Cricket fred

[Digby]

I know there are foot marks, but this ball is pitching a long way outside the leg stump and the umpires don't seem bothered, this isn't what I'd expect to be allowed ball after ball

[Which Tyler]

Hmmm, no point batting beyond that wicket being lost, already ,400+ up, and surely want as long as reasonably possible to bowl them out

[Which Tyler]

Even kes point now with 2 new batsmen, which will inevitably slow the scoring rate.

You've got enough of a lead, if you're not getting an extra 4 per over then why bother? Especially if you've got your bowlers out there anyway, so they're not exactly recuperating

[Digby]

Give how much Leach is coming down the pitch playing shots alongside Archer running down the pitch I'd be willing to guess what they're still doing out there

[Which Tyler]

Fair point, but it's not buying us Indian wickets.
We've already set them a new world record run chase.


Nice little freebee confidence booster for Ashwin there, ahead of the 2nd test

[Stom]

Insanity.

Well, at least we'll have a few overs of new ball. Who will get it? Anderson surely, but will the other end go to a spinner?

[Digby]

I don't perhaps agree with not wanting more overs, but this way the ball will be harder come the start of play tomorrow when our bowlers are fresher, and we'll still get plenty of overs with a 2nd new ball at it's best if needed.

Uneven bounce from Archer, really quite low. India might need to not drive unless it's well pitched up

[Digby]

Leach struggling, perhaps with the hard ball, perhaps just struggling

[Stom]

Leach struggling, perhaps with the hard ball, perhaps just struggling

I'm not sure he's actually that good... unfortunately.

Pujara is the worry. He can easily stick around for the whole day. Need an Anderson special, I feel, or Jofra to find another gear, or some golden arm from Root.

[fivepointer]

I didnt see much point in batting on after we reached a lead of 400. We could have had another 7/8 overs at India today and still been perfectly fresh to resume in the morning.
Lovely ball from Leach to get the wicket. More of that required.

[Digby]

Captains tend to be cautious, and we don't have Swann anymore. I can't say I blame Root for not trusting Leach and Bess

If the game is about the 20-25 overs of each of the new balls it doesn't make much difference to us. The only other threat we might have is Anderson and his reverse swing. Much more likely this comes down to how much India want to save the game

[fivepointer]

Good decision to bat on!

All round top effort from England.

[Digby]

I don't think we let a session of cricket go past that we didn't compete well in, yes sometimes India edged it but that was impressive from the call at the toss to the last wicket. I don't know if that's the best England win, but it's one of the most consistent strong displays in a game for sure

[Digby]

A really good response from India after going 3 down, not sure what England are trying to do other than hope their spinners get control of line and length (which would be an odd thing given how how many years they've bowled without that)

Interesting to see how batsman now sweep so happily to the ball wide of off stump, that's a new challenge to the finger spinner and especially the ones who only go one way

[Digby]

6 down now, but by heavens this is a day 3 or 4 pitch already. India will be pleased to have runs in the bank

[Which Tyler]

6 down now, but by heavens this is a day 3 or 4 pitch already. India will be pleased to have runs in the bank

They'll be even more pleased to have the better spin bowlers

[Stom]

6 down now, but by heavens this is a day 3 or 4 pitch already. India will be pleased to have runs in the bank

They'll be even more pleased to have the better spin bowlers

Yet on the first test showing, we oddly have the better players of spin...

Maybe suggesting our spinners aren’t actually that bad or that India’s aren’t actually that good...

If we can keep them under 350, we have a chance

[Stom]

But why the hell is root bowling with the new ball?!

[Galfon]

That's a big 300 on this track.Kohli's review of his clean-bowl was most unusual...shame..
Pant could disrupt things a bit tomorrow.Can only think Root had some cunning plan, but not clear tbh.

[Digby]

Root is getting spin bowling much faster, so why not take the new ball and get the bounce too.

And Kohli, for all that was actually very funny given just how out he was, is likely to be in quite a lot of trouble. Though they might only fine him and then even if it's a big fine that's nothing to Kohli. If they don't act on this they're condoning abuse being directed at the umpires. I hope at least it encourages our top order not to drive expansively and to try and make India bowl well over 100 overs, we'll see

[Which Tyler]

This is the England I remember from the 90s and early 00s.

Will India enforce the follow-on?

[Puja]

This is the England I remember from the 90s and early 00s.

Will India enforce the follow-on?

In fairness, this is a horrible bloody pitch. Ashwin is literally unplayable on this surface and India have tightened the screw well.

Puja

[Digby]

Yep, I think had we batted superbly we might have added 70-80 more. Variable bounce, sometimes significant bounce and sharp spin makes this a lottery, maybe the ball does fly just wide of your bat and off stump often enough you get to 50, but that's going to be down to dumb luck more than the batsman

[Galfon]

India have bowled and batted on a very poor Test wicket better than Eng, they probably knew they would.
This match is a goner know so they'll have to take it on the chin.

[Digby]

Kohli does love a whinge, to the point of now contesting a DRS. Visually I did think Root was out lbw but what value is there in telling the umpire the DRS ball tracking is wrong? And at what point does the game sit on one of its absolute stars?