Cricket fred

[Galfon]

Right reaction after the Lords dismalling.
Kohli perhaps overexcited on winning a toss at the 9th attempt in Eng, and choosing to bat at an overcast Headers

[Mellsblue]

Just when you think life couldn’t get any more surreal….

[Puja]

That's Hameed's third 50+ score in his first 5 tests and he's now got an international average of 37. Ordinarily those'd be pretty handy stats, just the small problem that the first three tests (and first two fifties) were half a decade away from the last two.

I'm tremendously impressed with his fortitude, not only in recovering from his horror year in the county championship a few years back and getting released by Lancashire, but also recovering from having a golden duck and a 9 after coming back with a media fanfare last test. Can't tell whether he's the answer at opener from one innings (especially one where India were on the ropes), but he didn't chase silly shots, was circumspect when he needed to be, and punished bad balls. Certainly worth getting hopeful over.

Puja

[Digby]

Right reaction after the Lords dismalling.
Kohli perhaps overexcited on winning a toss at the 9th attempt in Eng, and choosing to bat at an overcast Headers

Quite a number of the England side thought that was a bat first wicket. But if you do that you've got to be prepared to grind 30-40 overs (unless the bowling is awful) and hopefully only lose 1-2 wickets in that period. Or you can drive wide of off stump and see what happens

[fivepointer]

Perfect days cricket from England. Discipline and control with ball and then bat. Encouraging.

[Digby]

That's Hameed's third 50+ score in his first 5 tests and he's now got an international average of 37. Ordinarily those'd be pretty handy stats, just the small problem that the first three tests (and first two fifties) were half a decade away from the last two.

I'm tremendously impressed with his fortitude, not only in recovering from his horror year in the county championship a few years back and getting released by Lancashire, but also recovering from having a golden duck and a 9 after coming back with a media fanfare last test. Can't tell whether he's the answer at opener from one innings (especially one where India were on the ropes), but he didn't chase silly shots, was circumspect when he needed to be, and punished bad balls. Certainly worth getting hopeful over.

Puja

He does remind a little of Hussain presenting to the ball with his hands so low. That's going to give him some problems on bouncier wickets, getting rapped on the hands, or the ball taking a glove or shoulder of the bat. And it's not going to be overlooked by the Aussie pace attack

Hussain finished with a test average a few runs shy of 40, hopefully Hameed can go a similar margin the other side of 40 and then we have some starts we can build on. Although, and actually and sadly, even an average of 36-38 as an opener would be a big improvement on many recent openers for England

[Galfon]

RIP Ted Dexter
Impressive Test record as player and captain, never saw him play in that part of his career, but liked his contributions as summariser on the beeb after that, and what he contributed to the game.Always good to have players who can cut a dash.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/58337771

[Digby]

Farewell to Dexter Ted

[Puja]

The collapse begins - Burns out playing a loose shot and playing on. All out for 150?

It's a shame actually, cause India were just starting to lose their early morning energy - if we'd held them out for another half hour, they would've become demoralised and allowed our batsmen to just tuck in, but now they've got something to believe in again. Another wicket and they'll be right back up for it.

Puja

[Digby]

Not the worst of loose shots from Burns, he wasn't quite at the races but that ball has done a bit too, and balls moving back into you just clipping the top of off stump are pretty dangerous blighters. Both wickets were good deliveries actually, okay perhaps you shouldn't get bowled but it happens, and it's just not so bad when others haven't gifted their wicket away

[Puja]

Not the worst of loose shots from Burns, he wasn't quite at the races but that ball has done a bit too, and balls moving back into you just clipping the top of off stump are pretty dangerous blighters. Both wickets were good deliveries actually, okay perhaps you shouldn't get bowled but it happens, and it's just not so bad when others haven't gifted their wicket away

The only thing I would say about Hameed is that he went into a period of dormancy before that wicket, where he scored maybe 3 runs in 50 balls and was just defending everything. Now, I am thoroughly in favour of playing sensibly and gods knows we've been crying out for batsmen who know when to leave and when to defend, but the problem is that giving the bowlers too many dot balls allows them confidence to start attacking you rather than worrying about how to defend you. Give them enough latitude and eventually they're going to find a magic ball that's just too good for your defence, like Jadeja did today.

He had a similar spell yesterday, saw off some movement and the best of the Indian attack and came roaring back with several rapid-fire boundaries, so it can work, but I'd always say you've got to keep the scoreboard going, make sure the bowler has something to worry about other than getting you out.

Puja

[Digby]

Yep, Hameed needs to work out some ways to at least rotate the strike and not let the bowlers settle so. But he's young in his test career and has time to add some actual scoring shots, or maybe he can do a Cook, refuse to add any scoring shots and still score bucketloads

And it might not have been technical limitations today, it might have been the plan with so much time left in the game to just accept scoring 30-40 in the opening session if it meant not losing wickets. But it did feel like they got a little too bogged down

[Digby]

India aren't keeping it tight or looking to take wickets now. At best they're waiting for it all to be over, at worst they've got a bet on this. Abject

[Digby]

Boom, India back in it, and Kohli nearly didn't even go for it.

Poor from Malan, but still England's session again, and hugely so

[Puja]

Root is ridiculous.

Puja

[Digby]

Bairstow and Buttler looked saddened not enough England players had thrown their wickets away, on which basis job done for those two

[Digby]

I suppose technically it's a collapse of sorts, but somehow pushing on looking to score quickly it doesn't feel the same

[Puja]

I don't get why we continued batting this morning (or even didn't declare and have a quick burst last night). What's the value of exposing our bowlers to potentially getting hit on the hand for a possible extra 30-odd runs? Have got away with it at least.

Puja

[Digby]

Lots of sides take the view it's tricky for the openers not knowing when they're going to be batting, and so you bat on. Doesn't seem to have worked on this occasion

[Galfon]

Some good bowling this morning, and five-fer for Robinson.
An innings victory would be an excellent return.

[Digby]

Decent bowling effort from England, India have again dipped, we can sympathise with their fans about such inconsistency

[fivepointer]

Great bounce back win for England. Thats a really good all round effort. Sets up the series nicely.

[Digby]

Surely India now drop a seamer, probably Ishant with his action going to pot in this match, and bring in Ashwin. Boosts the batting lineup, and yes they're losing a seamer and going to the two spin options, but blimey what a spin option they'd be calling up. Basically you don't get many sides eschewing a quality bowler on 400 test wickets, one wonders if there's something between the player and management (including Kohli) or is it just now they've finally got 4 seamers they just love picking them all

[Puja]

Surely India now drop a seamer, probably Ishant with his action going to pot in this match, and bring in Ashwin. Boosts the batting lineup, and yes they're losing a seamer and going to the two spin options, but blimey what a spin option they'd be calling up. Basically you don't get many sides eschewing a quality bowler on 400 test wickets, one wonders if there's something between the player and management (including Kohli) or is it just now they've finally got 4 seamers they just love picking them all

I can understand their logic - English pitches being the way they are, it's not always a great idea to have only three seamers as spin isn't always a useful first innings option (not even a second innings option sometimes) and it's a lot of work for them to get through if the spinner gets hit out of the attack.

Puja

[Digby]

Surely India now drop a seamer, probably Ishant with his action going to pot in this match, and bring in Ashwin. Boosts the batting lineup, and yes they're losing a seamer and going to the two spin options, but blimey what a spin option they'd be calling up. Basically you don't get many sides eschewing a quality bowler on 400 test wickets, one wonders if there's something between the player and management (including Kohli) or is it just now they've finally got 4 seamers they just love picking them all

I can understand their logic - English pitches being the way they are, it's not always a great idea to have only three seamers as spin isn't always a useful first innings option (not even a second innings option sometimes) and it's a lot of work for them to get through if the spinner gets hit out of the attack.

Puja

Maybe if one of the pitches presented in lurid green. But (a) Ali was spinning the ball off the pitch in this game, not out of the rough but off the pitch, and (b) it's Ashwin, maybe he'd go for a an extra 7 boundaries across an innings but 400 test wickets says there'd be compensation

It's one thing eschewing Dom Bess in favour of a seamer, it's another thing altogether ignoring Ashwin, and another thing again when none of the seamers can bat