Key events
Smith drops Sudharsan on 20
48th over: India 139-2 (Sudharsan 20, Gill 11) Sudharsan is put down by Jamie Smith! He was caught down the leg side in the first Test and Stokes was aiming for exactly the same dismissal. Sudharsan got a thick inside edge to the right of Smith, who almost dived past the ball and couldn’t take what should have been a pretty comfortable catch.
47th over: India 138-2 (Sudharsan 20, Gill 11) Ravi Shastri, who was a left-arm spinner in a former life, is in the Sky Sports commentary box and sounds very impressed with Liam Dawson – particularly his accuracy. Gill tries to do something about that, running down to thump a drive that just clears the leaping Stokes at mid-on. Fine margins, part 32423534563460943.
46th over: India 132-2 (Sudharsan 19, Gill 6) Stokes, who dismissed Sudharsan in both innings at Headingley, replaces Archer. Three slips in place, nobody down the leg side. Sudharsan defends a few deliveries before playing tip and run on the off side.
45th over: India 131-2 (Sudharsan 18, Gill 6) One of the shots of the day from Sudharsan, a rubber-wristed drive through extra cover for four off Dawson. He’s looking increasingly confident, the Sudharsan India envisaged when they picked him, and he plays two more very confident attacking strokes without beating the infield.
44th over: India 126-2 (Sudharsan 14, Gill 5) Archer’s 12th over of the day passes without incident. We don’t have the data to hand but it feels like the batters have been made to play at a helluva lot of those 72 deliveries. Accuracy and bounce, rather than movement and searing pace, have been his greatest weapons today. His figures are 12-2-23-0.
43rd over: India 124-2 (Sudharsan 13, Gill 4) Dawson’s recall is a symbol of England’s increased pragmatism, a change of approach that has crept up on us after all those grand statements in the first couple of years. It’d be fascinating to know whether it was a collective decision for Stokes, McCullum and Key or just part of the team’s evolution.
Dawson continues to Gill with a slip and leg slip; the latter is almost in the game when, out of nothing, Gill drags an agricultural sweep into the ground and through the legs of Pope.
42nd over: India 122-2 (Sudharsan 13, Gill 2) The arrival of Shubman Gill means an increase in the amount of gum-flapping from the England fielders. Gill plays a typically serene extra-cover drive off Archer that is very well stopped; four runs becomes one (not another Spice Girls reference FFS) and Sudharsan plays out the rest of the over.
The last ball, which kicked from a length, was especially well played.
41st over: India 120-2 (Sudharsan 13, Gill 1) Never mind what that wicket means to Liam Dawson; never mind that human story. This is a joyous day for the Wisden podcast team of Mark Butcher, Yas Rana, Phil Walker and friends, who have spent most of the last two years cursing Dawson’s absence from the England team.
After eight years out of the Test team, Liam Dawson has struck with his seventh ball. It was tossed up well wide of off stump, drawing Jaiswal into a nervous defensive push away from his body. The ball skidded on to take the edge and was nicely caught by Harry Brook at slip. For the second Test in succession, an England bowler has had a fairytale start on his return to the side.
WICKET! India 120-2 (Jaiswal c Brook b Dawson 58)
Welcome back! Liam Dawson has picked up Yashasvi Jaiswal, who normally eats orthodox spin for breakfast, lunch and the rest, with a lovely delivery.
40th over: India 120-1 (Jaiswal 58, Sudharsan 13) Jofra Archer goes to bed dreaming of having two left-handers to bowl at, among other things, and he continues his third spell with a maiden to Sudharsan.
Archer has been very accurate today, which is reflected in figures of 10-2-20-0.
Thanks Daniel, hello everyone. Before you ask, the A in my name stands for Archibald, which is why so many people are intent on calling me ‘Baldy’.
Righto, my watch is over; here’s *RA Smyth to chill with you through the rest of the day. Peace aht!
39th over: India 120-1 (Jaiswal 58, Sudharsan 13) Decent start from Dawson who, after Sudharsan takes a single, persuades one to go on with the arm and catches Jaiswal’s edge; they run two, two singles follow, and that is drinks.
38th over: India 115-1 (Jaiswal 55, Sudharsan 11) Archer replaces Woakes and begins with a leg-side loosener, then strays on to the pads again and this time, Sudharsan flicks four to deep square; England haven’t tested him enough early in his innings. But Archer improves through the over while, at square leg, Dawson gets loose; having waited three hours to bowl today but eight years since his last cap. Imagine how he must be feeling; I’m not surprised he’s got his mirrored shades on, and I wonder if Jaiswal will go at him.
37th over: India 110-1 (Jaiswal 55, Sudharsan 6) Crydon Barse continues and has a full over at Sudharsan – though I wonder if Stokes would ideally set Archer at him whole he’s still nervous. This isn’t a bad over, but four dots are followed by a low full toss which is driven for three, the bowler responds with a nasty bouncer which Jaiswal must contort to avoid.
36th over: India 107-1 (Jaiswal 55, Sudharsan 3) At what point will Stokes turn to Dawson? Woakes’ extra-long morning spell probably prevented him from turning his arm over in the morning session, but I’m sure captain and bowler will want him in the match as soon as possible. Problem is, he might be behind Archer and Stokes this afternoon, though there’d still be time for him to get a go. Meantime, Woakes goes again and, after a single to each batter, Jaiswal, drives supremely through long-off for four; he’s starting to settle at the crease now.
35th over: India 101-1 (Jaiswal 50, Sudharsan 2) Talking of which, is Andrew Strauss in Napier the definitive not-giving-it-away innings? He’d just come back after being dropped, was batting at three, it was the final Test of a three-match series, and his career was on the line. Starting slowly, he managed 177, and in less than a year was captain of the team. Back with our match, Jaiswal shoves to point, they sprint through for one – there’s a direct hit at Sudharsan’s end, but he’s home – and that raises a crucial, battling fifty. It’s so good to see him bat like this because we know what he can do when it’s in his favour, but this is him showing us that he’s got the minerals to persevere when it isn’t.
34th over: India 100-1 (Jaiswal 49, Sudharsan 2) Immediately, Woakes goes around to the left-handed Sudharsan, who gets off the mark with a flick to deep square; they run two, raising the hundred in the process. In comms, DK reckons Nair ought to have been given a bit longer, having been a long time away and looked alright till getting out; it’s also worth noting that he’s twice been done by screaming catches. But it’s Sudharsan with the shirt and he leaves everything he can, desperate not to give it away.
33rd over: India 98-1 (Jaiswal 49, Sudharsan 0) England, trying to cut off the runs behind square on the off-side, have put point back … for all the difference it makes, Jaiswal waiting for a wide one, then dabbing it into the ground for four through deep third. He’s such a clever batter, and his reactions are amazing – I bet he’s unbeatable at Slapsies and Knuckles. After five balls of the over, point comes up, looking to prevent the single that’ll keep Jaiswal on strike; again, he’s beaten outside off, and Carse is looking better now. Can Woakes get after Sudharson?
32nd over: India 94-1 (Jaiswal 45, Sudharsan 0) Woakes will fancy himself to get after Sudharsan, who knows this is a big knock for him; between overs, we see footage of him visualising his innings, playing shots in yesterday’s rain. He plays out a second consecutive maiden – and another testing one too; pressure is building, and this feels like a pivotal period in the match. The next hour will be crucial and quite possibly the one after that and the one after that.
31st over: India 94-1 (Jaiswal 45, Sudharsan 0) Carse continues and a fuller one incites Jaiswal to come forward, play and miss; that’s much better. And he backs it up with another good delivery, attacking the stumps, then another, prodigious late movement sending ball into pad; the pitch is doing stuff, just only some of the time. And another fine delivery completes a really good maiden over, full straightening and passing the edge; Carse might just be into the match.
WICKET! Rahul c Crawley b Woakes 46 (India 94-1)
Finally! Again Woakes probes in the corridor, again he finds some away-movement but this time also a bit of extra bounce, and this time, also the edge, and Rahul squared up, goes back to drive and instead the edge is finally contacted, the ball whizzing to second slip where Crawley snaffles.
30th over: India 94-0 (Jaiswal 45, Rahul 46) Woakes slings down a cuttable delivery but as Rahul tries giving it the treatment, it moves away, again missing the edge; it’s as though there’s a force field around both bats, force and field being words I’ve not used in combination since the infant-school playground. Rahul then eases to square leg for two, and England badly need something to happen.
29th over: India 92-0 (Jaiswal 45, Rahul 44) Jaiswal cuts hard but picks out backward point, then goes short and wide – perhaps deliberately, looking for the catch – and Jaiswal doesn’t miss out this time, schmeissing him for four. As he runs in again, we see Brook blowing bubbles with his gum at slip, a habit i don’t get: what is it about chewing that feels good, as opposed to knackering your jaw? Two singles follow and, though I’m sure Carse appreciated the show of faith from his captain tossing him the ball at the start of this session, he is not really threatening.
28th over: India 86-0 (Jaiswal 40, Rahul 43) Woakes, also changing ends and now at the Statham, is rewarded for his morning excellence with another spell; in comms, Ponting notes that England, not just Carse, were too short earlier, saying it’s hard to bowl full without fielders down the ground; he suggests moving third slip to cover, while Nasser wants two gullies given the batters’ desire to cut. Meantime, Rahul takes two to square leg, the only runs from the over.
27th over: India 84-0 (Jaiswal 40, Rahul 41) The teams are out on time – Shubman Gill will be buzzing – and it’s Carse with the ball, changing ends in search of rhythm. Can he bowl fuller than his natural length? Can he find another lick or two? In fairness to England, they didn’t bowl badly this morning, beating the edge a comical number of times, but they struggled to build pressure, the testing deliveries too far apart, and the batters gutsed it out well. During lunch, Jaiswal came out early for five minutes of throwdowns – he probably isn’t entirely happy with his morning’s work, but might also have wanted to adjust to the light. But when Rahul takes a single, he sees away four deliveries … then the final is ruled a no ball and, when the extra one is short and wide, Jaiswal smokes a cut to the point fence for four.
Back come our players. Might it be that the next hour is crucial? Surely not!
Lunchtime email: “David Vaudin may have listened to TMS as a kid while out and about,” says Barry Lloyd. “However, I listened to it through a cheap, tiny transistor radio, clamped to my ear while I pretended to be asleep. I recall traitorously regretting that Fred Trueman didn’t immediately get Neil Hawke for his 300th at The Oval in ‘64 because it meant that I had to stay awake all the way through lunch. Can’t recall what comestibles the team had been gifted though.”
I spent many happy hours doing both – my dad would always have it on when running errands, but from the 1986-87 Ashes onwards, I also had it in my ears having been lozzed to bed. What a feeling that is, having your day prematurely curtailed only to have a full one of Test cricket waiting for you.
Righto, I’m off for a break; I’ll be back in 30 to do an email or two before the afternoon dig gets under way.
Lunchtime entertainment:
That was yet another intense and high-class session of (Test match) cricket. India, though, have built a platform, and if England can’t find a breakthrough early in the afternoon, they could be looking at another monster total.
26th over: India 78-0 (Jaiswal 36, Rahul 40) Archer begins what’ll probably be the final over of the session and he’s got Jaiswal on strike … but only for one ball, a single to midwicket giving the right-handed Rahul, who plays him more easily, five balls to survive. He does so with relative ease, adding a single off the final one and that’s lunch, India put in and finishing the session unscathed. As Gill said at the toss, a good one to lose.
25th over: India 76-0 (Jaiswal 35, Rahul 39) Earlier, we saw Sai Sudharsan sat on the balcony reading a book, but the cameras didn’t linger long enough for us to see what it is; velly poower, as my gran would’ve said. Back in the middle, Rahul nurdles a single then, after three dots, Jaiswal – who has no problem taking the aerial route on the off-side – throws hands at a cut, Mark Butcher at Headingley style, and that’s six! A single follows, and this is fantastic work from the tourists, who’ve ridden their luck but also defended really well.
24th over: India 68-0 (Jaiswal 28, Rahul 37) Archer persuades one to rear up, Rahul feels obliged to play it, and is beaten; England have gone by the outside edge so many times this morning, for no reward. The batter then dabs into the off-side and steals a single, then Archer zips one away from Jaiswal, his seam presented beautifully; he’s so good at bowling to left-handers. And have a look! Archer drops short, but bowls right at the man, who bends away from it, almost on to haunches and, as he falls, the ball flicks the face, or perhaps he flicks the ball with the face, earning four over the keeper’s head. I’ve never seen a shot like that before, deliberate or otherwise.
23rd over: India 63-0 (Jaiswal 24, Rahul 37) Stokes tries a bouncer from around and Jaiswal goes at it hard, missing; the follow-up is full, straight and handled well. Then, when serves a ball that’s short and wide, he of course doesn’t miss out, buggy-whipping a cut that steams to the fence for four.
22nd over: India 59-0 (Jaiswal 20, Rahul 37) Yup, Archer returns and has Jaiswal, who barely faced him in his first spell, on strike. He goes around the wicket immediately but still isn’t hitting his Lord’s pace, when he was regularly above 90. Broad says the pitch is spongier at OT, so you don’t get as much momentum from it and into your legs, so it takes time to adjust; perhaps that’s a reason why, and also why Carse hasn’t been at it this morning. A single into the off-side is the only run from the over.
21st over: India 58-0 (Jaiswal 19, Rahul 37) Oh man, the usually dapper Stuart Broad is now wearing a broon cardy so disgraceful I’ve no choice but to snap it. Is he now a mid-60s geography teacher? Meantime, Stokes hurls himself through a second maiden in two overs, totally oblivious to the commentary-box carnage.
20th over: India 58-0 (Jaiswal 19, Rahul 37) Carse hasn’t yet found the rhythm that elevated the evening session on day four at Lord’s, and Rahul twizzles him through midwicket, Archer chasing, diving, and finding his knee stuck in the grass, but he saves the boundary and looks fine when he gets up; the batters run three. Jaiswal then takes the bait, hooking at a bouncer and to-edging, but short of long leg. A wicket does not look imminent, and I’d expect to see Archer return sooner rather than later.
19th over: India 53-0 (Jaiswal 18, Rahul 33) Rahul takes a single, then Stokes squares Jaiswal up, beating his outside edge, before trying a bouncer; the batter isn’t tempted to play, presumably cognisant of the man out on the hook or, as they say or said in Manchester, the hooke (rhymes with booke, looke, puke and so on).
18th over: India 52-0 (Jaiswal 18, Rahul 32) Carse is up at 85mph now but after Jaiswal misses a cut, not quite able to free arms, he nails it two balls later, crunching it to the fence behind square on the off-side for four. Those are the only runs off the over, and this is developing into a really good start for India. I wonder if we might see Archer back into the attack sooner than previously intended, because England need something.
“Here’s the route map to the TMS overseas link that you might wish to share,” offers David Vaudin, doing the Lord’s work.
17th over: India 48-0 (Jaiswal 14, Rahul 32) Stokes introduces himself to the attack, Woakes bottling his spell after a poxy eight overs. Jaiswal, unusually becalmed this morning, turns his loosener into the on-side for one then after three dots, Stokes goes a bit wider on the crease, swings one in, whams the pad, and bends his back almost in half appealing. But you could see the ball was going down, so there’s no review.