India tour of Eng, June 20 - Aug 4

[Arthur Crabtree]

Need to get the nightwatcher quickly and get another top order batter in tonight.

Wonder if India will be calling for the physio?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might get a runout with Rahul trying to protect the tail ender...

[Arthur Crabtree]

England didn't want to take a minute out of the game with a dud referral, but close. And England can't complain if India send on the physio!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Everyone knows that if the nightwatcher gets through to the close, he ends up getting a 50 the next day.

[Arthur Crabtree]

But he doesn't get there. Bowled!

[sussexpob]

Crazy to send the night watchman out now. Freebie

Just stupid. Why do teams still do it?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe they didn't want Pant playing risky shots.

He's going to be the key. If he gets in, England will have many fewer deliveries to take the wickets.

But England at least challenging.

[backfootpunch]

Crazy to send the night watchman out now. Freebie

You could say they have no balls

[sussexpob]

Indian media wasn't happy about the umpiring in the first couple of days, I reckon after today Paul Reiffel has to be careful he does fall out a window like Russian billionaires tend to do. I said earlier while it was going on, the Pope lbw was an inexplicably poor decision (and joked the 3rd umpire should give the umpire out as well), but that Gill one is unforgivable. Its not anywhere near the bat at all, its a horror decision the likes of which I cant remember since Flintoff was given out in 2004 in NZ. Its hard to justify this, especially when Reiffel rejected about 20 lbw appeals in the India innings that would have been given out umpires call, then got trigger happy with something nowhere near out.

In this test, India have 5 umpire decisions against them overturned.... England none. A couple of these are simply not explainable. And while we don't have a measure of it in stats, it just appeared all test that India have had every single umpires call given not out, and overturned 5 successfully that went against them when not.

I guess you can sum up the sheer amount of rejected lbw decisions on the fact that in a test India bowled more batsman from one team than anytime in a test since 1877, only one lbw has been registered, and that was an overturn on a ball hitting middle stump 2/3rds of the way up. Seems when the ball missed bat and pad, it hits stumps... when it only hits the pad, Paul Reiffel has decided everytime it would not. Considering even before today India's press are raging about Reifell, including Anil Kumble who went on the attack yesterday, I wouldnt be surprised if the BBCI made sure the only way he's ever at a test match again is as a tourist.

And tbf, after that Gill decision I think that is a good thing

[Durhamfootman]

Is it going to rain tomorrow? Supposed to be a lot of rain floating about up here

[Arthur Crabtree]

Scorchio.

[alfie]

Might be a pretty exciting last day , eh ?

Of course , Pant could blast India to victory in an hour ; but with the pitch playing up quite a bit yesterday and quite likely to be trickier today an early wicket or two would have the dressing room spooked . Rahul's calmness might be key (England would regret the Woakes drop !) but they have some depth with the all rounders - especially Jadeja.

A lot depends on England's bowlers turning up. Carse was excellent last night , as was Stokes ; but the other two need to lift. Archer has the skills but his length was way off in that spell and to justify all the hype he would want to hit the wickets column rather than just the speed gun. And Woakes (a fading light ?) hopefully has a good controlled spell in him...not sure how Bashir will handle the last day pressure but he should at least get some assistance from the surface.

Should be an early night for me either way : 135 runs or 6 wickets. Nothing like Test Cricket...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Slightly cooler today, and some clouds. But still sunny.

[sussexpob]

Surely you start with Carse this morning?

[sussexpob]

Pant castled by Archer...didn't look comfortable Pant, could barely hold the bat this morning.

England huge favourites now