Righto, on that note – I’m going to get out of here. Thanks for your company – lovely to see plenty of familiar names in my inbox. Again soon. Have nice days.
Updated
John Starbuck is in the building (my inbox): “If England can knock over the rest of India’s wickets before lunch tomorrow, under 400, they’ll probably reckon they are well in the game. How many for this not to happen?”
Have England lost a single first hour of the day in this series? Not many, if any. Keeping it under 400, on that basis, should be quite achievable.
So, two wickets in the final session. And both against the flow of play. Rohit, who had to rebuild the innings with Jaedja from 33-3, fell into the bouncer trap from Mark Wood when he was motoring on 131. Then poor old Sarfaraz, who looked a lock to join the select club of players to reach a ton at the first time of asking, was run out by Jadeja (via Wood’s throw) when his sole focus was completing a ton. It can’t help but take some of the gloss off the otherwise terrific work of the left-hander, who does to bed 110 not out having put on 204 with Rohit. India’s day.
STUMPS! India 326-5
86th over: India 326-5 (Jadeja 110, Kuldeep 1) “They’ve called for two, this is going to get tricky….” and the world feed drops out! We get it back in time to see they couldn’t get back for two. So, Jadeja will have to face Anderson before the close for two balls. But he didn’t worry, he clips him to the rope for four – that takes Jaedja past 3000 runs in his career. Final ball of the day. Can Anderson do something special? Three slips waiting, a short leg too… and he thrusts down to keep it out from the line of the middle stump. That’s the day done. Somehow, losing four overs despite three spinners sending down 50 overs between them. But that won’t bother Stokes, they’ve shown through their behaviour that making the WTC Final isn’t that important, otherwise they wouldn’t keep risking these point deductions.
85th over: India 321-5 (Jadeja 106, Kuldeep 0) Joe Root takes the other over with the new ball, something he did at Vizag as well. He misses his length to begin, Jadeja helping a full toss past mid-on for four – the first run since the ton. He improves from there, round the wicket, trying to threaten both edges – will we see that arm ball? The last ball is a poor one though, allowing Jadeja to take a single to keep the strike but he… elects not to. So, Kuldeep to take strike to Anderson and barring some very odd, Jadeja will be not out overnight with a ton to his name.
84th over: India 315-5 (Jadeja 100, Kuldeep 0) Nick Knight on telly is spot on – who doesn’t Kuldeep want to face? Jimmy with a new ball. He’s where he needs to be, where he always is, in that channel outside off without finding the edge. They should get two more overs in, so Anderson is likely to finish the day as well.
“During the Bazball era, Boycott’s old rule about how you should always add two wickets to the score because one wicket often buys two seems doubly applicable,” writes Tom v d Gucht. “Stokes seems to burgle wickets from thin air.” The big blow-up from Rohit in the dressing room when the run out was completed suggests he feels the same – you can’t let this England team edge their way back into the game.
And more correspondence from Tobias Hanbury. “Sarah Robinson, the first-ever female Committee Member of the Carioca Cricket Club, Rio de Janeiro’s only cricket club, has flown to Rajkot from Bangkok (where she now lives) to represent the CCC at the Test match. She is wearing a pink CCC shirt!” Love it – have a great week!
Chaos in India!
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 15, 2024
Wood hits the bullseye and Sarfaraz is run out on his debut 🎯#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/KEa8s15gvA
83rd over: India 315-5 (Jadeja 100, Kuldeep 0) Kuldeep is the nightwatchman with 13 minutes until the compulsory close of play. But it is Jadeja on strike, facing Hartley, who has replaced Wood. He knocks it around for a maiden. Between overs, England have called for the new ball with Anderson in operation. Good call.
Jadeja brings up his 4th Test ton and 2nd on his home ground
The chaotic over ends with Jadeja raising his century with a single to backward square. He knows what he’s done, the sword celebration is subdued, which is noted by cheeky Jimmy when running past. Promoted up to No5 today he had a huge job to do after they fell to 24-3 and did it splendidly with Rohit across a 204-run stand.
82nd over: India 315-5 (Jadeja 100, Kuldeep 0)
Updated
WICKET! Sarfaraz run out Wood (India 314-5)
Jadeja has waited and waited and cuts here for two, Anderson tempting him well outside off. Now a quick single…. Sarfaraz to the danger end and dives to safety. Had Crawley’s throw been on target that would’ve been interesting. Jadeja back on strike with two balls to go in the over, one to get… and he runs Sarfaraz out! DIRECT HIT! Wood pings the stumps down at mid-on. Jadeja called him through! Oh dear, the personal milestone for Jadeja on his home ground has clearly changed the way he’s played in the 90s and has now burned the bloke on debut.
Updated
81st over: India 310-4 (Jadeja 96, Sarfaraz 61) Wood is back but it’s to bowl bouncers from round the wicket to Sarfaraz rather than to take the new ball – he might be on debut but knows exactly what is coming and soaks it up. Back-to-back maidens. This was when, at Vizag, England had a good half hour to finish the day broadly in balance with six wickets. They have 20 minutes left here before cut off.
Nick Wiltsher has a return of serve for Andy Roberts. “Delighted to see that, even in retirement, Stuart Broad manages to get certain kinds of Australian (I assume) all in a tizzy about his ‘poor sportsmanship’. I assume he is accused of crossing ‘the line’, the location and nature of which is exclusively known to such Australians. Not all Australians, of course, and many supporters of other teams, too. But honestly: can we give the whinging a rest? Thanks. And thanks for all the OBO’ing.”
I get in trouble every time I talk about this, so I’m shouldering arms today!
80th over: India 310-4 (Jadeja 96, Sarfaraz 61) Anderson’s energy and speed remain, getting balls to move off the seam to Jadeja from round the wicket too. As he continues his go-slow to 100, he’s happy to absorb the dots – a rare maiden – just eight of those from the first 80. Oh, and that means the second new ball is now due.
“Frazball?” asks Max Bonnell in Sydney.
And Steve Pye, as he identifies himself, is a flat English fan. I’d balance this call against the fact that England had a very real chance to run through India are fluffed their lines. On top of that, missed two chances to get decisions overturned…
Losing the toss in India puts you on the back foot immediately. Is there perhaps an argument that both teams should have the choice of batting first in alternating Tests and maybe the final Test can be decided by a coin toss? From an already negative England fan. @collinsadam
— Steve Pye (@1980sSportsBlog) February 15, 2024
79th over: India 310-4 (Jadeja 96, Sarfaraz 61) Under the pump, Hartley bowls a beauty to Sarfaraz from round the wicket: drift, turn, bounce… but misses the edge and the off-stump. How does the man on his first day respond? By dancing at the bowler and sticking him over his head again, this time for four. This pair have put on 73 with 61 of those from the newcomer; Jadeja is a boundary away from 100.
78th over: India 306-4 (Jadeja 96, Sarfaraz 57) Anderson is back with a few overs until the second new ball and Sarfaraz just walks at him – blimey. Cuts a couple. It prompts a change, Foakes up to the stumps. Sure enough, the response from the batter is a gentle late cut for four, a stroke you seldom see with the ‘keeper back. “It looks like he’s racing Jadeja to a hundred,” notes Graeme Swann on TV. Good point.
“He does look like Rohit,” writes Arul Kanhere, “but to me he looks more like a right-handed Pant.” Pant, who they expect will be back in 2024. Great news.
Sarfaraz Khan to 50 from 48 balls!
77th over: India 299-4 (Jadeja 96, Sarfaraz 50) With complete authority, it’s Sarfaraz taking on the spin again, lofting Hartley back over his head for a triumphant SIX. Then with a turn around the corner from the next ball, he has himself the joint fastest half-century for India on debut. That’s not for nothing. Looks so good.
Andy Roberts is off the long run (hey, hey!) on the Wisden cover:
“Been enjoying the cricket until I saw the new cover of Wisden at the drinks break. I found it shocking and disheartening that Wisden would grant the honour of the cover to Stuart Broad. Yes, he was an English international player, he played for a long time and took a lot of wickets, and yes, he retired last year. But considering his incredibly poor sportsmanship after the Johnny Bairstow stumping and his part in whipping up poor crowd behaviour, I can’t see how anyone would consider him an appropriate cover choice. What makes it even more inexplicable is his consistent refusal to admit to any poor behaviour or poor sportsmanship on the part of himself, his teammates, coach or supporters. There were far more deserving players to put on the cover over the last 12 months. I would have started with Meg Lanning, who also retired after an incredible career - the difference being hers was accompanied thoroughout with incredible sportsmanship. Other great choices could have been the all-conquering Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell after his world cup heroics, or Jonathon Trott and some of his Afghanistani players. Putting Broad on there is a tacit endorsement of his consistent poor sportsmanship, and it’s disappointing to see Wisden abandoning their standards in his cause.”
For balance, I’ll add the comments from the Wisden Almanack editor, Lawrence Booth (previously of this parish, of course) on why he picked Broad:
“Stuart Broad has been on Wisden’s cover once before, but that was in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, and he was wearing a mask. This time, you can see how much he’s enjoying himself, having just removed Australia’s Travis Head at Old Trafford to become only the second seamer in Test history – after his old mate and new-ball partner Jimmy Anderson – to claim 600 wickets. Broad finished one of the most memorable Ashes series of all time with 22 wickets, more than any of his England team-mates, and ended a magnificent career by taking Australia’s last two wickets to square the series at The Oval. He was the natural choice to be our cover star.”
Updated
76th over: India 291-4 (Jadeja 95, Sarfaraz 43) And again! Sarfaraz has consistently looked to sweep Root and nails the stroke over midwicket – that’s his seventh boundary and raises the 50-partnership, dominated by the newcomer. Back to Jadeja, who we’ve forgotten about to an extent, but is five away from a ton.
75th over: India 285-4 (Jadeja 94, Sarfaraz 38) Sarfaraz looks born for this. Early call, but he’s not put a foot wrong and just looks so much like Rohit. Hartley to him, and with no fear he lifts him over mid-on for four – never in doubt. Then later in the over, when the spinner drops a touch short, he’s back deep in the crease to pull him aerially over midwicket – four more. Nine from it. 15 overs left in the day.
74th over: India 276-4 (Jadeja 94, Sarfaraz 29) It was pad first! So for the second time today, England haven’t decisions on the ground that would’ve been given out on review – goodness me, how that hurts a fielding team in the modern game. I did think, watching it live, that Hartley backed away too quickly and didn’t give himself a chance to get Stokes over the line – he didn’t really litigate the case at all. Reminded me a bit of a young Nathan Lyon, who could never quite believe when he’d picked up a wicket, something of a defence mechanism. Anyway, it’s a moot point, they’ve missed out, Jadeja is still there. And remains so at the end of this busy over, seven runs added – Sarfaraz played a lovely sweep off Root for four.
73rd over: India 269-4 (Jadeja 93, Sarfaraz 23) A big appeal for lbw to finish, Hartley believing that it’s pad/bat from round the wicket, but he’s turned down and Stokes isn’t going to speculate on another review like this after blowing one to start the session. To that stage, four singles – good batting, a partnership now worth 32.
72nd over: India 265-4 (Jadeja 91, Sarfaraz 21) Risk-free cricket from Jadeja here – he’s not going to miss a chance to complete a Test ton on his home ground. This is shown when Root drops well short and he places it to deep point rather than smashing it pretty much anywhere he likes. Ohhh, a top edge from Sarfaraz to end the over, a sweep gone wrong, but after hanging in the air for a long while it doesn’t have far to go to reach the rope and trickles into it. Frustration for England.
Meanwhile at Perth, Alyssa Healy is out for 99!
71st over: India 259-4 (Jadeja 90, Sarfaraz 16) Tommy H! Welcome back to the bowling crease! He might’ve forgotten how to do it, been that long. Sorry, I’ll stop banging away about this now. He begins at Safraraz – who knows, these two might play international cricket against each other for a decade or more, with it all beginning on a fairly sleepy Rajkot afternoon. Dare to dream. He turns one from round the wicket to Jadeja later in the over that evades the inside edge by the finest margin, prompting a false stroke from the next ball from the shoulder of the blade.
Updated
70th over: India 258-4 (Jadeja 90, Sarfaraz 15) That was Rohit-esque from the new man Sarfaraz, stepping down with authority at Root before launching him over midwicket – one bounce, over the ropes. This is no criticism of Root, who I think is so much better than a part-timer it’s not funny, but England are missing Leach. It’s forgotten in the washup of the 2021 misadventure that he bowled well under exceptional pressure across those Tests, taking plenty of wickets too.
While we drink, I trust we all saw the Wisden 2024 cover. Thoughts?
COVER REVEAL 📢
— Wisden Almanack (@WisdenAlmanack) February 14, 2024
Stuart Broad takes the cover of Wisden Cricketers'
Almanack 2024
Publishing 18th April.
Pre-order now. 50% off the RRP when you buy a subscription (UK only)https://t.co/oJqdk4m1Sd#wisdencover24@BoothCricket @StuartBroad8 @WisdenCricket @BloomsburyBooks pic.twitter.com/kGSXxLrLHy
69th over: India 253-4 (Jadeja 90, Sarfaraz 10) Is Rehan going to bowl for the rest of the day? What’s poor old Honest Tom Hartley gotta do to get back on? Anyway, a short googly is just what you want when finding some rhythm on debut, Sarfaraz striking a boundary for the first time for India, cutting through point. Drinks!
68th over: India 246-4 (Jadeja 89, Sarfaraz 4) Back to spin at both ends after Wood’s hostile and effective spell – he will only bowl a few at a time, as we know. Jadeja takes a couple behind square, but he’s watchful at this point this close to a ton.
67th over: India 244-4 (Jadeja 87, Sarfaraz 4) Rehan has bowled unchanged for over an over since tea – a real show of faith from Stokes. Not much going on here though, the over started with two singles to the legside, the remainder defended. Sarfaraz’s numbers flash up on the screen showing a highest score of 301 not out. The chat follows on telly – so many of these Indian modern players have triples. Jadeja, famously, has three of them. Pujara, barely spoken about before this Test despite clocking a double ton a month ago, has a triple on this ground too.
66th over: India 242-4 (Jadeja 86, Sarfaraz 3) Sarfaraz is off the mark in Tests with three runs out to midwicket. It was full from Wood around the wicket, too full, helped past the diving Bairstow. Ohhh, the short ball nearly gets Jadeja too! Catchers everywhere, he takes on the bumper with his pull shot landing but metres in front of Pope at forward square. As we are learning with every series where this is rolled out (i.e. every series now), it’s quite effective. Not at all pretty, makes for some pretty boring cricket, but these quicks are good enough now to bowl six short balls an over where only two are above shoulder height and even the very best in the world are falling into the trap sooner or later – see Smith, SPD.
65th over: India 238-4 (Jadeja 85, Sarfaraz 0) Rehan once more, who is letting everything out the back of his hand to Jadeja – he plays with the spin of the googly, riding the bounce out to cover for the only run of the over.
THAT'S A HUGE WICKET! 🏏🏴
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 15, 2024
Look what it means to @EnglandCricket - Rohit Sharma is out for 131 👏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/F1l8G4Wrb8
64th over: India 237-4 (Jadeja 84, Sarfaraz 0) To the man on debut, Sarafraz, who arrives in Test cricket with a First Class average touching 70 (!) with 15 tons in 44 matches. He might be only 26, but we have been waiting for this for a while after he first generated interest when making a quadruple ton as a schoolboy. His cap presentation earlier was a beauty, his dad in tears. Hope he makes his mark. First up to him in Test cricket is Mark Wood with the field still mostly spread for the bouncers to surely come. He ducks, defends then leaves. A successful over for England is complete – relief at last for the visitors. One brings two…
WICKET! Rohit c Stokes b Wood 131 (India 237-4)
The field was set for the bouncer war and it works! Rohit can’t resist for long, miscuing his pull to the captain at midwicket. The huge stand is complete, worth 204 for the hosts, with the captain departing with an 11th Test century.
Updated
63rd over: India 235-3 (Rohit 130, Jadeja 83) Rehan again? Strange given his previous over, but Stokes has a habit of making us look daft. Not so here: Rohit goes back and steers with class for four – that’s the 200 partnership. Oh, I better hit send because, spoiler alert, something significant happens in over number 64…
62nd over: India 230-3 (Rohit 125, Jadeja 83) India are going at one run an over quicker this session compared to the previous, helped by a fine pulled boundary from Jadeja when taking on Wood’s short ball – had enough time to get it straight of the man at catching midwicket, into the 80s he races. If it wasn’t already, this is getting dangerous for England now with 28 overs still to come before stumps.
Most sixes by an Indian captain in International cricket:
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 15, 2024
Rohit Sharma - 212* (121 Innings)
MS Dhoni - 211 (330 Innings) pic.twitter.com/A11Uzpaywz
61st over: India 224-3 (Rohit 124, Jadeja 78) Stokes keeps Rehan in the attack and he fluffs his lines with a genuine half-tracker, helped for SIX MORE – Rohit the beneficiary. An occupational hazard for most wristspinners; they are conditioned to dusting themselves off and going again. But unfortunately for the young man, he repeats the dose later in the over and Rohit can advance to 124 with a languid pull for four more. Surely it’s Hartley to replace him with the board moving again now.
60th over: India 214-3 (Rohit 114, Jadeja 78) Another top edge, this time SIX runs! It’s the additional pace of Mark Wood, on for Anderson, who makes this possible. But it’s an astonishing shot really – Jadeja pulls out of the attempted pull and allows the ball to hit his horizontal blade, yet it still has the legs to travel over the ropes at deep backward square, where there isn’t quite a fielder. Modern bats, etc.
59th over: India 206-3 (Rohit 113, Jadeja 72) You can tell if a fielder has any chance based on the insistence of the wicketkeeper when roaring ‘catch!’ In this case, when Rohit top-edged a sweep towards deep midwicket, Foakes’ voice was the giveaway that it was more hope than expectation. But still, a false stroke is a false stroke – Rehan has prompted a couple of them in his spell in a quiet passage of play.
58th over: India 204-3 (Rohit 112, Jadeja 71) Anderson is working exclusively into the stumps of Rohit, who is equal to the slight movement, helping a fuller delivery to fine leg for one then Jadeja does the same. Might be worth getting him back on later when the ball is a bit older to see if he can get some exaggerated reverse.
57th over: India 202-3 (Rohit 111, Jadeja 70) The same rhythm as Rehan’s previous over here: four dots then a couple of singles. No concerns for India here.
Meanwhile, I was momentarily distracted when taking a look at the scorecard from the Australia v South Africa Women’s Test at the WACA Ground – you can read Jim Wallace on the blog for that one at the moment. In short: the Proteas were bowled out for 76 inside 32 overs then had the hosts 12/3! Chaos. But, sure enough, the world-beating Aussies are now 176-4 with the captain Healy 78 not out.
56th over: India 200-3 (Rohit 110, Jadeja 69) Oh, look at that – Rohit, one leg in the air at the point of contact, clipping Anderson over deep backward square for four. Beautiful. It’s the only time Jimmy has erred so far, India’s No1 not missing out.
55th over: India 195-3 (Rohit 106, Jadeja 69) Better from Rehan. And by that I mean, fuller. Rohit adapts, getting down low to sweep a single. Jadeja takes one for himself to finish, with the spin along the ground to deep midwicket. Easy.
“Watching Chef and Finny in the studio on mute,” writes Gary Naylor, “You can imagine them saying, “Twenty years ago, he had a few hits, but we were never as big as Take That. Sure things got a bit sour with the break-up, but we’re looking forward to meeting the fans again on this tour.”
Related: around the world, there’s something of a pundit uniform with the bottom half – especially the trainers. But upstairs, they’re expressing themselves and I like it. As for what they are saying, Finny is so well suited to media work.
54th over: India 193-3 (Rohit 105, Jadeja 68) So, as you will have worked out from the review, it’s Anderson straight away after tea – how many times has that been the case over the years/DECADES? The good news in relation the failed lbw shout was a bit of movement through the air – if anyone is going to find it with the old ball, it will be Jim. And more shape again when operating round the wicket to Jadeja later in the over – excellent. As he explained on Tailenders last week, when bowling in India as a quick you have to make every ball count from the the start of a spell as it’s unlikely you’ll be on for long. And that’s exactly as he has begun here.
NOT OUT! Yeah, he’s hit that. And it wasn’t getting overturned anyway – impact outside the line. England lose their review. They have two left, India three.
England go up for a lbw review!
Anderson v Rohit, bat/pad or pad/bat? We’re about to find out.
Rohit Sharma brings up his 11th Test ton!
53rd over: India 190-3 (Rohit 102, Jadeja 68) It’s all too easy. A half-tracker from Rehan to start is cut for two, moving to 99. Stokes doesn’t bring the field up, so he helps himself to two more out to deep cover to raise the milestone. The man from Mumbai now has 47 international centuries – that takes some doing. And that is his third in Test Matches against England. Always easy on the eye, what a player.
The players are back! Rohit is 96. Rehan has the ball. Play!
Okay, all set. Emails working. I’m fed; got a cup of tea as well. My daughters are off to nursery. I’m as settled as Rohit and Jadeda. By the way, longer-term readers of the OBO will remember when I had to ditch a shift at the last minute when Winnie arrived in 2020… she turned four yesterday! Wholesome stuff.
“Dear Adam.” Hello, Jagan. “I am finding it very difficult to get to work on the first day. The match starts at 5(CET) and so the contest heats up when you are trying to get ready for work. Anyway it has been gripping. England might get wickets after tea when it starts reversing I think.”
With 38 overs to bowl across two and a half hours here, they will be praying for some reverse. But on day one, that might be a fraction ambitious.
92 runs, no wickets, a partnership worth 152. India were a Joe Root dropped catch away from being 49-4 but now, they are driving this first day at Rajkot. I’m going to give my girls a quick kiss on the head as they head off to nursery and grab a bit of toast – back in ten minutes. Breaking news from IT – my inbox is back up and running! So you can relay your considered thoughts to me in the usual way.
TEA: 185-3
52nd over: India 185-3 (Rohit 97, Jadeja 68) The crowd are urging Rohit to take Root down and raise his bat right away but he’s not getting sucked into that, taking one around the corner instead. Jadeja, batting in his cap, adopts a risk-free approach as well, defending on the front foot and then the back. And just when it looks like we’re drifting gently to the break… Jadeja lifts a not-quite-half-tracker for SIX! All muscle and muscle memory there, over the vacant midwicket. And that’s tea!
51st over: India 178-3 (Rohit 96, Jadeja 62) Three singles to begin Rehan’s over then three dots to finish it – they’ve gotten through that in 75 seconds in order to have another crack before tea. With Rohit on 96, that makes sense. Root to bowl it.
50th over: India 175-3 (Rohit 94, Jadeja 61) Rohit has brought up a Test century with a six on three occasions – this stat came up at Vizag when Jaiswal raise his that way. But with Root bowling from round the wicket, he’s happy playing him out to deep midwicket instead. The chat on TV is about him trying to finish the job before tea five minutes from now – not sure he’ll be too inconvenienced by being 90-something not out if it plays out that way. He has the strike for the next over.
49th over: India 174-3 (Rohit 93, Jadeja 61) Remember a couple of overs ago Rehan hit Rohit on the lid? We get a look at the ball tracker and… it was three reds! First contact was with the wrist and it was going on to hit leg stump. Another replay hints at maybe a flick of the glove, but the DRS wasn’t called upon so it is all academic. Four singles off the legspinner this time around – no dramas at all as the partnership moves to 141. A reminder at Vizag that there were no 100-run stands across the entire Test Match – part of what made it so watchable across four days.
48th over: India 170-3 (Rohit 91, Jadeja 59) This experienced Indian pair have picked their acceleration moment to perfection here, Jadeja thrusting forward at Root before on-driving him for another delightful boundary. Ohhh but he’s nearly bowled next ball leaving alone! Joe Root’s arm ball is about the best going around at the moment and the left-hander surely didn’t pick it – a coat of varnish away. Alas, no. Jadeja retains the strike with a gentle nudge out to deep midwicket.
47th over: India 165-3 (Rohit 91, Jadeja 54) Rehan to Rohit, who misses a sweep and cops a whack to the lid – a quick concussion Test follows, with the usual gag about cricketers not being able to identify the Prime Minister in those moments with the physio. Gosh, it doesn’t stunt the captain’s flow though – he flicks through midwicket like Dhoni to finish – wrists to die for, Rohit Sharma. Into the 90s.
46th over: India 160-3 (Rohit 87, Jadeja 53) Superb batting from Rohit, smashing the first ball of Root’s new spell over midwicket for six with no more than a timed loft. Yes, there’s some risk associated with that stroke – there’s very little wrong with the delivery. But provided it comes off, the pressure transfers straight onto the bowler. TV tells me (very quickly!) that the captain has overtaken MS Dhoni for career sixes now too – 79 to 78. Cop that. Root changes his angle right away in response to round the wicket, prompting a leg before appeal when the sweep is missed. The run rate has been about three an over since lunch but it looks like the game might speed up a bit over the 20 minutes between now and the tea break.
45th over: India 152-3 (Rohit 80, Jadeja 52) Rehan is back into the attack having bowled just one before lunch – the old custom for a leggie on the first morning. The stumps are in play right away, as is typically the case with the teenager, so the set pair take a single each to the legside. To me, it felt a big call going with Rehan over Shoaib after what we saw at Vizag, but he did finish that Test very nicely.
Jadeja to 50
44th over: India 150-3 (Rohit 79, Jadeja 51) A half-century on his home ground, brought up with a single to midwicket off Wood. And here comes the sword celebration… as we are duty-bound to say, the crowd love it. Controversial opinion: it’s time for him to put that away for 50s and make it special for tons. When it first became a thing, he was a relatively unreliable batter at Test level and reaching the first milestone, sure, I could cop it. But now? He’s the most consistent all-rounder in the world, has passed 50 on 24 occasions, and is averaring over 50 since the start of the pandemic. Anyway, I’m being difficult. He’s an exceptional player.
43rd over: India 146-3 (Rohit 78, Jadeja 49) Hartley now has two catching midwickets for Jadeja, Stokes forever tweaking the field. The left-hander waits in defence for the most part until helping one down to long-on for a single. Rohit does likewise, tucking to deep midwicket – a sweeper out there for the captain. A reminder that Root put Rohit down on 29 – takes that and India are 49-4.
42nd over: India 144-3 (Rohit 77, Jadeja 48) Wood bangs it in back of a length to Jadeja to begin then goes a touch fuller, which brings something of a false stroke, the inside edge spitting away for a single. He’s good to Rohit too, bringing one back towards the stumps before beating the edge with a delivery that shapes away ever so slightly, but enough. England will well on day one at Vizag hanging in there as partnerships built, typically breaking them up as they reached this stage.
41st over: India 143-3 (Rohit 77, Jadeja 47) Hartley is ever so slightly short to Rohit and he doesn’t miss out – a cut boundary to get him going after drinks as well. He launched the left-armer back over his head to start his spell, trying to show his authority, but now as it was then the younger man gets the ball back where it needs to be right away and the rest of the over is played out defensively and respectfully.
40th over: India 139-3 (Rohit 73, Jadeja 47) A busy over for the man they call Jaddu, carving the second ball after drinks away for four – the extra pace from Wood helps with that. He straightens up from there, which allows a tuck for a couple more. Jadeja has a First Class triple on the SCA Ground, and a couple of doubles – FYI.
Oh and by the way, for some reason I’ve been kicked (locked?) out of my Guardian email inbox – this is my first time in these parts for a few months. Rob is kindly looking into that for me while I tap away. But I won’t be able to correspond over there for a bit. Hit me up on twitter instead, if that’s your thing. Apologies!
Morning all. It feels like every time I’ve woken up in time for the second session during this series, the first thought has been ‘England have enjoyed a great first hour’. So it was again today – three wickets to begin. The challenge, more often than not, has been what’s played out between lunch and tea. With this partnership now at an even 100 between the skipper and Jadeja, the day is in balance.
39th over: India 133-3 (Rohit 73, Jadeja 41) A delivery from Hartley stops in the pitch, but Rohit has been at the crease too long to spoon it to cover like Rajat Patidar. He flicks two through midwicket to bring up a calm, clear-headed hundred partnership. That’s drinks, and time for me to welcome Adam Collins back to the OBO bunker.
“I’m listening on Talksport, following the OBO BBC and Cricinfo all at the hope of conjuring a wicket from the buffering delay,” writes Tom Van der Gucht. “It reminded me of an episode if Ed Reardon when his best friend / nemesis Jazz Milvane is on Desert Island Discs and he keeps catching the worst moment due to the difference in the signal from analogue radio in his bedroom, DAB in the kitchen and online on his desktop in in the lounge of his flat in Berkhamsted.”
I used to love Ed Reardon’s Week, which was recommended to me by a fine bloke (and very fine cricket writer) called Steve Morgan. Sometime in the last decade, for no particular reason, I lost touch with it. Where do you listen to it?
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38th over: India 130-3 (Rohit 71, Jadeja 40) Anderson is making the batters play at almost everything, knowing that a soupçon of movement might be enough to find the edge.
A rare bad ball is flicked round the corner for four by Rohit, who defends the rest of the over with intimidating certainty. There’s been a bit of reverse swing for Anderson to Jadeja but there was nothing to Rohit in that over.
37th over: India 126-3 (Rohit 67, Jadeja 40) Another quiet over from Hartley, who has bowled 14 of the 18 overs of spin so far. Rehan Ahmed’s role in this team is really interesting – it would be wrong to say he’s a specialist No8 batsman but Stokes does use his bowling selectively.
36th over: India 123-3 (Rohit 64, Jadeja 40) This is majestic bowling from Anderson: five straight dot balls to Jadeja and then the wider one that beats the outside edge as Jadeja’s instinct takes over. The old boy is doing it again. His last eight overs have cost just 11, and he could easily have picked up Rohit and/or Jadeja in that time.
35th over: India 123-3 (Rohit 64, Jadeja 40) “This has been a really fascinating day so far,” writes our old friend Guy Hornsby. “Great early wickets, but Rohit and Jadeja have been class since that wobble. As you say, it looks like Jimmy is getting it to tail back in, and you have to believe he’s got something magic in his locker here. He’s such a joy to watch, and we have to savour every single ball because we don’t know how long we’ve got with him. But the way he’s bowling today if feels like he could go on for ever. What a guy.”
34th over: India 121-3 (Rohit 62, Jadeja 40) Jadeja is beaten on the inside by Anderson, who is moving the old ball both ways – not extravagantly, but enough to make him by far England’s most dangerous bowler right now. Rohit and Jadeja are playing him accordingly, with oodles of respect. There are loads of runs to be had if they can see off Anderson.
“Who is going to be Ashwin’s 500th Test scalp?” wonders Krishnamoorthy V. “Do bowlers have a preference for such milestone wickets or do they usually reach a stage where ‘doesn’t matter, get it done’. And, with Ben Stokes around, making any predictions on day 1 is foolish.”
Stokes would be nice, given Ashwin’s record against him. But based on the experience of watching Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad reach such milestones, it’ll probably be Kraigg Brathwaite.
33rd over: India 119-3 (Rohit 61, Jadeja 39) Rohit’s first attacking stroke of the session is a lap for two off Hartley. It’s the precursor to something bigger: a zesty swipe over long on for six. He was beaten in the flight but his hands got him out of trouble.
“Cologne Cowdrey?” offers Ali Martin. “Scent Boult? DK One?”
DK One! If any player deserves his own fragrance…
32nd over: India 111-3 (Rohit 53, Jadeja 39) Anderson, back on the field, replaces Wood. His first ball brings a strangled shout for LBW against Jadeja, who was hit by an inswinger that was going down the leg side.
It’s the start of a superb maiden from Anderson. Another ball shapes back to hit Jadeja in the breadbasket, then he curves one the other way. If this is reverse swing, and I can’t imagine it’s anything else, England might be in business.
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31st over: India 111-3 (Rohit 53, Jadeja 39) Another quiet over from Hartley. He picked up the bonus wicket of Patidar this morning when the ball stopped in the in the pitch, but now it is doing very little. Rohit has scored 1 from 16 balls since lunch; he means business.
30th over: India 109-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 38) Wood has anb LBW shout against Jadeja turned down by Joel Wilson. It was too high and going down, but England will be encouraged by the way the ball shaped back into Jadeja. Two leg-byes from the over.
At the other en d Rohit has looked rock solid since lunch, as if making a statement that he’s here for the whole day now. Should’ve got rid me before lunch, lads.
“Given Rohit Sharma’s preference for pyrotechnics even in the long format, and more so with the pitch easing up, now might be the right time to mix it up with a fast bowler and Ahmed,” writes Yash Gupta. “If England don’t get him in this session he will turbocharge the run-rate.”
29th over: India 107-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 38) Hartley slows his pace down to beat Rohit with a nice delivery. A maiden. Ben Stokes is adjusting his field constantly, two or three times in some overs.
“Kumar Dharmasena’s started something here...” says Martin Wright. “A world of possibilities looms into view:
Mike Gatting (shortly after spilling the Easiest Catch in Cricket): Eau Dear.
Geoffrey Boycott: Eau de Grandmere avec un Morceau de Celeri.
“Dozens of others, surely. But I’ll get my coat...”
28th over: India 107-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 38) Jadeja thick edges Wood wide of slip for four, then clips to deep midwicket for two. He loves extracting his team from the malodorous stuff, particularly against England; his last Test century, at Edgbaston in 2022, came when they were 98 for five.
27th over: India 101-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 32) Hartley starts around the wicket to Jadeja, who eases him into the leg side for a single. A quiet over reinforces the feeling that this pitch is now belter we were promised the morning. Apparently Jimmy Anderson is off the field, though we don’t know why.
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Greeting Rob and chums; excellent morning, excellent lunch (paneer lababdar and freshly cooked naan) and excellent to have a quick chinwag with local hero Cheteshwar Pujara at the nets out the back of the stand. He’s preparing for Saurashtra’s next Ranji Trophy fixture against Manipur that starts tomorrow.
We chatted about Sussex – he loves Brighton and is looking forward to returning this summer – and I slightly unctuously compared him to the Terminator on that Australia tour of 2020/21 when he wore so many short balls to the body. He didn’t quite say “I’ll be back” but he says he’ll be ready if the call comes...
Unctuous, you say.
26th over: India 100-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 31) Jadeja starts assertively after lunch, working Wood for two twos and a three. Wood’s speed was just shy of 90mph; he should be a bit sharper in his next over as he starts to rev up.
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Mark Wood, who took two wickets this morning, will start after lunch.
“Kumar Dharmasena parachuting into this series has reminded me he has his own range of oud/perfume in Sri Lanka,” writes Ali Martin.
On my first day after the ICC World Cup tour in India, I'm proud to say that I will be launching my perfume brand "UNANDUWA" soon!
— Kumar Dharmasena (@KumarDofficial) November 17, 2023
Join hands with me as we launch our very own SRI LANKAN product! ❤️❤️❤️#unanduwa #pintanna #silani pic.twitter.com/RagEYy0YZ7
Feels like a few of his predecessors missed a trick there. Steve Bucknor could have had his own fragrance for umpires, Eau Death.
Lunchtime reading
Lunch
Intriguing stuff in Rajkot. Mark Wood and Tom Hartley reduced India to 33-3, and it would have been 47-4 had Joe Root caught Rohit Sharma at slip. Instead Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja batted with increasing authority in an unbroken partnership of 60. It was still England’s session, but they’d have loved one more wicket.
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25th over: India 92-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 24) Rehan Ahmed is given the last over before lunch. His third ball leads to a stumping referral against Rohit, who is beaten by a beauty. Foakes did the necessary but Rohit’s back foot stayed grounded.
Root at slip thought there was an edge, though it missed the bat by a fair distance. That’s lunch.
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24th over: India 90-3 (Rohit 51, Jadeja 22) Jadeja drives a half-volley from Root through mid-on for four, a majestic stroke to bring up a restorative fifty partnership with Rohit Sharma. It’s been a good advert for experience.
Batting is starting to look easier, although it helps that England are bowling some muck. Root follows that half-volley with a short ball that Jadeja cuts to the fence.
23rd over: India 81-3 (Rohit 51, Jadeja 13) Rohit survives a big LBW shout after pushing outside the line at Hartley. England decide not to review but that looked close, very similar to Rohit’s dismissal in the second innings of the first Test. It was umpire’s call so the decision wouldn’t have been overturned anyway.
Rohit flicks Hartley for two to reach his first fifty of the series and indeed the season, a stylish if occasionally frisky 71-ball knock. He was dropped by Joe Root on 29; had it been taken India would have been 47 for four.
“I’ve a horrible feeling that the drop off Rohit will prove as crucial as that off Jaiswal in the second Test,” says Gary Naylor. “In both instances, Joe Root’s hands were too high too soon and he couldn’t get back to the ball. Mark Waugh and Mahela Jayawardene were the best I saw slipping to spinners and both stayed very low for as long as possible – Root doesn’t, and he’s paid the price.”
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22nd over: India 78-3 (Rohit 49, Jadeja 12) Jadeja works Root to leg to break the run of dot balls before Rohit sweeps a loose ball round the corner for four. He’s starting to look pretty ominous for England; we all remember Chennai.
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21st over: India 72-3 (Rohit 44, Jadeja 11) Just under 15 minutes until lunch as Hartley begins his seventh over. The field is spread for Rohit, who inside-edges safely round the corner for a single, and Jadeja defends the remainder of the over. He hasn’t scored in his last 15 deliveries, though there are no signs that he is losing patience.
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20th over: India 71-3 (Rohit 43, Jadeja 11) Joe Root replaces Anderson (7-1-19-0), probably with the left-handed Jadeja in mind. Jadeja remains passive, arguably too much so, and it’s a maiden from Root.
19th over: India 71-3 (Rohit 43, Jadeja 11) A long hop from Hartley is slugged to cow corner by Rohit, who is starting to look dangerous: 19 from his first 35 deliveries, 24 from the next 25.
18th over: India 67-3 (Rohit 39, Jadeja 11) Anderson goes round the wicket to his old friend Jadeja, who unlike Rohit is playing every ball on its merits for the time being. With Anderson as accurate as ever, it’s a maiden.
17th over: India 67-3 (Rohit 39, Jadeja 11) Stokes has mid-off and mid-on up when Hartley is bowling to Rohit, who blocks a few deliveries and then spanks Hartley back over his head for four. It looks like he’s had enough of being dominated by the England bowlers.
16th over: India 62-3 (Rohit 35, Jadeja 10) Rohit tries to change the momentum by charging Anderson and spooning a drive that just clears mid-on. His next stroke is much better, a classically elegant back-foot drive for four. This is a fascinating contest between two old dons with a combined age of 77.
Meanwhile, this is quite something.
An incredible catch by Glenn Phillips as he takes the wicket of Petersen 🔥🏏@BLACKCAPS v South Africa: 2nd Test | LIVE on DUKE and TVNZ+ pic.twitter.com/zTOYDW3Bq7
— TVNZ+ (@TVNZ) February 15, 2024
15th over: India 56-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 10) Jadeja turns Hartley just wide of Pope at short leg. It would have been an incredible catch, though Pope has managed a few of those in recent years. Jadeja’s main focus until lunch is survival, though he’s never going to look a gift half-volley in the mouth: he scrunches the last ball of the over down the ground for his first boundary.
14th over: India 50-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 4) An outstanding over from Anderson, who is nibbling it both ways, continues with Rohit wearing a couple of deliveries on the body.
“Lovely sunny if chilly morning here in the countryside south of Delhi, smog resting gently on the mustard fields and all that,” says Martin Wright. “Jadeja at No5? Does that mean we’re through to the tail? Or am I having one of Withington’s fever dreams?”
Yep, you’ve been Withingtoned. Never, ever underestimate Ravindra Jadeja. He averages 12 at No5 in Tests, admittedly, but it’s a small sample size and this is the kind of situation he relishes.
Rohit is not out! Yep, Rohit survives. But these are really nervous times for India, with the ball doing more than expected for both the seamers and spinners. It should get easier after lunch so this is a crucial spell.
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It was a lovely nipbacker from Jimmy Anderson, who in truth didn’t look entirely convinced it was out. Ah, that’s why: there was a slight inside edge from Rohit. The third umpire is still confirming it was bat first; I’m 99.94 sure it was.
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ROHIT IS GIVEN OUT LBW AND REVIEWS!
13th over: India 49-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 3) Rohit begins a counter-attack with consecutive boundaries off Hartley, a cut past point and a hearty thump over midwicket. But then he’s dropped by Root at slip! Rohit heaved across the line and got a leading edge to the left of Root, who couldn’t hold on to a tricky low chance. The ball dipped late and Root could only get his fingertips on it. It looked pretty tough to me, though the commentators reckon Root should have held it.
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I SAID IN OTHER NEWS…
12th over: India 39-3 (Rohit 19, Jadeja 3) It’s relatively cool in Rajkot, which allows Stokes to give Wood a sixth over. Jadeja is beaten, pushing tenatively outside off, and then Rohit pulls confidently for a single. Apart from one cage-rattler, he has played Wood really well.
After an unimaginably good first hour for England, it’s time for drinks.
“I’ve opened the digestives,” says Deepak Puri. “I feel the situation demands it.”
One more wicket and the situation might demand a digestif.
11th over: India 34-3 (Rohit 18, Jadeja 0) Hello! Hartley beats Rohit with a beautiful delivery that curves in and then growls past the edge. Another ball stops in the pitch and is almost driven back to Hartley by Rohit. A very good maiden.
Dinesh Karthik thinks the turn is down to moisture more than anything else, another reason this wasn’t the worst toss to lose. There’s still lots to do for England though because batting should become a whole lot easier after lunch.
10th over: India 34-3 (Rohit 18, Jadeja 0) Rohit, hitherto comfortable against the short ball, is hit in the grille by a magnificent bouncer from Wood. Just a single from the over, paddled round the corner off the last delivery. This is an outrageously good start from England, who have taken three wickets for 12 runs in the last 38 balls.
9th over: India 33-3 (Rohit 17, Jadeja 0) The local boy Ravindra Jadeja comes in ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.
“Hola Rob,” writes Deepak Puri (3rd over). “Wish I’d stayed in bed now.”
Don’t worry, India will score a lot of runs today – this pitch is a belter. In truth I’ll be surprised if England take another wicket ever again.
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Patidar fell in very tame fashion, lobbing Hartley gently to Ben Duckett in the covers. The ball was slightly short and turned slowly, probably too slowly. Patidar looked befuddled as he walked off, and replays confirm that the ball got stuck in the pitch. You don’t usually see that on the first day.
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WICKET! India 33-3 (Patidar c Duckett b Hartley 5)
What on earth is going on? Ben Stokes decides to have an early look at Tom Hartley, and yet again his instinct is spot on.
8th over: India 32-2 (Rohit 16, Patidar 5) Rohit hasn’t had a great series so far, but he has looked serene this morning and has plenty of time to paddle Wood round the corner for a single. Patidar then plays a quite gorgeous back-foot drive through extra cover for his first boundary. The ball from Wood was 92mph as well.
“Before the first ball I was summoning every ounce of optimism and punting on a par lunchtime score of 125 for one,” writes Brian Withington. “After three overs that appeared a fever dream, a foolish 4am fantasy. But then you doubted the wisdom of opening with Mark Wood, or even selecting him. Care to call time on Jimmy’s career next?”
I did that umpteen times in 2009, and still nobody thanks me.
7th over: India 25-2 (Rohit 14, Patidar 0) Patidar wafts at Anderson and is beaten. India just need to get through this new-ball spell: they’ve lost two wickets for three runs in the last 20 balls.
6th over: India 24-2 (Rohit 13, Patidar 0) The new batter is Rajat Patidar, playing only his second Test. India’s Nos 4-7 went into his match with 70 Test caps between them: Jadeja 69, the rest 1.
Ali Martin, our man in Rajkot, reports that a) the wifi is up the spout and b) Mark Wood is Jimmy Anderson’s 25th new-ball partner in Tests.
Mark Wood is bowling beautifully here. He almost cleaned up Shubman Gill with the previous ball, which kept low and just missed the off stump. Gill pushed nervously at the follow up, feet going nowhere, and edged healthily through to Ben Foakes. After a century in Vizag, a nine-ball duck in Rajkot.
WICKET! India 24-2 (Gill c Foakes b Wood 0)
England’s magical new-ball expert strikes again!
5th over: India 23-1 (Rohit 12, Gill 0) Anderson has a big LBW shout against Gill turned down. It might have been high and there was definitely an inside edge, but it was a lovely nipbacker from Anderson. Apart from Jadeja this is an extremely inexperienced Indian middle order; England would love to have a crack at Patidar at Sarfaraz while the ball is still hard.
“Good toss to lose, because ChatGPT isn’t much help…” says Kim Thonger.
Q. When playing a test match in India, on winning the toss, should England captain bat or bowl first?
A. Deciding whether to bat or bowl first upon winning the toss in a Test match in India involves considering various factors including pitch conditions, weather, team strengths, and historical match outcomes at the venue. India’s pitches typically offer good batting conditions on the first couple of days before starting to deteriorate, which can assist spin bowlers significantly as the match progresses.
Are you trying to crush my spirit? That thing is going to put me out of a job by 2026 and probably out of existence by 2030. I’ve seen Ex Machina, I know what’s coming.
4th over: India 22-1 (Rohit 11, Gill 0) I think Mark Wood’s last new-ball wicket in a Test match was David Warner at Trent Bridge in 2015, when Australia were skittled for 60.
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WICKET! India 22-1 (Jaiswal c Root b Wood 10)
Goddim! Wood pulls his length back and takes the big wicket of Jaiswal, who fiddles outside off stump and is taken at first slip by Joe Root. That is a vital breakthrough, and I’ll keep my opinions to myself from hereon in.
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3.4 overs: India 22-0 (Jaiswal 10, Rohit 11) Wood isn’t a matural new-ball bowler. His first delivery is too full, too straight and Rohit rolls the wrists to put him away through midwicket. I do think Wood was the right selection but I can’t get Ollie Robinson out of my head right now.
It won’t be long before start to get creative. Wood takes out third slip and rams in a bouncer that beats Rohit’s attempted flick-pull.
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In other news, what a charming picture this is of the debutant Sarfaraz Khan and his father. I’m getting sentimental in my old age, I know, but this is lovely.
3rd over: India 17-0 (Jaiswal 10, Rohit 6) Another full ball from Anderson is waved to the long-off boundary by Jaiswal, who has started with his usual intent. England really, really need to get him early or he could have 200 by the close. This pitch looks like an absolute belter.
“Woke for the second time for the night at 3.55am to respond to the needs of [redacted but fairly common medical condition],” writes Deepak Puri. “Saw it as a sign that I should put the telly on. I have tea… and there’s an unopened package of digestives in the cupboard. Game on.”
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2nd over: India 13-0 (Jaiswal 6, Rohit 6) It’s rare to see Mark Wood take the new ball; before this series he hadn’t done it in a Test since 2015. His third ball is too full and waved elegantly through mid-on for four by Rohit. The fifth delivery, left by Rohit, bounces nicely into the gloves of Foakes. England will have to watch that bounce when they start sweeping later in the game.
Wood’s selection makes sense on this pitch, given how flat it looks, but what England would give to have Ollie Robinson alongside Anderson this morning.
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1st over: India 6-0 (Jaiswal 5, Rohit 0) That’s how to start a Test match. Anderson pitches the first delivery up, testing for swing, and Jaiswal punches him through mid-off for four.
Anderson settles into a length thereafter, and Rohit Sharma is beaten by a lovely delivery. Theer’s also a rare no-ball from Anderson, but overall it was a good start.
Here we go: James Anderson to Yashasvi Jaiswal
This interview with Ben Stokes’ mum is really lovely
TMS PODCAST: Stokes ready for Rajkot. @benstokes38 joins the pod ahead of his 100th Test.
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) February 14, 2024
Aggers speaks exclusively to his mother Deborah Stokes.
Plus @DineshKarthik on India’s team.
& the amazing travels of @onebillionrs
👉https://t.co/CVcGOtTatm#bbccricket #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/4EnkHucRkb
Ben Stokes: 100 not out
Never mind ‘moving Test’, this is definitely a Test full of milestones. Ben Stokes plays his 100th Test, while Ravichandran Ashwin and James Anderson are eyeing even rarer achievements. Ashwin needs one wicket for 500 in Tests; Anderson needs five for 700.
Jimmy is such a constant that we’ve become anaesthetised to the fact an England fast bowler is going to take 700 Test wickets. When he started his career 21 years ago, Courtney Walsh held the record with 519 and only one England bowler, Lord Beefy, had half as many wickets as Anderson has now. It’s entirely bonkers.
There’s another Test going on at the Waca, and Australia – specifically Darcie Brown – have made a flying start.
Sign up for the Spin!
We almost certainly won’t see Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett bat until tomorrow, but give this a read anyway – it’s very good.
The teams
India have made four changes in all. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj, who were injured and rested respectively at Vizag, come in for Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar.
India Jaiswal, Rohit (c), Gill, Patidar, Sarfaraz, Jadeja, Jurel (wk), Ashwin, Kuldeep, Siraj, Bumrah.
England Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Bairstow, Stokes (c), Foakes (wk), Rehan, Hartley, Wood, Anderson.
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India won the toss and bat
It’s never good to lose the toss in India, but this might not be the worst game in which to bowl first. There might be a little bit in the pitch for Jimmy Anderson this morning, and the consensus from those on the ground is that the pitch – which looks a belter – won’t break up completely. Still, you’d rather be batting first.
“We’d have batted first, that’s what you do in India when you win the toss,” says Ben Stokes. “The series is nicely balanced, it’s a fair reflection. We’re refreshed after a break and we’re looking forward to the battle this week.”
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Team news: Sarfaraz and Jurel make Test debuts
India have two more debutants in this game: Sarfaraz Khan, a 26-year-old with a first-class average of – get those exclamations marks ready - 69.85, and the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. They replace Shreyas Iyer and and KS Bharat, who kept beautifully in the first two Tests but scored a modest 92 runs in four innings. We’re still waiting to hear who Ravindra Jadeja will replace.
England named their team yesterday, with one change from Vizag: Mark Wood in, Shoaib Bashir out.
Say hello to #TeamIndia's Test Debutants 👋
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 15, 2024
Congratulations Dhruv Jurel & Sarfaraz Khan 👏👏
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/FM0hVG5X8M#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/OVPtvLXH0V
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Read Ali Martin’s preview
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of India v England at Rajkot. The third day of a Test match is often described as “moving day”, because it’s often when an evenly matched game begins to move decisively in one direction. The contest we are about to enjoy, the third in a five-match series, might be a a rare example of a moving Test.
It’s only the fourth time this century that a five-Test series has been 1-1 after two games. A draw is almost impossible, even on what should be the best batting pitch of the series, so one of these teams will almost certainly move within touching distance of a series victory.
It’s too early to imagine it might be England, because a series win away to India – even an under-strength India – would be almost too joyous to bear. But just imagine if it’s England.
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