India tour of Eng, June 20 - Aug 4

[sussexpob]

Root now has a world record 211 catches.

That's excluding wicket keepers, right?

Yeah, not even close with keepers. Think Boucher went over 400

532 google says...

[sussexpob]

I do genuinely fear if Woakes doesn't find a way to make an impact somehow in this game, it will be the last test he plays for England. Was a lot of comments from the English press during the last game about how uncharacteristically animated he was, and while the everything positive brigade of Broad and Aggers and their like took it as a positive sign he was fired up, I don't think anyone objectively could infer anything other than the fact he was clearly starting to feel the pressure after two useless performances, and frustration was boiling over. Not started well here either, that last over can get in the bin, just filth. Looks completely out of nick and like he's wearing the weight on his shoulders.

Pace has dropped now comfortably to the medium side of medium fast, his batting has declined to the point even calling him a low order hitter would be generous, and his record away from home is abhorrent, especially in OZ where he had one of the worst statistical tours for an England player ever with bat and ball.

I expect he will be rotated after this test, and with an average of over 100 this year, inconsistent fitness reliability at the best of times, no-existent batting at 8, best part of 37 years of age, and his away record generally.... I just don't see how ends up in the Ashes squad unless he can leave this match with some lasting positive memory to give the selectors.

Come on Chris, keep at it...

[sussexpob]

Jamie Smith keeping up to Woakes.... come on Jamie, he isnt that slow now

[sussexpob]

Poor Jof looks binned after 10 overs.... So binned, the umpire must have had sympathy and let him get away with 4 bouncers in that over.

This whole bang in half trackers rubbish is annoying when England are in the field. Been movement on good lengths, why you just banging the ball in half track

Meanwhile, Gill continues to look imperious..... crackjack straight drive goes to the boundary.

[sussexpob]

Bloody hell, someone invited Andrew Strauss in the box.....

[Arthur Crabtree]

This is going to be grim.

Really need something from Bashir.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Woakesy!!

[sussexpob]

Just like that Woakes... Gill goes. Big wicket.. India in a little trouble now, another one before close and England are huge favourites

[sussexpob]

Broad launching into a monologue at the end of play about the ball changes and dukes needing to sort it out ..

Pretty sure I said broady was a visionary recently... right.

[Arthur Crabtree]

+ standing around deciding whether to review + having treatment on the outfield...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Vaughan thinks Archer is a returning all time great, an exceptional talent. He's got 41 Test wickets at 31... in 13 games over six years. Maybe he could have been a good Test bowler, but he's barely played.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Root now has a world record 211 catches.

Great catch to take the record!

[bigfluffylemon]

Root could break Dravid's catches and runs tally in the same match!

He's 70 behind Dravid and Kallis now in the all time tally, which would take him to 3rd, with Ponting another 90 ahead.

[Durhamfootman]

he's still only 34. He could play for another 5 years

[alfie]

Interestingly poised.

Think India would want a decent lead having to bat last : although it is possible this pitch will die completely , you'd expect the uneven bounce to make days 4-5 a bit tricky. Ball is 43 overs old so England have work to do to get the other seven wickets , even if the last three are rabbits. Lot depends on how the four pace men (all either possibly weary from successive games ; injury affected to some degree ; or just back in multi-day action with little preparation) come up after yesterday. Not expecting Bashir to run amok - though hopefully he might get a chance in the fourth innings ? For now , I'd settle for reasonable control to let the quicks rotate...

Saw some comments about moving Smith up the order : am with Sussex on this ... don't fix what isn't broken. He is doing exactly what they want and need at seven . Australia never moved Gilchrist up. And closer to home , England happily left Prior where he was - but arguably messed Bairstow up back around 2017/18 by pushing him up after he'd had a magic year or two at seven. Helps if Stokes can get back into serious runs , of course so pleased to see him play a solid knock this time.

Hats off to Bumrah : balls to skittle Brook Root and Stokes were rippers. Archer had no hope later

And of course good to see Archer back bowling fast and pretty accurately even if he wasn't able to add to that first wicket. Hope he can maintain himself through subsequent spells today.

Root will be disappointed not to have gone on from the 100 but as said he got a beauty. Add in his remarkable catch and it has been a couple of good days for him - record setting and all. May be on for a five-for later ?

And glad to see Woakes get a foothold in what could be a career extending effort - or the opposite - with that Big Wicket. Love it when a plan comes together...

Not going to carry on helplessly about over rates or ball changes (authorities - and umpires - seem powerless to deal with these issues ) but hope we don't have any more days as annoyingly truncated as these two !