England's Summer of Cricket 2021

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That's the important wicket. Deserved for Robinson and England.

Now into that brittle middle order.

Big innings for Ajinkya Rahane. The test is on the line, and the same can be said about his career too. There can't be too many easier conditions in England to bat. Can he make use? Used to be the crisis man, and with the 2014 version of Rahane, a good score would have been a default expectation in these situations. Not any more, unfortunately.

Nearly a double wicket maiden. Woakes starting magnificently.

If England can nip out Kohli in the next half hour they'll be feeling good about their chances.

Rahane living dangerously! That was a poor call from the umpire, but suddenly with Rahane at the crease, batting seems rather difficult.

I agree with Key's point - umpires are definitely more trigger happy when a batsman plays no shot!

That was one of the worst eight ball innings I've seen from a specialist batsmen. India can't possibly play Rahane in the next test.

197/5. England need another big push in this next hour.

alfie wrote:Woakes with a welcome strike !  Umpire got that one right...

Jadeja did a good job for India , I think. Kohli looks in century scoring mode. Can Rahane make the most of the conditions?

That would be a "no"

Survived once on review ; but that was stone dead. As a duck , actually.

Woakes double strike ends the first hour a bit better for England. Now if they could get Kohli out...

Is that the last innings Rahane played in this series at the very least? Didn't look like scoring any from the moment he walked in. He seemed determined to justify Kohli's decision of promoting Jadeja.
India slowly edging into the collapse land.
Rishabh Pant, can he bat with some sense here?

After doing the hard yards for 45 minutes, India gave it away in the last 15 to hand over the hour and session to England.

We must be due some COverton or Moeen at some point soon? Pant vs one of them could take the game away from England even if he bats an hour...

Root will score a hundred, the rest all add together to score something similar, and England should be home.

Overton coming in. Pressure on him to exhibit something decent as I think India would be targeting him for runs.

Cricinfo reports that Rahane's average went down below 40 for the first time in the last 5 years. Think its time to look at options. Rahane needn't be done yet, we saw how someone like Ganguly came back... But Rahane will have to do that now. Time for SKY.

Overton on, replacing Robinson. I'd have had Anderson for a mini, 2 over spell before going to Overton...

Woakes continues to impress in this match...

Even so , India are well placed still at nearly 200 ahead. How will Pant play , I wonder ? Probably his usual - which could be interesting. He will have Overton to target ; which seems like it might be right up his alley. Suppose he needs to score runs here to justify the Jadeja order switch ?

Good first Overton over - maiden to Kohli. Need more of those...

Ball is suddenly doing a bit more! Even Overton getting a bit of lift...

By the way, the overrate continues to be pathetic from England. Both sides already lost WTC points for slow overrates in the series. Is Root close to a sanction? At this rate, he'll be inviting trouble for himself sooner rather than later.

Another edge not carrying. A few regulation edges, couple of edges when playing with soft hands. Think attacking the stumps, looking for bowled and LBW might be the better way to go about on this track now.

India entering a scoreless period. It is such periods that undid them in the first innings.

Overton's actually bowling much better than he did yesterday.

Some good tight bowling from both CO and CW... A Kohli edge that nearly carried ... Lots of dots...

What will give first ?

VTR wrote:I'm not worried at The Ashes as the expectations I have are close to zero. I won't be disappointed with a heavy defeat as I don't see any other outcome. I've seen England win once over there in my lifetime, based on a very strong top 7 and a bowling attack that peaked at the right time. We will be heading there with neither this time before we even get it into those who won't travel, of which there will be a few. Could easily be another whitewash

Also, that Aussie side was hardly vintage (not that this one is either). Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer!

I think Warne would legitimately have a field of 9 slips, keeper and bowler at all times - can see why he was never Aussie skipper, man hasn’t a clue

Before he hit that boundary, Kohli was scoreless for 25 deliveries. That's when he feels the need to feel bat on ball, and even when there is no chance to score, he'll go fishing outside off...

Was good bowling in partnership between Overton and Woakes, but the pressure didn't quite get the vital breakthrough.

Moeen on to bowl. Pant will certainly take him on. Interesting battle.

Warne now floating the idea of bringing Moeen into the attack...

About the last thing I'd be trying. But Root apparently agrees. Presume he's hoping for a Pant rush of blood.

Hope so too. But I fear it might just be runs on a plate...

Moeen on, half-hour before lunch. How would Pant play it? Kohli should ensure he stays judicious and doesn't do anything silly.

Just a few minutes ago Winviz was showing India at 59%, England 25% and the draw 16%.

Not sure about any of that. Maybe I've been reading too many of Duty's posts but I fancy England from here.

Bloody hell! Pant isn't holding back. Don't think he needs to try and hit Moeen out of the attack. When you trying that, that's when Moeen becomes at his dangerous best. Just keep milking him, Moeen has something of the Pant about him, and he'll try doing too many things and that will provide scoring opportunities.

My jinx worked

Even better...got Kohli ! Game on...

Wow. Kohli plays a nothing shot to Moeen, that's a shocker.

213/6. England must keep India below a 250 lead to be favourites to win the test.

For heaven's sake, Root, no 'clever' fields to the tail!

... and that was before I saw Kohli gone - honest!

Well well well! Moeen does the job. Not with Pant, but the big one. Virat Kohli goes! Match, Set and game, handed to England!.

And now Winviz with India 55%, England 38% and the draw 7%.

Still wrongly favouring India imo.

Kohli will be livid with himself for that. Had just got off his scoreless period with a nice boundary ; Pant was getting in (albeit with some nervy running) and the main England bowlers were getting to end of spell...and he's dabbed it to slip.

Nice line from Moeen (who will be delighted !) but you wouldn't normally expect Virat to get out in such a passive manner. Interesting situation.

Now : can Thakur repeat his first innings heroics ?

This surely not going to be a draw. I would say 70-30 for England at the moment.

Root is a very bookish captain. This would have been the time to either extract another over from Woakes, or bring Anderson back on. Overton has bowled well and with this Indian lineup at this stage, he might very well do the job, but...

guildfordbat wrote:And now Winviz with India 55%, England 38% and the draw 7%.

Still wrongly favouring India imo.

Still only six down , though. We've seen the rabbits add a few for India once or twice already ... And these two are both very capable. Still reckon I'd rather be in the Indian camp at present - though another one now might set a cat among the pigeons...

Can Bumrah, who already bettered his test best twice in the series, do it a 3rd time? India being able to set a total of substance, would very much depend on an unlikely batting performance from the bowlers.

Would certainly bring Anderson back for an over or two before lunch. One more before lunch would make it a fantastic session for England.

That review was ghastly. The worst of the series. And England's last. What on earth?!

Moeen has talked Root into a review...I'm afraid that was a right waste of the last referral

Moeen becoming the new Stuart Broad ?

Erm what on earth is that review???

I'm genuinely unsure as to what they were going up for because it was miles away from the bat and nowhere near LBW. Utterly baffled.

Moeen's looking like he's in the game now. He has bowled well, but think its the wicket and the batting quality available, that is making him more dangerous than he actually is. But Ali again doing his job well, much better than yesterday.

Would disagree with most on here about the England favourites tag - India likely to end up leading by 300ish here, and while the pitch is certainly not a horrendous one…it’s England batting. The pitch was doing nothing much first time round and they found themselves 62-5. It’d need a Root hundred at least

alfie wrote:Moeen has talked Root into a review...I'm afraid that was a right waste of the last referral

Moeen becoming the new Stuart Broad ?

Broad has some stiff competition. Mohammed Siraj has already become vice president to Broad, and Moeen is organizing a good primary campaign here having joined the fray late in the day!

Root is too easily persuaded to go for reviews . Would have thought Hameed might have had an idea that wasn't bat ?

One wicket then would have been lovely timing , of course. But with all the umpiring errors going around they might really have cause to regret that lost option later on.

Would have liked to see Anderson on to attack Thakur before he gets his eye in. But Root never seems to go for the throat ... Once he has a break , he tends to try more of the same. Might still work I suppose...

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Would disagree with most on here about the England favourites tag - India likely to end up leading by 300ish here, and while the pitch is certainly not a horrendous one…it’s England batting. The pitch was doing nothing much first time round and they found themselves 62-5. It’d need a Root hundred at least

A Root Hundred? That shouldn't be too much of a problem, he has already scored a hundred of those this year itself hasn't he? For India that's always a given, anything less, we take it as a bonus.

Singles way too easy to come by since Kohli got out.

Has to be Anderson and Woakes bowling after the break, India ending the session well. Lead up to 230.

What a finely poised test match. The only thing stopping England chasing up to 300 on this would be the psychological pressure, it might be different if Ashwin were available.

So India survive to lunch. But England's session, India losing 3 for not much. Just 59... They've lost at least a wicket too many, and are lucky it didn't become the end right then and there as is the norm. The batting depth with Shardul coming in handy for the time being. But both these player's aren't ever too far away from a moment of madness, and all that England need is just that opening.

I tend to agree with Olly. I think England could chase 250-270 , though no guarantees. But with Thakur already hitting some nice balls I reckon it will be more than that...

Goodish session for England. But needed one more wicket. Think it needed a really aggressive attack on Thakur as soon as he came in rather than the fourth seamer and the spinner , even though they were both bowling quite well. Will see what happens after lunch but I still have India at 60% at least.

Well it could be that India's lead is already sufficient but, of course, they'll dare not declare until they've added quite a few more.

With one Test still to play and the series level they may not declare at all.

Whatever happens I think we'll see India winning this match. Still going for a 2-2 in the series.