India skittle England for 112: third Test, day one – live!

NOT OUT! Going over the top of middle stump. Rohit was a long way down the track when contact was made and it bounced too much.

20th over: India 51-2 (Rohit 33, Kohli 5)

19th over: India 47-2 (Rohit 31, Kohli 3) Archer v Kohli is the main event if ever there was one. Defend, duck, leave. This is going to be fun. The big quick completes a maiden. Also, a pitch invader! All I want to know is whether they have their kit on or not but TV refuse to give us that level of detail these days. Without wanting to trivialise something potentially to be dangerous for the players… if you’ve decided to run on, surely you do it properly and streak?

18th over: India 47-2 (Rohit 31, Kohli 3) Byes when Ben Foakes is ‘keeping? Why, I never! Two of them, down the legside. Kohli is off the mark with a couple to midwicket, then taking another to deep point. He’s at his best when busy early in an innings. DRINKS.

Rob Merrills has found a new positive to day-night Test cricket. “I’m listening to the TMS (sic) commentary having just taken an albeit rather late lunch, which coincided with what was referred to on several occasions as ‘the dinner interval’. As an inveterate commoner, I have always goaded my fiancée Molly that the correct sequence of the day’s mealtimes is breakfast – dinner – tea, whilst she has maintained the elegant and considerably more refined listing of breakfast – lunch – dinner. Imagine my delight at being able to refer her to said commentary, along with the information that – at long last – the BBC have accepted my version as being correct, an announcement having been made that the name of the early afternoon interval has been amended, with immediate effect, to ‘the dinner interval’, and that she would now be quite wrong to go against such an august organisation. My childish and fleeting glee at being able to impart this fictitious revelation was tempered only by the realisation that she – really – couldn’t have cared less.”

On this, it stuck with me when Mike Selvey described the 20-minute break as ‘cocktails’ during England’s first day-nighter in 2017. I did like it when they flipped the breaks (20 then 40) in Australia in the day-nighter they played against India. It never quite worked for me (an indulged broadcaster) having the long break at 4pm in Adelaide.

17th over: India 42-2 (Rohit 31, Kohli 0) Archer nearly makes it three in three! Rohit wanted nothing to do with a sharp bouncer, pulling out at the last moment but failing to take his bat with him, the uncontrolled ricochet flying over Foakes’ gloves for a boundary. Earlier in the over he did get into line nice and early, allowing him to pull the England quick through midwicket for his sixth boundary.

Speaking of Somerset, hello Kim Thonger. “Yet again the selectors have blundered. The obvious shout for this series was to take the entire Somerset team to India. The wicket at Taunton is ideal preparation for the sub continent and the scrumpy based diet they’re used to guarantees immunity against the most determined food based bacteria offered up by the local caterers.”

Best still, James Hildreth gets his Test cap at last! I like it.

Phil Sawyer’s head was also in Taunton earlier today when watching England bat. “I’m a lot more angry about Somerset being fined than I am about the state of England’s batting. I thought they should be applauded, rather than censured, for trying to produce something different from the norm and encouraging their spin bowlers.”

16th over: India 34-2 (Rohit 23, Kohli 0) Two wickets in five balls but the crowd goes wild anyway because it means Kohli in to bat. Returning to the Pujara dismissal, it was ever so similar to how Bairstow fell to Axar’s first ball and how India’s left-arm tweaker has picked up so many of his Test wickets so far. Super stuff from Somerset’s favourite son (let’s go with it). He finishes the successful set with a flighted offering to Kohli, forward smothering the spin.

Two in two overs! Leach’s arm ball skids through and traps Pujara dead in front. He considered reviewing but thought better of it.

That’s the breakthrough England needed! It comes when Gill takes on Archer’s short ball but fails to come close to getting on top of it, the extra pace turning the attempted pull into a top edge with Crawley taking a high catch about ten metres from the pitch.

15th over: India 33-1 (Rohit 22)

14th over: India 33-0 (Rohit 22, Gill 11) Leach for the first time and Rohit gets down the other end with a single to midwicket. Gill plays the spin cautiously, especially when Leach gets one to rip across him, before retaining the strike with another single to the legside.

13th over: India 31-0 (Rohit 21, Gill 10) Stokes rubs some saliva on the ball between overs in front of the umpires, which means the pink SG needs to be wiped down with sanitiser. No concerns there, just a case of habits being hard to break. It’s Archer’s turn now and Rohit plays two of the shots of the day – back to back boundaries! The first is a pull, his signature stroke, controlled down from chest height. So well timed. The second is better still, crunched off from the balls of his feet in front of point. That’s one of the most difficult shots to play and he’s done it with ease. With Rohit hitting them well the crowd is brought to life too – what a comforting sound.

Mehul Dhorda has a query: “Lights gone off twice now. What happens if they go off again while a ball is being bowled?” It should be a dead ball. My concern would be more around batsmen safety.

12th over: India 22-0 (Rohit 12, Gill 10) For the second time in India’s innings, some of the lights go out around the stadium. Thankfully, they are back on by the time Broad prepares to bowl his next delivery. Gill gets the chance to play with the vertical bat for the third time in three overs, this time grabbing a couple through extra cover. “The swing is dying,” says Harsha Bhogle on telly, looking at a graphic that shows that Broad/Anderson have only earned 0.3 degrees of movement since the dinner break. A close-up shot shows a lot of dew on the grass. Wet balls tend not to swing, of course.

11th over: India 19-0 (Rohit 11, Gill 8) No, it won’t be Archer, and that’s perfectly fine with Gill, who nails a slightly shorter Anderson delivery off the back foot through forward square leg for four. Some shot, that. He’s utterly fearless. And still without a bat sponsor!

“Good analogy with the fruit,” Mike Frost says. “But should really read: ‘Then one day the men who *inherited* the tree decided to make some money by charging for the fruit.’” Tom Morgan also has something to add: “James Buttler doesn’t need a fruit analogy to get his kids into cricket. Just show him footage of Jimmy with a new nut bowling to a Kiwi on a pear and pinning him plum with a peach.”

10th over: India 14-0 (Rohit 10, Gill 4) Action here early in the over, Gill slapping Broad off the back foot past point for four – off the mark from his 27th delivery. I doubt he’s ever faced 26 dot balls to start any innings he’s played in any form of the game. Sure enough, Disco Stu really bends his back with the comeback ball, generating plenty of bounce from just short of a good length, coming very close to kissing the shoulder of the right-hander’s blade. There’s no radar on the TV screen but he’s got them coming through at pace. Reminds me of the slightly ridiculous segment on radio before play today where KP, continuing to square up with Broad for the incidents of 2012, said that batsmen should face him without pads in India because he isn’t quick enough to justify protective equipment.

9th over: India 10-0 (Rohit 10, Gill 0) Rohit isn’t scoring off Anderson and did play and miss at a wide one early in the over. However, the opener does look to be building in confidence, defending from the middle of his bat. Time for Archer while the ball is hard? Suspect so.

“Hi Adam.” Hello, Ian Forth. “I grimly recall taking a flight from Heathrow to Nairobi with a one year old on my lap. After the first of the eight hours he fell asleep, trapping my arm. It was one of those Saw like dilemmas. Do I sacrifice my arm possibly leading to permanent disability or risk waking the entire plane by moving? Of course the first piece of turbulence meant I had to put his special seatbelt on waking him up for the remainder of the flight anyway. Ah, happy memories.”

Winnie was a delight when the plane was empty during the leg from Australia to Doha. But more people meant more distractions and, eventually, a six-hour tantrum. She’s in much better nick today, crawling over for a kiss and a cuddle during the dinner break.

8th over: India 10-0 (Rohit 10, Gill 0) Before Broad’s appeal he was also unhappy with his landing, prompting the ground staff to run out to hammer some turf. They’re giving nothing away with the ball – Gill is yet to score from 26 balls – but there isn’t much movement.

NOT OUT! Umpire’s call; it was hitting plenty of the leg stump but not quite enough. England retain their review – not a bad one.

BROAD LIKES HIS LBW SHOUT AGAINST GILL! He’s talked Root into the review. Up we go.

7th over: India 9-0 (Rohit 9, Gill 0) A maiden from Anderson to Gill, who is yet to get off the mark from 21 deliveries, but we are at that stage when the ball will lose a bit of of life soon – England need to find an edge. The veteran is also a touch ginger after his penultimate delivery, landing in a footmark at the point of delivery.

“I just remembered that today I am wearing my Broad Trent Bridge 2015 T shirt,” writes Andrew Cosgrove. “You know the one, it starts .4lbW24W and goes on from there. It would be great if that Stuart Broad turned up now.”

Yes, not a morning I’ll ever forget and a t-shirt that I’m sure we’re going to see in the crowd at Ashes Tests for many, many years.

6th over: India 9-0 (Rohit 9, Gill 0) Shot! That’s the second time Broad has given Rohit something to drive and the second time he’s been put away, this time through cover. He’s back in his preferred channel thereafter, the opener leaving very close to his off stump.

“Woakes must be pretty as that can be the only reason for taking him on a tour as his average outside England is over 60,” Iain Noble says of the seamer yet to play on this tour. “That’s his bowling average.”

Sure. But horses for courses (i.e. pink ball), after the summer he enjoyed at home in 2020, he had a decent enough claim this week.

“This is Kumar from Winnipeg!” Lovely to have you back in my inbox. “Hope you had a safe trip back home! From your expert position, do you think this pitch is two paced or uneven? The way the ball hit the pad for Zak Crawley’s wicket when the previous delivery at the same spot and missed the edge must mean something right? Anyways! Love having back test cricket after a week off!!”

Looks like a pretty good track to me. The criticism last week at Chennai was that it was exploding on the first morning, making it so unpredictable. There was none of that when India were bowling.

The players are back on the field. A lovely looking Indian night, with the sky dark and the lights, thousands of them, beaming down from the roof of the new stadium. Broad to Rohit it will be. PLAY!

A good point from Kris Lilley. “Where was the fancy rear stump camera for the Gill ‘dismissal’ that was used for Leach’s dismissal? Seems odd that they wouldn’t have a look at that angle rather than just using one angle.”

I was waiting to see this on the post-review replays but we didn’t really get any further angles from the broadcaster once it was decided, just a slow-mo version of what the third umpire reviewed.

One last note before we return to the action, from none other than Jim Wallace – nominated for the SJA cricket journalist of the year!

“Welcome home Adam!” Thank you, Jim. “With the daffs creeping out and some hardy souls walking around with their jackets unbuttoned it feels like the changing of the seasons are upon us. I always associate transitional weather with Nick Drake, summer slipping into Autumn or Winter thawing into spring. England’s collapse this morning certainly fits the mournful and melancholic music of Drake. The lyrics to ‘Pink Moon’ though might provide some solace. Anderson and Broad together again, under lights with a point to prove and a match to grapple from the gloom…. ‘Pink Moon is gonna get ye all.’ I’m backing them to do something special and salvage the day for England. Hell, if Jimmy snares a five-fer I’ll be tempted to sling Nick Drake away and stick on some PINK ‘Get the party started’. I’ve got it lined up…”

Saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it’s a pink moon
Hey it’s a pink moon

“Afternoon Adam.” Hi, Andrew Cosgrove. “The replays certainly looked as though the ball hit the grass, and yes, the third umpire didn’t really take very long to consider the verdict, but last time the cricket was on Channel 4 they comprehensively showed that the foreshortening effect of television cameras means that it can look like a clean catch has hit the grass. The fact that it was on Channel 4 shows how long we’ve been aware of this problem, but we’re still going to the third umpire to adjudicate these things. Having said that, given what the third umpire got to see, I can’t see he could come to any other decision. So where does that leave us? Were there no other angles to show it?”

Yep, and this highlights the big difference between DRS for leg before and the TV umpire looking at catches. I suppose my perspective is that if you train up some specialist TV umpires who only do this – in a bunker in the UAE somewhere, perhaps as part of a team rather than one person – you get the least worst outcome?

John Starbuck is with me: “Yes, specialist TV umpires would be better, and subject to fewer excoriations than on-field officials. But we all know there are times when a fielder ‘knows’ it’s a clean catch, just as many batsmen believe they hit it (lbw) or missed (catch). Human observation being what it is, a technically-assisted view is more likely to succeed.”

That’s how Stokes reacted, as though he knew he has a finger under it. There’s no way to credibly account for gut feeling, though.

Alistair Connor on a lighter note, as we prepare for the final session. “Ah, half way round the world with one’s baby daughter… Happy memories!” Flying France to NZ with daughter who was 18 months old, so 1995… apologised to our neighbours before the takeoff… sure enough she threw up on me landing in LA… no change of clothes for the second leg. And what about the cricket eh? This match looks like shutting the door on Aus for the test championship… Eh? Oh, commiserations Adam.”

We did the pre-emptive apology early in the second flight but I don’t think it did much good! On the WTC… on the contrary! If India win this and England bounce back next week, Australia make it. Easy!

“Hi Adam.” Allo, Richard Hirst. “England have scored 588 in total in their last four innings: just 10 more than the first innings of the first test. Is this the most spectacular decline on record, even for England?” Anyone care to work that out? Has to be close!

Phil Sawyer is with us too. “Perhaps now would be a good time for English cricket to stop fining counties like Somerset for producing wickets take spin and instead start, I don’t know, encouraging them? You know, if we want to produce bats that can actually play the turning ball? Just a thought.”

A debate that will roll on. I’m familiar with it from when Australia have been pantsed in India. Those series are followed by a lot of anger about the lack of spin in the Sheffield Shield. Then, after they cop a hiding in England, it’s all about seam and Dukes balls.

“Good Afternoon Adam, good afternoon everyone.” And to you, Em Jackson in Newcastle. “My question to the reader/viewer/listener is this: What will begin sooner, the post-mortem to this match & the ECB’s rotation strategy or the countless Indian/South Asian meals that many people will be cooking up on Friday to enjoy with a cold lager?”

Yep, strong three-day Test vibes. From my selfish vantage point, today being my first day of self-isolation, this isn’t ideal! As for rest and rotation, I don’t think they had much of a choice, to be honest. I discussed that in greater detail with Geoff Lemon in our latest pod.

“Afternoon Adam.” Digvijay Yadav, good to have you with us. “The third Umpire is guilty of rushing it. But the more replays one looks at, it’s clear he grassed it.”

That’s where I’ve landed too. The process wasn’t good, as it wasn’t in the First Test at Chennai, but it felt the correct call to me. It helps bolster my argument (advanced by the MCC’s cricket committee yesterday!) that we should be moving to specialist TV umpires.

“Hi Adam.” Hello, James Butler. “I’ve been trying to explain to my young children why having Test cricket back on free-to-air TV is just so amazing. So I came up with this fruit based analogy for them which I thought you might enjoy.” Alright, let’s do it.

“So once there was a tree and every summer it produced glorious fruit. And the fruit was free to anyone who wanted it. Although not everyone liked the fruit (indeed, some thought it dull) those who did like it thought it was amongst the greatest things in the world and it brought them much joy and wonder. Then one day the men who owned the tree decided to make some money by charging for the fruit. So this meant only a tiny number of people could taste the fruit from the comfort of their own homes and many people actually forgot the fruit even existed. About 20 years later the fruit became available for free again. And yes, you had to get up early to taste it and yes, it was only available for a short while but it was glorious while it lasted. And everyone hoped that, one day, the men who owned the fruit would realise they were wrong and they would make the fruit available for free again…but this time forever.”

Nice one. I’m trying to find a way to work into your analogy that the alternative to the free fruit, when it wasn’t on offer, was the best food presentation in the world but it doesn’t quite get me there.

Six wickets for the session. England started at 81-4 but lost two further wickets on that score immediately after the tea interview, eventually all-out for 112. Their one chance with the ball came when Broad found Gill’s edge with his fourth delivery but Stokes’ low attempt at third slip was overturned by the third umpire. This Test Match already feels like it is being played in fast forward. To that end, the visitors need to take a hatful of wickets in the final stanza or they might go to bed tonight more or less already out of contention.

5th over: India 5-0 (Rohit 5, Gill 0) Anderson gets another look at Gill. “It is really a march into the unknown with a pink-ball and a 2:30pm start,” says Harsha Bhogle when looking ahead to what might happen when the player return with dew in the air. But will the ball keep swinging? It does here, with Anderson keeping Gill in defence throughout. Plenty to ponder during the break. DINNER!

4th over: India 5-0 (Rohit 5, Gill 0) Classic Rohit, pushing through the line of an overpitched Broad delivery, racing away to the long-off rope. Beautiful batting; perfect timing. England will get one more Anderson over in before tea. And for those with a strong interest in when the artificial light takes over… it very much has. Nice.

3rd over: India 1-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) India are off the mark, Rohit pushing with soft hands into the covers and running hard. He beats the opener on the inside edge with the ball that follows, the first we’ve seen from the England champion into the right hander. As usual, Sunil Gavaskar is the most emphatic voice on the catch that wasn’t, saying there is no way it was possibly a fair catch, adding if anyone disagrees with his view, they can seek him out.

2nd over: India 0-0 (Rohit 0, Gill 0) It’s never easy to say conclusively what happened with those, but from a process perspective, England are frustrated that more replays weren’t looked at. It definitely didn’t look good for Stokes on the replays they did look at. Anyway, the debate will rage on and, for once, I’m going to keep my powder dry. Broad completes his maiden. So close.

NOT OUT! “The ball clearly bounced” says the third umpire after a couple of replays, in then out of Stokes’ hands. The all-rounder can’t believe it, bursting into hysterical laughter. It was a very quick decision, England aren’t happy with Anderson, Broad and Root wanting a please explain given the decision on the field was out.

HAS BROAD PICKED UP GILL THIRD BALL? The soft signal is out, Stokes the catcher low at third slip. Upstairs we go.

1st over: India 0-0 (Rohit 0, Gill 0) Big hoop first ball, finding Rohit’s edge, albeit with soft hands into the gully. Ohh, and he beats him with his third offering, albeit from a fraction short of a length. Nice shape, though. Some indecision follows, Rohit unable to get his bat out of the way after deciding too late to leave. A maiden to start. We get a wide shot on TV: all the lights are on in the new stadium.

“As someone who has done a fair amount of travelling recently,” begins Gareth Fitzgerald, “what’s the item you pack thinking it will be essential but then never get it out the case? And is it better looking than Chris Woakes?”

My green corduroy shirt is not prettier than Chris Woakes. Not close.

The players are back on the field. Rohit Sharma is there with Shubman Gill, two men who know how to punch a bruise. Jimmy has the new pink SG ball in his hand. Can he make it sing? PLAY!

Some emails? Let’s do it. “I hope the jet lag’s over,” begins Martin Littlewood. That might take a while given we landed at Heathrow (from Melbourne) this time yesterday and my baby daughter decided to give it BIG for the entire second leg. But we’re okay, happily self-isolating in North London for the next ten days. “Just a thought with respect to the rotation policy, has this confused the England players to thinking this Day / Night Test is actually a Day / Night One Day International?”

They sure missed a lot of straight ones.

“Please tell me Jimmy, Stuart and Jofra will be licking their lips at the sight of this wicket and the floodlights coming on?” says Jonathan Gresty. “And feel free to lie to me about it…”

Oh, I think they will. I actually quite like the fact that the sun is already setting. A criticism of mine about day-night Tests in Australia is that it doesn’t get dark until an hour before stumps! At least this week they will get an entire session under lights.

“I reckon India will be 135-0 at stumps, a first innings lead of 28,” predicts Alex Gerrard, admittedly before England were all-out. If they are 135 at the close, that’ll put them 23 ahead. Indeed, that would have strong Trent Bridge 2015 energy.

“Wow Axar is such a king,” declares Willian Arnold-Forster. “Hope to see him out on the tiles in Durham, speed dealers on – jaw swinging off its hinges and those big beautiful limbs of his looking nice and loose.”

BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! I hope his circuit of choice is Sunderland. If so, I’ll go up there one weekend to find him.

What a whirlwind that was. Don’t forget, about 20 minutes before tea England were 74-2 with Crawley beyond 50 and Root riding shotgun. But either side of the break, the wheels fell off – that’s the lowest score for England in their first innings of any Test in India. The home bowlers, Axar and Ashwin in particular, gave them nothing. But make no mistake, this isn’t the pitch – the batsmen botched it. Cold comfort: England’s stellar seam attack get a proper crack at the hosts at the best possible time during a day-night Test.

The spinner skips through the right-hander, his straight one doing the job once again. Axar Patel: 21.4-6-38-6. Truly outstanding.

48th over: England 112-9 (Foakes 12, Anderson 0) Forget what I said signing off the previous over, it’s Jasprit Bumrah replacing Ashwin. A touch unexpected. AND HERE COMES THE KLAXON! Bumrah has overstepped – the 31st no-ball of the series the TV tells me. As I was tweeting earlier, I can’t believe it has taken me three Tests to realise what should come on instead of the siren: the opening few seconds of Klaxons’ baaaaanger – Atlantis to Interzone. 2007 – happy times. Bumrah gives Anderson some short stuff. Maybe, as Graeme Swann says, this is why he is back on? He keeps out the yorker that follows.

47th over: England 106-9 (Foakes 7, Anderson 0) Anderson, into the game far too early at No11. I should note that with tandem spinners, who both like to bowl their overs in the space of 75 seconds, it’ll be during the innings break when I get to most of your emails. Jimmy declines a single off the last ball to ensure it’ll be Foakes v Ashwin.

Sounds wise.

Broad sweeps – he was always going to – but the top edge finds Bumrah at backward square. Axar jags another five-for! Superb.

46th over: England 104-8 (Foakes 5, Broad 3) Ashwin is pinning Broad back then giving him something to drive but picks out cover. Graeme Swann is cheekily suggesting that this was England’s plan all along, getting India under lights later. “They could be eight down themselves.” That’s Marcus Robson’s prediction, too: “60/8.”

45th over: England 104-8 (Foakes 5, Broad 3) The superb Axar to continue, Foakes doing well defending off his front foot without a silly point to annoy him. The spinner drops his length back and finds the outside portion of the blade – something to work from there. Foakes has faced 46 deliveries for his five. Nothing wrong with that.

44th over: England 104-8 (Foakes 5, Broad 3) Ashwin has four catching men and nearly brings short leg into play when beating Broad’s inside edge early in the over from around the wicket. The England No10 is more confident when the ball is turning away from him, which prompts Ashwin to send down his Carrom Ball. Nice.

42nd over: England 104-8 (Foakes 5, Broad 3) Axar Patel, bowling like a dream, sends the pink ball twirling past the outside edge of Ben Foakes’ bat, missing by the square of a silk sail.

Well that’s drinks and as twilight falls I’ll leave you in the hands of Adam Collins, fresh from a flight from the other side of the world. What a game! Thanks for all the emails, sorry I couldn’t use them all.

The very next ball… this time Kohli reviews a huge turner that would have missed not only Broad’s stumps but his side-table as well. Not out.

Broad reviews an LBW and it is over-turned! A slog-sweep that was just missing off-stump

41st over: England 103-8 (Foakes 4, Broad 3) I think Broad has decided to have a go, a slog sweep brings him no runs but shows the way.

From Snow White (Joel Eley) “Happy Birthday from Malaysia, have a meeting tomorrow morning with Indian customers with whom I was discussing the game before leaving the office. For once I hope the discussions tomorrow are only work related. I can only see India runs in my crystal ball.”

But Rose Red (Neelesh Naik) writes: “Don’t write off this game just yet. India’s spinners got the hot and dry afternoon, England’s seamers will get the cool swinging evening. We may still have a match on our hands. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

40th over: England 101-8 (Foakes 3, Broad 3) Broad somehow survives one that screams away from his bat as he props forward. India are having a ball out there, wide smiles and a fair chance of an appeal every delivery. Broad sweeps Ashwin’s last ball for a single as a bitter February wind rattles my letter box.

39th over: England 100-8 (Foakes 3, Broad 2) Foakes defends an Axar maiden, and Stuart Broad may yet both bowl and bat as dusk falls.

38th over: England 100-8 (Foakes 3, Broad 2) The welcoming arms of three figures. England have lost 6 for 24 in 95 deliveries.

“Good morning Tanya,I thought you’d like to know what a glorious early spring day it is here in the middle of Portugal. I’m sure you’ll be happy for us.” I’ll be happy Geoff Wignall, but I’m also desperately envious.

“The other thing was that I’ve no wish to be unduly hard on YJB (if such a thing is possible); after all anyone can miss a slowish straight one early in an innings, especially if they aren’t in the habit of playing straight. Though No. 3 in a test match team might not be the ideal place for them. More worrying perhaps is that the review suggested he didn’t know it had been a straight one, in which case he certainly shouldn’t be at No. 3 in a test match team.”