India in England Aug-Sep 2021 (& July 2022)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Mo goes. Handy lower order innings.

Curran is a good bat to come in at eight.

[Arthur Crabtree]

150 up for Root. Others just getting starts really.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Curran is a good bat to come in at eight.

First baller!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Curran is a good bat to come in at eight.

First baller!

Only the second in the innings.

[Durhamfootman]

you should know better than to say stuff out loud

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think I sawed him off in the first Test too.

[Durhamfootman]

6pm and still 10 overs to bowl

India doing an 'England'

[Durhamfootman]

Run outs really irritate me

so unnecessary.

[Gingerfinch]

Run outs really irritate me

so unnecessary.

Might be a blessing if India go back in tonight?

[Gingerfinch]

Aah looks like stumps.

[Arthur Crabtree]

About level pegging again.

40 overs of spin so far, and no wickets.

[alfie]

Another good day of Test Cricket...

Root supreme - wonderful innings. Lot of credit to YJB for his innings too - and Siraj (for all his irritating theatrics) gave a wholehearted effort to keep India in it when it looked as if England were headed for a substantial lead.

Pitch still good so arguably the draw is favourite ? But both these batting line-ups are fragile so anything could happen. England might just fancy their chances if they can get Rohit and Rahul out for a change...

[Durhamfootman]

I'm slightly disappointed that, having got so close to India's total with only 5 wickets down, they only managed a 27 run lead, but I'm being picky.... they ended up with 120 more runs than I thought they were capable of thanks to honest Joe, who is excelling himself and just about keeping his side in the series with only Anderson for company

[bigfluffylemon]

6pm and still 10 overs to bowl

India doing an 'England'

Both teams were docked test championship points at TB for slow over rate...

[alfie]

I'm slightly disappointed that, having got so close to India's total with only 5 wickets down, they only managed a 27 run lead, but I'm being picky.... they ended up with 120 more runs than I thought they were capable of thanks to honest Joe, who is excelling himself and just about keeping his side in the series with only Anderson for company

Yes fair to say England - who obviously prioritized batting the day out - would have wanted to be a few more runs on and preferably batting on with a couple of wickets in hand , if only to annoy India. But as you say : for this , shall we say , "as yet underwhelming" batting group to have made close to 400 against a very good Indian attack is a very decent effort.

I honestly feared after day one that they weren't going to be at the races with India in this series. Still might struggle : but the last couple of days have raised hopes that they might yet make a real contest of it all - especially if Jimmy and Joe can find a bit more aid from the ranks. I wouldn't say they are in a particularly powerful position in this match as the lead is minimal ; but a couple of early wickets on Sunday might put India under a bit of pressure given their rather flimsy late order. Would be a very good day for the likes of Wood and Curran to find some magic...

By the way : for once I got a chuckle instead of annoyance out of a pitch trespasser . That "Jarvo" who came on with the Indian fielders after the interval , quite well kitted out as one of them , and chatted with them for a few moments before being escorted off , was a cut above the usual pest. I hope his fine doesn't cripple him (and also that it ends up going to the Ruth Strauss fund)