England's Summer of Cricket 2021

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Siraj will have a couple of deliveries at Anderson. The lead is already a nice 25.

Curran, desperate for a wicket, gets Root to review an absolute no-hoper. Poor.

Yep, going over. Hit Kohli above the knee and Gough said no...two big factors against a review!

Isn't there anyone square to the crease who can tell Root about the height ? That was obviously too high...waste of a precious review. Again.
With close lbw calls prevalent in this match they really need to get better at this.

Few close things happening...have a feeling a wicket might be just around the corner.

If these two get through to lunch it will go a long way to restoring India's position. Batting hasn't been too easy although conditions seem pretty benign.

I was right ! Sam gets the big one...Kohli gone : makes up for a lot of poor bowling in first innings

Just read an interesting stat from Zaltzman*, then Curran gets the big wicket which wasn't looking likely, but the angle has always carried a threat.  Kohli fencing in a similar manner to previous dismissals.

What a celebration from Curran.

England in control. Two under-pressure batsmen at the crease.

*Said stat was Kohli's very low third-innings average which is 35. Even lower now!

That looked good to me, but Root declines to review...umpire's call like the previous LBW shout. Umpires taking full account of the slope.

Was certainly more out than the previous review!

Missed pretty much all of yesterday and today's play. I never thought that England come even remotely close to being on top in this match but they are.

Maybe i should stop watching

Comfortably England's session. Quality bowling as a unit. Robinson and Anderson unfortunate to not have picked up wickets themselves. India need a big partnership in the afternoon to reignite their chances in this one.

For now it's all England, England, England.

India in a hole that's gotten deeper as the first session progressed
The pitch is bordering on difficult......with up & down movement quite prominent today.,.....and add to that a little bit of nibble that's always in English pitches off the seam.
The bowlers only need to ball in stump line...good length or slight fuller...and pitch will do the rest. The faster the pace...harder for batter to adjust to the last fraction of second up and down

India's 2 veterans both playing for their careers have to dig deep and bat thru mots of next session.....try to score and not juts survive...flash hard, hit over the top occasionally

It doesn't matter now what's a par score....Ind will have to defend whatever they get....150 on would be something to play with and 200 quite handy
Getting there are a few mountains to climb....give that last 4 are hopeless bunnies

Sunnier after lunch. Rahane and Pujara running good singles...sensible cricket.

Approve of the Anderson/Wood combination: but should keep Jimmy to a short spell as he will be needed later.

I'd expect a bit of Moeen soon as there really isn't a lot there for the seam bowlers as the ball gets older. England might have to work for the next one.

Yes, a few quick singles this afternoon, not really the case in the morning session. Another edge falling just short of the slip cordon, a common occurrence in this test.

Lead at 34. England won't want that going above 200, which should mean they have the remainder of day four to take these seven wickets.

Pujara still not too convincing though. Fortunate then that this pitch is still so slow - even at Wood's pace edges aren't carrying to slips.

The trouble with 6 from 60 is if you then get out you haven't actually moved your team forward at all. Only 34 on so another wicket now would heap the pressure on Pant and co.

Jimmy still probing away.A good contest.

Batsmen have done their first job...the end of Wood and Anderson for now. So Sam and Ollie taking up the attack : and Rahane might want to be careful about padding up to Robinson too often ! That only has to keep a few inches lower...

Root doesn't want to release the brakes on the scoring so still no sign of spin. And with Curran getting the odd bit of movement off the pitch probably no rush to change things just yet. 71/3.

Good hour for India...very few runs ; but they've stemmed the bleeding for now.

Think Joe might need to introduce some variation...ah yes here he is...

alfie wrote:Good hour for India...very few runs ; but they've stemmed the bleeding for now.

Think Joe might need to introduce some variation...ah yes here he is...

He .....who should not be named

Good grind by these two. England haven't given away anything cheap and, for now, the patience of these two is holding (although Rahane did just have a loose swipe at one).

Proper test cricket.

Pujara and Rahane are really digging in and sapping the English bowlers here. I do not like it so much but it is what they have to do given the situation of the game.

Jaysus, Ali getting some turn there

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:Good hour for India...very few runs ; but they've stemmed the bleeding for now.

Think Joe might need to introduce some variation...ah yes here he is...

He .....who should not be named

Oh give it a rest , KP_fan... Nobody is dissing Moeen on here. We might not all see him as the New Swann but he's far from unwelcome. Has a chance here to do some damage as he's getting some turn ...

With Wood getting bouncy at the other end one feels this is a fairly tense period. If these two make it to tea they'll have had a very good session.

Energy sapping spell from Wood digging it in and trying to trap batsmen with short in to body
Futile in my view on two counts
Pitch is too slow and gives enuf time to adjust for top order batters
missing the opportunity to bowl in stumps line and benefit for up & down variability of pitch

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:Good hour for India...very few runs ; but they've stemmed the bleeding for now.

Think Joe might need to introduce some variation...ah yes here he is...

He .....who should not be named

Oh do bore off.

Agree he shouldn't overdo the short stuff. Worth a try for an over or two though , just to vary things.

Not really seeing much variation of bounce though . Curran back now - and might wish he'd had a third slip in then... Think Root has handled his bowlers pretty well today - but these two are grinding it out well.

Getting close to tea.

Something has to give before tea, surely....

commentator's views reflect & explain their personalities as players and captains
Like Strauss's suggests he would have been a defensive. cynical, suspicious and cliched ....completely "in the Box" as a captain

With the Team, match situation and their persona careers back against the wall
The two veterans played a session out

1 more hour of not lose a wicket and then let Pant & Jadeja loose on Eng
The game has classically ebbed and flowed

Well played Pujara and Rahane

Wicket-less session. Not out of the woods yet because only 49 runs squeezed out : but the bowlers have put a lot of work in and there are a couple of good stroke players to come.

Game still wide open.

Excellent scrapping from Pujara and Rahane. It just shows how vital it was to get those three wickets in the morning session because once the ball loses its freshness it is still, in spite of some variable bounce, an excellent batting wicket. As such England should be confident of chasing anything up to 250 on this, albeit lack of time may become a factor.

Lead only 78, so India are still very vulnerable if they lose a couple of quick wickets. Only 53 overs in four hours so far - shocking considering Moeen's whistled through a few overs - but we will still see the second new ball late on in this final session, which may be decisive. If India are six down or more at stumps, England should be confident of securing victory tomorrow. Can't see a realistic path to India achieving a win now, they need to occupy the crease until, at least, some point tomorrow afternoon.

Well India can only win if they secure some sort of a lead and bowl England out on a last day pitch...doubt Kohli would be dangling any carrots so that would depend on felicitous timing of end of innings , etc. Not impossible though - we have seen some nice collapses from England this year

But it is the home team pressing at the moment. And they do need a wicket soon I think as it is a long way yet to the new ball and there will be some tired legs by the time they get it.

Wicket changes everything of course. But while these two are stonewalling away the draw must be firming a little with the bookies...

India looking to be a little busier after tea, especially v Moeen. Don't think England will mind - it just created a half-chance which Bairstow couldn't quite hold on to.

Ouch ! Chance gone begging...reckon Jonny catches that nine times out of ten .
Not this time though and with things going rather flat that could be a big opportunity missed...

Duty281 wrote:India looking to be a little busier after tea, especially v Moeen. Don't think England will mind - it just created a half-chance which Bairstow couldn't quite hold on to.

Easy for an international.......in & out drop....but half chance since Ali involved

lost two reviews.....both teams have blown up reviews gambling

Another dismal review. Buttler knew it wasn't out - is he not being assertive enough? Or does Root have no faith in what he says?

England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

alfie wrote:England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

good to see you named him by name.

Duty281 wrote:Another dismal review. Buttler knew it wasn't out - is he not being assertive enough? Or does Root have no faith in what he says?

Don't know sometimes who says what in these Root/Buttler consultations: but as a committee they aren't getting much right in the way of reviews this season...

Jimmy was pushing for that one - must have thought he heard something ?

Getting that feeling again that something is going to give...

Ahh I see England back to their old trick... trying to get the ball changed

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

good to see  you named him by name.

Sure, what else would he call him?

Sibley practicing his blocking in the field, not sure that its your blocking needs work here Dom

AlciG wrote:Ahh I see England back to their old trick... trying to get the ball changed

Like every team in test cricket these days.

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

good to see  you named him by name.

? Why wouldn't I ? He's not bloody Voldemort . Really do not understand why you keep rabbiting on about Moeen as if he's being abused daily on this board because that just isn't true. Some rate him more than others , which is what happens to most players.

Your fixation is becoming tedious.

Duty281 wrote:

AlciG wrote:Ahh I see England back to their old trick... trying to get the ball changed

Like every team in test cricket these days.

Maybe... I just feel like England do it way too much. Perhaps that's just my perception

alfie wrote:

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

good to see  you named him by name.

?  Why wouldn't I ?  He's not bloody Voldemort .  Really do not understand why you keep rabbiting on about Moeen as if he's being abused daily on this board because that just isn't true. Some rate him more than others , which is what happens to most players.

Your fixation is becoming tedious.

I didn't say Ali is being abused...you trying to put those words in my mouth
It's called attempting a Strawman Argument

KP_fan wrote:It's called attempting a Strawman Argument

Of which you are the master.

AlciG wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

AlciG wrote:Ahh I see England back to their old trick... trying to get the ball changed

Like every team in test cricket these days.

Maybe... I just feel like England do it way too much. Perhaps that's just my perception

No less or more than India yesterday.

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:

KP_fan wrote:

alfie wrote:England getting a bit desperate: second review burned.

KP_fan : your love affair with Moeen is getting almost embarrassing

good to see  you named him by name.

?  Why wouldn't I ?  He's not bloody Voldemort .  Really do not understand why you keep rabbiting on about Moeen as if he's being abused daily on this board because that just isn't true. Some rate him more than others , which is what happens to most players.

Your fixation is becoming tedious.

I didn't say Ali is being abused...you trying to put those words in my mouth
It's called attempting a Strawman Argument

What's with the constant Maligned Ali rubbish then?

England's winning chance ebbing away now...Batsmen looking a lot more settled and playing a few shots.

Change of ends for Moeen brought an immediate flurry of runs rather than an added threat. Think I'd have preferred a couple of overs from the skipper just for variety : reckon Moeen was bowling OK from his original end .

Curran beating the bat : but just can't draw an edge.Bit of frustration building in the field...

Bit surprised Robinson has only bowled 10 overs. He’s not been at his best, but some balls are keeping down and would have thought his height would exacerbate this.

So, hypothetical here but what would ye lads do if England do bowl India out and leave a chase of 200+ in around 75 overs?

Do ye send Bairstow and Butler in to open with the orders to have a crack or do ye go full safety and open with Sibley and Burns?

Excellent 50 for Rahane. Some knock given the situation he walked into

That is a very good fifty from Rahane. Out of touch, under pressure, team faltering, away from home...but he pulls out a battling innings to keep his team alive.

Still 90 minutes for England to find the three breakthroughs they require. Would like to see Root take a few overs, maybe from around the wicket.