Key events
12th over: England 56-3 (Pope 21, Brook 2) Pope inside-edges Krishna just past the stumps for four. He’s into the twenties but I’d imagine he has a false-stroke percentage that not even a mother could love. And there’s another, though there wasn’t much anyone could have done with a huge nipbacker that hit Pope high on the leg.
India have been superb with the new ball, ferocious but also forensic. England are a different f-word. Completely a different f-word.
11th over: England 52-3 (Pope 17, Brook 2) “Any chance,” begins Beau Dure, “that England might salvage a draw through their oldest and most valuable player, Rain?”
Nah. Rain’s gone for a dirty weekend with Slim.
Deep went wide on the crease and angled in a full delivery that straightened just enough to beat Root’s whip top leg and clatter into the stumps. What a ball!
Root got in such a tangle that I thought it was Ollie Pope. I don’t mean that in a bad way; it’s just that Joe Root is never undressed like that.
Deep celebrates by pointing to his badge and then down to the pitch to signal that he’s here to stay in this series. England will hope Deep meant it literally, that he gets confused and turns up at Edgbaston next week, because he has changed the mood of this series.
WICKET! England 50-3 (Root b Deep 6)
The champagne moment of the entire match. Akash Deep has bowled Joe Root with a spectacular delivery!
10th over: England 48-2 (Pope 16, Root 6) Siraj’s opening spell was 4-0-29-1. It looks expensive but only one of those numbers is worth a damn.
Krishna comes close to getting something in his wicket column when Pope underedges a wild cut stroke. The ball bounces fractionally short of Pant, who takes the catch and immediately signals that he doesn’t think it carried. The umpires go upstairs just in case.
There are one or two boos when the verdict comes through. That’s unfair on Pant, who at no stage claimed the catch.
Root is not out Not even umpire’s call. It would have gone past leg stump and that means India have already burned two of their reviews.
The Duckett review was understandable, almost compulsory in fact. That one, not so much.
India review for LBW against Root Prasidh Krishna is the bowler this time, on in place of Mohammed Siraj. Height isn’t an issue but it looks legsideish, probably umpire’s call at best for India.
9th over: England 48-2 (Pope 16, Root 6) Another terrific nipbacker from Deep, bowled from wide on the crease, hits Root on the flap of the pad. He implores the umpire to give Root out LBW, his face a study in desperation and need. Chris Gaffaney says no and so does Shubman Gill when India convene to discuss a review. As good as a delivery as it was, it would have bounced a fair way over the top.
Even so, Akash Deep’s new-ball bowling has been one of the key factors in India’s dominance of this Test. He’ll surely keep his place at Lord’s – not just in the team but as one of the two opening bowlers. Bumrah and Deep followed by Siraj as the first-change hustler is a strong attack.
8th over: England 47-2 (Pope 15, Root 6) India are straining desperately for wickets, which means the occasional bad ball. Root helps himself to four when Siraj arrows one onto his pads.
“Only three things wrong with this England performance at Edgbaston,” says Steve Pye. “India have batted, bowled and fielded better than us. And we really need to talk about Zak…”
The weird thing is he batted with such authority at Headingley in the second innings. He started well on Thursday evening too. But then he stepped on another snake: two poor shots, no runs and he’s under pressure again.
I’m sure Crawley will play the next Test, but I’m not sure how much longer this cycle can continue. At some stage – hopefully not yet – the Sisyphean nature of it all will break him.
I’m also not convinced Ollie Pope’s century has ended the conversation about his place, admirable cricketer though he is. I guess that’s all the fun of the fair, particularly in an Ashes year.
There’s a funny recurring theme on the Wisden Discord in which people try to name the most outlandish (but just about credible) England XI for the fifth and final Ashes Test this winter. Selections range from Farhan Ahmed, who will be 17 when that game is played, and Jimmy Anderson, who will be 43. I don’t think anyone has tried to sneak in Darren Stevens yet.
7th over: England 43-2 (Pope 15, Root 2) Pope is turned round by a beauty from Deep and edges wide of the cordon for four. Sheesh, he’s living dangerously. But he gets a more convincing boundary to fine leg when Deep strays onto the pads.
If you’ll allow me an indulgent aside, last year I did some data analysis for Wisden Cricket Monthly on Donald Bradman. Were there any weaknesses that could have been exploited and so on. One thing that came up is that he was an even more nervous starter than Ollie Pope. Seriously.
Every time I watch Pope start an innings, I recall that Bradman analysis and sigh in the knowledge that surely – surely – I must have cocked the research up completely.
6th over: England 33-2 (Pope 5, Root 2) Joe Root is the likeliest candidate to save England with a defensive epic. He’s the likeliest candidate to do most things that involve a cricket bat. Twelve years ago, in only his fourth Test, he was part of an England team that batted for a memorable, series-saving draw in Auckland. He ate up 79 balls that day, though the real heroes were Ian Bell and Matt Prior.
5th over: England 31-2 (Pope 4, Root 1) Ollie Pope, wearing an unusual pair of trainers that are made out of hot tin, is beaten again by Deep.
“Just checked in after a few hours and wondered if we’ve hit the ‘If this was happening in another country English pundits would be moralising about the state of the pitch’ part of the discussion yet?” wonders Luke Stevenson. “Surely at this point the only way Edgbaston avoids a sanction is by England getting themselves out stupidly?”
This came up during the Multan Test in the winter as well. Can you criticise a pitch on which you get a positive result. I’d say you can, but on this occasion, though the pitch isn’t great, it has produced a fascinating match. We’ve seen four huge hundreds, seven ducks, 24 sixes, several jaffas.
Arguably a more important point, one made a few times by Nasser on SKy, is that India’s seamers have completely outbowled England’s.
This is a beauty from Akash Deep, round the wicket and nipping back to take the inside edge as Duckett tried to play a curtain-rail defensive stroke. It was too late and the ball deflected onto the stumps to spark wild celebration. In fact it broke one of the stumps.
India, sans Bumrah and Kuldeep, are roaring towards a famous victory.
WICKET! England 30-2 (Duckett b Deep 21)
Ben Duckett falls to a defensive stroke – and an absolute beauty from Akash Deep!
Some excellent analysis on Sky from Nasser Hussain (the excellent is tautologous), who shows that Zak Crawley changed his guard from the Edgbaston Test, moving further across to the off side. That may well have cost him his wicket because the ball he edged was on seventh or eighth stump.
4th over: England 26-1 (Duckett 21, Pope 4) Siraj leaps to grab the ball in his follow through and shapes to throw it at the batter Duckett. He’s trying desperately to get in Duckett’s head and make him do something silly. I’m not sure that’s possible, but I do know that if anyone can, Siraj can.
Duckett slaps Siraj up and over cover point for four, then steers another boundary through the cordon. England are playing for a draw and Ben Duckett has 21 from 12 balls. I think I get it. Attack really is the best form of defence for someone like Duckett; if you don’t believe me, find a video of his miserable 16-ball duck at Visakaphatnam in 2016.
He’ll still be hammered if he gets out to an attackinn stroke though.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Duckett 12, Pope 4) Pope fiddles at Deep and is beaten. India are putting the blowtorch on England’s batters and it’s exhilarating to watch. They could break the back of this wicket-chase tonight.
Duckett is not out!
Wow, what a brilliant piece of umpiring from Sharfuddoula. Duckett was squared up by a jaffa from Deep, and there was a woody sound as the ball deviated into the gloves of Pant. I’ve no idea what the sound was because replays showed the ball missed the outside edge and hit the flap of the pad.
Mohammed Siraj decides to give Ben Duckett a serve anyway. My word he loves a scrap.
India review for caught behind against Duckett! It looked like a clear edge, but the umpire didn’t give it and Duckett stood his ground. We’ll soon find out what happened.
2nd over: England 13-1 (target 608; Duckett 11, Pope 2) Ollie Pope gets off a pair with a drive for two. Before Crawley’s dismissal, Ben Duckett took 11 off his first three deliveries.
“Am I seeing what I am watching? Possibly the greatest multi-year winning strategy, Sun Tzu wrapped into von Clausewitz, on display in Birmingham?” writes Emiel de Bont. “India so scared of England chasing down any total that they keep batting and batting? More scared of losing a match that’s been in their control from the first session than actually trying to win it. How I would love to draft Stokes’s speaking notes for the post-match interviews!”
While I defer to your historical knowledge, I’m not sure India extended their lead past 600 because they were scared of losing.
WICKET! England 11-1 (Crawley c sub b Siraj 0)
Uh-oh. After leaving so well in the first over, Crawley chases a very wide delivery from Siraj and picks out the substitute Sudharsan at backward point.
That felt like a case of matter over mind. Oh and now seven England players have made ducks in this Test.
1st over: England 0-0 (target 608; Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Akash Deep starts with a couple of very tempting deliveries outside Crawley’s off stump. Crawley leaves both, then another later in the over. And he probably wishes he could have left the sixth ball, which jagged back to hit him flush in the banter zone. A maiden.
“So, Ben Stokes’ side become the first England team to concede 1000 runs in a Test since 1939,” says Max Williams. “Good or bad, they don’t do things by halves. Very much the joy of them. Cannot see them batting it out, even if they tried – they must be knackered in mind and body. Also made it to Pembroke CC. It’s very pleasant.”
Tonight is the key: new ball, cooked brains. If England are no more than one down overnight they should have a decent chance of saving it. Should.
There are 18 overs to bowl tonight, assuming India can get them in by 6.30pm. England won’t want to lose more than one wicket. Two tops.
83rd over: India 427-6 declared (Jadeja 69, Washington 12)
A big part of me admires India for calling out on their anti-draw BS, but they will look very silly if England are 300 for 9 at the close of play tomorrow. Risk and reward, I guess, and the psychology of cricket remains endlessly fascinating.
Ah, Shubman Gill has finally called time. At first it looked like India were going to bat on beyond the scheduled drinks break, but then Gill appeared to wave the team.
After a very long day/four days in the field, England’s target is 608 from around 108 overs. Do you feel lucky, punks?
82nd over: India 422-6 (Jadeja 66, Washington 10) Washington Sundar gets off the mark by blasting his second ball over mid-off for six. AND WHY NOT. He hits four more to take India’s lead past 600.
“I checked the West Zone/South Zone scorecard (just got an Airplane flashback typing that),” writes Rob Wolf Petersen. “Did you notice Karthik made 183 and 150 in the match? Fair to say he probably felt a little unfortunate to finish on the losing side.”
I didn’t; that makes it even funnier. Also, look at Yusuf Pathan’s performance: 318 runs from 266 balls, including 15 sixes, and he was only dismissed once!
WICKET! India 412-6 (Reddy c Crawley b Root 1)
Reddy smears Root to long off, where Crawley stoops forward to take a good catch. Still no declaration. Some of the England fans aren’t happy about that, an attitude that is at best confused and at worst [redacted].
81st over: India 412-5 (Jadeja 66, Reddy 1) The fun continues. India lead by 592 now; they might pull out at 600.
WICKET! India 411-5 (Gill ct and b Bashir 161)
Gill launches Bashir over midwicket for his eighth six of the innings. There won’t be a ninth: later in the over he’s surprised by a bit of extra bounce and pops a simple return catch to Bashir.
Ben Stokes runs after Gill to congratulate him, and the crowd – at least those who aren’t three sheets shouting “boring boring India” – rise to acknowledge a performance for the ages: 430 runs in the match, almost all of them off the middle of the bat.
Shubman Gill reaches 150 and makes history!
80th over: India 403-4 (Gill 154, Jadeja 65) Gill blasts Root for six to become the first player ever – ever – to score a double hundred and a 150 in the same Test.
He sweeps the next ball straight down the throat of long leg – but Pope loses sight of the ball completely as it drops over his shoulder for four.
That was bizarre. But these are really good signs for India because England’s brains are in the oven.
79th over: India 386-4 (Gill 144, Jadeja 61) A single off Bashir brings up the 150 partnership between Gill and Jadeja, which means they’ve added 364 in this match. India really are calling England out on their bee ess, because victory is now totally impossible.
78th over: India 383-4 (Gill 143, Jadeja 59) Beautiful hitting from Gill, who swipes Root for successive sixes over midwicket and deep square. Even his big hit. He could look elegant playing Twister.
Gill’s match total of 412 is the fourth highest in Test history. I wonder how many of those 412 have come from false strokes. Twenty? Thirty? Few batters get as close to perfection as Gill has in this game.
77th over: India 369-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 58) On and on and on we go. Maybe Shubman’s a Longpigs fan.
76th over: India 367-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 57) Jadeja moves to fifty and beyond with consecutive fours off Root. India’s lead is 547, which means England would need the highest score to win any first-class match.
The record is held by West Zone, who scored 541 for 7 to beat South Zone in 2010.
“And a tremendous bit of information we’ve just received, Nass!” says Mike Atherton on Sky. “The losing captain in that game was Dinesh Karthik.”
Here’s the proof. I’m not doing justice to how funny that was, the sudden burst of joy in Athers’ voice as he realised one of his colleagues failed to defend 541.
75th over: India 358-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 48)
74th over: India 351-4 (Gill 129, Jadeja 42) Root replaces Woakes, who bowled two overs of existential despair at a cost of 22.
Root is a bit more successful, spearing a couple of dot balls well wide of off stump. India’s lead is 531. They don’t need any more, they just want to melt the brains of England’s top order.
73rd over: India 347-4 (Gill 127, Jadeja 40) I missed another bit of record-breaking a few overs ago. India’s match total of 934 runs is their highest in any Test match, beating the 916 they scored in that fascinating Sydney decider against Australia in 2003-04. Here’s the list.
“I know it’s being precious, but do you, like me, get slightly irritated when you see a player so obviously in The Zone as Shubman Gill has been for all but his first hour at the crease on Wednesday?” writes Gary Naylor. “Sure it’s a privilege to watch, but the game isn’t supposed to be this easy. It fascinates us because it’s hard, really hard – but not for Gill, not this week. I feel strangely cheated.”
Gary, I adore you, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. But that thought has never entered my head before, nor shall it ever do so again. Shubman Gill is creating the highest art in industrial quantities and you feel cheated!
72nd over: India 341-4 (Gill 126, Jadeja 36) India have enough runs – they lead by 521 – so this is all about mental disintegration. The longer this goes on, the more I think England could malfunction spectacularly and lose tonight. Unless I’ve forgotten a game I liveblogged while half asleep at 4am, this team have literally never tried to bat for a draw.
71st over: India 337-4 (Gill 124, Jadeja 34) England’s understandable desire to protect their fast bowlers means Shoaib Bashir has had some extremely sour overs to bowl in the last few months. There was the third Test in New Zealand as well, when the home side led by something like 48,000 when they declared.
Gill sweeps him for four more to move to 393 runs in the match. I said to Steve Stone: before this series, some people thought he was a potential weak link!
“Hello Rob,” says Tim Sanders. “I think India might just be ensuring a half-decent rest for their bowlers, alongside applying a little of the Waughian psychology. Going too hard this afternoon and evening might set a higher target, but they might not want to risk losing wickets too soon, and prefer to accelerate in the evening session. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of recovery for weary legs and bodies. Stuart Broad, quoted in the 61st over, always seemed to appreciate it, prior to his move to the commentary box.”
Yes that’s a very good point. I suspect they also like the idea of England starting their innings later in the day. There’s something about mini-sessions in the evening that increases the pressure, plus the batters are often frazzled after a day in the field.
70th over: India 331-4 (Gill 119, Jadeja 33) Chris Woakes draws the short straw and is invited to bowl one of the more futile spells of his proud career. Gill belts 14 from his first three deliveries, the highlight an almost mishit six over long on.
After a couple of singles, Gill steals a second run off the last ball to make it 18 from the over. This is declaration batting.
69th over: India 313-4 (Gill 102, Jadeja 32) Shoaib Bashir continues after the break. Ravindra Jadeja, strokeless in the afternoon, belts his first ball of the evening session over long for six. And why not. India’s lead clicks up to 393.
Teatime reading
“I was thinking the opposite to Geoff Wignall (65th over),” says Robert Ellson. “Seems like India want to put a run-chase beyond even the Bazballers’ grasp, thereby forcing England into a defensive batting mode they are far from comfortable with. Doesn’t seem like the worst plan to me.”
Yas on the Wisden podcast has been advocating that approach – “to call England out on their bee ess”.
I love this England team with most of my heart, but if they try to win this game it’ll be an insult. Mind you, they literally haven’t tried to bat for a draw since the Sydney Test of 2021-22*, so don’t rule out a spectacular malfunction. This isn’t a computer game, you can’t just press a button for a different batting mode.
* Only three of that team are playing in this game: Crawley, Root and Stokes
Tea
68th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Jadeja (25 from 68 balls) plays out a maiden from Bashir to compete a slightly strange session in which India’s batting was less crescendo and more diminuendo. Still, they lead by 484 runs and their captain has just made history by becoming the first man to score a double century and a century in a Test against England.
Another century for Shubman Gill
67th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Gill works Bashir into the leg side, sprints down the other end and raises his arms in delight. This is about as good as batting gets: 269 in the first innings and now a 129-ball hundred in the second. Not just that, but he has been in almost total control throughout both knocks.
Sometimes, when you watch a brilliant performance, you don’t quite know how it will settle historically. But it’s probably safe to say that the start to Gill’s captaincy will be talked until the end of time, or at least the end of cricket.
66th over: India 302-4 (Gill 99, Jadeja 24) Gill drives Root gently to long on to move to 99. Root then gets one to spit violently out of the rough to Jadeja. Too wide to cause any trouble but, as Nasser Hussain points out on Sky, Jadeja will be spinning it into the left-handers from that same rough.
65th over: India 300-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 23) Jadeja turns Bashir off the pads for a single to bring up the 300. Gill has one ball to reach his hundred; he flicks it along the ground to midwicket.
“Why such mystification among the commentariat about the Indian approach?” says Geoff Wignall. “Surely they want England to believe they have a gettable target in the time available, to dissuade them from playing for the draw: not that they take much dissuading. So 500 in four sessions would sound about right.”
I’m not sure. If that’s the case, why not make it 530 in four-and-a-bit sessions, in case you need that bit to take the ninth and tenth wickets? That said, I’m certain this is part of India’s plan because Jadeja is nobody’s eejit. I’m just not sure what that plan is.
64th over: India 299-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 22) “Given, as you say, the old ball’s done nowt this Test, surely the plan is to declare with 15 overs or so to bowl this evening?” says Nick Wilsher. “You get a second go with a new-ish ball and rested opening bowlers tomorrow morning, and a new ball early in tomorrow’s evening session if you need it. In which case, Jadeja diligently batting time makes complete sense. The runs are immaterial.”
Personally I wouldn’t go that far. You can still take wickets with the ageing ball, especially tailenders, so the more overs India have in the field the better. But I’m sure there is an element of mental disintegration about all this, with time rather than runs the disintegrator of choice on this occasoin.
63rd over: India 296-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 20) Bashir drops short and is cracked through the covers for four by Jadeja. That’s his first boundary from his 47th delivery. India lead by 476.
62nd over: India 289-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 13) Joe Root replaces Stokes and is swept lazily over backward square for four by Gill, another beautiful shot. He steals a second run to move to 97, though he would probably have been out with a direct hit from Crawley in the deep.
