India tour of Eng, June 20 - Aug 4

[Arthur Crabtree]

About the same position at lunch as the first game.

[andy]

Turn in that over from Bashir!!

Only 25 overs bowled in that first session! 98-2 at lunch

[Arthur Crabtree]

Turn in that over from Bashir!!

Shoulda picked Kuldeep!

[Durhamfootman]

25 overs

[andy]

Huge wicket! Stokes gets jaiswal for 87! Loose shot much needed wicket! 161-3

[sussexpob]

Huge wicket! Stokes gets jaiswal for 87! Loose shot much needed wicket! 161-3

I am sure that people will say that is a rubbish ball to get out to, but once again it's Stokes' ability to swing the ball both ways that does for Jaiswal. Stokes was over the wicket, bowling inswingers that straightened on a stump line to Jaiswal, he then goes the other side of the wicket and this time the angle takes it away from Jaiswal, and look at the feet and the position.... reaching at it, front foot is middle/leg. Jaiswal is anticipating the ball coming into him again, and gets in a horrible position stretching at the ball without his body in position.

Twice this series now Stokes has done that to him when he's been set at the crease. If I were Ben, I'd have a go with the new ball at him next innings. Jaiswal is showing some vulnerability to being moved around the crease with the swing.

Crap ball, but the setup is classic bowling.

[sussexpob]

Gill reaches 50. After a lot of patience, he has come down and whacked a few with authority.... after seeing off 127 balls, you get the sense he fancies this now.

Interesting session coming up. 25 ish overs to a new ball, batsman looking reasonably set..... can go either way this. If England can remove either soon, then the soft underbelly can be exposed tonight (which collapsed like a deck of cards first match)......

If this old ball and third session fatigue hit England though, a set Gill and Pant don't need long to take the game away from you in full throttle mode.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's a very handy wicket from Bashir. England chipping away and not in such a bad position.

[Arthur Crabtree]

And another from Woakesy. Get in!

Knocked over the stumps x2 today.

[sussexpob]

Collapse is on..

[sussexpob]

Not sure on what is par. India have stuck to task as well as possible, but not really got away. I have a feeling 212/5 is short of par, especially with India's non-existent late order batting......

[Arthur Crabtree]

Reddy leaving one that hits the stumps. That always feels like a bonus.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ton up for Gill. New ball available.

Maybe India's day-just- unless there's a late wicket...

[sussexpob]

Ton up for Gill. New ball available.

Maybe India's day-just- unless there's a late wicket...

Interesting innings from Gill. Had his defence tested early, and wasn't 100 percent convincing with a couple of edges landing short, and one close lbw shout. He got rattled at one point and responded with a bit of a wild hack at a shorter ball, but he you see he was visually a bit upset with himself with the stroke, and from that point got his head down and grinded out an innings.

I said first test, but he followed up....the increasing maturity in his batting choices is there. Still maybe some questions about how watertight that defensive technique is to tougher conditions, but can only score runs on the pitches you get

[sussexpob]

As for the match, England's day imo. The test strip was used in the Sussex game here, and after the new ball wears of and a little seam movement disappears, it's a pretty flat deck. We scored over 500, which felt about right.

India need at least another 100-150 I reckon. But then Carson found some turn in that game, so India might be able to limit england on day 4-5 if the spinners get help.