enough to spot it and dig it out in time. |
| 56.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Dishes this full ball wide of off, Pant decides to shoulder arms. |
| 57.1 : Joe Root to Rahul, Tossed up on off, Rahul gets nicely to the pitch of the ball and drives to the mid on region for a single. |
| 57.2 : Joe Root to Pant, Beaten! Root fires this one fuller and just outside off, Pant comes forward to block but the ball spins away on landing and beats Rishabh's forward push. The Indian pair has to be careful against the part timer here. |
| 57.3 : Joe Root to Pant, A bit quicker and outside off, Rishabh lets it go watchfully. |
| 57.4 : Joe Root to R Pant, Full pitched ball on the stumps, driven politely to mid off. |
| 57.5 : Joe Root to Pant, A bit slower but wide of off, Rishabh points his bat toward the heavens to let it go. |
| 57.6 : Joe Root to Pant, FOUR BYES! Joe fires this one flatter and outside off. Pant plants his front foot across and leaves it. The ball stays very low and Bairstow behind is seen getting down quickly, almost falling down, but cannot stop the ball from races behind him and into the boundary. Four byes result. |
| 58.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Hits the length hard around off, Rahul lunges and defends it. |
| 58.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Slightly fuller and Rahul opens the face of the bat and strokes it through cover-point for a run. |
| 58.3 : Ben Stokes to Pant, BEATEN! Easy Pant, those shots are not needed. You have gotten yourself onto a start here, should not throw it away. A short ball outside off, Pant goes for a cut but misses. |
| 58.4 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Very well done! Stokes bowls another wide ball outside off, wanting Pant to play another loose stroke but he resists and lets it be. |
| 58.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Back of a length around off, Pant guides it through point and takes a run. |
| 58.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On off, pushed to covers. |
| 59.1 : Joe Root to Pant, Tossed up ball outside off, left alone by Rishabh. |
| 59.2 : Joe Root to Pant, Flighted and fuller delivery on off, Pant comes forward and solidly blocks it out. |
| 59.3 : Joe Root to Pant, A bit flatter and fuller around off. Pants looks to defend off the front foot but the off spin beats his bat's edge. Can Joe be the golden-arm boy for the hosts to break this partnership. |
| 59.4 : Joe Root to Pant, Fuller ball on off is flicked through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 59.5 : Joe Root to Rahul, Very full ball on leg, almost a yorker. Rahul keeps it out. |
| 59.6 : Joe Root to Rahul, Root fires this one on Rahul's pads who tries to flick it but misses and gets rapped on the pads. |
| 60.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Starts the over with an ill-directed delivery from around the wicket. The angle on the ball takes it down the leg side and Bairstow has to dive to his right to stop it. |
| 60.2 : Ben Stokes to R Pant, Half century! Stokes lands this one a bit shorter and wider of off. Pant cuts hard to the fielder at the deep point boundary and gets a run. That's a maiden Test fifty for Rishabh Pant. A special milestone for the aggressive young man. |
| 60.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, A length ball around off, Rahul looking to keep it out gets an inside edge onto his pads. No harm done. |
| 60.4 : Ben Stokes to L Rahul, A short ball from Stokes, Rahul swivels and pulls it to deep square leg to pick up a run. |
| 60.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Punches this short of a length delivery through the cover-point region to pick up a brace. |
| 60.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Short ball again, Pant takes it on again and pulls it hard but straight to the man at deep square leg to get just a single. |
| 61.1 : Joe Root to Pant, Tossed up outside off, left alone by the Indian keeper. |
| 61.2 : Joe Root to Pant, Loss of concentration? Maybe. Joe bowls this full in line of the stumps, Pant from within his crease looks to hoick this one over the mid-wicket region. The ball pitches and turns to get the outside edge. The ball lobs up in the air towards the cover region but luckily for Rishabh and his team, it falls in no man's land. |
| 61.3 : Joe Root to R Pant, FOUR! That has crossed the boundary ropes like a TRACER BULLET! Joe tosses it up and full, Pant waits for the ball to arrive and cracks his drive through covers for a scintillating boundary. |
| 61.4 : Joe Root to Pant, Tossed up delivery on off, blocked out off the front foot. |
| 61.5 : Joe Root to Pant, We are seeing a nice demonstration of some attacking and defensive cricket at the same time. Root gives this air and keeps it outside off, enticing a drive and looking to induce an edge. But Pant lets it be. |
| 61.6 : Joe Root to Pant, Flatter and fuller on the stumps, kept out by Pant from within the crease. The first hour after the Lunch break has been not only safely negotiated but they have scored at a brisk rate too. |
| That's drinks in the post-Lunch session. |
| 62.1 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Back of a length on off, Rahul stands tall and defends it onto the ground. |
| 62.2 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On the shorter again, Rahul tries to force it through the off side but gets it off the inner half towards the bowler. |
| 62.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Good length again just outside off, Rahul very well knows where his off stump is, he covers it and leaves the ball. |
| 62.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Hits the length again around off, Rahul guides it to point. |
| 62.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Another length ball on middle, Lokesh Rahul strokes it to mid on. 5 dot balls in a row. |
| 62.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, No maiden as Rahul guides this ball through point and takes a run. |
| 63.1 : Joe Root to Rahul, Pitched outside leg, the batsman pads it away. |
| 63.2 : Joe Root to Rahul, Uses his feet and eases it to deep mid on for a run. |
| 63.3 : Joe Root to Pant, Flatter outside off, Pant leaves it as he expects the ball won't be turning back in. |
| 63.4 : Joe Root to Pant, The leg spinner but it is too short and too wide outside off, Pant cuts it through point for a run. |
| 63.5 : Joe Root to Rahul, FOUR! Rahul just got to the ball there. Root may have seen Rahul step down the track and he fires it wide outside off. Rahul reaches out for it and smashes it through covers for a boundary. |
| 63.6 : Joe Root to Rahul, That was quick! Very quick on middle, Rahul tries to block but gets it off the inner half to square leg. Good change there by Root, surely surprised us if not the batsman. |
| 64.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, The bumper on middle, Pant ducks under it. |
| 64.2 : Ben Stokes to R Pant, Good shot! Got on top of the bounce, rolls his wrists over and pulls it all along the ground towards fine leg for a run. 250 up for India, not many would have thought they would get to that when they were 2 for 3. |
| 64.3 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Good length again, Rahul gets behind the line of the delivery and keeps it out. |
| 64.4 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, On off, Rahul is solid in defense. |
| 64.5 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Wide outside off stump, the batsman leaves it alone. |
| 64.6 : Ben Stokes to Rahul, Back of a length on off, it goes straight on with the angle. Rahul defends it. This is the difference, the wicket seems to have flattened out, the ball is not straightening, there is no sideways movement. NOTHING. |
| 65.1 : Joe Root to Pant, Fires it on off, Pant keeps it out. |
| 65.2 : Joe Root to Pant, Very full on off, Pant tries to defend but he gets an inside edge onto his pads. |
| 65.3 : Joe Root to Pant, Played to the mid-wicket region by the batsman. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 65.4 : Joe Root to Rahul, Eases this down to long on and takes a run. |
| 65.5 : Joe Root to Pant, Pant strokes it through cover and changes strike. He moves onto 63. |
| 65.6 : Joe Root to Rahul, Tosses it up on off, Rahul lunges and blocks it. |
| 66.1 : Ben Stokes to Pant, FOUR! Cut and cut hard! Short and outside off, Pant slaps it through point and the ball races away. 207 more needed and they have another 40 overs to go. Game on? |
| 66.2 : Ben Stokes to Pant, On the shorter side and on the body of the batsman. Pant tucks it around the corner for no runs. |
| 66.3 : Ben Stokes to Pant, Another bouncer and Pant ducks under it. |
| 66.4 : Ben Stokes to R Pant, FOUR! Pierced the gap to perfection! Well they need something around 5 per over but they already have 8 in this. Short and on middle, Pant goes back and pulls it between fine leg and backward square leg, beating the dive of the fielder in the former position. |
| 66.5 : Ben Stokes to Pant, FOUR! Make that 12! Best shot of the over! Slightly short and width on offer outside off, Pant places it through backward point and the ball races away. |
| 66.6 : Ben Stokes to Pant, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. End of an excellent over for India. |
| Stuart Broad is back on. After a long, long time. My question to him and his captain - where were you till now? |
| 67.1 : S Broad to L Rahul, The bowling change almost does the trick! The crowd finally comes to life. Broad straightaway pitches it on the rough. It sticks into the surface and also bounces a touch more. Rahul goes for the drive but the ball hits the higher portion of the bat and balloons towards point but falls short of the fielder there. The batsmen take a run. |
| 67.2 : S Broad to Pant, FOUR! Just over the leaping fielder! On the pads, Pant flicks it uppishly, just out of the stretched hands of the fielder at mid-wicket. Raining boundaries off the bat of Pant. |
| 67.3 : S Broad to Pant, On a length around off, Pant defends it. |
| 67.4 : S Broad to Pant, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 67.5 : S Broad to Pant, Broad does not look very comfortable here. He does not steam in and bowls this one way down the leg side. Pant lets it go to the keeper. |
| 67.6 : S Broad to Pant, On the shorter side, Pant easily defends it. No zip on the last 2 deliveries of Broad. He may not be at 100 percent. |
| And now comes his partner in crime... James Anderson is back on. |
| 68.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, On a length around off, Rahul defends it onto the ground. |
| 68.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Good length again around off, no swing on offer for Jimmy also. Rahul guides it to point. |
| 68.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Another back of a length delivery on off, Rahul pushes it to covers. |
| 68.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR LEG BYES! India will take every run, irrespective of how they come. On the pads, Rahul fails to flick it. The ball brushes the pads and races fine down the leg side. 150-run stand is up and it is a very entertaining one. They are reviving the hopes in the Indian camp. |
| 68.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, On a length again, Rahul guides it to point. |
| 68.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, BEATEN! Hint of swing there but no edge. On a length and around off, the ball straightens after pitching. Rahul lunges and tries to defend but gets beaten. |
| The keeper is upto the stumps now. |
| 69.1 : S Broad to R Pant, EDGY FOUR! Pant moves into the 80s. Broad bowls the outswinger on off, Pant lunges and tries to block but the ball takes the outside edge and goes down to the third man fence. |
| 69.2 : S Broad to Pant, On middle, kept out. |
| 69.3 : S Broad to Pant, Fuller in length on off, Pant prods forward and defends it out. |
| 69.4 : S Broad to Pant, Around off and Pant is solid in defense. |
| 69.5 : S Broad to Pant, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 69.6 : S Broad to R Pant, EDGED BUT FOUR! Full marks to the bowler but runs to the batsman. Pant moves onto a score which the Australians consider very unlucky. Around off, it straightens a touch. Pant tries to defend but the ball takes the outside edge and goes through gully for a boundary. 182 more needed. |
| 70.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, On a length around middle, Rahul defends it onto the ground. |
| 70.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Just ahead of a length, looking for some movement. Rahul keeps it out. |
| 70.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Back of a length on off, Rahul guides it to point. |
| 70.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, The batsman lets the ball go outside his off stump. |
| 70.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Another length ball around middle, Rahul defends it back to the bowler. |
| 70.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, With the angle, worked to mid-wicket. |
| Adil Rashid is back on. |
| 71.1 : A Rashid to Pant, SIX! BOOM! Welcome back into the attack Rashid! What a shot! Adil flights this delivery on off, Pant goes down on one knee and tonks it over the long on fence. Moves into the nervous 90s. But it's Rishabh Pant...nervous? Don't think so! |
| 71.2 : A Rashid to Pant, Slightly shorter this time outside off, Pant works it with the turn through square leg for a run. |
| 71.3 : A Rashid to Rahul, Down the leg side, Rahul tries to flick but misses. A muted appeal but Jonny but nothing from the umpire. |
| 71.4 : A Rashid to Rahul, Rahul with the turn pushes it towards covers for a run. |
| 71.5 : A Rashid to Pant, Good stop! Saves a boundary there Root! Short and outside off, Pant slaps it towards covers, the skipper there makes a good stop. |
| 71.6 : A Rashid to Pant, The googly on off, Pant defends it onto the ground. He knows how important this ton could be and hence, he is not looking to get there in a hurry. |
| 72.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Good length again around off, Rahul guides it towards point. He wants a run but is sent back. |
| 72.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Around off, once again Rahul is solid in defense. |
| 72.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Length again but Rahul is as solid as a rock in defense. |
| 72.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| 72.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Another length ball around off, Rahul blocks it out. |
| 72.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, A maiden, as Rahul works it to mid-wicket. |
| 73.1 : A Rashid to Pant, Works it with the turn towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 73.2 : A Rashid to Rahul, Flatter on off, Rahul punches it to mid off. |
| 73.3 : A Rashid to Rahul, Pitches it outside leg, Rahul goes back and tries to work it through the leg side but misses to get hit on the pads. There is a stifled appeal but nothing from the umpire. |
| 73.4 : A Rashid to Rahul, The batsman has played it to the point region. One run added to the total. |
| 73.5 : A Rashid to Pant, SIX! BANG! Maiden Test ton for Rishabh Pant. He reaches there in some style. This lad seriously got guts. Uff! What a knock this has been, yes, there is not a lot of pressure on him in this innings but take nothing away from the way he has played. It has been full of entertainment, excitement and a complete treat to watch. Even the crowd knows that and are giving a thunderous applause to the youngster's effort. He acknowledges it by taking his helmet off and raising his b |
| 73.6 : A Rashid to Pant, Plays this ball calmly as he works it to the man at mid-wicket. |
| 74.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Starts the over with a good length ball in the corridor just outside off stump. Rahul presents the perfect front foot defense. Even a defensive shot can be an evidence of how good you are watching the ball. That defense was one of those shots. |
| 74.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Keeps it fuller around off, Rahul blocks it out from the crease with a straight bat. |
| 74.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Keeps it on a length but a bit wide outside off. Bairstow, who has come near the wickets, collects well. |
| 74.4 : J Anderson to L Rahul, A good length ball around off is driven impressively but straight to the fielder at extra cover. |
| 74.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, A wider ball outside off and Rahul leaves. Playing for Tea, it seems. |
| 74.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, Continues with that line just outside off. Rahul will not flirt with it, at least not a ball before the Tea interval. He leaves it alone to go to the dressing room and have some tasty Tea, being unbeaten on 142. From nowhere, this stylish opener, along with his partner in crime, Pant, has brought this game alive. That's Tea on Day 5. We have a cracker of an evening session on hands. |
| What a session for India! Yes, it is a wicket-less one and runs have flourished. 131 runs in 30 overs, you do not see that often in a Test match. Two youngsters have risen to the occasion here, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. The two have added a mammoth 177-run stand and it has come at a quick rate. Also, they are not finished yet. The opener will be now eyeing a double hundred whereas the keeper-batsman will look to add as many as possible. Also, if this pair keeps batting, you never know, India mi |
| The England bowlers tried their best, their spinners gave it their all but just could not find the breakthrough. Now one question which arises is why were Anderson and Broad not given the ball a lot earlier? Maybe because Broad is not 100 percent fit and they might be preserving Anderson for the second new ball which is just 5 overs away now. All questions will be answered in the final session of this tour. Join us for it as it promises to be a really exciting one. |
| ... Final Day, Final Session ... |
| And we're back! The Test cricket is at its pinnacle at the moment here at The Oval. Both the teams are in with a chance and a draw is still on the cards as well. Let's see how it pans out as Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are in the middle. Adil Rashid will starts the proceedings post-Tea. Here we go... |
| 75.1 : A Rashid to Pant, Flighted ball outside off, defended. |
| 75.2 : A Rashid to Pant, The batsman chooses to leave the ball outside his off stump. |
| 75.3 : A Rashid to Pant, Too wide of off, left alone. |
| 75.4 : A Rashid to Pant, A leggie too wide to entice Pant with a stroke. |
| 75.5 : Rashid to Pant, SIX! What a hit! This man oozes aggression and it shows in his batting style. Another tossed up ball from Rashid, this time it's closer to Pant and he launches into it with a straight bat. The ball sails into the second tear of the stands. Intent straightaway from India and Pant. |
| 75.6 : A Rashid to R Pant, Careful, careful Pant. It pitches in the rough way outside off and Pant looks to drives away from his body. The ball takes the inside edge and goes past the stumps to fine leg. A run stolen. |
| Anderson to share the attack. |
| 76.1 : J Anderson to Pant, A low full toss, wide and a lot of width. Pant punches it to wide of the fielder at short cover area. A run taken. |
| 76.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, Shot and equally well fielded. A full ball on off, Rahul presents the mirror straight willow and gets a sweet connection. It goes back to Anderson is a jiffy who does well to get down and get hand on it in his follow-through to stop it. |
| 76.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, Another sweet connection but straight to the fielder at backward point area. KL cuts the shortish ball but fails to find the gap. |
| 76.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, Defended off the front foot by Rahul presenting the full face of the bat to the off side. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 76.5 : J Anderson to Pant, Wide outside off stump, Pant leaves it alone. |
| 76.6 : J Anderson to Pant, Wide, full, punched to point for no run. |
| 77.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, Flighted down the leg side, Rahul gets a pad on it and it goes behind to fine leg region. Root saves a couple for his team. |
| 77.2 : A Rashid to Rahul, Charges down the track to the ball pitched outside leg and defends it to the on side. |
| 77.3 : A Rashid to Rahul, Slower on the pads, worked to the on side for a single. |
| 77.4 : A Rashid to Pant, The ball is too wide on the off side for the batsman to make any contact. |
| 77.5 : A Rashid to Pant, Vicious turn into the left-hander who lets it be but Jonny fails to collect and two byes results. |
| 77.6 : A Rashid to Pant, FOUR! Wide, full, flighted and Pant hammers it up and overs the cover-point area. So, it seems India is going for quick runs before the second new ball. Interesting approach. |
| 78.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, FOUR! Nonchalantly flicked away over the infield and into the mid-wicket fence. Now Rahul gets into the attack. Intent is pretty clear. They want to win this one. |
| 78.2 : J Anderson to Rahul, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 78.3 : J Anderson to Rahul, On the pads, worked to mid-wicket for no run. |
| 78.4 : J Anderson to Rahul, On off, on a length, defended off the front foot. |
| 78.5 : J Anderson to Rahul, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 78.6 : J Anderson to Rahul, A loud call there from Pant and rightly so! Rahul plays the full ball to the cover region and charges for the run straightaway. Pant denies the risky run. |
| 79.1 : A Rashid to Pant, No, no, no. This isn't the way my dear Pant. You don't need to play the reverse sweep tot the ball pitched outside the leg stump and spinning in. It's too risky and India has their hopes pinned on you. |
| 79.2 : A Rashid to Pant, A wild hoick to play the flighted ball over the covers region. He misses. |
| 79.3 : A Rashid to R Pant, Moves away to play the shortish ball on the on side. He finds the fielder there. |
| 79.4 : A Rashid to Pant, Four Byes! 200-run stand is up but not the way they would've liked. Another wild hoick to play the tossed up ball over the cover region. He misses and so does Bairstow and Stokes behind the sticks. It gives a chance for the batsmen to cherish another milestone along with whole of India. This has been a difficult series for the batsman but for the first time, they can have a ball here. |
| 79.5 : A Rashid to Pant, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 79.6 : A Rashid to Pant, Sensibly defended the loopy leggie outside his off pole. |
| 80.1 : J Anderson to Rahul, Short on off, KL looks to play through the off side but gets a thick inside edge to the on side. A run taken. |
| 80.2 : J Anderson to Pant, Pant goes after a wide one but misses. |
| 80.3 : J Anderson to Pant, The ball is too wide on the off side for RP to make any contact. |
| 80.4 : J Anderson to Pant, Outside off, tapped down nicely. |
| 80.5 : J Anderson to Pant, Hangs back and plays the length ball to point where Ben makes a diving effort to deny the run. |
| 80.6 : J Anderson to Pant, Outside off and Pant ignores it. |
| 81.1 : A Rashid to Rahul, OUT! Gone! Needed a special delivery to remove a special batsman. What a peach! I'm stunned. It lands way outside leg but in the rough. The ball moves towards the off pole like a vicious snake. Rahul goes back to play it down but misses it altogether. The ball hits the off pole and ends the marathon partnership of 204-runs, best for the 6th wicket and only the second pair to do so in the fourth innings. Kudos to Rashid, Shane Warne's ball of the century has a competitor |
| 0.0 : Ravindra Jadeja is in. |
| 81.2 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Wide outside off stump, Jaddu leaves it alone. |
| 81.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Again enormous turn into RJ who works it to the on side for a run. |
| 81.4 : Rashid to Pant, Pant goes for the sweep but fails to connect. The ball hits his pad and lobs in the air. Jonny collects it and starts celebrating right-away. The umpire declines. Bairstow can be hysterical sometimes. |
| 81.5 : A Rashid to Pant, And goes for the reverse and again fails to get bat on ball. It hits him on the knee, missing his pad. He looks in some after that. I wonder, does he really have to play so many shots? Strange these youngsters. |
| 81.6 : A Rashid to Pant, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 82.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, shortish, defended. |
| 82.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Goes fishing to the ball outside off but misses. |
| 82.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Too wide to entice Jaddu with a shot. |
| 82.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, In the same channel, Jaddu does not fiddle with it. |
| 82.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, And again. He lets another one go past him. Has India changed their mind? |
| 82.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, RJ goes after a wide one but misses. Ends of a maiden. |
| 83.1 : A Rashid to Pant, Slow, wide and spinning in, Pant rocks back and cuts it through cover-point for a run. |
| 83.2 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Comes in sharply after spinning in the rough. Jaddu misses to get bat on it and it goes to short leg on a bounce. |
| 83.3 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 83.4 : A Rashid to Jadeja, On off, defended. |
| 83.5 : A Rashid to Jadeja, Shortish around off, played though the point region for another run. |
| 83.6 : A Rashid to Pant, OUT c Moeen Ali b Adil Rashid. India have lost their seventh wicket. |
| 84.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Wide outside off, left alone. |
| 84.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Anderson lands it on off, Jadeja defends it onto the ground. |
| 84.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Jadeja takes a step or two down the track and makes a leave. |
| 84.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Another leave as the ball is just about outside off. |
| 84.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Good length again on off, Jadeja defends it towards point. One ball to go, will he go got a single? |
| 84.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Another length ball outside off, Jadeja again dances down the track but LEAVES the ball. |
| 85.1 : A Rashid to Sharma, Googly wide of off, Sharma hangs back to defend it. |
| 85.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, Around off, worked to the on third man for a run. |
| 85.3 : A Rashid to R Jadeja, A lot of air again, pitched right up there. Jaddu punches it through the off side and changes strike. 3 balls to survive for Ishant. |
| 85.4 : Rashid to Sharma, In the air... just wide. A floated ball pitching outside off, Ishant prods forward to defend it and gets an inside off the splice of the bat. The ball lobs in the air and luckily for him, ot goes over Cook at silly point. |
| 85.5 : A Rashid to Sharma, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 85.6 : A Rashid to Sharma, Outside leg, defended. He survives to fight another day. |
| 86.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Around off, fullish, pushed back to Jimmy. |
| 86.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Drives this full ball through the off side. |
| 86.3 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, Edged and dropped! Bairstow, the culprit. It was difficult though but you expect them to be taken at the International level. A back of a length ball outside off, Jadeja gets tall to defend it but the ball goes off the outside edge, low and left of Bairstow. |
| 86.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The batsman shoulders arms to let that one through. |
| 86.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Shortish, played to the point region by RJ. |
| 86.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Outside off, left alone. |
| 87.1 : A Rashid to Sharma, Spins away from the face of the bat. Ishnat lunges forward in defense but gets beaten by the away spin. |
| 87.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 87.3 : A Rashid to Sharma, Flighted outside off, left alone by Sharma. |
| 87.4 : A Rashid to Sharma, Tossed up there, Ishant pushes to mid off for no run. |
| 87.5 : A Rashid to Sharma, Wide of off, worked to backward point for no run. |
| 87.6 : A Rashid to Sharma, The ball is too wide on the off side for Sharma to make any contact. |
| 88.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Wide of off, Jaddu ignores it. |
| 88.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On off, defended under his eyes. |
| 88.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Wide outside off stump, Jadeja leaves it alone. |
| 88.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 88.5 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Jaddu takes a couple of steps down the track and across. Anderson digs it in targeting the batsman's rib cage. RJ does well to let it pass. |
| 88.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On off, on a length, defended. |
| 89.1 : A Rashid to Sharma, Outside leg, turning into the pads, Shamra prods forward in defense and the ball goes over the fielder cordon off bat-pad probably. |
| 89.2 : A Rashid to Sharma, Outside leg, padded away by Ishant. |
| 89.3 : A Rashid to Sharma, FOUR! Swept and swept to the fence. It was a googly on leg which Sharma read perhaps as he swept it through the square leg region for a boundary. His patience is important for India's survival. |
| 89.4 : A Rashid to Sharma, Down the leg side, again padded away. |
| 89.5 : A Rashid to Sharma, And again. This is easy for Ishant to negotiate. A flighted ball down the leg side. Sharma presents the pad to keep it out. |
| 89.6 : A Rashid to Sharma, The batsman defends it from within the crease. |
| The second new ball has been taken! 5 overs too late I feel. Let us see what it has in store for us. |
| 90.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, The ball is wide off to which Jadeja offers no shot. |
| 90.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On off, defended under his eyes. |
| 90.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, On the pads, RJ misses the flick and gets hit on his pad. A leg bye stolen through the fine leg region. |
| 90.4 : J Anderson to Sharma, The batsman shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 90.5 : J Anderson to Sharma, Shortish on off, blocked out solidly by Sharma. |
| 90.6 : J Anderson to Sharma, And a play and a miss. Too good for a tail-ender. It was around off and full. Sharma hangs back to poke at it. He misses and the ball goes to the mitts of the keeper. |
| 91.1 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, The ball is way wide on the leg side but Jadeja still goes after it but misses. |
| 91.2 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, New cherry turns Jaddu square. It pitches on middle and leg and RJ looks to play it square on the leg side. A leading edge goes in the point region where there is no fielder. A single taken, interestingly. |
| 91.3 : Sam Curran to Sharma, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 91.4 : Sam Curran to Sharma, Wide outside off, left alone. |
| 91.5 : Sam Curran to Sharma, Short ball and Sharma ducks under it to let it be. |
| Review time! Ishant Sharma has been given out. He takes the review straightaway. |
| 91.6 : Sam Curran to Sharma, OUT! Another one bites the dust. Sharma's persistence comes to an end. It was too good for him. Curran delivers a length ball around off and it nips away a bit after pitching. Ishant is forward as he tries to play at it. But he gets a faint outside edge to the keeper. |
| Mohammed Shami is the new man in. |
| 92.1 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Fuller in length around off, he is trying to shape the ball back in. It however goes on with the angle and Jadeja defends it. |
| 92.2 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Back of a length outside off, Jadeja lets it be. |
| 92.3 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Good length again on off, Jadeja defends it onto the ground. |
| 92.4 : J Anderson to Jadeja, Good length again around off, Jadeja is solid in defense. |
| 92.5 : J Anderson to R Jadeja, FOUR! Anderson was millimeters away from topping the list of the pace bowlers with most wickets in Test cricket. He lands it around off, Jadeja tries to force it through the off side and steal a run but he gets an inside edge instead which goes agonizingly close past the off pole and into the fine leg fence. |
| 92.6 : J Anderson to Jadeja, This time he tucks it through mid-wicket and takes a run. More importantly for India, he will be on strike. |
| Drinks! 15 more overs to go, 2 wickets in hand. Can India somehow draw this game or will England win the series 4-1? We will find out soon. |
| 93.1 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, Lovely stuff! He first angles it into the batsman and then gets it to shape away. Jadeja does really well to pull his bat out in time at the very last moment. |
| 93.2 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, Another length ball outside off, Jadeja leaves it. |
| 93.3 : Sam Curran to Jadeja, FOUR! Pure timing that! On the pads, Jadeja flicks it through square leg and the ball races away. However, runs do not matter now. |
| 93.4 : Sam Curran to R Jadeja, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! That is the final nail in the coffin. Jadeja walks back as he is done in by another excellent outswinger by Sam Curran. He is really making full use of the new ball. Once again angles it into the batsman first and then gets it to leave him. Jadeja plays inside the line, the ball kisses the outside edge and Jonny Bairstow behind does not drop it this time as he takes it with a dive to his left. One wicket away now, England. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is the new man in. |
| 93.5 : Sam Curran to Bumrah, Going for the in-dipper from outside off but the ball does not swing. Bumrah lets it be. |
| 93.6 : Sam Curran to Bumrah, Goes for another inswinger from outside off but no swing again and Bumrah shoulders arms. |
| 94.1 : J Anderson to Shami, On the pads, Shami flicks it down to fine leg and does not run. |
| 94.2 : J Anderson to Shami, OHHHH! On a length and around off, it pitches and goes away. Shami tries to drive it on the up but gets beaten. |
| 94.3 : J Anderson to Shami, OUT! There it is! What a fitting end to this Test match! James Anderson gets the last and his 564th wicket and with that, he now becomes the most successful fast bowler in Tests. Isn't he delighted, isn't the crowd delighted... You bet they are. Jimmy gets this one to come back in from around off, Shami tries to keep it out but the ball sneaks through and uproots the middle stump. Handshakes all around as ENGLAND HAVE WON THIS GAME BY 118 RUNS, TAKING THE SERIES 4-1! |
| Great scenes out there. Cook and Anderson are walking out as legends out the game, if they weren't already. Both sets of players applaud and shake hands with the two as Cook lead them off the field for one final time. Anderson urged Cook to take the charge as he wanted it to be his moment. The crowd stands and cheers their stars off the field as well. |
| The resistance ended! After a long, wicket-less second session, India have finally holed out in the final one. Rahul and Pant batted superbly and aroused few expectations as well by Rashid's magic the old ball meant both walked back sooner than later. After that, it was bread and butter for the pacers, with the second new ball. Anderson and co. made a light work of it and got the work done to win the fifth Test by 118 runs. |
| The morning started with the onus on the visitors to save the day and the Test. It started in a decent fashion as Rahane and Rahul adding 118. After the former got out, Pant struck around. He and Rahul made sure there were no more hiccups till the end of second session. In the process, they added a record-breaking 204-run stand for the 6th wicket. Pant got to his maiden ton and Rahul moved to 5th one. |
| What a Test this was. When it started, everyone though that this was the best batting track of the series but the bowlers changed that perception. England, after choosing to bat first managed a decent total courtesy their hero of this series, the tail of the home side. India, in reply, started badly but a collapse saw them chasing the game as they gave away a lead of 40 runs. In the second innings, Cook-Root's heroics meant they had to chase down a mammoth total of 464. A rather chilling notion |
| One of the best, most hard-fought series comes to an end. The first Test was a close one, with the tale of English team being the architect of that victory. Second Test was marred by the weather and a lousy batting efforts from India. They lost that as well, however, they came back strongly in the third one to get one back and put some fire into the series. However, the fourth Test's loss ended their hopes of winning a Test series in England since 2007. The fifth Test was supposedly a dead rubbe |
| There were a lot of heroes in this series. One that comes to my mind straightaway is Sam Curran. What a debut series this has been for him. He was the difference between the two teams and perhaps, the outcome of this series as well. He batted well with the tale and took England out of dangerous waters more times than they would've liked. Another one was more expected one, Virat Kohli. He ended the series as the highest run-getter with 593 runs. He lead the team from the front at all times and wa |
| Last but not the least, in this last Test, Rishabh Pant has shown signs of being a long time serving player for the visitors. He has shown a lot of calibre and just needs to correct his temperament to get even better. A special mention to the weather which conducive and allowed the game to go on for not many stoppages. And also, Cook. He walks away with his head held high and also as the highest run-getter for England in Test cricket, just one of the few other records he holds and will hold for |
| A quick chat with James Anderson. Says that he is happy that Cook was on the field to see that wicket which made him the most successful pace bowler in Test cricket. Admits that when the partnership was building, they thought it would get close and adds that his job was to hold one end. Smiles before mentioning that he's thankful to Root that he gave him the new ball to reach the milestone. Gets emotional when asked about Alastair Cook retiring and fails to hold back his tears. |
| Man of the Match, Alastair Cook, says it has been the most amazing week, one you could not script. He feels great to contribute to the win and it was also an excellent Test match. Mentions the memories will always live long in his mind. Adds further the Indian middle order tested them today and did not give in it easy. Further adds that the reception he got after getting to his ton was special and also watching James Anderson break Glenn Mcgrath's record was brilliant. Says it has been a privile |
| Man of the series, Sam Curran, says he feels really good to perform well. He further adds this is the best farewell they could have given to Cook. Admits it has been a great learning curve for him and he is honoured playing with the experienced players in the squad. Reckons consistency is the main thing in this format and always want to take one game at a time. Ends by saying his first game gave him a lot of confidence and he carried on the good work. |
| Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, credits Pant and Rahul for the way they played. Reckons it has been a very competitive series. States they did not go for the win at first but once Rahul and Pant started scoring freely, hopes were revived. Adds Pant showed a lot of grit and character and he will become better with experience. Says Pant plays with no fear and he is one for the future. He admits they did miss a few opportunities but is proud of the way his boys played. Adds further both the teams went |
| England skipper, Joe Root, says it has been a very tough series as India has played excellent cricket. He is thrilled by the cricket which was played. Admits there were a few nerves today as the two youngsters were playing really well. Credits his players to hold their nerve and come out on top. States Cook has been exceptional player and the reception he has received is well-deserved. Adds further James Anderson still has a lot left in him and he reckons he is bowling as well as he ever has. St |
| We started this tour way back in July and now, it's September. It's been a long journey but we enjoyed your company throughout this time. However, that is it from our side for this Test and the Series. England has come out as the deserving winners of the Pataudi Trophy. But, but, but, the cricket never stops in this cricket frenzy world. We'll see you again as the Asia Cup starts in a few day's time in the Middle East. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh kick-off the tournament on Saturday. Till then, it's |
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