Key events
It’s been another brilliant day in this Test match, and it’s difficult to call who is in control. I thought it was India’s when Harry Brook fell for 99 but there was a key 55-run stand between Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse that helped turn this into an innings shootout. Jasprit Bumrah finished with five for 83, his 14th five-for in 46 Tests.
KL Rahul has impressed in India’s second innings and has a history of going big against England. Shubman Gill will begin alongside him in the morning – can he emulate Virat Kohli and score twin tons on his captaincy debut?
Stumps: India 90-2, lead by 84
Gill pushes Bashir into the covers for one, and Rahul punches away for a single, too. A tossed up delivery doesn’t turn and very nearly brushes Gill’s outside edge. With one ball left to go in the over, the umpires decide against continuing as the rain comes down. That’ll be stumps.
23rd over: India 87-2 (Gill 4, Rahul 46) Stokes is getting the ball to hoop now, tension building with a new man in and the day approaching its end. The outswinger whizzes past Gill but the over ends with a leg bye as Stokes goes too straight.
22nd over: India 86-2 (Gill 4, Rahul 46) Bashir returns and begins too short – he’s lucky not to be punished by Rahul. Can the offie make use of the breeze? Bashir finds a nice line wide outside of off, inviting a tentative push from Rahul. It ends up as a maiden.
21st over: India 86-2 (Gill 4, Rahul 46) Shubman Gill, the young captain, has little fear: he carves his first ball over the slip cordon for four, much to Stokes’ annoyance.
WICKET! Sudharsan c Crawley b Stokes 30 (India 82-2)
Sudharsan has been clipping away comfortably all innings and does so against Stokes, timing nicely for a boundary. But he errs just moments later playing into the leg side, the clip finding Crawley at short midwicket.
20th over: India 76-1 (Sudharsan 24, Rahul 46) Rahul is peppering the cover boundary, finding four more off Tongue, England lacking any serious threat at the moment.
Krishnamoorthy v writes in: “Is any score less than 400 to chase in the 4th innings a threat? The only X factor is Bumrah who can bowl any team out singlehandedly.” I would be shocked if Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t play a significant role in the fourth.
19th over: India 70-1 (Sudharsan 24, Rahul 40) Rahul tries to launch another through the covers but nearly inside-edges a Stokes delivery on to his stumps.
18th over: India 69-1 (Sudharsan 24, Rahul 39) Sudharsan has been watchful but misses after trying to slash Tongue away outside off. The quick then finds the pad – but only after the inside edge. A leg-side clip brings two before Sudharsan is dropped! Tongue goes wide and Sudharshan cuts hard to Duckett at gully, who juggles but can’t hold on after having three goes.
17th over: India 67-1 (Sudharsan 22, Rahul 39) Rahul just about nicks another quick single as Stokes thunders though his over.
16th over: India 65-1 (Sudharsan 21, Rahul 38) Rahul really is a wonderful technician, not just with those drives but with the bunts for a single, too. He has two Test hundreds opening the batting in England, a serious feat, at the Oval in 2018 and at Lord’s three years later.
15th over: India 64-1 (Sudharsan 21, Rahul 37) Bashir is taken off after just the one over, with Stokes bringing himself on. He showcases a bit of swing and sharp bounce, and he’s focused on a leg-side line, trying to get Sudharsan to play a fatal glance, as he did in the first innings. There’s a leg slip positioned. The final ball of the over is well wide outside off, though, and Sudharsan finds the boundary. Time for a drinks break.
14th over: India 59-1 (Sudharsan 17, Rahul 36) The umbrellas are out at Headingley so we may have a break in play very soon. Rahul and Sudharsan have rotated the strike pretty well and they nick a quick single off Tongue.
13th over: India 57-1 (Sudharsan 17, Rahul 35) This is a surprise. It’s not Stokes but Shoaib Bashir who appears at the other end, ready to twirl against Sudharsan. His first ball is tucked into the leg side for one. The next ball is really poor, a drag-down that is pulled away by Rahul for four. The off-spinner finds the right line and length with the last delivery, played out by Sudharsan for none.
Rahul has a weird Test record: seven away tons, just the one in India. But he still averages close to 40 in 20 home Tests, around 31 abroad.
12th over: India 49-1 (Sudharsan 16, Rahul 28) Here is Tongue, who had a rough day one but gobbled up the tail yesterday. His second ball is pummelled through cover point by Rahul, who is throwing some lovely shapes when he sees the fuller delivery.
11th over: India 45-1 (Sudharsan 16, Rahul 24) Woakes gets some swing into Sudharsan but it doesn’t really bother the batter, who plays out a maiden.
10th over: India 45-1 (Sudharsan 16, Rahul 24) The batting pair end up running four before Rahul drives through mid-on to the boundary, Carse overpitching. A cover drive for four ends the over, Rahul perfectly balanced at the crease. The ball doesn’t appear to be doing much for England – it can’t be long before Josh Tongue is called in to pummel the pitch.
9th over: India 33-1 (Sudharsan 16, Rahul 12) Chris Woakes gets the wobble seam going from around the wicket, trying to squeeze an outside edge out of Sudharsan. The batter, playing the ball right under his eyes, has some control as he guides one past the slip cordon for another boundary. Woakes delivers a fine retort to close the over, swinging one past the outside edge.
8th over: India 27-1 (Sudharsan 10, Rahul 12) Carse goes full and Sudharsan just pushes the ball through the covers, forcing the substitute fielder to chase and stop the boundary. The debutant looks to have settled – I imagine he was a bag of nerves walking to the middle.
7th over: India 22-1 (Sudharsan 6, Rahul 11) Woakes is maybe a touch too short to Sudharsan as the No 3 clips away for one. Rahul is happy to defend and leave for now.
6th over: India 21-1 (Sudharsan 5, Rahul 11) Carse fizzes a delivery past Sudharsan but then strays on to the pads, the left-hander tucking away for one. The Durham quick is back to over the wicket against Rahul, trying to angle the ball in and then jag away from the right-hander. Rahul’s defence is solid and he’s happy to let a wider one go at the end of the over.
5th over: India 20-1 (Sudharsan 4, Rahul 11) Woakes keeps Rahul quiet with a maiden and allows Carse another go at the left-hander.
4th over: India 20-1 (Sudharsan 4, Rahul 11) Sai Sudharsan, on debut, on a pair. And he gets off it immediately, an edge – played with some control – staying low and running away for four. But Carse has found some proper rhythm going around the wicket to the left-hander and four dots follow.
WICKET! Jaiswal c Smith b Carse 4 (India 16-1)
A corker from Carse. He angles the ball into the left-hander, finds the nip away as well as the outside edge, Smith gobbles up behind the stumps. What was that nonsense I was talking earlier about Carse with the new ball?
3rd over: India 16-0 (Jaiswal 4, Rahul 11) Rahul nearly perishes, an inside-edge narrowly evading the stumps after he tried to punch off the back foot. He finds the middle of his bat with the next ball, though, thumping through point after Woakes goes back of a length. A cover drive follows moments later, a gorgeous shot from the right-hander after Woakes goes too full. The bowler is still searching for the right length here.
2nd over: India 6-0 (Jaiswal 4, Rahul 1) Brydon Carse is undoubtedly a Test-level bowler but I’m still not so sure of him as new-ball man. His third ball is dropped into the leg-side for one, KL Rahul getting off the mark. Carse goes short around the wicket to Jaiswal, who, without looking all that comfortable, pulls away for four.
1st over: India 1-0 (Jaiswal 0, Rahul 0) Jaiswal drives his second ball, an edge travelling low but stopped in the gully region. Rain seems to be approaching Headingley, and Jaiswal finds air, not the ball, with a flashing cut. Woakes had overstepped anyway. There’s a hint of inswing to the left-hander as Jaiswal resists.
And we’re back. The floodlights are on and Chris Woakes has a fresh Dukes. Let’s play!
Jeremy Boyce writes in:
A great effort by England after losing the first day, and then losing Crawley in the first over of their reply, how many times have we seen that kind of thing lead to big trouble ? Appropriately, a proper Curate’s egg of an innings by England :
Good in parts : runs all through the order with all the batters except for 1 and 11 making it to double figures, no ducks, rode their luck, 4.65 runs per over is a decent scoring rate, small first innings deficit
Bad in parts : many good starts but only one batter able to carry that through to 3 figures, too many loose shots giving away chances and wickets, where would they have been if the dropped chances had stuck ?
Whatever, we’re pretty much back to square one, and as you say, it’s now a one-innings shoot-out. Who will blink first ?
And Doug writes in after seeing Rob’s list (see over 75) of cricketers to have a drink with:
Rob’s list included Ken Rutherford, which reminded me of his time in Singapore maybe 12 or more years ago. He turned out for regularly for our midweek footy team & always joined for a beer afterwards & was a wonderful addition. Decent left foot on the pitch & always affable & self deprecating in the bar, happily chatting with all & about anything. Top bloke.
It’s tea by the way. With a break in the action, I’d like just a moment to talk about David Lawrence. I read his autobiography just last week, written with the help of Dean Wilson, and was moved by the struggles he’d encountered throughout his life: as a Black man who had to deal with several horrible experiences of racial abuse, as a fast bowler whose kneecap split at the age of 28, as a man-mountain who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
As Andy Bull wrote yesterday, this series is split into two: when Bumrah bowls and when he doesn’t. Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes were able to deliver a rapid partnership of 55 because Bumrah was having a breather. When he returned he needed just 10 deliveries to knock over the final two wickets.
England are all out for 465 – Bumrah takes five!
Shoaib Bashir delivers an exemplary forward defence to Bumrah before swivelling away a pull for one – a bit of relief for the No 11. And then comes the inevitable, Tongue’s off stump knocked back. Bumrah, the greatest fast bowler I’ve seen, has five wickets. India have a first-innings lead of six.
WICKET! Tongue b Bumrah 11 (England 465 all out)
100th over: England 464-9 (Bashir 0, Tongue 11) Jadeja tempts Tongue with a lobbed up wide one – and the batter gets a hold of it, a lofted drive bringing four. India lead by just seven.
99th over: England 460-9 (Bashir 0, Tongue 7) Shoaib Bashir gets plenty of love from the Headingley crowd after blocking out his first delivery, the last of Bumrah’s over.
WICKET! Woakes b Bumrah 38 (England 460-9)
Shardul Thakur takes his sweater and cap off … but there’s a late change of mind. Shubman Gill summons the great fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah beaming as he flies in to bowl, still on for a five-wicket haul. But there’s frustration as Tongue drives and edges low, away from the cordon and to the boundary for four. A snorting delivery leaves Tongue at the last second, very nearly taking out off stump. England’s No 10 finally retreats to the safe haven of the non-striker’s end with a bunt off a full toss.
But here’s his fourth, Bumrah rattling Woakes’ stumps. It’s full and it nips through the batter’s defence.
98th over: England 455-8 (Woakes 38, Tongue 2) Jadeja repeats his trick, delivering six dots.
Paul Thompson provides a warning: “It’s just started raining in Thornton, 13 miles due west of Headingly. It’s heading in your direction. You might get half an hour before it arrives.”
97th over: England 455-8 (Woakes 38, Tongue 2) Gill is holding back Bumrah as Siraj continues. Woakes receives some treatment before Tongue gets off the mark with a clip for two. Siraj closes the over with a hooping outswinger, forcing Pant to collect with a dive.
96th over: England 453-8 (Woakes 38, Tongue 0) Ravindra Jadeja is brought on and delivers his trademark, the rapid maiden.
95th over: England 453-8 (Woakes 38, Tongue 0) Josh Tongue enters and Siraj greets him with a bumper. England trail by just 18, this game heading towards an innings shootout.
WICKET! Carse b Siraj 22 (England 453-8)
Carse goes full Bazball, trying to scoop Siraj but doesn’t get near it, somehow surviving. He then backs away next ball and hacks away down the ground for four, effective if not elegant against the short-ball ploy. But then comes the surprise, a pinpoint yorker that finally ends this troublesome partnership. Carse gave himself room to swat it away but found it out of reach.
94th over: England 448-7 (Woakes 37, Carse 18) Woakes’ offside single brings up the 50 partnership … off just 36 balls. It’s a rare quiet over, just one off it.
93rd over: England 447-7 (Woakes 36, Carse 18) Brydon Carse! He skips down the ground and swats Siraj through the covers for four. Siraj’s response is a fierce bumper. England’s strong tail is showing its value after India’s crumbled quickly yesterday.
92nd over: England 441-7 (Woakes 35, Carse 13) This is non-stop stuff, Woakes and Carse turning into middle-order blasters. The former pulls a short one from Krishna for six, and then makes room for another big one, upper-cutting over third. Woakes is a proper all-rounder at home, more than capable of doing a job higher up the order.
91st over: England 427-7 (Woakes 22, Carse 12) Brook, by the way, is the first England batter to depart for 99 in a Test since Jonny Bairstow against South Africa in 2017. Woakes remains regal though, driving Siraj straight for four. The runs flow freely as a ball flies off a length, beats Woakes and the leap of Pant to run away to the boundary. This pitch is playing some tricks.
90th over: England 416-7 (Woakes 15, Carse 12) Is it another drop by India? No, the outside edge off Woakes drops just short of Jaiswal in the cordon. Krishna continues to thunder in but is too wide as Carse throws the bat outside off and finds four behind point. Carse is then fortunate when an inside-edge runs away for four more, and two to close the over makes it a big one. India lead by just 55 now.
89th over: England 405-7 (Woakes 14, Carse 2) Harry Brook is a cool, relaxed character but he was clearly gutted with that – he has a solid record in England but with just the one Test hundred. Woakes and Carse exchange singles off Siraj.
88th over: England 403-7 (Woakes 13, Carse 1) Chris Woakes punches down the ground to end a difficult over for England with a boundary. They move past 400, with Brydon Carse into the mix – he’s a strong No 9, averaging close to 30 in first-class cricket with two hundreds.
Brook out for 99!
Oh my word. After missing with a swish outside off, Brook miscues a pull shot to deep backward square, missing out on a Test hundred at his home ground. Nevermind the milestone, that’s a huge moment in this Test match, handing India firm control – they still lead by 73.
WICKET! Brook c Thakur b Krishna 99 (England 398-7)