Live updates from the fourth day’s play in Visakhapatnam
England need to survive a minimum of 150 overs to save Test
India 204 (Kohli 81, Broad 4-33, Rashid 4-82)
Email rob.smyth@theguardian.com with your thoughts
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10.20am GMT
47th over: England 72-0 (Cook 45, Hameed 24) Things are happening, Tony. Things. Batting is more fraught than at any time in the innings, with Jadeja and Ashwin getting much more out of the pitch after switching ends. You can tell a lot about cricket by the ooh/aah ratio, and there are lots of them right now.
“Morning Rob,” says Dave Adams. “You know better than to make optimistic remarks like that (“...if England are unscathed at the close they have a chance” - over 43). Hope, optimism, and its distant cousins, confidence and certainty were officially abolished in South Australia in 2006. Anything other than a state of permanent foreboding is psychologically dangerous for fans of English cricket.”
10.20am GMT
Cook pushed forward defensively at Ashwin, with bat and pad making contact almost simultaneously. It was pad first and Cook is in trouble here. He might be saved by the point of contact with the pad ... Indeed he is – it was hitting the stumps but it was umpire’s call on where it hit him. Kohli has a thoroughly affronted coupon at that decision, and India have used up both their reviews in the space of two overs.
10.18am GMT
Another review against Cook for LBW. Ashwin implored Kohli to go upstairs, and again it looks close as it was pad first.
10.15am GMT
46th over: England 70-0 (Cook 45, Hameed 24) “Writing in from Chennai.. it feels like England have unearthed another great plodder in Hameed,” says Sathish. “He’s going to get 10,000 runs. England just need to play enough matches to make sure he plays about 100,000 deliveries to do it. On a side note, I am pretty sure I saw you while going from Heathrow on the Piccadilly Line on the tube around February this year. Can you confirm/deny that it was you?”
Let me just check my Piccadilly Line diary. (Erm, yes, possibly, I do go on that line in that area. But thousands of people have copied my fat bald four-eyed middle-aged man look, so it could have been anyone.)
10.14am GMT
Cook survives. It was umpire’s call on point of contact with the leg stump.
10.13am GMT
Jadeja turns one sharply into Cook and goes up for LBW. It’s turned down but India review and this looks close.
10.11am GMT
45th over: England 69-0 (Cook 45, Hameed 24) That’s a beautiful stroke from Cook, a perfectly timed push through extra cover for four off Ashwin. And how Hameed jumps down the track to belabour Ashwin back over his head for four more. Two boundaries in the over! Two boundaries!
10.09am GMT
44th over: England 60-0 (Cook 40, Hameed 20) Cook gets his third boundary, driving Jadeja through the covers: 44 overs down, 106 to go.
10.02am GMT
43rd over: England 55-0 (Cook 35, Hameed 20) Ashwin comes on for Shami. His third delivery, to Hameed, turns and bounces obscenely from well outside off stump and is taken down the leg side by Saha. Time for drinks. The pressure is building on England. This last hour of the day is so important; if India get one they might get three or four, and then the game will be done. But if England are unscathed at the close they have a chance.
9.59am GMT
42nd over: England 53-0 (Cook 35, Hameed 18) Jadeja looks a big threat at the moment, and there is a lot happening out of the rough. It’s hard to overstate how well Cook and Hameed have played.
9.57am GMT
41st over: England 53-0 (Cook 35, Hameed 18)
9.52am GMT
40th over: England 52-0 (Cook 34, Hameed 18) Cook jabs his bat down on a Jadeja grubber that would otherwise have trapped him LBW. A wicket is coming, Frank said. When the strike is rotated, Jadeja continues into the rough outside Hameed’s leg stump. Hameed defends with bat rather than pad, and does it immaculately. He has 18 from 122 balls and has batted with a certainty that no English teenager has produced before, certainly not in my lifetime.
“I think I’ve already rationalised the agonising defeat in the last hour tomorrow as England are bowled out for 380,” says Simon McMahon. “42 Shami and Yadav put on for that last India wicket. That’s what did for England.”
9.47am GMT
39th over: England 51-0 (Cook 33, Hameed 18) England have seen the slow run-rate before tea and lowered it: in this session they have scored 11 from 11 overs. They certainly shouldn’t be criticised for that; this has been a brilliant defensive performance that has given them tentative hope of a victorious draw.
“Absolutely,” says Bill Hargreaves of my comment in the 32nd over. “Broad’s spine; Hameed’s maturity and deftness; Stokes’s moments of brilliance, and Cook’s improving captaincy, to mention just a few.”
9.44am GMT
38th over: England 51-0 (Cook 33, Hameed 18) Jadeja is going to work the rough outside Cook’s off stump, with a silly point, slip, leg slip and short leg. Cook pushes a couple to bring up a cool-headed fifty partnership. Then he misses a sweep, bringing a silly LBW appeal (it was well outside the line), and is beaten by a nasty delivery that bounces and turns away from the bat. Batting suddenly looks a lot trickier for Cook now that Jadeja has rediscovered the joys of a bit of rough.
9.40am GMT
37th over: England 49-0 (Cook 31, Hameed 18) Shami replaces Umesh and continues to get some reverse swing back into Hameed, who is hit painfully on the upper thigh by a good delivery that pops from the surface. He continues to defend admirably, and has made 18 from 112 balls. In his short Test career he has already faced over 400 deliveries.
9.37am GMT
36th over: England 49-0 (Cook 31, Hameed 18) Jadeja tosses one into the rough that kicks viciously at Cook, who does well to plop it down at his feet. He could easily have gloved that to one of the army of close fielders. Another maiden, so Jadeja has figures of 11-4-8-0, which is coincidentally the formation my team used to play during lunchtime football at school.
“Attrition is so central to the nature of cricket,” writes our man Copestake. “The word it seems derives from the verb “to rub” or “wear” and so much in cricket goes through that process, from the ball, to the pitch, to the patience of a batsman or OBO follower.”
9.35am GMT
35th over: England 49-0 (Cook 31, Hameed 18) Umesh has a strangled shout for LBW when Cook gets a vital inside edge on a straight delivery. India look a little frustrated but they know this is the kind of pitch on which wickets will fall in clusters.
“When the first wicket falls, I’d be sending Duckett in,” says Phil Harrison. “Give it a bit of Sehwag, Mumbai, 2008. Worth a go, right?!”
9.28am GMT
34th over: England 48-0 (Cook 30, Hameed 18) Jadeja has changed ends and will replace Shami. Hameed brings up his hundred – balls faced, that is – with yet another textbook forward defensive. He edges the last ball short of slip, softening his hands just enough while feeling for a good delivery.
9.25am GMT
33rd over: England 48-0 (Cook 30, Hameed 18) Two from Yadav’s over. I would describe each shot in detail but, really, you’re not missing much.
9.20am GMT
32nd over: England 46-0 (Cook 29, Hameed 17) Hameed is constructing his innings on a need-to-play basis. If Shami flings it full and wide, Hameed will just ignore it. Later in the over he curves one into Hameed, who flicks it fine for four. That full inswinger is a dangerous delivery for Hameed. This is such an interesting struggle. Whatever happens in this game, England have done so well in the last two days. They have shown a level of skill and defiance that has been beyond the other visiting teams to India in recent years.
9.16am GMT
31st over: England 42-0 (Cook 29, Hameed 13) “Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “It is these ridiculous circumstances that reveal the real heart of a cricket supporter. The fact that anyone could think it remotely plausible that England could save this match, let alone win it, is completely farcical. Yet every Englishman following will secretly believe it is not just possible but actually a fairly reasonable outcome. Or is that just me?”
Just you. Just you and hundreds of others who have a hope addiction.
9.13am GMT
30th over: England 42-0 (Cook 29, Hameed 13) It’s pace from both ends, with Shami replacing Jayant Yadav. His first ball reverses into Hameed, a slightly worrying sign for England. Two runs from the over. England are a fifth of the way to survival: 30 overs down, a minimum of 120 to go. This has all the earmarks of a heartbreaking defeat with 3.2 overs remaining.
9.06am GMT
29th over: England 40-0 (Cook 28, Hameed 12) Umesh Yadav continues after tea with a maiden to Cook. Although most of the work will be done by the spinners, the pace bowlers could be really important in this innings, especially when it comes to breaking big partnerships. This qualifies as one, because of the 29 overs rather than the 40 runs.
“So, Lord Beefington is envisaging an England win?” says Steve Hudson. “Just looking at England’s scoring rate, if this was a timeless Test, we’d chase down the 400 some time on Thursday.”
8.43am GMT
“Jeez,” says Ian Copestake. “Botham has already started the ‘If England win this’ narrative.”
You’re always with the narratives.
8.42am GMT
28th over: England 40-0 (Cook 28, Hameed 12) Jayant tries from around the wicket to Hameed, with four men around the bat. Hameed continues to defend with calm authority; he is incredibly impressive, and has taken England through to tea. He has 12 from 84 balls; Cook has 28 from 84. There’s a long way to go – at least 120 overs – but England have given themselves a chance.
“Morning Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “This is such a glorious game. I’m not saying that Englans have a good shout of a draw, only a ludicrous optimist with a few pints of liver preserver down the hatch at this hour would postulate such madness. But there’s something wonderful about this fightback, and this obdurate pair. Anyone that can’t see the genius in this is dead on the inside.”
8.39am GMT
27th over: England 40-0 (Cook 28, Hameed 12) Kohli goes back to pace, with Umesh Yadav replacing Jadeja. Cook plays out another maiden to take England within one over of meeting Mrs Doyle.
8.32am GMT
26th over: England 40-0 (Cook 28, Hameed 12) After a cautious start, Kohli has started to get funky with his fields. There are three men close on the offside for Cook when Yadav is bowling: silly point, slip and gully. When Yadav drops short, Cook scatters those fielders by rocking back to cut for four.
8.28am GMT
25th over: England 35-0 (Cook 23, Hameed 12) The pitch isn’t turning nearly as much as we expected, and at the moment the low bounce is the biggest threat to England. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Hope has breached the terms of the restraining order and could be in your living room in an hour’s time.
8.25am GMT
24th over: England 34-0 (Cook 22, Hameed 12) On the subject of rearguards, look at this from John Snow in the fourth innings.
8.21am GMT
23rd over: England 33-0 (Cook 21, Hameed 12) Jadeja has a fascinating field for Cook, with three men close in on the leg side: silly point, short square leg and leg gully. The scoreboard says 33 for nought but in a sense it should read 23 for nought. That’s how many overs England have survived, and overs survived are far more important than runs.
8.19am GMT
22nd over: England 31-0 (Cook 19, Hameed 12) Ashwin is replaced by the debutant offspinner Jayant Yadav, who is worked around the corner for a single by Cook. This is delightfully oldfangled cricket: two boundaries in 22 overs, a run-rate of 1.45 per over. Hameed has scored four from his last 47 deliveries.
8.14am GMT
21st over: England 31-0 (Cook 19, Hameed 12) Hameed shoulders arms to a delivery from Jadeja that passes the off stump. It looked a good leave but there were plenty of ooohs and aaahs from the Indian team. It might have been the old Shane Warne trick of making the batsmen worry about demons that don’t exist.
8.12am GMT
20th over: England 29-0 (Cook 18, Hameed 11) Ashwin has three men round the bat for Cook: slip, silly point and short leg. England are almost strokeless – ‘shutters up’ for those who grew up with Lambourne Games – but Cook is sufficiently alert to muscle a rare bad delivery from Ashwin through midwicket for four. That’s Cook’s first boundary from his 55th delivery.
8.09am GMT
19th over: England 25-0 (Cook 14, Hameed 11)
8.06am GMT
18th over: England 24-0 (Cook 13, Hameed 11) Ashwin finally goes around the wicket to Hameed, the angle that has troubled him in this series. Nothing doing in that over. Cook and Hameed are playing with admirable assurance in the circumstances.
8.02am GMT
17th over: England 23-0 (Cook 12, Hameed 11) Cook, trying to cut, is beaten by a zipper from Jadeja. “Careful,” says Mike Atherton, pointing out that cross-bat shots are dangerous on such a low pitch. Cook has 12 from 48 balls; Hameed 11 from 54.
8.00am GMT
16th over: England 22-0 (Cook 11, Hameed 11) Ashwin and Jadeja are racing through the overs. It’s intriguing stuff and so far England have batted well. Hameed looks the part. That’s not news any more, is it.
“Buoyed by recent events in a way I didn’t necessarily think possible, I am going to dismiss your 13th over assertion of doom as nowt but the view of the ill-informed pollster, to be rightly dismissed,” says Michael Hunt. “This email feels dirty.”
7.58am GMT
15th over: England 21-0 (Cook 10, Hameed 11) It’s compulsory to refer to Mike Atherton’s Jo’burg epic in situations like this. The best match-saving knock by an England batsman in Asia is probably Michael Vaughan’s masterpiece of restraint at Kandy in 2003. If England are to save this game, they probably need one of these openers to bat for 300 balls or so.
“Regarding innate futility, you’ve hit the hail on the ned regarding the profound appeal of cricket above many other sports,” says Ian Copestake. “So much to enjoy, admire and focus on before the inevitable result. Does that sound metaphoric enough?”
7.51am GMT
14th over: England 20-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 11) Hameed is beaten by a good one from Ashwin that skids straight on. Ashwin is varying his pace - between 90 and 74 kph in that over - in an attempt to make something happen.
7.48am GMT
13th over: England 18-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 9) It’s probably not news that England aren’t going to win this game. They have a small chance of a draw; to achieve that they can probably afford to lose no more than two wickets today. Back at the ranch, Hameed drives Jadeja for a single, the first run in six overs.
7.45am GMT
12th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) Ashwin bowls a maiden to Cook. This could get repetitive. England have started well, defending solidly. It’s admirable stuff given the innate futility of their task.
7.43am GMT
11th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) Hello. In the time it took me to assume the OBO position, Jadeja had bowled another maiden to Hameed. That’s four in a row. You’d worry about the impact a stuck scoreboard might have on the noggins of some batsmen, but not these two.
7.42am GMT
10th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) Ashwin continues but Cook handles him well, deefending positively. That’s a third consecutive maiden, but given the pre-existing pressure England won’t feel it any more keenly.
“I’ve little doubt that it’d be Jadeja, not Ashwin, who’ll be the one,” emails Ramanpriya. “England really needs to watch. His isn’t a high-arm action like the tall Ashwin and his bowling is utterly tailor-made for such surfaces. He also rifles through his overs at an astonishing pace. Beware Jadeja!”
7.39am GMT
9th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) Jadeja replaces Shami, and bustles through another maiden.
“I for one am loving this peace before the storms,” emails Ian Copestake.
7.36am GMT
8th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) More Ashwin, and Cook defends well - apart from the one he missed, which missed his outside edge and the edge of off stump by the width of a back hair. Maiden.
7.33am GMT
7th over: England 17-0 (Cook 9, Hameed 8) Short one from Shami, and Hameed wears it at tit-armpit junction; short-leg doth duly come in. But Shami can’t maintain the pressure, a leg-side ball allowing Hameed off strike, before Cook rotates again with a pull to square-leg.
7.29am GMT
6th over: England 15-0 (Cook 8, Hameed 7) Ashwin into the attack and on a hat-trick after binning Broad and Anderson at the end of England’s first innings. But Cook blocks his first ball, then nips his second around the corner for one. He stays over the wicket to Hameed, who drives one to mid-off - he is amazingly calm and organised, like every 19-year-old. Another single each, and England look alright, which I appreciate is an hilarious statement to make.
7.25am GMT
5th over: England 11-0 (Cook 5, Hameed 6) Virat is still rabble-rousing, waving his hand and cupping his ear. But England continue to defend the shine off the ball, Cook tickling another single into the leg side. Then Hameed, whose stance reminds me of Graham Gooch in a way - upright, bat up, not much trigger, though perhaps more closed - plays a deft leg-glance for four.
Bit of pace...
Average speeds so far (4th innings)
Umesh Yadav 87.9mph
Mohammed Shami 86.9mph#INDvENG
7.21am GMT
4th over: England 5-0 (Cook 4, Hameed 1) Cook twists a single to square-leg which gives Umesh five balls at Hameed, who has yet to score. He looks solid, though, as one ball flies off the pitch and another keeps low - I wonder if being relatively scrawny helps him play late and with soft hands. Anyway, he toes a single, then Cook feathers one of his own. Solid start from England, but what’s this? Hameed has the physio on to address a finger, after that one from Shami that he took on the glove.
7.16am GMT
3rd over: England 3-0 (Cook 3, Hameed 0) Virat is winding the crowd up and they respond, a high-pitched shriek swirling round a ground that looks about a third full, the best attendance so far. Kohli is in Shami’s ear and he comes around the wicket, which might further discomfit Cook, who struggles to pick him up out of the hand. But he nurdles a single into the leg side, and then Hameed gets everything behind a straight one.
“I am in Vizag,” emails John Whalley. “Lunch is a choice of instant noodles, crisps, pre-packed slices of cake or mini Swiss rolls. Pop or bottled water. Yesterday, there was a lady selling home-made samosas but she has not appeared yet today.”
7.10am GMT
2nd over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Hameed 0) Umesh muscles in and Cook nudges to cover for one - there’s only a mid-off in front of square on that side, which gives him plenty of options. And Umesh finds his length to Hameed, banging one into the pitch and beating the bat - it raps yerman on the thigh, which tells the bowler that the ball was bouncing over the stumps. This is going to be intense.
7.06am GMT
1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Hameed 0) Shami absolutely burns in, and Cook pokes at it unconvincingly - the ball scoots by the edge. Only one slip, which is an odd one - though there isa short-leg - and Cook gets off the mark playing down to the point fence. Rahane suggests to Kohli that deep point come up - he does - and Kohli goes to slip himself. Shami tries a bouncer at Hameed, who barely faced any in Rajkot - and he takes his eyes off it, wearing a knuck on the glove. I don’t think that’s the end of the short gear. And there’s another one right away, Hameed doing a much better job of weaving inside the line.
7.01am GMT
Right then, here we go. Five sessions of batting and England are one-up.
6.59am GMT
Those who enjoy joy will enjoy this from Ramapriya: “I just noticed that Kohli has scored as many as the England team did in its first dig – which implies that England would now have to score in one innings, which happens to be the treacherous fourth, what the rest of the Indian team did over two innings… quite an ask!”
Hasseb has got this.
6.55am GMT
Virat Kohli in 2016:
Tests: 897 runs (Avg 69.00)
ODIs: 739 runs (92.37)
T20Is: 641 runs (106.83)
All int'l: 2277 runs (84.33)#IndvEng
6.55am GMT
England have gone for the light roller, presumably to keep the pitch lively enough for them to score.
6.47am GMT
Nas spellbound by Broad#INDvENG Live now on Sky Sports 2. pic.twitter.com/4HnildkQkQ
Oh man, if only it was the other Nas.
6.26am GMT
Stuart Broad finishes the innings with 4-33 off 14, a spectacular performance. He got far more from the surface than any other bowler, and made it count with the hard currency of top-order wickets. Oh, and he’s injured.
6.24am GMT
That was a lovely morning’s cricket. England, Stuart Broad in particular, but Anderson and Rashid too, bowled superbly. But they just had too much to do, and have helluva long time to bat to save this game. If only they’d batted properly in their first innings, my grandma would be my grandpa.
6.22am GMT
England need 405 to win; alright then. Oh, and it’s lunchtime.
6.21am GMT
64th over: India 205-9 (Jayant 27, Shami 19) Moeen into the attack and Shami misses his first ball - Bairstow has the bails away, and they go upstairs...
6.20am GMT
63rd over: India 205-9 (Jayant 27, Shami 19) This extra half-hour isn’t going well for England, and Jayant plays a lovely glance to add four more, taking the lead to 396. And then, as the field comes up, Stokes bangs one in, it keeps low, misses off stump by not very much at all, and whizzes by for four byes. And the effort to save the single doesn’t pay off, Yadav waving the bat outside off and netting four between cover and cover point.
6.15am GMT
62nd over: India 192-9 (Jayant 19, Shami 19) Jayant gets a big foot down the pitch, defends, and there’s a shout. Rashid wants a review, but is overruled, and rightly so - that was never hitting the stumps. Then, after a single, Shami shimmies down the track and wallops a six over long-on - again, he doesn’t middle it.
6.12am GMT
61st over: India 185-9 (Jayant 18, Shami 13) Benjamin Stokes is into the attack - England must really want this knocked on the head now. I don’t get why India are still out there, I must say, though they’re going to win anyway so I don’t suppose it matters. Jayant takes a single to mid-on, the only run off the over, and after a glorious first 90 minutes, this session is phutting to a close.
@billbarmytrump serenading us with a tribute to the late #LeonardCohen #RIP #Hallelujah pic.twitter.com/X8SEat9u9m
6.07am GMT
60th over: India 184-9 (Jayant 17, Shami 13) Rashid has a short-leg for Shami, who plays out a maiden.
6.04am GMT
59th over: India 184-9 (Jayant 17, Shami 13) Shami hauls Jayant through for a quick single, and he makes the most of it, glancing Anderson past mid-on when he overpitches and strays onto the pads. Nicely done. Lead is 384.
6.00am GMT
58th over: India 179-9 (Jayant 13, Shami 12) Lunch at 11.30, I wish I was in Vizag; I wonder what they’re having. Lord’s is the best spread in England, I’m told - table service, with outstanding prawns. You want your team batting, and to be out. Two off the over, and we’re getting an extra half-hour by the look of things.
5.57am GMT
57th over: India 177-9 (Jayant 12, Shami 11) Anderson bustles through another over, four dots before Jayant half-bats a seam-upper for two through cover. A single follows, and a rapid morning has just slowed at its end; one over to go, I’d say.
5.54am GMT
56th over: India 174-9 (Jayant 9, Shami 11) Jayant gets treatment on his knee, and England won’t mind that at all. Then, a single to each batter, and Shami takes an enormostride down the pitch, flinging his whole body into a straight whack that flies away for six. I’m surprised his insides are still in place. And I guess Kohli is concerned that England have the batsmen able to do something special, because 374 is more than enough on any track, with any attack, let alone this one and this one.
5.48am GMT
55th over: India 166-9 (Jayant 8, Shami 4) So, India lead by Harvey, 366, and it stays that way as Anderson sends down a maiden.
Many changes to Australia's Test squad for the final Testhttps://t.co/2TUzE1X8pG #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/gBwHhg5bL6
5.43am GMT
54th over: India 166-9 (Jayant 8, Shami 4) Shami gets off the mark with a thrash to square-leg; Rashid has 4-64 off 20.
5.42am GMT
Rashid sends down a googly that’s far too good for Umesh, hits him on the pad but is going down. So next ball he tries a fuller one, Umesh allows it to pitch and turn, and can’t help but edge behind - though it needs a really good catch from Bairstow, somewhere about his right nipple.
WICKET! Bairstow takes a smart grab as Rashid finds Yadav's edge. India 162-9 lead by 362 on SS2. https://t.co/eYmwf24xGB #IndvEng pic.twitter.com/BnPyYIxRwW
5.38am GMT
53rd over: India 162-8 (Jayant 8, Umesh 0) Anderson must fancy himself for a wicket or two in what’s left of this session - I wonder if Kohli might declare before its end, given how well England are bowling. Maiden.
5.35am GMT
52nd over: India 162-8 (Jayant 8, Umesh 0) Is Rashid now a Test bowler? He now has 3-61 off 19, and and India are 65-5 this morning.
5.33am GMT
Jadeja can’t help himself, seeing some air and swinging hard. But the low bounce isn’t in his favour, he doesn’t get enough of it this time, and picks out Moeen on the midwicket fence.
5.30am GMT
51st over: India 162-7 (Jadeja 14, Jayant 8) Anderson on for the heroic Broad, and he bothers Yadav with some reverse, taking one in the midriff. One off the over, India lead by 362.
“Greetings from the USA,” emails Matt McGillen. “Fantastic session thus far; hoping England will wrap it up quickly. In the meantime I wanted to ask: if Anderson comes on and bowls a beautiful outswinger to get his man, should we label the moment “James and the Jayant Peach?”
5.27am GMT
50th over: India 161-7 (Jadeja 13, Jayant 8) Yadav drives to to cover and they run two, then Rashid pins him back. An edge into the pad does the trick first, and then a leap onto the back foot keeps out another. India will have their 400 by about lunch, though wouldn’t mind a go at them either side, I shouldn’t wonder. That looks unlikely now.
Here's how Virat Kohli made his 81 in the second innings - a fine knock https://t.co/xzwlzkIXTo #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/bzk7PSr05A
5.22am GMT
49th over: India 159-7 (Jadeja 13, Yadav 6) Broad is not playing in Mohali. He goes again - this is his eighth over of the morning, and at the start of it he has 4-28. He has astonishing mental strength, enough to play for Arsenal, even. Jadav edges a four, and for the first time, Broad looks tired - I think he might take a rest now. You can tell him.
5.16am GMT
48th over: India 153-7 (Jadeja 13, Yadav 1) Kohli was not happy with the shot he played, beating his bat as he departs, but he should just be happy to be part of it. You can tell him.
WICKET! Stokes pulls off a one-handed blinder at slip to deny Kohli (81) a second ton. Ind 151-7 on SS2 https://t.co/TR0vdFf4fU #IndvEng pic.twitter.com/1EK50sHLvr
5.14am GMT
I am standing on my feet shouting in a house with a sleeping child! I am in love with that catch! I want to be that catch! Rashid tosses up another and Kohli tries to flat-bat it through cover, but edges, and Stokes dives behind himself like a goalie, pouching a stunner one-handed before standing there like yeah, this is what I do. You know it, everyone knows it, morning all.
5.11am GMT
47th over: India 151-6 (Kohli 81, Jadeja 12) Broad, who’s bowled all morning, still has the ball. He is a bloody-minded so-and-so, that bloody-minded so-and-so, the personification of wonderful. He’s still absolutely bousting in, but it’s the release that’s so skilful - and so rare in a bowler of his height and style. The batsmen take a single each, and Jadeja has now been warned for running down the track - “he just sets off so quick,” says Nasser.
5.07am GMT
46th over: India 148-6 (Kohli 79, Jadeja 11) Rashid is into this, whacking Jadeja - who’s been told to watch where he runs - on the hand with a wrongun. But then Rashid tosses one up and Jadeja’s down the track immediately, slamming it over long on’s head for six.
To ponder: I think I banged on about this during the previous Test, and I know Ansari’s been ill, but given how good Woakes is, is there any point not picking him instead?
4.59am GMT
45th over: India 140-6 (Kohli 78, Jadeja 4) Broad tries a fuller one, Jadeja can’t resist a wave, and does well to miss it. Kohli has 48.1% of India’s runs in this match, says TMS.
Incidentally:
Our data shows Rashid's delivery to remove Saha was his 14th googly of the match#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/3ReletU77v
4.56am GMT
it moves in too much, doesn’t straighten, and it’s umpire’s call on the stumps.
4.55am GMT
45th over: India 138-6 (Kohli 78, Jadeja 3) Broad is bowling so well that he persuades Kohli to edge - another leg-cutter, obviously - but there’s nee slip and it runs away for four. Next ball raps the pad, there’s an appeal, and it’s not out.
4.53am GMT
44th over: India 134-6 (Kohli 73, Jadeja 3) Kohli has more than half of India’s runs here, which tells you a lot about how bloody good he is; how bloody good England’s bowling is too. And after Jadeja runs a three, his bat catches in the turf and reverberates to his elbow - did Bairstow miss a run out chance there? India are 36-3 today.
4.48am GMT
Saha was beaten, and well beaten there - by turn and bounce, playing down the wrong line. Umpire’s call on the stumps, and he’s away. Brilliant morning from England, typically ruined ahead of time by their Friday antics.
4.47am GMT
Looked gone to me...
4.46am GMT
44th over: India 130-5 (Kohli 73, Saha 2) Rashid beats Saha with the googly, the ball hitting him on the knee-roll, and Dharmasena says gone!
4.45am GMT
43rd over: India 130-5 (Kohli 73, Saha 2) Wriddhiman Saha is the greatest Jamaican name that isn’t a Jamaican name, and he gets off the mark with a nurdle to leg. A bye gets him back on strike, and he takes a further single to backward point. But Stuart Broad, what. India’s seamers will be just as excited as their spinners.
4.42am GMT
After that first boundary, Ashwin hasn’t looked comfortable at the crease, and he fences at another leg-cutter, Bairstow doing the rest. What a spell this is turning into; Stuart Broad is a special player, and we are privileged to be living in his time. So few sportsmen, never mind cricketers, are able to take a game and make it all about them, but he is one. He’s not a genius, but it’s a kind of genius.
4.39am GMT
42nd over: India 127-4 (Kohli 73, Ashwin 7) Kohli opens the face and pushes into the off side - it’s an easy single, but Ashwin is slow to respond and does well that no one’s moving onto the ball. He then adds another single, and this has been a decent morning’s cricket from England so far.
4.35am GMT
And he’s right to - that was a big inside-edge onto the pad, and Rod Tucker looks a little silly so he does. Over bowled.
4.35am GMT
41st over: India 125-4 (Kohli 71, Ashwin 6) Broad is bowling really well here - while injured - varying his pace and really working hard on his grips. And then one keeps low, which Ashwin does very well to jab down on, especially given his height. And Broad has him, a full one hitting the pad!
4.30am GMT
40th over: India 124-4 (Kohli 71, Ashwin 6) Rashid into the attack - is he now a Test bowler? Ashwin flips him to midwicket for a single, Kohli gets one to the same area, and then Ashwin smacks one straight down the pitch - Rashid gets a hand to it, but no way he’s holding that, and he’s left wringing it as the ball hurtles on to the fence. Ashwin is not messing about, and while we’re thinking about it, what a move it was promoting him to number 6. Only Virat.
4.26am GMT
39th over: India 118-4 (Kohli 70, Ashwin 1) The lead is 318.
4.26am GMT
The injured Broad bangs in a leg-cutter back of a length, it gets big on Rahane and seems to magnetically draw his hands at it moves away; he guides it to slip. Stuart Broad is suuuuuch a man.
4.24am GMT
39th over: India 117-3 (Kohli 70, Rahane 26) At some point, Kohli is going to lose it, but I imagine he’ll wait for these two to tire themselves out before destroying the spinners. Single apiece for the batters as we watch an ad, cheers chaps.
4.19am GMT
38th over: India 115-3 (Kohli 69, Rahane 25) Anderson is covering the ball now, and Rahane glances him down to third man for one, the only run from the over.
4.16am GMT
37th over: India 114-3 (Kohli 69, Rahane 24) Kohli has the wrists of an angel! Broad sends down a decent enough delivery, and yerman eases onto the front foot, delicately opens the face, and pounds it through cover on the up like God’s dad. He is astonishingly wonderful, and nothing else in the over merits description in the context.
I’m going with Vic.
We are on the air. But what will the close of play score be? Here are the predictions of the @bbctms team #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/J6SiH3bCGp
4.11am GMT
36th over: India 108-3 (Kohli 64, Rahane 23) Kohli will, you imagine, be mindful that England batted too long in Rajkot, but that was a different track and a different attack. And a different captain, too. Anyway, Anderson has the ball, and reverse-swing beats Rahane, hitting the pad. This is proper shout, but when Dharmasena says no they don’t review. Looked like it was going down to me, and indeed it was; impact was umpire’s call in-line. Rahane then gets off strike flicking one that is seriously going down to long leg - he’ll not mind that - until Kohli has him haring back for a single, and BUZZERS! Excuse me. Stokes canes it in, hits the stumps, and the ball runs to the rope and Broad paces after it.
4.06am GMT
35th over: India 100-3 (Kohli 58, Rahane 22) they reckon Broad has a strain in his foot, so will miss Mohali and have a fortnight off before Mumbai. His first ball is decent, swinging in late, but Kohli sees his second, driving past cover for two. So Broad tries a leg-cutter, and is disturbs the surface, jumping up and away - Kohli will not mind that at all. Then, with his final delivery, a yorker - it’s a good one too - and naturally, when Kohli toes it into his boot, Broad appeals. Cook thinks it’s probably not out.
4.01am GMT
Broad has the ball...
4.00am GMT
Virat looks purposeful - hold onto your tatts!
3.59am GMT
“Coke and Kit Kats?” asks Andrew Benton. “Don’t you have health and safety rules at Guardian Towers? I’ve just brunched on warm onion bread, vintage cheddar, mayo and black pepper and half a dozen strong teas - nice and zinged up now. But for what? A miserable defeat that England’s batsmen could have avoided with a bit of common sense play? Or a stirring fightback to show India what to expect in the next three tests? England could do that - lets see if they do.”
I’m at home, and also shovelled down some cold sausages to the point of indigestion. I’ve also since taken a toddler to the toilet, the cornerstone of any nutritious cricket picnic.
3.56am GMT
Rob Key says the lack of spitting bounce might help England; Athers says it won’t. For what it’s worth, Kevin Pietersen is with Athers - he thought that the track in Mumbai that time was so nasty that it wasn’t nasty, and things were turning past the stumps.
3.53am GMT
It’s a nice day in Vizag, would you only adamandeve.
3.50am GMT
Email! “Interesting preamble,” says Peter Rowntree. “I can also only realistically see one result from here - an Indian victory, just a question as to how long we hold out, assuming India go for a 450 target and declare some time before tea. But who in your opinion are the two reliable English batsmen - Cook and Root, or are we talking these days about Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow?”
Ha, yes, I thought that when I typed. But no, especially against spin, we’re talking Cook and Root - a Bairsterr fifty is not going to help here, I’m afraid, nor even a Stokes ton - it’s going to take time at the crease. There could not be less chance of any result but an India win.
3.46am GMT
All England need is this. Not much, really.
3.43am GMT
So, how long should India bat? Realistically, their lead, 298, is probably sufficient. But they’ll want another hunnert or so, I’d say, and spend the morning getting it.
3.40am GMT
I’ve had a Diet Coke and three Kit Kats, which is basically like going for a run. I recommend the pairing as a breakfast option.
11.05pm GMT
Funny things, funny things; England are bowling to get India out, but the quicker they do it, the longer they have to bat. And they do not want to bat, not one bit. The ball is ragging, but without the bounce that can take the stumps out of play, they have only two reliable batsmen, and India have the world’s best spinner in tip-top nick.
Realistically, if England are to avoid defeat, it’s going to have to rain, and that can only happen if England are about to win, which they are not. So it’s eyes down to seize a crushing, rather than humiliating defeat, that will send both sides to Mohali in good cheer. Funny things, funny thing.
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