Cricket fred

[Digby]

we did well at the end to add on the wickets we did, Anderson with 3 of the 4 wickets on his return had a good day. overall far too few maidens, and perhaps worse Broad was not moving well by the later part of the day, hopefully he was just suffering a little cramp - it's a very early start again tomorrow, so we might need to wake Broad up much earlier than he'd like for some work with the physio in the morning

[Digby]

Ansari should be nervous, this batting performance by others could well cost him his spot (not that's he's bowled especially well either)

[fivepointer]

Really poor final session. Shame after coming back into the game. Uphill from here on in, I suspect.

[Discreet Hooker]

All that work & effort in the 1st Test now counts for nothing , Sir Geoffrey bang on as usual about pisspoor batting .

That flat track has now turned into a minefield overnight !

[Digby]

it really is only Cook who shouldn't be that cross, the rest of the wickets given up were at best given up on the cheap if not for free

[Discreet Hooker]

Flat track back ?

[WaspInWales]

Oh well, at least we've avoided the whitewash.

[Digby]

Well the wicket was doing a bit, but it wasn't actually the wicket behaving that badly which really took all the wickets. Still easy from the outside to say don't worry about the wicket and just play the ball, and too the damage was really in the top 5 in the 1st innings.

If Broad is fit to play then Ansari is right in the doodah after that batting display. And I'd imagine they might bring in Butler to play Bairstow as a batsman dropping Duckett, although Butler doesn't have a technique which screams play me in India.

[Parsifal]

Buttler in for Duckett who's averaging 6 in India. I can't complain about that decision but at 7? Good player to have coming in so far down but it's surely a gamble to promote Moeen to 4 if that's what they decide upon. Mind you, Buttler's record in the longer form of late isn't great. 20-ish in non-Indian Test matches over the last couple of years?

[Digby]

Blimey, this was supposed to be a venue the seamers might come more into it. But it's a dustbowl with cracks in the wicket before the 1st day, time to pray Cook calls right.

[Digby]

I didn't get up to watch so maybe they were all done by brilliant bowling, but I can't at this point say I'm surprised.

[fivepointer]

That was a disappointing effort. Too many soft dismissals. Even Woakes at the end missed a straight ball.

[Digby]

Barely any spin, barely any swing or movement off the seam either from what I saw. There is a positive that they may have to bat last and the cracks aren't going to get any smaller, but really it's the top of the batting order failing yet again, and failing through their own approach to the game.

We might edge past 300 tomorrow however, and whilst there's been barely any spin some balls have gripped.

[Digby]

An hour ago this was a very different game. 4 wickets in an hour has utterly changed the feel and wow it's gone quiet

[Digby]

India fully in control now, and Hameed not fit to bat so far which suggests his injury to the left hand (finger) is very badly bruised if not simply broken.

Cook has scored sod all runs and very nearly been out a few times in both innings before he reached not very much. And he's one of our better players out in India. His captaincy has been odd too, long periods of not calling on Batty and Moeen which also suggests selection was a bit of a mess.

Ball is now turning and giving a bit of bounce, hopefully another 5-10 overs and the hardness will be really off the ball

[Digby]

Yikes, and in addition to bounce some staying very low. Big problems here.

[Digby]

Moeen out, if anything a worse shot than Root in the first innings, pathetic. Came racing down the pitch and played a big shot across the line, skewed the ball high to mid-on

Utter rubbish even before the situation is taken into account.

[fivepointer]

The 2 Yorkies are holding firm but we are deep in the mire.

Thought we had a good day yesterday and got back into the game. Shame we couldn't back it up today.

[WaspInWales]

Over before drinks?

[Digby]

Our batsman played let they got stuck into the drink well before it was over

[Mellsblue]

That our second highest scorer in the second innings batted whilst carrying a hand injury that requires a plate kinda says it all.

The next two matches could be even uglier.

[fivepointer]

damage done in 1st innings, when we were at least a 100 runs short. Hameed showed some real bottle. He's going to be a top player.

[Digby]

damage done in 1st innings, when we were at least a 100 runs short. Hameed showed some real bottle. He's going to be a top player.

He looks to be nailed on as a top class player. Though he does bat with his hands low, which might just be in India as it happens to suit India, but at the very least he's going to get some painful raps on the fingers on a faster wicket with some bounce against a decent pace attack if he carries on like this. Nasser did sort of attack with his hands low, but I rather hope Hameed averages more than Nas

[Digby]

"Catches and stumpings will now be permitted after the ball has struck a helmet being worn by a fielder, or become lodged or trapped in the grille of such a helmet - given that the wearing of helmets by close fielders has been made compulsory at some levels."

Not sure why that change is needed, it's not like we had a long history of the ball smashing people in the face and catches being taken on the rebound before fielders were instructed to wear helmets in certain positions.

[Digby]

They seemed to have found another batsman who can play in Jennings, he's just so calm. And it's not even all conservative stuff, including he went to three figures with a reverse sweep.

After some very daft batting in the series so far they're setting a real platform here, it might go wrong but so far it's been an excellent day