Summing up
Well it turned alright, and India’s attack was better able to make hay than England’s was, as we suspected it would be. The tourists batted well in patches, notably at the very start and in Ben Stokes’s characteristically smart yet belligerent innings alongside some decent tailend hitting, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling 76 not out has put India firmly in control. Thanks as ever for all your splendid emails, and I’ll leave you with Ali Martin’s report from Hyderabad. The OBO will be back in the early hours tomorrow. Bye.
Ben Duckett speaks, and echoes the view at tea that England had managed a competitive total. “Normally when you bat first you want to make a few more but on that pitch it was pretty tricky. We always try to be positive against the new ball but even more so today before the spinners get on top, but I thought [India] played really well in the end there. But if we get a couple of early wickets tomorrow we’ve got a chance – I can’t see the pitch getting any better to bat on.”
Duckett backed his teammate Tom Hartley who had a mixed first day. “It was incredible to see how he went out and batted. Then they put him under pressure [when he bowled] and played him really well, though he came close to getting a coouple of poles later on.”
Ravi Ashwin speaks, on a day he described as “pretty interesting … in the first session, there was a bit of moisture in the pitch, which gave it speed but then it spun and slowed – so you needed to mix your pace up and be consistent.
“We thought 246 was a very competitive [England] total when we left the field, 30 or 40 runs more than what we’d have liked but I think someone going along and making a 100 tomorrow should put us in the driving seat.” That someone could well be Yashavsi Jaiswal, upon whom Ashwin piles praise. “The good thing about these young cricketers is they dosn’t have baggage – it’s a glood thing about the system, and he’s done well in the IPL and taken to Test cricket like a fish to water. He has a wonderful carefree approach.”
As for his own three-wicket performance, taking the vital early wickets that defined the day, he felt the benefits of his different approach to the crease: “It creates a different arc and trajectory for different batman and I would say it went pretty well today.”
Just another normal one for yer modern Test cricket then – 365 runs, 11 wickets on day one. England face a long day in the field tomorrow.
Stumps, India 119-1 in reply to England's 246
23rd over: India 119-1 (Jaiswal 76, Gill 14). Rehan hasn’t bowled many bad balls so far, but here’s one – low full toss, belted for four past long-on by Gill. An expansive swipee through the covers by Jaiswal looks destined to bring four more until a sprawling Wood cuts it off magnificently. The last ball of the day is flicked away on the legside for a single by India’s batter of the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who closes on 76. That’s stumps, and India’s day pretty emphatically in the end.
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22nd over: India 111-1 (Jaiswal 73, Gill 9). Leach does find some turn now, with a ripper past Gill’s outside edge. And another that jags in a bit.
“‘What goes on the OBO stays on the OBO’? Not always,” writes John Starbuck. “In the highly unlikely situation where England win this series handsomely, and there are a few controversial incidents, there could be a book published including OBO contributions from readers. It’s happened before, though admittedly only in the case of the Ashes. A putative title: The Raging Bunsen?” I like it, though I might go for Is It Ok To Pray That No Clown Jinxes It? as the title.
21st over: India 110-1 (Jaiswal 73, Gill 7). Rehan pushes one down quicker outside off against an advancing Jaiswal, who has to dig it out awkwardly. But there’s nothing awkward about how he deals with the next ball – he scoops is straight down into the ground and into the crowd for SIX.
20th over: India 103-1 (Jaiswal 67, Gill 7). Hartley is hooked from the attack after nine overs for 63 – he must be knackered – and Leach changes ends to come on in his stead. Gill is defensive and cautious, which earns the scorn of Kevin Pietersen in the commentary box, but Leach isn’t giving him much room to be fair. The floodlights are on – it’s about 4.35 in Hyderabad – and we reckon three more overs will follow today.
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19th over: India 101-1 (Jaiswal 66, Gill 6). A bowlng change! Rehan Ahmed replaces Leach for his second taste of subcontinental Test cricket after his successful debut in Pakistan last winter. Jaiswal milks him for one to deep square leg when he drops a fraction short. There’s some turn though, and he has a half-hearted leg-before shout when he turns one in on Jaiswal, who responds next ball with a brilliantly read and executed inside-out cover drive for four. That was a decent first over though from Rehan, if expensive, as most have been in this innings.
18th over: India 94-1 (Jaiswal 60, Gill 5). Jaiswal decides it’s time to take the fight to Hartley again, clobbering him mercilessly through midwicket first for four, then for one. The bowler drops short for the first time in a while, and Gill cashes in with two on the legside.
Summary
17th over: India 87-1 (Jaiswal 55, Gill 3). More tight, unspectacular stuff from Leach, and a second consecutive maiden. “Shall we agree on a decent deal for you to go back and delete my earlier mail (3rd over),” pleads Krishna Moorthy. I wouldn’t worry – it’s all digital chip wrappings by now. We’ll say no more of it though; what goes on the OBO stays on the OBO.
16th over: India 87-1 (Jaiswal 55, Gill 3). Hartley’s first no-ball is greeted by whoops from the crowd as if expecting a free hit, an implicit acknowledgment of how white-ball heavy the game’s schedule now is perhaps? But the debutant has a panoply of close fielders in now, and Gill is watchful. Hartley is bowling well at the right-handers now.
15th over: India 84-1 (Jaiswal 54, Gill 2). Leach nearly topples Gill’s off-stump after a risky leave from the batter. He’ll never be an extravagant spinner of the ball, Leach, but he’s putting it in the right areas at the moment to at least stem the flow of runs and change the mood. A rare maiden.
14th over: India 84-1 (Jaiswal 54, Gill 2). Stokes continues to show faith in Hartley, whose previous over was his best, and he has a BIG shout for lbw or a caught behind against Gill, which looks far worthier of review than the previous two. Stokes thinks so too. But he’s wrong, as am I. It cannoned of both pads, and there’s no dice on lbw either – it’s going over. England have no reviews left. On the plus side, Hartley seems to have settled and has hit a nice rhythm.
13th over: India 82-1 (Jaiswal 53, Gill 1). Leach breaks the partnership, dismissing a toe-ending Rohit for the fifth time. In comes the similarly expansive Shubman Gill, who’s off the mark with a flicked single straight away. The crowd is suddenly much quieter. That was a fine over from Leach.
“I have some sympathy for Tom Hartley’s baptism of fire,” writes showbizguru (not his real name). “My son Conor is in the crowd on his first solo tour as an England supporter. Welcome to India son.” Looks as if he’ll have plenty of time for sightseeing on Sunday and Monday.
Wicket! Rohit c Stokes b Leach 24, India 80-1
A breakthrough! Dear Lord, England needed that. Rohit advances, goes for the straight six, doesn’t fully get hold of it and who else is underneath it but the England captain.
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12th over: India 80-0 (Jaiswal 52, Rohit 24). Jaiswal, like so many up and coming cricketers, has played far more T20 cricket than red-ball stuff, and it’s shown here, in a good way. He brings up his 50 in only the 12th over with a forceful pull through midwicket off the beleaguered Hartley. But the spinner does respond – ragging two cracking deliveries past Rohit’s outside edge, the second of which is reviewed by England. It looks an over-optimistic call, a verdict confirmed by ultra-edge, and England have burned two reviews already. Hartley can take heart though – he’s bowled a couple of balls with wicket-taking potential now.
11th over: India 73-0 (Jaiswal 47, Rohit 23). After a rare sequence of four consecutive dot balls, Jaiswal flays Leach through the offside for four; it turned plenty but was readable, and treated thus.
“Greetings from the stadium here in Hyderabad,” cheers Praneet Bvn, “great atmosphere and fair bit of English support as well! Although it looks like India is playing bazball better than England. Anderson is a big miss he is someone who can take the pitch out of the question and bowl wicket taking balls especially with Root being a handy spinner.” Indeed, and he’s thrived in Indian conditions before.
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10th over: India 68-0 (Jaiswal 42, Rohit 23). Stokes persists with Hartley for a fifth over, and the glut continues with Rohit sweeping a ball aimed at middle stump to the square leg boundary for four. But then – behold! – Hartley locates a demon in the pitch, and jags one sharply off the surface into Rohit’s gloves. Better, but definitely no cigar.
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9th over: India 63-0 (Jaiswal 41, Rohit 19). India may be more watchful against Leach but class and flair will always find a way as Rohit unfurls a lovely back-foot punch through the offside for four. Two more follow in similar fashion. As worrying for England as the flow of runs is the lack of pressure; they don’t look like taking a wicket. Where is that raging turner on which we were salivating a couple of hours ago?
8th over: India 56-0 (Jaiswal 40, Rohit 13). More toil for Hartley – a wide one in the slot is clobbered through the covers for four by Jaiswal, who picks up two more with a cut behind square. Good running. The worry from an English point of view is, if you were to compile a composite best XI from these two fine sides, would there be a single England bowler in it?
7th over: India 51-0 (Jaiswal 35, Rohit 13). A couple of singles take India to 50 already, but India are far more respectful towards Leach, who isn’t finding demons in the pitch but is accurate enough.
6th over: India 48-0 (Jaiswal 33, Rohit 12). Jaiswal continues to take on Hartley, creaming a drive through the covers for another four. The rest of the over is tighter, though, until – it never rains but it pours – Rohit flicks the last ball of it effortlessly through midwicket for four. That England total doesn’t look so clever now. India have already avoided the follow-on.
Tom Hartley may want to console himself that he isn’t the first bowler to have his first ball in Tests hit for six. It happened to Sohag Gazi, a Bangladesh off-spinner against Chris Gayle in 2012.
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5th over: India 35-0 (Jaiswal 28, Rohit 8). An early bowling change, with Leach on for Wood, and it’s better, without really troubling the batters. Rohit punches through the offside with perfect timing to pick up three. I’ve not really seen Jaiswal before, but in only his fifth Test he looks the real deal.
“With a decade of experience finding commentry options in Sweden,” writes Kennedy Lembke-Ross. “I would say that unless you have a decent (read paid for) VPN Smylers will want to go straight to Guerilla cricket and do not pass Go.”
4th over: India 35-0 (Jaiswal 27, Rohit 5). Hartley has a long conflab with Stokes about his field before beginning his second over, but, despite the close fielders in, Rohit manages to nudge wide of short leg to the boundary, but Crawley cuts it off at fine leg. They run three. Then Jaiswal punishes a short ball with a dismissive pull square for four. Ouch. Jaiswal gets four more with a classy cover drive off a wider, flighted ball outside off. This has been a Bazball-esque start from India, and a difficult one for Hartley.
3rd over: India 22-0 (Jaiswal 18, Rohit 1). Wood hasn’t quite found his groove, straying to leg again against the left-hander but it still earns him an opportunity when England review for a catch behind when an attempted pull is misplayed by Jaiswal. Has he been strangled down leg? No, ultra-edge shows not the remotest blemish, and England lose a review in the third over. Better from Wood when he slants across the left-handed Jaiswal, who leaves a tricky one judiciously, before ducking out of the first bouncer of the innings. Which, harshly, is called wide. As is the next, near-identical, delivery. It’s not a bowler’s game any more is it?
“246 is a respectable score knowing that 8 wickets have fallen to the spinners,” reckons friend of the OBO Krishana Moorthy, writing before this innings began. “And a scan/ X-ray of stokes is bound to reveal cogs, gears, ice in veins. What a player!”
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2nd over: India 19-0 (Jaiswal 18, Rohit 0). Baptism of fire time: Tom Hartley, on debut, gets the new ball. And his welcome is chastening – in the slot and hoiked over deep midwicket for SIX. Another SIX over square leg from a full-ish ball follows later in the over. The rest of it is OK though, showcasing some variety and drift, but that was a hell of a sobering introduction. And we’ve not even seen Rohit yet.
“Anybody know of online radio commentary that works in Sweden?” asks Smylers. “I’m not actually in Sweden, but ‑ much more mundanely ‑ on a train in the UK. But the train’s wifi is seemingly from a Swedish provider, which is making TalkSport’s website think I’m in Sweden and so is declining to let me listen.” Over to you, OBO hivemind.
1st over: India 7-0 (Jaiswal 6, Rohit 0). Mark Wood, the lone seamer, gets first use of the new ball. The start is delayed by a lone pitch invader in a Kohli shirt – ? – but it’s not a good start from the bowler, who strays down leg and Jaiswal flicks it off his thigh effortlessly for four to the square leg boundary. Two in the same area ensue as Wood just struggles initially to locate his radar. The hitherto muted Barmy Army up their song levels to try to inspire him, and he responds with a shorter, sharper lifter outside off that Jaiswal has to let through to the keeper. Then, an energetic appeal from a decent inswinger at the pads, but it’s going down leg and the batters run a leg-bye.
So, all eyes now on England’s intensely spin-heavy but experience-light attack. Will they thrive on this bunsen? Or will we be pining for Jimmy within a few overs?
And here’s a revealing stat:
Discounting negligible efforts, 4.88 is Ravindra Jadeja's highest economy rate in a Test match ... excellent proactivity from England against a master of asphyxiation https://t.co/ReQRbiwTyo
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) January 25, 2024
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64.3 overs: England 246 all out (Leach 0*) Bumrah fizzes a beauty in at Stokes’s bat handle but such is the current momentum that it’s edged past the keeper for four. Stokes isn’t thinking of running singles despite the ample opportunities created for them by India’s field placings. But that momentum swings back to India when Bumrah bowls Stokes with a beauty, sparking delirium in the crowd.
It ends another fine trademark innings from Stokes, the acceptable face of alpha-masculinity, and though India will be more than happy after losing the toss, England have something to work with here. A handy tail-end effort has helped too.
Wicket! Stokes b Bumrah 70, England 246 all out
Great bowler cleans up great batsman. This is why we watch. Bumrah finds a fierce jag off the seam, it zips past Stoke’s outside edge and rattles the timber.
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64th over: England 242-9 (Stokes 66, Leach 0) Stokes survives a half-hearted lbw appeal from Ashwin before creaming a gorgeous lofted SIX straight down the ground. The bowler comes back hard with a wonderful delivery that deceives Stokes totally and the umpire’s review it for a stumping. But Stokes deftly kept his feet grounded. No dice for India, and more satisfaction for England as Stokes yet again gets a single off the last ball of the over to keep the strike.
“Re: three tests minimum,” continues Steve Hoare, calling for direct action. “Thanks for the vote of confidence but where’s the campaign? Rally the troops! Lay siege to the ICC HQ! Occupy the Long Room! Get a pissed up Barmy Army foot-soldier to streak across the square with ‘3’ tattooed on each buttock! Sorry, I know the actual action has got exciting but this is important, right?”
It genuinely is. As soon as this pub closes, the revolution starts.
63rd over: England 235-9 (Stokes 59, Leach 0) A change of pace for this feted last-wicket pair, as back comes Bumrah, who beats Stokes outside off with a scrambled-seam beauty. The England captain is forced to be respectful – this was a good captaincy decision by Rohit – but manages to bunt a single off a full toss with the last ball of the over to keep the strike, which is just the ticket.
“It’s a shame Hartley that wasn’t dismissed (fly) fishing outside his off stump,” honks Niall Mullen, showing his/our age, and conforming to every demographic stereotype of OBO readers, writers and indeed UK Test cricket lovers in general.
62nd over: England 234-9 (Stokes 58, Leach 0) Ashwin, round the wicket at the right-hander, fancies an lbw against a reverse-sweeping Wood, and reviews – India’s last. It’s squandered, as it was pitching outside leg. But where reviews fail, accurate spin bowling succeeds and Wood is castled the very next ball. Close fielders are up now alright, for Leach, but he plays it out.
Wicket! Wood b Ashwin 11, England 234-9
Wood tries to hit, Ashwin’s turned it in a fraction. Down goes off-stump. The Leach-Stokes partnership is go.
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61st over: England 233-8 (Stokes 57, Wood 11) Where would we be without Ben Stokes? India push most of their fielders out to the boundary for Jadeja, which serves as an invitation to Stokes to clear them, which hed does with a firm SIX down the ground to bring up another fine 50. Then … SIX MORE, this a trademark heave over square leg. I would say this is extraordinary but it’s pretty much standard-issue Stokes, this. We’re seeing some Bazball in India now alright.
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60th over: England 220-8 (Stokes 44, Wood 11) We go again then, with 31 overs still scheduled to be bowled, quite a tardy over rate given that we’ve had only 11 overs of pace today. And spin continues now, with Ashwin, who induces a rash attempted drive from Stokes straight away, and he edges it at Bharat’s gloves but it doesn’t stick. Technically, that’s a chance. Not easy, but takeable. Wood rounds off the over by becoming the latest lower-order batter to hit double figures with a cleanly struck drive on the off for four.
“I really enjoyed that innings from Hartley. The way he batted reminded me of a young Stuart Broad,” cheers Ollie Benson.
On other channels: West Indies are toiling on against Australia in the day-nighter at Brisbane.
And staying in Australia …
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“Greetings from a rather gloomy Naples,” humble-brags Colum Fordham. “On the subject of gloom, I can’t say I had high hopes of England success and so I wasn’t surprised to wake up to 142-6 and the usual death of our batters to the spin triplets Ashwin, Jadeja and Patel. But I have to say that seeing Stokes playing intelligently and the potential of a rearguard action from Mark Wood gives me some reason for cheer. Not to mention Hartley’s brave knock.” Yep, agree with that too; as did Rob earlier. And are we ever wrong?
Anyway, just off to forage for breakfast. Back for the evening session soon.
Tea, England 215-8
59th over: England 215-8 (Stokes 43, Wood 7) Jadeja produces a better over, and jags a beauty past Wood’s outside edge. The batter has no choice but to be circumspect – playing for tea, even, because that’s where we now are. The end of a pretty entertaining session, all told – 107 runs, five wickets. You’d say India are on top but England have some potentially handy runs to play with.
58th over: England 215-8 (Stokes 43, Wood 7) Wood’s never been afraid of world-class bowlers, and sure enough he backs away and clatters Ashwin through extra-cover for four more. He even knows how to pick the carrom ball, playing late and carving away on the off for one.
57th over: England 210-8 (Stokes 43, Wood 2) Jadeja appeals forcefully for lbw against Stokes – India review, but there’s been a slight bit of bat on it. Stokes celebrates the reprieve with a crisp straight drive for four, and a rather less elegant edged slog to square leg for four more. A third boundary of the over lightens the tourists’ mood further. England arepast 200, and this score might have its uses.
“It’s great to have Test cricket back,” writes Steve Hoare. “A five test series - proper test cricket. Can we start a campaign to ban two-test series? They’re so pointless. Three tests minimum. Even vs Ireland etc.” Totally agree, though some Irish readers might bristle at the “even” before Ireland there – three-Test series for all, as a minimum, should be the norm.
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56th over: England 196-8 (Stokes 30, Wood 1) “In life you always want more,” philosophises an ever-demanding KP on comms. Stokes adds a single off Ashwin before the habitually belligerent Wood gets off the mark with a thumping drive for one. Stokes adds one more to round off a quieter over.
55th over: England 193-8 (Stokes 28) On the charge! Stokes gets forwards, meets it on the bounce and reverse-sweeps for four again. He adds a single – no need to strike-farm with Hartley – and the No 9 sweeps a rare poor long-hop for two more. There’s been a palpable mood shift in the past 15 minutes. And as I write that, Hartley is bowled. Jonah! Sorry.
Wicket! Hartley b Jadeja 23, England 193-8
I’d just written a load of stuff about momentum shifting, thereby jinxing it, as Harley tries to slog Jadeja when the slog wasn’t really on. And he hears the rattle of middle stump behind him. A useful knock though from the Lancs man.
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54th over: England 184-7 (Stokes 22, Hartley 20) England may be up against it but this pair don’t look overawed (not that you’d ever expect Stokes to be). Two singles and a two are added before Hartley gets the first SIX of the match with an almighty sweep over the square-leg boundary. He’s got the vibe alright and has almost caught up with his captain. England suddenly rattling along.
53rd over: England 174-7 (Stokes 21, Hartley 11) Bumrah’s brief but brilliant spell is ended and back comes Jadeja. He turns one sharply into Hartley’s pads and it deflects down to the ropes for what I thought was four leg-byes but did in fact tickle the bat so Hartley’s in double figures. Then Stokes does unleash, picking up his first boundary with an audacious but perfectly executed reverse-sweep square for four. Nine from the over.
52nd over: England 165-7 (Stokes 17, Hartley 6) Ashwin is close to lbw and caught-behind shouts when he bamboozles Hartley in various ways. The debutant comes back at him with a clout to long-on for one that’s the only scoring shot of the over.
51st over: England 164-7 (Stokes 17, Hartley 5) We’re seeing Sensible Mode Stokes out there at present – he’s not found the boundary yet, and he picks up another single with a dab to third man off Bumrah. Hartley’s approach is different – he’s trying to hit the ball hard, and picks up single with a firm drive to mid-off. Stokes aims for that boundary with an emphatically classy square cut for two, which would have been four but for excellent fielding in the deep by the old warhorse Jadeja.
50th over: England 160-7 (Stokes 14, Hartley 4) Stokes is key now; he needs to stay out there but he’s going to be the main source of runs now, be they nurdled or slogged. Talking of Slogging, Tom Hartley’s first runs in Test cricket come with a bold belt of Ashwin to the long-on boundary for four. The lad’s read the memo alright.
49th over: England 155-7 (Stokes 13, Hartley 0) Stokes plays Bumrah late and with good hands to steer a single towards third man. Then Rehan is done like a kipper by a slower ball that nips back to end his cameo. Another inexperienced man, the debutant Hartley, comes in and is greeted by a wide wayward ball down leg. Then Bumrah signs off an excellent over by cutting Hartley in half. Whoever you support, you could watch this man bowl all day.
Wicket! Rehan c Bahrat b Bumrah 13, England 155-7
Brilliant bowling, as per, from Bumrah. The paceman deceives Rehan with a slower ball that jags back in off the surface. Rehan, who’d already committed to the shot, is powerless to prevent it nicking his inside-edge and sailing through to the keeper. The umpires have a check but there’s a definite nick and carry.
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48th over: England 154-6 (Stokes 12, Rehan 13) Ashwin takes a punt on an lbw appeal against Rehan, but he’d taken a big stride down the pitch. Then the teenager decides to go Bazball against an all-time great, swiping an on-drive just over the man at mid-off for four. Ashwin comes back at him with a beauty ripped past off but Rehan wants to be positive/a risk-taker. That was a fun over.
47th over: England 150-6 (Stokes 12, Rehan 9) It may be a spinner’s paradise but there’s always time for a bit of Bumrah, so India’s pace magician returns. He still manages to find some speed and carry, as well as the accuracy you’d expect. Stokes clips him to square leg for a single and Rehan, who’s looked composed so far, picks up a boundary courtesy of some comedy-overthrow farce. No one backing up properly after he dug out an attempted yorker towards deep square leg for two. It became five rather than siz, because the batters hadn’t crossed at the time the ball was thrown.
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46th over: England 144-6 (Stokes 11, Rehan 4) Thanks Rob. Morning/afternoon everyone. Well, they said it would turn from day one – and boy has it turned. Ashwin gets us back under way, and Rehan smartly cuts in front of square for one. Stokes adds another with a serene drive to long-off.
Proper Old School Test Cricket In India, this. I approve, even while fearing that a third Test involving India in a row is not going to see even a fourth day, let alone a fifth.
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45th over: England 142-6 (Stokes 10, Rehan 3) Apologies, India are racing through the overs and I missed one. England have got stuck, with only 11 runs scored in the last seven overs. That’s drinks, and time for me to hand over to the brilliant Tom Davies for the rest of the day. Bye!
43rd over: England 137-6 (Stokes 8, Rehan 0) I doubt Rehan Ahmed will play too many forward defensives. Kevin Pietersen, commentating on TNT Sports, says Foakes got himself into a rut by not rotating strike.
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WICKET! England 137-6 (Foakes c Bharat b Patel 4)
The collapse is on. Foakes, having defended the straight ones solidly, instinctively feels for a sharp turner from Patel and thin-edges through to the keeper Bharat. He goes for four from 24 balls and England, who lost three wickets for five runs in the morning session, have lost three for 16 in the afternoon. Batting looks seriously tricky out there.
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42nd over: England 137-5 (Stokes 8, Foakes 4) England’s run-rate of 3.26 is their slowest in a Test innings under Stokes and McCullum. Again, that’s no criticism, but I WANT SOME BOUNDARIES WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH more a sign that they aren’t one-track ponies.
Stokes survives an LBW shout after pushing defensively outside the line at Ashwin. Unlike Duckett earlier in the day, this one was sliding down.
41st over: England 135-5 (Stokes 7, Foakes 3) Foakes inside-edges Axar for a single. That’s all England are dealing in for the time being. There were 14 fours in the first 22 overs but just two in the last 19. The net is closing.
40th over: England 133-5 (Stokes 6, Foakes 2) Ashwin comes into the attack at last. He starts with a maiden to Stokes, a man he has dismissed a record 11 times in Test cricket. Stokes, playing carefully, has 6 from 23 balls. Foakes has 2 from 11.
39th over: England 133-5 (Stokes 6, Foakes 2) “How big a spanking will it take,” says Matt Winter, “before we panic and toss Bairstow the gloves...?”
Based on Pope’s nervy cameo this morning, they’ll need to lose by an innings and two long-term injuries. Pope feels like the next cab off the rank right now.
38th over: England 131-5 (Stokes 5, Foakes 1) Still no sigh of Ashwin to Stokes. Jadeja also had a good record against him, and there are three fielders waiting for some hard-handed goodness: slip, leg slip and short leg.
Stokes tries to pull a shortish delivery that keeps low and hits him in the breadbasket. For the first time all day, England are strokeless: they’ve scored 10 from the last five overs. That’s not a criticism of Stokes and Foakes; it’s the way they play! (In Stokes’ case at the start of an innings, at least.)
I wonder how Our Kevin would bat on this pitch.
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37th over: England 128-5 (Stokes 4, Foakes 0) Ben Foakes is a fine player of spin. But like Renton’s final hits, there is spin and spin. He struggled in the 2020-21 series, though so did everybody else after the first Test.
“About to set off on a six-hour drive from Düsseldorf to Berlin,” writes Kim Thonger. “Actually make that minimum six hours because all the trains are on strike and road traffic will take up the slack. And if the German farmers kick off and start blocking autobahns, well, this series may be over before I arrive.
“I console myself with the thought that it cannot be as bad a day as the one I survived as a small boy, when a whole rain-affected day in a pacamac under the bleachers at Somerset’s annual cricket festival at Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare. My parents had accidentally (I think) locked me out so going home was not an option.”
36th over: England 125-5 (Stokes 1, Foakes 0) I was going to type ‘England are in trouble’ at the fall of Root’s wicket, almost out of habit, but I don’t know if they are. It’s very difficult to know what a par score is on a pitch that is already doing plenty.
WICKET! England 125-5 (Root c Bumrah b Jadeja 29)
Ravindra Jadeja has taken the big wicket. Root tries to sweep, as he has all day, but Jadeja’s extra bounce does for him. It loops off the top edge towards short fine leg, where Bumrah takes an easy catch.
The ball was slightly shorter as well, so maybe Root will regret playing such a premeditated stroke.
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35th over: England 125-4 (Root 28, Stokes 1) Stokes reverse sweeps Axar to get off the mark, and why not. Root, who hasn’t really attempted to dominate at any stage, sweeps a run of his own. England’s run-rate is very low for them, around 3.5 per over.
“Not familiar with the Francis version but I do recall Gates of Delirium from Relayer by Yes (minus Rick Wakeman),” writes Brian Withington. “I’m thinking you’re a bit too young for mid 70s prog rock though? Would it be feeble of me to fear that Jonny’s dismissal might usher in the same amongst the home crowd.”
You’re thinking wrong. I was one of those irritating hipster foetuses.
34th over: England 123-4 (Root 28, Stokes 0) Jadeja continues and beats Root with a couple of naughty deliveries that spit off the stumps. Root looks at the pitch, as Bairstow did when he was dismissed. Do England already have enough?
33rd over: England 121-4 (Root 26, Stokes 0) The new batter is a lean-looking Ben Stokes. He’s not always a great starter against spin, especially Ashwin, so don’t be surprised if there’s a bowling change at Jadeja’s end.
Of the four batters to fall, only Ollie Pope didn’t get a start. Ordinarily you’d criticise a team for that but on this pitch England have done well to lose only one of the top five in single figures.
WICKET! England 121-4 (Bairstow b Patel 37)
Yeah, good luck playing that. Jonny Bairstow is bowled by a jaffa from Patel that curves towards middle stump and explodes to hit the top of off. When you factor in Patel’s natural roundarm angle, that’s a crazy delivery. Bairstow played excellently to make 37 from 58 balls, but even Jonathan Marc Bairstow (2022 version) would have struggled to keep that out.
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32.3 overs: England 121-3 (Root 26, Bairstow 37) Bairstow slides desperately to make his ground after coming through for a very tight single to Jadeja. I think he’d have been out with a direct hit. Instead the ball kicked to hit the keeper Bharat nastily on the shoulder, so there’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
32nd over: England 118-3 (Root 23, Bairstow 37) A maiden from Jadeja to Bairstow, only the second of the innings.
“I’m glad they’ve made YJB a batsman, I think it’s his best position and gives the spinners the best chance because he’s lethal in the field and Foakes is the best bet behind the stumps to get those nicks and stumpings,” says Andy Bradshaw. “Also, his discharge will be on a rolling boil because of losing the gloves, and we all know a YJB with his discharge at 100°C is the best type of YJB.”
And yet today he’s been a model of serenity. There are some great insights into his character in Bazball, including a very funny bit involving his middle name. It’s a cracking book, highly recommended, which also includes the sledge of the century from Alex Lees.
31st over: England 118-3 (Root 23, Bairstow 37) Root is early on a slog-sweep at Axar and toe-ends the ball into the off side. He tries again later in the over and is beaten by the extra bounce. Axar hasn’t taken a wicket yet but he has looked the most likely to break this increasingly useful partnership.
30th over: England 117-3 (Root 23, Bairstow 36) Jasprit Bumrah is getting loose, perhaps with a view to targetting those big friendly pads of Jonny Bairstow’s. It’s been a quit start to the session, lots of low-risk singles. It’s hard to know how tricky batting is because India are allowing a few easy runs. The pitch is not a minefield, but nor is it a day-one surface.
“It’s cold and wet in Manchester, so being greeted by 108-3 when it’s turning on day one isn’t too bad,” says Guy Hornsby. “Duckett looked good, Crawley less so, but when Ashwin and Jadeja are on its hard not to get the fear really. This already feels like a 250 v 250 match, and it’s less England’s tail I fear for, but India’s tail putting on 150 when we could conjure up early wickets. I’m getting ahead of myself though, because Joe Root is in and he’s poetry.”
He is, but England would be happy with 80 pages of prose today. I actually thought Crawley looked more assured than Duckett, though I am functioning on about two hours’ sleep so I may be Francis of Delirium.
29th over: England 112-3 (Root 20, Bairstow 34) Bairstow drives a single to bring up a fine fifty partnership with his old mate Root. They’ve batted well together at Test level ever since the Headingley Test against New Zealand in 2013. I think only one non-opening pair, Sir Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen, have made more than their 12 hundred partnerships for England.
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The players are back, and Axar Patel has the ball.
Lunchtime reading
Lunch
Interesting, very interesting. That was a session of three thirds on a pitch that is already spinning. After a punchy opening partnership of 55 from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, England lost three wickets for five runs to Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. At that stage they were under serious pressure, but Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow played with calm authority to add 48 in 13 overs. Batting wasn’t easy at any stage, so England will feel they are right in the game.
28th over: England 108-3 (Root 18, Bairstow 32) Bairstow skids back to steer Jadeja past short third man for four more. He’s played very well, with a clear gameplan – mostly back foot, off side – and a strikingly calm demeanour.
There’s nothing he can do when Jadeja gets one to growl past the outside edge. India have beaten the bat maybe 20-25 times this morning but, as Kevin Pietersen says on Sky, that’s to be expected in these conditions.
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27th over: England 102-3 (Root 17, Bairstow 26) Bairstow cuts Axar for a simple single, one of two runs from the penultimate over of a thrilling morning.
26th over: England 100-3 (Root 16, Bairstow 25) Jadeja comes on for Ashwin and beats Root first up. Root then pushes a single to bring up the hundred. Some balls are turning, some aren’t, so England aren’t in a bad position at all. Not sure I can remember a first morning of a series quite like this.
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25th over: England 99-3 (Root 16, Bairstow 25) Bairstow pulls away just as Patel is about to bowl. “Some jokers behind the sightscreen,” exhales Ravi Shastri. “We need some cops with a strick.”
When Patel does bowl, Bairstow shapes to cut and is almost cleaned up by the quicker arm ball. He got his bat down in the nick of time. It’s a high-risk stroke, which exposes his stumps – but he continues to back himself and slices a boundary to third man later in the over.
24th over: England 95-3 (Root 16, Bairstow 21) Ashwin moves round the wicket to Bairstow, who drives a low-risk single to long on. Bairstow has made a serene start to the innings, a phrase I didn’t necessarily expect to be typing this morning. Ten minutes until lunch.
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23rd over: England 93-3 (Root 15, Bairstow 20) Oof. Root is beaten by a snorter from Patel, which turns and bounces extravagantly from a very wide angle around the wicket. That makes him so dangerous because it enhances the threat of the arm ball, which did so much damage when England were last in India.
In the circumstances I think this will be a good session for England if they finish three down.
22nd over: England 92-3 (Root 14, Bairstow 20) Root works Ashwin for a single to move to 14 from 19 balls. He’s so good at unobtrusive fast starts.
Bairstow doesn’t really do unobtrusive, but he is playing with a relaxed confidence. When Ashwin lets slip a low full toss, Bairstow waves him down the ground for four.
21st over: England 86-3 (Root 13, Bairstow 15) Axar took 27 wickets at 10.59 in that England series, which was his first in Test cricket. He struggled against Australia last year though, at least with the ball, so he might not be oozing confidence. Yet.
Root drags a sweep round the corner for four – “such a dangerous shot,” says Kevin Pietersen on commentary – and then pushes two to third man.
The ball is being changed. When play resumes, Axar Patel – who shredded England in 2020-21 – will come into the attack.
20th over: England 80-3 (Root 7, Bairstow 15) A quiet over from Ashwin. The commentators are discussing that LBW review against Joe Root, and whether the spike – which was more of a murmur – could have been something other than a bottom edge. There was a gap between and ball when the murmur was at its strongest, so maybe Root did get away with one. I assume it was going on to hit the stumps, though I don’t think we’ve seen the ball-tracking replay.
There’s a break in play. I think Bairstow has something in his eye, or maybe a problem with a contact lens. Does he wear lenses? It’s not important, never mind.
Would love Jonny Bairstow to get one of these on his bat pic.twitter.com/anniOfFpiz
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) January 25, 2024
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19th over: England 76-3 (Root 4, Bairstow 14) Root has made a pretty watchful start, trying to get used to the pitch. He was totally out of nick during the World Cup. No clues yet as to what kind of form he’s in now.
18th over: England 74-3 (Root 3, Bairstow 13) Ashwin is lethal in home conditions, and he’s getting better. Since the start of the decade he has 85 Test wickets at an average of 14.59. He doesn’t play much overseas any more, and he wasn’t involved when Root and Bairstow batted magnificently to help England hammer India at Edgbaston in 2022.
Bairstow is beaten twice and misses a sweep during another menacing over from Ashwin. He has figures of 5-0-8-2.
It’s sill the morning session, you know. There’s already been more incident than in the entire six-Test series of 1981-82.
17th over: England 72-3 (Root 2, Bairstow 12) Bairstow, who knows this stadium well from the IPL, skids back to force Jadeja to the cover boundary. That’s a good shot. He gets four more later in the over, cutting very late behind square. It was a risky shot but well executed.
Jonny’s bristling, of course he is, and he races into double figures with a classy cover drive for three. There is roughly 0.00 per cent chance of England going on the defensive, collapse or no collapse.
16th over: England 61-3 (Root 2, Bairstow 1) Here comes Jonny Bairstow to calm everything down.
WICKET! England 60-3 (Crawley c Siraj b Ashwin 20)
This is chaos. England have lost three wickets for five runs in 21 balls. That was an extremely good catch from Siraj, who had to swoop forward at mid-off to take it two-handed just above the ground.
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THIRD UMPIRE REVIEW FOR A CATCH AGAINST CRAWLEY
Crawley charged Ashwin and drove to mid-off, where Siraj took a low catch and raised his right hand in celebration. They’re going to check whether it carried; I think it did.
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15th over: England 60-2 (Crawley 20, Root 2) That was the last ball of the over.
“Lovely to have Test cricket back again, even if it probably won’t go well for England this series,” says Will Vignoles. “I fully expect India to win, and win comfortably, but their defensiveness about their pitches seems like a potential weakness. On a flat deck you’d expect them to pat England’s attack on the head for days, but by preparing turners it makes it much more of a lottery, as in 2012. Cut to amend getting skittled and Rohit blasting a triple I suppose.”
I think the defeat in Chennai in 2021 spooked them, and they know how dangerous this England team can be on flat pitches. Personally I think these pitches give them a better chance of crushing England, though there is already the risk of being O’Keefed. Sounds daft but England might already have a half-decent score on this pitch.
Root is not out It did hit the pad – but only after brushing the bottom-edge. It was close, though, with only a very small spike on UltraEdge.
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They’re still waiting for UltraEdge to load. I’m pretty sure Root hit the ball, so let’s all just NOT EFFING PANIC OKAY.
India review for LBW against Root!
It’s all happening. Root premeditates a sweep at Jadeja, with the ball rolling away for a couple of runs. Jadeja is insistent it hit the pad rather than the bat, and Rohit eventually goes upstairs.
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WICKET! England 58-2 (Pope c Rohit b Jadeja 1)
Ollie Pope’s jittery innings comes to an end. He pushes with stiff wrists at a good delivery from Jadeja and edges low to slip, where Rohit Sharma takes a lovely catch.
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14th over: England 58-1 (Crawley 20, Pope 1) Ashwin gets one to pop at Crawley, who pushes it not far wide of short leg at catchable height. Pope, who has started his innings on the frantic side of busy, gets off the mark with a single down the ground. This pitch is already doing plenty for the spinners.
After an unutterably tedious first hour, it’s time for drinks.
13th over: England 56-1 (Crawley 19, Pope 0) I fear a little for Pope in this series. He almost falls to Jadeja for a duck, trying to whip to leg and getting a leading edge that plops short of cover.
“This is not a question, but just sharing some experience of cricket watching I’ve been having recently,” writes Saurya Chakraborty. “I’m watching this match in Seattle with my soon to be five-year-old son, who has really picked up his interest in cricket since watching me go through a smorgasbord of emotions in the WC final. He watches every ball intently, and aske a hundred questions (why was that four, not a six? Why does he play that shot? Why is he called ‘Duckett’ etc? ) But after every over, he pointedly asks me the same series of questions. Is the batter happy? Is the bowler happy ? Is England happy? is India happy?
“I used to brush of the questions, but the happiness question I have started deep attention to now. For some reason, I feel like England are now genuinely happy, even if they go through a mini collapse from time to time. My son is bound to outgrow this phase ( if genetics has its way, he will become a taciturn, stat obsessed pessimist like his father), but I absolutely love the perspective he has brought to my cricket-watching experience.”
That’s really sweet. I can’t remember watching such a happy England team, not even in 2005 or 2019. The next few weeks will test that, though.
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12th over: England 55-1 (Crawley 18, Pope 0) That wicket was umpire’s call, which means England don’t lose a review. But worryingly for Duckett, he has fallen again to Ashwin – who now has another edible batter in his sights, Ollie Pope.
WICKET! England 55-1 (Duckett LBW b Ashwin 35)
After a couple of easy singles, Ashwin has a chat about the field with Rohit Sharma. India have gone on the defensive earlier than expected – but that will change now because Duckett has gone!
He pushed defensively outside the line of a delivery that went straight on to hit the flap of the pad. Duckett reviewed in the hope it was missing leg; it wasn’t.
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11th over: England 53-0 (Crawley 17, Duckett 34) Duckett turns Jadeja thorugh the vacant leg-slip region for a single. We’re in the first hour of the series and batting already looks treacherous against the spinners.
Crawley takes a quick single to mid-on, then Duckett premeditates a scoop for four. That’s an excellent shot, which he follows with a vigorous sweep round the corner for four more. His seventh boundary brings up a fine fifty partnership with his new mate Crawley: they’ve had a bit of luck but have played with admirable intent and imagination.
10th over: England 42-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 24) Now then, Ravichandran Ashwin to Ben Duckett, who he tormented – on less spin-friendly pitches – seven years ago. Duckett played tentatively on that occasion, paralysed by notions of how you’re supposed to bat in a Test match. Bugger that! Whatever happens in this series, there will be no more 16-ball ducks.
After a few defensive sighters, Duckett pulls out the reverse sweep. Theer’s a man out so he gets just a single.
9th over: England 41-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 23) Erm, things are about to get interesting, probably a little too interesting for England. Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack and finds some turn straight away, beating Crawley at least twice, possibly three times. It looked like a day-four pitch in that over.
8th over: England 41-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 23) That’s a really good shot from Duckett, who gets up on his toes to drive Siraj to the cover boundary. Siraj moves round the wicket in response, so Duckett drives him to the right at mid-off for four more.
This has been a dream start for England. And now the nightmare begins it’s time for spin.
“Greetings from New York City,” writes Paul Harrison. “In bed in NYC having got Covid AGAIN. So, so, so over it. Brain fog is preventing my ability to find the overseas TMS link - has anyone shared? Thanks for the company, I feel a long awful night ahead.”
I’m not 100 per cent sure but I think it’s on talkSPORT rather than TMS. It’s definitely on Guerilla Cricket; I think our old friend Gary Naylor is part of the commentary team. Also, commiserations on getting Covid again; I still haven’t had it, which given the state of my immune system is a miracle on a par with England winning this series 5-0.
WE ARE LIVE from Hyderabad for #INDvENG on @guerillacricket - England to bat.
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) January 25, 2024
Join us now at https://t.co/qpJ52ievOU,
or watch us at https://t.co/4jZ8iVVTBd
Please tweet us or message us to let us know you're views!#ENGvIND
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7th over: England 32-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 15) Duckett continues to ride his luck, playing and missing at an outswinger from Bumrah. Just a leg-bye from the over. What is this, 1963-64? (Please click the link, and go straight to Bapu Nadkrani’s bowling figures.)
6th over: England 31-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 15) Duckett, who is having a sticky patch, is beaten four times in five balls by Siraj. With one of the deliveries he pulled his bat inside the line at the last minute. I’m sure 99.94 per cent of openers would claim they weren’t playing at the ball; Duckett might be the 0.06. He prides himself on how few deliveries he leaves.
Sticky patch or not, Duckett remains full of intent. When Siraj ends an otherwise excellent over with a very wide half-volley, he lashes it through extra cover for four.
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5th over: England 26-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 11) Bumrah moves a fielder from third slip to cover, the first hint of compromise from India. He moves round the wicket to Duckett, who nails a back cut that is marvellously stopped by the diving Jadeja. That saved four runs.
Bumrah is trying to cramp Duckett for room from round the wicket – I’m surprised more people don’t try that – and he zips a good delivery past the inside edge that bounces over the stumps. One run from the over. What is this, 1981-82?
4th over: England 25-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 10) A wide length ball from Siraj is blasted through to the covers by Crawley. That’s the fifth boundary in the first four overs.
It’s so easy to forget how extraordinary it is to see an England team start a Test series – the toughest series of all, Mission: As Near Impossible as Dammit - playing so aggressively. Even if they lose 5-0 (we might as well get that in early) it’s just so refreshing.
3rd over: England 19-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 10) Duckett, aka The Man Who Didn’t Leave, chased another wide one from Bumrah and slices it uppishly through the covers for two.
A cracking yorker is dug out by Duckett, who slashes the next ball past point for his first boundary. He ends the over with a beautiful off-drive for four more.
This is great fun, with both teams trying to land haymakers from ball one. If the first 10 overs of Australia’s innings in the World Cup final was Hagler v Hearns, this isn’t far behind. Froch v Kessler maybe.
Duckett-Crawley stand now worth 19, which is higher than seven of their eight opening partnerships in the 2021 series.#INDvENG
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) January 25, 2024
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2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 0) A very eventful start from Mohammed Siraj, who concedes two boundaries in his first two balls and then beats the bat three times.
Crawley flicked the first ball, a straight half-volley, through midwicket, then followed up with a gorgeous on-drive. Siraj soon found his range, though, and Crawley played and missed at three of the last four deliveries. The first swung extravagantly from a fuller length.
There’s plenty in this for the quick bowlers – pace, bounce and swing.
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1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 0) Crawley walloped the first ball of the Ashes for four. This time he starts with a couple of careful leaves outside off stump. After four outswingers, Bumrah bowls a hooping inswinger that Crawley flicks round the corner for a single.
Duckett chases his first ball, well wide of off stump, and is beaten.
The magnificent Jasprit Bumrah (140 Test wickets at 21.21, the average of an all-time great) will open the bowling to Zak Crawley. Three slips and a gully in place – and, as far as I can tell, no deep point.
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We’re five minutes away from the first ball. Before the chaos, a moment of serenity.
Mark Ramprakash on England’s risk/reward balance
Ambassador…
Two Test matches will begin simultaneously in just under 20 minutes’ time. Australia are facing West Indies in a Brisbane day-nighter, and Jim Wallace is following that one.
And if you haven’t already, please read Jim’s piece on the remarkable story of Shamar Joseph.
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Ali Martin’s series preview
2012-13 and all that
With each passing year, this victory becomes a little more awesome.
Team news
India prefer the stump-bothering orthodoxy of Axar Patel to the wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The rest of the team is as expected, with the wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat effectively replacing Virat Kohli.
India Rohit (c), Jaiswal, Gill, Iyer, Rahul, Jadeja, Bharat (wk), Patel, Ashwin, Bumrah, Siraj.
England Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Bairstow, Stokes (c), Foakes (wk), Rehan, Hartley, Wood, Leach.
The match will be played on a Carl Showalter of a pitch: kinda funny-lookin’. It has very dry patches at each end with a bit of grass in the middle. In short, it’s going to be spin, but it might not be the vile turner England anticipated. Not on the first morning, anyway.
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England win the toss and bat
Buckle up, buttercup.
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Tom Hartley will make his England debut today. Shoaib Bashir might have joined him but for a dispiriting game of silly buggers; he will at least be available for the second Test.
So, what are we all doing at the weekend?
Early pitch look; two hours before play #hyderabad pic.twitter.com/wpdC1hB5Ir
— Mike atherton (@Athersmike) January 25, 2024
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, over-by-over coverage of the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad. Look, we probably use this phrase too often, certainly for a relatively niche cultural reference that is over 20 years old. But I promise you: this really is the real quiz.
If England can win in India, they will never know fear again. This is the toughest challenge in Test cricket, arguably in Test history. India haven’t even drawn a series at home since England won here 11 years ago, and in that time their overall record is P46 W36 D7 L3.
It’s hard enough to beat India in a two-Test series, never mind five. But England’s young bold soldiers have arrived with a smile on their face and a Sinatra song in their heart. For the first time in living memory, they will enter a Test match with no bowlers whose stock ball is between 60-90 mph. They’re certainly not going to die wondering. Good luck everyone.
The match starts at 4am GMT, 9.30 in Hyderabad.
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