Australia had a winning streak of 12 matches, but that has come to end. India have thrashed them. Thrashed. What a performance from the women in blue, who have had some very steep ups and downs in the last couple of years: failure at the 2016 World T20 at home, making the World Cup final last year in the 50-over format, losing the Asia Cup final to Bangladesh in a huge upset this year, and now storming into the semis unbeaten from the pool stage in this WT20. They have a big chance to take their first global title if they keep playing like this.
Smriti Mandhana was the star of the show with her stylish and fast 83 from 55 balls. Harmanpreet added the brutality with 43 from 27. Perry was the best bowler with 3 for 16, though Vlaeminck looked useful and underused.
And it’s over. With Healy unable to bat, Australia is all out at nine wickets down – so Ravi’s question from earlier was relevant in the end. Vlaeminck has a big gallop and a slog, and why not as someone who was listed at No11 on debut with two balls left in the match. Getting out stumped is a tailender’s badge of honour.
In the voice of the bloke from The Castle, what is it with tailenders and the leg side? Patil bowls so far outside off that Schutt basically has to walk to point, and then Schutt still tries to slog it over midwicket. The ball just goes straight up and down, and the keeper takes the simple catch.
19th over: Australia 118-7 (Perry 38, Schutt 4) Perry takes the chance for a spot of range-hitting, smoking Deepti over deepti midwicket. After that she’s happy to trade singles with Schutt.
18th over: Australia 108-7 (Perry 30, Schutt 2) Batting practice for Megan Schutt is all that this situation can offer. She might as well make use of it. Asking for 59 from two overs is a bit steep.
What a catch! Another blinder. Radha had that misfield in the outfield earlier, but she’s made up for it since. This time gets a high leading edge from Kimmince’s slog, and there’s no mid-on or mid-off to take it. So Radha sprints back from her bowling mark to about a mid-on, dived backwards and clung on.
17th over: Australia 103-6 (Perry 28) This is how they fall when the required run rate blows out past 20. Patil had only conceded four from the over and Molineux couldn’t get her away. Swung in desperation. Yet another outfield catch for Krishnamurthy, this one down the ground.
16th over: Australia 99-5 (Perry 27, Molineux 6) The new batter clobbers a leg-side slog that should be a catch but ends up as a boundary instead, off hands. Nine runs from the over is a decent return, but losing Haynes without having fired a shot has all but ended Australia’s chances.
Almost inevitable at some point. Haynes charges looking for a big shot. Poonam has bowled the wrong ‘un, which spins away from the left-hander and leaves her stranded.
15th over: Australia 90-4 (Haynes 8, Perry 24) Harmanpreet carries on, but may wish she didn’t. Perry slams a pull through midwicket, a drive over the bowler’s head, and another pull further in front of square that hits the gap. Three boundaries. “Is that the big over Australia needs?” asks Lisa Sthalekar. Um, they all need to be big overs.
14th over: Australia 76-4 (Haynes 7, Perry 11) Perry finds the outfield gap a couple of times against Poonam wide of long on, allowing them to come back for a second run. They harvest some singles and take seven of the over. But they still need 92 in 36 balls.
13th over: Australia 69-4 (Haynes 6, Perry 5) Harmanpreet wants a bowl herself. Why not? She’s the captain, her team’s right on top, and she punted runs around the ground for her own entertainment. Bowls over the wicket, teasing the left-handed Haynes with the angle across her. Haynes leaves expecting a wide, but it isn’t one.
12th over: Australia 64-4 (Haynes 3, Perry 3) Radha Yadav, the Python. Three singles from the over. This batting pair, they’re trying to get going, but they just can’t find purchase or time anything.
11th over: Australia 61-4 (Haynes 2, Perry 1) A couple of singles to close out the over, and Poonam has gone for four runs and taken a wicket. People underestimate her all the time, because she’s about four-foot-two and bowls at 28 kilometres an hour. But her flight through the air deceives players, and her lack of pace makes her hard to hit long. Very few can consistently time their shots against her leg-breaks. Gardner did it once for six, but the lack of pace brought her undone the second time around.
Lord Veda does the damage for the third time today. Gardner is Australia’s most damaging hitter, and there was some hope if she could get going, but she finds long-off to give Krishnamurthy her third outfield catch.
10th over: Australia 57-3 (Gardner 19, Haynes 0) Only one run from an over that produced the wicket of Lanning. Haynes is next in, and has been Australia’s fastest scorer since the 2017 World Cup, but the ask of 111 in 60 balls is probably too high. Australia just haven’t looked up for it today.
They’ve been annoying Lanning by bowling way outside off stump, and she’s been impatiently walking across to hit balls that may have been wides had she left them alone. Finally she gets one straighter and hauls to the leg side, but picks out deep midwicket like Villani did. Lanning hasn’t been back to her best at any point in this tournament, after not playing much in the past year or so.
9th over: Australia 56-2 (Gardner 18, Lanning 10) Double Yadav attack, with the leg-spinner Poonam at the other end. Gardner skips down and launches six over the off side. Good shot, but they only add two other singles from the over, so it’s not the productive one Australia needs.
8th over: Australia 48-2 (Gardner 11, Lanning 9) The squeeze is on. Radha Yadav, the left arm ortho, concedes four singles when Australia need 10 an over.
7th over: Australia 44-2 (Gardner 9, Lanning 7) Deepti Sharma is having a fun day. There’s one boundary in the over, when Lanning lashes to deep cover and a misfield from Radha Yadav lets the ball through. But aside from that Deepti is all over her, varying flight and pace, drawing misses and miscues and shots straight to the field. The last ball of the over turns sharply and takes the pad, and India burn their review checking the lbw. The turn was taking that ball well down leg.
6th over: Australia 39-2 (Gardner 9, Lanning 3) I’ll tell you what, I could go a long time without needing to hear the tournament theme song again. It’s nice and all, but getting the same 10 seconds of it after every boundary and wicket and over is wearing faster than a Caribbean pitch. I’ll put my hands in the air if it will be taken as surrender in this musical war, and an armistice can then be signed. Let the guns fall silent.
Gardner finds the field three times in a row, then finally edges Reddy for four, and smacks another boundary from the straight drive. They’re the only scores from the over.
5th over: Australia 31-2 (Gardner 1, Lanning 3) A couple of wickets in the over and the Australians have to start again.
Deepti Sharma is on a hat-trick! The batters crossed while Villani’s shot was in the air, so now both openers are gone. And what a way to get the wicket, bowled around her legs. Mooney aimed the sweep and missed.
Short ball, there to pull, but Villani doesn’t keep it down and doesn’t get anywhere near enough to threaten a six. Instead she picks out the fielder in the deep.
4th over: Australia 27-0 (Mooney 19, Villani 6) Patil nearly gets through another tidy over, but Mooney drives four over cover from the last ball to improve the equation. Australia still need 141 in 96 balls.
I’m trying to figure out why Tayla Vlaeminck didn’t get to bowl more. Two overs going for nine runs, the most economical on the day. Perhaps Lanning was worried that later in the innings when Mandhana was flying, the extra pace could have been used against Australia. But it seems odd that other bowlers were bowled out despite going at 10 an over or more.
3rd over: Australia 20-0 (Mooney 14, Villani 4) Gee, an over like that hurts Australia. India decide to go with spin in the Powerplay, and Deepti Sharma’s off-breaks are the method. Mooney can’t time them at all, sits there marooned for several balls. Deepti gives some oxygen with a couple of wides, but the frustration of not being able to make good contact can make players do silly things in short order. Six from the over including the extras.
2nd over: Australia 14-0 (Mooney 13, Villani 1) Anuja Patil complements the seam of Reddy with her little spinners, dropping them on a length for a couple of dots and a couple of singles.
@GeoffLemonSport Presume that, if Healy doesn't play, Australia are all out at 9 down? Not that I'm expecting it to get there, the way Mooney has started, but hypothetically...
1st over: Australia 11-0 (Mooney 11, Villani 0) Good start for Australia! In the circumstances. No Healy, as expected - the attacking Villani opens with Mooney. But Mooney faces all the balls and scores all the runs. Arundhati Reddy is the bowler, and Mooney glides her for four on one side of the keeper, then glances her for four down the other.
For reference, there have only been three successful chases of this size or bigger in Women’s T20 Internationals. None of them by Australia. So a huge task ahead, and made that much harder by the likelihood that Alyssa Healy could miss out under concussion protocols: doubt they’ll risk her. On the plus side for Australia, they’ve already qualified for the semi-finals so this match isn’t a must-win.
20th over: India 167-8 (Yadav 1) Deepti Sharma is bowled by the last ball of the innings for 8 from 10 balls, Perry just bowling straight as per the manual, and conceding eight runs from the final over is a decent result. Two wickets, and Perry ends with 3 for 16 from her three overs.
Smacks Perry over mid-off for four one ball, but Reddy falls trying to repeat the dose without enough power. Two balls to come in the innings.
19th over: India 159-6 (Deepti 5, Reddy 2) Five singles, the wicket of Mandhana, the dropped catch, and the injury to Healy. An eventful over.
You never want to see that. The new batter, Arundhati Reddy, popped a ball up in the air. Both bowler and wicketkeeper went for it, and anyone who has played cricket has probably seen one or two of these. Thankfully it wasn’t a head clash on both parties, but Healy seemed to wear the contact from Schutt’s shoulder. Healy had the stretching and diving to do, so she was going faster, and ploughed into Schutt. At Healy’s diminutive height, she whacked her face and head, then ended up on her back on the ground for a good long time. She’s finally helped up and off the field, and Australia’s chances of chasing this target take a massive hit as well, if you remove the chance of one her fast fifties at the top of the order.
But all flights must come to an end. The old firm combine, first ball of a new over. Mandhana got the slower ball, tried to heave across the line too much rather than time the shot, and dragged it high to deep midwicket. What an outstanding innings though: control, class, aggression, pressed the accelerator smoothly through the early stages after an early wicket went down, faded back when Harmanpreet was firing, then took control again as soon as the captain departed. Outstanding.
18th over: India 154-5 (Mandhana 83, Deepti 2) Mandhana goes big once again! Kimmince is relying so much on slower balls that she may as well be a spinner, so Mandhana dumps her over midwicket on the slog sweep like one. Kimmince loses composure and sends down a ball that slips from her grasp, very wide outside off, though Mandhana had advanced and could have been stumped had Healy grasped it cleanly. Instead it bursts through Healy and costs three wides. Mandhana follows up by nailing a boundary over midwicket, picking the gap and beating the sweeper, then flat-bats a full toss over point and it takes a fierce chase and dive from Schutt to keep four runs to three. Flying.
17th over: India 137-5 (Mandhana 70, Deepti 1) Deepti Sharma is next in. She takes a couple of balls to get off strike, then Mandhana misses one and finds the field. Can’t add to her score this over, and Australia concede only a single. Important gains.
Perry gets her first. Full, straight, a shot across the line that drags a bottom edge back. You know the drill.
16th over: India 136-4 (Mandhana 70, Hemalatha 1) There may have been a wicket, but that won’t stop Mandhana from creaming a lofted sweep to the square boundary. Now that the Harmanpreet intermission is over, Mandhana could still be a chance for a hundred here.
Zing! Hell of a catch from the woman on debut. Krishnamurthy got a short ball from Gardner, it deserved to go and it was going. Flipped on the pull over backward square leg. But Vlaeminck in that position was backpedalling, leapt, and somehow snared the ball in the outstretched fingertips of one hand. Gardner couldn’t believe it.
15th over: India 128-3 (Mandhana 64, Krishnamurthy 2) It’s all about close calls for Mandhana. First, a wide that nearly bowls her leg stump. Second, a sweep shot just over the infield after she shuffled across. Third, another sweep hat misses, sees her given out lbw, then overturn it with a review. Molineux is a left-armer, and that ball pitched outside the left-hander’s leg stump. Eight runs from the over after a few singles are added, and that seems like an economical one compared to what else has been happening today.
14th over: India 120-3 (Mandhana 58, Krishnamurthy 1) Eleven from the over, but the all-important wicket of Harmanpreet. Most bowlers would take that trade.
She slams Kimmince over cover for four, ramps her over fine leg for four, then it finally comes to an end. A sliced shot high towards point, and Haynes takes the skied catch.
13th over: India 109-2 (Mandhana 56, Harmanpreet 35) Finally a quiet over for the Australians, as Schutt concedes three singles and a wide. India have time to take a breath and then reload for the final charge.
12th over: India 105-2 (Mandhana 55, Harmanpreet 33)There goes another one! Harmanpreet down the wicket again, driving again, and even though this skews to long-off rather than where she was aiming at long-on, it soars metres over the boundary down there and into the sightscreen area where the ground staff are gathered. What a shot, what a player. This came after Molineux tried to fire in a ball at a moving Mandhana, and only succeeded in spearing it past her legs for five wides. Mandhana made all the early scoring and has barely been required to add a run in the past few overs. Another 14 from that one.
11th over: India 91-2 (Mandhana 54, Harmanpreet 25) Kimmince has been very economical in this tournament, but Harmanpreet has had enough of that. Reaches after a very wide ball and flays it over backward point for four. Does the same for a single, they’re thinking about a second but don’t go, and in the end Mandhana was nearly run out at the striker’s end regaining her ground.
10th over: India 83-2 (Mandhana 53, Harmanpreet 19) Gardner is back, but the off-spinner is landing them too much on leg stump to the left-handed Mandhana. Worked away for a couple, then swept behind square for the boundary that raises her fifty. As if that wasn’t enough, Harmanpreet wants to show what she can do. She can take an off-break spinning into her, and drive it in the air over cover for six. Her signature shot, the one that amazed people in the WBBL when she first batted there. What a strike. What a partnership. Gardner’s over goes for 14.
9th over: India 69-2 (Mandhana 46, Harmanpreet 12) Molineux is back, driven out to cover by Harmanpreet for one, lofted by Mandhana for another, just the single now with the field back straight. But any hopes by the bowler of delivering a quiet one are dashed from the last ball, after four singles have been added, when Harmanpreet skips down to the drop and lifts it long and high for six. Over wide long-on, classic rather than agricultural, and that was Harmanpretty good.
8th over: India 59-2 (Mandhana 44, Harmanpreet 4) A dynamic pairing now, with the captain Harmanpreet at the crease. She often takes a little while to get going, so the Australians have set a suffocating field to deny her the chance to rotate strike. She ends up taking a very dicy single hit straight to midwicket, but makes it home with the throw wide. That allows Mandhana the chance to smack a boundary dead straight and aerial from Perry, and salvage what would have been a quiet over.
7th over: India 52-2 (Mandhana 39, Harmanpreet 2) Kimmince closes out a successful over, six runs from it and the wicket.
The commentators speak about the importance of breaking a partnership, but Rodrigues hasn’t had to do much except watch Mandhana’s batting. She drives a wide ball from Kimmince off the edge to backward point, camped right back on the edge of the circle, but it just carries.
6th over: India 46-1 (Mandhana 37, Rodrigues 4) There’s that six range again! Mandhana has sweetly timed another one, this time off the seam bowling of Schutt and again it clears the straight boundary. And again the bowler overcompensates and Mandhana leans back to cut a boundary well behind point. Splitting two fielders there awaiting it. Schutt throws her head back in dismay.
5th over: India 33-1 (Mandhana 25, Rodrigues 3) Six! Molineux is the bowler, the left-arm spinner. Mandhana clears the leg, but has a still and stable base as she launches into a straight drive. Lifts it marginally to the on-side of straight and times it so well it carries the rope. To follow, that’s a lovely bit of batting. Knowing the outfielders are down the ground and the bowler will dart one through, Mandhana camps on the back foot, opens the face of her bat and glides four fine past the keeper. The over costs 13 in the end, and it could be Mandhana’s day for a big one.
4th over: India 20-1 (Mandhana 14, Rodrigues 2) Megan Schutt now, usually opens the bowling but I liked the move by Lanning to give her young debutante a run. Get her in the game ASAP. Schutt is on the money, a couple of singles then beating Mandhana’s outside edge on a flashy cut. Mandhana connects from the fifth ball, lofting her straight drive over mid-off for four, then hits wider over extra cover for a couple more.
3rd over: India 12-1 (Mandhana 7, Rodrigues 1) It’s a bouncer! You don’t see many of those in this format, but Vlaeminck has the wheels. Digs in the short ball and it surprises Rodrigues who gets down underneath it. And is surprised again when the next ball is brisk outside off and carries the outside edge of the flashing blade past gully for a streaky single. Mandhana doesn’t mind the velocity though, using it to carve with a horizontal bat through cover for four! Gorgeous shot, and an equally good cover drive follows it except it goes straight to the field. The bowler offers a couple of wides as well.
2nd over: India 5-1 (Mandhana 3, Rodrigues 0) Well. Gardner bowled so well through the 2017 World Cup, and she’s been used early here as well to provide a boost for Australia. If you can stifle your opponent’s powerplay it makes a huge difference.
There’s the early strike. Bhatia liked the look of Gardner’s off-spin, sized up a big shot down the ground, but mistimed it and got a thick leading edge that steepled to midwicket and was eventually held by a sprawling Lanning.
1st over: India 2-0 (Bhatia 1, Mandhana 1) Vlaemnick starts and that is brisk! A lot of zip in her delivery pace. The opening pair can only find a couple of singles.
@GeoffLemonSport This is it. The big one. Will Mandhana score a century or get out first ball? Will Healey's innings be so transcendental she will be taken straight to heaven. Will I be able to cope with all this sleep deprivation?
That’s a debut in this format for Vlaemnick, who has also played one ODI. Ellyse Perry is playing her 100th match in this format, which no other Australian has done. The men’s teams don’t get anywhere near the same volume of 20-over internationals, and in the women’s team she’s been a mainstay for so many years already. Even India’s champ Mithali Raj hasn’t quite played a hundred T20 Internationals, and she’s missing one today to rest a sore knee.
Australia Beth Mooney Alyssa Healy + Meg Lanning * Ashleigh Gardner Elyse Villani Rachael Haynes Ellyse Perry Sophie Molineux Delissa Kimmince Tayla Vlaeminck Megan Schutt
Australia versus India, the last of the pool matches for both these sides. They’ve each already qualified from Group B for the semi-finals, but there’s still plenty to play for. Momentum and bragging rights, first of all: two unbeaten sides wanting to stay that way, and wanting to ensure they have the other team worried should they meet again in the final. Secondly, to worry their semi-final opponent with a dominant display. And third, whoever finishes top of this group gets to avoid whoever finishes top of the other, which is yet to be decided between England and West Indies.
And we could be set for another run-fest, with Alyssa Healy the highest scorer in the tournament and going at a prodigious rate, while Harmanpreet Kaur smashed a century in her opening match against New Zealand. Two exciting sides both in good form. Let’s see what they have for us.
Time to say thank you and good – morning, I guess, though it’s hard to say. England’s ruthless efficiency has deprived you not only of an exciting finish, but of the sweet sound of Rob Smyth, who was due to take the second half of the day. Still, that’s England for you: we can’t even rely on them to choke.
I’ll be back for the third Test on Friday (November 23), when Sri Lanka, who were very decent until their late collapse, will be playing for pride, and England are going to have a couple of interesting choices to make. Sam Curran has a side strain, which should reopen the door to Jonny Bairstow or Stuart Broad, and there’s a case for giving Olly Stone a go in place of Jimmy Anderson. Jimmy was more significant here as a batsman than as a bowler. That’s how well the three spinners did.
Player of the Match, quite rightly, is Root. “We were very good for the whole game,” he says, momentarily forgetting that England let things slip towards the end of Sri Lanka’s first innings. “At times under pressure” – that’s more like it – “but I couldn’t be more proud... We’ve come out saying we wanted to play some bold, courageous cricket, and we’ve worked extremely hard.” This is the unmistakable sound of today’s sportsmen, forever keen to emphasise their industry, even when they’ve just found their inner buccaneer.
“We’re not the finished article,” Root goes on. “We want to get to No.1 in the world.” England started the series at No.3, well adrift of India but only just behind South Africa, so this victory should take them to No.2. It is Root’s first series win away from home, no mean improvement after that long grim winter of 2017-18, when his team played seven Tests in Australia and New Zealand and won none.
Someone else who deserves credit for this famous victory is a player England never pick in Test cricket – Eoin Morgan. Joe Root’s captaincy, suddenly so much better here, has been in Morgan’s image: fearless, attacking, willing to leave out a top player or two, and leading from the front. England’s fastest scorer in this series has been Root himself, with a strike rate of 75, followed by his deputy (and Morgan’s), Jos Buttler, on 70. It’s been a performance that England’s fans, usually so beset with anxiety and irony, can be wholeheartedly proud of.
It took England only 35 minutes to round up those last three wickets. Here’s the moment the game ended.
So, the accounts. England won by 57 runs. Sri Lanka finished with quite a collapse, from 221-5 to 243 all out. No England seamer took a wicket, for only the third time in 141 years of Test cricket. Moeen Ali has 14 wickets in the series, at an average of 21; Leach has 13, at 19; Adil Rashid has seven, at 30. You could look at those figures and say Rashid has been the weak link, but his scalps are often the big ones, and the three of them, all so different, have formed a superb unit. The point is that they’ve taken 18 wickets in this match, on top of 16 last week. England have won a series with only one wicket from the great Jimmy Anderson (at an average of 105).
And now it’s over to Brian Withington.“Not with a bang...” he begins. “Is it churlish of me to admit to feeling just a little cheated by that particular dénouement? A little like when it turns out that the plot turned on the existence of an identical twin.” Ha. “Great for Leach to wrap it up though.” Yes, he’s a trouper. He didn’t actually bowl all that well this morning, perhaps tense and short of sleep, but he took that return catch with his usual sang-froid.
England haven’t just won a Test series in Sri Lanka for the first time since the days of Nasser Hussain in 2001. They also won the one-day series, 3-1, and the single T20, so it’s a clean sweep, in a country where plenty of visiting teams win nothing at all.
As well as Root, the person who deserves huge credit is Ed Smith, who took over as national selector six months ago. He brought in Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid, as well as some more orthodox picks. He brought back Moeen Ali. He sent for Ben Foakes when Jonny Bairstow picked up that football injury. England’s sweeping victory began with Smith’s new broom.
This has been a real team effort, with runs from the new opening pair, runs down the order from Sam Curran, some terrific fielding led by Foakes and Stokes, and the three spinners – a ploy that has often failed for England – forming a highly effective team within a team. But the most credit belongs to Joe Root, who has captained the side far better in this series than any other, gave his players a licence to thrill, and still found the energy to make the best and biggest innings of the match.
That’s it! Pushpakumara pushes it back to Leach, it looks like a bump ball, but Leach knows it’s not. The umps check, Leach has his five-for and England have their series win. A great achievement.
73rd over: Sri Lanka 241-9 (Dananjaya 7, Pushpakumara 0) A maiden from Moeen, the man of the morning.
72nd over: Sri Lanka 241-9 (Dananjaya 7, Pushpakumara 0) A single to Dananjaya off Leach as he shovels between the two catchers breathing down his neck on the leg side. And a near-stumping as Pushpakumara drives at thin air and Foakes neatly whips off the bails. SL need 60, which is what England’s last pair put on, several weeks ago, in the first innings of this match.
71st over: Sri Lanka 240-9 (Dananjaya 6, Pushpakumara 0) Well, Moeen seems to have settled it. That’s a double-wicket maiden and it’s all over now bar the question of who gets a five-for – Moeen or Leach.
“Morning Tim.” Morning Brian Withington. Do you ever sleep? “What a fine word ‘dénouement’ is, and how appropriate for the culmination of this match of twists and turns (and the obligatory Buttler in a leading role). Wondering how much Joe Root will be required to tax his little grey cells in the process?” This, as you will have spotted, was written before that killer over.
Another one! The stand-in captain Lakmal barely stands in the crease before he misses a beauty from Moeen, who goes round the wicket and gets his off-break to spin back sharply. That elusive series win is so close you can smell it.
The big one! Dickwella opts not to sweep for once, looking for the cover drive. Moeen deceives him in the flight, and the edge goes into the super-safe hands of Stokes at slip. England are firm favourites now.
70th over: Sri Lanka 240-7 (Dickwella 35, Dananjaya 6) Jack Leach is bowling very full, which brought him a wicket last night when he struck Perera on the toe. It almost brings another as England go up for another LBW, but Dickwella, who seemed to have missed his favourite sweep, had actually got some bat on it.
69th over: Sri Lanka 236-7 (Dickwella 32, Dananjaya 5) The first big turner of the day, from Moeen, is a touch too short and wide to be threatening. But perhaps it disconcerts Dananjaya, who flails at the next ball, toe-ends it, and almost gives a catch to extra cover. They scamper two. The target is already down from 75 at the start to 65 now. It’s quietly gripping.
68th over: Sri Lanka 232-7 (Dickwella 31, Dananjaya 2) Just the single from Leach’s over. “No alarms yet for Sri Lanka,” says Mike Atherton. They need 69 now.
67th over: Sri Lanka 231-7 (Dickwella 30, Dananjaya 2) Joe Root, making his first significant choice of the morning, picks Moeen Ali rather than Adil Rashid. No surprise there. Dickwella sweeps his first ball, in fact reverse-sweeps it, for a single, and sweeps again later in the over. Dananjaya isn’t a sweeper, so he keeps the bat upright and looks for the dink into the gap at point. SL need to be both calm and busy, and so far they have been.
66th over: Sri Lanka 228-7 (Dickwella 28, Dananjaya 1) Leach finishes his over, and there are no instant dramas. Dananjaya gets off the mark with a push to leg, and Dickwella reopens his account with a squirt to backward point. SL need 73.
Who’s had any sleep? Michael Vaughan barely slept during matches in the 2005 Ashes, but still won the series. Jack Leach may not have got more than a couple of winks last night, as, in only his third Test, he finds himself the main man, with four for 73 so far in the innings. He also knows that he’ll be bowling straight away, because he has four balls left of his over. Has he got the calm, the nerve, as well as the desire? I suspect he has.
The sun is out.
If anything is worth getting up at four in the morning for, it’s this. After four absorbing days of this match, the chances are that England will secure the last three wickets and wrap up a Test series in Sri Lanka for the first time in 17 years. But Sri Lanka could make a series of it by adding another 75 to round off one of the great run-chases. And the rain may conceivably insist on a draw – though the forecast on myweather2.com is decent for the first half of the day, which should be more than enough.
For Sri Lanka, it’s all about Niroshan Dickwella, who has rattled up 27 off 30 balls by playing the Jos Buttler way – if in doubt, sweep; if not in doubt, reverse-sweep. He could lift his team over the line with little more than a blocker at the other end. For England, it’s about the spin triumvirate who have shared 31 wickets in this series – to the seamers’ three, and Jimmy Anderson’s one.
Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle lead Windies to win
England guilty of dropped catches at key moments
We now know the make-up of the semi-finals, four super teams, loads of potential for greatness. Not England’s smartest performance, but they needed a good run-out. Shrubsole excellent again. And that’s it from me - thanks for reading and tweeting in. Sweet dreams!
Heather Knight: “A great game of cricket, a great atmosphere. We got up to a total that got us in the game but we lost a few too many early wickets. It was quite tricky out there...
Re the fielding: I think it was very hard under the lights, we need a little bit more composure to get over the line.”
The final positions in the table could yet have more of a baring - if there is a wash-out, the top two in the groups will go through to the final.
What a game that was - thrill, spills and ok, elbow-ache. Some super stroke play from Dottin and Campbelle, Dunkley, Beaumont and Shrubsole. And England were as sloppy in the field as West Indies were sparkling. Crowd pressure?
The Player of the match is Deandra Dottin. West Indies go through to the semi-finals as the winners of the group and will play Australia. England will play India.
19.3 overs: West Indies 117-6 ( Knight 4, Henry 0 ) A sliced four by Knight brings West Indies victory with three balls to spare.
A leg-side slog brilliantly caught! What now?!
19th over: West Indies 111-5 (Campbelle 45, Knight 0 ) Sciver’s back. Cooper heaves four past fine-leg. Campbelle gets hit by a wayward throw.
Next ball, Campbelle hits the ball high, high, high in the air, the ball swirls out of the inky blackness, Dunkley misjudges at mid-off, and the ball falls behind her. The West Indies bench roar with laughter. OH MY -then the run-out that comes from the drop. What an over!
A dropped catch by Jones is made good by the quick-thinking Winfield, who gathers, picks-up and wellies the throw at the stumps.
18th over: West Indies 102-4 (Campbelle 43, Cooper 1) A sweep by Campbelle for four off the first ball, then off the the last, calamity for England. Fran Wilson, on as a substitute, drops Campbell through her hands at long on, and to make things worse it bobbles over the boundary for four.
West Indies need 14 from 12 balls.
17th over: West Indies 90-4 (Campbelle 29, Cooper 0) Knight puts her trust in Ecclestone with three overs to go. A couple of dots mid-over do their job and McLean is gone, bowled between bat and pad.
Bounce and turn from Ecclestone does for McLean
16th over: West Indies 85-3 (Campbelle 29, McLean 6) McLean pulls a leg-side from Hazell down to the boundary for four. Six from the over. Tension mounting.
West Indies 33 needed from 23 balls. And they’ve got the huge crowd behind them.
15th over: West Indies 79-3 (Campbelle 21, McLean 0) Gordon for Ecclestone works beautifully as a switch. The danger woman gone with the run-rate not yet easy. Then the diminutive Campbelle spoils Gordon’s figures with a huge six straight over her head. So direct as to be almost rude.
West Indies need 37 from 30
The key wicket! A top-edged sweep (of course) caught by Danni Wyatt diving forward at deep square leg.
14th over: West Indies 70-2 (Campbelle 21, Dottin 46) Sciver’s back. Three dot balls give England some breathing space. Dottin drives, but just gets the single. Jones screams for a stumping of Campbelle off the last ball of the over- the umpires go upstairs and ....she’s safe. That was the over England needed. What will Knight do now?
13th over: West Indies 70-2 (Campbelle 21, Dottin 45)Now it is Campbelle’s turn to swivel and deliver, sweeping a wide-one behind leg-side for four. Eight from Ecclestone’s over - slightly more wayward than the last
46 from 42 needed.
12th over: West Indies 62-2 (Campbelle 15, Dottin 43) Dottin plays the same shot, with the same result. SIX! A swivelled slog sweep over midwicket, perhaps inches more forward of square than before. And that’s the fifty partnership between these two and 12 off Hazell’s over.
11th over: West Indies 50-2 (Campbelle 10, Dottin 34) Kirstie Gordon finding some whip and turn, Dottin can’t attack and no boundaries from the over. West Indies need 66 off 54 balls.
how about ‘takes the Uncherry’ or ‘takes the Cherryn’t’
Obviously gonna have to work long and hard getting it accepted but persistance is a virtue
10th over: West Indies 48-2 (Campbelle 10, Dottin 34) Ecclestone nearly has Dottin bowled, as she has a ungainly heave and the ball goes through both her and Jones’ legs. Dottin seems unbothered, and takes revenge with six off the last ball, another twisting, lofted sweep.
Hussain saying that England look mores sluggish in the field than West Indies.
9th over: West Indies 40-2 (Campbelle 8, Dottin 25) Campbelle sweeps Gordon, but the shot doesn’t make the boundary and in fact Dunkley has the chance of a run-out but doesn’t quite get the ball back in time. West Indies need just under seven an over. It’s Dottin or bust, I fancy.
8th over: West Indies 37-2 (Campbelle 8, Dottin 25) Deandra Dottin, with one knee, shovel-sweeps a ball outside off stump way over the mid-wicket boundary for six. A great shot. But Hazell breathes, and beats her with her next ball.
7th over: West Indies 28-2 (Campbelle 8, Dottin 16) Kirstie Gordon’s first five balls are dots as Dottin watches and waits. Then a cut into the covers brings a single.
6th over: West Indies 27-2 (Campbelle 8, Dottin 15) A neat bit of fielding by Nat Sciver and the ball chases Dottin home - the umpires review but she’s in. Shrubsole keeping it tight again and just four off the last over of the power-play.
5th over: West Indies 23-2 (Campbelle 6, Dottin 13) Sophie Ecclestone takes the cherry. Or maybe not the cherry as it is white. The white-currant? The lychee? Anyway, Campbelle crouches low and sweeps in the air, just fingertips from Gordon at short fine leg.
4th over: West Indies 16-2 (Campbelle 1, Dottin 12) Jones is convinced that she has stumped Campbelle but the third umpire has a long look and decides that Campelle’s toe is just down in time. A super maiden from Shrubsole.
3rd over: West Indies 16-2 (Campbelle 1, Dottin 12) Sciver over-pitches and Dottin strides forward and lifts her straight back over her head for six. The crowd are rapturous!!!! Then a wider one is cut through backward point for four. A better over for West Indies.
2nd over: West Indies 4-2 (Campbelle 0, Dottin 1) Shrubsole moving it in regularly - what a game she’s having! Highest score in the first innings, two wickets in her first over.
Magic in her fingers! A ball that moved in and lit up the stumps
Matthews swings and loses her leg stump. Full with movement. That’s her fourth wicket in four balls (if you count the last match)
1st over: West Indies 1-0 (Matthews 1, Dottin 0) Sciver getting some swing straight away.Matthews wellies it across the line, and gets a thick-edge which falls just short of third man. A good start but England will be watchful, these two put on 94 in the record-breaking innings against Sri Lanka.
St Lucia looks absolutely bloody gorgeous, rum-punch - yes please. And a very full house at the Darren Sammy Stadium as England defend 115 - West Indies need 5.8 an over to win.
20th over: England 115-8 ( Hazell 2) Well that was much better than it looked for England at the half way stage. A belting partnership between Dunkley - who looks quite the find - and Shrubsole, who made her highest score in international T20s. West Indies bowled well and fielded superbly (apart from that one dropped catch by Knight.) Time for a quick brew then hold onto your seats for the second innings.
A wo0-hoo, flying , two-handed, wonderful catch at backward point
19th over: England 109-7 (Shrubsole 24, Hazell 0) Dottin to Dunkley: Dunkley steps inside out and whips it over mid-wicket. Clever. Dottin to Dunkley: out. Then three dot balls.
The ball after a gorgeous four, she lifts the ball down the ground and is caught at long-off. Cracking knock.
18th over: England 103-6 (Shrubsole 23, Dunkley 31) Taylor brings herself back at the death and stems the flow a little, but can’t prevent a huge one-kneed sweep from Shrubsole which clears the boundary and brings up the fifty partnership and the hundred. England live dangerously with a near-run out and a near catch.
17th over: England 95-6 (Shrubsole 15, Dunkley 30) Shrubsole chips Matthews between mid-off and cover for a stilted-looking four - but they all count. Super running between these two and a great little recovery from 50/6.
16th over: England 87-6 (Shrubsole 11, Dunkley 27) Way to go Dunkley! An over too many for Fletcher. Her first ball is a full-toss which Dunkley lifts over long-off for six. Then a similar shot which goes for four. A handful more singles and things look much healthier.
15th over: England 73-6 (Shrubsole 11, Dunkley 13) Taylor throws the ball to 20-year old superstar Hayley Matthews to bowl to England’s 20-year old Dunkley who looks in no bother till she tries a reverse sweeps... awkward ... but survives. Mini-recovery here, breathe more easily.
14th over: England 69-6 (Shrubsole 11, Dunkley 9) Five from Fletcher’s over as the tv cameras show us a close-up of Knight’s face. Pensive. But not glum.
13th over: England 63-6 (Shrubsole 7, Dunkley 7) A meaty late cut by Shrubsole whizzes down to the boundary for four. Then Dunkley scuffles her feet down the pitch and drives purringly through extra cover for four more. Bludgeon and rapier.
12th over: England 53-6 (Shrubsole 2, Dunkley 2) Fletcher keeps it tight. England need one of these two to join Beaumont who at the moment is the only batsman in double figures.
11th over: England 50-6 (Shrubsole 0, Dunkley 1) Two runs, two wickets, superb fielding, and panic at the disco.
Winfield hits through the covers, beautifully, but straight to Cooper - pick up, throw, bang - absolutely totally out!
It is given out but then we have a long wait as Knight appeals, somewhat desperately. She’s well forward, but the review says hitting leg stump - umpire’s call. And that’s that.
10th over: England 47-4 (Knight 6, Beaumont 23) Afy Fletcher’s leg-breaks do the trick and England have lost their best batsman ... and at half way, England are 48 for four. Not sure this was in the game plan - but as lots of people are pointing out, this will give the middle-and late-order a chance to prove what they can do....
Beaumont gets her pads stuck in front of one that fizzes and goes straight on.
9th over: England 45-3 (Knight 5, Beaumont 23) Taylor rings the changes and brings Deandra Dottin on. Knight and Beaumont scuttle the singles but the Windies fielders are prowling and quick to run, gather, pick-up, throw.
8th over: England 41-3 (Knight 3, Beaumont 21) Super West Indies fielding keeping the pressure on England as their would-be-boundaries are kept to singles.
Palfreyman, I guess you’re still behind the sofa?
7th over: England 36-3 (Knight 1, Beaumont 18) Tammy Beaumont a port in a this particular England storm. West Indies bowling very wide of the crease - a real wide in this over to go with the one that took Sciver’s wicket- and Beaumont shuffling well across her stumps to deal with it. She looks in no bother, it is the other end where the problems lie.
West Indies go up straight away for a ball that is given as wide. They review and, oh dear, it is a definite edge snaffled by the keeper. A huge and ugly stretch by Sciver at a wide one from Selman. England wobbly.
6th over: England 32-2 (Sciver 5, Beaumont 16) A switch - Stafanie Taylor takes the ball. A sweep, a wobbly reverse-sweep, a nudge, a nurdle and six runs come off the final over of the power play.
5th over: England 26-2 (Sciver 1, Beaumont 13) England play out a slower over and try to regroup. Selman keeps it tight.
4th over: England 22-2(Sciver 0, Beaumont 13) What a crazy over: a four, a drop (Beaumont by the wicket-keeper Knight) and then a wicket as Jones got her cover-driving timing dreadfully wrong.
Jones whips the ball high into the air, safely caught by Taylor
3rd over: England 15-1 (Jones 7, Beaumont 7) First, Jones lifts the ball high over mid-on - bang- one bounce and it is over the boundary boards. The next she misses being bowled by a fraction as she edges the ball onto her own stumps but the bails fail to fall. By such inches.... kingdoms fall.
2nd over: England 9-1 (Jones 2, Beaumont 6) Ooooh, take that! Beaumont pulls vigorously, rocking backwards onto her heels, as she whips Shamilia Connell through square leg to the boundary.Jones off the mark with a more circumspect cut through cover-point.
1st over: England 2-1 (Jones 0, Beaumont 1) A super start for West Indies. Selman, an experienced right-arm pace bowler, put it on the spot and Wyatt couldn’t capitalise on her cameo against South Africa.
Wyatt flat-bats it down the ground, and Henry takes a leaping catch
Palfreyman is perplexed. He’s just about to settle down behind the sofa :
@tjaldred OK, I'm a scaredy- cat England supporter (is there any other kind?) but I'd almost be happier if we faced India in the semis. Which would require losing this one, so I should be sanguine about the result here... But I'll still be hiding behind the sofa. #WT20
Mark Butcher thinks West Indies might just be trying out all their options. “ I wonder if its just the case of them trying to do something else, as it is the sort of pitch that says bat first. The result of this match doesn’t matter so maybe they’re trying to mix it up.”
And the pitch looks firm and grass free.
Unchanged side for West Indies: Hayley Matthew, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor(c), Shemaine Campbelle, Natasha McLean, Britney Cooper, Kycia Knight(wk), Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Shakera Selman, Shamilia Connell
England bring in Dani Hazell for Linsey Smith :Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones(wk), Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight(c), Lauren Winfield, Sophia Dunkley, Anya Shrubsole, Danielle Hazell, Kirstie Gordon, Sophie Ecclestone
And Stafanie Taylor wins the tossand will have a bowl to “utilise the moisture from the pitch early on.”
Heather Knight says England would have batted, so she is happy.
Seems England aren’t worried who they face after all...
thanks, mate. yeah, talking to several players after India won yesterday, they aren't thinking about anything other than winning today and aren't worried about when they might play Australia.
This is the big one. Well, the biggest one so far. The defending champions v the 50-over World Cup winners in the Darren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia. The big hitters. The hawk-it-on-a-hanky bowlers. The top two in Group A in their final group-stage game: West Indies v England
Both sides are unbeaten, though England were washed out by the rain against Sri Lanka. England are certainly on the wrong side of the statistics though - of the last six games between the two sides, they have won just one match.
That’s the score adjustment, on the basis that if Australia had known they had 17 overs to face, they would have paced their innings differently. Smarter people than you or I worked out the numbers on that one. The Powerplay will be five overs, and some bowlers can still bowl up to four overs in the innings.
17th over: Australia 158-4 (Stoinis 33, McDermott 2) Tough for Ben McDermott to come in and tee off. His first ball is slogged through the giant pile of sawdust at the top of the bowler’s mark, and earns him two runs. But he misses the next two big swings completely. Stoinis is sharp enough to run a bye from the second of these to give himself strike for one delivery. But a textbook yorker from Bumrah means that Stoinis can only get two runs digging it out and sprinting. Only half a dozen runs from Bumrah’s over, but it wasn’t supposed to be the final over of the innings.
Well you’re on a hiding to nothing in this situation. Bumrah takes some pace off the ball, Maxwell stands still and actually goes with a bit of a helicopter shot trying to whip this ball into the gap behind square leg. But the pace messes with his timing a bit and so it’s in the air, and Bhuvi is there at square leg, the only man anywhere near the bat, to take the catch. Maxwell was at his best tonight, but got done over by the rain.
What a bizarre little period that is. You play yourself in and get set. You come off for an hour and get cold. Then you have to come back and face five deliveries. Settle in for the first two, accumulate through the boring middle delivery, then really go big at the death?
Looks like we’re close to getting going again. Reduced to 17 overs a side, meaning the Australians have to come out and reset themselves for... five more balls. Will they get a DLS boost to their score for the lost overs though? I’ve done this for years and I can’t even pretend to know how this side of the game works.
Looks like the rain has stopped. Now the clean-up begins.
It’s raining even harder now. Proper Queenland stuff. Rain that’s as thick sideways as it is lengthways. The upside is that usually in this part of the world it moves fast. Everything at once.
@GeoffLemonSport India winning the toss and batting seems unfair on paying customers. Based on recent Australian performances, I doubt they'll get their full 40 overs entertainment.
Might be the rain costing the crowd some overs now. Though for the first six or seven overs Brenden’s tweet looked on the money.
@GeoffLemonSport I am overjoyed to see the Guardian covering the India series. Can we please have less acrimony and more elite humour?
That’s what we’re here for...
We’re 16.1 overs in. From that one delivery, Stoinis was dropped at third man. Wafted away at a ball from Bumrah, got plenty on it down to Khaleel, and the new guy has put down a simple catch. After being smashed for 42 from 18 balls thus far. Tough night.
But now it’s less than ideal for Australia: Maxwell has really got going for the first time in his last few games, hitting them beautifully, and now he’s had to go off and cool his heels as a Brisbane downpour hits.
16th over: Australia 152-3 (Maxwell 46, Stoinis 30) Krunal bowling the next over, this might not be a good idea. The pacemen only have four left between them, the final four of the innings. But Kohli could have gone to Rohit or somebody new to try to sneak through six balls. Will this cost him?
The short answer is yes. Six for Stoinis from the first ball, nothing elegant about that but pounded away over square leg, very flat, from a big slog. A couple to the deep for Stoinis, then when he gets off strike, Krunal dishes up a big fat full toss for Maxwell to play tee-ball. Six more.
15th over: Australia 135-3 (Maxwell 38, Stoinis 21) Kuldeep, the main danger, is back for his last over. Kohli hoping to get rid of these danger players. But Kuldeep isn’t quite there. Bowls two wides in the over, and it should have been three had Maxwell not been committed to a reverse sweep when the ball was already angling down leg side. Turned an extra into a single in the end. But maybe facing more balls from Kuldeep wasn’t in Australia’s interests. He’s so hard to hit, so easy to make mistakes against. Australia do alright against him, taking eight from the over thanks to Maxwell going through cover again for a couple of runs.
14th over: Australia 127-3 (Maxwell 33, Stoinis 20) It turns out that bowling flat left-arm darts can only get you so far. Maxwell has his last sighter off Krunal by pulling two runs to start the over. And then?
Six! Leans away from the line of the ball and hauls his pull shot way over wide long-on. Into the second deck for the second time tonight. That might have gone further than Lynn’s six, way up above the roof line on the replays.
13th over: Australia 104-3 (Maxwell 10, Stoinis 20) Nearly a run out! Should have been by all rights. Stoinis taps into the covers and Maxwell at the non-striker’s end goes immediately. Stoinis stutters, steps, and stops. Maxwell has to turn back from halway. He’s gone. he’s nowhere. He’s on the slopes after an avalanche. But KL Rahul inexplicably fires a heatseeking throw at the stumps instead of just lobbing back to the bowler Khaleel, who’s standing right there for it. Rahul not only misses but gives away an overthrow that Maxwell is sharp enough to call for. The bowler sends down a couple of wides, gets pulled by Stoinis airly for four into the gap at wide long-on, goes for three more when Kohli misfields at midwicket as the batsmen were hurrying a second, and then gets whacked by Stoinis dead straight and in the air for four more. That’s 14 from the over, and Khaleel has gone for 42 from his three. Might be the end of his night. Australia’s hundred is up.
12th over: Australia 90-3 (Maxwell 9, Stoinis 9) Still working the ball around against Krunal, who throws in a wide as well. Plenty of singles, Maxwell cuts a couple, and then Stoinis is given out lbw. He’s been faffing about with a lot of sweeps of all types, and this time he goes for the reverse lap while standing up very straight. Strange sort of shot when he could probably have pulled that shorter ball wherever he wanted. It hit him on the thigh pad dead in front, and Blocker Wilson fired him after some consideration, but height always looked a question and luckily Maxwell runs down to convince Stoinis to review. The replay finds the ball going over the bails.
11th over: Australia 83-3 (Maxwell 5, Stoinis 7) Stoinis pulls out the sweep for a couple, then gets a rank short one down leg that he only needs to lap for an easy four. Kuldeep throws his own head back with frustration. Kohli brings in a leg slip for Stoinis, so Stoinis switches to the reverse sweep and gets a run on the other side of the wicket. Maxwell has done away with his helmet with spinners at both ends, and is going MS Dhoni style under lights, bareheaded. Backs away and cuts hard for a single to end the over.
There’s that lack of surety against spin. Kuldeep lasering in at Lynn’s pads, and the batsman was through his shot too early. Might have been a top-spinner, seemed to zip straight on towards him, and the batsman stabbed at it. Straight back to the bowler who takes it on his knees, then remains there to accept high-fives as his teammates run in.
10th over: Australia 75-2 (Lynn 37, Maxwell 4) Krunal Pandya bowls now, left-arm spin. Another inexperienced player in international terms, just his fourth match for India, but Lynn isn’t so hot against spin as he is against pace. Largely bowling darts to begin with. Maxwell has a look at a couple and then gets off strike. Lynn walks at the bowler to turn a decent ball into a half-volley and drives it cleanly for six. Very straight. Eight from the over.
9th over: Australia 67-2 (Lynn 30, Maxwell 3) Glenn Maxwell to the crease, might be a relief for him not having to start an innings in a chase with 80 needed from 38 balls or something like that. He’s being goaded by at least one of the Indian fielders from the moment he arrives. “Come on Maxi!” in a taunting voice. He drives his first ball nicely inside-out through cover for a couple of runs as the sweeper comes around, then adds a single. Just four runs from the over and the Finch wicket, India still on top.
Finch wanted to get in on the act. Down the pitch to Kuldeep, looking to boom him over midwicket, but didn’t pick the wrong ‘un and the ball turned away from his blade to take the edge and loop to short third man. Solid from Finch but nowhere near the explosiveness he can produce in this format.
8th over: Australia 63-1 (Finch 27, Lynn 29) And if ever there was a hammer-dropper, Chris Lynn is the man. Time to dispense some indiscriminate justice. Tees off at Khaleel, and it drops just on the outside of the rope at deep midwicket. Would have been a catch had there been someone there. But the second six of the over is far sweeter, right out of the thick, and it flies over square leg from a flick shot and into the upper deck of the Gabba. The next ball goes again, six more down the ground from a straight drive that clears the fence despite not being an entirely clean hit. Along with a single and a pulled brace, that makes 21 from the over.
7th over: Australia 42-1 (Finch 27, Lynn 8) Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner, is on as soon as the fielding restrictions are relaxed. Finch strides forward to sweep, and can’t do more with a low full toss than follow through for a single. Lynn pulls a half-tracker for the same, then Finch drives another full toss for one. Very generous stuff from the Australians. Four singles, then Finch misses the sweep and draws a vocal appeal as the ball hits pad. So many batsmen make the sweep look so fraught. Finch finds the field with the last ball. Six an over exactly from the first seven. Australia desperately need someone to drop the hammer.
6th over: Australia 38-1 (Finch 25, Lynn 6) Bhuvneshwar replacing Bumrah as the quicks docie-do. Bowls on the pads to Finch who glances four, then rotates the strike. Lynn aims a lunar-orbit drive at Bhuvi that touches nothing but hydrogen and oxygen. His next makes contact, but only with the inside half of the bat so the ball pings away to the square leg sweeper. The Powerplay ends having yielded only five boundaries and no sixes.
5th over: Australia 31-1 (Finch 19, Lynn 5) Chris Lynn to the middle at his home ground where he’s lit up the night sky so often for the Brisbane Heat. Australians would love to see one of his shows tonight. Some of the Indian fans wouldn’t mind it either. He’s stunning to watch when he’s on. He slams Khaleel through cover for an early boundary, but seven runs and the wicket from the over is more than good enough from the young bowler.
He’s known for his aggression but was struggling to get going. Khaleel is a left-arm seamer, and his first ball was pitched up. It in the slot for that shot really, so Short had no hesitation in aiming the big lofted drive down the ground. But instead of soaring over the rope it made the clunky plastic sound of bad contact, and went up high instead of long. Kuldeep at mid-on ran back a long way and took a good catch looking back over his shoulder.
4th over: Australia 24-0 (Short 7, Finch 17)
Dropped! Finch is dropped first ball of Bumrah’s over. Pitched up, drew a booming cover drive and it was neither high nor low. Went straight at Kohli at cover, but very fast and over his head. Kohli got the hands up but not quite closed in time. And so Finch goes on a spree, belting Bumrah down the ground, then squeezing a lucky shot through the gate and down past his stumps to fine leg for a couple of boundaries. Bumrah sends down a hooper that careens past the outside edge, then draws a proper nick from the last ball of the over through a vacant area where slip had been stationed until the prior delivery. Eventful, you might say?
3rd over: Australia 12-0 (Short 6, Finch 6) Bhuvneshwar lines up another three dot balls to start his over. The pressure builds so fast. Eventually he drags short, and Finch is able to club away a couple, then a single. Short pulls the last of the over and finally finds the fence. Breathes a sigh of relief.
2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Short 2, Finch 3) Short still on strike after scoring one run from six balls, and he has another dot from Bumrah as a scrambled delivery gives him no room on off stump. Second up, Short gets a straight ball he can blunt to midwicket for a run. So, two from eight, a slow start to the Powerplay. Finch facing his first ball gets a leading edge straight to cover. Khaleel at midwicket does some soccer work to get the ball to a teammate as Finch works a couple of runs. Short is beaten again from the last of the over. Just five runs from the first dozen balls.
1st over: Australia 1-0 (Short 1, Finch 0) Away we go. It’ll be Bhuvi Kumar with the first over, a brilliant exponent of swing, and yet another in the long line-up of fine seamers who don’t bowl much faster than 130 kmh. Australia has been so obsessed with pace for a long time, the idea that everyone must be 140-plus to be a decent bowler, regardless of how many slower types - Kumar, Vernon Philander, Mohammad Abbas, even occasionally the likes of Nuwan Kulasekara or Ajit Agarkar - took them apart. Kumar works over Short in this first over. A couple of defensive shots, a couple of swinging balls that beat the edge, and finally just a single from the sixth delivery.
Jasprit Bumrah is the bowler I’m excited to see. Saw him debut in Australia a few summers ago and he was a revelation, with his javelin-hurling front arm and peculiar jerky action. But he was fearsomely accurate and found exacting bounce, and by now he’s added all kinds of tricks when it comes to swing and seam and jagging the ball away from right-handers. Can’t wait to see him in the Tests over a longer period, but he’ll have the four overs tonight to get things going.
They much prefer to chase, and they get their way. Here are the teams.
Let’s talk venues. For years the main tour of the summer has started off at the Gabba. That’s where we are tonight, but this T20 is the only game India will play here. No Test match. But to debunk all the people loudly claiming that the Test series starts in Adelaide because the BCCI decides everything, the timetable is actually down to Australia’s wish to play day-night Tests. Cricket Australia has committed to at least one, sometimes two such games per season, but it has to be agreed with visiting teams. India declined and Sri Lanka agreed. But the day-night venues as designated by CA are Adelaide and Brisbane. So if the India tour had started in Brisbane for a day match, then Sri Lanka would have had to play in Adelaide. And CA was never going to schedule the smaller drawcard team at one of the biggest venues with one of the best historical attendances. The Melbourne and Sydney Tests are apparently immovable, and Perth can’t do day-night games because its timezone would screw things up on the east coast. So here we are.
Come on party people. Put your hands in the air. Come on party people. Wave them like you’re aware of the potentially serious ramifications of one’s actions, but you also don’t believe that a fear of the future should damage one’s enjoyment of the present. It’s party time because the tray of canapes that was South Africa has come and gone, and now we’re down to the flaming cocktails of India. The main event for this cricketing summer.
Of course we have to ease into things, so rather than just starting with Test matches from the get-go, we’ll have a Twenty20 series first. This is where it begins.
That’ll do us. Australia now have their chance to pick up a global trophy for the first time since 2014. The Windies, gutted, are left pondering how it all went so terribly wrong. I’m going to grab a bite to eat before joining you for the second semi, England v India. Keep an eye out for that link; I’ll talk to you in a bit. Bye!
Stafanie Taylor is up in the post-game. “I thought the last six overs was crucial. We let them get away. Even though we let them get 142 we, as batters, didn’t bat properly. Everyone is different but I know we came into this with a lot of onfidence, it as just one of those days when we didn’t come off where the bat was concerned. I just want to thank all the crowds for supporting us, we are sorry we coudln’t et across the line.”
Meg Lanning too: “We were so ready for tonight’s game. We just had to come out here and stay really calm. It is a very happy group at the moment but we have one more to go. I thought we played well tonight, the batting conditions were tough but we knew we were around par with our batting and knew if we could get some pressure on them early with some wickets that we could get the job done. We have got great depth with our batting and we knew that if we got down to those players they will get the job done. Rach (Haynes) did a great job getting us to that 140 mark.”
A shocking performance from the hosts. Truth told, they’ve had a dreadful couple of years since winning the World T20 in 2016 but it was hard not to get carried away given what we saw in St Lucia. Alyssa Healy in the post-match interview said that Australia were underdogs tonight (not sure about that), but they will go into the final on Saturday as favourites, regardless of what happens in the second semi.
The Windies all out for 71, which is the margin they have been defeated by as well. Wareham gets the final wicket after Selman goes for a dance and misses, Healy doing the rest to complete the job. “It was quite astonishing,” says Charlotte Edwards of the Windies capitulation, all ten wickets falling in 17.3 overs.
17th over: West Indies 71-9 (Connell 6, Selman 3) What did I say a couple of overs ago about Perry never having dropped an outfield catch? Yeah, scratch that. She puts Connell down at deep midwicket, which denies Kimmince the chance to wrap it up with three overs to spare.
#wt20. W Indies beaten by a far superior team on the night. Only played in one World Cup, 1983. We lost in the semi final. It’s heartbreaking.
16th over: West Indies 65-9 (Connell 2, Selman 1) Natsha McLean is sobbing on the boundary with the camera grabbing the moment. “A really sorry sight this,” says Henry Moeran on TMS. “The reaction of the West Indies team and crowd has been the heartbeat of this tourament.” Too right.
Well spun by Gardner, too good for Fletcher who has a pop at dragging it to midwicket but can’t make contact. Stumps everywhere. Tears in the West Indies dug out.
Another ugly dismissal, catching practice to Wareham at mid-off. It gets Shutt in the book, who has bounced back well after a poor first over.
15th over: West Indies 60-8 (Fletcher 3, Connell 0)
14th over: West Indies 56-7 (Henry 7, Fletcher 1) Gardner has turned into such a consistent option for Lanning, racing through another brisk over, giving away just a couple.
Limp top edge, skied, taken by Healy. Grim cricket, this. Kimmince is into the book for a second time. She’s having a very good tournament.
13th over: West Indies 54-7 (Henry 5, Fletcher 0)
12th over: West Indies 50-6 (Cooper 1, Henry 4) Henry gets to the pitch and drives Gardner nicely through cover for four to bring up the West Indies 50. Gentle applause. From the moment that Dottin capitulated in the 19th over of their bowling innings, the crowd has not been a factor.
This is ending early. Nothing wrong with the intent from Knight trying to launch Gardner with the spin over midwicket, but she picks out Perry who, to the best of my knowledge, has never dropped an outfield catch in any game of cricket, ever.
11th over: West Indies 45-5 (Knight 7, Cooper 0) Knight gets a single from the next ball but Cooper can’t get Molineux away, four dots finishing the over and the West Indies’ campaign. There are tears shown in the crowd on the big screen and the players have their heads in their hands.
Taylor tries to take it on from the very next ball, but can’t lift Molineux over mid-off, Wareham running back with the flight to take an excellent catch two-thirds of the way to the boundary. Game over and Australia know it.
10th over: West Indies 44-4 (Taylor 16, Knight 6) The leggie Wareham into the attack. She’d be mindful, having come into the side tonight, that she will need to bowl well here to guarantee her spot in the final on Saturday if Australia make it from here, as they should. Cricketers pretend they don’t think about these things, but they must. To that end, the pressure is back onto the 19-year-old when Taylor sweeps the first ball for four. But she fights back well, finding her groove. When will Taylor push the button for all-out attack? It must be coming of it’ll be too late.
9th over: West Indies 37-4 (Taylor 11, Knight 4) Kimmince is a bowler of considerable experience and knows the drill here, running her fingers down both sides of the ball to take full advantage of the sluggish surface and make life as tough as possible for Taylor, who scores from just two of the six deliveries.
8th over: West Indies 34-4 (Taylor 8, Knight 4) On comes Ash Gardner, the big-spinning Sydney offie. She races through her first set in 60-seconds flat, happy to concede the four singles if it means sucking a bit more life out of the contest and lifting the required rate a little bit more. It is above nine an over now.
Cracking stat alert.
Ellyse Perry has bowled 24 deliveries to Deandra Dottin in T20Is, the Aussie dismissing the West Indian five times. #WT20
7th over: West Indies 30-4 (Taylor 6, Knight 2) It is just about game over here now. If they can get Taylor, it definitely will be.
McLean completely misreads Kimmince’s second delivery, pulling out of a lavish shot at the last moment, instead spooning to Lanning at cover who completes the easiest of catches. The pitch is again a contributing factor in the dismissal, I’m afraid.
6th over: West Indies 26-3 (Taylor 4, McLean 0) Schutt is back in her happy place now, landing six deliveries just where they need to be. The captain Taylor is only able to score from the fifth ball, a single. A fantastic power play for the Australians, all-but silencing the huge local crowd.
Campbelle walks straight into a trap of sorts, pulling a ball from her stumps right into the hands of Molineux at a shortish square leg. Poor batting, but once again the product of some excellent bowling. Perry has backed up her wicket maiden with another successful over, giving away only two. Her figures are 2-1-2-2.
5th over: West Indies 25-3 (Taylor 3) By the way, I wasn’t the only fool who speculated that Perry might have dropped back a yard or two over the last couple of years. But she’s bowling swiftly here, just as she did when the heat was on against New Zealand, hitting the radar at near-enough to 120kph.
4th over: West Indies 23-2 (Taylor 2, Campbelle 6) Much better from Taylor and Campbelle, the latter so important in steadying the ship on Sunday when the Windies also lost two wickets early in a chase. Molineux misses her line, allowing the number four to sweep hard and well behind square for her first boundary.
Make that two! Perry has gone through the gate of Dottin, crashing into her off stump. There might have been a small inside edge on the way through looking at the replay but the celebration says it all: Australia are UP AND ABOUT. Perry, forever the big game player.
Matthews runs down the track after dabbing a Molineux delivery before Healy, collecting the ball, whips off the bails with the opener well short. The pressure built up by the young spinner had plenty to do with the error. That’s one of the West Indies big three gone.
2nd over: West Indies 15-1 (Dottin 6, Taylor 0)
1st over: West Indies 10-0 (Matthews 5, Dottin 1) Poor start from Schutt, who twice slides down the legside to Dottin to cough up a couple of early wides. She then gives enough width to Matthews for her to throw her hands at the ball and clear the loaded offside ring, running away for four. To finish, she deflects a couple more off her thigh pad, another delivery that has missed the mark.
“Bemused by so many writing Windies off,” tweets my excellent colleague Francis Kelly. “There was a similar reaction in the 2016 final. Who can forget how that one ended.”
If you’re awake and watching in Australia, drop me a line. I have an email from Andrew Benton, keeping it short and sweet: “And all I’ve got from Anya Shrubsole anagram-wise is Baroness Hulay,” he writes. “Struggling.” That you are. The Australians are back on the field with Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin following. A lot of pressure on their shoulders, along with the captain Staf Taylor who will bat at three. Megan Schutt has the ball in her hand, the world’s top-ranked seamer. She has five fielders in the ring on the off-side between gully and mid-off. PLAY!
20th over: Australia 142-5 (Haynes 25, Perry 3) The Australian pair score from five of the six deliveries in the Taylor over to stick the landing nicely. It includes Haynes’ fifth boundary, smacking through the gap at square leg. She’s had a blinder, adding an unbeaten 25 from 15 balls at the death. And that is that. 142 is a wonderful score on this turgid surface, worth at least 20-30 more than that.
19th over: Australia 133-5 (Haynes 17, Perry 2) All the experience in the world on display from the veteran Haynes, hammering Dottin’s first ball to the midwicket boundary (confirmed as four by the TV ump, despite Selman’s dive) which prompts a wide next ball. On top, the left-hander now digs out a yorker perfectly, steering it to the third man rope for a second boundary. And now another wide! “She’s gone in the swede here,” Charlotte Edwards says of Dottin, as she gives Haynes a gimme on the hip for a third boundary from three legal deliveries. A couple of singles makes 17 runs from the 19th. Might we be talking about that over later tonight? I suspect we will. “The crowd has gone very quiet here,” adds Edwards. “Dottin looks devastated.”
18th over: Australia 116-5 (Haynes 3, Perry 1) Just about the perfect over from the West Indies captain, picking up the always-dangerous Villani then giving up just three further singles. 140 was on the cards a few minutes ago, now the hosts will be thinking 125.
What a catch! This Windies were the best fielding side in the comp by so far it doesn’t matter through the group stage. Urged on by the Party Stand behind her, Cooper ran off the midwicket rope and timed her dive to perfection. Cue the brilliant celebration, both on and off the field.
Dottin straight through Lanning! The Australian captain, who has looked so good in working the ball around, is bowled when trying to make room for herself. What a tournament this West Indies all-rounder is having.
17th over: Australia 113-4 (Villani 6, Haynes 1) Dottin doesn’t take full advantage, sending down two wides before the over is done. 10 taken from it, but she did pick up Lanning.
16th over: Australia 103-3 (Lanning 29, Villani 5) “I think they’ve batted beautifully in the conditions,” says Charlotte Edwards on TMS after Villani walks across her crease to sweep for four, a useful bit of innovation from the newcomer to the crease. With Lanning still turning the board over, 130 is in the frame, which will be very competitive.
Gardner falls much as Mooney did earlier, trying to force the ball over the mid-off fielder but failing clear her. The miscue lands with Henry, who makes no mistake, giving Matthews a wicket from the penultimate ball of her final over. Earlier, Lanning jumped down at the off-spinner to reach it on the full before smacking her down the ground for four. Expect more of that in these final five overs.
15th over: Australia 95-3 (Lanning 27, Villani 0)
14th over: Australia 88-2 (Lanning 22, Gardner 13) BOOM! After battling through Fletcher’s over, absorbing three dot balls, Gardner picks up the final delivery, clobbering it over the long-on boundary. That’s got to be her strategy moving forward from here.
.@collinsadam Australia not exactly racing away, but worth noting that West Indies' highest 2nd innings total at home is 124.
130 may be enough. Thinking about the WI batters, I'm not confident that they will adapt quickly.
13th over: Australia 78-2 (Lanning 21, Gardner 5) Lanning gives the strike to the big hitting Gardner, who will need to find a way to make some of her own pace with the blade given none will be coming off the pitch. Swinging from the crease, she edges to the rope, just past the gloves of Knight.
Bigmoment. Healy was on the move in the crease before the ball was bowled, top edging a sweep into the waiting hands of Connell at short fine leg. It’ll be doubly frustrating as she was right on top in the early part of that over, adding back to back boundaries via a perfectly struck reverse sweep then hammering a full toss that she created after dancing down the strip. All told, another fine contribution.
12th over: Australia 71-2 (Lanning 19)
11th over: Australia 61-1 (Healy 37, Lanning 18) Very clever batting from Healy to start the new Matthews over, using the depth of the crease before deflecting with class beyong the gloves of Knight and down to the rope. After a series of singles she attempts to smack the first ball over midwicket but doesn’t get all of it, landing not far from Connell doing the sweeping. Needs, must.
10th over: Australia 53-1 (Healy 31, Lanning 16) Leggie Ayf Fletcher gets her chance in conditions that should suit. Both Lanning and Healy are on the move before she delivers in an effort to open up the legside. It works a couple of times but there are only singles on offer.
9th over: Australia 48-1 (Healy 29, Lanning 13) Lanning TWICE on the ground with sprawling dives, getting back to her ground by inches after running by Matthew’s first delivery then again next ball when Dottin fires a throw in from backward point with the captain on the advance. The second dive is outstanding, “9.8 out of 10” according to Mel Jones on TMS. It’s a very good first over from the off-spinner, giving away just three singles.
Jeez, this pitch! Biggest concern ahead of #WT20 was sluggish wickets. Can only hope the other marked out strip is for Saturday's final
8th over: Australia 45-1 (Healy 28, Lanning 11) Taylor to Healy, who slaps her down to the long-on sweeper, again through the air. Lanning forces a misfield at cover with a firm drive, taking another, before Healy’s edge is located, running away for a third single. The captain makes it a fourth, to midwicket along the carpet. It’s a grind, but they’re going okay.
7th over: Australia 41-1 (Healy 26, Lanning 9) Selman is bowling out her fourth and final over. After exchanging singles through the posh side, Lanning plays the best shot of the day so far, timing a length ball to the long-on boundary through the air with a flick of her rubbery wrists. The aerial route looks the correct one, as the outfield is as slow as the pitch.
6th over: Australia 35-1 (Healy 25, Lanning 4) Excellent from Stafanie Taylor, getting herself on for the final over of the power play and conceding just four runs in the smaller denominations. The Windies captain is getting considerable spin here too. That’s a sign, I am sure, of things to come. I know that Mark Robinson, the England coach, is watching this game before picking his XI later. He might select all four tweakers on the evidence of what we’ve seen so far.
5th over: Australia 31-1 (Healy 22, Lanning 3) Brilliant from Dottin at backward point, preventing a Healy boundary and causing some confusion from the experienced Australian pair before Lanning gets down to the danger end with just enough time to spare. Healy goes at Selman’s penultimate delivery through midwicket but Campbelle keeps it to three rather than four with an excellent chase and dive. Hard graft out there.
4th over: Australia 25-1 (Healy 18, Lanning 1) Connell nearly gets Healy! Again, it’s the lack of pace, the opener trying to play through the line but getting nowhere near enough of it. Henry wasn’t far away, sticking out the one hand running back from inside the circle. “What is a good power play score?” Nat Germanos ponders on TMS. Not many, for mine.
3rd over: Australia 21-1 (Healy 15, Lanning 0) Before the Mooney dismissal, Healy did get down the track and middle Selman just over the rope at long-on for the first six of the day. I’m a bit worried about this pitch, which might be why Meg Lanning has elevated herself to number three. Ash Gardner is meant to bat there during the power play but with so little pace about, they will need Lanning’s all-round class and placement.
The Queenslander is done by the lack of pace in this track, miscuing to mid-off. Not a lot in that. Not great cricket to watch.
2nd over: Australia 13-0 (Mooney 6, Healy 7) Nice steer from Healy from Shamilia Connell’s second ball. The big quick then briefly pins Mooney down but the left-hander sways back in the crease to take advantage of another short ball that balloons up, clearing the midwicket fielder to record her first boundary.
1st over: Australia 8-0 (Mooney 2, Healy 6) Mooney away with a quick single to cover then Healy does likewise with a checked drive off to the sweeper at deep point. Charlotte Edwards is sitting to my left, and I can hear her muttering as Mooney takes another off her hip “this pitch is slow.” This view is supported by Selman’s following offering, a short ball that sits up perfect for Healy to cash in, smashing a boundary to midwicket. Crunch. She has another pop from the final ball, which is wider outside the off-stump, but she holds her pose to land the lofted drive just in front of long-off.
Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney are on their way. They’ve had a fantastic 2018 at the top of the list for Australia and it is a major win before a ball is bowled that the former has been ruled fit to play. Shakera Selman has the new ball in her hand; she’ll be runnings towards us from the Andy Roberts End. PLAY!
Anthems! Out come the players to the Pirates of the Caribbean music, holding the hands of some local kids as they walk to position, as is the custom nowadays. We’re into Advance Australia Fair with the women in gold arm-in-arm. And now Rally Round the West Indies, belted out by the party stands filling up either side of our vantage point in the Curtly Ambrose Stand (who I had a chat with earlier - more on that later). Nicely done.
Before you ask... the TMS commentary links. If you’re in the UK, tune in here. If you’re not in the UK, pick it up on the ICC website. I’m hiding out in their commentary box throughout this tournament and can confirm that they’re doing a super job.
A lot of questions about whether the Australians can bounce back. Fair questions too, given the way they =tumbled out of last year’s World Cup at this same semi-final stage. I had a chat with Meg Lanning yesterday about this and how they’ve completely changed their approach between then and now. Quite interesting.
One change for Australia. They’re brought back young leggie Georgia Wareham, who is back for quick Tayla Vlaeminck, her Melbourne Renegades teammates. The West Indies are unchanged. So that gives us...
No surprises there. The track hasn’t a blade of grass on it so any advantage for the local seamers will be early in this match. Full teams in a tick.
And hello from Sir Viv Richards Stadium in northern Antigua! It’s a hot and bright day, the ground looking a treat as the crowd streams in. We’re told that every ticket has been sold, which is certainly the impression we were left with yesterday with an official public half-day holiday issued by the government. Brilliant, ay?
To begin, it is the West Indies, who topped pool A, playing Australia, who were runners-up in pool B. The former went through the group undefeated, their final win a low-scoring thriller against England on Sunday in front of a heaving St Lucian audience. The latter was swamped by India, their matchwinning wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy unable to bat in the chase after copping a whack to the head in the field.
All in good working order at Viv Stadium. An hour from the toss in the #WT20 first semi-final between the West Indies and Australia. pic.twitter.com/YhVL507SO3
That’ll do us. Thanks for your company on the OBO throughout semi-final day here in Antigua. We have the blockbuster final on Saturday, Australia v England. We’ll catch you back here then. Bye for now!
And now for Heather Knight, England skipper (excuse typos, bashed out as she spoke)
“The way the spinners bowled in the middle overs was outstanding. We knew it was tricky fot batters coming in whenever we took a wicket. Kirstie (Gordon) has been outstanding on her first tour with the way she has bowled and spun it past the bat. And Sophie (Ecclestone) as a young spinner as well, the quality she has bowled with over the last year.”
Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian captain, is up. “Whatever we decided we decided for the team,” she said of the decision to omit Mithali Raj. “Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. We played really well in the tournament so one game doesn’t decide if we are a good team or a bad team. This is a learning experience for us a we have a very young team. At upcoming tournaments we will play good cricket. have learend a lot through this tourament.”
She went on to say she was happy they dragged it to the 18th over, which is a bit odd given they were right on top at the power play, but there we have it. Charlotte Edwards on radio is scathing of that assessment from the Indian skipper. “They bottled it,” she says, more bluntly.
Amy Jones, who made 53* in 47 balls, is receiving her award.
“It was just fantastic to get the win and Nat came in an took the pressure off straight away,” she says. “We just tried to stay relaed. Nat is always trying to get me to rin hard. We just wanted to b there at the end.”
Amy Jones does get her 50, pulling another four of her own to reach the milestone and complete the match. An unbeaten partnership of 92 runs has gone the trick for England, who will meet Australia in the decider on Saturday.
17th over: England 112-2 (Jones 49, Sciver 52) Target 113. Sciver gets to 50 with another smashing pull shot. So many pull shots, so much power. She raises her bat to the fans, which include her family. Jones keeps the strike with single so she will get the chance to do the same with one run to win.
This match-winning partnership sums up how much more intelligent England’s batting has been under Mark Robinson.
Assessment of conditions and risk light years ahead of where they were at the start of 2017.
16th over: England 103-2 (Jones 46, Sciver 46) Target 113. I’ve realised, belatedly, that there is a difference of opinion between the card I’m using and the scoreboard here. Let’s go with the latter, Sciver slightly ahead. And more runs to add when Amy Jones leans back and crunches Sharma over midwicket for a boundary that brings up the England 100. Ten off it, leaving ten runs to win. What a partnership this has been.
15th over: England 93-2 (Jones 41, Sciver 41) Target 113. Rogrigues makes it six bowlers tried by Kaur, searching for anything to break this stand and give her side some slight hope. But it doesn’t come, six runs added instead, including some rapid running by the set pair. Both are 41 from 36 balls; this stand 69 from 61. Nice.
14th over: England 87-2 (Jones 36, Sciver 40) Target 113. That’s the shot Sciver played so well when she made the decision in 2016 to start trying to hit sixes on the reg, shuffling across her off-stump before hoicking over square leg. This doesn’t go the full journey but the four she gets for it takes the pressure straight off at the start of Patil’s new spell. Four singles to follow, making another eight to go good for England and leaving just 26 from 36 balls for England to progress to the final.
13th over: England 79-2 (Jones 34, Sciver 34) Target 113. Kaur persists with the Poonam Plan. Five singles? They’ll take that. It’s cruisy right now for England as they near in on the magic number.
Brisk fifty partnership from Jones & Sciver, who have taken all the sting out of this match for England. #WT20
12th over: England 74-2 (Jones 31, Sciver 32) Target 113. A better over from Radha, who doesn’t give up the boundary ball. “England would already have had an extra over if they hadn’t been chasing all those off-side wides,” emails Adam Hirst. “Just leave them alone!”
Yes and no. England needed to break them well outside and it worked by moving around in the crease to reach those wider deliveries. It definitely threw their opposition.
11th over: England 70-2 (Jones 29, Sciver 30) Target 113. Hemalatha replaces Patil, so India have scrapped Plan A. It matters little, Sciver is every bit the player tonight that she was in last year’s World Cup, pulling with authority through midwicket to the boundary once more. India cannot build up the necessary pressure to create a mistake. Ten from the over.
10th over: England 60-2 (Jones 27, Sciver 22) Target 113. More of the same from Sciver, who this time decides to get back and pull rather than cut, the result the same, splitting the sweepers to get a third boundary in as many overs. With 30 runs in the last four overs, whisper it, England have cracked this chase open. They needed 53 from the final ten overs to book a place in the final.
9th over: England 52-2 (Jones 26, Sciver 15) Target 113. Excellent batting, especially from Sciver, who is the designated aggressor. After three singles are milked from Patil, she elects to lean back and carve a powerful cut shot, picking the gap and finding the boundary. “England have done their homework here,” says Charlotte Edwards, noting that Sciver is willing to get back in the crease and hit hard.
8th over: England 44-2 (Jones 24, Sciver 9) Target 113. Here comes Poonam Yadav, such a tough bowler for England to play in the past given her pint-sized height and sloooow legspinners. The unorthodox field, with three on the circle either side of point, remains in place. But much as it was in Patil’s first over, they find a way to find seven runs anyway. Good batting. Sciver is very close to splitting the two deep midwickets with a powerful pull shot but Mandhana does very well in the deep to save a couple. Dare I say it, both of these players look comfortable in the early stages of this vital stanza.
7th over: England 37-2 (Jones 21, Sciver 5) Target 113. The game moves into a new and important period with Patil bowling the first of what will be eight overs of very slow, very tough spin. And Sciver is dropped first ball of it! That would have been huge. Miscued square leg, not a tough chance, Poonam puts it down! With THREE fielders on the circle between backward point and cover point - the plan to bore England out with deliveries waaaay outside the off-stump - the pair are nimble enough to work around the crease and find five singles elsewhere. Charlotte Edwards is very critical of such a defensive strategy from India given that they are only defending 112.
6th over: England 30-2 (Jones 18, Sciver 3) Target 113. The final over of the power play, Radha to send it down with her left-arm finger spin. Four singles and a wide is their lot, the field now set to go out. Will Sciver try and muscle a few over the rope? Watching her range hit in practice a fair bit over the last fortnight, she can get it over without getting a lot on it. We’ll see. So many overs to come from Patil and Poonam, she won’t have much choice if she wants to find/clear the boundary.
Just at the moment Amy Jones had England looking positive, Wyatt has holed out. There isn’t anything wrong with what she was trying to do - hit Sharma back over her head - but the ball, once again, held in the pitch so the shot ended up at deep midwicket. Rodrigues made tough work of it, slipping as the ball was on its way, but she kept her cool and got it done.
5th over: England 25-2 (Jones 16, Sciver 0) Target 113.
4th over: England 22-1 (Wyatt 7, Jones 14) Target 113. Amy Jones goes BANG over long-on, nailing a legitimate lofted drive well over the advertising boards. SIX RUNS! That’s a very attractive shot. For so many years she has craved the chance to be a legitimate matchwinner with the bat and she is getting that opportunity right now on this huge stage.
Worst collapse from the fall of the 3rd wicket at the Women's World T20:
IND 8-23 v ENG today SA 8-26 v WI, 2018 BAN 8-27 v WI, 2018 PAK 8-31 v ENG, 2009 PAK 8-38 v NZ, 2018#WT20
3rd over: England 14-1 (Wyatt 6, Jones 7) Target 113. It was always going to be hard work batting fourth on this track today so England are going to have to do plenty right here. But fair play to Amy Jones, who makes room for herself to play a forehand smash over the bowler Sharma to record her first boundary - make that, England’s first boundary. I don’t mind that at all; this is not a pitch for playing conventionally.
After surviving a direct hit, Beaumont hits a catch straight to midwicket where Reddy is there to take it safely. It was a premeditated shot, shuffling across her stumps to try and find a gap, but it hasn’t worked.
2nd over: England 6-1 (Wyatt 4, Jones 1) Target 113. Jones off the mark with her most productive shot, the cover drive, for one. Wyatt finds a single out there too, keeping the strike. With Beaumont gone, so much now rides on how Wyatt goes over the next handful of overs.
1st over: England 3-0 (Wyatt 2, Beaumont 1) Target 113. The WinViz predictor has England at 51% as the innings starts with Wyatt defending then taking a single to cover to get going, Beaumont then doing the same. A third single from Wyatt behind square off Sharma keeps her the strike. A conservative start. Will one of this pair take on the power play now they’ve had a look? With the roller on the pitch between innings, it will be the only decent time to bat (relatively).
India in a tight huddle. They’ve been together for a good 90 seconds on the boundary rope. England’s opening pair of Wyatt and Beaumont then follow them onto the field. Talking to the Wyatt during the week, she told me that in the minutes before they go to bat the rule is that they must talk about anything but cricket and the task ahead of them. How difficult must that discipline have been tonight, knowing they are a half-decent start away from breaking the back of this chase in the power play? So, can England hold their nerve and get the job done? Stick with me. PLAY!
Deepti Sharma running to the danger end to keep the board ticking over in the final over but Hazell’s throw made it to Jones in time. India are dismissed with three balls remaining in their innings. Considering where they were when Mandhana was cracking along early, that’s a long way short of satisfactory. In saying that, close to run a ball will be no stroll in the park given the way this track is playing and India’s group of capable spinners. England require 113 to make the World T20 Final.
Beautifully called by Charlotte Edwards on TMS who predicted a stumping and a stumping it was, Ecclestone spinning past the edge of Reddy who wasn’t in the same postcode when Jones whipped off the bails. Five balls to go.
19th over: India 111-8 (Sharma 6, Reddy 6) Sharma nearly runs herself out! They had to take on Wyatt (again) who just misses, in near-identical fashion to the previous wicket. Reddy, new to the crease, capitalises from a rare poor delivery from Shrubsole on leg stump, whipping it around the corner for a valuable boundary. Knight to bowl the final over?
Tip and run to cover from the first ball of Shrubsole’s new over, but Wyatt is brilliant in close with her collect and throw, nailing the non-strikers’ stumps direct to run out Radha by a few inches.
18th over: India 104-7 (Sharma 5, Radha 4) Hazell’s turn to keep the pressure on and she does it well: no boundary balls on offer here. But as Charlotte Edwards notes, being such a tough pitch, any chase will be hard work when England walk out to bat.
First ball! Knight will be on a hat-trick if she gives herself another over, and let’s hope she does as she has 3/9 from two so far. Patil shovelled her towards long-on and Winfield made fantastic ground before taking the low chance tidily.
17th over: India 99-7 (Sharma 4)
Knight backed her own off-spin and it has worked a treat, picking up a second wicket with Hemalatha picking out Beaumont at cover. This game is moving very quickly.
She’s gone! Sensational bowling from Kirstie Gordon, giving it a a rip and winning an edge from Kaur. It flies hiiiigh into the Antiguan night sky and Nat Sciver takes it cleanly. This is a MASSIVE moment in this game and they celebrate accordingly. Gordon finishes with 2/20. Superb effort.
16th over: India 95-5 (Sharma 1, Hemalatha 0)
Another top edge, taken safely by Jones. Gordon, who has bowled nicely, gets a reward. The more important job for the spinner now becomes keeping Kaur off strike for as long as possible with five balls left in the over.
15th over: India 93-3 (Kaur 16, Krishnamurthy 2) Shrubsole now, Knight backing in her vice-captain to find a way through the Indian leader. But suggesting that Kaur fancies her chances against spin, she plays the England attack leader conservatively and respectfully.
A direct hit from Beaumont as the Indian pair came back for a risky second run, the number three’s run-a-ball 26 is complete. In an over where so much has already happened as Harmanpreet danced and flayed Gordon over extra cover, inside-out, for six. There’s one player in the entire women’s game who can play that shot with so much power when not getting to the pitch of the delivery and it is Kaur. From the one ball Krishnamurthy had to see off, she was nearly stumped. It is not overstating matters to say that England’s entire campaign will be dictated by how they handle Kaur now that she’s flicked the switch.
14th over: India 89-3 (Kaur 14, Krishnamurthy 0)
13th over: India 77-2 (Rodrigues 21, Kaur 7) Nat Sciver to break up the spin, bowling her second over. “Something is going to happen here,” predicts Charlotte Edwards. Unfortunately for England, it’s back to back boundaries to finish the set, Rodrigues learning back and cutting one four then steering another behind point next ball. Harmanpreet’s turn.
12th over: India 67-2 (Rodrigues 12, Kaur 6) England’s trio of spinners are putting in a shift here. It’s Ecclestone’s turn, who goes for three runs in an over that nearly brought a run out early then finished with Rodrigues top-edging to where a short third man might have been a chance for a catch if in position. Just 17 runs from the last five overs for India. Batting is getting harder by the minute.
11th over: India 64-2 (Rodrigues 11, Kaur 5) Hazell getting so much spin that a ball pitching well outside the off stump ends up a legside wide. Charlotte Edwards, who played for England about 400 times from memory, says this movement is more like day five of a men’s Test Match in India than a women’s T20 international.Four other singles, with both players happy to pick out the sweepers. It can’t be long at all before Kaur shifts gears, or dies trying.
10th over: India 59-2 (Rodrigues 9, Kaur 3) Gordon, who has been Knight’s most dependable spinner in this tournament, gets the first proper crack at Kaur. It’s another good over from the left-arm ortho, offering only singles from her bowling so far. 120? 130?
9th over: India 55-2 (Rodrigues 7, Kaur 1) The captain Kaur off the mark first ball, keeping the strike with the cut. Just five runs and the wicket from the Knight over. It’s all about what happens now, while Kaur is new to the crease.
A miscue from the bottom of the bat ends up in the hands of Sciver, running back at midwicket - reminiscent of the catch she took late in the World Cup Final. It might be advantage India, though, as Bhatia’s dismissal brings Harmanpreet to the middle.
8th over: India 50-1 (Bhatia 11, Rodrigues 3) Kirstie Gordon’s turn, the left-arm spinner who made her debut at the start of this England World T20 campaign and has immediately looked at home. That might have something to do with the 22 internationals she played for Scotland before qualifying. Anyway, she’s right on the money from the get-go here, spinning the ball as hard as she can to take advantage of the surface. The one that doesn’t rip, however, nearly finds Rodrigues short, just getting her foot back after Jones took the bails. Just two from the set. Nicely done.
7th over: India 48-1 (Bhatia 10, Rodrigues 2) Five singles taken from the Hazell over. As Charlotte Edwards notes on TMS, delaying Harmanpreet Kaur’s entry by having this pair knocking it around for a while isn’t the worst result at all.
Mandhana returns a catch to Ecclestone! It’s not a good ball, pitching half way down the track. But the Indian megastar, given so long to work out where she was going to clobber it, hit the softest catch back to Ecclestone - even softer than the one she grassed off Shrubsole from the same batter. She made no mistake this time around, though. It took the entire power play to get going but England are at last heading in the right direction.
6th over: India 43-1 (Bhatia 7)
Knight turns to the experience of Danielle Hazell, keeping two overs up the sleeve for Shrubsole. She spins the first hard, past Bhatia and Amy Jones, adding two byes to the cause. A single behind square gives Mandhana a couple of opportunities to let the good times role and she does just that, dancing inside-out over extra cover for another boundary. She’s 28 from 19.
(Also, sorry for the confusion of having England batting in my earlier posts. It’s been a long day/week/decade. All fixed now)
4th over: India 28-0 (Bhatia 4, Mandhana 24) Can the young Lancastrian keep her cool with the ball after dropping that catch? Straight after the error it is Ecclestone from the Andy Roberts End. But Mandhana is in remarkable touch here, hitting the two best shots of the day in the space of four balls: a sweep shot to die for followed by a superb lofted drive over long-on for SIX! If England don’t get rid of her soon this could get ugly and fast. “The most talented batter in the world,” concludes Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS.
3rd over: India 18-0 (Bhatia 4, Mandhana 14) Top edge! But doesn’t go to hand. It’s already an absorbing contest between Shrubsole and Mandhana, two of the best in the world at what they do. Next ball, she steers a boundary behind point, using what pace there is - superb batting. But then, to end the over, DROPPED CATCH! Oh my, that’s a simple catch at cover, Mandhana pushing it to Ecclestone (that pitch again), who puts it down moving slightly to her left. That hurts and every England fan know it.
2nd over: India 9-0 (Bhatia 4, Mandhana 5) Shooooooooooooot. Smriti Mandhana, who put a month-long clinic during the KSL this English summer, is off the mark with a glorious square drive off Sciver - on a track that’s been close to impossible to drive on. Class. A couple of singles in there too. I wonder how Knight will manage the overs here?
1st over: India 3-0 (Bhatia 3, Mandhana 0) Anya is swinging it around corners to begin, each of her six deliveries hooping big. It is well handled by Bhatia, who got off the mark with a squeeze behind square. The left-handed Mandhana, with one ball to negotiate, is beaten outside the off-stump. Superb bowling from England’s numero uno.
Anthems: done. The best bit was when about half a dozen of the England players were arm in arm during the Indian anthem as well. But they belted out GSTQ, as did their very healthy crew of friends and family, totalling 50 odd. Anya Shrubsole has the ball in her hand, running away from us at the Curtly Ambrose End. Taniya Bhatia is on strike. PLAY!
Talking my own theory up here, but I hope Anya Shrubsole makes runs again later on.
England have broken the record for highest successful women's T20I chase twice in the last year. #Wt20
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana each average over 40 against spin in T20Is, but just 20.90 and 18.38 against pace respectively. Tonight’s game will be won and lost in Nat Sciver and Anya Shrubsole’s combined 8 overs.#ENGvIND#WT20https://t.co/oK6l4HRGVV
ICYMI. Here is the report from the first semi, where Australia - led wonderfully by Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry - smashed the West Indies by 71 runs.
Blimey, Mithali Raj isn’t playing. That’s remarkable. They’ve left out Mithali Raj and stuck with the same side that won last Saturday. I cannot believe this.
Heather Knight confirms that England would have batted as well. They are also unchanged from their loss on Sunday night, so Danielle Hazell keeps her place ahead of Linsey Smith.
We know that Australia will be playing in the decider on Saturday night after their emphatic 71-run victory over the West Indies, but who will join them: India or England? This blockbuster awaits here at Antigua.
If you didn’t watch the first semi, the pitch is as slow as slow can be. It makes the task that much trickier for England’s top order against an Indian attack that thrives on taking pace off the ball as a starting point.
A century from Jonny Bairstow, recalled to the team at No3, boosted England in a hot, humid opening day to the third Test on Colombo
So that’s all from me. It’s a beautifully poised Test, I think. Tanya Aldred will be here bright and early (or whenever it is where you are) tomorrow. Bye!
So everyone appears to have pencilled Bairstow in at No3 for the foreseeable future, but it sounds very much like that’s not how he sees his own future.
Who are the doubters/critics that Jonny Bairstow has proved wrong? Don't know anyone who doesn't think he's a quality batsman...
A bit more from Bairstow:
A decent day. I don’t think it’s an amazing day. We’d have liked to have been four or five down. But we’ve got two guys at the crease who can come out and play in their own way tomorrow morning, and that’s exciting. [Sri Lanka’s reviews] early on in the day, that’s potentially cost them a couple of wickets later one.
I’ve not given up my keeping, I want to make that very, very clear. It’s something I still want to do. I’ve worked hard for the last nine years and I’m not going to give it up after two games that you miss. You don’t know what’s just around the corner.
Jonny Bairstow joins Sky for a chat.
It means a lot. There’s different things that you go through when you get castigated for being injured when people don’t actually see what’s going on. The bits behind the scenes, when you’re doing your rehab,, when you’re sleeping on an ice machine, the things people don’t see and yet they have an opinion on it. It’s all well and good when it’s going well, but there are things that people don’t see.
[On playing No3] Look, you’ve got to deliver when you’re asked to. You’re left out of the side when you haven’t really done too much wrong over the last couple of years, and all of a sudden you’re asked to bat in a role that you’ve not batted before. So you’re learning on the job and that’s how I’ve seen it, an opportunity to learn on the job.
88.1 overs: England 312-7 (Moeen 23, Rashid 13) And in the time taken to review that decision the light has deteriorated enough for the umpires to take the players off. It has been a pretty even day, but Sri Lanka will feel they could have taken (rules of the game notwithstanding) another four or five wickets.
And Moeen gets away with another one! Dickwella could have caught it, and then there would have been no decision to make.
It was lbw, rather than a catch. The fact it wasn’t caught was the giveaway there.
The finger’s up! And the review is instantly demanded!
88th over: England 312-7 (Moeen 23, Rashid 13) Lakmal returns to end the day with a bit of pace, and Rashid watchfully negotiates the over, leaving whenever he can. Which is most of the time. When he forces the batsman into action by bowling straight at the stumps, Rashid flicks it through midwicket for four. Lovely shot, that.
87th over: England 306-7 (Moeen 23, Rashid 7) Rashid edges but completely safely, the ball rolling to backward point for a single. Then Moeen pushes limply at a delivery that just skids past his bat. He shakes his head in self-recrimination, and properly so.
86th over: England 304-7 (Moeen 23, Rashid 6) Rashid flicks the ball into the leg side for four, and rightly survives an extremely optimistic lbw appeal off the final delivery. Four overs remain in the day.
85th over: England 299-7 (Moeen 22, Rashid 2) A few singles and a cracking final delivery that goes just past Rashid’s bat.
1st Ashes Test 12 for next summer ... !!!! Burns,Jennings,Bairstow,Root,Stokes,Buttler,Foakes,Ali,Woakes,Curran,Broad & Anderson ... @JasonRoy20 could also force 1 of the Openers out by then ... !! #Ashes
84th over: England 296-7 (Moeen 20, Rashid 1) The over starts with a wicket, and ends with a couple of singles.
There’s no reviewing that one! Foakes gets a slight nick, and Dickwella takes the catch!
83rd over: England 294-6 (Moeen 19, Foakes 13) Moeen edges straight to slip and it’s dropped! Karunaratne kind of dived to his right there, when the ball was going almost straight to him and he only needed to move his hands, and it’s the first of two let-offs for the batsman in the over, with the lbw decision being overturned because the ball was missing leg stump by a distance.
That has got to smart! Sri Lanka wait so long for a decision to go their way, and then it gets overturned!
Another loud lbw appeal and this one convinces the umpire, but not the batsman!
82nd over: England 292-6 (Moeen 17, Foakes 13) Pushpakumara continues with the new ball, and after four dots Foakes pulls and sweeps the final two deliveries to the rope!
81st over: England 284-6 (Moeen 17, Foakes 5) Dilruwan Perera takes the new ball, and Moeen clobbers it over mid-on for a one-bounce four. “I’d have thought the need for tightrope-walking police dogs was pretty obvious,” writes Paul Callinan. “You must have heard of the epidemic of tightrope-walking burglar cats that swept Sri Lanka last year. No?”
80th over: England 280-6 (Moeen 13, Foakes 5) And that’s a maiden from Pushpakumara. On comes Anderson with a delivery of dry gloves, while the umpires take delivery of a fresh cherry.
79th over: England 280-6 (Moeen 13, Foakes 5) There will be one more over before the new ball becomes due, and then about half an hour for Sri Lanka to get to work with it.
78th over: England 275-6 (Moeen 10, Foakes 3) Moeen smashes a sweep away for four, and then Perera gets one to spin and leap, and Foakes gets bat on it for a single.
77th over: England 269-6 (Moeen 5, Foakes 2) A search for pictures of the outfield-encroaching dog came up with nothing except this Sri Lankan pooch from 2017. This is a bit impressive, isn’t it? It’s actually tightrope walking. I’m not sure why the police require tightrope-walking dogs, but nevertheless.
76th over: England 267-6 (Moeen 4, Foakes 1)“Got to love a man who saunters out to bat in 35 degree-plus heat wearing a long sleeved vest, just in case it turns a bit nippy before close of play,” writes Brian Withington. “Moeen, as ever, we salute you.” Actually it’s only 28C now, and barely 80% humidity, so it has already turned nippy.
75th over: England 265-6 (Moeen 3, Foakes 0) Consensus is that this is the best batting wicket of the series, and that a score of 400+ would be the minimum considered acceptable from the first side to bat. But had a few umpiring decisions gone the other way, and a couple really should have done, and an extra catch or two been taken, England would have got nowhere near it.
Still, Sandakan took a sharp one there. The ball stung his palm sufficiently for him to high-five his team-mates only with the back of his left hand.
Buttler steps back and hits straight down the ground. It comes back to Sandakan very quickly, but he flings two hands above his head and it sticks in one of them!
74th over: England 263-5 (Buttler 15, Moeen 2) Just a leg bye from Perera’s over.
73rd over: England 262-5 (Buttler 15, Moeen 2) Sandakan gives Buttler some width and he tries to cut it away, but he misjudges the bounce and it comes off his bottom edge, into the ground and bounces over his stumps. He makes up for it immediately, sending the next ball past extra cover for four. Then Moeen is dropped! He edges but it goes low and flicks Dickwella’s fingers on its way down. Next ball they think they’ve got him, but the umpire didn’t see an edge (and neither, for that matter, did I). That’s drinks.
72nd over: England 257-5 (Buttler 10, Moeen 2) Perera returns, and there’s another single for each batsman.
71st over: England 255-5 (Buttler 9, Moeen 1) Moeen Ali comes out, and he’s wearing an undershirt. In the circumstances this feels puzzling. It certainly isn’t chilly.
Bairstow heaves across the line, misses the ball and it clips leg stump. It’s been a great innings, important for both team and individual, but he’s looked desperate for a shower and a lie down for about an hour and a half.
70th over: England 252-4 (Bairstow 109, Buttler 8) Dhananjaya de Silva returns to bowl his fifth over of the innings, and the batsmen claim a single apiece.
69th over: England 250-4 (Bairstow 108, Buttler 7) Buttler hacks the first ball of Sandakan’s over wide of point for four. Sandakan’s going at 4.62 an over, by a distance the most expensive of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, and there are five off this one.
68th over: England 245-4 (Bairstow 108, Buttler 2) Bairstow cuts away for four, the 10th boundary of his innings. “Haven’t seen such an impassioned and pointed celebration of a century since Nasser’s famous shirt number pointing ODI effort directed at the Lord’s media centre,” says Brian Withington. “Except on that occasion the pundits were saying Nasser shouldn’t be batting at 3, if at all. In Jonny’s case it seems he is being expected to bat anywhere he’s told whilst being grateful for losing the gloves that he’s worked so very hard to fully deserve. And keep quiet about it. Well stuff that for a game of soldiers, as they say where I come from.”
67th over: England 239-4 (Bairstow 103, Buttler 1) Good running from the batsmen again to turn a single into a two, and it’s the knackered, sweat-soaked, cramp-afflicted Bairstow who pushes for the extra run with Buttler evidently happy to settle for one. But then Bairstow’s on strike for another loud lbw appeal, again turned down, and ball tracking shows he should have gone!
66th over: England 234-4 (Bairstow 100, Buttler 0) A maiden from Pushpakumara. David Brown suggests the ideal soundtrack for the recent canine incursion:
65th over: England 234-4 (Bairstow 100, Buttler 0) Bairstow sweeps again, and he doesn’t feel any pain this time! His helmet’s off and he absolutely bellows as he trots down the pitch. “Yes!” he screams. Several times. Sandakan waits for his celebrations to die down and then sends down a long hop to Stokes, who pulls it away for four. It was the only bad delivery of what becomes a good over, with a wicket and a first-ball lbw appeal against Buttler, though the ball would certainly have missed leg stump.
Wow ... seriously guttural roar from Jonny Bairstow on reaching Test hundred No6. Quality innings.
Nice delivery from Sandakan, which turns hard off the pitch, kisses the face of the bat and goes straight into the hands of slip!
64th over: England 230-3 (Bairstow 99, Stokes 53) The batsmen turn a single into two with a bit of sharp running, and then there’s a dog on the pitch! And he seems quite happy there as well. He saunters around the outfield for a while before finally clearing off and allowing Bairstow to run another single. Good dog, have a biscuit.
63rd over: England 227-3 (Bairstow 96, Stokes 53) Perera gets a bit of spin, and Bairstow tries to turn one into the leg side and very nearly brings leg slip into play, the batsman saved mainly by the fact that he missed it. Then he does go for a sweep, and this time the ball flies up over leg slip and away for a couple.
62nd over: England 223-3 (Bairstow 93, Stokes 52) Bairstow is now avoiding the sweep, a stroke to which his body reacts with great fury, and is gently singling his way towards triple figures.
61st over: England 219-3 (Bairstow 91, Stokes 50) Stokes tickles the ball down leg for a couple to bring up his half-century, a story so far of hustle, muscle and just a little luck.
60th over: England 214-3 (Bairstow 88, Stokes 48)“Prompted by your inspired creation of the ‘reverse sleep’ (over 47) I have been mulling over other night-time cricket pursuits,” writes Brian Withington. “Best I’ve come up with so far is unfurling the ‘duvet drive’ past the fielder stationed (dozing?) at ‘extra blanket’ but I’m sure there’s purer gold to be mined.” Um, nightmarewatchman?
59th over: England 212-3 (Bairstow 87, Stokes 47) Turns out Bairstow’s not so great after all. He goes down for a sweep, and it was after just such a shot that we first spotted that he was moving awkwardly, and that’s what happens again. He gets up with a hop and a hobble to run his single. Stokes thunders a six to cow corner, but then gets befuddled by the final ball of the over and chips it limply back to Perera, who dives to his left but, with Bairstow getting in his way, misses it completely.
58th over: England 204-3 (Bairstow 86, Stokes 40) A Bairstow single and that’s yer lot, from Pushpamukara’s over. “So pleased about Johnny Bairstow,” writes Ian Copestake. “He is made of stuff the likes of which we can only make houses out of (and not bamboo).”
57th over: England 203-3 (Bairstow 85, Stokes 40) A Stokes single takes England to 200, and a few more follow. Bairstow seems to be untroubled since tea, his cramp apparently worked out of his legs during the break.
56th over: England 199-3 (Bairstow 83, Stokes 38) There was a six minute delay, which will be added on at the end of the day.
The covers are off, the umpires are out, and it looks like we might get away without a delay.
The dark clouds appear to have gone elsewhere, but a bit of light rain is falling. Those at the ground seem to think that it will clear quite quickly.
It’s been a good session for England, though at least some of the credit for that has to go to the umpires, who repeatedly gave marginal decisions in England’s favour. Bairstow is batting very nicely but moving a bit awkwardly - the physios will be hard at work about now, I imagine.
55th over: England 197-3 (Bairstow 81, Stokes 38) Stokes strolls down the pitch and thunders the ball down the ground for six! That’s TEA, and as the bails come off the covers come on.
54th over: England 190-3 (Bairstow 80, Stokes 32) A couple of singles from the 54th over, and there’ll be one more before tea. Google tells me there is a 94% chance of rain in Colombo in the next 90 minutes, so we’ll be lucky to get away undampened.
53rd over: England 188-3 (Bairstow 79, Stokes 31) The groundstaff have spotted those clouds too, and have ringed the field in anticipation of being called into action. Another appeal from Sri Lanka goes unanswered, with the fielding side believing that Bairstow got a tiny edge to the final ball of Perera’s over. The umpire isn’t interested, and though snicko shows a tiny noise it might have been his foot on the ground.
52nd over: England 187-3 (Bairstow 79, Stokes 30) TV cameras show us the clouds heading towards the ground, and they are as filthy and menacing as clouds are ever going to get. For now, though, the sun continues to shine in Colombo and a couple of singles off Gunathilaka bring up the 50 partnership.
51st over: England 184-3 (Bairstow 78, Stokes 28) Bairstow sweeps powerfully for four, but something inside him seems to ping nastily as he does so, and as he rises he hobbles about a bit.
50th over: England 179-3 (Bairstow 74, Stokes 27) Stokes goes down on one knee to slog the ball through midwicket for four. Then another huge lbw appeal, Dickwella so convinced that he starts heading down the pitch in celebration, but the umpire’s not interested! Ball tracking says the ball pitched inside the line but close enough to outside the line for it to be umpire’s call, so a review wouldn’t have succeeded. England are getting all the marginal decisions at the moment.
49th over: England 174-3 (Bairstow 74, Stokes 22) Another edge, this time Bairstow the man looking back in desperation, drops short of slip. That’s just bad luck on Sri Lanka’s part, I think, and though you can’t really quibble with his positioning perhaps the fielder could shuffle forward just a touch. Maiden.
48th over: England 174-3 (Bairstow 74, Stokes 22) I shall not correct my typo of the previous over, because it is quite entertaining. “We shall no longer be using the term ‘alarm call’,” writes Kim Thonger. “Henceforth my wife and I shall refer to it as ‘the reverse sleep’.”
47th over: England 172-3 (Bairstow 73, Stokes 21) Stokes brings out the reverse sleep, and sends it just wide of slip for four. Then, just as he’s starting to look vaguely comfortable, he plays back again and edges straight to that slip, and is saved the ball bouncing six inches short of the fielder.
46th over: England 165-3 (Bairstow 72, Stokes 15) For probably the first time since Stokes came in, the batsmen spend an entire over looking firmly in control of proceedings.
45th over: England 161-3 (Bairstow 71, Stokes 12) Sandakan sends down a rank long hop and Stokes dispatches it with the alacrity of someone who has probably spent the last good while batting a bit awkwardly while waiting desperately for someone to send down a rank long hop. “Has Ben ever MET an English granny?” asks Kim Thonger of Ben Heywood (over 38). “Terrifying beasts, reeking of sherry and wielding damp handkerchiefs. I’d rather enter the Minotaur’s lair naked as a jaybird than face one on a gusty day at Headingley.”
44th over: England 153-3 (Bairstow 68, Stokes 7) Given a bit of width, Stokes cuts away for four. Here’s that lbw decision that Stokes survived in full:
Stokes gets away with one...
Sri Lanka have used all of their reviews and so can't do anything as Ben Stokes is given not out LBW on 0
43rd over: England 148-3 (Bairstow 64, Stokes 6) Sandakan sends one down the leg side, and Stokes pulls it viciously away for four. “Does no international side employ a specialist reviews coach?” wonders John Starbuck. “It seems to be a discipline waiting to happen as getting it right would pay vast dividends.”
42nd over: England 143-3 (Bairstow 64, Stokes 1) We should probably stop going on about Sri Lanka’s wasted reviews, because even if they hadn’t wasted them on those occasions they would have wasted them on other occasions since. However, here’s one they should have gone upstairs with, as Stokes, playing back, gets struck high on the pad. It looked to me like it was likely to clear the stumps, but ball tracking suggests it would have hit the meat of two different stumps. He’s got a lifeline there.
40th over: England 139-3 (Bairstow 61, Stokes 0) Hello world! Simon Burnton Here, with you now until close of play. Sandakan bowls, and after Bairstow gets a single off the first Stokes continues to play himself in a little awkwardly. He has faced 13 deliveries so far, and remains very much stuck on zero.
39th over: England 138-3 (Bairstow 60, Stokes 0) A tidy over from Perera, and that’s drinks. The Sri Lankans have done well since lunch, first restricting Root and Bairstow, then dismissing Root to leave the game nicely balanced. And that’s me done – Simon Burnton will be here in a moment. Thanks for your company and your correspondence, which has kept me warm on an icy morning.
A suggestion from Smylers. “Re what to do if the captains’ playing of scissors, paper, stone results in a draw (17th over): how about having the vice-captains play the second round — and if that’s a draw too, working down the batting order, Family Fortunes-style? Then the psychology doesn’t just involve trying to beat your opponent, but also taking into account the skills of the player up next for each side.”
38th over: England 137-3 (Bairstow 59, Stokes 0) Sandakan gets one and almost bags another as Stokes goes back and misses a low one, turning away from him. Again, that would have been worth a review, though it turns out to have been missing off by a whisker. Anyway, Sri Lanka are right back in the game. They’ve bowled well and reviewed badly.
Here’s Ben Heywood. “Morning Tim. It’s cold and sunny here in Montenegro. I ought to be helping build a yoga deck, but I’ve got a coffee to finish first.” Let’s pause there to admire the sheer peak-Guardian quality of that sentence. “Anyway, please remind Kim Thonger that since Stuffitdownyerpantsgate the Aussies have been as nice, polite and sporting as an English granny. And also, reassuringly, coincidentally crap. Don’t think we’ll be needing Jo Brand after all.”
The sweep, which has brought England so much joy in this series, now brings Root’s downfall. He goes for a slog-sweep and gets a top edge, presenting midwicket with a simple catch. He was looking good for another hundred, but his departure makes the game more interesting.
37th over: England 136-2 (Bairstow 59, Root 45) Bairstow pushes into the covers, takes a single, and brings up the hundred partnership off 26.4 overs, only the second of the series by either side. It’s been quick, slow, slow, medium, and all good.
36th over: England 135-2 (Bairstow 58, Root 45) Again, one bad ball from Sandakan, and again it’s punished as Root goes right back to cut for four. He throws in a reverse sweep for two, and poor old Sandakan has 8-0-38-0, which is the stuff of ODIs, not Tests.
36th over: England 128-2 (Bairstow 58, Root 38) Now Bairstow survives a big LBW appeal. Facing Perera, he sweeps and misses, it looks plumb – but HawkEye has it going over middle, so a great call by the ump.
35th over: England 125-2 (Bairstow 58, Root 36) Lakmal takes himself off and brings on Sandakan, who bowls one bad ball. Bairstow cashes in with a cut for four.
And we have our first armchair selector for the Ashes. “Providing there are no serious lapses in form between now and then,” says Oliver Benson, “I’d go with: Burns, Jennings, YJB, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes, S Curran, Woakes, Leach, Jimmy.” So, Curran, Woakes and Anderson for Moeen, Rashid and Broad.
“As much as I love Moeen, I think we need more control from a spinner, and if we are to pick just one surely Leach gets the nod. Curran will do just as well if not better with the bat, as would Woakes, who I’d pick over Broad in English conditions…”
34th over: England 121-2 (Bairstow 53, Root 36) A reprieve for Root, who survives an LBW appeal from Perera, pushing forward at an excellent ball, delivered from round the wicket, that turned back into him. The umpire thought it pitched outside leg but it was close to middle. If SL had had a review left, that would be out.
33rd over: England 118-2 (Bairstow 51, Root 35) Just the single off Lakmal, who has two maidens in his nine overs. The three spinners have no maidens between them in 24 overs, which is not so much an indictment of them as a sign of how well England have carried out their new policy of keeping busy.
“Morning Tim.” Morning Kim Thonger. “I’ll leave others to suggest the actual team, but I’m certain they will need a good sledging coach to win the Ashes. Jo Brand handles heckling better than any other standup. I’d conscript her.”
32nd over: England 117-2 (Bairstow 50, Root 35) Perera drops short and Bairstow pounces, cutting for four – and then sweeps for a single, to bring up his fifty, off 76 balls. That is an outstanding knock.
31st over: England 111-2 (Bairstow 45, Root 34) Another tight over from Lakmal. “It’s a Jimmy Anderson spell, is this,” says David Lloyd. Yes, but without the swing.
30th over: England 110-2 (Bairstow 45, Root 33) England still getting ’em in singles. As we have a lull, here’s a question for you: what XI should Ed Smith pick next summer, to regain the Ashes?
29th over: England 107-2 (Bairstow 44, Root 31) And just the one off Lakmal, who is bowling line’n’length. What does he think this is, Test cricket?
28th over: England 106-2 (Bairstow 44, Root 30) And a couple more off Perera.
27th over: England 104-2 (Bairstow 43, Root 29) A couple of singles to get us going again after lunch, as Lakmal brings himself back.
“I’ll take that at lunch,” says Guy Hornsby. “YJB clearly making the most of his chance. It’s certainly taken the edge off getting up before 6 to swim before work. I bet Jimmy didn’t have to do that today. Still, I think they should’ve given Stone a run here. An opportunity missed.” I see your point, but if they had, Bairstow might well have been the man to miss out – it would have been a step too far for Root to open the bowling with Stone and Stokes.
26th over: England 102-2 (Bairstow 42, Root 28) The session finishes with a dance down the track from Root, yielding only a single to midwicket but rounding off a morning of lively cricket from both teams. So that’s lunch. Sri Lanka were right on top at drinks, but the second hour belonged to England, and to Yorkshire, with Jonny Bairstow looking more like a No.3 than some would have expected, and Joe Root maintaining his princely form from Pallekele. See you shortly.
25th over: England 98-2 (Bairstow 40, Root 26) Yet another sweep for four, from Root this time, to midwicket, and a tickle for two. Playing for lunch doesn’t seem to be part of the plan.
24th over: England 92-2 (Bairstow 40, Root 20) Another gear change. Root brings up a fine fifty partnership with a single and Bairstow celebrates with a pair of sweeps, for two and four.
23rd over: England 85-2 (Bairstow 34, Root 19) There’s plenty of turn, and these two have knuckled down, adding only ten off the last six overs after that early flurry.
22nd over: England 84-2 (Bairstow 34, Root 18) Bairstow laps for two, and then there’s a mini-farce as over is called, after five balls. The 12th and 13th men come on with fresh gloves before the mistake is spotted and the sixth ball is bowled. The 13th man, incidentally, is Anderson, possibly the most distinguished spare part in England’s history.
The pad was struck outside the line, which was obvious – and the third umpire felt Root was playing a shot, which was arguable. So SL have blown their reviews already, something they will surely regret.
Against Root, for LBW I think. Dickwella, behind the stumps, appealed like a cartoon character, with every limb vibrating.
21st over: England 80-2 (Bairstow 31, Root 18) A glide for two from Root.
About an hour ago, there was an email from Phil Withall. “Afternoon Tim (from an oppressively hot and sticky Queensland). I think Bairstow could work out batting at three. However he’s going to need these two to stay in for a while, curtail his aggression at the start of his innings and concentrate on the task at hand. I feel he’ll be out to prove a point and cement his place in the side, especially as it looks like the wicketkeeper role is not going to come his way in the near future.” Well, the openers didn’t play their part in that scenario, but Bairstow has.
20th over: England 78-2 (Bairstow 31, Root 16) Sandakan, taking the cue from Pushpakumara, concedes a single and a bye. Both batsmen are drenched in sweat, though you wouldn’t know it from the way they’ve played, which has been full of energy.
19th over: England 76-2 (Bairstow 30, Root 16) Pushpakumara restores order, conceding only a single, as Bairstow opens the face to squeeze a push past extra cover.
Here’s Zaph Mann again. “In the 3rd over you used the term ungodly without the un – ‘It must be a godly hour over there’ – which reminded me of my brother, who used to say ‘couth’. And then I thought, where is the ideal place to be following OBO? Here in Oregon it’s coming up to 22hrs (10pm), which is fine now but means I won’t make it past tea… So I reckon Hawaii must be the perfect place for OBO of Sri Lanka – anyone following there?” Good question. Note to self: move to Hawaii before England next visit the subcontinent.
18th over: England 75-2 (Bairstow 29, Root 16) Root joins in the fun with a sweep for four, and these two have doubled the score in no time. Counter-attack is the best form of defence. I hope Jose Mourinho’s watching.
“Given the amount of sweeping England are doing,” wonders Matthew Doherty, “is Dick Van Dyke England’s new batting coach?”
17th over: England 69-2 (Bairstow 28, Root 11) A couple more singles off Pushpakumara, then Bairstow sees a particularly slow one and goes big, with the slog-sweep, and that’s the first six of the day.
“Liking the potential psycho-drama of Robin Hazlehurst’s suggested alternative to tossing a coin (over 9),” says Brian Withington. “However, what would be the Wimbledonesque tie-breaker if the respective captains continue to make the same call as one another? In the wrong hands I have seen rock, paper, scissors descend into a stalemate that would make the current chess world championship look like a rollercoaster ride.”
16th over: England 61-2 (Bairstow 21, Root 10) Root sweeps Sandakan for a single; so does Bairstow, but only after he has swept for four, cut for four, and swept for two. His 21 has come off only 23 balls.
Another email from SL. “Following from Unawatuna beach,” says Robert Ellson, “just down the road from Galle. Hoping to go to the SSC tomorrow if I can get the day off. One advantage of England losing early wickets today is that Bairstow actually has to bat as a 3. We wouldn’t have learned much about him if he’d come in at 150-1...” True.
15th over: England 49-2 (Bairstow 10, Root 9) Another good over from Pushpakumara, who has one for 11 off three, getting bounce as well as turn. And credit to the groundsman – the pitch has been much livelier than the pundits were expecting.
He did miss it, stretching right forward, and Sri Lanka have lost a review.
For caught behind against Bairstow, who either missed or nicked a classic slow-left-arm ball from Pushpakumara...
14th over: England 48-2 (Bairstow 10, Root 8) No sooner have I called him commanding than Root has the narrowest of escapes, missing one from Sandakan that turns into him and shaves the leg bail before beating the keeper too and going for two byes.
“I’m in Hong Kong and it’s lunchtime,” says Ralph Taylor. It’s all right for some. “I lost patience with YJB’s tantrums in the summer, indicative of a lack of toughness at the top perhaps, so I’m very pleased to see the new and improved Captain Root laying down the law. Hope Bairstow now makes no 3 his own and pipes down.”
13th over: England 43-2 (Bairstow 9, Root 6) Root plays a few from Pushpakumara with a straight bat, then decides it’s time for the broom and sweeps hard, in front of square, for four. That opens up a gap, so he nudges a single. Early minutes, but he looks as commanding as he did at Pallekele.
“Hello from Sri Lanka,” says Neil Waterfield. Well, of all the unlikely places. “Having been to the first two Tests (and a fair few of the rained-off ODIs!), I thought I would give the Colombo Test a miss and spent some quality time on the east coast beaches. Where it is peeing down! #isntitironic”
Time for some correspondence.“I’m reading in Brisbane,” says Alex Coe, “and planning on listening when I get back in the car. Say what you like about Talksport’s coverage – ideally in a thick northern accent – but at least I can listen overseas without arsing about with dodgy VPNs and proxy servers. Sorry TMS – you let me down...”
“Just coming up for 1:00 in the afternoon here in Jiangsu Province, China,” says Richard Woods. “And you’re right – dead rubber is a pointless term. This is a Test match.”
12th over: England 38-2 (Bairstow 9, Root 1) So the firsThe first change went so well, Lakmal fancies another one, so here’s Sandakan with his left-arm wristy stuff. Bairstow, not entirely comfortable, gets a sweep away for a single. Root, entirely Rootish, eases onto the back foot and glides a single past slip. And that’s drinks, with Sri Lanka suddenly on top.
“Hello from Wellington NZ,” says Paul May. “Great timing for the start of the game, enjoying a Friday evening beer.” Don’t rub it in.
11th over: England 36-2 (Bairstow 8, Root 0) So the first bowling change bears fruit, and England, as so often, have started with a wobble.
“Morning Tim.” Morning Harry Shawyer. “I’m following from a bus travelling through the rift valley in Kenya. Country and western music is playing on the radio. I think this is what the word juxtaposition was invented for.” Classy.
Another one! Jennings leg-glances, straight to leg slip. Just when we thought England had found a decent opening pair, they’re both back in the hutch.
10th over: England 31-1 (Jennings 9, Bairstow 7) Jennings plays three reverse sweeps, for no run – one straight to gully, the other two to backward point. But the field that cuts off the sweeps opens up the covers for Bairstow, who pushes again, off the back foot this time, and picks up a cheap three.
“Full of a cold this Friday in a freezing Paris,” says Daniel Lees, “I quite fancy an easy day at work. Any chance of one of your readers coming up with a version of the OBO feed which looks like a Google doc, so that I can give my class of 8 year olds some independent reading and writing for the day, while I sit back and ‘prepare report cards’?”
9th over: England 27-1 (Jennings 8, Bairstow 4) Jennings takes yet another single off Lakmal, giving Bairstow the chance to show us whether he’s tightened up on off stump since the summer. So far, so solid.
“Given how much in a match can ride on the coin toss,” says Robin Hazlehurst, “cricket should consider alternatives. After the recent kerfuffle in football, maybe the captains should play rock paper scissors before each match? It would add an element of psychological skill while retaining the essential randomness. When Root wins 8 tosses we call him lucky and greedy, when he wins 8 RPSs we’ll call him the best psychologist since Brearley. And think of the statgasm potential for win percentages for captains going ‘paper’ against particular opponents etc.”
8th over: England 26-1 (Jennings 7, Bairstow 4) Jonny Bairstow is back in business first ball, with a busy push into the covers, so well timed that it goes for four.
And here’s Kevin Stracey. “I was resisting the temptation to be a useless pedant, but since you ask your reader to say hello...You wrote in your preamble ‘Bairstow will become England’s fifth No.3 in five Tests. “And all those games have been won,” Root said, when quizzed about it, which was a smart rejoinder but not an accurate one – England have won four on the trot’. Mr Root was in fact as accurate in his rejoinder as in his coin-toss-calling: this current match is one of the five tests in a row, and all the four already played have indeed been won. I’ll get my coat.” Ouch – you’re quite right.
Burns makes room to cut, too much room, and the ball skids on to hit off stump. Straightened, too, but the problem was the length and the stepping away.
7th over: England 21-0 (Burns 14, Jennings 6) Burns adds to the imbalance in balls faced by playing out a maiden from Lakmal, who gets one past the edge. Somewhere over the boundary, Jimmy Anderson may be muttering about being left out on the first lively surface of the series.
6th over: England 21-0 (Burns 14, Jennings 6) Another couple of singles off Perera. Burns has now faced 26 balls to Jennings’s 11, and of those 11, only one has been facing Lakmal. Is Burns shielding Jennings? He certainly feels like the senior partner already, in his third Test. The way he and Ben Foakes have begun their Test careers – two instant rocks – is a credit to them and their boss at Surrey, Alec Stewart, who did both of their jobs for England.
5th over: England 19-0 (Burns 13, Jennings 5) An appeal! For caught behind as Lakmal bowls a spicy bouncer at Burns. No interest from the umpire, and no review. Burns strikes back with a cover drive for four.
“Good morning Tim.” Morning Gary Weightman. “I had no deliberate intention of being awake this early but here I am. Eight tosses on the bounce(?) trot(?) flip(?) is quite a record but I’m sure it’s not the record. Googling looks like 12 is the record for a team but for a captain I’m not sure. Somebody will know...”
4th over: England 15-0 (Burns 9, Jennings 5) Sri Lanka need to get the plug in and Perera does his bit, conceding only a couple of singles.
Zaph Mann is thinking about the photo at the top of this page. “That pic of Stuart Broad deserves a caption contest... opening salvo: ‘Broad ignores his marching orders’.” Ha.
3rd over: England 13-0 (Burns 8, Jennings 4) Fortified by that three, Burns hits the first four of the day – a clip to leg off Lakmal.
“Hello from Auckland,” says Paul David. Hello from London, Paul. It must be a godly hour over there.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Burns 3, Jennings 3) At the other end, it’s spin, from Dilruwan Perera. Keaton Jennings cuts, for no run, then blocks, then – sure enough – pulls out the sweep, for the first runs of the day, lapped to fine leg. When Perera lands it in the right place, Jennings edges, but gets away with it as the ball squirts past slip’s left hand. Burns, facing spin for the first time, cuts, straight to cover point, where a misfield gives him three.
1st over: England 0-0 (Burns 0, Jennings 0) Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka’s acting captain, gets things going. He’s on the spot straightaway, Rory Burns goes block, block, block, and it’s dot, dot, dot. Then leave, leave, leave, for a change – and there’s good carry outside off. If you’re reading, say hello.
Not much in life is predictable any more, bar Joe Root winning the toss, but the teams today are as forecast. Sri Lanka make a change at the top, bringing in Danushka Gunathilaka for Kaushal Silva, as well as the enforced one at the other end, Lakshan Sandakan for Akila Dananjaya. England bring back Stuart Broad for Jimmy Anderson and Jonny Bairstow for the injured Sam Curran. Bairstow will be England’s latest No.3, and one of the more unlikely ones, talented as he is. Will he be seething at being left out or buzzing to be back? That looks like the sub-plot of the day. The curtain rises in about 15 minutes, at 4.30am GMT.
“Tails,” says Joe Root, and, of course, tails it is. That’s his second personal whitewash on the trot – all three tosses in Sri Lanka, to follow all five against India. Spooky. He chooses, as usual, to bat.
News flash from the Caribbean: England Women sailed through their World T20 semi-final against India and will face Australia in the final tomorrow night, Saturday (midnight GMT).
Rumours that Joe Root has won it for the EIGHTH Test in a row. That’s just greedy. And a bit boring.
Morning everyone and welcome to
Black Friday the third Test in Colombo. Test cricket, the longest game known to man, can also be surprisingly short. One minute a series is just beginning, the next it’s been won and all that remains is a so-called dead rubber. In reality, is a rubber ever dead? There are places to play for, points to prove, reputations to be made or dented. If Rory Burns continues his calm improvement and caps it with a first Test century, try telling him this match didn’t matter. And as for Jonny Bairstow...
England are bringing back Bairstow and Stuart Broad for Jimmy Anderson and the injured Sam Curran, which means a change of shape as well as personnel. Joe Root will be down to a mere five frontline bowlers, so he may find himself, for once, giving Adil Rashid a full slice of the cake. Even more unusually, England will have more wicketkeepers in the team (three) than seamers (two). If it gets hot in Colombo, Root may be tempted to have Ben Foakes keeping for the first session, Bairstow for the second and Jos Buttler for the third. If you can rotate your elderly fast bowlers, why not your keepers?
63rd over: Sri Lanka 224-9 (Lakmal 0, Pushpakumara 0) The consensus still seems to be that 400 is the basic minimum par score on this wicket, but neither team seems at all interested in making that many. This session has veered into comedy and calamity for Sri Lanka. Stokes and Rashid have bowled excellently, but still. The batsmen have been splishing and sploshing down a waterslide of total chaos.
Sandakan taps the ball to Rashid at cover, and when he misfields the batsmen set off on a run. Rashid, though, catches up with the ball and throws down the stumps from not a terribly testing distance, with the batsman yards short!
Perera has not handled short balls well during his brief batting cameo, and he fends at another to send the ball floating limply to Foakes. Sri Lanka have lost their last three wickets for no runs in 12 balls!
62nd over: Sri Lanka 222-7 (Perera 0, Lakmal 0) Five wickets have fallen since tea, and 39 runs have been scored. Those storm clouds are brewing in Sri Lanka, of both the literal and metaphorical kind.
And another one! That’s a loose shot, and an easy catch for Stokes at slip!
61st over: Sri Lanka 222-6 (Mendis 27, Perera 0) Foakes has grimaced every time he has touched the ball since that apparently minor injury a couple of overs back, and the physio comes back on after he takes that catch, but he plays on for now. Stokes welcomes Dulruwan Perera with a shortish delivery that is awkwardly fended away, and a silly point or short gully would have had an easy catch there, had they existed. Then he taps the last ball of the over straight towards Jennings, but it drops short!
Another one goes! The ball is drifting down leg but Dickwella tries to get bat on it and only succeeds in feathering it to Foakes!
60th over: Sri Lanka 221-5 (Mendis 26, Dickwella 5) The groundstaff are out again, as they were a little before this time yesterday, brooding, menacing clouds having been spotted in the neighbourhood. The sun is still shining for now, though. Maiden.
59th over: Sri Lanka 221-5 (Mendis 26, Dickwella 5) Mendis pulls the ball away for four. He has already hit four of them. Sky spend a while during the over discussing Bairstow’s placement on the field, and how Stokes had demanded that he come in from the rope at deep very fine leg only for the fielder to drift backwards and end up on the boundary. Inevitably Dickwella flicked the final ball of the over in the air in that direction, and Stokes’s cry of “catch” dies as he sees how far away Bairstow actually is. He almost certainly wouldn’t have got there anyway, but still.
58th over: Sri Lanka 215-5 (Mendis 21, Dickwella 4) As soon as Rashid bowls Dickwella goes down on one knee and lifts his bat behind his head, ready or the reverse sweep. Then he has to wait an apparent age, waving it about behind his right ear, before the ball actually gets to him. Then Mendis cracks a drive past extra cover for an emphatic four.
57th over: Sri Lanka 207-5 (Mendis 16, Dickwella 1) Another mistimed pull against Stokes ends with the physio running out to treat an injured batsman. This time it hits Mendis on the wrist, just above the glove, and that looks sore. A few moments after that long delay comes to an end a ball goes through to Foakes, who stops it with the two outermost fingers of his left hand. He too calls on the physio, and we get another lengthy delay that ends with those two fingers strapped together.
Outwith wicketkeepers, no Englishman has ever taken more than four catches in a single Test innings. Nobody in history has taken more than five. Here’s a list of those who managed that.
If Foakes is injured, I dare Joe Root to give the gloves to Jos. Just to see Jonny's reaction.
56th over: Sri Lanka 205-5 (Mendis 13, Dickwella 0) That could be Jennings’ best catch yet: Roshen pushed forward and sent the ball to his left, and in the blink of an eye Jennings flung out a single hand and scooped it up! Rashid has bowled excellently, and it’s interesting that England’s roaring comeback in the last hour has been driven by Rashid and Stokes, two bowlers who had bowled an over between them before that.
Stokes' ball to dismiss Mathews pitched 12.3m from the batsman's stumps. He's only taken one wicket in his career with a shorter delivery than that. #SLvEngpic.twitter.com/WNDus7aMFq
A super catch from Jennings! Again!
55th over: Sri Lanka 200-4 (Mendis 13, Roshen 0) From 173-1 to 183-2 at tea and 200-4 shortly afterwards, the match has swung England’s way since Sri Lanka did whatever terrible stuff they do at tea. And the ball is also swinging, with Stokes managing to get a bit of reverse action. And that’s a wicket maiden.
It did! Mathews went for the pull but was through his shot too soon and it clipped the toe of the bat and floated to Foakes. That’s a fine catch, Foakes changing direction and diving forward to get his webbing under it.
The umpires are checking to see if the ball carried to Foakes, but my first impression was that it did.
54th over: Sri Lanka 200-3 (Mendis 13, Mathews 5) A big lbw shout from Rashid, but the ball pitched outside leg stump and was missing off, so the bowler’s attempts to harangue Root into a review are quite properly rebuffed. Still, that was some serious turn, the only problem being that the fielders were so busy jumping up and down with their arms in the air that they let the batsmen run three leg byes.
53rd over: Sri Lanka 196-3 (Mendis 13, Mathews 4) Mendis cuts Stoke for four, and then Mathews gets off the mark from his first ball with a fine pull, also for four. So far in this series Sri Lanka have not scored 10 runs after tea without losing a wicket. Twice they haven’t even scored one. This time it was four. What do they put in their tea?
52nd over: Sri Lanka 187-3 (Mendis 8, Mathews) That was the last delivery of the over, which brought singles from the first four balls before the tap was turned off.
England strike in the first over after tea as Karunaratne edges the ball into his pads and thence straight to Jennings, standing behind square so less a short leg than a short leg gully, whose catch this time is straightforward!
The players are back out and ready for more. As, indeed, are we all.
Sri Lanka trail by 153 with eight first-innings wickets remaining
51st over: Sri Lanka 183-2 (Karunaratne 81, Mendis 6) Ouch! Stokes bowls shortish and the ball cracks Karunaratne in the sternum. He goes down, and the physio comes out to check him over, but eventually he gets up, dusts himself down, sets himself and pulls the next ball away for a handsome single. That’s the only run from a good, hostile over and that’s TEA.
50th over: Sri Lanka 182-2 (Karunaratne 80, Mendis 6) Karunaratne clips the ball just wide of Jennings, who is still prowling short leg and seemed to expect the ball to go to his left even as it went to his right. Time for one more over before tea.
49th over: Sri Lanka 179-2 (Karunaratne 78, Mendis 5) Stokes bowls, and Mendis works the ball to third man for four. Leach, having dismissed Mendis in every over of this series so far, is surely on his way back
Dhananjaya has now been caught four times at short leg in his career. Since his Test debut, only Shaun Marsh (5) has been caught in that position more times. #SLvEng
48th over: Sri Lanka 174-2 (Karunaratne 78, Mendis 1) Karunaratne reverse-sweeps, and the camera follows the ball as it runs towards the boundary, nobody anywhere near it. Over the green grass it skips, lonely as a cloud. And then, at the last moment, Leach arrives onscreen from nowhere and dives in its path. I actually jumped slightly when he suddenly appeared, so unexpected was it. It was like something out of a (very sedate, more terranean) remake of Alien. A few moments later it’s De Silva whose heart is in his mouth, as he gently turns the ball to Jennings, who reacts quickly and snaffles the catch.
A breakthrough! And another fine catch from Jennings at short leg!
47th over: Sri Lanka 168-1 (De Silva 73, Karunaratne 75) A big lbw shout as Stokes raps De Silva on the pad, but the ball was always heading down the leg side (he says, as Hawk-Eye shows it clipping the outside edge of leg stump). England were desperate enough to consider reviewing it on the off chance, but decided against it.
46th over: Sri Lanka 168-1 (De Silva 72, Karunaratne 74) Rashid still going. Four singles.
45th over: Sri Lanka 164-1 (De Silva 70, Karunaratne 72) A couple of singles, and a promising start from Stokes. Decent pace and bounce, and was there the vaguest scent of swing there? Now, on that knitwear thread, who even owns a coffee pot warmer? Is that a thing? Couldn’t even a child knit something a little more useful?
@Simon_Burnton Tanya started a thread... about knitted things... imagine a slip fielder called ROOT Wrapped in a knitted shawl... yes it would work! 3 wickets down and grannies up for selection.
44th over: Sri Lanka 162-1 (De Silva 69, Karunaratne 71) De Silva tries to flay the ball through the covers but it bounces low and his wild heave misses it entirely. That was, er, a little rash. And now England’s other ignored bowler, Ben Stokes, is going to have a go.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 161-1 (De Silva 68, Karunaratne 71) Karunaratne clips the ball off his ankles and through midwicket, a lovely, finessed shot, then he drives through the covers for another, and finally he caresses it behind point and gets within a couple of feet of a third boundary before Bairstow slides in to stop it.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 150-1 (De Silva 67, Karunaratne 61) Rashid’s only previous over in this innings went for six runs and clearly failed to convince Root that he was likely to be very helpful. This one costs a comparatively miserly two, and there’s some sharp turn there for him.
41st over: Sri Lanka 148-1 (de Silva 66, Karunaratne 60) Moeen bowls, and the batsmen take a single each. “I get the role Root envisages for Rash - short one-day spells to mix things up,” writes Martin Hamilton. “But only one over from him so far suggests that Root still doesn’t fully trust him.” Looks like he’s about to have another go...
40th over: Sri Lanka 146-1 (de Silva 64, Karunaratne 59) Five dots from Leach to De Silva, and then a single.
39th over: Sri Lanka 145-1 (de Silva 64, Karunaratne 59) De Silva mows Moeen to square leg for four. Apologies, by the way, for the absence of the advertised Rob Smyth - he and I swapped responsibilities today to allow me to watch my chosen football team being resoundingly thrashed by a better football team, which should be fun.
38th over: Sri Lanka 140-1 (de Silva 59, Karunaratne 59) Hello team. The sun is shining in Colombo and Sri Lanka are making hay. Karunaratne has faced three deliveries more than De Silva, but pleasingly the batsmen have, for the first time since the 22nd-over 28-28 draw, scored an identical number of runs.
The only time England have found the outside edge of Karunaratne's bat was when he was dropped at slip by Root. He's only played and missed a further five deliveries in this innings. #SLvEngpic.twitter.com/01inR8vnNK
37th over: Sri Lanka 137-1 ( de Silva 57, Karunaratne 58) A strangled shout for lbw by Moeen, but it is outside the line. He is swept next ball for a single. Sri Lanka playing the patience game here. And that’s DRINKS! I’ll hand you over now -not to Rob Smyth as I advertised earlier- but to the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Simon Burnton. Thanks Simon.
Time for one last email: Kim has an egret fact “There are 61 species worldwide of herons and egrets, of which 17 (28%) occur in Sri Lanka. Has a similar analysis of the world’s spin bowlers been conducted?”
36th over: Sri Lanka 136-1 ( de Silva 56, Karunaratne 58) Huge turn for Leach this over, Sri Lanka safely see it off
35th over: Sri Lanka 135-1 ( de Silva 55, Karunaratne 58)A drive by de Silva off Moeen scatters the egrets at deep-cover. and brings him his fifty: 77 balls, 6 x 4 and a drop. Sri Lanka scoring at well over four an over this session. He follows up with a sweep for four and that’s the first hundred partnership of the series for Sri Lanka.
34th over: Sri Lanka 128-1 ( de Silva 49, Karunaratne 57) Karunaratne waits, waits, until the final ball of the over when he does a rapid quick-step, turns square, and lifts Leach over mid-wicket for four.
Apologies if you’re writing in, my email is on strike again.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 121-1 ( de Silva 47, Karunaratne 52) If Root brought himself on to stem the runs, it hasn’t entirely worked. Four leg byes - time to mix it up a bit with Mo or Rashid. Or Ben Stokes?
32nd over: Sri Lanka 115-1 ( de Silva 46, Karunaratne 51) Leach again. A straight one catches de Silva unawares and he gets in a terrible tangle with his pads.
31st over: Sri Lanka 115-1 ( de Silva 46, Karunaratne 51) Joe Root tries to make amends by bringing himself on, Sri Lanka largely untroubled.
30th over: Sri Lanka 113-1 ( de Silva 45, Karunaratne 50) And with a wriggle round the corner, that’s fifty for Karunaratne - he’s played watchfully, intelligently, leaving the rash shots to de Silva, though of course he was dropped on two. It’s his seventh fifty of the year. A filthy Leach toils on.
29th over: Sri Lanka 111-1 ( de Silva 44, Karunaratne 49) In Broad runs off his new short run - courtesy of Richard Hadlee. Brave work, exhausting work, but two fours suggest this might be his last over of this spell. The best shot when Karunartne sends the ball humming straight back to the boundary for four.
Rob - on in half an hour - this is for you.
Laddish OBO writers @tjaldred? She's clearly never seen the fiercely metrosexual Rob Smyth sipping his morning monster from his artisan china espresso cup resplendent in a pink jumper, snapchatting to his many eager followers. A sight to behold.
28th over: Sri Lanka 101-1 ( de Silva 44, Karunaratne 39) A terrible looking slop-sweep by de Silva off Leach goes high into the air, Joe Denly who has just come onto the field for ?, tears towards it at midwicket and it falls just in front of his boot. I think he must have lost sight of that. Anyway, further frustration for England.
27th over: Sri Lanka 98-1 ( de Silva 43, Karunaratne 37) Oh dear, Joe Root. It came quickly, but he should have held onto that. Nowhere to hide. Foakes puts a hand out in comfort, but it’s an awkward position for him. A quick single to the last ball puts the tin lid on it for Broad.
Root again! at first slip. The ball goes into his hands, onto his chin, and onto the floor. Broad holds the invective. de Silva lives to fight another ball.
26th over: Sri Lanka 94-1 ( de Silva 42, Karunaratne 34) Up on his toes, de Silva drives Moeen, away it goes on the off side. Four. A most sweetly timed shot. Imagine that first note of Once in Royal David’s City. That’s how sweet
John Starbuck is back: “Tanya,It depends on your style of coffee-pot. A cafetière requires what is basically a knitted tube for a warmer, so wearing it outdoors in unlikely unless you’re The Cat In The Hat or a joke leprechaun. A more globular coffee-pot would be better for a double-duty warmer, but anyhow the best option would be to have an actual hat, knitted to size, then use rubber bands to keep it on the coffee-pot. Or get a coffee-making machine.”
25th over: Sri Lanka 88-1 ( de Silva 37, Karunaratne 33) Broad back on the money again, plugging away, ball after ball. Thankless work really. Sri Lanka working the angles well, a single here, a couple there.
24th over: Sri Lanka 84-1 ( de Silva 34, Karunaratne 32) de Silva overtakes Karunaratne after pulling a short ball from Moeen to the boundary.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 79-1 ( de Silva 29, Karunaratne 32) Broad has had a rub-down, dined and a rest, and is back with the first over after lunch. Probing. Then, eeek, Karunaratne is tempted to drive and gets an outside edge between slip and gully which whizzes down to the boundary.
Zaph Mann is back with knitting news:
The players walk out with Sri Lanka 262 behind and nine wickets in hand. The email should work now so please get in touch if you’d like to.
Nick writes from lovely Torquay
Not sure how keen you are with the clicking needles.... but if anyone is short of a Christmas present idea, about six years ago my daughter knitted me a coffee pot warmer (with the help of grandma). I can confirm that it is still working beautifully now on a freezing November morning.
Some lunchtime reading:
England players exposed to Sri Lankan civil war's lethal legacy as ongoing effort to rid country of mines hits home @NHoultCrickethttps://t.co/2m8gU5VNAE
Sri Lanka had the best of the morning- quick wickets followed by handsome- if not risk free - batting. A shout out for Stuart Broad, who strained every sinew of excellence and was rewarded by a drop from Joe Root at first slip. And a left-hander for lunch for Jack Leach for the first time this series. Time for some coffee - see you in half an hour!
22nd over: Sri Lanka 74-1 ( de Silva 28, Karunaratne 28) Enter Rashid for the last over before lunch. de Silva misses the googly, might have got a glove to it, but Foakes has no chance of grabbing it as the ball is hidden by de Silva’s body until the last. de Silva pokes a couple more down to third man and yes, they’re walking off. Not sure what they’ll be having, but OBO-ers are surely sitting down to eggs.
One last email on the matter from Finbar Anslow:
21st over: Sri Lanka 68-1 ( de Silva 24, Karunaratne 26) Moeen getting the ball to spit past the edge here. Great bowling. The over is spoilt by a widish half volley which is driven - what elegance!- for four by de Silva.
20th over: Sri Lanka 59-1 ( de Silva 17, Karunaratne 23) Karunaratne drives just over Leach’s outstretched hand. Three from the over.
19th over: Sri Lanka 57-1 ( de Silva 16, Karunaratne 23) A hotch-potch of an over. Moeen confuses de Silva with the flight, who is saved by his pads. He follows up with an ugly swipe to midwicket before Karunartne reverse-sweeps for four.
18th over: Sri Lanka 51-1 ( de Silva 15, Karunaratne 18) Leach strays by millimetres and de Silva raises his left elbow, twinkles his feet and goes through the covers for four. Next ball is wider, worse, and de Silva square cuts, another four. Bootiful.
17th over: Sri Lanka 43-1 ( de Silva 7, Karunaratne 18) Moeen tightens the leash with another maiden. Can Sri Lanka absorb the pressure? Karunaratne chips the last ball just short of Root at mid-on. Fifteen minutes till lunch.
16th over: Sri Lanka 43-1 ( de Silva 7, Karunaratne 18) de Silva drives loosely and high at Leach, just a finger’s length past a leaping Bairstow at mid-off, and on to the boundary. Next ball, Leach senses de Silva coming again and sends it in faster, and de Silva pads it away. A fascinating little battle.
15th over: Sri Lanka 39-1 ( de Silva 3, Karunaratne 18) Moeen appeals for an lbw, Root thinks about it, but decides against. Wisely.
14th over: Sri Lanka 37-1 ( de Silva 2, Karunaratne 17) Karunaratne gently caresses Leach down to third man - just a couple of runs but beautiful. Four from the over.
Eggzellent advice from Philip Morton: “The uncooked ones spin much more slowly.
13th over: Sri Lanka 33-1 ( de Silva 1, Karunaratne 14) Two off Moeen’s over.
12th over: Sri Lanka 31-1 ( de Silva 0, Karunaratne 12) Gunathilaka had just swept Leach for four before losing his head there. Such a great catch by Jennings, fantastic reactions in such an uncomfortable position.
A nasty slog by Gunathilaka and the ball hits the outside edge and we have and another Keaton Jennings beauty under the lid! It hits him straight and hard in the midrift and he somehow holds on.
11th over: Sri Lanka 26-0 ( Gunathilaka 14, Karunaratne 12) Ah, Broad has bowled his last for now. And we have Moeen for the two left-handers. Immediately they are groping as Moeen finds some turn straight-away.
OBO readers do struggle with eggs. Damian Walsh this time...
10th over: Sri Lanka 26-0 ( Gunathilaka 14, Karunaratne 12) Take that! Gunathilaka, down on one knee, reverse sweeps, karate-chops, Leach for four. Then he has a rush of blood, drives, gets an inside edge which flies off uncontrollably through his legs like a stray cat. Then a dodgy single which they survive. Time for drinks all round.
Ian Forth writes: “Earlier (when you had no email), you mentioned primeval roars as the only ones. But other roars are available. For example, the metaphorical roar of Brexit chickens coming home to roost. The quiet roar of an Ian Duncan Smith at a Conservative Party conference. “The quiet man is turning up the voLUME…” And the two-faced roar from a conference of delegates about to knife him in the back three days later.”
9th over: Sri Lanka 19-0 ( Gunathilaka 8, Karunaratne 11) This must be Broad’s last over, surely, as pink as a blamange, he pounds in. A great line again but frustration on frustration as Sri Lanka refuse to nibble. Then to the last ball, Karunaratne gets his head over the ball and correctly, elegantly, drives leg-side of the wicket for four. Give the poor man a drink someone.
8th over: Sri Lanka 14-0 ( Gunathilaka 7, Karunaratne 7) Leach hasn’t got a left hander out this series, according to Sky. But he keeps it tight here. Nevertheless Sri Lanka rotate the strike with a couple of singles and hope to dine in half an hour or so on patience.
7th over: Sri Lanka 12-0 ( Gunathilaka 6, Karunaratne 6) Broad looking knackered, shirt sticking to his torso yet still he dangles the ball in the area of temptation for the Sri Lankan batsmen. Gunathilaka holds his discipline and resists, resists. Another maiden.
Rory writes:
6th over: Sri Lanka 12-0 ( Gunathilaka 6, Karunaratne 6) Leach appeals for an lbw,that’s an outside edge; and continues his testing line. One from the over, and Leacha and Broad continue to turn the screw.
Zaph Mann had a bad dawn experience with a septic tank:
@tjaldred a 6:40am text last week from the bloke managing my septic system replacement started "Good morning, well not really..." Needless to say it was a shitty affair
5th over: Sri Lanka 11-0 ( Gunathilaka 5, Karunaratne 2) A super over there from Broad, would-be-wicket richly deserved for a probing length and line. Joe Root looks at the ground sheepishly.
Joe Root drops Karunaratne at first slip off Stuart Broad. It hits him on the wrist awkwardly and goes down for four.
4th over: Sri Lanka 7-0 ( Gunathilaka 5, Karunaratne 2) Leach, sunglasses on, unfurls a maiden to Gunathilaka, who prods about without too much bother
Finbar too knows about bad mornings...
3rd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 ( Gunathilaka 5, Karunaratne 2) Broad on a steady line mostly just outside off stump, Karunaratne leaves and leaves again. A maiden over.
Phil knows first half-hour England felt....
@tjaldred "Mornings like that" Bloke next door using a concrete cutter at 7.30 on a Saturday morning.....
2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 ( Gunathilaka 5, Karunaratne 2) Root throws the ball to Leach, who might have to mend a few fences this morning. Gunathilaka tries to sweep, gets a top edge but falls short of the fielder at fine leg.
1st over: Sri Lanka 4-0 ( Gunathilaka 4, Karunaratne 0) And we see Broad for the first time this series with the ball. You might have seen him on a segment on Sky Sports earlier in the series when he talked about rejigging his approach - Athers thinks the run-up might be a little shorter. He’s got a lovely action to watch. Gunathilaka watches for five balls, then cover drives with bent knee, beautifully.
Ah I think my email address might be wrong on the standfirst. It’s tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com. Either that or it is just me, and John and Gary.
We’ve all had mornings like that. I’ve had mornings like that. Tell me about your mornings like that.
The morning’s play hasn’t impressed the watching scribes, demob happy and pens poised.
England's 336 may turn out to be a decent score but the one remaining criticism of this team is they haven't got the patience or application to go really big when they should. Should have been nearer 450.....
That was about as bad a 25 minutes by England as it would be possible to see
92.5 overs: England 336 all out ( Rashid 21) Well that was a bit of a collapse. England missing Sam Curran and his adhesive qualities perhaps.
Leach goes rogue, tries to lift the ball up and over and is superbly caught by Mathews running backwards at long off.
92 overs: England 332-9 (Leach 2, Rashid 19) Five wickets now for Sandakan, who has had a great day and a bit with the ball. Leach, wide-eyed, not looking totally convincing here, with a couple of squirts off the outside edge.
Gary Naylor is on the twitters:
Have England ever ran singles more aggressively across a whole series @tjaldred? Positive batting isn't just about boundaries - though they do open the gaps in the in-field to exploit.
Oh dear. Broad gets down on one knee, sweeps and is bowled by Sandakan. Jarrod Kimber had just said that Broad had never faced a left-arm wrist spinner in first class cricket before....he has now faced one ball from a left-arm wrist spinner.
91 overs: England 328-8 (Broad 0, Rashid 18) I think we can agree that Moeen Ali is not bothered about his average in any way whatsoever. But here is a cracking little stat about Rashid.
Rashid has the highest boundary percentage (8.59%) of any England batsman to have faced 100 balls or more in this series. #SLvEng
Moeen dances down the pitch and hits the ball straight to long off.
90 overs: England 327-7 (Moeen 33, Rashid 18) Oooooh gorgeous - Moeen lifts his elbow high and drives Suranga Lakmal through cover for four. Then he studies his angles... and to the last ball decides to go a little straighter, quicker, and another lovely boundary drive.
John Starbuck is awake - does he ever sleep? Hello John! “And a Good Saturday Morning to you too Tanya. I can attend to the OBO and Talksport2 without interruption today. Can England learn anything from how the Sri Lankans approach rain interruptions? In this country we put our faith in technology - special drainage, super-soppers etc. - whereas plenty of well-led people seem to get the job done faster.”
89 overs: England 317-7 (Moeen 24, Rashid 17) Dilruwan Perera finishes off the over left from last night. Moeen uses his feet to the first ball of the day for a single; Rashid sweeps the last ball just outside leg stump, past leg slip down to the boundary where it trickles over the rope for four. A busy over.
The umpires are out and the players follow. Yesterday evening’s thunderstorm has been soaked up with no ill effects.
“The pitch has real potential,” to spin says David Lloyd. And the stats show that batting here only gets more difficult - so any extra runs England can garner this morning will be very useful.
Blanket, check. Hot water bottle, check. Cup of tea, check. Hello everyone, wherever you are. Reports from Colombo say it is hot and the pitch is dry, dry, dry.
And a final Good Saturday Morning from this Test series. What thrills yesterday when England’s fifth No.3 in five Tests scored the first century by an English No.3 in 52 attempts. That century maker was, of course, Jonny Bairstow, once the first name on the team sheet, then shorn of the gloves, then injured, then dropped. Now back. With the selectors sleeping a little more easy in their beds YJB was quite emotional about it all. Celebrating with a primeval roar (is there any other kind?) bulging stares, a brief hug with Stokes but nary a smile. The watching press were bewildered when he talked meaningfully afterwards of those out to get him . But that’s Bairstow for you - a complex, deep-thinking, spiky soul.
47th over: England 171-7 (Foakes 2, Rashid 0) Wicket maiden, and the lead is 267.
“Whilst familiar with the concept and its practice as a lapsed son of the East End (cor blimey), I had no idea about the term ‘minced oath’ until Kim Thonger shone light on the subject (over 31). His invocation of ‘Heavens to Betsy’ immediately recalled from the dark, dank recesses of time the alternative phrase ‘Heavens to Murgatroyd’. This was a catchphrase of the Hanna Barbera cartoon character Snagglepuss (originally of Quickdraw McGraw fame before the Yogi Bear Show), but apparently originated with the actor Bert Rahr from the 1944 film ‘Meet The People’. In the etymological spirit of this morning, it transpires that the surname Murgatroyd may derive from the Norse ‘Moor Gate Royd’ which translates as ‘a clearing in the forest on the road to the moor’. Not many people know that, as a fellow East Ender might say.”
Sandakan spins it away from Moeen, who follows it looking to glance away; he edges, and De Silva, moving right, takes a terrific catch in the midriff, now moving left. That was going very quickly indeed, and suddenly Sri Lanka might be chasing something manageable.
46th over: England 171-6 (Moeen 22, Foakes 2) Perera nails Foakes on the pad and there’s a shout, but impact was outside the line. Two singles from the over.
“I’ve never been more happily wrong than I was about Buttler making it Test cricket. It’s not about talent, because his rubbery, fast-twitch wrists could bat on an ice rink, but it just felt he was too non-conformist and his shipown had sailed a few summers ago. But of course we’re all fools, because his cricket brain is so staggeringly good he can bat any situation. The potential for him to destroy sides in all conditions is frightening.”
45th over: England 169-6 (Moeen 21, Foakes 1) Foakes gets off the mark quickly with a crump to midwicket.
“‘Heavens to Betsy,’” begins Kevin Ryan. “Yes a superb exclamation! I can just imagine The Dude and Walter saying that to each other and to the world in general instead of that other word which was apparently used 260 times in the movie. I shall contact the Coen Brothers right now.”
Finally Buttler, coming down, runs past one that’s leg side. Dickwella swipes off the bails in short order ... but we go upstairs ... and this time Sandakan contrived to keep his foot behind the line ...just. That’s an excellent innings from Buttler, who is very rapidly developing from genius into player.
44th over: England 168-5 (Buttler 64, Moeen 21) Watching this morning’s wickets again, I notice that when Jonny Bairstow went, there was no message to his castigators. I suppose if that sense of conflict helps his game then get stuck in, but it’s not really true, is it? He seems well-liked, and people want him to make the most of his talent, which he’s not been doing lately, and a ton at three in a dead rubber doesn’t prove anything to anyone. I’d love to see him make a go of it there, but I’m not sure his high backswing and propensity to get himself out when set will come over in England and against better attacks. Moeen sees out a maiden.
Morning all and thanks Rob - the players are having a quick nip, and don’t Sri Lanka need one. England are away, and it’s very hard to see how they avoid a whitewash from here. They don’t look like taking a wicket, never mind five, and the current lead already looks like plenty.
43rd over: England 168-5 (Buttler 64, Moeen 21) England continue to help themselves to risk-free singles, with four more in that Sandakan over to take the lead to 264. That’s it from me. The great Daniel Harris will be with you for the rest of the day – you can email or tweet him as you wish. Bye!
42nd over: England 164-5 (Buttler 62, Moeen 19) Buttler has played with such authority in this innings. He came in when England were 39 for four and in danger of a good old-fashioned farce, yet he has breezed to 62 from 75 balls without a negative thought in the world.
41st over: England 160-5 (Buttler 60, Moeen 17) It’s all very low-key at the moment. England have stealthily moved into a strong position, with a lead of 256 on a wearing pitch.
40th over: England 157-5 (Buttler 59, Moeen 15) Buttler survives an optimistic LBW appeal after charging Perera. The ball straight sharply from around the wicket but there was too much guesswork for the umpire. It was probably bouncing over the top.
39th over: England 155-5 (Buttler 58, Moeen 14) SrI Lanka are starting to look a little forlorn. Sandakan, who dismissed Ben Stokes twice with no-balls in the morning session, returns to the attack and is milked for three singles.
38th over: England 152-5 (Buttler 56, Moeen 13) “If the batting side were given an extra DRS review every time the bowling side bowled a no ball, the captain of the bowling side would jolly quickly chivvy his chuckers into controlling their footwork properly?” sniffs Kim Thonger. “Wouldn’t work in village cricket of course, but making the side offending most buy all the post-match beer might.”
37th over: England 149-5 (Buttler 54, Moeen 12) Since his recall Buttler is England’s leading runscorer, with 750 at an average of 47 and a strike rate of 68. Those are superb numbers, especially when you consider that most of the pitches have offered a bit to the bowlers.
36th over: England 147-5 (Buttler 53, Moeen 11) Moeen edges Perera short of slip and away for four and then Buttler reaches a quietly brilliant half-century from 59 balls. It’s been a smart, assertive and fleet-footed performance.
35th over: England 138-5 (Buttler 49, Moeen 6) Moeen has started watchfully. He’s such a dangerous player in a situation like this, because he could easily lace 70 from 90 balls. For now he is dealing in singles and has six from 13.
34th over: England 135-5 (Buttler 48, Moeen 4) A good over from Perera, who has been by far Sri Lanka’s best bowler in this series.
33rd over: England 132-5 (Buttler 47, Moeen 2) Moeen has had a poor series with the bat, averaging 11, though his bowling makes up for that.
“There is indeed no excuse for a slow bowler to be called for no-balls, but it can be understood if you consider something similar in other sports,” says John Starbuck. “Tennis foot-faults, trying to cheat a few more yards at a football free-kick or throw-in, endless dodgy business in the rugby codes; there’s something enticing about putting one over on the opposition and referee which appeals to certain sensibilities. It makes no difference at all in creating an advantage but still people do it.”
32nd over: England 128-5 (Buttler 45, Moeen 0) “Leo Nine surely speaks for the existential dread in us all as he returns wearily from his morning dip and contemplates an afternoon of bridge at the British Club in Bangkok - further compounded by his angst at the quality of the cricket coverage intruding amongst Sky’s normal betting programming (over 19),” says Brian Withington. “To be serious for a moment, the scourge of gambling and its advertising is little short of a national disgrace, but I don’t think we can entirely blame Sky’s owners for that (although on reflection I can feel an argument stirring). There was another piece in the Guardian earlier about the subject but can’t find the link - author suggested that children should be taught about the perniciousness of bookies’ odds making in school. A worthy aspiration, but I’m not sure it would be any more effective than pointing out the perils of drink, drugs, fags and unprotected sex. If nothing else, I suggest we might at least ban the adverts that purport to tell us to stop gambling ‘when the fun stops’ - where hypocrisy meets tokenism and still turns a profit.”
As with most of modern society’s soul-selling ills, it feels like it’s too late to do much about it.
Stokes has gone this time. He danced down the track to Perera but didn’t get to the pitch and dragged the ball to long on, where Pushpakumara took a good low catch. Stokes was caught off Sandakan no-balls twice in the morning session; this time Perera kept his foot behind the line.
31st over: England 122-4 (Stokes 37, Buttler 45) Stokes reverse-sweeps Dhananjaya solidly for a couple. England’s lead is a very handy 218 and they are surely going to win this game.
“The discussion of bugger led me down memory lane,” says Kim Thonger. “I used to work in New York and once exclaimed ‘oh bugger’ in rather a large meeting. The entire throng gazed upon me with a collective firmly raised eyebrow. I felt obliged to find an alternative thereafter. I settled on ‘heavens to Betsy’, acceptable in all corners of Manhattan, but not much use on a cricket pitch, far too flimsy. Apparently it’s a ‘minced oath’, a sub-group of euphemisms used to avoid swearing when expressing surprise or annoyance. I dare say the Aussies have trained themselves to use it now they are reformed genteel characters.”
30th over: England 117-4 (Stokes 33, Buttler 44) Buttler sweeps Perera for a couple, scampering back for a bonus second run. There is more than one way to counter-attack, and England have put pressure on Sri Lanka with their running as much as their strokeplay. Buttler is such an impressive, resourceful cricketer, who tailors every innings to the conditions and match situation. A top-edged sweep lands safely and brings him two more runs later in the over.
“Hi Rob,” says Thomas Hinton. “Always good to start the day with a bit of etymology to make up for an England wobble. Just to add to Danny Edmunds’ account (over 24), ‘Bulgarian’ was less to do with belonging to the Orthodox Church and more specifically about certain dualist heresies that were seen as related to Bogomilism, which originated in the Bulgarian Empire. Specifically, in Western Europe, the southern French folk who took up Catharism were sometimes called Bogomils or Bulgars. That might give us a plausible start date for the term ‘bugger’, since Catharism appears in France in the late 12th/early 13th century. Give it a few years to transfer in English and you might be looking at mid-13th century, maybe? Also, I’m not sure why the term would need to come into English through Dutch, even if this is what the OED claims. Large numbers of the clergy in England were English-French bilinguals until the late 14th century, as were up to a fifth of the general population, so it makes more sense that (like so many other words) it would have transferred straight across from the French ‘bougre’.”
29th over: England 111-4 (Stokes 32, Buttler 39) Keaton Jennings fell to the first ball of the morning session and now Jos Buttler has been dropped off the first ball after lunch, a very sharp legside chance to Dickwella off the bowling off Dhananjaya. It would have been a brilliant catch.
“Morning Rob,” says Ben Heywood. “It’s shedding it down here in Montenegro. Danny Edmunds may have uncovered the origin of the phrase ‘bugger all’, but for me its finest usage - after a fashion - will always be from the famous Hungarian film director of the 30s, Michael Curtiz. His English was so famously strangled that he once demanded that more ‘empty horses’ were brought onto set, and was fond of declaring that ‘next time I send a fool to get something, I send myself’. “Well, one day, while filming Charge of the Light Brigade, he lost his rag with Errol Flynn and David Niven, who were both winding him up about his frequent slips of the tongue. Famously, he raged: ‘You buggering people! You think I know bugger nothing! Well, let me tell you - I know bugger all!’.
28th over: England 110-4 (Stokes 32, Buttler 38) That’s lunch. It can sometimes be difficult to stay awake on these overnight shifts but not when the cricket is as exciting as that. England lost four early wickets before Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler counter-attacked to add 71 in 14 overs. But they both had escapes. Buttler was given out LBW, only for the decision to be overturned on review, and Stokes was twice caught off no-balls from the wrist spinner Sandakan. The upshot is that England lead by 206 runs and are still on course for their biggest ever victory in a Test series in Asia.
This is ridiculous. Sandakan produced a beauty to get Stokes caught at slip, but for the second time replays showed he had overstepped. That is desperate stuff.
27th over: England 106-4 (Stokes 31, Buttler 36) Stokes’ batting form hasn’t been great since his return - his last century was against West Indies in 2017 - so these are useful runs. His place will never be under threat, but a big score would give him some peace of mind.
26th over: England 103-4 (Stokes 29, Buttler 35) Stokes turns Sandakan wide of leg slip for four to bring up the hundred. England have really gone after Sandakan, whose four overs have cost 32. That’s not good in a lowish-scoring game like this.
“Hi Rob,” says Phil White. “Read a brilliant interview with Robin Smith yesterday in October’s Cricketer mag, and was delighted to learn that you’re ghosting his autobiography. Had no idea he’d has such problems post-retirement, great to read that he’s got his life back on track. Any idea when it will be out?”
25th over: England 96-4 (Stokes 24, Buttler 33) Buttler gets a leading edge that loops over Dhananjaya’s head for two. It hasn’t always been convincing, but this counter-attack has pushed England’s lead to a healthy 192.
“What is all this talk of apps and smartphones?” says Ian Copestake. “It’s 1972 after all.”
24th over: England 92-4 (Stokes 23, Buttler 30) Stokes slaps Sandakan straight to cover, only for replays to show it was a no-ball. Dear me, that’s such shoddy cricket. Spinners bowling no-balls is right up there on the list of modern society’s ills.
“Morning Rob,” says Danny Edmunds. “ “Bugger” is derived from Middle Dutch and in turn derived from the old French word for “heretic” which was “bougre”. That in turn comes from Medieval Latin “Bulgarus” (“bulgarian”) in particular meaning an individual belonging to the Orthodox rather than the Latin church (as you know, the Ortodox and Latin churches split in 1054). By the 16th century “bugger” was being used in English to mean “sodomite”, due to the association of sodomy with heresy. “Bugger all” itself seems to come in to common use in the early 20th century, one source giving the first recorded use as 1945, another suggesting it is one of the panoply of swear words that comes out of the First World War.”
23rd over: England 87-4 (Stokes 21, Buttler 27) I thought Buttler was gone, that it would be umpire’s call at worst for Sri Lanka. But there is a lot more bounce in this pitch and that saved him.
Jos Buttler is reprieved on review! He was given out LBW to a fine delivery from the new bowler Dhananjaya de Silva, but he went upstairs and replays showed it was bouncing over the top of middle stump.
22nd over: England 85-4 (Stokes 20, Buttler 27) Majestic stuff from Buttler, who walks down the track to whack consecutive deliveries from Sandakan into the leg side for four. He was so quick on his feet that he turned both balls into low full tosses. This has been a terrific, cold-eyed counter-attack from Buttler, who has 27 from 24 balls.
21st over: England 76-4 (Stokes 19, Buttler 19) Buttler has been very positive, using his feet at every opportunity to the spinners. This is great fun to watch, with both teams on the attack. This part have added 37 in seven overs.
“At the risk of also being shamed for my first world privilege, I feel compelled to share some of Richard Smyth’s pain (over 12) at the way the App so frustratingly hides the contact details of its leading lights,” says Brian Withington. “Judging by your uncharacteristically tart reply, I can only assume that Richard must be your brother, however heavy he might be?”
20th over: England 71-4 (Stokes 17, Buttler 16) The wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan replaces Pushpakumara and starts with an eventful over. Stokes drags a sweep fine for four, is beaten by a jaffa and then reverse sweeps just over the man at slip. Buttler makes it 12 from the over with an emphatic drive past mid-off for four.
“Just putting the finishing touches to a piece of writing set in 2035,” says Martin Wright. “Which leads me (by way of typical writer’s procrastination) to wonder if any of the current squad will still be playing for England then? Or if not, any current young blades on the county circuit?”
19th over: England 59-4 (Stokes 13, Buttler 9) Stokes belts Perera for his first boundary, and I’m happy to report that we have a picture once more.
“Hello from Bangkok, where I’m back from my morning swim and off, shortly, for an afternoon”s bridge at the British Club...” says Leo Nine. I was in Galle for the first Test - great fun, of course, though I did wish for a closer match, which we might well now get in Colombo. I watched a little of this match on Sky at the pub yesterday evening and was very disappointed in what can only be described as Sky’s between-ads coverage. I had naturally wanted to see all the wickets that had fallen but they only showed a nano-montage of Rashid’s five-fer before returning to their mission of enticing us all to gamble more (no interest) using our smartphones (don’t have one). It occurred to me that this pathetically appalling presentation might be partly the reason why fewer and fewer people are following - or being drawn into - the game. Any comments from other readers?”
18th over: England 52-4 (Stokes 7, Buttler 8) “Morning, Rob,” says John Starbuck. “No idea about ‘bugger all’ though ‘sod all’ is a similar phrase, but what about short leg? It’s become a really effective position in this series, so are there any stats about catches/run-outs thence? How good do you have to be to become a specialist at any position in the field?”
I’m sure there are unofficial stats but nothing that has troubled our friend Statsguru. I suspect you’d have to be inhumanly good to be a specialist fielder in any position.
17th over: England 47-4 (Stokes 6, Buttler 5) We are having a few technical problems, in solidarity with the England batsmen.
16th over: England 44-4 (Stokes 5, Buttler 3) England, who lead by 140, will want to set Sri Lanka a target of at least 250. The pitch is doing a bit for the spinners but it’s far from unplayable.
15th over: England 42-4 (Stokes 4, Buttler 2) That’s drinks. Sri Lanka would have been happy with two wickets in the first hour; instead they took four, including the big one of Joe Root, and are back in the match. England lead by 138 runs.
14th over: England 39-4 (Stokes 3, Buttler 0) It was another soft dismissal. Root tried to turn to leg and got a leading edge back towards the bowler, who swooped to his left to take an excellent low catch.
“Love to wake up and have breakfast with OBO open,” says Jim Todd. “Tanzania is half way between UK and Sri Lanka, so 7:30 is an ideal start time. Interested in your use of the term ‘bugger all’. Where does the term come from, and why does it denote little or no activity (as in Chelsea’s corner yesterday)?”
England seem determined to ensure, one way or another, that we all get Tuesday off. Root has gone, caught off his bowling by Pushpakumara. I missed the dismissal due to a frozen screen but I’m sure we’ll see a replay in a second.
13th over: England 36-3 (Root 5, Stokes 1) The new batsman is Ben Stokes, who has had problems with Perera in this series. Another quick wicket would put Sri Lanka right back in this game.
“On the East cost of the USA, the start time is OK for some listening before bed,” says Mark Zip. “GuerillaCricket.com, of course, because it’s not geoblocked. Of course, it does mean that one sleeps through the last session of the day. Wish I’d heard yesterday’s last session.”
Jonny Bairstow falls to a brilliant catch at short leg by the substitute Kaushal Silva. He flicked Perera firmly off the pads, and Silva somehow took a stunning reaction catch by his left shoulder. Perera has three wickets and England are in a bit of bother.
12th over: England 33-2 (Bairstow 14, Root 5) Bairstow gets the first boundary of the day with a confident clip through midwicket off the new bowler Pushpakumara. After a slow start to the innings, England are now greedily gobbling up runs. It helps that Bairstow and Root run so well together. They lead by 129.
“Morning, Rob!” says Richard Smyth. “Some of us are awake (with atrociously wakeful babies) and following the OBO - but there’s nowhere I can see on the app that tells me how to email you. I had to access via my browser, like a peasant.”
11th over: England 25-2 (Bairstow 8, Root 3) That’s a tame end to a promising debut series from Burns, who made 155 runs at 25.83. Joe Root, the new batsman, scampers singles off each of his first three deliveries. He’ll change the tempo of the innings.
“Our boiler packed up yesterday,” says Sam Tudor, “so I volunteered to get up at 4.30am today to turn on the emergency fan heater. My wife thinks this time was the result of a complex calculation, taking into account the thermal mass of our house, the rating of the heater and her rising time of 8.30am. Still missed the wicket though.”
Rory Burns has gone! He didn’t even bother to discuss a review with Jonny Bairstow. It was tossed up by Perera, and Burns simply missed a flick across the line. I know I said this about Jennings but Burns really was plumb.
10th over: England 20-1 (Burns 7, Bairstow 6) Bairstow plays a couple of cracking drives without piercing the field. The ball is doing the square root of bugger all for Lakmal, who will surely take himself out of the attack sooner rather than later.
“Just worried you were lonely,” says Jesse Linklater. “I’m here in snowy Montreal, following the OBO, trying not to drift off to sleep.”
9th over: England 16-1 (Burns 6, Bairstow 5) An unplayable delivery from Perera turns the wrong way and beats Bairstow outside off stump. He looks a real threat today. Bairstow has a flustered sweep at the next ball, misses and is hit on the pad. Chris Gaffaney rejects Sri Lanka’s LBW appeal and they don’t discuss a review. It looked pretty close, though it may have done too much.
“Jennings was very good at getting his body in the way of the ball yesterday,” says Romeo. “He’s continued today.”
8th over: England 12-1 (Burns 3, Bairstow 5) A maiden fae Lakmal to Bairstow.
“There seems to be much surprise that Keaton Jennings is such a good fielder, yet it is in his genes,” says Kevin Thornton. “His father Ray, the Transvaal wicket-keeper of the apartheid era, was known as Jet Jennings because he was so quick behind the stumps he seemed rocket-propelled. Ray was a more than useful lower-order batter who was also not overly fond of the quick bowlers.”
7th over: England 12-1 (Burns 3, Bairstow 5) Perera rips one past Bairstow and down the leg side for three byes. Sri Lanka know they need early wickets and have men round the bat.England might need to sit in for the first hour, though that doesn’t come naturally to Bairstow. The lead is 108.
6th over: England 7-1 (Burns 2, Bairstow 4) The captain Suranga Lakmal starts at the other end to Bairstow, who gets a thick edge all along the ground for three. Burns defends the rest of the over.
Anyone out there?
5th over: England 4-1 (Burns 2, Bairstow 1) That Jennings LBW was nowhere near as plumb as I thought; replays showed it was just hitting the outside of leg stump. Jennings ends a mixed series with 233 runs at an average of 47, 146 of which came in the second innings at Galle.
Keaton Jennings falls to the first ball of the day! He played defensively outside the line at a good delivery from Perera which skidded on and kept low before hitting him on the pad. That looked plumb.
Rory Burns and Keaton Jennings stroll out of the tunnel into the hot, hot heat of Colombo. Dilruwan Perera is going to open the bowling.
Women’s World T20 England were, alas, well beaten by Australia in the final in Antigua. They never really recovered from a terrible 11-ball spell at the start of their innings in which Amy Jones was briliantly run out and Nat Sciver was trapped LBW by Ellyse Perry. Australia were just too good.
Morning. Those of us who predicted a 3-0 whitewash before this series would be feeling pretty smug if we had only named the correct winning team. England were supposed to go the way of Australia and South Africa, who were hammered on turning pitches in Sri Lanka. Instead they are closing in on their biggest ever victory in the subcontinent. Their best is the famous 3-1 win in India in 1976-77, but a farce-free batting performance today should ensure the aforementioned whitewash.
England will resume on three for none in their second innings, a lead of 99, after a dramatic final session in which the brilliance of Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid and Keaton Jennings induced a spectacular collapse - the kind of collapse, in fact, that we expected from England in these conditions. It’s nice to be so emphatically wrong.
Bounce from Mo, Perera flicks it onto his thigh pad and the Great Black Hole of Jennings swallows the thing at short-leg.
72nd over: Sri Lanka 224-7 (Roshen 63, Perera 5) Leach has been on the button since returning to the attack: that’s a third maiden on the bounce, so his figures in this spell read 4-3-4-1. And that four was Dickwella’s boundary, who he got out the ball after. Decent.
71st over: Sri Lanka 224-7 (Roshen 63, Perera 5) Roshen defends one then picks the ball up to give to the fielders - why on earth do batsmen do that? It would be v poor form, but one day an enterprising captain is going to appeal from one of those.
70th over: Sri Lanka 222-7 (Roshen 61, Perera 5) Even though he’s played very well, Roshen is still being troubled by Leach, to the tune of a semi-decent lbw shout and one that ripped past his edge.
69th over: Sri Lanka 221-7 (Roshen 60, Perera 5) Roshen comes down the track and gets into a frightful muddle, missing one from Moeen that turned more than anticipated - too far, indeed, for the lbw appeal. Perera then tries to hit his nerves away by slapping a not 100% convincing shot in front of mid-wicket, getting four anyways.
68th over: Sri Lanka 215-7 (Roshen 59, Perera 0) Leach essentially sends down five identical balls to Roshen - pitched on middle-off, turning away a bit - then really mixes things up with one that pitches outside off and turns away a bit.
67th over: Sri Lanka 215-7 (Roshen 59, Perera 0) New bat Perera, shall we say, doesn’t look relaxed at the crease. He fidgets around and almost chops right onto his stumps, pops up a near bat-pad chance between short leg and leg slip, then a claim for a catch at the latter position. Alas, rather inconveniently for England, he didn’t hit it.
66th over: Sri Lanka 214-7 (Roshen 58, Perera 0) Guy Hornsby sent this email before that wicket, but it’s all the more perfect now: “I was halfway through an elaborate and rather desperate jinx attempt just when Leach ruined it all. Is there any more he could really do in his first full series overseas, bar clean up the tail, clean the dressing room and perhaps load the baggage onto the plane? You could imagine he’d have a go. What a heartwarmingly brilliant effort it’s been.”
Leach returns to the attack, welcomed by Dickwella taking a few steps down and nailing him dead straight to the boundary. And then he’s out! Classic Dickwella. He shuffles back to a slightly shorter ball, tries to nudge the ball round the corner but only manages to nudge onto his pads, then into the ever-reliable hands of Jennings at short-leg.
65th over: Sri Lanka 210-6 (Roshen 58, Dickwella 15) Mo continues after drinks. He gets a good bit of turn and they go up for a 75% enthusiasm lbw shout, but it was hitting him outside the line, spinning down leg and bouncing over the top. But other than that, etc and so on. Dickwella then decides to sod all this poking and prodding and throws everything at a reverse-sweep: it’s not exactly what you’d call controlled, but it says four runs here in the scorebook so he will not care.
Morning all, if it is morning where you are. I’ll be honest, when Rob and I arranged which half of the day each of us would be taking, I wasn’t expecting to be doing much over-by-overing today. But v good, tick, well done to Sri Lanka for batting so well, and naughty naughty, cross cross cross, see me afterwards England for their bowling.
64th over: Sri Lanka 203-6 (Roshen 57, Dickwella 9) Dickwella brings up the 200 for Sri Lanka before Roshen survives an LBW appeal from Rashid. England thought it have hit the boot first but they were never going to risk their last review.
That’s it from me. Nick Miller will be your light, your guide, your one, your only for the rest of the day. You can contact him on nick.miller@theguardian.com or @nickmiller79. Thanks for your company and emails. Bye!
63rd over: Sri Lanka 198-6 (Roshen 55, Dickwella 7) Roshen heaves Moeen in the air and just wide of Root, running round to his right from deep mid-off. That was a rare loose stroke and he was lucky to get away with it. As was Dickwella when he was dropped by Jennings off the last ball of the over. He sliced a slog-sweep over the head of Foakes, and Jennings, running round from short fine leg, put down a difficult low chance as he dived forward.
62nd over: Sri Lanka 194-6 (Roshen 52, Dickwella 6) England have been a lot better since lunch. There still isn’t much happening, and it took a superb run-out for them to break the sixth-wicket partnership, but they have bowled with greater control and purpose.
61st over: Sri Lanka 194-6 (Roshen 52, Dickwella 6) With the left-handed Dickwella at the crease, Moeen Ali comes on to replace Jack Leach. Instead he almost gets the right-handed Roshen with two lovely off-breaks which hit the pad outside the line of off stump. That’s a really smooth start from Moeen, who was nowhere near his best this morning.
60th over: Sri Lanka 192-6 (Roshen 51, Dickwella 5) Dickwella is hit on the helmet after missing an attempted sweep at Rashid. You don’t see that happen too often against a spinner. Broad then does superbly to save two runs on the long leg boundary. Every little helps.
59th over: Sri Lanka 187-6 (Roshen 50, Dickwella 1) Roshen pushes Leach for a single to reach an accomplished half-century, his fifth in Tests. But that wicket has made England strong favourites again.
58th over: Sri Lanka 185-6 (Roshen 49, Dickwella 0)
Mendis has been run out by a spectacular piece of fielding from Jack Leach! Roshen turned Rashid towards deep backward square and came back for a second - and he would have got away with it but for a brilliant pick-up and throw from Leach. He’s a left-arm spinner who throws with his right arm, and this one slammed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Mendis well short.
57th over: Sri Lanka 181-5 (Mendis 86, Roshen 45) Broad misses an excellent run-out chance. Mendis played tip and run to mid-off and was more than halfway down the track when Roshen sent him back. He would have been in big trouble with a better throw to the keeper Foakes, but Broad’s was well off-target.
56th over: Sri Lanka 181-5 (Mendis 86, Roshen 45) Rashid is starting to look more threatening, and has an optimistic LBW appeal turned down when Roshen pushes around a rare googly. It was going down the leg side.
55th over: Sri Lanka 180-5 (Mendis 85, Roshen 45) The second new ball, due after 80 overs, could be very important for England if this partnership carries on. Experience suggests England are still favourites, and that one wicket would change the game as it did in the fourth innings at Pallekele, but Sri Lanka are in control at the moment.
54th over: Sri Lanka 178-5 (Mendis 84, Roshen 44) A much better over from Rashid, though there’s still no sign of the googly. Sri Lanka need a further 149 runs to win.
53rd over: Sri Lanka 177-5 (Mendis 84, Roshen 43) Another good over from Leach, who has figures of 18-1-43-2.
England have lost their first review. Leach appealead unsuccessfully for caught behind after beating Mendis with another lovely delivery. Tellingly, Foakes didn’t really appeal - but Root decided to review nonetheless, probably because of the match situation as much as anything. Replays showed it missed the outside edge.
52nd over: Sri Lanka 176-5 (Mendis 84, Roshen 42) A loopy full toss from Rashid is blasted through midwicket for four by Mendis. England have a problem because they have no control at one end. Rashid and Moeen have gone for 78 from 16 overs today.
51st over: Sri Lanka 171-5 (Mendis 80, Roshen 41) Mendis is beaten twice by excellent deliveries from Leach, the second of which leads to a stumping referral. Mendis’s back foot stayed grounded so he’s fine. Leach has started very well after lunch.
“Are they a bit demob happy, I wonder, Rob?” says Bill Hargreaves. “We should never have mentioned the Christiano-Pagan festival earlier on. Still, I’m sure a rousing helping of rice pudding during the break has done the trick.”
50th over: Sri Lanka 170-5 (Mendis 80, Roshen 40) It’s Adil Rashid from the other end, and he also turns one past Roshen’s outside edge. Four from the over. England have had some tight wins this year - 31 runs, 60 runs, 57 runs - and this may turn out to be another. They would like to break this partnership before Sri Lanka’s target drops below 100.
49th over: Sri Lanka 166-5 (Mendis 77, Roshen 39) Peep peep! Jack Leach begins the second session to Roshen, who sweeps fine for two. Leach was comfortably the best of the England spinners this morning and will probably have a lot of work to do this afternoon. He ends a fine first over by turning one past Roshen’s outside edge.
“The first session,” says Gary Naylor, “has been another example of how Test cricket affords endless opportunities to explore one’s ignorance.”
48th over: Sri Lanka 164-5 (Mendis 77, Roshen 37) Moeen, who bowled so poorly this morning, returns for the final over before lunch and picks up where he left off. Roshen Silva reverse sweeps his first ball emphatically for four, and then Mendis pulls a half-tracker to backward square leg for another boundary. That’s excellent batting, and an appropriate way to end a brilliant session for Sri Lanka. They are now halfway to their target of 327 and have a chance of a famous victory. See you in half an hour for the afternoon session.
47th over: Sri Lanka 155-5 (Mendis 73, Roshen 32) Stokes’ last over of the morning is uneventful, with the impressive Roshen Silva working the penultimate delivery for a single. He looks a really good player, somebody Sri Lanka can pencil in for the medium term.
“Moeen did bring himself on to bowl a bit of medium pace seam in one of Worcestershire’s final matches of the season, seemingly in a passive-aggressive attempt to show his bowlers how to bowl line and length,” says Sam Tudor. “Got a wicket too.”
46th over: Sri Lanka 154-5 (Mendis 73, Roshen 31) Mendis skids back in his crease to flick-pull Leach for four, a terrific shot. England have been poor this morning, but Sri Lanka have been terrific.
45th over: Sri Lanka 15o-5 (Mendis 69, Roshen 31) Mendis does very well to get on top of a short ball from Stokes, who is starting to rev up after a slow start to his spell. Another short ball ballons over Foakes’s head for four byes; to compound Stokes’s misery, he is no-balled and warned for bowling too many bouncers in the over.
44th over: Sri Lanka 142-5 (Mendis 68, Roshen 31) Jack Leach replaces Adil Rashid, who bowled a mixed spell of 8-0-37-0, and Sri Lanka help themselves to three more runs. This is getting pretty interesting.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 140-5 (Mendis 66, Roshen 30) Roshen plays a lovely stroke, flicking a rare full ball from Stokes through wide mid-on for four. England need a timeout, or better still a lunch break. It’s just over 20 minutes away. Stokes is starting to get angry; he ends the over with a beautifully directed short ball that is immaculately defended by Roshen.
“Ambidexterity would indicate someone who uses both hands (not at the same time, though that could be a challenge - do the Laws mention this?), but a bowler using both seam/speed and spin to suit the conditions would be referred to as a Fluidity bowler, or Metromethod,” says John Starbuck. “Or perhaps a back-garden bowler?”
42nd over: Sri Lanka 136-5 (Mendis 66, Roshen 26) England are struggling here. There is still a long way to go for Sri Lanka - they need a further 191 - but they are playing very comfortably at the moment.
41st over: Sri Lanka 132-5 (Mendis 64, Roshen 24) Roshen turns Stokes for two to bring up a calm, authoritative fifty partnership. Stokes switches over the wicket and beats Roshen with a good-length delivery.
40th over: Sri Lanka 130-5 (Mendis 64, Roshen 22)
39th over: Sri Lanka 128-5 (Mendis 63, Roshen 21) Ben Stokes replaces Jack Leach, who bowled pretty well this morning. He goes straight around the wicket to Mendis, who pulls the first ball for two and ignores the rest. Stokes won’t be offering many drives in this spell.
“Morning Rob,” says Kim Thonger. “Idly wondering why more modern bowlers can’t emulate Garry Sobers or Tony Greig, who could both bowl spin or seam according to pitch or match conditions. I’d like to see Moeen charge in occasionally and deliver a full-blooded throat ball, or Stuart Broad sneak up on a batsman with a cleverly disguised googly from time to time. Am I being greedy?”
38th over: Sri Lanka 127-5 (Mendis 62, Roshen 21) Rashid flicks an absolute jaffa past Mendis’s outside edge, which allows Foakes to demonstrate his immaculate glovework as the ball spits towards his right shoulder. He is pure class.
“So,” says Hywel Davies. “In four years’ time, England might be top Test nation and World Cup winners in footie, but it will be Wales preparing to defend the more important world title they won in Japan in 2019! Sigh, who am I kidding, being woken by this cat at 4.50am has left me delirious. Anyone lost a black cat near Highgate cemetery in London recently? Cos we’d really, really like to give it back to its real owners...”
37th over: Sri Lanka 125-5 (Mendis 61, Roshen 20) Leach is milked for six runs in his 13th over. Sri Lanka are playing with such comfort against the spinners that it might be time for Ben Stokes to change the tempo.
36th over: Sri Lanka 119-5 (Mendis 57, Roshen 18) Roshen edges a fine delivery from Rashid just short of Stokes at slip. For every good ball there is often a bad ball with Rashid, however, and Roshen puts that away for four.
35th over: Sri Lanka 114-5 (Mendis 56, Roshen 14) Roshen paddles Leach round the corner for two before being beaten by another excellent delivery. Leach has produced at least one of those in every over today.
34th over: Sri Lanka 111-5 (Mendis 55, Roshen 12) Roshen Silva drags a loose ball from Rashid behind the keeper for four. That’s the end of a scruffy first hour from England, who haven’t bowled especially well. Has Joe Root taken this team as far as he can?
33rd over: Sri Lanka 105-5 (Mendis 54, Roshen 7) Roshen plops Leach towards the vacant short leg area and inexplicably tries to steal a run. Mendis sends him back and he survives when Foakes’s underarm flick is off target.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 104-5 (Mendis 54, Roshen 6) Roshen Silva has had a few problems with Rashid’s googly in this series. I don’t think Rashid has bowled it yet but it won’t be long. It’s a bit flat out there but I suspect England, who have preached patience with the ball throughout the series, budgeted for some Sri Lankan resistance.
31st over: Sri Lanka 100-5 (Mendis 52, Roshen 4) Leach beats Roshen with another beautiful delivery. He has bowled pretty well this morning in helpful conditions and continues to wheel away. England would like to see the back of Mendis, who is Sri Lanka’s last realistic hope of an unlikely victory.
30th over: Sri Lanka 97-5 (Mendis 50, Roshen 3) Mendis larrups Rashid down the ground for four to reach 49, and an easy single takes him to a charismatic fifty from only 55 balls. Well played.
29th over: Sri Lanka 91-5 (Mendis 45, Roshen 2) Leach is now England’s joint leading wickettaker in the series; he and Moeen Ali have 16 apiece. It’s all pretty quiet out there, with Sri Lanka, Mendis in particular, playing well.
28th over: Sri Lanka 90-5 (Mendis 45, Roshen 1) Adil Rashid replaces Moeen Ali, who was nowhere near his best. Mendis cuffs consecutive short deliveries for four and then three and then the new batsman Roshen Silva is beaten by his first ball.
27th over: Sri Lanka 82-5 (Mendis 37, Roshen 0) That was the last ball of the over.
That’s been coming. After beating Sandakan in every over this morning, Leach finds the edge with a good delivery and Ben Stokes does the rest at slip.
26th over: Sri Lanka 81-4 (Mendis 37, Sandakan 7) It’s not happening for Moeen at the moment. Kusal Mendis, who is playing really nicely, works a pair of twos round the corner.
“I see your Fall reference and raise you ‘The Dutch are waiting in four languages at least’,” says Ian Forth. “Though I doubt even the Dutch think they’ll win the cricket World Cup.”
25th over: Sri Lanka 76-4 (Mendis 32, Sandakan 7) Leach has been much the better bowler this morning, and he again beats Sandakan with a delivery that bounces unpleasantly outside off stump.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Phil Withall. “So, like my eldest daughter, the OBO is 17 years old. Also like my daughter it has provided me with joy and despair, sleepless nights and exhausted days, hopes fulfilled and dreams dashed. I’m still very happy how they have both turned out. (My other daughter is ok too, can’t be accused of having favourites…)”
24th over: Sri Lanka 75-4 (Mendis 31, Sandakan 7) Moeen has been unusually loose so far, and Sandakan drives a half-volley confidently for four.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 70-4 (Mendis 30, Sandakan 3) Leach again beats Sandakan with another unplayable delivery. That was straight outta Taunton. Sandakan is doing well to survive because there is no consistency to the spin - some are turning miles, others are going straight on.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 70-4 (Mendis 30, Sandakan 2) Mendis pulls a loose ball from Moeen for four. He looks like he’s going to play his shots, and why not.
“Morning Rob,” says Simon Richards. “Just putting in an Ashes prediction before Glenn McGrath: 5-0. Can’t see the Aussies winning a Test against this squad next summer...”
21st over: Sri Lanka 64-4 (Mendis 25, Sandakan 2) Leach beats Sandakan with a thoroughly unplayable delivery, which dips onto middle and leg and rips past the top of off.
“’Morning, Rob, probably for the last time this year,” says John Starbuck. “Next time it’ll be reversed for the West Indies and we shan’t have to rise at such an idiotic hour, but it’s been worth it, you have to say. Might as well get the seasonal greetings out of the way then; Merry Xmas!”
20th over: Sri Lanka 63-4 (Mendis 24, Sandakan 2) A loopy full toss from Moeen is clubbed over midwicket for six by Mendis. That must have slipped out of the hand. Sandakan then survives a big LBW appeal. England decide not to review, and that’s probably the right decision. I think he was outside the line of off stump.
19th over: Sri Lanka 56-4 (Mendis 17, Sandakan 2) It’s Jack Leach from the other end. Sandakan is beaten by a vicious delivery which dips onto off stump and then kicks past the edge. This might not take too long as the ball is turning sharply.
18th over: Sri Lanka 53-4 (Mendis 15, Sandakan 1) Moeen Ali opens the bowling with an threatening maiden to the nightwatchman Sandakan. The Barmy Army are singing Jerusalem in honour of Peter Marples, one of the travelling supports, who died overnight at the age of 61.
An email “What are the realistic chances of England being World Cup winners in football and cricket four years from now?” asks Ian Forth. “Asking for a friend.”
English footballers in Qatar weather? Good luck with that.
Good morning! Remember when England won 3-0 in Sri Lanka? Don’t worry, you will. The reaction to this series win have been fairly muted – it’s barely been back-page news, never mind front-page – but I suspect history will be very kind to a quietly impressive achievement. If England wrap up a 3-0 win today, it will be their biggest series win in Asia and their biggest whitewash overseas since 1962-63.
You would expect England to finish this match with the minimum of fuss. Sri Lanka, who need 327 for victory, will resume on 53 for four after another difficult evening session for their batsmen.
For Cummins to do that, after bowling 19 overs on a 39-degree day – that is one of the best bits of fielding I've ever seen. #AusvInd
That dismissal brings the curtain down on a topsy-turvy day of Test cricket. Australia will be the happier of the two sides but India will feel like they escaped serious humiliation courtesy of Cheteshwar Pujara’s century.
Some of India’s top-order batting was frankly embarrassing but Australia deserve credit for putting the ball in the right areas often enough to allow the gifts to flow their way.
88th over: India 250-9 (Shami 6) More runs for India. First Shami gets off strike early with a guided dab down to third man. Pujara then picks up a couple through midwicket, a couple with a ramp down to third-man, and a couple more with a fierce straight drive. Imperious stuff from the day’s defining figure. But - oh no - what has he done!? Finally delivery of the over, looking to milk the strike he bunts Hazlewood straight to Cummins at mid-on and chances the arm. Not Cummins. The big quick swoops in, dives, and fires unerringly at one stump to send Pujara home. Scintillating fielding. Pujara departs to a well-earned round of applause.
The way Pujara has accelerated with the tail shows he can play aggressively but largely chooses not to. Earlier he didn't score a run for 55 minutes. On a day when his teammates gifted their wickets away he has yet again reminded them of the value of patience. #AUSvIND
87th over: India 243-8 (Pujara 117, Shami 5) Into the final ten minutes of play, which means Australia will not bat today. Despite the lengthening shadows Pujara is keen to keep the scoreboard ticking over and he takes the initiative to Mitchell Starc. In an assertive over he cuts for a rank long hop for a flat six, whips a four through square-leg and lofts two straight back over the bowler’s head. India edging towards a reasonable score after earlier staring humiliation in the face.
86th over: India 231-8 (Pujara 105, Shami 5) A weary Hazlewood continues and Pujara accepts a single offered to the third delivery. Shami survives the remaining trio.
Indian players hitting 100 on the opening day of a tour outside Asia: V Manjrekar 133 Leeds 1952 S Tendulkar 155 Bloemfontein 2001 V Sehwag 105 B'tein 2001 V Kohli 119 Joburg 2013 M Vijay 122 Trent Bridge 2014 V Kohli 143 North Sound 2016 C PUJARA 100 Adelaide 2018 *#AUSvIND
Do you know?
Dravid and Pujara have reached their milestones of 3000 runs, 4000 runs and 5000 runs in Tests in SAME number of innings.
3000 runs in 67 innings 4000 runs in 84 innings 5000 runs in 108 innings
85th over: India 229-8 (Pujara 103, Shami 5) A single to Shami second ball brings Pujara on strike and India’s lynchpin calmly whips Starc off his pads to bring up his 16th Test century, one earned from a gruelling 231 deliveries. He should have been out in the 80s during the previous over but his patience and concentration have been rewarded. This has been a vital innings for India and an example to the rest of the top order.
84th over: India 224-8 (Pujara 99, Shami 4) Hazlewood continues and it’s another eventful over! Three innocuous deliveries presage a fourth that looks like a routine caught behind, but only the bowler appeals despite an audible nick noise. A review would surely have brought about the dismissal with snicko revealing a tiny edge. Frustrated, Hazlewood goes upstairs for his next two deliveries only for Pujara to hook him for six and four to move to 99. Who’d be a bowler?
83rd over: India 214-8 (Pujara 89, Shami 4) That was an eventful over. Aside from the wicket Starc almost had Pujara but his streaky drive went through the vacant third slip region, then Shami drove his first ball square for four.
Third over with the new ball and Starc has his man, ripping a fast inswinger through Sharma’s defence, off his pads and onto the stumps.
82nd over: India 208-7 (Pujara 87, Sharma 4) Hazlewood shares the new ball but his opening three deliveries are well wide of Pujara’s off stump, the fourth is whipped to leg for a couple and the fifth is driven nonchalantly for a single in textbook strike-farming fashion. Sharma defends ball six. The fatigue of such a tiring day looks to be telling on Australia’s quicks.
“I might be a “traditionalist” but with the ODIs behind pay walls it has seemed a very low key beginning to what should be a cracking series,” emails Carl Jepson. “The malarkey re Cricket Australia wouldn’t have helped either.” I’m sure there’ll be more analysis of the attendance to follow but considering the full houses for the day-night Tests in recent years it does seem odd that there could be so many empty seats for the first day of such a marquee series.
81st over: India 206-7 (Pujara 85, Sharma 4) Starc with the new cherry, Sharma on strike, catchers converge from all angles; the last 40 minutes of play promise to be gripping. Or perhaps not. Starc strays legside with his opening three deliveries but then the action happens! Sharma is lucky to escape the LBW decision on review, offering on shot to a length delivery.
Sharma survives, somehow! The big quick offered no shot to a Starc thunderbolt from over the wicket. Nigel Llong raised the finger but DRS revealed the ball would bounce over the bails. Very very lucky Sharma.
80th over: India 206-7 (Pujara 85, Sharma 4) Final over before the new ball is due and Travis Head is the man who bowls it, firing through a speedy maiden over of darts across Pujara from around the wicket. Sharma will be on strike at the start of the next over.
79th over: India 206-7 (Pujara 85, Sharma 4) Lyon sending down perhaps his final over of the day. Pujara begins on strike, working a couple THROUGH THE HANDS of the short backward square leg fielder. That was a very very tough chance, but they sometimes stick - especially if the fielder is Keaton Jennings. Hmmmm, what have we here? The intensity of that second run looks to have done Pujara some damage. Cramp? A hammy? Pujara has been out there pretty much all day and he’s faced 208 deliveries of his own. The physio is out to have a look and after a few stretches the day’s key figure is fit to continue. Not only that but he guides two through the vacant gully region then milks the strike with a nifty single. This is a masterclass from Pujara.
Final attendance 23,802. I reckon the better part of 18,000 of those are carrying a SACA membership. #AUSvIND
78th over: India 199-7 (Pujara 78, Sharma 4) Pujara farming the strike beautifully this Cummins over, declining a series of singles before driving through the covers for three, leaving Sharma just one ball to negotiate, which he does with ease.
77th over: India 196-7 (Pujara 75, Sharma 4) Oi oi! Sharma dabs the opening delivery of the over back to the bowler then drops to one knee and slog sweeps Lyon for four over square-leg. He props forward and defends the next four deliveries to make it a tidy over for India.
76th over: India 192-7 (Pujara 75, Sharma 0) Pujara is trying to get a bit of a wriggle on now, looking to score from the early deliveries of this Cummins over. He then reverts to looking for the single to farm the strike but fails. Can Sharma survive another Lyon over following his previous travails?
75th over: India 190-7 (Pujara 73, Sharma 0) India down to the tail now and with the new ball due shortly the end could well be nigh. Lyon tries to bring about the end with the old ball, terrorising Sharma on outside edge, inside edge and with length, failing with a host of testing deliveries including one that spun through the gate but somehow managed to miss timber, and then failing to review successfully the appeal for the catch behind.
Lyon has turned Sharma inside out this over and thinks he has a catch down the legside from his final delivery but DRS reveals no inside edge.
Sharma not out...
The drinks break does it! Australia are finally rewarded for their effort since Tea, Ashwin squared up by a beauty from Cummins, the ball kissing the shoulder of the bat and taken safely by Handscomb at second slip.
73rd over: India 184-6 (Pujara 71, Ashwin 21) Lyon rattles through this over, Ashwin repelling all half-dozen, despite a couple of stifled oohs and ahhs from the close fielders.
Drinks.
@JPHowcroft Would also like to make the point that Ashwin does not have the eye that a top order bat needs, but he has a sound technique and temperament, which stand him in good stead against an older ball and a slightly less fresh attack.
72nd over: India 184-6 (Pujara 71, Ashwin 21) Paine continues to shuffle his pacemen during what Damien Fleming call’s the graveyard shift with this old ball. Pat Cummins has another trundle hitting a consistent line and length that on a greentop with a new ball would be near unplayable. However, this is a flat surface with a Kookaburra ready to be peeled and mashed. You certainly cannot fault Australia’s effort this evening despite the lack of a breakthrough.
71st over: India 183-6 (Pujara 71, Ashwin 20) Lyon continues his grind, shifting his approach to around the wicket from over, and it costs him runs to begin with as his line is too close to Ashwin’s pads, allowing a finely glanced three. He moves back over to Pujara and he has a couple of nibbles, most notably last ball with the batsman seeming to lob a bat-pad chance into the empty space where a short cover might have been placed. Replays indicate it was all pad.
70th over: India 180-6 (Pujara 71, Ashwin 17) Another over full of effort for little reward by Josh Hazlewood. He must be hoping his two-over spell doesn’t go for much longer with the new ball around the corner. This partnership now 53 and perhaps as importantly it’s kept Australia in the field for 21 energy-sapping overs.
@JPHowcroft If India can somehow turn this into a 250 or (miraculously) 300 run innings after the brainless first five wickets, they should feel very pleased.
I feel, however, that the second new ball will finish them off, if they survive until then.
69th over: India 178-6 (Pujara 69, Ashwin 17) That was just an end-change break for the GOAT with Lyon continuing his role of keeping his pacemen fresh for the second new ball. Not his best over though, drifting too close to the hip of both right-handers, then overcorrecting, allowing Pujara to use his feet and drill a three down the ground. Despite that Australia almost get another freebie with Ashwin bunting tamely in the air towards midwicket but the ball landed short of the waiting fielder.
68th over: India 172-6 (Pujara 64, Ashwin 16) Lyon’s long spell comes to an end, allowing Josh Hazlewood to send down his 15th over of the day. Very Hazlewood areas this over but with a ball this old on a pitch this flat there isn’t a great deal to worry Ashwin.
67th over: India 171-6 (Pujara 64, Ashwin 15) Both right-handed batsmen handle the latest Cummins over, defending anything straight, leaving anything outside off or short, and collecting the singles on offer.
“Just finished an eleven hour shift in the kitchen (I’m not a fan of Christmas)“ begins Phil Withall’s email, “and now catching up with the cricket. At what point do we start saying that Australia are letting things slip away from them?”
66th over: India 167-6 (Pujara 61, Ashwin 14) Lyon continues to ask questions, bringing the short leg and the backward short leg fielders into play with his famous overspin bounce. Both batsmen survive but without much elegance.
65th over: India 165-6 (Pujara 60, Ashwin 13) First bowling change since tea with Cummins replacing Starc from the Cathedral End. Ashwin welcomes him to the crease by leaning in to a textbook cover drive for a couple. A further single keeps the scoreboard ticking over.
It is flippin’ hot out there.
64th over: India 162-6 (Pujara 60, Ashwin 10) Rapid over from Lyon, now into the 15th of his spell, building the pressure on India with a testing line and length. Ashwin navigates it thoughtfully and collects a single to move into double figures.
We perhaps underestimate Ashwin’s all-round ability...
Players with 4 Test centuries and 300 wickets: IBotham KapilDev ImranKhan DVettori RAshwin#AusvInd
63rd over: India 161-6 (Pujara 60, Ashwin 9) Sniff of a chance early in this Starc over but Ashwin’s short-arm jab lands safely in the legside after spending plenty of time int he air. PROPER CHANCE next delivery with Pujara driving loosely outside off stump to a full delivery but his drive just flashes above the fingertips of a diving Khawaja at gully. Pujara fortunate to escape there, perhaps saved by his commitment to the stroke.
Another feather in Seven’s cap with their coverage has been some excellent and creative montage music. The latest offering was this belter from The Kinks.
62nd over: India 156-6 (Pujara 56, Ashwin 8) Pujara continues to hog the strike, drawing the sting out of Lyon deep into a ferociously hot day. Australia appeal a couple of times for LBW but the batsman appears to be comfortably outside the line of off stump on both occasions.
Cheteshwar Pujara has barely put a foot wrong today. He's played just five false shots against the seamers today, constructing a broadly chanceless half-century that is just about giving Indian fans hope. Can he convert this to a century? #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/Ze6haSKoos
61st over: India 154-6 (Pujara 55, Ashwin 7) Australia have been unable to sustain pressure on Ashwin since tea and he escapes strike from the first ball of Starc’s over with an easy legside single. Pujara plays an uncharacteristic swish-and-miss outside off next ball though to remind the hosts he is human and not a robot.
On the subject of the TV coverage, does it represent a banner day for Tasmanian cricket? Apple Islander Tim Lane called the opening ball and Launceston’s Ricky Ponting provided the first piece of analysis, in a match containing a Hobartian skipper.
60th over: India 152-6 (Pujara 52, Ashwin 6) Pujara is in the zone now, working a couple of twos off a serviceable Lyon over and now looking like a run-scoring batsman than someone just looking to preserve his wicket.
Cheteshwar Pujara has just passed 14,000 runs in FC cricket. Since he made his debut in December 2005, no Indian has scored more FC runs. #AUSvIND
59th over: India 148-6 (Pujara 50, Ashwin 6) Pujara navigates another Starc over and reaches his fifty in the process, nurdling a couple and then a single off his pads with the minimum of fuss. The old fashioned ease with which Pujara has gone about his work is an indictment on the recklessness of his colleagues. After a lively opening hour this is now a pitch full of runs against a tiring attack and a softening ball.
I haven't watched much of the Channel 7 coverage, but the Foxtel commentary of the #AUSvIND has been excellent.
The change from Nine is utterly striking.
58th over: India 145-6 (Pujara 47, Ashwin 6) Lyon shares bowling duties with Starc and he’s on the money straight away, inducing an inside-edge from Ashwin that interests short-leg. Enlivened by the let-off Ashwin dashes through for a single that requires his partner to dive desperately to secure his ground. Not the best backing up, nor the safest run in the world considering the match situation. Excellent probing over to continue a superb day from Australia’s number one offie.
57th over: India 143-6 (Pujara 46, Ashwin 5) Mitchell Starc bowls the first over after tea and he’s lucky an early loosener isn’t cut for four. That was in Robin Smith back foot thwack territory but India’s number three could only find one of the ring fielders. Speaking of fielders, Aaron Finch is at an unusual thirdish slip, a few metres in front of a conventional third and wearing a helmet. After that early run-scoring opportunity Starc sends down five straighter deliveries that Pujara is happy to see off.
We’re looking at a 34 over final session which means we’re likely to eat in to the extra half hour allocated to accommodate tardy modern over-rates.
Thank you very much Geoff. And for anyone out there that hasn’t bought Geoff’s book, you have 10 minutes or so to order yourself a lovely stocking filler.
Another break reached for India. They looked better in that session, but still two wickets fell, and they were both dangerous fast-scoring batsmen in Rohit and Pant. This ground will be beautiful for batting tomorrow and India will probably surrender that chance to Australia. But for now, they have hope as long as Pujara sticks around, and as long as Ashwin supports him. There’s plenty more fight required for India to at least pass a mark of 250 or so that would give them some stake in the game. Remember that Australia and batting have not gone together that well in recent times.
For the meantime though, the Australians and their supporters would be feeling pretty cheery. A bit like this.
56th over: India 143-6 (Pujara 46, Ashwin 5) Lyon with the last over before the break, and Pujara plays one of his nicest shots today: an elegant cover drive for three runs. He’s moving serenly towards a half century, whose presence on the stats sheet would not adequately convey how laudable the effort has been to compile it.
55th over: India 140-6 (Pujara 43, Ashwin 5) Travis Head gets a bowl! The part-time offie on his home ground is a decent option - doesn’t have bags of wickets but has picked up a few across all formats. He’s more a way of filling in till tea than a hope of ripping through the batting, you’d think.
54th over: India 138-6 (Pujara 42, Ashwin 4) A single from the Lyon over. Ashwin looking solid so far.
A few people advancing this view.
@GeoffLemonSport So far so good Channel 7. I think there’s been more intelligent commentary in one morning from Alison Mitchell in than there has for about 7 years from the bloke bloke blokey bloke’s club on WWOS.
53rd over: India 137-6 (Pujara 42, Ashwin 3) Pujara has been very cautious today, but plays another uppercut very deliberately over the cordon when Hazlewood gives width. That’s a risk Che does not believe is incompatible with his role a sentinel. “Don’t confuse not playing the shots with not having the shots,” says Ed Cowan on radio.
52nd over: India 131-6 (Pujara 37, Ashwin 2) Another couple of singles from a calm Lyon over. This is the cake that will be awaiting the bowler in the dressing room.
51st over: India 129-6 (Pujara 36, Ashwin 1) Handscomb has crept right up to a short third slip at the moment. Hazlewood’s the bowler. Handscomb is wearing a helmet and remaining down in a crouch after the ball is bowled, like a short leg. I think he’s there not so much in realistic hopes of a catch, but just to get in Pujara’s head. To make the batsman change the way he’s been playing, so happy to run the ball softly into the cordon. Just get into his head a bit. Handscomb has done this quite a lot at Victoria, where the tactic has been used a number of times on the slow MCG pitch. Che sees out a maiden.
50th over: India 129-6 (Pujara 36, Ashwin 1) Pujara is increasingly the lone man for India. Ravi Ashwin the next in. A couple around the bat on the leg side, for both batsmen. Two right-handers. Looking for Lyon to turn the ball into them and draw an edge round the corner to leg slip. Instead the pair work a couple of singles through square.
He’s Handsy Cronje! One wicketkeeper follows the ball with his bat, the other wicketkeeper takes the edge. Perfect stuff to a lefty from Lyon, who produces that so often. Around the wicket, lots of loop, lots of bounce, turning away slightly from the bat. It drew Pant forward into the shot, made him follow the ball just a couple of inches with his gloves, and that was enough. The revs on the ball saw it dip and leap. Umpire Dharmasena thinks about it a good long while before confirming there was a tiny nick, at which point Pant agrees.
49th over: India 127-5 (Pujara 35, Pant 25) We’ve seen Pujara edge several times today with very soft hands. It saves him again this time, and nets him a couple of runs as the ball scurries through the cordon. Hazlewood in his new over is unimpressed.
48th over: India 125-5 (Pujara 33, Pant 25) Pujara works Lyon for a couple of singles comfortably. Pant is less orthodox, jabbing one to midwicket and later trying to dab a ball away fro just outside off. The rebuild is on, but correspondent Ravi is fierce about the collapse.
@GeoffLemonSport I am trying to imagine the Indians of 10-15 years ago - Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman - playing so stupidly. Sehwag, maybe. But surely the others would refuse to fence outside off like this?
47th over: India 122-5 (Pujara 31, Pant 24) No need to play a wild shot when the fast bowler sends down a low full toss. Pant keeps his shape (must be quality denim) and drives it through cover for four. Clean and clear. Cummins responds with a very sharp bouncer that whiffles past the nose of the batsman.
Australia still on top. Patrick O’Brien on the email has tongue slightly in cheek: “This is a real win for the nice guys of world cricket.”
46th over: India 118-5 (Pujara 31, Pant 20) Pant facing the spinner now. He gets an inside edge first ball that saves him from an lbw shout, then stands up tall and whips a couple of runs in the air through forward square leg. Blocks a couple, then works a single. Decent stuff so far. He’s had the most eventful first 20 since Alexander the Great.
45th over: India 115-5 (Pujara 31, Pant 17) Now some calm has arrived. Pant ducks a bouncer, blocks a few, and taps Cummins out toward cover for a single with one ball to come. Pujara finishes the over safely, defusing the risk of Pant trying another wild yahoo. The aggressive left-hander will face Lyon now, who doesn’t mind bowling to left-handers.
44th over: India 114-5 (Pujara 31, Pant 16) Pujara is finding his rhythm against Lyon. Twice in the over he comes down the wicket and drives away on the leg side, picking up a couple of runs each time.
Here’s that Rohit shot off Cummins earlier, by the way. Worth watching. And watching. And whispering tenderly to.
43rd over: India 110-5 (Pujara 27, Pant 16) It’s Pant. It’s Cummins. And the drinks break two overs ago that I forgot to mention has calmed Pant down a bit. He takes strike from the second ball, and defends, and defends, and defends, and defends. Then launches a wallop at the ball as though he were trying to hack the head off a zombie.
“He blocked five in a row and said, ‘I can’t cop this. Test cricket is too serious.’” That’s Jim Maxwell on the radio. “He’s tried to hit that over the cathedral,” replies Adelaide boy Jason Gillespie.
42nd over: India 109-5 (Pujara 26, Pant 16) Pujara is working to find a way against Lyon. Cuts a couple more runs, flicks a single. I’m hoping this back-and-forth goes all day.
41st over: India 106-5 (Pujara 23, Pant 16) Good grief. Pant has decided that the Boxing Day sales are early: everything must go. He lollops Starc over mid-on like he was wielding a hoe. The next ball is out of the middle: on his leg stump, picked up over deep backward square for six. There were two men out for the hook, and they converged to watch the ball clear them by a double-decker bus. Next ball, wide, huge drive, huge edge for four. Straight into the gap between slip and gully. Luck saves him. So he follows up by squirting another two through cover, off a leading edge, also in the air. And closes the over with a filthy cross-bat slap outside off that connects with fresh air. He has 16 from 12 balls and could have been out four times in the over. The only good thing I can say about that is that India’s hundred is up.
40th over: India 92-5 (Pujara 23, Pant 2) The Lyon-Pujara battle is becoming an excellent one. Lyon has the upper hand, Pujara looking uncomfortable against several deliveries, but when Lyon drags one down Pujara cuts it in a flash for four. Another uncontrolled shot to follow bounces down into the turf and up into the air, and Lyon runs to catch it just in case it came off the batsman’s boot.
39th over: India 88-5 (Pujara 19, Pant 2) “If Pant comes off, it could be a good partnership,” is the call on the ABC. Indeed. Rishabh likes to get busy, and does so with a couple of runs worked through midwicket from Starc. Australia plug that gap with Aaron Finch, who stops the next attempt. Starc beats the edge twice to close the over.
38th over: India 86-5 (Pujara 19, Pant 0) Lyon has Pujara in some discomfort over the second half of the over, the batsmen having crossed before the catch was taken. Rishabh Pant, the keeper, is the new man.
That is just brainless, pointless cricket. Rohit eyes off the spinner and goes for a big slog sweep out to deep square leg. Harris runs around and leaps to take the ball and try to tap it back. His foot hits the ground, and in a near-run thing the ball is ruled a six. Dicey shot though. So what does Rohit do? Exactly the same thing next ball. Gets much less of it this time, and it hangs high and drops well inside the rope, so Harris at deep backward square has plenty of time to get under it. That gives Lyon a wicket to bring him into the match, Harris a catch to make him feel better on debut, and costs India their fifth wicket and their only decent partnership. Daft stuff.
37th over: India 80-4 (Pujara 19, Rohit 31) Starc is mixing up his lengths, full and short, and Rohit is still happy to take on the shorter ones. Just for a single this over. This is Hazlewood’s grouping, by contrast. Different strokes.
36th over: India 79-4 (Pujara 19, Rohit 30) Forget pace. Lyon gets the ball, and suddenly on the first day of this Test he looks a menace. Pujara handles the first couple of balls, but is done over three times in a row to follow. Two edges close to the bat-pad fieldsman, another down through a vacant leg slip for a couple of runs. Could have been caught three times. instead he’s still there. Funny game, they say.
35th over: India 77-4 (Pujara 17, Rohit 30) What is going on here? Pujara has caught the fever. In a mere instant, he’s suddenly hungry for runs. Starc comes on for a new spell, bowls some short trash outside off stump, so Pujara flashes the uppercut at it and sends it cleanly over a well populated slip cordon for four. Then he steps into an on-drive and slams it, but mistimes it, back along the ground to the bowler. Who saw this coming? Pujara immediately goes back to circumspection, blocking Starc and then edging him gently into the ground and then into the cordon. When he gets width again, Pujara resists another flash. Instead Starc bowls straight to close the over, and Pujara glances one. “He’s rocketed up to 17 after spending an hour and 45 minutes on 11,” says Harsha Bhogle on the ABC.
34th over: India 72-4 (Pujara 12, Rohit 30) That’s right, Che has led a revolution. He’s scored. Cummins bowls back of a length, so Pujara forces it into the gap at cover point and takes a single. That’s his version of a flourish. Rohit follows up with his own, by lofting a cover drive for six!
What. A. Shot. Didn’t smash. Didn’t slog. Just stood in perfect position, drove through the line of the ball with pure timing, but kept the bat face angled up rather than down and watched the ball soar into the fence. It was just a trampoline shot off the middle of the bat. Gorgeous.
33rd over: India 65-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 24) Rohit works another couple of runs away when Hazlewood targets the pads. The partnership is 24, and Rohit has made... 24. Pujara hasn’t scored since midday.
32nd over: India 63-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 22) Pujara is the more likely batsman to face a maiden. Cummins makes him play at every ball, but only with the deadest of bats. Jim Maxwell on ABC Radio launches into song, to the tune of That’s Amore: “If he bats until tea, and he’s only made three, that’s Tavaré.” The version could easily be adapted for Pujara. He’s 11 from 73 balls.
31st over: India 63-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 22) Good bouncer! I’ve often advances the theory that Hazlewood bowls the best bouncers in the Australian attack. He’s more accurate and can put real pace behind it when he wants. That would have badged Rohit had the batsman not leaned back out of harm’s way. He blocks and leaves the rest of the over.
30th over: India 63-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 22) Here’s an exercise in contrasts. Rohit receives a Cummins bouncer, and swivels to hook it for a single. Pujara receives a Cummins bouncer, and ducks it monkishly.
“Those wickets aren’t even in the corridor of uncertainty,” emails Ian Forth regarding the CricViz graphic. “More like they’ve hitched a ride on the free love highway.”
29th over: India 62-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 21) I’m pretty sure Warnie just referred to a dismissed Indian batsman as “KL Ja Rule.” Hazlewood sends down a tidy over, a single to Rohit off the inside edge is the only score.
KL Ja Rule
28th over: India 61-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 20) The start of the second session has all the elements of the first. Cummins is on the mark just outside off stump. Rohit has a couple of big drives, one that hits the middle and sings away for four, and one that misses the lot and is nearly edged behind. Never change. Rohit moves into the 20s by pulling the last ball of the over for a run.
Thanks Adam. What a debacle from India’s top order. Kohli can’t do it on his own every time. But the manner of the dismissals will cause plenty of scorn in the Indian press – in fact I can see some their scribes hammering the keyboards even now. It’s not unfair: just look at the dismissal spread on the graphic below.
All four of India's wickets fell to loose shots but Australia bowled very well in helpful conditions. According to @CricViz Expected Wickets we expected 3.39 wickets to fall - the most in the first 27 overs of an innings in Australia since the 2015 day-night Test. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/NzGRkzrHaf
27th over: India 56-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 15) Pujara does his job to finish the session, defending and leaving Starc’s final offering. Excellent batting from him; shame about his top-order colleagues who nicked off one after another. Lunch! With that, I’ll hand over to Geoff Lemon who will see you through to tea. Thanks for your company, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
26th over: India 56-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 15) Cummins swings around to the River End for what will be a one over spell before lunch. And he beats Rohit immediately! This was, to be fair, a ball that the number six had to play at, shaping away tidily. Perhaps realising that his best chance to prosper is playing his most natural game, he elects to pull the short ball when it inevitably arrives, popping it into a group of Indian supporters sitting in the eastern stand. That’s India’s second six of their sketchy opening session. Cummins’ turn, bouncing back with another ball that moves off the seam and finds an edge, landing just in front of Handscomb at second slip. All happening.
In case you missed Rahane’s brain explosion, which Ricky Ponting described as the worst of the four.
25th over: India 50-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 9) It has been a torrid ride, but India have reached their 50 through an unconving Rohit pull shot off Starc, who gets a fresh burst from the Cathedral End before the interval.
24th over: India 49-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 8) Rohit won’t be putting it away before lunch. He’s living his best life here, steering Lyon for a couple before creaming a cover drive to the boundary. Another single in that direction completes a productive set for the visitors.
23rd over: India 42-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 1) Hazlewood to Pujara, who has watched the carnage from the other end. A real contrast in his approach to that of his teammates so far, more than happy defending off the back foot or leaving when the deliveries are full and wide of the stumps. He deserves to be there at lunch
22nd over: India 42-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 1) Catch is the call as Lyon’s delivery jumps high into the air, but the umpire says that there was no Rohit inside edge so he survives. It is hard to think of a misdirected delivery across Lyon’s five overs so far. He’s such a good day-one bowler.
21st over: India 42-4 (Pujara 11, Rohit 1) Hazlewood gets a crack at the new man Rohit, who has been given the chance to play in this side but won’t last the series unless big runs come in a hurry. He’s off the mark with a tuck.
Shocking shot. From nowhere, Rahane has lost his mind and flayed at a ball miles outside the off-stump with no footwork to speak of. The edge ends up with Handscomb in the cordon who makes no mistake. That’s the fourth Indian wicket to fall from deliveries that required no attention, putting Hazlewood into the book a second time just two balls into his new spell.
20th over: India 40-3 (Pujara 11, Rahane 13) Lyon races through a quick set to keep the pressure on the Indian pair, singles for both.
Thing I've learned: Nathan Lyon has been hit over the rope more times than any other Test bowler.
19th over: India 38-3 (Pujara 10, Rahane 12) Cummins vs Pujara, who has faced 35 balls for his ten so far. He defends and leaves with equal competence, getting out the way of a sharp bouncer in the middle of the set. Pujara’s ton in Southampton in August was after India lost early wickets, defined by the shots he elected not to play. What he would give to still be there at 6pm this evening.
18th over: India 38-3 (Pujara 10, Rahane 12) More pulsating cricket. Lyon to Pujara, turning his off-breaks straight at the woodwork with the number three good enough to keep out of trouble. The champion spinner gets a chance at Rahane later in the set and finds his inside edge for a second time, outside the reach of Handscomb this time around.
17th over: India 37-3 (Pujara 9, Rahane 12) Pujara pushes the first ball of the new Cummins new over to midwicket to get off strike. That’s not a bad plan given how quickly he has bowled so far this morning. Rahane is using the depth of the crease to take control the situation. Even when an edge is located, it is with such soft hands that it falls metres in front of the cordon. Good batting.
In-play interiews are part of the Seven coverage. See below what David Saker, the Australian bowling coach, had to say about the first hour.
16th over: India 36-3 (Pujara 8, Rahane 12) Rahane says HAVE A BIT OF THAT! Dancing at Lyon like he’s on the cast of Strictly, he launches the tweaker over the long-on boundary and into the seats.Rahane’s defence is critical but he knows the best way to mount a comeback is with a bit of scoreboard pressure. With that blow, Andrew Samson tells us on SEN, Lyon has now had 199 sixes taken from him in Tests - more than any other bowler. What a stat. This information has prompted Geoff Lemon to my left to do some googling to compile a list of serious bowlers who never went over the ropes. Want to play along? You know how to find me.
15th over: India 30-3 (Pujara 8, Rahane 6) Cummins continues from the Catheral End, running away from the Hill beneath the scoreboard. It’s a shame there aren’t more people over there and in the crowd, they would have seen a thrilling first hour and a bit. It’s another very zippy over from New South Welshman with Rahane up to the task, pushing a couple through cover then racing through for a quick single. Good batting from a man who knows a bit about digging this side out of early trouble.
Since the start of 2017, Ajinkya Rahane is dismissed every 209 defensive strokes in Tests, comfortably the best record of anyone in the Indian top five. It's tough conditions for batting in Adelaide right now, and they need someone to dig in - Rahane is the ideal man. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/NmAeTBpMuP
14th over: India 27-3 (Pujara 8, Rahane 3) Nathan Lyon on for his first twist of the new summer. DROPPED CATCH! Handscomb under the lid has put down Rahane. Oh, he should have taken it too, just above his right knee with ample time to adjust into position. Instead of 26-4, the Indian vice-captain survives. Fantastic start from Lyon, beating Pujara along the way as well.
I forgot about this. Cummins, of course, picked up Kohli at the Rancho Relaxo last year within a couple of minutes of his arrival.
Pat Cummins against Virat Kohli: 4 balls, 2 wickets, 0 runs #AUSvIND
13th over: India 25-3 (Pujara 7, Rahane 2) Cummins is gaaaaas. So quick here before drinks, short of a length throughout to Rahane, who has the discipline to shoudler arms. If only his colleagues did the same, they wouldn’t be in so much strife after the first hour. Time for the cordial.
12th over: India 25-3 (Pujara 7, Rahane 2) Hazlewood gets another, his sixth of the spell. His accurate and quick over to Kohli was a major contributing factor to his dismissal a few balls later, I fancy. This time around, Pujara plays the short of the morning, carving down hard on a cut that finds the gap behind point and races to the rope. Sure enough, Hazlewood bounces right back with a beauty, carving the number three in half to finish with a ball that just misses the inside edge and the woodwork. This has been a superb shift from the big quick.
11th over: India 21-3 (Pujara 3, Rahane 2) I should add, a poor shot from Kohli. That’s the third Indian wicket to fall in the first hour of the Test, all from balls waaaay outside the off-stump. The captain never looked settled in his brief stay. “It gets better and better with every replay,” says Anthony Hudson on SEN. He isn’t wrong - take a look below. Rahane, meanwhile, is away first ball pushing a full toss to cover for two.
ONE OF THE GREAT CATCHES! Khawaja, throwing himself to his left, plucks a one-handed worldly in the gully, removing the Indian captain three balls into Cummins’ spell! WHAT A SNAFFLE! WHAT A MOMENT!
10th over: India 19-2 (Pujara 3, Kohli 3) Excellent over from Hazlewood to Kohli, testing him upstairs early then finding the splice off the seam back towards the right-hander. An inside edge is found too, spitting out to square leg to keep him on strike next over. Cummins’ turn to have a crack at the Indian number one.
India has done Australia a favour by batting.
Forced the locals to lead with their strength. Bowling when conditions are best. Wickets to Hazlewood and Starc in their first spells.
Couldn’t ask for more
9th over: India 18-2 (Pujara 3, Kohli 2) This will probably be Starc’s last over for now in the blazing heat, but he has to have a crack at Kohli first. The Indian captain is mindful of this too, playing conservatively to see off the Australian attack leader, pushing one to midwicket to keep the strike.
“Don’t tell us it’s ‘must see TV’!” emails Ed Elias. “Following online at work as I can’t watch TV right now!” Quite fair: the OBO has your back. I’ll try and weave in whatever digital highlights are popped on twitter so you can get your visual fill. Here is the first wicket, for instance.
8th over: India 17-2 (Pujara 3, Kohli 1) Dreadful batting from the Indian openers to expose their trump card, captain Virat Kohli, while the ball is still relatively new. The roar for the Indian captain is as you’d expect - for good reason. He gets his chance early in the new Hazlewood set and promptly gets off the mark with a clip behind square. This is must see TV.
There it is! Vijay, for the second time in as many overs, attempted to drive at a delivery best left alone. But he doesn’t make meaningful contact, a tiny edge sails into the gloves of the captain Paine to give Australia their second wicket in the space of seven overs. They hosts are up and about.
7th over: India 15-2 (Pujara 2)
6th over: India 13-1 (Vijay 9, Pujara 2) Gorgeous batting from Vijay, steering Hazlewood through cover for a couple along the carpet. He has form in this part of the world, having made over 400 runs the last time India were in town four summers ago. Less pretty later in the over, slicing over the cordon for the first boundary of the morning! It was up there for driving but well outside the off-stump, not too dissimilar to the ball that brought Rahul’s demise.
5th over: India 6-1 (Vijay 2, Pujara 2) Starc getting some real zip and bounce, starting outside the off stump to Pujara in an effort to tempt him into playing. But this is a man who has made a career out of his patience so he keeps his cool. A nice little contest shaping up here. It looks a fantastic pitch on what we’ve seen so far, with ample pace and carry.
Summer is not yet 3 overs old and I’m getting a sense we’ve got a good batch of Kookaburra balls this year. Movement in the air, complemented by a very good pitch which has some genuine bounce. Way cricket should be.
4th over: India 6-1 (Vijay 2, Pujara 2) Hazlewood is picking up where he left off at this ground last year, testing Vijay with a short ball that finds the shoulder of the bat with his feet off the ground. Marcus Harris, the man on debut, is very much in the game at forward short leg with another inside edge falling just short of him to finish an excellent over.
“Have the events of the past year softened the Aussies on the pitch at all?” asks Andrew Benton. “They’ll never be short of confidence, but will they now be asking the permission of the batsmen before catching them out?”
3rd over: India 5-1 (Vijay 2, Pujara 1) That was the seventh time in the last twelve Tests that India have lost an opener with the score on six or below, Andrew Samson says on SEN. That’s a great get for the new cricket broadcaster - Samson is the best in the business. I neglected to note that Hazlewood could have picked up Vijay earlier in his initial set, winning his inside edge. Starc again now to the remaining opener who grabs one around the corner early in the over. Pujara, new to the middle, defends and leaves before getting his day started with a tuck to square leg.
KL Rahul and M Vijay average 11.22 as an opening partnership in away Tests. On the day they fall well short of even that low mark. Rahul flashes outside off and is caught easily by Aaron Finch in the slip cordon. That is a poor shot. #AUSvIND
Loose from the opener, trying to flay the final ball of Hazlewood’s first over through the cover but edging into the safe hands of Aaron Finch at third slip. Nothing special about the delivery, well outside the off-stump. “He was late with the downswing of his bat,” adds Simon Katich on SEN. “That’s what did him. And you can’t underestimate how crucial it was for them to take that early catch. They need those little moments.”
2nd over: India 3-1 (Vijay 1)
1st over: India 2-0 (Rahul 2, Vijay 0) So we’re away, Starc over the wicket bringing it back at Rahul. Ooof, third ball of the day nearly sorts out the right-hander, leaving a delivery that just missed his off-stump. He takes a couple through midwicket to get going after the close call. Starc finishes with a beauty, beating the opener with a ball that held its line.
A big day also for the new commentary teams across the TV and radio dials. Channel Seven and Fox Sports were the big winners from the new deal struck with Cricket Australia over the winter, broadcasting Tests at home for the first time. On Fox, Brendon Julian was given the chance to call the first ball, which is only right given he’s been the networks main commentator for many years away from home.
The players are on the field! Mitch Starc has the ball in his hand. He will be sending down his left-arm rockets to Murali Vijay and KL Rahul (on strike). Three slips and a gully the catchers. A short leg too. PLAY!
Here they come. Tim Paine and Virat Kohli lead their teams out ot the middle for the Indian anthem then Advance Australia Fair. Looking up, the crowd isn’t strong. Not at all. The big eastern grandstand is a tenth full if that. Hmmm. Of course, this is the first day Test at the ground since 2014-15. I suspect this will be a bit of a yarn by stumps tonight.
In keeping with the custom since Tim Paine took over as captain, the sides shake hands after the formalities. It’s hard to fault the new Aussie leader.
Marcus Harris will have to wait for his chance to bat in a Test for the first time but he will be standing for the national anthem shortly. His is the type of story we like as cricket fans, a player who struggled at First Class level early before finding a way to thrive, making plenty of runs in the Sheffield Shield over a few solid seasons before earning a baggy green. Here is is with family after receiving the cap from Mike Hussey.
Kohli at the toss confirmed that Rohit Sharma won the final available batting position and will come in at six. No real surprises there given his international experience. The Indian captain noted the healthy grass cover but didn’t hesitate in batting anyway. Kohli, of course, made twin tons here in 2014 (his first Test captaining India) and reached three figures for the first time in Test cricket here as well in 2012. Understandably, then, he identifies this is his favourite foreign ground.
Tim Paine acknowledged that he also would have batted but spoke of “damp spots” on the track that his trio of big quicks will try and exploit in the first hour. It’s a tough loss to lose given how hot it is in the middle but there should at least be something there for the seamers early on.
The XIs as named at the toss.
Australia:Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c & wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
India to bat first.
The captains are in the middle... stand by for the toss.
On the way in? Big day ahead in the members out the back? Waiting for the new TV broadcast to start? A couple of bits for you to tuck into before the captains walk out. There was only one thing that I was going to write about yesterday and that was the sound of Virat Kohli’s bat.
And speaking of using your ears, Geoff Lemon and my Final Word pod is back for another summer. Everyone else has had the chance to ask Geoff about his new book about the ball tampering fiasco (among other things), so I took my opportunity to interview him in this ep. Enjoy.
There are no shortage of storylines to begin our conversation this morning. Let’s begin with the Australian XI, which was confirmed by Tim Paine at his pre-Test press conference yesterday. The point of interest was whether Mitch Marsh would keep his spot, and he hasn’t with Victorian Peter Handscomb stepping in at number six.
There’s a bit going on here. Of course, Marsh is the newly-minted vice-captain of this side, taking that gig in Dubai in October. As Paine said, they are confident he’ll be back in this team soon; this summer even. But for now, he’s riding the pine with the hosts happy enough not including an all-rounder with their big three quicks all fresh at the start of the season.
There is something special about the first day of the new Test summer and that is no different in 2018, despite all that has come before it for the Australian men’s team. Over the next five weeks, they have the chance to knock off the top-ranked side in the world; an Indian outfit striving to win in this part of the world for the first time. It doesn’t get tastier than that.
I can report from my vantage point in the press box at the southern end that it is an absolutely belting day. It must already be nearing the 39 degrees forecast without a cloud in the sky. There is surely no prettier cricket ground than the world than Adelaide Oval on a day like today.
A slow-moving but nonetheless engrossing day of Test cricket ends with India just about ahead in a tight, low-scoring affair.
After being bowled out for 250 on the opening delivery of the morning India’s attack set about endorsing the clichés about a score never being worth judging until both teams have had an opportunity to bat. All four men bowled with control and no little skill, taking wickets at regular intervals to keep Australia on the backfoot throughout another stiflingly hot Adelaide afternoon.
88th over: Australia 191-7 (Head 61, Starc 8) Not the kind of final over the Australian balcony would have enjoyed. First Shami gets one to keep a little low and seam-in to Head, beating the attempted backfoot drive. Then a little later the batsman again fails to connect with an expansive drive to a moving ball that contained a high degree of risk. Nonetheless he survives and can march off the field delighted with his battling effort.
87th over: Australia 191-7 (Head 61, Starc 8) Head on strike for the penultimate over of the day and he gets solidly in line and behind the best Bumrah can hurl at him. He even earns a single from the final delivery.
86th over: Australia 190-7 (Head 60, Starc 8) Shami belatedly has a dart with the new ball, and he may regret accepting the opportunity, seeing his first ball flashed along the ground through gully for four by Starc before both batsmen glide singles down to third man.
85th over: Australia 184-7 (Head 59, Starc 3) Bumrah continues and once again a short and wide delivery almost accounts for Head. Extra bounce this time with the new ball surprising the batsman and he’s lucky to avoid feathering a chance behind. Otherwise there is little to report with the bowler hitting the deck hard and the batsman watchful as the day draws towards its close.
The TV broadcast is replaying the wickets and when you see them in isolation you realise both Paine and Cummins got good uns. Credit to Ishant in particular for his subtle adjustment to winkle out the Aussie skipper.
84th over: Australia 184-7 (Head 59, Starc 3) Ashwin to Starc take two. Block, block, swipe! Massive thick edge that loops over Sharma at point who moved with all the elan of a girder and is unable to make the ground for the catch. Starc reverts to blocking to see out the over. Harsh to criticise Ishant too much considering his workload and how late in the day it is. However, worth remembering Cummins’ game-changing run-out around this time yesterday.
Three overs left in the day.
@JPHowcroft Pujara's innings yesterday seems to be taking on greater significance with each dismissal. Intriguing session.
83rd over: Australia 182-7 (Head 59, Starc 1) Bumrah hasn’t settled into a consistent line and length with this new ball and initially it works in Australia’s favour with Head whipping a couple of his hip, but later in the over it almost induces catches behind the wicket, first a short and wide ball that isn’t put away, then a strangle down the legside with more runs on offer.
82nd over: Australia 180-7 (Head 57, Starc 1) Interesting - Ashwin retains his place in the attack, Kohli neglecting to go with a second paceman. Even more interesting - Head accepts a single first ball. What will Starc do against India’s premier spinner with a new ball? The answer is he will defend stoutly to three deliveries then accept a single off an inside edge. Head shows his, um, head, pinching a quick single from the final delivery to retain strike.
81st over: Australia 177-7 (Head 55, Starc 0) Huge breakthrough for India with Cummins and Head building nicely. It wasn’t the best over with the new ball but Bumrah’s ability make it jag off the seam accounted for Cummins who will regret not introducing his bat into the equation. Can India secure any more breakthroughs tonight?
Cummins on strike, Bumrah with the new cherry, annnnnnnnd the first delivery is a fizzer, harmlessly short and wide at moderate pace. The second is quicker with a bit of seam in, the third is a belter! Quicker, stacks of movement off the seam, Cummins shoulders arms and is rapped on the pad just about in line with off stump. Nigel Llong raises the finger! Cummins reviews, as he has to, but DRS confirms that the ball was crashing into off stump and by not offering a shot it matters not where the ball hit the pad. A splendid partnership is broken and the new ball does the trick.
Jasprit Bumrah has the new ball. Seven overs remaining in the day...
80th over: Australia 177-6 (Head 55, Cummins 10) Final over before the new ball and Cummins is happy to pad and dead-bat away as much as he can. Ashwin still gets one to rip and clip the inside edge and balloon behind square though - but there’s no waiting fielder. That run brings up the 50 partnership in what has been a superb effort from both Australians.
Been a huge fan of Travis Head for a while now, but particularly since I found he existed, earlier this afternoon. #AUSvIND
79th over: Australia 176-6 (Head 55, Cummins 9) Runs! Short and wide from Vijay allowing Head to shift out of defensive mode, rock back, and carve a four to the vacant third-man region. The dam broken, singles are then accumulated by both batsmen.
Another 63 for Matthew Wade today on a pitch that has seen 17 wickets fall for 233 runs. Batting really well.
78th over: Australia 170-6 (Head 50, Cummins 8) Australia’s lean run extends to just one scoring shot from five overs with Ashwin continuing to tie Cummins down, spinning the ball into the right-hander from the rough outside off stump.
Ian Forth is back. “Think I’m right in saying that the record for highest individual percentage of a team total remains with Charles Bannerman from that very first test. James Southerton also retains the record for oldest test debut at 49 years old from that match - a record he was never even aware of, as it wasn’t accorded test status till much later on. And one record that sadly can’t be beaten is that Southerton was the first test player to die, just three years later.” Adam and Geoff will be livid they’re missing Bannerman chat. This is very much their areas.
77th over: Australia 170-6 (Head 50, Cummins 8) Murali Vijay continues the hustle to the new ball and Head allows the part-timer to rush through his work, accepting another maiden is the price to pay for being at the crease for what promises to be a testing final half-hour of play.
76th over: Australia 170-6 (Head 50, Cummins 8) Woah! What happened there!? Three dots from Ashwin then Cummins tries to pad up but the ball goes between his legs! It bounces enough to go over the bails but that was an astonishing leave. Second maiden in a row from Ashwin.
75th over: Australia 170-6 (Head 50, Cummins 8) Almost consecutive maidens for India until Cummins nudges Vijay away for a single into the legside. The new ball is now just around the corner.
74th over: Australia 169-6 (Head 50, Cummins 7) Ashwin hasn’t bowled anything spiteful to the left-handed Head so far but he remains probing, forcing the free-scoring batsman to accept a dead-batted maiden.
Crowd Day 2 Adelaide Oval: 25,693.
73rd over: Australia 169-6 (Head 50, Cummins 7) Murali Vijay has a rare trundle with the second new ball approaching. His tweakers from around the wicket are respected by Travis Head but he still has plenty of time to pierce the offside ring to bring up his second Test fifty in just his third appearance for Australia. Head’s fluency is flowing into Cummins who elegantly earns two through the covers. This is becoming a decisive partnership.
72nd over: Australia 166-6 (Head 49, Cummins 5) Ooof! First delivery in yonks that Ashwin has made rip and it does Cummins like a kipper - gripping and spinning through the gate, beating the inside edge and skimming the bail on its way through for three byes. That was a bee’s wing away from bowling Australia’s number 8. More byes follow later in the over too, this partnership now worth 39 in just nine overs and the momentum swinging fractionally back the home side’s way.
71st over: Australia 160-6 (Head 48, Cummins 5) Shami continues after a drinks break but the delay does not disrupt Travis Head’s concentration. The left-hander crunches consecutive boundaries, first a powerful cover drive then a textbook on-drive in what is blossoming into a very impressive knock.
“And what about the Bannermans?” What about the Bannermans (Bannermen?) Gervase Greene? “Sure it was a while ago, but Charles hit not only the first run EVER in Test cricket, but the first ton. And no ordinary one: 165 out of a total of 245 all-out! His brother Alec, in five tours, never hit a Test hundred, and was universally known as “Barndoor”. ‘Nuff sed.”
70th over: Australia 150-6 (Head 39, Cummins 4) Not a lot of turn on offer for Ashwin with this soft old ball. His length and variation of pace remains a threat though, forcing Head to use quick feet to smother any threat. In among the defensive strokes there’s also a single, bringing Australia’s deficit to an even 100.
69th over: Australia 149-6 (Head 38, Cummins 4) Head has hit Sharma out of the attack with Kohli returning to Shami. The batsmen remain unruffled though, Head accepting singles down to third-man and off his hip, Cummins pushing one into the covers. Head is looking confident and composed at the crease and in line for a significant score on his home ground.
“From Indian perspective, surely Rohan Gavaskar should be there? And Stuart Binny? Snehasish Ganguly?” Sharath Kolachippu continuing the work begun by Ian Forth back in over 62.
68th over: Australia 145-6 (Head 36, Cummins 3) Ashwin coming around the wicket to Head now looking to befuddle the batsman with the one that doesn’t turn. Head is watchful and compact, striding forward to prod away a maiden.
67th over: Australia 145-6 (Head 36, Cummins 3) After Head dominated their previous duel Sharma moves over the wicket (he was previously bowling round to the left-hander) but the batsman’s eye is well and truly in and he drives securely through the covers for a couple from the opening ball, nudges the third to midwicket for a single, and carves the sixth behind point for one. In between all of that Cummins also picks up a single.
66th over: Australia 140-6 (Head 32, Cummins 2) Head takes a single from the second delivery of Ashwin’s over, inviting Cummins to take on India’s premier spinner. The second ball he faces squirts off the outside edge and along the ground through the vacant second slip region for a couple.
65th over: Australia 137-6 (Head 31, Cummins 0) Sharma’s first over to Paine was faultless but his second, to the left-handed Head, quickly leads to an error, the hirsute paceman dropping short and wide and allowing his delivery to be crunched to the point boundary. The overcorrection full also results in the concession of four runs, Head whipping his hands quickly through the half-volley and depositing it through the covers.
“Very disappointed Ian Forth could find no room for Mark Waugh in that line-up (62nd over).” emails Gervase Greene, “And while tempers will flare as to which one, surely a Marsh qualifies...?” I think on your latter point, that was what prompted the email. As for Junior, would Dean Waugh perhaps not be the more likely family member to qualify? Or perhaps even young Austin (Steve’s son) currently making his way through the ranks with Australia’s U19s?
64th over: Australia 128-6 (Head 22, Cummins 0) That second wicket after tea heralds the return of Ravi Ashwin. Head deals with him comfortably, defending five into the legside before sweeping for a single to retain the strike. A lot resting on the shoulders of the home town favourite now.
“Call me a pessimist,” you’re a pessimist Sankaran Krishna, “but India has four bowlers who are all knackered by this point of the day. An Aussie lower order with the likes of Starc and Cummins who can really give the ball a clout. India’s problems are about to begin.”
Sharma replaces Shami and he gets the breakthrough straight away, teasing Paine into nibbling a perfect line and length delivery through to the keeper. It was the conclusion of a lovely over that was on a probing line and length throughout, ending with a jaffa that just left the Australian skipper enough to prompt his dismissal.
62nd over: Australia 126-5 (Head 20, Paine 5) Bumrah and Head engage in a tight and even duel for five deliveries before a rare full toss allows the South Australian a single from the final delivery of the over.
Ian Forth, who can often be relied upon to enliven one’s inbox, has sent in this fizzing back-hander. “Hello Jonathan, in honour of the Marshes and their illustrious father Geoff, I have assembled a Poor Relative XI: John Benaud, Trevor Chappell, Chris Cowdrey (captain), Jeff Crowe, E M Grace, Ian Greig, Richard Hutton, Dale Hadlee, Nathan McCullum, Albie Morkel, Chris Smith.”
61st over: Australia 125-5 (Head 19, Paine 5) Short and wide from Shami and Paine gobbles up the opportunity to cut for four. Somewhere in the Adelaide Oval changing rooms Peter Handscomb is shaking his head muttering to himself about how that was the shot he should have played. The shot brings Australia 50% of the way towards parity with 50% of their wickets down.
In my simple brain, I am finding it impossible to say Bumrah without thinking of Mumm-Ra, the arch enemy of the Thundercats. Is it just me?
60th over: Australia 121-5 (Head 19, Paine 1) Bumrah continues to bowl full and straight at Paine, finding some menace with one that holds its line from that angle wide of the crease. This is Ntini-like from the Indian quick. The danger with that line of course is it doesn’t require much of an error in line to leak onto a right-hander’s pads and that’s exactly what Bumrah does to allow Paine to get off the mark.
59th over: Australia 120-5 (Head 19, Paine 0) Head, Paine is Australia’s partnership at the crease and also the home side’s state of mind following that excellent Bumrah over. Head ensures wickets do not follow in consecutive overs, repelling Shami comfortably.
58th over: Australia 120-5 (Head 19, Paine 0) That wicket has upped the intensity in the field, Bumrah immediately hard at Paine and the close fielders audible. The length to Paine is full and he just about connects with a forward defence trapped on the crease, then he aims a drive that misses on the inside edge, drawing a massive appeal behind the wicket that is declined by Dharamasena. Big passage of play coming up for Australia’s skipper with India’s tails up.
Handscomb was out to what looked like a soft shot but Bumrah made a subtle adjustment to induce the error, coming about 20cm tighter on the crease compared to his average release point in this match. The ball was too tight for Handscomb to cut and he edged behind. #AUSvIND
Bumrah begins the over by rapping Handscomb on his pads but the angle from well wide of the crease means umpire Dharmasena isn’t interested in the appeal for LBW. The next delivery is on off stump and Handscomb defends from the crease. The next one is wider and - eurgh - Handscomb attempts a late cut and glances the ball straight into Pant’s gloves. That was a peculiar shot considering all the effort Handscomb had made to dig in. It wasn’t short or wide enough for that type of shot, especially with Bumrah coming in on such a sharp angle from wide of the crease. Australia up against it again.
57th over: Australia 120-4 (Handscomb 34, Head 19) Mohammed Shami is Bumrah’s partner after Tea from the Cathedral End. He’s on a nice line and length, initially drawing Handscomb forward and almost inducing an uppish drive through the covers. The Victorian readjusts nicely, waiting in his crease to dab the next delivery behind point, rotating the strike.
This session is scheduled to witness a total of 32 overs, which means unlike yesterday we should see the full complement of 90 sent down.
56th over: Australia 118-4 (Handscomb 33, Head 18) Jasprit Bumrah opens the bowling after Tea, ending Ravichandran Ashwin’s marathon spell. He’s onto a nagging length from around the wicket to Travis Head but eventually strays onto the left-hander’s pads allowing him to rotate the strike. Bumrah is on the same length to Handscomb who defends watchfully from the crease.
The players are back out after that short interval, play will resume shortly.
Thank you very much Geoff. I am enjoying the impromptu game of Rumpelstiltskin. I look forward to the P guesses by day five in Sydney.
Time for me to settle in and steer you to the end of what has been another absorbing day of Test cricket. I will be on deck for the next couple of hours, anchoring this second day of the series to its conclusion. Please keep me company, either on Twitter - @JPHowcroft - or by email - jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Enough from me – it’s time to hand over to Jonathan Paisley Howcroft for the run home. Thanks for your company.
On the Shaun Marsh question, some people would argue that it’s unfair to pile into him on the basis of one score at the start of the series. That’s true, he could easily make runs in the second innings, or the second Test. But it is worth noting how little he’s contributed since his senior teammates were suspended. And the overall trends of his career.
As of today, he now has 26 Test dismissals in single figures out of 60. That’s a rate of 43.33 percent, where most good batsmen are more like 20 to 25 percent. That second innings needs to be a good one.
That’s the break: Australia added only 60 runs in a hard-fought session, and more importantly lost two wickets. Their two biggest wickets, in Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja, the only batsmen in the side with multiple Test hundreds. Khawaja was done in by some good bowling that he couldn’t do too much about. Marsh was rather more culpable for the nature of his shot. The current pair have a big job to do, needing to eat into that 133 deficit as far as possible and then look to give Australia a lead. Which they’ll need batting last on this surface, which is spinning already.
55th over: Australia 117-4 (Handscomb 33, Head 17) The clock ticks past 3:40pm local time after only a couple of balls. Third of the over, Shami has Head attempting a glance and missing down the leg side. There’s an appeal that’s not all that convincing. But Kohli goes upstairs. It didn’t seem to be Shami pushing for that appeal. The review shows that it missed the bat and probably flicked Head’s clothing. Not out and a review offered up to the review gods.
Head works three runs square, then Handscomb is nearly out again, forcing at Shami off the back foot and nearly edging. Hands on heads in the Indian cordon. If you run your fingers through your hair in frustration, I suppose that’s a hands-comb?
@GeoffLemonSport Just catching up on the OBO - can't let the majesty of your bananas in pyjamas reference go unappreciated. Fine work.
54th over: Australia 113-4 (Handscomb 32, Head 15) The tea break is looming, and Head happily prods out a maiden from Ashwin.
53rd over: Australia 113-4 (Handscomb 32, Head 15) Finally Handscomb’s positioning deep in the crease pays off. When Shami starts a new spell with a half-tracker, and Handscomb can swat the pull shot for four. He’s into the 30s. Glides a single later in the over. Head pulls a ball awkwardly, lobbed in the air towards leg slip, but lands it safely for a run. Was that just off the pad? Probably.
52nd over: Australia 106-4 (Handscomb 27, Head 14) Ashwin getting good bounce still, hits Handscomb with some kick from the pitch as the batsman advances yet again. Eventually finds a run on the drive from the fifth ball.
51st over: Australia 106-4 (Handscomb 26, Head 14) Ishant to Handscomb, the bowler is attacking the pads a lot more now, angling in and hoping to get through. Handscomb plays consistently to the on side, but only a couple of singles result from the over.
50th over: Australia 104-4 (Handscomb 25, Head 13) Handscomb coming down to defend, has to suddenly jam down on an Ashwin ball, stopping it from sneaking through to stump him – the batsman had to drop his knees and try to smoosh the ball with a startled action, like a surprised chef trying to flatten a darting mouse with a spatula. It doesn’t stop Handscomb employing the dance next time. Eventually he gets off strike with a single through midwicket, but Head hands it right back again. All yours champ.
49th over: Australia 102-4 (Handscomb 24, Head 12) Head is starting to get off strike easily now, looking the more in control. Handscomb has a booming Finch drive at Ishant which both nearly nicks his bat and takes his off stump. So it’s not like any Australian batsman so far today has covered himself with glory, but...
48th over: Australia 100-4 (Handscomb 23, Head 11) The hundred comes up as Head works a single. Ashwin then bombs the ball in at Handscomb’s pads, drawing a couple of false shots and one appeal at bat-pad. Is there some rough starting to create problems there? That makes it interesting for Handscomb, so positive against spin.
47th over: Australia 99-4 (Handscomb 23, Head 10) Handscomb is batting so deep, with his backlift so high, that Ishant Sharma is very happy to pitch full to him. Test him out and make him take risks. Ed Cowan on the radio reckons that the high backlift makes it harder to get power in your drives, and certainly Handscomb’s versions of the shot that over are jammed out to mid-off or mid-on rather than driven fluidly away. It’s a maiden for Ishant as the seamers rotate.
46th over: Australia 99-4 (Handscomb 23, Head 10) Head is getting a bit of footwork going against Ashwin, coming down to drive a single. Handscomb is coming down almost every ball.
45th over: Australia 97-4 (Handscomb 22, Head 9) Head versus Bumrah, clips a couple of runs, edges a single. For Victoria at the MCG, Glenn Maxwell just reached 50, then had his batting partner whack a return catch to the bowler, who dropped it and accidentally ran the non-striker out. Maxwell must have killed a black cat with a ladder a couple of years ago.
44th over: Australia 94-4 (Handscomb 22, Head 6) Of course, Handscomb ruins that immediately because he’s so comfortable against Ashwin that he tucks the first ball away for a single. It doesn’t work in India’s favour in the shortest term, as Ashwin bowls one too short and Head is able to cut it away for four. A bit close to his body, maybe a touch of risk, but he hit it cleanly. Then nudges to mid-on for a single to keep the strike.
43rd over: Australia 88-4 (Handscomb 21, Head 1) Bumrah to head, who looks more comfortable facing out a maiden from the fast bowler. Perhaps Australia should maintain these positions for now, letting Handscomb handle Ashwin.
42nd over: Australia 88-4 (Handscomb 21, Head 1) Head keeps getting on the front foot to Ashwin. Ed Cowan on the radio is saying that, as a fellow left-hander, he should be on the back foot where possible, looking to knock the ball on the head once it has turned or hasn’t. Head looks a bit shaky on a couple of those defensive shots. Survives though, cuts the last ball for a single, and that will be drinks.
41st over: Australia 87-4 (Handscomb 21, Head 0) A bowling change, Bumrah for Shami, coming in with his little shuffling run and his giant catapult whaannnggg of an arm swing. Handscomb blocks most of the over but gets beaten by one good one. Seems a bit of a theme.
Speaking of, it looks like our theme for the day is Mean Marsh Tweets. I can’t control this, they’re the only thing coming up in the timeline.
Shaun Marsh's last six test scores: 7 7 0 3 4 2
Coincidentally, the password to my old iPhone.#AUSvsIND
40th over: Australia 87-4 (Handscomb 21, Head 0) Another left-hander arrives for Ashwin to target, in the form of Travis Head. The batsman leaves a couple of balls that are not far from the stumps, and Ashwin finishes his 15th over with 3-25.
That’s huge! Brilliant bowling from Ashwin, who has been so significant today. That ball ripped and leapt at the left-handed Khawaja. It beat the edge of his blade as he pushed forward at it, but had enough bounce to flick the thumb of his glove as it went through to the keeper. Umpire Dharmasena said not out, but the Indians reviewed and were vindicated by Hot Spot and a tiny white mark.
Khawaja faced 125 balls for his 28. He was doing his best to match Pujara’s effort from yesterday, but couldn’t get the second half together. And now Khawaja, like Pujara, is going up the stairs.
39th over: Australia 85-3 (Khawaja 27, Handscomb 20) Gee, Shami is swarming Handscomb here. Sure, the batsman got a couple of boundaries away but he doesn’t look convincing. In this over alone, he chops past his stumps, has a ball zing past his edge from back of a length, surprising him with bounce, and then gets beaten on his inside edge and hit just above the pad. Too high for the appeal to be given, but still a win for the bowler. Another maiden.
38th over: Australia 85-3 (Khawaja 27, Handscomb 20) Ashwin is proving a handful even on this second day. He nearly sneaks one throw Khawaja, a bit like he did for Harris. Then he draws another edge into the off side. It’s a maiden.
36th over: Australia 73-3 (Khawaja 27, Handscomb 8) Just a couple of singles from the Ashwin over.
37th over: Australia 85-3 (Khawaja 27, Handscomb 20) “It seems like a mountain to get to 250,” says Allan Border on ABC Radio. Australia’s batting frailties were always the question when India made their partial recovery yesterday. But still a big chance for this pair to make a statement. Handscomb starts with more of an involuntary yelp, as he pulls instinctively at Shami’s bouncer and edges it just over the keeper for four. The next ball he’s more eloquent, if a little vernacular, as he leans back in his camp-back stance and carves away with an open blade behind point for four more. That was more square drive than cut, more Caribbean than South Terrace. Shami follows up by decking a ball away beautifully, ghosting past the outside edge. Then squares him up again. Handscomb responds by flicking another boundary off his pads for four! His waspish backlift came pinging down through that ball. A dozen from the over.
I'm willing to guarantee the selectors that if they give me a Test cap, then if I make it to ten, I'll score a century. Every single time.
35th over: Australia 71-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 7) The Shami cloth is back to give the innings a bit of a polish. Draws an edge from Handscomb but it stays low and bounces before hitting the cordon gap for four. Three slips in for Handscomb, who lashes the cover drive next ball but straight at the field. He’s still hanging back on his stumps a fair way, if you’re on Technique Watch, but he’s getting forward to play the ball more firmly, greeting it on the front foot more often than not. And seems to be starting a bit further outside leg, so he’s able to move across to the ball more decisively? Just at a glance. Chris Rogers has been doing a lot of remedial time with him, and says that now the hips are in better position to do their best work. If there’s anyone who’d know about that, it’s Rogers.
34th over: Australia 67-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 3) Ashwin to Khawaja, who swells his Cowan tally by six without scoring a run. Played at almost everything but found the field each time.
33rd over: Australia 67-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 3) Peter Handscomb faces out the full over from Ishant, watchfully defending until the last ball, when he on-drives a couple. Meanwhile, on The Internet, one former cricket scribe is lighting up one current Australian player. That second post is an ouch-grenade.
When Australia lost Warner & Smith, they really needed their most senior remaining batsmen to stand up. In that time, Shaun Marsh has made 16, 7, 7, 0, 3, 4 and 2. #AUSvIND
You have to wonder how a bloke like Joe Burns feels. He got rushed to Jo'burg after the sandpaper thing, made 42 in one innings, and then got dropped. Shaun Marsh hasn't made 42 IN TOTAL in that time. #AUSvIND
32nd over: Australia 65-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 1) Ashwin is in the game now, but Handscomb plays spin well. That’s a good positive over from the batsman, who twice comes down the wicket to defend, and a couple of times goes back, depending on the length. Eventually his positive footwork allows him to flick a run square and get off the mark.
31st over: Australia 64-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 0) A maiden from Ishant, as Khawaja soaks up the lot. He’s happy to be a sponge lately, the aberration of that cover drive aside. Here’s the Cowan (the facing of 100 balls, ideally at a strike rate under 30).
Very good effort for Khawaja to reach his Cowan Ton inside 30 overs. All set for a Leo Sayer if someone can go with him. #AUSvIND
30th over: Australia 64-3 (Khawaja 26, Handscomb 0) Edged by Khawaja! It’s Ravi Ashwin again, the assassin bowling in his wraparound shades, who gets some turn. Khawaja aims a big cover drive only two balls after Marsh perished the same way. Edges it just past the outstretched hand of slip, and so the current left-hander survives and scores two runs, where Marsh perished.
29th over: Australia 61-3 (Khawaja 23, Handscomb 0) Ishant only gets a couple of balls at Handscomb in this over. The return player will be super nervous, surely, having to prove himself after being dropped after this corresponding Test last summer. Ishant bowls a no-ball, which he’s a big fan of doing, and Khawaja takes a single. That’s it.
28th over: Australia 59-3 (Khawaja 22) Last ball of the over, the wicket falls. A real bonus one for India. Handscomb will be in next, his comeback innings. Head next, who’s never played in Australia. The pressure on Khawaja doubles.
What did we say about senior players? Gone, first over after lunch! Ashwin bowls a pretty ordinary delivery, way outside the off stump. There wasn’t a plan for that one. But Marsh sees the width, hurls a huge cover drive at it, and was perhaps throwing his hands too hard. Went at it with a bat that was closer to the horizontal than the diagonal, and so chopped it hard off the bottom edge and back into his stumps.
Can someone make an hour-long audio loop of the sound when Finch’s stumps were detonated? What a noise. Maybe throw in the bat noises from the Kohli net session as well. Adam wrote about that the other day.
Thanks Adam. What a lovely balanced session of Test cricket. India’s fast bowlers didn’t quite get it right with their accuracy, but Ashwin struck to bring his team back into the game and perhaps bring himself into the series. An early wicket can’t hurt his chances, any rate, even if Australia is an absolute boneyard for touring off-spinners. And most home off-spinners if we’re honest. Anyone who thinks Nathan Lyon’s average or strike rate at home are modest, have a look at the other purveyors of his art over the years.
That wicket leaves Australia’s senior players at the crease: Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are the two who’ll have to do the lifting out of this line-up. The responsibility is theirs. They’ll be back after a sandwich.
27th over: Australia 57-2 (Khawaja 21, Marsh 1) Ishant is back to bowl a one-over spell before lunch. It’s not a good one with Marsh getting a leg bye off the hip then four more from a misdirected ball down the legside that clipped his pad on the way to the rope. With Khawaja flicking two off his blade to finish, he ends the session in the 20s “I think Virat Kohli has missed a trick here,” observes Simon Katich of the shift. “Bumrah was bowling well with rhythm.” LUNCH!
That’s my cue to hand the OBO baton to Geoff Lemon for the middle session. Enjoy the afternoon and I’ll catch you tomorrow. Thanks for your company and emails. Bye for now!
26th over: Australia 48-2 (Khawaja 18, Marsh 1) Ashwin races through an over in 60 seconds in order to make sure that India will get one more in before lunch. I always wonder about the logic of this. By sprinting back to his mark, does it reduce his chance of maximising pressure of his own? The main action was from the final ball, Khawaja driving to cover but in the air, falling just short of the man stationed there. Phew.
25th over: Australia 47-2 (Khawaja 18, Marsh 1) Make that four maidens in a row from Bumrah to Khawaja at the northern end. He’s in the zone: nothing is going to stop him eating a sandwich as a not out man.
24th over: Australia 47-2 (Khawaja 18, Marsh 1) Ashwin has dismissed Shaun Marsh four times in Tests, Samson says. He’s off the mark first ball of his new over here though, tucking behind square. Khawaja takes on Ishant at point later in the set, making his ground at the danger end even if the throw was on target. Khawaja’s first run for about half an hour or so.
23rd over: Australia 45-2 (Khawaja 17, Marsh 0) Three maidens on the trot from Bumrah to Khawaja since coming back into the attack. Good news for India though, Shami is back on the field so hopefully he will be back into the attack as well after lunch, scheduled ten minutes from now.
22nd over: Australia 45-2 (Khawaja 17, Marsh 0) India will know how vulnerable Shaun Marsh is early in an innings, falling a disproportionate number of times before reaching double figures. But he starts competently here, defending the rest of the successful Ashwin over.
The ball from Ashwin which got Harris was the second fullest the Indian off-spinner had bowled to him, one of only three deliveries which would have hit the stumps. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/tOudn4QAaw
Ashwin wins the battle! His straighter one from around the wicket finds Harris’ inside edge before bouncing up off his front pad, Vijay doing the rest at silly point. A good start from the new opener but he’ll be furious falling close to the bat after doing the hard work against Ashwin.
21st over: Australia 45-1 (Harris 26, Khawaja 17) Bumrah to Khawaja, rinse and repeat. I reckon the Australian is settling in for a Leo Sayer.
20th over: Australia 45-1 (Harris 26, Khawaja 17) Harris goes at Ashwin again! “This is really good Test batting,” says Simon Katich on SEN. This time, he splits the gap at cover for another boundary.
19th over: Australia 41-1 (Harris 22, Khawaja 17) Right then, Shami is out of the attack after four very good overs. We can only assume it is related to this arm complaint, which he has gone off the ground to have looked at. Back on to replace him, Bumrah sends down a maiden to Khawaja who is in no hurry this morning, his 17 coming from 62 balls.
18th over: Australia 41-1 (Harris 22, Khawaja 17) Shot! Harris has jumped at Ashwin once an over so far but this is the first time he’s made solid contact, lofting a drive over his head and down to the rope beneath us here at the southern end. Into the 20s he goes. Granted, earlier in the over he wasn’t far away from giving a catch to Vijay at silly point but his hands were just soft enough to prevent the ball going the full journey.
17th over: Australia 37-1 (Harris 18, Khawaja 17) With a ball to go in Shami’s over, the medical staff walk out to give his arm a bit of a rub. For a moment he looks like he might come off the ground but stays on, which is good news for Kohli and co. Earlier, he was up for leg before but an inside edge saved Harris. He’ll fancy hooping a few down at the new man, I am sure.
16th over: Australia 36-1 (Harris 17, Khawaja 17) Better from Harris this time around, getting a single along the carpet through cover when Ashwin overpitches. Getting his first chance at Khawaja, he finds a leading edge immediately, albeit straight to ground.
“I’m being dragged all over the place by the commentary,” emails Jacob Murray-White. “ABC has Harsha Bogle, Dizzy Gillespie and history - this is good. But also has Jim Maxwell doing his standard Victorian bashing. SEN on the other hand is really vibrant, with a few teething issues. I’m currently jumping between the two but suspect I will end up on SEN.”
15th over: Australia 35-1 (Harris 16, Khawaja 17) Shami v Khawaja; this is proper Test cricket with enough movement to make every interaction interesting. From the final delivery, Khawaja looked to score against him for the first time but it squirted out to point off the edge.
14th over: Australia 35-1 (Harris 16, Khawaja 17) A lot of support around the bat for Ashwin, with plenty of noise and laughter and so on. They are trying to build the pressure on Harris, who early in the over tried to flay him through cover but didn’t get much of it. That’s the second time that he’s had a crack without it really coming off.
13th over: Australia 33-1 (Harris 14, Khawaja 17) Khawaja is taking his time here against Shami, happy to watch everything onto the bat. Would you believe, this is the first Test that he’s played against India. Considering how often the teams have played since his debut in January 2011, that’s not for nothing. Maiden.
I’m enjoying the response to Andrew Samson on the SEN call from his new colleagues. He’s doing as he always does on TMS, rattling off one brilliant stat after another, and they’re loving it. What a great get.
12th over: Australia 33-1 (Harris 14, Khawaja 17) Ashwin bounces in for his first set of the morning and it so nearly brings a wicket! Harris leaves the arm ball, which bounces over the off-stump by no more than a couple of inches. Earlier in the over, Harris went over the top of mid-off for a couple. The new opener has been solid so far but on the evidence of this over, the bigger challenge for him might be against this probing spin.
11th over: Australia 31-1 (Harris 12, Khawaja 17) Shami replaces Ishant after his five over spell from the Cathedral End. It is a nervous start, spraying the first ball down the legside and beyond Pant’s gloves for a bye. The swing ace finds his mark shortly thereafter, Khawaja playing out the final over of the first hour respectfully. Drinks!
10th over: Australia 30-1 (Harris 12, Khawaja 17) Poor over from Bumrah, who is blowing hot and cold. Khawaja takes full advantage, clipping two off the pads then easing a couple more through cover when gifted a half-volley. The final ball is help yourself stuff, Khawaja escorting it around the corner off his hip to the fine leg rope; his first four of the day.
9th over: Australia 22-1 (Harris 12, Khawaja 9) Beautiful start from Ishant, Harris beaten for the second time in a handful of deliveries. But he keeps his cool, leaving and defending well for the rest of the set, picking up the two on offer when the big quick strays onto his pads.
“Phil,” replies Noel Sheppard. “Seriously????” It is, as they say, a destination Test Match here at Adelaide. Interesting debate.
Instead of the national anthem maybe the Richies could sing a medley of sad British pop songs (Smiths, Buzzcocks, Morrisey et al) to lament the poor crowd and crowd experience.
8th over: Australia 19-1 (Harris 10, Khawaja 9) A big shout from Bumrah first ball when Harris plays and misses, believing there was an edge. They decide not to go upstairs, which was the right call the replay confirms. Another dicey moment for the opener later in the over, trying to evade but parrying the shorter ball over the cordon for four instead. Australia’s first boundary of the morning but far from a convincing one. More controlled runs for Harris to finish, through square leg.
7th over: Australia 12-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 9) Ishant again, who has really found his groove here too with Khawaja nearly struck on the bottom hand when a ball bit back hard off a length. They are giving this new ball every chance to find them a second breakthrough. What they would give for it to be Khawaja.
“The reason for the poor crowds this year is not so much the change from a day/night format but the fact that last year was such a poor crowd experience that we didn’t bother this year,” emails Phil Smith. “I usually bring a group of six friends to Adelaide from Sydney as I was previously impressed with the experience and the fact they used to have a choice of six wines at the bar and a cocktail stand on the top level. Last year it was XXXX gold and either the single choice poor quality white or red wine for the wine drinkers. Selling off the bar rights may be a money spinner but it has kept us well away.”
6th over: Australia 12-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 9) Bumrah forces a play and miss from Khawaja, beating him with a beauty first up. That’s where he’s so difficult to play with that side-arm action. It’s a very good over at high pace, ensuring the number three has to present his bat throughout.
5th over: Australia 11-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 8) Khawaja drives nicely to mid-off for a couple then drops the next Ishant delivery at his feet for a quick single. Very good batting. Harris gets out the way of a quick bouncer before defending the rest with a nice, straight bat.
Channel Nine may have lost the TV rights but the Richies are still part of the second day soundtrack, sitting beneath the old scoreboard doing their thing. As long as they don’t sing the national anthem 27 times in the final session (an issue last summer) then I hope they have a nice time.
4th over: Australia 8-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 5) Khawaja is every bit the senior player in this Australian team at the moment. I won’t get too carried away but he looks at such ease. Giving the strike to Harris with a classy clip to midwicket, the new man defends the rest.
3rd over: Australia 7-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 4) Ishant gets a pop at Harris, who would be so nervous on debut. But he looks good here early, defending five of the six and leaving the other. That’ll feel good.
“Good evening from a relatively mild Surrey, England” emails Matt Emerson. “Having seen India during our Summer I think their quick bowlers will prosper on Australian wickets, but what’s your view?”
2nd over: Australia 7-1 (Harris 3, Khawaja 4) Harris is away from the first ball of his international career, clipping Bumrah for three in front of square. Khawaja does likewise with a couple behind the umpire to open his account. After a close leave, Khawaja uses the Bumrah angle from around the wicket to collect a two more to finish.
Only eight times! That’s a bit of a thing, no?!
8. Last time was at MCG last year.
1st over: Australia 0-1 (Harris 0, Khawaja 0) Khawaja walks out in the first over, as he did on this ground two years ago when he was forced to open and made his best century for Australia. Well, that was the case until Dubai in October. To be fair, he did say last weekend that he would be equally happy opening in this Test and he essentially is now. He’s able to leave the three remaining deliveries in the successful Sharma set.
I think Mark Ramprakash went through a period when his theme song was "16 again" @collinsadam. RIP Pete Shelley.
The worst possible start! Finch tries to get off the mark with an expansive drive and loses not one but two of his stumps in the process. Emphatic!
That was quick! We’re back. Marcus Harris for his first innings in Test cricket, alongside Aaron Finch for his first hit on home soil in the Australian creams. Ishant Sharma has the ball. PLAY!
I spotted Gideon Haigh when grabbing a water to ask. He reckons plenty, including in 1968 when a Test in the Caribbean went to the fifth day and finished after one ball. We had a couple of those situations in 2018 where numbers 10 and 11 forced a brief final day after the added half an hour were batted out on night four, at Durban then Nottingham. On both occasions, we were in the pub by lunch day five.
One for the stattos. How often has an innings finished on the first ball of a new day? I’ll ask Andrew Samson.
First ball of the day! Shami tried to heave Hazlewood behind square but only managed to get a glove on it, Paine taking a nice diving catch down the legside. Hazlewood gets a third. Literally the perfect start for Australia.
The players are on the field! Josh Hazlewood has the ball in his hand to complete his over. Shami is on strike. PLAY!
Once more before we begin in about seven minutes from now... that Cummins run out. Nicely summed up by Ed Cowan.
Related, if you want it to be, from Arjun Miglani. “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have),” he emails in relation to the passing of the truly great Pete Shelley. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say he wrote this about India’s continued flirtation with the idea that Rohit Sharma can be a Test cricketer.”
40 degrees. 19 overs of bringing his own heat. This is what he gives the team. 5.56pm. Could have been snoozing. When you talk about playing ‘tough cricket’, play this clip. Inspirational @patcummins30https://t.co/4I7MT6k0bQ
Oh, I missed this. Matt Cleary wrote a piece about how he saw the Fox and Seven calls at stumps last night. Here ‘tis:
What did you make of the new TV broadcasters yesterday? With the host feed coming from Fox, I don’t think we’ll be seeing a lot of Seven in the press box over the summer. Their digital clips, however, are great. Scroll through the twitter account to get a better sense of it, but seeing Bruce talk about his love of the sport hit all my special spots.
For as long as Australia has been called Australia, it's meant one thing.
Boy, it is humid out. A sweat-through-your-shirt-in-ten-minutes kinda morning. But the good news is that the cool change, so says local Andrew Faulkner (who I’m inclined to believe on all matters South Australian) is not due until tonight.
Opening the batting on the email is Amod Paranjape. “Good Morning.” And to you. “With Finch having played Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL do you think the Aussies would be more prepared than most teams to face him? Most Teams struggle the first time that they face him. And while you guys may go on and on about Ashwin, he is not impressive overseas. Bowls the nonsensical (for an off spinner) middle and leg line.”
It can’t hurt because Bumrah, as you say, must be very hard to pick up with that unorthodox approach and delivery stride. I can’t wait to see what pace he hits with the new ball today. He bowled some gorgeous spells in England, even if his figures rarely showed it.
Crowd spin. Yesterday, 23,802 fans were in Adelaide Oval, way down on the day-night equivalents. Kevin Roberts, CA’s new chief exec, is on SEN radio now discussing that. He makes the good point that they lost a lot of tourists from interstate with it being a day Test. It was bloody hot, too.
Less convincing is the spin about comparative numbers. The argument put by the CA media officer yesterday, repeated by Roberts, is that the audience in yesterday was only bettered for an Indian opening day at Adelaide four years ago when 25,619 were in.
It took a while for it to register for me that yesterday we saw two of the best pieces of fielding of all time. Granted, Khawaja’s catch is the type that happens more and more as the game’s athleticism develops, but layered with the context of it removing King Kohli on the opening morning of a Test series after the year that has been - what a way to start.
As for Cummins, it has all been said, but the bloke was bent over exhausted a couple of overs earlier and didn’t bowl with the second new ball. It’s hard to imagine having the powers of concentration required to execute such a technically perfect throw in that heat to end the day.
This has been an old fashioned attritional Test match with runs at a premium and long passages of tense cricket laden with significance. At the end of day three India’s ability to occupy the crease sees them in the ascendancy.
Australia started the day with hopes of a first-innings lead but despite some handy work by the tail they fell 15 runs short. Travis Head top scored with 72 but never found the fluency he displayed on Friday.
@JPHowcroft just woke up (was already woke dw). What's the pitch saying?
The pitch is saying runs are very hard to come by and spin is increasingly the weapon of choice, especially with the prominent footholes outside the right-handers’ off stump.
61st over: India 151-3 (Pujara 40, Rahane 1) Hazlewood with the final over of the day and after a couple of unremarkable deliveries he gets one to lift alarmingly at Pujara that the batsman does well to control into the offside. India’s new wall sees out the remainder of the over, fittingly a maiden, and sees his side to stumps in a strong position.
60th over: India 151-3 (Pujara 40, Rahane 1) Lyon’s final over of the day, can he winkle out another Indian wicket? No. Rahane does well to use his feet, keep his bat and pad together, and smother any danger outside off stump. Excellent batting in the circumstances.
The end of a superb effort from Nathan Lyon. 22 overs one for 48 does not do justice to his accuracy, guile, and the difficulty he caused a couple of the greatest batsmen in the game. He will be the key man tomorrow.
59th over: India 151-3 (Pujara 40, Rahane 1) After spending so long on the balcony of the Indian dressing room Rahane will not be relishing this testing three-over spell. Hazlewood assists him somewhat by adopting a line outside off wide enough to leave on a few occasions, until - ouch! Rahane loses a bouncer in the lights, ducks, and wears a fierce blow to the side of his helmet.
Test bowlers dismissed Virat Kohli most times 6 - Nathan Lyon 5 - James Anderson 5 - Stuart Broad#AusvInd#AusvsInd
58th over: India 148-3 (Pujara 40, Rahane 1) Huge breakthrough for Australia and a well deserved wicket for Lyon. India’s lead is 163, this Test is still very much in the balance.
Out of nowhere Kohli is gone! Lyon has finally been rewarded for his superb effort, landing the ball again in the footmarks, this time ripping an off-spinner enough to catch Kohli’s glove, the ball ricocheting onto pad then popping up into the safe hands of Finch at short-leg.
57th over: India 147-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 34) Hazlewood returns, curtailing a lacklustre spell from Starc. He’s instantly in his familiar groove and it’s testing enough to convince Kohli to leave what he can and defend what he must. One of those defensive strokes is placed well enough to earn a scampered single.
Four overs remaining today.
Cheteshwar Pujara has now faced 358 balls in this Test. The last time a visiting batsman faced as many deliveries in an Adelaide Test was Virat Kohli in 2014, who faced 359. #AUSvIND
56th over: India 146-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 33) Lyon has bowled superbly for his none-for and again he troubles a surprisingly uncertain Pujara. Consecutive maidens for Australia with the close of play fast approaching.
“Morning Jonathan,” evening Kim Thonger, “Trying not to listen to the wind howling outside here in Lincolnshire, I’ve started compiling a list of people whose LBW appeal I should very much like to hear before shuffling off this mortal coil: Dame Edna Everage, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Bart Simpson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Buzz Lightyear, The Duke of Edinburgh. There are more but I fear it’s fruitless. Unless. Are you able to pull any strings?”
55th over: India 146-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 33) Starc is going upstairs consistently to Kohli, testing India’s skipper off the backfoot. Kohli is up to the task, riding as much as he can and patiently seeing out a maiden.
54th over: India 146-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 33) Lyon’s breather lasts just two overs courtesy of Head’s profligacy. Australia’s premier offie is immediately onto his line and length, targeting the footmarks outside Pujara and Kohli’s off stump. The batsmen respond with a much more circumspect approach.
53rd over: India 145-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 32) We haven’t seen too much of Kohli’s strokeplay today but he cushions a magnificent cover drive off Starc to send a reminder of his class. After weathering a Lyon-led storm India are beginning to push their lead into ominous territory.
52nd over: India 140-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 27) Head gets another over but it is no better than his first. After exchanging singles Pujara helps himself to a long hop and pummels it through midwicket or four.
51st over: India 134-2 (Pujara 35, Kohli 26) After a couple of legside looseners Starc finds his range but Kohli is alert to a lifter angling across him, guiding a couple through point. This has been supremely disciplined batting between this pair. The partnership run-rate is just a shade over two rpo but it is drawing the sting out of a valiant effort from Australia.
50th over: India 132-2 (Pujara 35, Kohli 24) Never mind Starc, here comes Travis Head, relieving Lyon after his 18-over stint. Kohli is like a lion licking his lips at a lost wildebeest creeping into his patch, whipping Head’s first delivery away to square leg for four then inviting Pujara to feast with an easy single. Pujara misses out though, failing to connect with a rank pie that ends well wide of leg stump. He makes up for it somewhat by clipping an elegant two off the next delivery. A bit of light relief for India after a real grind since Tea. Now, here comes Starc...
49th over: India 125-2 (Pujara 33, Kohli 19) Cummins into the seventh over of his spell and it looks to be one too many. Pujara leans into an overpitching delivery to earn a couple, then flicks a legside slanter for four. Time for Starc again you’d think with this partnership nearing 25 overs and 50 runs.
48th over: India 119-2 (Pujara 27, Kohli 19) Paine has set a terrific field for Lyon with perhaps the exception of a lack of a silly point to Pujara) meaning Kohli continues to struggle to pierce the ring and the bowler is allowed to build up pressure. Eventually Kohli toes rotate the strike, and the change of batsman upsets Lyon’s length, Pujara earning three punching the ball into the vacant long-off region.
47th over: India 115-2 (Pujara 24, Kohli 18) Into the final hour of the day now with the last drinks break taken and Cummins is bang on the money again to send down his third maiden in a row. Among the choicest nuts were a couple of slippery bouncers reminding Pujara of the need to be alert as the shadows being to fall across Adelaide Oval.
Just getting word that play will start half an hour early tomorrow (10am local time) to make up the overs lost this morning.
Virat Kohli's current scoring rate of 1.52rpo is the second slowest he's ever recorded in an innings of 70 balls or longer. #AUSvIND
46th over: India 115-2 (Pujara 24, Kohli 18) Lyon does well again to tempt Kohli into fishing outside his off stump but as is becoming customary there is no edge to be found. The batsmen then advance the scoreboard by using their feet to meet Lyon on the half-volley.
Halfway through this session, India scoring at barely above one rpo, but they have yet to lose a wicket. Both sides appreciate the importance of this passage of play. Gripping stuff.
Day 3 crowd of 30,348 is excellent considering the lack of any train services into Adelaide station today #AUSvIND
45th over: India 112-2 (Pujara 23, Kohli 16) Kohli has resisted attacking anything from Cummins that isn’t a gift but he feels at a length delivery well outside off that squirts off the splice to the delight of Australia’s cordon. Cummins follows that up with a nice shorter ball, pushing Kohli back in his crease. He joins the dots to complete another maiden. Five overs none for five now this spell.
This one’s for you, Seventh Horcrux.
44th over: India 112-2 (Pujara 23, Kohli 16) Lyon to Pujara is fascinating with the batsman using his feet often but occasionally neglecting to use his bat. Lyon has been so accurate in his 16 overs but he gets his third delivery badly wrong, allowing Pujara to rock back and hammered the first boundary in ten overs behind square on the leg side.
43rd over: India 108-2 (Pujara 19, Kohli 16) Cummins resumes his duel with Kohli, sending down his second maiden in what is now a four over spell. It includes a nasty bouncer that Kohli does well to keep on top off, and even better to style out a couldn’t-care-less response despite the ball catching his bottom hand.
42nd over: India 108-2 (Pujara 19, Kohli 16) Ouch! Poor Aaron Finch. After copping that blow to the throat earlier he has to wear a full blooded Kohli pull shot to his left forearm after Lyon dropped a touch short. Pujara then scores his first runs in an eon with a couple through point.
“Hello, Mr. Howcroft,” hello Seventh Horcrux. “I like the way Lyon appeals. Down on a knee; earnest, strong question asked. Anyway, is there anyone from the current playing crop of cricketers who asks the proper How’s that? instead of the strangled, screaming filth everyone seems to offer up?”
41st over: India 105-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 15) After a run of 16 dot balls Kohli squirts away a single to release some pressure that had been accumulating. It was another tidy line and length over from Cummins.
40th over: India 104-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 14) The ball after Pujara’s reprieve he’s beaten on the outside edge by Lyon then a couple of balls later on the inside edge. He ends with Pujara once again trying to pad away outside off with oohs and ahhs from bowler and catchers. That was a superb over from Lyon, one that really unsettled a batsman that has been in for 70 balls and made a ton in the first innings.
Phew! That was lucky for India. Pujara came down the pitch to Lyon, as he has so often today, and thrust a pad to a ball well outside off-stump but offered no shot initially, his bat coming down well after contact had been made. The ball spun, enough to convince Nigel Llong that LBW was in play. Pujara reviewed and DRS confirmed the ball was bouncing over the top of the bails. That was an aggressive call from Llong.
Pujara give out LBW...
39th over: India 104-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 14) Kohli happy to see off Cummins for a maiden and extend this partnership to 15 overs. India have weathered that initial post-Tea storm, riding out half an hour of high quality aggressive bowling from Australia. The pressure now flips to the hosts to try to break what looms as the defining partnership of the match.
38th over: India 104-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 14) Kohli now looks to be easing into his work, twice whipping Lyon to long-on with that almost straight-batted hockey-style whip shot of his. Pujara finds the same fielder with a much more conventional stroke to keep the scoreboard moving.
37th over: India 101-2 (Pujara 16, Kohli 12) Cummins does now enter the attack, belatedly for some. After Pujara nicks a sharp single first ball, the duel resumes between the best batsman in the world and the bowler that has dismissed him twice in his previous four deliveries. There is no repeat of the first innings here though with Cummins straying onto Kohli’s pads second ball with three runs accepted gleefully.
There’s analysis, and then there’s analysis.
Kohli has a strong record against off spin—averaging 55.75 runs per dismissal. However, closer analysis shows that his average against balls faster than 88 kph is just 29.77 compared to 64.40 against balls slower than that. A faster, straighter ball could work for Lyon. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/tZ3gbcenRS
36th over: India 97-2 (Pujara 15, Kohli 9) Pujara is very light on his feet, dancing forward - often pad only - to smother any turn or bounce from the dangerous footmarks Lyon is targeting. He also has rubbery wrists to whip anything straight into the legside for runs. Terrific Test cricket happening out there.
VKohli the 28th visiting player to 1000 Test runs in Australia. The record, 2493, was set by Jack Hobbs in 1929. No-one since has come close. #AusvInd
35th over: India 96-2 (Pujara 14, Kohli 9) Every so often Hazlewood keeps getting one to lift and cut away off a length that is unplayable. Pujara has the misfortune of receiving one of those this over but he keeps his gloves out of the way, rotating the strike neatly a couple of balls later. That ability find a single following a moral victory for the bowler is becoming an annoyance for Australia.
As for that conversation with Finch from the previous over...
Stump mic conversation after Aaron Finch hit in neck at short leg and delays next ball. Tim Paine: "Do you want a dart?" Finch: "Nah haven't had one in six months!" #AUSvIND
34th over: India 95-2 (Pujara 13, Kohli 9) Lyon is getting prodigious turn out of that rough now, Ricky Ponting on TV using Hawkeye to suggest perhaps too much, allowing India’s batsmen to play back in the crease and guide everything to leg. A minor scare during the over for Aaron Finch, fielding at short square leg the Victorian is hit in the throat by a ball that was driven into the turn just off the cut strip. After a brief pause (and presumably a reminder to “toughen up princess” from one of the other catchers nearby ) Finch and the game continues.
Birthday today for two Australian captains: Tim Paine (34) and Ian Johnson (101 years ago)...
33rd over: India 94-2 (Pujara 12, Kohli 9) Kohli has faced over 20 balls now but is still far from “in”. Hazlewood keeps him honest with a persistent fourth stump line for five deliveries but leaks onto the skipper’s pads with his sixth and a flick of the wrist later Kohli has a boundary and some very impressive records.
1000 Test runs for Virat Kohli in Australia in just 18 innings! Among visitors, only four Englishmen have done it quicker.#AusvInd#AusvsInd
1000 Test runs for Virat Kohli in his 9th Test in Australia... only the fourth Indian player after Sachin, Laxman & Dravid to achieve this feat!! #AUSvIND
32nd over: India 90-2 (Pujara 12, Kohli 5) Kohli gets another beauty, this time from Lyon, beating the Indian skipper with prodigious drift - that moved in the air like a Terry Alderman outswinger. Again a single shortly afterwards releases the pressure and Pujara sees off any danger with some excellent footwork both forward and back. Australia have come out with intent after Tea, this is going to be a compelling hour or so.
31st over: India 89-2 (Pujara 12, Kohli 4) Hazlewood continues, Paine resisting the the temptation to turn to Cummins with Kohli on strike, and he begins with an absolute jaffa that is too good for even the best in the world. Kohli did well not to feather that leg-cutter behind and he made sure he wasn’t on strike long, nudging a single to hand responsibility over to Pujara. Hazlewood’s line is a tad wide thereafter allowing the leave-master to perform his favourite stroke with aplomb.
In the last first-class match at Adelaide Oval, Western Australia successfully chased 313 with Shaun Marsh scoring 163 not out. That must be in the minds of Australians. @TheAdelaideOval#AusvInd
30th over: India 88-2 (Pujara 12, Kohli 3) Lyon resumes his spell after the interval, aiming to land his topspin heavy offies into that rough outside the off stump of the two right-handed batsmen. No grenades this over, both Indians collecting singles with the minimum of fuss.
Taking another look at that photo of Paine and Lyon reminded me of this highpoint in the culture.
There are 32 overs scheduled for this final session, which means we’ll be around the 7pm mark local time (7.30pm AEST) when the final delivery is sent down.
On a turning deck against Ashwin and considering Australia's batting woes, they cannot chase more than (insert score) in Adelaide. #AUSvIND I am saying 220.
Thank you very much Mr Lemon, the hairiest of all the citrus fruits.
Time once again for me to bed in and guide this extended OBO to the end of yet another engrossing day of Test cricket. My watch will take you through to the close of this third day, a conclusion much later than scheduled due to the morning rain.
Advantage India. The openers gone, but they added a decent number of runs at a decent clip. India’s two best bats at the crease currently, a hundred runs ahead, and with the chance to forge on. Two days left to bat plus this final session. It’s relatively slow going on a cloudy sticky day, but should clear up tomorrow. A lead of 250 would be very testing on this surface, late in the game. So, Australia must take wickets, and India can afford to sit back and wait, or take up the attack.
To take up the attack from the keyboard end will be Jonathan Plangent Howcroft, and to take my leave will be me. Because no one else can take it, one assumes.
29th over: India 86-2 (Pujara 11, Kohli 2) Hazlewood to take the last over before tea. Pujara blocking and leaving, as is his way, before working a run off the hip from the last ball.
28th over: India 85-2 (Pujara 10, Kohli 2) Lyon is bowling well. Getting some purchase and using it. A couple of close moments with two leg-side catchers around the bat. A couple of dicey singles. Speaking of...
27th over: India 83-2 (Pujara 9, Kohli 1) Now both players are back to their metier. Hazlewood is bowling maidens, Pujara is absorbing them. The triple-ply cricketer.
26th over: India 83-2 (Pujara 9, Kohli 1) In a masterful display of legwork, The Pooje manages to kick the ball over leg slip for an extra. Lyon gets a go at Kohli. That might technically be a chance there, as Kohli strikes it off the full blade past short leg. Is it Finch there rather than Harris under the lid? The ball flicked him, rather than him touching it. Kohli doesn’t look bothered and gets off the mark with a single straight afterwards, driven straight in casual ODI style.
25th over: India 80-2 (Pujara 8, Kohli 0) Here we are then. The man, the myth, the moment. Virat Kohli enters Adelaide Oval, after the shocking experience of having not made a hundred here in the first innings. Hazlewood serves him up some basura down the leg side that clips the hip for four, but then crafts a delicacy that whispers past the outside edge.
More like KL Yahoo. He’s been wildly swinging all day, and eventually the gate swings closed in his face. Some width, a big drive, and a big nick behind.
24th over: India 76-1 (Rahul 44, Pujara 8) Lyon to Rahul, and one, two, three turning balls are jabbed away near Harris at short leg. As soon as there’s width, Rahul forces through the off side. That brings Pujara to the striker’s end, who jabs at a ball without shifting his weight forward or back, and is given out caught behind. Umpire Llong thinks he’s feathered it, but Hot Spot and Snicko both come up empty after Pujara sends it upstairs. That’s the DRS working well – when the player knows a mistake has been made, rather than rolling the dice.
23rd over: India 75-1 (Rahul 43, Pujara 8) The Hazlebot has been restored to factory settings. A maiden is the result. Bowling to Pujara helps a bit. Had to play at every ball, but he doesn’t mind that.
22nd over: India 75-1 (Rahul 43, Pujara 8) Rahul immediately charges Lyon to drive a run from the first ball of the over. Pujara happily sits back to have a look.
21st over: India 73-1 (Rahul 42, Pujara 7) We’re getting the end-of-innings Pujara from the first dig, not the start-of-innings Pujara. He didn’t score for nearly two hours at one point on the first day. Here he’s already rattled up seven, as he leans back to square drive some width from Starc away for four.
20th over: India 69-1 (Rahul 42, Pujara 3) Pujara is not in control as he skews Lyon away past a possible catch at midwicket. Rahul doesn’t care what’s happening at the other end, as he whips out the reverse sweep once more and profits by another trio of runs. Then Pujara advances to drive through the on side.
19th over: India 64-1 (Rahul 39, Pujara 1) The new man gets off the mark with a single to square leg. Saved India’s bacon in the first dig. Could be lining them up with a fatted calf celebration if he can take them to a commanding lead in the second.
Statisticians at 1o paces.
Important wicket for Australia, but that was a brilliant start for India. It's the first time since 2004 that they've reached the 19th over of an Australian Test without losing a wicket. #AUSvIND
I was about to let you know India have never made a century opening partnership at Adelaide. This is still the case. #AusvInd
The breakthrough comes, much later than Australia had hoped. Vijay hasn’t scored heavily but he’s supported Rahul in doing so. Starc bowls with a scrambled seam, over the wicket, and decks the ball away. Vijay follows it and edges to slip. Pujara, he of the first innings hundred and the implacable patience, walks to the centre.
18th over: India 62-0 (Rahul 38, Vijay 18) Is he going full IPL? You never go full IPL. Rahul pulls out the reverse-sweep against Lyon, against the spin, having not done enough interesting things in the past 20 minutes. The lead is up to 77.
17th over: India 57-0 (Rahul 34, Vijay 17) Rahul decides against any crazy-brave stuff as Starc comes back into the attack, except for one big air-hook against the bouncer.
KL Rahul is the Shaun Marsh of Indian social media. Big innings for him with Shaw on the comeback trail. #AUSvIND
16th over: India 56-0 (Rahul 33, Vijay 17)
Dropped! Finch is fielding around the corner, which is where all the action is against Lyon. The spinner turning the ball into these two right-handers, who keep nudging and sweeping with the turn. Eventually Rahul gets too close to the catcher, but Finch dives and fingertips it away. A tough one.
15th over: India 51-0 (Rahul 31, Vijay 14) Smashed for six to start the over. Rahul really going after Cummins here, opens his stance and plays a lofted square sashay of a drive that lands in the seating in the Fos Williams part of the eastern stand. Rahul has played almost all of his drives in a lofted fashion today, like he’s opening in a T20. Perhaps he’s been told to go and play that way. Either way, this partnership is getting away from the fielding side now. The Australians have created plenty of dicey moments, but the Indian batsmen have survived and are prospering. That’s only emphasised when Rahul drives along the ground through cover for four to raise the fifty stand.
14th over: India 40-0 (Rahul 20, Vijay 14) Nathan Lyon makes his entrance. Early for a spinner, but in his case almost later than you’d expect. Peter Handscomb is immediately launching a loud appeal for a catch at short leg, but Llong isn’t keen. Nor on the lbw shout that Lyon lets rip later in the over. A couple of byes beat Paine with their turn, then Vijay sweeps a couple of runs down to the same area of the ground.
13th over: India 36-0 (Rahul 20, Vijay 12) Just the single from Cummins, as Vijay deflects a decent bouncer.
Watto, meanwhile, is at the Wiggles with Jimmy Barnes.
12th over: India 35-0 (Rahul 20, Vijay 11) Profitable over. A single through midwicket, a thick inside edge for two, then each of the batsmen drives a three through cover. The previously miserly Hazlewood has had a Dickensian change of character, joyfully scattering nine runs to the hungry orphans on this frozen street.
11th over: India 26-0 (Rahul 15, Vijay 7) Rahul produces a couple of shockers to Cummins, who’s bowling back of a length. First Rahul hangs back and has a rank slap at one that wasn’t full enough, missing completely. He signals to the dressing room for new gloves. Either that or he wants a sock puppet to spice up the conversation in the middle. Next ball is a bit shorter, and Rahul aims a square slash but only gets an edge that limps over the cordon and down to the boundary. Cummins smiles broadly, and waggles his fingers at Rahul, as if to ask whether the gloves were the problem with that second shot as well.
10th over: India 19-0 (Rahul 9, Vijay 6) In his fifth over, Hazlewood concedes his first run. A single, tucked by Rahul to fine leg. That’s how relentless Hazlewood is. He’s more machine now than man, twisted and evil. Vijay edges over the cordon for three, totally uncontrolled, then Rahul strides forward to drive four, a lofted shot with the bat face angled up. Hazlewood orders a small and unimportant planet be blown up.
9th over: India 11-0 (Rahul 4, Vijay 3) That’s enough lawn-sprinkler work from M. Starc, and the ball instead is entrusted to P. Cummins. The scoreless run comes to an end, as Rahul leans back and lashes at a cover drive. It nearly paid off for Australia though, as he skewed it in the air and was lucky to place it into a gap. The ball slows up and Head saves it with a dive as the batsmen run three.
8th over: India 8-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Hazlewood is the more aggressive today, unleashing a third bouncer at Vijay in this early stanza. Later he finds the pad again, and the crowd sustain an appeal even as Paine largely ignores it and runs to collect the ball and stop a run being taken. Maiden over.
7th over: India 8-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Another maiden, technically, though Starc’s tendency to swing the ball down the leg side costs his team four leg byes as it clips Rahul’s pad. Starc keeps the batsman scoreless more by a mechanism of surprise than quality in that set, including balls wide on either side of the wicket and a beamer that slips from the hand.
How’s this for a biography? “Bud Shank, 82, who brought Brazilian music to U.S. audiences, helped define “cool jazz” in the 1950s and played the dreamlike flute solo on the Mamas and the Papas’ 1965 hit “California Dreamin’,” died April 2 at his home in Tucson.”
6th over: India 4-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Hazlewood is having a good one so far. He carves the ball back into Vijay off the seam, beating the edge and thudding into the top flap. Just a bit high and possibly going down leg. Nigel Llong says yeah nahhhhhh mate. Vijay leaves a ball not far from his off stump, then plays at one not far from his edge. Good ball. A couple of follow-up enquiries from the bowler. Three maidens in a row – what is this, a Canterbury Tale?
5th over: India 4-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Typical Starc stuff. Wild down the leg side, wild outside off, then a laser-guided yorker. Rahul survives, and respectfully blots out another maiden.
4th over: India 4-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Hazlewood dials the line in a bit tigher and makes Vijay play four times out of six. One of the leaves is a bouncer. It’s another maiden.
3rd over: India 4-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 3) Vijay leaves, except when Starc bowls full and allows him to steer two runs into the gap at cover. He finishes the over with a tucked single.
Ian Forth emails in. “Just been catching up on Justin Langer’s comments. Not sure his best strategy is to respond to every passing tweet and onfield gesture. At the moment Australia can’t win however they play things (too defensive? too aggressive?) so perhaps keep his head down and stick to the coaching for now. He’ll definitely listen to my advice, which is good.”
2nd over: India 1-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 0) All the leaves are Rahul’s. And the sky is grey. I’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day. Hazlewood starts with a maiden.
1st over: India 1-0 (Rahul 1, Vijay 0) Starc opens with the ball, as you’d expect. KL Rahul gets off the mark with a knock through square leg. Starc launches a good bouncer that Vijay plays with a fending bat, elbows high, getting his gloves up and getting whacked near the handle. Three slips and a gully in, the Australian uniforms a rich cream colour against the grass in this cloudy light. Point, mid-off, leaving cover open for the drive against the angle. Short leg, midwicket, fine leg. Vijay defends. Part 1: complete.
The players are wandering back out. It’s still humid and sweaty, still lots of grey cloud. The pitch was still doing a fair bit for the Indian bowlers. So Australia are in with a chance here, despite trailing by 15 to start with. They’ll need to pile on the pressure and take wickets, but they have conditions conducive to that possibility.
If you didn’t guess, it’s still raining. Or at least it was, and now they’re still doing clean-up. Play is scheduled to start eight minutes from... now. In the meantime, please enjoy this quality family-friendly Guardian content.
The covers are coming off. The Pants took off too. Rishabh has set a new record for catches at the Adelaide Oval, taking six in that innings to pass a mark of five that Ian Healy set several times. He’s also the youngest keeper to take six in an innings, thrashing Healy’s mark of 25 years old to do so at 21 years and 65 days. I shudder to think what I was probably doing at 21 years and 65 days of age.
It’s sandwich, it’s sandwich time. I know what you’re trying to say, you’re trying to say it’s time for sandwiches. Or you know, other kinds of food if you have different tastes for lunch. I’m not the dad of your midday meal. Which, on consideration, is absolutely just as well, because that would either mean that I’m a sentient and prehensile vegetable / animal / loaf of bread, or that you habitually dine on an postmeridian meal of long pig. Both scenarios best avoided.
It’s raining in a very Adelaide manner. Gentle but thorough. Inoffensive but not exactly memorable. The sandstone library equivalent of precipitation.
1:52pm is when the next session might start, if the rain stops. It’s heavier now than at any stage, though, I’m sorry to report. It’ll be Geoffers with you from now, taking the baton for the middle session. Thanks for your company over few hours of rain, punctuated with some excellent bits of cricket. Catch you tomorrow!
Just as the Australians were walking out to send down four or five overs before the lunch break. It’s quite heavy too, so that’ll almost certainly be lunch. Urrrggghhhh.
The final two wickets.
OUT! Shami draws the edge from Head and the 9th wicket falls.
First ball! For the second time in the match the tenth wicket stand has been broken immediately, which will mean Shami is on a hat-trick in Australia’s second dig. He found the edge of Hazlewood, a conventional dismissal that delivered Pant his sixth catch. The deficit is 15 with India finding a way, through Shami, to finish the job just as it was getting away from them. Lyon walks off with an unbeaten 24 to his name.
Head is gutted after edging Shami from the crease into the hands of Pant, but he’s done his job here. “A downpayment on a long career in the baggy green,” Gerard Whateley’s assessment on the SEN call. A wonderful innings. He fells with the deficit 15, Lyon earlier in the over hooking the first ball of the set for six. Their stand was 31.
98th over: Australia 228-8 (Head 72, Lyon 17) Ashwin on for his first go today, replacing Bumrah from the southern end. Predicably, Lyon launches into his favourite shot - the big sweep - second ball, and beats the fielder at deep backward square, finding the rope! A nice little flick to one of the two sweepers gets him another. Head’s turn, and he immediately leaps at Ashwin picking off a single to midwicket before Lyon does the same to finish. Fantastic batting from these two, claiming seven from the over.
97th over: Australia 221-8 (Head 71, Lyon 11) Ishant is doing everything necessary to work Lyon over, peppering him with short stuff before beating him with a tempter. But the number ten is keeping his cool, once again retaining the strike from the final ball of the set, this time with a clip to square leg.
96th over: Australia 220-8 (Head 71, Lyon 10) Head handles the first half of Bumrah’s over and does is well, finding one to midwicket. Lyon does it equally nicely, striking another useful drive down the ground, this time for three. He could have given Head the strike with two but he’s confident enough at this stage and rightly so. Fantastic cricket as Australia creep towards India’s first innings tally of 250.
95th over: Australia 216-8 (Head 70, Lyon 7) Andrew Samson notes on the SEN call that since Bumrah’s expensive first spell, he’s taken 18-9-3-18. A beautiful set of numbers. Ishant again now, who Head helps through midwicket with a perfectly timed clip to begin, coming back for a couple. Another single in that direction gives Lyon two balls to negotiate: he is beaten by the first and gets under a bouncer to finish.
94th over: Australia 213-8 (Head 67, Lyon 7) Lyon is beaten by Bumrah and then edges him through the cordon at a catchable height but there is nobody at third, so it runs away for four. As is the custom, Kohli immediately moves an extra man in there. Bumrah responds with a bouncer so short that it is called a wide and the crowd cheer, mindful how much every run will count later in this low-scoring scrap. BIG SHOUT for lbw to finish, the yorker slipping under Lyon’s bat, but they think better of going upstairs with Bumrah acknowledging that it was sliding down leg. Good stuff, this.
Lyon and Head have been close for a long time, the older man presenting the younger with his baggy green in the UAE. Their partnership may be the key to this whole Test match #AusvIndhttps://t.co/i8JkB7WVL3
93rd over: Australia 208-8 (Head 67, Lyon 3) No strike-milking here, Head taking a single to deep backward square from the second ball of Ishant’s new over. Lyon has been working hard on his batting over the winter with his brother Brendan, who is an accomplished coach in Sydney. That showed in the UAE when he looked just as comfortable as Tim Paine when saving that Dubai Test. Luuuuurlvely square drive from the man they call Garry to get off the mark, slowing up just before the point boundary.
Also, we have an update on those session times from CA:
92nd over: Australia 204-8 (Head 66, Lyon 0) There were two balls remaining in the successful Bumrah over. He beat Lyon with the first, the off-spinner defending the other. How will Head approach this? Darren Lehmann on radio predicted that he would click into T20 mode with the tail. Easier said than done when he’s not yet in, though.
They’re back! Bumrah to Lyon. PLAY!
And the revised hours. Play to resume at 12:30pm. Lunch 1:30pm-2:10pm. Tea 4:10pm-4:30pm. Stumps at 6:30pm. That leaves 79 overs to be bowled from now.
In theory.
It is still raining. Justin Langer was on SEN and Fox Sports this morning and had a pop at Sachin Tendulkar who tweeted yesterday that he had never seen Australian team bat so defensively. The coach said in reply that Tendulkar played all of his Tests against experienced Australian batting line-ups whereas this team has “literally got kids” in the Test XI.
LISTEN | "You always knew there was one in the spotlight, and you'd pray it wasn't you. How he stops the walls closing in is doing what he's good at."
Any more Alt-XIs? I have one in from my fellow tourist, Michael Ramsey.
Here is my effort, a joint team with SMH cricket writer Andrew Wu, excluding Smith/Warner/Bancroft to keep it interesting.
Renshaw Burns Pucovski Maxwell Cartwright M Marsh Wade (wk) Agar Pattinson Siddle O'Keefe
Some good sledging potential in this XI I reckon
Scrap that. They’re back on again. The big ones too. I’m just going to shut up.
Mitch Starc's batting average when he scored his last 50 - which was in February 2017 - was 25.25. Since then, he's made 239 runs @ 12.58. Fair decline in form. #AusvInd
Off come the covers. It might be one of those kind of days.
As the rain starts falling, Bumrah finds Starc’s outside edge when thrusting into an ill-fated drive, Pant taking the catch above his head. Excellent bowling and sound catching from the young ‘keeper. As Starc departs the players follow him off the field with the covers returning.
91st over: Australia 203-7 (Head 65, Starc 15) It’s very dark out there now, perfect conditions for India to finish Australia off if they can get a bit of luck. They don’t find it in this over, Starc just clearing mid-off with a loft to get a couple. A single to square leg from the next ball brings up the Australian 200 much to the delight of the Adelaide audience. The lights are on now. And a lovely little steer from Head to finish, rolling Ishant off the blade through through gap in the cordon along the ground for three. “This could turn into an epic Test Match,” says Katich. Tasty.
90th over: Australia 197-7 (Head 62, Starc 13) Bumrah from the southern end. Immediately on the stumps, he finds the inside portion of Starc’s bat, spilling away for one. Head’s turn for the first time this morning and he is away too, albeit off a thick inside edge that could easily have ended up back on his stumps. Phew. Starc finishes with another inside edge, deflecting off his pad to midwicket, keeping the strike with the single.
Without the banned trio: Renshaw Burns Doolan Patterson Lehmann Wade Nevil (c) Boland J Richardson Tremain Worrall
89th over: Australia 194-7 (Head 61, Starc 11) Ishant takes a couple of deliveries to find his range before beating Starc outside the off-stump. But the big southpaw does well to finish, connecting with a compact off-drive on the up that beats the field and nearly makes the rope, the pair returning for three. Simon Katich on SEN notes the difference between the Starc drive then and Finch’s yesterday, mainly that he played the line until the ball reached him, rather than forecasting the path of the ball.
The players are (at last) on the field! Ishant Sharma will bowl the first over of the third day from the Cathedral End. Mitchell Starc (8) is on strike with Travis Head (61) up the other end. PLAY!
Play resumes in five minutes. Just enough time to watch this Channel Seven feature on the great Faith Coulthard-Thomas. What a legend.
Climate change and cricket. Andrew Benton wants to talk about it. “Here’s a report of a study of its effect in Britain. Is there one for Australia? Australian heatwaves can easily be seriously hot and fatal.”
I read this at the time and it’s persuasive stuff. I don’t want to get too deeply into this right now with play about to start, but the work that Tanya Aldred is doing through The Next Test is well worth a look if this is of interest. And here is Athers’ piece on it from earlier in the year.
He has: Warner, Renshaw, Burns, Smith, Maxi, Marsh, Carey, Pattinson, Siddle, Tremain, Holland. “A bit light on bowling, maybe, but reckon they’d go in as marginal favourites against the Adelaide team. And even if they didn’t, how much fun would that batting line-up be to watch?”
The rain has completely stopped. Warm-ups are underway and the covers are largely off. With the inspection sorted, the umpires have given the nod to Paine and Kohli. We’re away in about 27 minutes from now. There will be no overs lost on the day. Revised playing hours en route.
On matters selection, Ricky Ponting had a fairly decent pop at the the panel last night for picking Aaron Finch as an opener to begin with. Interesting perspective, as always.
Gary Naylor has an interesting one for us to ponder between times. “What would a shadow Aus XI look like just now (Smith, Warner, Maxi and the red headed leg-spinner etc) and would they beat Paine’s team?”
The ginger spinner you speak of is Lloyd Pope. Yep, I’ll have him. I’ll also take Nic Maddinson, who made a ton at the first time of asking for Victoria yesterday having been mysteriously cut by NSW at the end of last year.
Update from CA. The covers are to stay until they know if the rain heading in this direction is going to miss Adelaide Oval or not. The sun is burning through the clouds though (does it actually do that or do we just say it?), so we aren’t looking at a major disruption. Promise.
Superb century from Ellyse Perry last night in the WBBL. I was in a packed Adelaide pub and they had it on the TV screens. When she moved to her ton to get the win for the Sixers, the whole joint applauded. Tell me again that nobody cares about women’s cricket? Beat it.
A boundary - to bring up a ton - and seal victory.
It’s still raining. I’m upstairs now looking down at the ground and the groundstaff are sweeping as much water as they can off the covers. But they won’t be able to take them off while it continues to come down at the rate that it is. Not super heavy but just annoying enough.
This did the rounds very widely yesterday. Mike Whitney telling an amusing dressing room yarn from 1988-89, with Patrick Patterson, Merv Hughes and Don Bradman the key players. Quite the trio.
This is a belter of a story!
Mike Whitney tells the tale of Sir Donald Bradman, Merv Hughes and Patrick Patterson in the West Indies rooms #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/VcrH3LCtqH
In case you missed it. Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were officially fined by the ECB on Friday, but in terms of suspensions for what went down in Bristol last September, they won’t miss any further cricket. Check out Vic Marks’ analysis, urging us all to now move on from the mess.
This is getting a lot of love on twitter this morning, Alex McKinnon dropping into some cricket writing. Specifically, he’s mourning the departure of Daddles the Duck on the new TV cricket broadcasts. Vale.
Some good news overnight. Glenn Maxwell has officially signed for Lancashire, opting out of the IPL in 2019 so he can be available throughout the English season. With Joe Burns already on the books at Old Trafford for the first ten four-day games, it means he can only play red-ball at the back end of the season, but the fact that he will be in the UK during a World Cup and Ashes summer can only help his cause.
I let out a few loud swears in the press box at Adelaide when he was dismissed yesterday. Batting like a dream, he moved to 57 against WA in the Shield. Then came one of the more unusual run outs you’ll see, confirming that the Cricket Gods are currently pulling the WRONG WAY.
Yeah, it’s raining. I can confirm that having stepped outside to get down to the ground, I’m now half drenched. Between times, CA has sent a message out confirming a delayed. However, they added that it should stop around the scheduled start of play, so we shouldn’t be too far behind.
The bad news: it is raining outside. The good: it isn’t meant to last. Even better: if Travis Head can push to a ton today he’ll be the first South Australian to do so at this ground since 1995, on the day where the crowd should be the biggest and boldest. That alone will be worth tuning in for.
As will the Indian seamers as they try and finish Australia off to secure a lead. The hosts resume on 191-7 having bowled out Kohli’s side for 250 with the first ball of yesterday’s play. After some hairy moments (Aaron Finch’s emphatic dismissal third ball of the innings is the back page of today’s Herald-Sun) they slowly reached near-parity by the closely.
Entry to Day 5 of the Domain Test will be by gold coin donation to Lord’s Taverners Australia’s & Cricket Australia’s Sporting Chance Fund. Gates will open at 9am with play starting at 10am. Free public transport is available - for details visit: https://t.co/8tZSGF1mFdpic.twitter.com/JRYI9QzU5z
After three days of attritional cricket the first Test exploded into life on Sunday with 11 wickets falling during three sessions that all-but eliminated the possibility of a draw.
India began the day confidently and looked set for a huge lead before a suicidal collapse saw them plummet from 234-3 to 307 all out. Some of the dismissals would have seemed absurd in T20, let alone a Test match with almost two days remaining.
49th over: Australia 104-4 (Marsh 31, Head 11) Travis Head compactly defends the final over the session from Jasprit Bumrah and the players leave the field following the most eventful day of this Test.
48th over: Australia 104-4 (Marsh 31, Head 11) Ashwin returns but it’s a nondescript late-in-the-day over notable only for a single to Head.
Anyway, Australia need to step on Degas and up their current run rate.
47th over: Australia 103-4 (Marsh 31, Head 10) Marsh keeps on keeping on and despite focussing on defence he is alert enough to accept a leg-stump half volley and dispatch it for four. Marsh has now been at the crease for 88 deliveries.
“Greetings Jonathan,” howdy Kim Thonger. “Glancing at the Sunday morning headlines here in England, and the scorecard in Australia, it seems to me that the only entity in more trouble than the Australian cricket team at this particular moment in the entire universe, is Theresa May’s government. Also, my autocorrect just suggested cruckrat as a correction for cricket, which I had typed incorrectly. Does anyone know what a cruckrat is? I’m too weary to google it.”
46th over: Australia 99-4 (Marsh 27, Head 10) More to report from Vijay’s second over, one that begins with a jaffa spinning beyond Head’s outside edge and includes a well-timed glance from the same batsman for three and a late cut for two.
@jphowcroft could a windmills at Overschie reference on the OBO be classed as cover pointillism?
45th over: Australia 93-4 (Marsh 26, Head 5) Bumrah is back for a bowl, which is a reassuring sight following his awkward fall earlier this afternoon. He doesn’t look completely free though and more than once reaches for his non-bowling left shoulder between deliveries. Such is Australia’s mindset even a modest over is rewarded with a maiden.
44th over: Australia 93-4 (Marsh 26, Head 5) After 18 overs 2/43 Ashwin is given a rest, Murali Vijay accepting spin-bowling duties. Marsh calmly strokes a single before Head drops anchor in an unremarkable over.
43rd over: Australia 92-4 (Marsh 25, Head 5) What curse? Marsh calmly glides Shami behind square for a single to bat superstition into a cocked hat. Head, drunk on the fumes of Marsh’s run, then cuts a lesser-spotted boundary behind point. This is a positive tsunami of scoring.
“I want to complain that The Guardian has a direct link to a scorecard and I now have nothing to complain about.” Oh, Andrew Vicars, you can’t be trying hard enough, there is plenty to complain about; a recently retired former Australian Rules footballer commenting on French domestic policy on television news for a start.
42nd over: Australia 87-4 (Marsh 24, Head 1) More dots than The Windmills at Overschie as 87 refuses to budge. Ashwin with another maiden, Head this time comfortable preserving his wicket with little ambition to advance the score.
41st over: Australia 87-4 (Marsh 24, Head 1) As figures of eight overs two for ten would suggest, Shami has hit an impeccable line and length this innings. Once again he forces Marsh into his shell, almost capitalising on the run drought by throwing a wider tempter that the batsman almost chops onto his stumps. 87 lives on until at least a 13th delivery.
Nine overs or half an hour remaining in the day.
40th over: Australia 87-4 (Marsh 24, Head 1) Head sees off an Ashwin over fired into the footholes from over the wicket. The dreaded 87 lingers.
39th over: Australia 87-4 (Marsh 24, Head 1) Another tight Shami over keeps Marsh in defensive mode but a late single invites Head on strike and he gets off the mark with a clipped single to fine-leg. The over ends with Australia on the dreaded 87...
38th over: Australia 85-4 (Marsh 23, Head 0) Marsh picks up a single off another tight Ashwin over but it’s an over dominated by an awkward dive from Bumrah that looks to have done the paceman a bit of damage. He has left the pitch nursing his left arm.
Adelaide Sunday crowd is 22,157, taking the match total to an even 102,000 so far. Gold coin donation entry on Monday #AusvInd
37th over: Australia 84-4 (Marsh 22, Head 0) India have plugged away for 37 overs without sending down anything unplayable. They have still snagged four top-order wickets, which says plenty about Australia’s issues right now.
Australia have played eleven innings since Durban, not including the current one. In only four of them has the 4th wicket fallen after the score reached 100. #ausvind
Bowling change with Shami replacing Ishant and it works! After a series of full and straight deliveries Shami drops short but Handscomb can’t execute the pull, mistiming an attempt high on the splice of the bat and lobbing a simple catch to midwicket. Another promising innings ends tamely for Australia. India must think they’re almost home now.
36th over: Australia 84-3 (Marsh 22, Handscomb 14) Ashwin hasn’t bowled many grenades in his now 15-overs but he lands one in the rough outside Marsh’s leg stump that takes off. The bowler has moved over the wicket to the left-hander after previously operating around. He rattles through a quick maiden, the second in succession.
Shaun Marsh is playing relatively securely against the spin of Ashwin, playing just 5% false shots. However, he's been looser against the seamers, playing 20% false shots. #AUSvIND
35th over: Australia 84-3 (Marsh 22, Handscomb 14) Maiden over, bowled by Ishant, defended by Handscomb. The approach to the Victorian is still full and straight with a hint of inswing but the batsman has been up to the task so far.
Allan Border's perfect scenario at the end of today. Australia 3/120 at stumps. @GibsMoore#AUSvIND
34th over: Australia 84-3 (Marsh 22, Handscomb 14) Ooooh! Handscomb escapes after clipping Ashwin powerfully straight into the hands of short leg, powerfully enough for the fielder not to hang on. Tough on the fielder, one of those that might stick occasionally and would count as a bonus if it did. Meanwhile Marsh has played his way out of his funk, nudging a couple of singles and then using his feet to meet a wider Ashwin delivery on the half-volley and clobber it through the covers for a rare boundary.
33rd over: Australia 78-3 (Marsh 17, Handscomb 13) More runs for Handscomb, three this time from Ishant’s latest over, using the bowler’s angle from wide of the crease into his pads to his advantage. Marsh continues his real-time form decline, suffering a blow to his bottom hand from a delivery that climbed on him more than he expected.
32nd over: Australia 74-3 (Marsh 16, Handscomb 10) Once again Handscomb rotates the strike nicely against Ashwin with Marsh content to dab away the remainder of the over. After that brisk start Marsh is becalmed.
Ashwin has been developing a reputation of not being able to turn it on when conditions are favourable - and he might have a case to answer. In 2018, he averages 19.87 with the ball in the first innings, and 33.07 in the second innings. #AUSvIND
With 19 overs left in the day the final drinks break is taken.
31st over: Australia 73-3 (Marsh 16, Handscomb 9) Ishant Sharma returns for his second dart after a miserly five-over spell from Bumrah. Ishant’s second delivery is a beauty, jagging in off the seam and striking Handscomb in the midriff as he jackknifes out of the way. The follow up is the obvious wicket-ball, full and swinging in, targeting Handscomb’s deep guard with late movement, but the Victorian is alive to the danger.
30th over: Australia 72-3 (Marsh 16, Handscomb 8) Australia use their feet much more to Ashwin this over and they profit by rotating the strike three times to keep the bowler adjusting to the right-hand / left-hand combination.
Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb have defied India before. In Ranchi last year, the pair added 124 in 62.2 overs to secure a draw. #AUSvIND
29th over: Australia 69-3 (Marsh 15, Handscomb 6) Bumrah strikes Marsh on his front thigh from around the wicket in what might be the under-fire Australian’s first false shot, 33 deliveries into his innings. The rest of the maiden over is made up predominately of leaves as India continue to rack up the dot balls.
28th over: Australia 69-3 (Marsh 15, Handscomb 6) Ashwin does his best to tempt Marsh into a rash stroke but a scampered late single is the only thing of note in a quick over.
27th over: Australia 68-3 (Marsh 14, Handscomb 6) Handscomb pulls Bumrah for the first boundary in an age, adjusting quickly to a rare shorter ball in an over otherwise on a good length. Jason Gillespie has just compared Handscomb’s technique to England’s Gary Ballance, for anyone playing along at home without vision wondering how deep in his crease the Australian batsman stands.
26th over: Australia 64-3 (Marsh 14, Handscomb 2) Marsh has been proactive since his arrival at the crease, defending, attacking and running with purpose. He advances his score by two from this Ashwin over and looks in the best nick of any Australian we’ve seen so far today.
180 out of R Ashiwn's 341 wickets have been left-handers - only Muralitharan has dismissed more lefties (191/800). Among bowlers with 100+ Test wkts, only Dilruwan Perera (55.10%) has a higher % of left-handed victims than Ashwin's 52.79%. #AUSvIND
25th over: Australia 62-3 (Marsh 12, Handscomb 2) Bumrah is full and straight at Handscomb, targeting his obvious weaknesses - bowled and LBW - but the batsman is up to the task, playing with a straight bat for five deliveries then working with the bowler’s natural angle for two through midwicket.
Mark Waugh's commentary leading up to that dismissal...
24th over: Australia 60-3 (Marsh 12, Handscomb 0) This has not been a vintage display form Australia thus far. Can they survive the day?
Gah! Khawaja looked like he walked out to bat with ants in his pants and his dismissal comes as little surprise. Ashwin caught the Australian advancing, deceived him in flight, meaning when the ambitious drive was launched it was inevitably a streaky edge. The ball went high and spinning towards deep cover where three fielders converged and Rohit took a very good diving catch.
23rd over: Australia 59-2 (Khawaja 8, Marsh 11) Better from Khawaja, leaving plenty and defending securely from the crease during this Bumrah maiden.
22nd over: Australia 59-2 (Khawaja 8, Marsh 11) Khawaja is not in his happy place quite yet. After being deceived by Bumrah he chases a couple of Ashwin’s shadows in a skittish over. One sashay down the crease in particular almost ended in a host of dismissals and betrayed the confusion in the batsman’s method.
21st over: Australia 57-2 (Khawaja 7, Marsh 10) Bumrah replaces Shami from the Cathedral End and he begins a fun duel with Khawaja. The batsman survives, and picks up a couple with a nice glance to leg, but he’s also beaten on outside and inside edges with Bumrah making the ball move seam off the pitch just enough to provoke some false strokes. There is something aesthetically pleasing about watching a right-arm bowler make the ball move away from a left-handed batsman from around the wicket.
Was about to post that I'm torn between wanting to see Marsh make a hundred or make bugger-all, then I realised I was just describing his career.
20th over: Australia 55-2 (Khawaja 5, Marsh 10) Marsh looks switched on early in his innings and he brings up Australia’s 50 with a cut so late it was posthumous*, angling Ashwin away to the third-man boundary. He repeats the trick for two later in the over to reach double figures in quicktime. Ashwin has yet to settle on his length. He’s coming around the wicket to the two lefties, meaning he doesn’t have the rough to aim for that Lyon used to such great effect.
*I know I’ve appropriated this from somewhere, can anybody tell me where?
Marcus Harris is the most consistent batsman in Test history. #AUSvIND
Highest identical scores in each inngs of Test debut:
36 Dan Taylor v Eng, 1914 33 Abid Ali v Aus, 1967 33 Soumya Sarkar v Pak, 2015 29 Augustus Tancred v Eng, 1889 27 Arthur Carr v SA, 1922 27 M Ramprakash v WI, 1991 26 Marcus Harris v Ind, 2018#AUSvIND
19th over: Australia 49-2 (Khawaja 5, Marsh 4) Marsh is neither a solid starter (40% of dismissals under 10), nor a second innings specialist (averages just 19 from second digs) but he has to deliver for Australia this afternoon. He’s at the non-striker’s end this over, watching Khawaja play out a Shami maiden with the minimum of effort.
18th over: Australia 49-2 (Khawaja 5, Marsh 4) Marsh is into his work, defending Ashwin calmly from the crease then pulling a rare shorter ball for three with intent.
Big innings. If Shaun Marsh doesn't go well here he might not get on the 2023 Ashes tour. #AUSvIND
17th over: Australia 45-2 (Khawaja 4, Marsh 1) Huge breakthrough for India. Harris was playing nicely and the threat looked to be coming from Ashwin alone so to have a seamer receive such a gift is an enormous bonus. Defining partnership now for Australia with their two senior batsmen at the crease, the latest to arrive in the middle perhaps batting for his Test career.
From first impressions Finch needs a DRS coach. Who should it be?
Poor shot from Harris, trying to late cut a length delivery succeeding only in guiding Shami into Pant’s gloves. Freebie for India.
16th over: Australia 44-1 (Harris 26, Khawaja 4) Ashwin keeps Khawaja pinned to the crease with a tight, rapid maiden.
After years watching Australian batsmen go at it with hard hands, the supple wrists of the Khawaja-Harris combo is a very welcome sight.
15th over: Australia 41-1 (Harris 26, Khawaja 1) Khawaja again unconvincing, this time inside-edging Shami almost onto his stumps, then getting hit in his Specsavers avocado after failing to get any bat on a sharp inswinger. He’s still there though and prospers with a lovely three from a checked straight drive.
14th over: Australia 41-1 (Harris 26, Khawaja 1) Much much better from Harris this over, capitalising on Ashwin overpitching and driving square for four, then whipping wristily against the spin for another boundary. Not so good from Khawaja who is fortunate his thick-edged attempted cut drops fractionally short of backward point. After three days with the handbrake on this game is now careering like a billy cart down a mountainside.
13th over: Australia 31-1 (Harris 17, Khawaja 0) Harris defends Shami’s opening three deliveries then drives loosely at the fourth, edging to the cordon where he’s DROPPED by a diving Pujara. Lucky lucky lucky. Harris survives courtesy of India’s barmy slip positioning. There wasn’t a regulation second slip which meant Pujara at first had to dive a mile to his left - which he did - but he could only fingertip the ball towards third-man. The weird fly-third slip was only just in shot when the chance went down.
"It's a staggering position. Why would that guy be at third slip, and not second slip? Look now, he's gone straight back" - Ricky Ponting#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/2pdgRN1hca
This will be a 150 minute final session I reckon with 38 overs still to be bowled in the day. It is hot and sunny out in the middle of Adelaide Oval right now and Shami has the ball in his hand ready to hurl it towards Marcus Harris.
Before we go much further we must dwell on that Finch dismissal. Replays were inconclusive - there was no hot spot on Finch’s glove, nor was there a spike on RTS, however, the vision doesn’t reveal daylight between glove and ball. Would it have been given out by DRS had the bowling team reviewed? No chance. Would Finch have been reprieved had he gone upstairs? Perhaps. A curious incident indeed consideringIndia’s confident appeal and Finch’s reluctance to review, especially in the context of him referring what looked a reasonably plumb LBW earlier.
Thank you very much Geoff, you have proven once again you are a prince among cricket commentating Geoffreys (subsection: Geoff’s unlikely to mention rhubarb).
It’s time once again for me to resume my role as the nightwatchman of this OBO line-up and shepherd the fourth day’s play through to its close. It promises to be a significant final session with India’s postprandial kamikaze opening the door for Australia to snatch an improbable victory.
The break in the order that Australia didn’t want brings about the interval. At least they’ll have 20 minutes to compose themselves before Harris and Khawaja continue. Probably they’ll need to be positive against Ashwin, there’s enough turn and bounce in this pitch that there’s no point sitting back and letting him fusillade you.
Ishan’t slip doesn’t prove too costly, though at least Finch was able to see off the newest of the new ball. India in the box seat though, with four sessions to play. That’s it for me, your final session of the day will be in the loving arms of Jonathan Pie Howcroft.
Aaron Finch has given himself out. Ashwin bowls wide of the wicket, angling in and landing just short of the major footmark. It gets good turn regardless, lobbing into Finch’s pad and up into the air. Pant runs around from behind the stumps to take the catch near short leg. The only question is whether it brushed any glove. Finch isn’t sure. He comes down to speak to Harris, though why Harris would have a better idea I can’t begin to guess. Eventually Finch walks. That innings went better than his first attempt, but there’ll be questions asked over his spot and his batting position already.
11th over: Australia 0-26 (Finch 10, Harris 13) Shami is on a hat-trick as he starts his first over of the innings, after picking up the last two wickets of Australia’s first effort. His hat-trick attempt is as unsuccessful as Lyon’s, meeting a solid defensive block. Finch does the same to most of the over before escaping the strike.
10th over: Australia 0-25 (Finch 9, Harris 13) Harris may be a left-hander, but he’s calm enough against Ashwin. Works a couple of runs through midwicket when the chance arises, and otherwise waits the bowler out.
9th over: Australia 0-23 (Finch 9, Harris 11) Ishant to Finch, finding the pad again. The batsmen run a leg bye, then Vijay’s throw misses the stumps and isn’t backed up properly, giving up another run. Kohli, like the Queen, is not amused. Finch takes advantage of the strike to drive nicely, on the up but not over-hit, through cover for four. That’s more the speed. The target comes down to 300.
8th over: Australia 0-17 (Finch 5, Harris 11) Ashwin into the attack, who bowled so well in the first innings with his off-breaks. Concedes a couple of singles.
7th over: Australia 0-15 (Finch 4, Harris 10) Computer glitch in the mainframe there. In the meantime, Harris carves Ishant through point for a boundary. Left-hander using the width and angle.
6th over: Australia 0-10 (Finch 4, Harris 5) Harris gets a big nick from Bumrah and it rolls away through the gully for three. Indian annoyance grows.
5th over: Australia 0-7 (Finch 4, Harris 2) Finch is made to play a bit more by Ishant in this over. And beaten once. And gets a bouncer to duck. It’s torrid stuff out there for batsmen trying to find their feet. Good cricket.
We’ve been banging on about no balls for a while, but this remains true.
Every time you see one of those, remember that the ICC conducted a VERY successful trial during Eng v Pakistan ODIs in 2016, giving responsibility for no-balls to the TV ump. The plan was to roll it out everywhere. This year, they decided it was too pricey. Yeah, right. #AUSvIND
4th over: Australia 0-7 (Finch 4, Harris 2) Finch gets strike against Bumrah, and yanks his hand off the handle as he fends away a single. Each run will feel like cooling water on the parched tongue of Mr Finch. Harris blocks out the rest.
3rd over: Australia 0-5 (Finch 3, Harris 1) Ishant, in trying to make amends, does not. Only two balls in his over make Finch play. Here’s the info from Freddie Wilde and co.
Regardless of the reprieve due to Ishant Sharma's no-ball, Aaron Finch has an issue against straight bowling. In his brief Test career, against deliveries from seamers that would have hit his stumps, he averages 2.66. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/hW46JdMkKH
2nd over: Australia 0-5 (Finch 3, Harris 1) Bumrah to Harris, working the channel outside off after coming around the wicket. Harris is happy to leave things alone for a maiden.
In the meantime, Smriti Mandhana has given the Hobart Hurricanes some cheer after a pretty miserable last couple of seasons. She smoked 69 from 41 balls in the WBBL to drive Hobart to their highest ever score of 196-6. They bowled the Stars out for 124 in reply.
1st over: Australia 0-5 (Finch 3, Harris 1) And just to add to the party, Finch gets his first Test run in Australia. How relieved he’ll be, working three into the leg side. Harris gets a single the same way.
Finch is reprieved. And what a reprieve that is! Finch was clean bowled third ball in the first innings. He’s leg before wicket from the second ball of this innings. Gone to an Ishant inswinger that careers back in towards him and strikes the pad. Marcus Harris urges the review, probably just out of sympathy. But it’s a no ball! The video replay shows the thinnest of no balls, a couple of millimetres of line behind Ishant’s heel as it lands. Well.
Admittedly 323 doesn’t necessarily look that steep just as a number. But only 19 teams in Test history have made more than that to win in the fourth innings. And never at Adelaide Oval. This game is hard.
No need to bother with declaration strategy, then. India come to a pretty soft conclusion to their innings after looking like they were in a position to really drive a star picket into Australia’s hopes. But the rush of wickets will make the home side feel a bit better.
The draw is out the window: the sun is shining, there are more than four sessions to go, and if Australia bats most of that time they’ll get the runs. Or they’ll get bowled out. It’s imperative for the home side’s self-respect and confidence that they at least make a good first of the attempt, even if they fall short.
Is Australia still in this? Simple tailend wicket to wrap things up. Starc bowls short at the body and Ishant stands tall to splice it up in the air, coming down into the cupped hands of short leg.
106th over: India 307-9 (Ishant 0, Bumrah 0) India’s No11 is happy to block out the Lyon over. A clever strategy to just block and wait for those sweet, sweet byes.
105th over: India 307-9 (Ishant 0, Bumrah 0) Bonus runs for India as Starc bowls short and wide down leg once more, and again so wide that it passes the keeper. Again the umpire doesn’t call wides, which is good for the bowling team, but the designation of byes is bad for the wicketkeeper. We’re at 36 extras including 21 byes in this innings, most of those from Starc, and none of them Tim Paine’s fault. That’s over ten percent of India’s total in extras, and it could hurt Australia in the run chase.
104th over: India 303-9 (Ishant 0, Bumrah 0) Lyon gets serious turn from the last couple of balls, with two men waiting for a catch in close on the leg side. He finishes a maiden with two wickets, and has 6-122.
Bumrah strides forward and defends, to the chagrin of everyone who wanted him to get out and everyone who wanted him to slog a six.
Lyon is on a hat-trick! And he’ll never have a better chance to convert one. Shami is never known to stick around, so he charges Lyon first ball and wallops to deep midwicket for Lyon’s fifth. Simple catch. Bumrah will be next in...
No hundred for Ajinkya. He wants to get the score moving given the quality of his company, so he aims the reverse sweep at a ball well outside off. Could probably have just driven that through or over cover? Instead he finds Starc, halfway to the boundary at backward point, who follows his wicket maiden with a catch.
103rd over: India 303-7 (Rahane 70, Ishant 0) When Ishant Sharma comes in at No9, it does not fill you with confidence about the competence of a lower order. Ishant confirms this impression by groping several times outside off, sticking his posterior out and fumbling forward with his arms like he’s trying to sit down on the loo at 3am without turning on the light. Starc is not able to wipe him out.
Rahane won’t get a hundred if he runs out of partners, though. And India’s tail is long. Starc is still bowling dross, starting that over with a ball about three metres outside leg, but when he bowls a not-quite-short ball at the body, Ashwin tries to take it on with the pull regardless. He lifts it tamely to the deep.
102nd over: India 303-6 (Rahane 70, Ashwin 5) Rahane is purring along. Works two from Lyon on the sweep, two on the cut, and two with a square push. He could even be thinking of a hundred here.
101st over: India 297-6 (Rahane 64, Ashwin 5) Starc is entrusted to continue, but he still doesn’t look right. Beats Rahane, you could say, but only because the batsman decided to fling his bat at a ball well outside off stump. Starc then bowls short on leg stump and is jabbed for a single. Ashwin misses an attempted uppercut when cramped on his off stump, but Starc loses the line when he tries to repeat that ball and goes down leg again.
100th over: India 296-6 (Rahane 63, Ashwin 5)
Missed stumping! Well, the stumping missed Paine more than the other way around. Ashwin charged, swung, and missed after almost yorking himself. Paine was there to knock the bails off, but the ball turned a lot from a full length, and also leapt high. It soared past the wicketkeeper’s shoulder in the end and well outside leg stump. Away for three byes. A few singles follow.Runs flowing.
99th over: India 290-6 (Rahane 61, Ashwin 4) Four more fairly unair byes, as Starc clears the batsman and the keeper with a bouncer. Fair to say the attack leader has not been at his best this match. Ashwin plays him out comfortably enough.
98th over: India 285-6 (Rahane 61, Ashwin 3) A slightly different approach from Ravi Ashwin, who blocks out Lyon at first before gliding two runs to third man. Last ball of the over he tries to whip the ball square, hits short leg in the helmet, and the ball lands just between keeper and leg slip! Paine dived but couldn’t reach it. So nearly another for Lyon. A single takes India’s lead to exactly 300.
Lyon gets his man. Smart bowling. Knew that Pant was likely to move, so Lyon slanted the ball wide outside off stump. Pant went for it anyway, couldn’t adjust the shot enough, and skewed it to Finch at deep cover. Pant’s 28 came from 16 balls.
97th over: India 282-5 (Rahane 61, Pant 28) Starc with the ball from the other end. He tests out Rahane with a couple of balls, nipping about, but when he overpitches Rahane drives through cover for four.
96th over: India 278-5 (Rahane 57, Pant 28) Resuming after lunch, it’s Lyon coming round the wicket to Pant. Looking to straighten down the line. Pant respectfully checks out one delivery. Respectfully checks out another. Then says, that’s enough of that. Charges to loft cleanly over midwicket for four, on the bounce. Charges again, decisive footwork but only getting the inside half of the bat and dragging four along the ground through the same region, just beating the two converging outfielders.
Down the track a third time, and blasts one down the ground for four! Hazlewood was chasing back and tried to slap the ball back in, but couldn’t reach it. Then for the last ball of the over, Pant stays at home and hits it for six! In the power stance, hit it cleanly over midwicket once again. The over costs 18 runs. I don’t know if this is declaration batting or whether he’s just liberated to play his shots. But either way, Nathan Lyon has been Pantsed.
It probably helps that they’re about the only Australian players who people would recognise. Or who are sure of a spot in the team. But it’s still a great result. Josh Hazlewood the quiet hero of recent acting exploits for me.
Good to see some love for the stattos, too. We have a veritable smorgasbord of statisticians working from the Adelaide Oval press box. Ric Finlay, the ABC’s long-standing master of understatement. Andrew Samson, who English and South African listeners will know so well, the creative virtuoso stats performance artist who is moonlighting for SEN. Freddie Wilde is here from CricViz for the deep-dive analytical stuff, and his whizkid colleague Ben Jones is on the way over after being used by the Australian team to try and unpick Kohli’s batting. Then there’s Lawrie, of course, working on the telly.
A fair bit of love going around for Alison Mitchell’s work across the television and radio broadcasts of this series. Along with Tim Lane on the telly, it’s nice to see the professional broadcaster being given a role at that level rather than entirely relying on former players.
Absolute star - well said and delighted she’s part of our team too @7Cricket
Hello all, thanks Adam for the extended first session. There’s also an extended Indian lead and a contracted Australian hope of pulling this match back. The lead of 275 could almost be enough as it is, with Australia’s batting so unconvincing in the recent past. It’s lunch on the fourth day, so if India can pile on another session’s worth of runs, and get that lead up to somewhere around 350, you’d imagine they would declare with four sessions left and go for the win.
Feel free to send in your thoughts – what is India most likely to do? Or can Australia get on a roll and bowl them out with the lead closer to 300? If so, there’s still the chance that a Khawaja special or a Marsh redemption tale could win a big chase.
95th over: India 260-5 (Rahane 57, Pant 10) If Cummins skips through this over they might get another in from Lyon - we’ll see. From the first ball of it, Pant rotates the strike with a well timed square drive to the sweeper at point. Rahane knows the drill here before a break, defending the rest. The end of an excellent session for the visitors, adding 109 runs across the two and a half hours. Pujara was the major wicket to fall on 72, but much of the damage had been done alongside Rahane through their stand of 87 for the fourth wicket. Rohit fell quickly - both wickets taken by Lyon, the best of Australia’s bowlers - but with Pant now at the crease, the lead could build in a hurry in the middle session. For that, I’ll leave you with Geoff Lemon. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!
94th over: India 259-5 (Rahane 57, Pant 9) GET YOUR RISHABHS OFF! Of course, Pant goes at Lyon first ball of his new over, charging and smashing him across the line to the midwicket boundary. “Give us your best stuff now, Goaty!” says Tim Paine before Lyon’s final ball of the session, delivered around the wicket and defended by Rahane. The end of a fine spell from Australia’s number one.
93rd over: India 252-5 (Rahane 56, Pant 3) Cummins, underbowled for mine in this session, gets his first go with this second new ball. He’ll get two overs in before the interval. Right on the mark to Rahane, the vice-captain is defending with the straight blade before taking one to point. Pant’s turn, who turns one with a classy flick to backward square, keeping the strike for the next over against Lyon. That’s the match-up we want.
92nd over: India 250-5 (Rahane 55, Pant 2) Pant goes at Lyon first ball! As you do when he’s turning it square. Of course, the feisty youngster got off the mark in Test cricket with a six and brought up his ton at The Oval that way too, so this approach is to be expected. He only gets two for the charge and slap over midwicket, much to the amusement of Lyon. Sure enough, the spinner bites back next with an off-break that rips past the outside edge. So close to two in an over. The last ball is a carbon copy, but Pant pulls inside the line at the last available moment. This’ll be a fun few overs leading into lunch.
Rohit lunges at Lyon, inside edging just into the reach of Handscomb, who dives onto the track from silly point to complete an excellent one-handed snaffle. Can Lyon bowl India out? He looks every chance.
91st over: India 248-4 (Rahane 55, Rohit 1) What a lovely way to bring up a milestone, Rahane pulling Hazlewood hard through the gap and to the boundary. After a terrible tour of England, he’s back in business. He celebrates with an equally lovely cover drive, bringing a couple more.
90th over: India 241-4 (Rahane 49, Rohit 0) This is a cruel game more often than not. Lyon puts together another wonderful over, spinning back hard at Rahane who is very lucky not to have his inside edge located. Jump to the final ball of the set and given half a chance to free his arms, he lofts the spinner over midwicket for four. It’s bold and beautiful.
89th over: India 237-4 (Rahane 45, Rohit 0) Warne is making the case that Australia are back in the game if they can take another two quick wickets not. I don’t quite share that optimism but this is their window to make amends at the back end of a disappointing session. Rahane pulls with authority for two to begin, the boundary stopped due to some excellent work in the deep by Nathan Lyon. First ball to Rohit and he’s nearly caught behind, his edge beaten with a Hazlewood beauty.
Outstanding from Lyon, hitting the rough with each of the deliveries in this over making life as difficult as possible for Pujara. Early on, the number three gloved just over the head at silly point. But to finish, a deflection off the bat landed in the hands of Finch at forward short leg. That’s the end of a 204-ball stay from Pujara, who has given India a wonderful chance to go one-up in this series.
88th over: India 234-4 (Rahane 42)
87th over: India 234-3 (Pujara 71, Rahane 42) Pujara did have a visit between overs from Indian physio Patrick Farhart for what looks to be a hamstring complaint, or possibly some cramp. Hazlewood is attacking Rahane’s stumps throughout in this maiden over, forced to defend rather than shoulder arms.
86th over: India 234-3 (Pujara 71, Rahane 42) Rahane going nicely here when playing Lyon down the ground after using his feet, collecting three more to start the fresh over. Later in the set they exchange singles past square leg before Pujara finishes the job with that sturdy defence. The lead is 249.
Not one of the deliveries Mitchell Starc has bowled with the second new ball would have hit the stumps. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/vRVBJnfB3W
85th over: India 229-3 (Pujara 70, Rahane 38) It is hunting season on Starc, Warne and Vaughan mirroring social media’s view of his last couple of overs. Hazlewood has replaced him, delivering a far more consistent over to Rahane.
84th over: India 228-3 (Pujara 70, Rahane 38) Lyon straight on with the fourth over of the second new ball and that’s not a surprise. He’s replacing Hazlewood, who I suspect will be swung around to replace Starc. Rahane nearly gives a catch to Harris at backward square, the first miscue we’ve seen from him in a while. Pujara returns to type, getting a good stride in throughout to blunt Lyon’s bounce with the harder ball.
In the modern era very few players—perhaps none—have had such crisp footwork against spin as Pujara. He comes down the track to 17% of deliveries & averages 315 (!) when doing so. His brilliance coming down forces bowlers to drop short, allowing him to push back to 24%. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/9gQqDxPLiH
83rd over: India 227-3 (Pujara 70, Rahane 37) Oh my, the wheels are reeeeeally coming off at Starc’s end. Three overs into this second new ball and he cannot find his mark. Four byes come when the left-arm sprays wildly down the legside, followed up at the end of an over with a short ball way outside the off stump that Pujara can safely slash out, flaying it over the cordon to the boundary. Oi, Peter Siddle, what you up to next week in Perth, bro?
More byes. Starc's 15.3-5-30-1 really does flatter him a great deal #AUSvIND
82nd over: India 219-3 (Pujara 66, Rahane 37) Hazlewood, replacing Lyon, sends down a timely maiden to Rahane. Good ol’ Josh.
81st over: India 219-3 (Pujara 66, Rahane 37) Sorry everyone, I had to reboot my machine so let’s play a bit of catch up. A couple of boundaries from a wayward Starc over here with the second new ball, Rahane glorious down the ground then Pujara helping another loose ball down to the fine leg rope. This is getting ugly.
80th over: India 210-3 (Pujara 66, Rahane 32) Lyon is turning it hard, past Rahane’s inside edge again, but the Indian vice-captain keeps his cool to turn the next delivery through midwicket to get off strike. Pujara’s turn: defence, defence, defence.
Lyon joins Shakib Al Hasan (Bdesh v Eng at Chittagong 2016) as the only bowlers who have had 3 batsmen given out on field and overturned on review in the same Test innings.
79th over: India 209-3 (Pujara 66, Rahane 31) More good batting from Pujara to begin, turning one into two through midwicket with hard running. Cummins’ radar is off with the a shorter ball later in the set, Pujara able to get inside the line and help it to the rope. With that, it is drinks with the visitors well on the way to setting Australia a huge target. The lead is 224.
78th over: India 203-3 (Pujara 60, Rahane 31) Neeearly. Lyon finds Rahane’s inside edge for the first time today but it doesn’t land with Finch. Singles to each into the legside before Rahane gets down to sweep the final ball, failing to make contact. Half a shout for lbw but that’s all it is.
77th over: India 201-3 (Pujara 59, Rahane 30) Pujara flicks Cummins off his hip, moving India to 200. Rahane is more enthusiastic about taking on the short ball, hook/pulling for the second time today out to the sweeper for another. That makes 50 runs in 16 overs this morning.
Cheteshwar Pujara has now faced 385 deliveries in this Test, The last time an Indian faced this many deliveries in a Test in Australia was when Sachin Tendulkar faced 524 at Sydney in 2004. #AUSvIND
76th over: India 199-3 (Pujara 58, Rahane 29) Umpire Llong has a few words with the Australians about the fielder at backward square leg moving backwards while Lyon is on the way in. Not something you see every day but play on. Two singles either side of the square leg umpire keeps the board moving. The end of a poor hour for Australia.
75th over: India 197-3 (Pujara 57, Rahane 28) Shooooot! From the balls of his feet, Rahane smashes Cummins past point for four. One of the hardest shots in the game to control with a straight blade. Super batting. Another single in that direction gives the strike back to Pujara, who soaks up the remaining deliveries sent down from around the wicket. With two catchers on the leg side, he wants nothing to do with the short stuff.
74th over: India 191-3 (Pujara 57, Rahane 23) Gosh, that hurts. The ball after the dismissal that wasn’t, Rahane rocks back and smashes Lyon thorugh midwicket for four; his first poor delivery of the morning. Three singles follow, the lead now beyond 200. Australia in real strife.
“Good morning,” Good morning to you, Amod Paranjape. “Shouldn’t Australia have opened with Cummins and Lyon? Ashwin really proved me wrong by bowling a normal off spinners line. However this Indian team does have a tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.”
HAS LYON PICKED UP RAHANE? He’s given out caught at short leg but the decision is overturned by the third umpire on review. It missed the glove. NOT OUT!
73rd over: India 184-3 (Pujara 56, Rahane 17) A nice push from Rahane through cover turns the strike over early in the Cummins over, Pujara seeing off the rest with ease. He might still be batting on Tuesday.
72nd over: India 183-3 (Pujara 56, Rahane 16) Adam Gilchrist notes how important this period is ahead of the second new ball, due in nine overs. What they would give for a Lyon breakthrough between now and then. Rahane, on the other hand, wants to keep ticking it over, driving the first ball for three down the ground. Lyon is right in the remainder contest with three men around the bat, spinning hard from the rough but Pujara is up to the task, playing with both his front pad and soft hands.
“I know the redeveloped Adelaide Oval is a shared use stadium,” writes Gary Naylor to me on twitter, “but why can’t all the stands be named after cricketers when it’s used for cricket? A bit of technology (eg projections etc) could project names on to walls. Same for footy when that’s the sport of the day.”
71st over: India 180-3 (Pujara 56, Rahane 13) It has taken 40 minutes but Pat Cummins is now on from the Cathedral End. The batsmen exchange singles before the big quick goes upstairs, but so short that Umpire Dharmasena signals a wide. Rahane picks up a second single behind square to finish. That run advances the Indian lead to 195.
“India really should win,” writes Andrew Benton. “It’s dull when Australia do. Whack those foregone conclusions for six, I say, it’s time to googlify hopes and expectations, curve-ball style! An utterly splendiferous start to the day.”
70th over: India 176-3 (Pujara 55, Rahane 11) Another eventful Lyon over, beating Pujara with a beautiful topspinner that holds its line. The Indian number three isn’t worried though, smashing the next ball over midwicket for four. Cop that. Lyon, sure enough, fights back with a harder spun ball that beats the edge and earns a half-shout for LBW. Pujara kicks away the final ball, which again deviated back a long way. Fun contest.
69th over: India 171-3 (Pujara 51, Rahane 10) Back to back maidens, Pujara kept quiet by Starc, who is probing now from around the wicket. It’s the attack-leader’s best over of the morning, racing a quick delivery off the seam past the inside edge and into the thigh pad. He looks a lot better from this angle with the old ball.
68th over: India 171-3 (Pujara 51, Rahane 10) Very good over from Lyon, bringing Rahane forward then darting him back. The most encouraging moment for the home side so far today comes from the final delivery, the Indian vice-captain using his feet to try and reach the pitch, for a brief moment looking like he had run past it.
67th over: India 171-3 (Pujara 51, Rahane 10) Starc has swung around to the cathedral end but it makes little difference, punished by Rahane through cover for four off the back foot. Lovely shot. Later in the over, he’s happy to pull, albeit along the ground to one of the two met set out on the rope. We said off the top that the first hour was critical today and India winning it - comprehensively.
66th over: India 166-3 (Pujara 51, Rahane 5) No issues with Lyon, back onto the ground and into the attack, replaing Starc. That’ll please Shane Warne. Rahane takes one from the first ball before Pujara cuts expertly from close to his body for three, bringing up his half-century in 140 balls. Rahane drives past the diving Lyon down to long-on to finish, keeping the strike with a single. India’s lead is 181.
65th over: India 161-3 (Pujara 48, Rahane 3) Nothing wrong with Hazlewood’s start but Pujara is defending, leaving and ducking without concern. Ominous early signs from the first-innings century maker.
64th over: India 161-3 (Pujara 48, Rahane 3) Interesting that Lyon has left the field between overs, replaced by Siddle. We’ll keep an eye on that. Rahane gets his first runs of the morning, cutting Starc for a couple
63rd over: India 159-3 (Pujara 48, Rahane 1) Hazlewood it is from the Cathedral End. Pujara is immediately into his meditative process, leaving then defending with the full face of his blade. But when Hazlewood overpitches, Che is happy to lean into a lovely cover drive, racing away to the boundary for India’s first runs this morning. He makes it back to back fours with an edge through the cordon, albeit not at a catchable height.
62nd over: India 151-3 (Pujara 40, Rahane 1) On the telly, Shane Warne is making the case that Nathan Lyon should have started the day for Australia. “Who would India want to face least?” he says. “Surely it is Lyon. Mitchell Starc has probably been the least effective out of the quicks so far.” In an effort to locate some of that valuable reverse swing, Starc starting nice and full but there isn’t much about. Rahane is watchful, letting the ball pass across him without offering. Maiden.
The players are on the field. Mitch Starc to begin from the southern end, bowling to Rahane who resumes on 1, with Pujara down the other end on 40. PLAY!
The Australian players will be wearing black arm bands today. In honour of Colin Guest, who died yesterday. He played one Test in 1963 as right-arm fast bowler.
Justin Langer speaks. Walking across the field before play, the Australian coach had a chat with Michael Slater on Channel Seven. He’s suitably upbeat.
“Tell me it’s not raining in Adelaide,” urges ArthurshireCC. “And tell me Pat Cummins arrived at the ground burning with controlled aggression and steely nerve and elite honesty.”
I can and will tell you that. The bureau says there is a 30% chance of rain today but it won’t delay the start as it did annoyingly yesterday. As for Cummins, he is elite as he is honest with a smile every bit as potent as Ben Foakes’. An elite combination, if you will, and my pick to go big this morning.
ICYMI. The vital wicket of Virat Kohli, secured by Nathan Lyon not long before stumps on day three. An accurate delivery that bounced, turned and found the inside edge. This is what dreams are made of for offies.
Some first hours are bigger than others. By the time 15 overs have been bowled this morning, it will be relatively clear whether Australia have a sniff at pulling off a come from behind victory to win this series opener. To do so, they require seven wickets in a hurry, with India’s lead already 166 and Che Pujara building another defining innings.
But in England over the summer, Virat Kohli’s side made a habit of losing wickets in a hurry, something that Tim Paine’s men will know well. Especially after their captain has been removed, which he was when Nathan Lyon picked him up with a delightful piece of tweak last night, deep into the final half hour in the extended final session.
I think that’s all you need from us for now. Keep your eyes peeled elsewhere on the site for all the reaction from Adelaide and all the build up to the second Test in Perth.
From Adam, Geoff, and I, thank you for your company. Let’s do it all again later this week.
I am reliably informed that Shastri has described (on Sony's broadcast) the nervous feeling of watching the end of this Test as like having his "balls in his mouth". I believe it's a saying. #AUSvIND
So so much to unpack before the second Test begins on Friday.
Australian selection and batting will face plenty of scrutiny, as will the uncharacteristic lack of penetration from Mitchell Starc. Nathan Lyon will be suitably garlanded.
Most consecutive wickets to fall to catches in a Test: 23 Aus v Ind Adelaide 2018 22 Eng v WI Lord's 1973
Tim Paine joins Jack Ryder (1928-29) as the only Australian captains to be winless in their first four Tests in charge
Australia has not won a Test series on home soil after trailing since 1968/69; against the West Indies#AUSvIND
“I think playing here before has helped me a lot. When I was back home I knew what to expect.”
Now Virat Kohli:
“It’s important to stay calm and understand the chances are going to come. Once we got Pat Cummins out the odds were stacked against them. We executed our plans eventually.”
Tim Paine on the dais with Isa Guha:
“Over the five days we had enough opportunities but we failed to capitalise. India deserved to win.”
Shaun Marsh has just spoken to Channel Seven, understandably very downbeat.
“Obviously a disappointing result for us. Plenty to learn from this game and for us to get on with to get back into the series on Friday.”
“Another cracking Test Match, over days, away from home to go with those of England vs Sri Lanka and New Zealand vs Pakistan. Call off the medics, Test Match Cricket is alive and well.” Well said Rhys Humm, well said.
Australia’s last six wickets all put on at least 30 runs, but none went beyond 41. A magnificent rearguard effort, but just lacking one more substantial contribution to see the job through.
Amazing grit displayed by the Australian lower order, but this is a moment to savour for a long time for Team India. The bowlers gave it everything and let’s just enjoy this and carry the momentum into the Perth Test #AusvInd
Replays suggest Rahul’s catch may not have been as clean as first thought, but it’s too late to worry about now, the players have already shaken hands and India have the series lead.
India erupt in a release of all the pressure that had accumulated throughout the day. Hazlewood grimaces. A truly magnificent Test match concludes one ball before the Tea interval.
All over. Hazlewood was playing Ashwin with ease until one prop forward too many found a thick edge instead of the middle of the bat and Rahul secures the catch low at second slip.
119th over: Australia 291-9 (Lyon 38, Hazlewood 13) Bumrah returns but he is bowling to a confident partnership. Three singles precede Hazlewood ramping an insouciant four over the cordon then pinching the strike with a thick edge. Australia now within 32 runs of victory.
118th over: Australia 283-9 (Lyon 36, Hazlewood 7) Hazlewood calmly navigates an Ashwin maiden. What a match.
117th over: Australia 283-9 (Lyon 36, Hazlewood 7) Ishant tries the yorker, but both batsmen keep it out and take a single by finding a gap. Lyon flicks a couple more off his pads. Two slips, gully, two in the deep on the leg side, third man back, the rest in the nominal circle.
Ishant hits the pad, huge appeal, and it’s a no ball! The Australian crowd goes up in cheers. Umpire Dharmasena called it immediately, having had enough of being made to look silly on the television replays. Wonder if that was hitting the stumps. It looked good live. Umpire’s call on the DRS tracking, which we’ve only seen for curiosity’s sake.
116th over: Australia 274-9 (Lyon 29, Hazlewood 6) Onto the back foot goes Hazlewood, as Ashwin drops short. Pulled away, and the batsmen come back for a second. The deficit is under 50! And Hazlewood survives the rest of the over.
115th over: Australia 272-9 (Lyon 29, Hazlewood 4) Lyon middles his pull shot against Ishant’s bounce. Third ball of the over. Hazlewood blocks a couple, then late cuts a run to farm the strike. Well well. The ask is down to 51.
114th over: Australia 270-9 (Lyon 28, Hazlewood 3) Poor old Ashwin is bowling his 50th over. He has 2 for 90 in an innings where the quicks have done most of the damage. Hazlewood lobs up an outside edge that doesn’t carry to backward point. Lyon swept a single from the first ball, and it’s the only score from the over. The deficit is 53.
113th over: Australia 269-9 (Lyon 27, Hazlewood 3) A run through point from Hazlewood, who has looked solid. Lyon nearly drives four but it’s well saved at cover by Jadeja the substitute. Ishant Sharma is the bowler, replacing Bumrah. Australia 54 short.
I’ve asked for it with the numbered lists. Ed Elias lobs into my inbox with these.
112th over: Australia 267-9 (Lyon 26, Hazlewood 2) Josh H plays neatly against the off-spinner, following the turn to push a single to point. Lyon plays a range of sweeps that achieve nothing, like trying to clean the Augean Stables.
111th over: Australia 266-9 (Lyon 26, Hazlewood 1) Your majesty! Lyon gets up on one leg, imperious as a dancing flamingo, and lifts Bumrah over midwicket with a pull shot. An idiosyncratic one. Then pulls a single before Hazlewood opens his account by opening the face of the bat for a glide. They’re 57 runs away.
A message comes in from your third-session commentator Jonathan Howcroft. “I did not expect to be padding up today, but here we are.”
110th over: Australia 260-9 (Lyon 21, Hazlewood 0) Lyon sweeps a single first ball, exposing Hazlewood to Ashwin. But the big left-hander is equal to it.
Congrats to this pair. I reckon I heard them name-checked on ABC radio as well, so Rob must be doing the press secretary work on the honeymoon. Haven’t you lot got better things to do?
109th over: Australia 259-9 (Lyon 20, Hazlewood 0) Josh Hazlewood at the crease, who made a first-ball duck in the first innings. He survives the king pair, blocking a couple of balls, one with his bat and one with his foot. Bumrah ends his over having made the breakthrough, after the batsmen collected four from him, including an uppish punch from Lyon through midwicket for three. Australia still 64 short.
He faced 121 balls. And they had to score, that was the only way. Cummins sees width and tries to drive through cover. The ball is a bit short for it, and climbs over his shot. Angled bat, almost a force more than a drive. It takes the top edge and flies to slip, where Kohli takes it falling backwards. That ball was moving. Kohli boils over once again, hurling the ball into the ground as he shouts. He must have been worried in order to celebrate like that...
108th over: Australia 255-8 (Cummins 27, Lyon 17) Ashwin to Lyon, who continues his variety by pushing another single to cover. The deficit down to 69, very nice. He spent a lot of time over the winter working on his batting with his brother Brendan, who’s a batting coach. The fruits of that were tasted in Dubai, when Lyon blocked out 34 balls, I think, to secure Australia that famous draw in October. Nor did he look troubled in doing so. Cummins drives another single down the ground. 68 to win.
107th over: Australia 253-8 (Cummins 26, Lyon 16) That is lovely stuff from Lyon. Not a bad ball from Bumrah, just outside off and back of a length, but Lyon produces the back-foot force and times it perfectly! All the way for four. He now has a deep point and a third man, while batting at No10. With those men back, he squirts a thick edge in the air through point, and moves his score on by one more.
Australia need 70 to win.
106th over: Australia 247-8 (Cummins 25, Lyon 11) True to his word, Lyon sweeps a single square, then later sweeps two runs fine off the glove or the bottom edge.
An email in from Daniel McDonald.
105th over: Australia 243-8 (Cummins 24, Lyon 8) Bumrah comes back with a vengeance. The third part in his die-hard series. He rips through Lyon and somehow misses the stumps. Then takes the edge through gully for three runs. Then beats Cummins and thunders into his thigh pad for a deflected run. Then takes Lyon’s edge again...
... and Rishabh Pant has dropped the world record! He had to dive across infront of first slip, got the full meat of one palm to the ball, and slapped it to ground rather than claiming it.
104th over: Australia 238-8 (Cummins 23, Lyon 4) Indeed, Lyon does sweep at Ashwin at the first opportunity. Misses the ball. So he plays with a straight bat into the covers next ball, and his semi-home crowd at the Adelaide Oval applaud him warmly.
@GeoffLemonSport Lyon has a test best score of 47. A repeat of that would be most welcome by Australia
103rd over: Australia 237-8 (Cummins 23, Lyon 3) Shami continues, Cummins driving out behind point for one. Lyon drives dead straight but in the air, just past Shami’s outstretched hand and picks up three, then Cummins drives gorgeously on the up through cover for four! What a shot. The benefits of playing oneself in. Eight from the over, and the gap is 86.
They just played an interview clip of Nathan Lyon from last night on the radio, where he was asked how he would win the Test with the bat, if it came to that. “If it’s a spinner, probably a sweep shot,” he deadpans. “I haven’t got anything else.”
102nd over: Australia 229-8 (Cummins 18, Lyon 0) Cummins punches the ball away just past short leg, as Ashwin’s epic spell continues. He’s into his 44th over. Cummins drives a run near the end of the over, and Ashwin’s slider nips past the edge of Lyon’s bat.
101st over: Australia 228-8 (Cummins 17, Lyon 0) That’s it, surely. Australia still 95 adrift. Only Hazlewood left in the sheds. But they’d love to fight on and at least get that margin down a bit further.
It felt like a matter of time. Shami bowls a bouncer after a tighter line, then slips the third ball wide and full. Starc booms the drive as is his way, and it takes the edge. Pant has equalled a world record with his 11th dismissal in the match, after six in the first innings. He’s equalled Jack Russell (the latter) and AB de Villiers.
100th over: Australia 228-7 (Cummins 17, Starc 28) Ravi Ashwin to Cummins, and we know how that story goes. Stride, blunt. Stride, blunt. No, it’s not a Notorious BIG video.
99th over: Australia 228-7 (Cummins 17, Starc 28) Shami comes over the wicket, right-arm pace, against the left-handed Starc. The batsman drives a couple through the on side. Then a single the same way. Cummins glances a single himself. The runs keep coming. They need 95 more to win...
“Englishman in Sydney listening while at work,” writes Brook Townsend. “Shades of Edgbaston 2005 here. I’m always of the opinion that its anyone but Australia but I’m finding myself slowly rooting for Australia! A very odd feeling.”
98th over: Australia 224-7 (Cummins 16, Starc 25) Cummins knocks a single from Ashwin first ball of the over. That’s bold. But Starc repays the faith by doing the same. Get ready, say it with me: “They’re past the psychological 100-run barrier.” The margin is down to 99 runs. And we have a drinks break, which will inevitably lead to a wicket straight afterwards.
97th over: Australia 222-7 (Cummins 15, Starc 24) Shami continues. Nearly has Starc leg before but there’s a nick. Bowls a couple of bouncers. Then Starc strides forward and lashes the shot of the day through cover. Big stride, big smoke.
Glen Carter has emailed. “If Tim Paine is out for the next test can Australia’s inexperienced side afford to lose his 15 Tests of experience and replace him with another cacka ? Grim times.”
96th over: Australia 218-7 (Cummins 15, Starc 20) Cummins is playing his defensive game against Ashwin well. A good stride, blocking away, with two men in catching and another blocking the chance to rotate strike at short midwicket. Until the last of the over when Cummins aims a big drive and doesn’t pull it off.
95th over: Australia 218-7 (Cummins 15, Starc 20) He’s trying to play it properly. Do the right thing. Starc even leaves the first ball from Shami’s over. He won’t be able to resist forever though, will he? No, he’ll last one ball. He drives uppishly but into a big gap at midwicket, so safely. The ball plugs and rolls to a stop just inside the rope, ending up worth three. Cummins is happy to block and leave and tap a single to leg. Starc dips under the short ball to close the over. The gap is 105.
94th over: Australia 214-7 (Cummins 14, Starc 17) Mitchell Starc. I’ve done you wrong. I never knew you like I should. Starc facing Ashwin’s off-spin defends. And defends. And calmly drives a single along the ground to mid-on, sprinting through. Who would have thought? Cummins blots out the last two balls.
93rd over: Australia 213-7 (Cummins 14, Starc 16) Maybe Starc wants the spinner. He knocks a single first ball as Shami replaces Bumrah. Cummins needs to take one back. Instead he drives at Shami, not hard but just placing his shot, and gets an edge into the ground that rolls fast past the widest slip for four. India have three in the cordon for him, plus a gully so far back that he’s almost a backward point. Deep square leg comes up to stop a single from the last ball, and Starc will face the spinner. Danger hour, for at least one of them.
110 to win.
92nd over: Australia 208-7 (Cummins 10, Starc 15) Cummins takes up another maiden against Ashwin. Happy to let Starc take the risks while he himself occupies an end. Perhaps also happy to keep Starc away from the spinner, because as soon as Starc sees one he tries to punt them into the stands. He’s bit safer against pace.
91st over: Australia 208-7 (Cummins 10, Starc 15) Starc doing Starc things. Compactly works a couple off his pads, then hurls the bat at a wider ball from Bumrah and edges him down through the cordon for four. Hit the gap.
90th over: Australia 202-7 (Cummins 10, Starc 9) Cummins is happy to occupy the crease against Ashwin, blocking out another over. Responding to radio chat about Tim Paine’s broken digits, in comes an image from Virginia Lette (who happens to be married to erstwhile Australia opener Ed Cowan).
89th over: Australia 202-7 (Cummins 10, Starc 9) That is an all-run four! Love those, something that has all but disappeared in the game. Once upon a time, there were plenty of those on offer to the long straight boundary at Adelaide Oval. Not so with the reshaped ground. But Starc picks one up here, after picking out Ishant Sharma in the field. Drove down the ground and it stopped just short of the rope. Starc follows up with another couple through cover, then nearly nicks a bigger drive. Couldn’t help it. Don’t get too confident.
The hundred is up, and Australia need 121.
88th over: Australia 196-7 (Cummins 10, Starc 3) The doctor has allowed Starc to keep going, and Starc still hasn’t had a village yahoo at a delivery. In fact he produces another circumspect drive for a single. Maybe that’s why the doctor was checking him out? Cummins edges a run and Starc finds another with a sensible cover push.
“Surely Nathan Lyon is the best choice to replace Paine as captain if he missed out?” emails Aditya. In reality it would be Josh Hazlewood, as the vice-captain. The other vice-captain is currently playing for Western Australia at the MCG and not making any runs, so he won’t be recalled for the next game. (You’d think.) My point is more that Cummins has the characteristics that a leader needs, and he could be a good option in a couple of years, if Australian cricket has any imagination and doesn’t reflexively go back to Smith.
87th over: Australia 193-7 (Cummins 9, Starc 1) Bumrah is going the classic quick-to-quick bowling. Short, full, full, short. The latter hits Starc on the helmet, just clips the back of it and flies down to fine leg for a leg bye. Off the head. Yes, cricket makes sense. There’s a long delay as the team doctor checks out Starc... stand by.
Finally we get going again, and Cummins edges a full ball down to third man for four.
86th over: Australia 188-7 (Cummins 5, Starc 1) The new batsman Starc pushes a single towards point. Cummins takes the rest of the Ashwin over in defence. Australia trail by 135, it would take one of the great tail-end rearguards to have a hope in this match now.
85th over: Australia 187-7 (Cummins 5, Starc 0) The batsmen cross while Paine is waiting to be caught, so Cummins has the strike for the final five balls of Bumrah’s over. The bowler tries a couple of bouncers but Cummins is not tempted. Plays sensibly and circumspectly, in a way his captain should have mirrored. It’s a wicket maiden. If Paine’s bad finger is sufficiently bad to miss the next Test, Cummins is the most captain-like member of this Australian team for mine.
That’s it. All my cheery talk and optimism come to naught. The Australian captain is gone. Not as the scorecard might suggest by a nick to a moving ball, but a big pull-swat against a ball that was outside his off stump, a weird shot to his first ball against Bumrah after lunch. Not taking the time to settle. Perhaps the injured finger made Paine think he had to swashbuckle. But it’s a bad choice, an impulsive one. All he achieves is a big top edge that loops up high towards fine leg, but near enough for the keeper to trot underneath and hold the catch. India look victory square in the eye.
84th over: Australia 187-6 (Paine 41, Cummins 5) Ravi Ashwin starts with spin after lunch. One single from the over, Paine soaking up most of it. Confirmation comes through that he was hit on the right index finger, the same one he broke so badly all those years ago.
Trent Copeland is exactly the opposite of the marquee names leading the new Australian broadcasts this season - and that’s in terms of his playing career and his media one. So it’s good to see him get an opportunity at Seven to be an analyst.
For context, ABC statto Ric Finlay has been through the archives. The best score an Australian team has made from 6-186 in the fourth innings is the 296 all out at Trent Bridge in 2013. The match in which Ashton Agar made his 98 and Phil Hughes an unbeaten 81 in the first innings, then James Pattinson and Brad Haddin nearly got the chase home in the last. Haddin was last out thanks to a DRS referral that found a thin outside edge from Anderson. It was the first game I covered professionally from the ground, so I remember it in slow-mo detail. If Australia can reach 296 here, we’ll have a great finish.
Thanks Adam. I feel good about this match. I don’t know where it’s from, it’s based in feeling rather than logic, but I feel good. Not for one side or the other, but for the chance of an interesting result. The factor for me is the positive way the Australian batsmen have played. Statistically they should be no chance, but Paine and Cummins have belted up and down the pitch, played shots without being reckless, and collected their runs quickly. So yes, they’re 137 behind, but if they could swell this partnership to something substantial, then Mitch Starc produces a quick 30 as he’s been known to do, we could see something close. Stick with us after lunch.
83rd over: Australia 186-6 (Paine 40, Cummins 5). Target 323. I’m not sure if Ashwin passed the memo to Ishant, who is taking his time to make sure this will be the final over of what has been a long, extended session. From the first ball, Paine drives with purpose to cover, wide of mid-off, taking a single. Cummins, who has been out there for a while now, defends well until the final ball when the Indians are up! But Umpire Dharmasena is down, not convinced that is going onto the stumps. No review. It looked to be hitting outside the line of off-stump. LUNCH!
There were two wickets and 85 runs added across two and a half hours. The first breakthrough came inside the first half an hour, Head edging a brute of a bouncer from Ishant into the gully. Then Marsh, on 60 and looking great, received a ripper from Bumrah, tickling it behind. There were some hairy moments for Pat Cummins as soon as he arrived, the DRS used twice, but he survived as Paine kept ticking the board over, even after he copped a whack to his problematic right index finger.
82nd over: Australia 185-6 (Paine 39, Cummins 5). Target 323. Ashwin actually takes the new ball, so they might get three in. That’s certainly his plan, running through the over inside 60 seconds. Cummins looks more comfortable the longer the over continues.
81st over: Australia 185-6 (Paine 39, Cummins 5). Target 323. The second new ball taken by India, as soon as it is due. Ishant has it back in his hand. There is a fair bit going on here with Paine squirting two out past gully. More interesting are the balls he doesn’t score off, shuffling across his stumps before the bowler reaches his delivery stride to get his pads out of the way. Cummins keeps the strike with one to midwicket. India will get two more overs before lunch.
Fascinating strategy from Paine while facing Ishant, trying to take LBW out of the equation.
80th over: Australia 181-6 (Paine 36, Cummins 4). Target 323. Final over before the second new ball is available, to be delivered by Ashwin. It begins with a delivery to Cummins that goes through everyone, including the ‘keeper, a bye putting the captain back on strike. He immediately goes back in the crease to cut again, as he’s done so well in this innings, collecting three for it with the ball pulling up on the slow outfield. There was some excitement from the final ball when Cummins lunged forward but it didn’t go to hand on the legside.
On TV, Ricky Ponting saw that it was the right index finger that Paine was having looked at before the over, the one he had seven (!) operations on as a younger player.
79th over: Australia 177-6 (Paine 33, Cummins 4). Target 323. Shami has a reputation as a fine fourth innings bowler, so I’m not surprised that he is back, albeit after just one Ishant over from the northern end. He’s no good here though, Paine tucking him to the fine leg rope for a boundary with three other balls scored off in smaller currency, all these runs coming through the legside. He’ll want to get the second new ball hooping around fairly quickly, otherwise Bumrah will be back. Eight from it. 146 to win.
Between overs, the Australian physio is out in the middle taking a long look at Paine’s hand, which has been such a problem for him over the years. He did cop a whack to what looked like the handle of the bat from the penultimate ball of the Shami set. He stays on after the treatment.
78th over: Australia 169-6 (Paine 26, Cummins 3). Target 323. Paine has looked pretty good against Ashwin since coming to the crease and does so again here, taking a couple of singles to mid-off, Cummins doing the same between times. We’re back to the crowd applauding every single now. 154 are left for Australia to pull off a stunning win.
77th over: Australia 166-6 (Paine 24, Cummins 2). Target 323. I neglected to note that Australia passed the halfway mark in their chase with the Cummins single in the previous over. He gets another to start the fresh one, pushing Ishant - back on to replace Bumrah - to midwicket. Paine then cuts a couple, his best shot, taking another to that sweeper later in the over. When the bumper comes, Cummins gets out of the way.
“Oh no, Shaun Marsh made runs. That means they’ll pick him in again”
I honestly don’t know what people want.
76th over: Australia 162-6 (Paine 21, Cummins 1). Target 323. Cummins, after getting through the DRS process twice in the previous Ashwin over, is off the mark with a single to point.
The disciplined bowling of the Indian pacers the biggest reason they've out-bowled their Australian counterparts in this Test match so far. 52% of their deliveries have be on good line & length compared to 37% for the Australians. #AUSvIND
75th over: Australia 161-6 (Paine 21, Cummins 0). Target 323. Paine beaten by another Bumrah ripper. The bowler smiles, mindful of how close he is to removing the captain and really getting stuck into the tail. The edge does come later in the set, through a cordon where there is only one slip on position. The most likely scenario is that this ends in a hurry.
74th over: Australia 157-6 (Paine 17, Cummins 0). Target 323. NOT OUT! Umpire Gaffaney overturns the decision as the technology doesn’t find a mark or movement. The end of an eventful over. Ashwin is without doubt the right guy for the lower order, as Australia learned the hard way in Bangalore last year.
IS CUMMINS CAUGHT AT SHORT LEG? Ashwin wins the support of Umpire Llong this time around but Cummins has sent it upstairs! Two reviews in an over. To the DRS!
NOT OUT! Nup, straight through the gate, nothing to see on hotspot or snicko. Back to your places, fellas.
HAS ASHWIN PICKED UP CUMMINS CAUGHT BEHIND? Ashwin insists on a review when it is turned down. We’re going upstairs. Stand by.
73rd over: Australia 156-6 (Paine 16, Cummins 0). Target 323. Bumrah is such a classy bowler. I could, and probably will, watch the replay of the Marsh dismissal over and over again. I’ll share it with you below in case you’re away from the telly. He then nearly sorted out Cummins, the new man, with one that went the other way later in the set.
Marsh is undone by a beauty. Bumrah made him play from around the wicket; a delivery that had to be played at. It shaped away beautifully after pitching, kissing the left-hander’s edge on the way through to Pant. A fine hand comes to an end, and with it, probably, Australia’s hopes.
72nd over: Australia 156-5 (Marsh 60, Paine 16). Target 323. Murali Vijay races through his set, Paine cutting one to the sweeper early in the over and Marsh pushing to the man at mid-on for another. These two have put on 41.
71st over: Australia 154-5 (Marsh 59, Paine 15) Bumrah sends a maiden down to Marsh, playing the Indian quick conservatively from the crease. This’ll be a very important stoush, I reckon.
“A little tired of Eng vs India being heralded as “close”, tweets Tanay Padhi at me. “It was 4-1, you don’t get credit for throwing away positions of strength repeatedly.” That’s fair. I covered that series and it did feel close but you’re spot on saying that India lost almost all the big moments.
70th over: Australia 154-5 (Marsh 59, Paine 15) Murali Vijay on for a little go, allowing Ashwin to rest after bowling for the first 75 minutes unchanged. He does draw a false stroke from Paine, who just squeezes a ball past the ‘keeper Pant via the inside edge. Close call. Marsh keeps the strike with a compact drive to the man on the point rope.
“Manchester says hi,” adds Gareth Frith in reply to my comment about Adelaide’s aesthetics. I meant in the Commonwealth of Australia, to clarify. More generally, I’m sick of people getting stuck into Adelaide. There must be a strong correlation between people who make “30 minutes, more like 30 years!” gags and those who haven’t got a passport.
69th over: Australia 152-5 (Marsh 58, Paine 14) Bumrah for the first time today in the place of Shami, who had few overs before drinks without making a dent. Marsh gets off strike first ball with a tickle fine. Paine does the same, albeit after just keeping out a yorker the ball before. I’m surprised Kohli left it this long to bring onhis quickest bowler.
“I’m worried about this test series, even as a neutral,” writes Gareth Frith. “It looks like it might be set up for another one of these hard-fought classics, and with the time difference I’m looking at some pretty low performance levels at work the next day. There does seem to be a fairly high number of really interesting and exciting series recently, and was wondering why this has been the case. It doesn’t seem to be involving just one side or a certain set of conditions either, and it’s not as though most sides don’t contain at least one or two very good players, so I don’t think quality is the issue. It’s more like every side seems to think they’ve got a chance of winning all over the world, the most one sided was the most recent Ashes, and since then the losing team has been transformed confidence wise and just won an historic trio of matches in Sri Lanka.”
68th over: Australia 150-5 (Marsh 57, Paine 13) Ashwin again to Paine, who is in decent shape against the spin, playing with soft hands to the men around the bat. He takes the chance to get onto the front foot to drive one to cover, Marsh following suit with a single of his own to finish the over and bring up the Australian 150. More applause; more belief.
50 for Shaun Marsh. Could be a career-defining innings if he can ton up and save Australia #AUSvIND
67th over: Australia 148-5 (Marsh 56, Paine 12) Now they’re motoring! Paine’s hook off Shami it not perfectly convincing - it is within a foot or so of landing in Pant’s diving glove - but it gets him four all the same. Marsh on the other hand: this is a beautiful clip through midwicket, the shot of the day by some measure. They are 175 away from the victory target of 323. Dare to dream? Adelaide Oval is, I can assure you of that.
66th over: Australia 139-5 (Marsh 52, Paine 7) Short, pull, four! Marsh to 50 for the 16th time in Test cricket. It took him 201 minutes to reach the milestone, Andrew Samson noting that it is the first time he’s raised his bat in the fourth innings of a Test. He did, however, make an unbeaten 150+ at this ground last month in a Shield game for WA when they were chasing 318. “In Shaun we trust!” says Gerard Whateley on SEN.
65th over: Australia 135-5 (Marsh 48, Paine 7) Marsh using the crease well here, getting back deep to cut Shami behind point for a couple then going the other way to pull two more. A single to square leg means he keeps the strike, moving him close to a half-century as well.
“Warne’s one-eyedness meant Australia won tests from nowhere (Adelaide 2006 being the archetype) but makes him a liability in the commentary box,” says Ian Forth. “Small mercies, but at least Clarke is no longer playing for whom the phrase sub-conscious denial could have been invented for Warne. I’ll never forget ‘Oh, and Pup’s dropped a sitter. It’s because his mind was on the bowling change’.”
64th over: Australia 130-5 (Marsh 43, Paine 7) Paine facing Ashwin, who has bowled unchanged from our broadcast/southern/riverbank/city end this morning. It’s a probing over but the Australian captain is up to the task. The inside edge is utilised at one stage, but straight to ground.
This is excellent on CA’s website: a scorecard to hide from your boss.
Trying to follow the cricket in the office today? Don't forget about our 'Boss Mode' in the match centre...
63rd over: Australia 130-5 (Marsh 43, Paine 7) Marsh is very much in here, playing Shami with ease from the crease before taking a couple to square leg. Not a lot of movement from Indian swing ace.
62nd over: Australia 128-5 (Marsh 41, Paine 7) Big shout from India’s men around the bat when Ashwin’s first delivery to Paine deflects to slip, but Umpire Llong turns it down. Kohli considers the review but thinks better of it, which was the right decision. Another nice cut from Paine gets him two, helped by Shami who misfields at point. I reckon we might see Bumrah for a quick burst at Paine before he’s set. Aakash Chopra on SEN is bagging Adelaide, saying it is sleepy etc. I can’t be having that. This is a wonderfully vibrant city and the (equal) prettiest in all the Commonwealth.
61st over: Australia 126-5 (Marsh 41, Paine 5) DJ Shami is on for his first twist of the day, replacing Ishant at the end of his successful shift from the northern end. Marsh has worn a lot of leg byes in this innings and he does so again here to a misdirected offering early in the over. Paine finds the gap at cover for another. The crowd are applauding every run.
60th over: Australia 124-5 (Marsh 41, Paine 4) Marsh’s most productive over of the opening hour, timing two through midwicket then galloping through for three with his captain after whipping the next ball in the same direction. Impressive from the two oldest blokes in the team.
Maybe this is a bit harsh but, after that dismissal, I'm somehow unsurprised to learn that Graeme Hick is coaching Travis Head @collinsadam.
59th over: Australia 119-5 (Marsh 36, Paine 4) Paine considers trying to get off the mark with a hook off Ishant but pulls out at the last possible moment, which I think we can all agree is for the best. Instead, he opens his account with a compact cut behind point for four. Shot, skip.
58th over: Australia 115-5 (Marsh 36, Paine 0) Ashwin to Marsh, now an even more important contest. The left-hander is able to leave the first and final deliveries but is using his bat through the middle. Fielders around the bat, this is only going to get harder. Maiden.
I’ve received a long email, which would normally disqualify it for inclusion in the OBO. But it’s very good, so here you go. From Keith Johnson in Irvington, New York.
57th over: Australia 115-5 (Marsh 36, Paine 0) Paine defends the two balls remaining in the successful Ishant over. What a fantastic bowler he has evolved into over the last couple of years. Wisden Cricket Monthly, in their latest edition, have calculated (with CricViz) that he is the most effective quick in the world at the moment based on a combination of pace, accuracy and movement.
Wonderful captaincy from Kohli, setting up Head with a deep square leg before Ishant banged in short from around the wicket. The perfectly directed bouncer at the helmet gave the local boy few options, fending to Rahane at gully.
56th over: Australia 115-4 (Marsh 36, Head 14) In the previous over that Ashwin bowled to Marsh he found an inside edge but there was no short leg. This time around there is. He’s off strike first ball via a single through the posh side, though. Risky business from Head! He goes at a flighted delivery and gets a thick edge through the vacant gully region at what would have been a catchable height. He turns for a couple. Another single to point means he keeps the strike. 11 runs have been added today.
55th over: Australia 111-4 (Marsh 34, Head 11) Ishant to Marsh, who leaves then defends then tickles fine for one. More good batting. Head repeats the pattern: leaving then defending. Nothing wrong with this.
How striking to have run rates starting with a "2" in this Twenty20 age.
54th over: Australia 110-4 (Marsh 34, Head 11) Good start this from Marsh, defending Ashwin solidly so far this morning. He’s such a fantastic player of spin when on song. Oh, as soon as I say this his inside edge is found by Ashwin, albeit straight to ground. Head plays out the rest. This is the uneventful first 20 mintes that the home side required.
53rd over: Australia 108-4 (Marsh 32, Head 11) Ishant to Marsh now, beating him with a ripper first up. Moving in, darting away off the seam - you know the type. Good batting from Marsh to get straight back on the front foot and take one to mid-on next ball. Head deals with the rest, using his bat throughout.
We're getting the Fox commentators in the UK @collinsadam. Mike Hussey is perceptive, Isa Guha asks the right questions of the co-comms (and knows her stuff) in a wonderful voice. Warne is unlistenable - an Aussie Boycott, assertions presented as facts, all repeated ad infinitum.
52nd over: Australia 108-4 (Marsh 32, Head 11) Marsh with the first run off the bat for the final day, taking one to midwicket off Ashwin. The spinner is right on the mark to Head, finding his inside edge with the penultimate offering. He’s the man most likely for India.
51st over: Australia 107-4 (Marsh 31, Head 11) Ishant to start from the Cathedral End, delivering to Head who races through for a leg bye to get the board moving in the right direction for the hosts. The bowler helps that too, overstepping as he did so often yesterday. Marsh then earns an extra off his pad. So, the first three runs of the day all sundries. Ishant finds his groove by the end of the set, Head leaving close to his off-stump then defending with a nice, high front elbow. 3630 were in Adelaide Oval when play started, a number that will swell quite a bit if this goes deep.
50th over: Australia 104-4 (Marsh 31, Head 11) Marsh defends and kicks away Ashwin’s first over, a maiden from the Indian spinner. Ric Finlay on ABC notes that when Marsh gets to 31 in Tests he averages 84.5. Also, with the early start (due to rain on Sunday) these are the adjusted day give playing hours: 10:00 - 12:30, 13:10 - 15:10, 15:30 - 17:30.
The players are on the field! We know this because Great Southern Land is playing, the song the Australian side have entered the field of play to at home Tests for, I reckon, 15 years. Time for a change. PLAY!
“My view is that if it is a no-ball, it is a no-ball.” Justin Langer is on ABC having a pre-game natter, going through yesterday’s talking points. On Mitchell Starc: “I thought he had one off spell during the game but overall he was very economical and when he swings the bowl and bowls to the tail he is world class. Everyone has a differenet role in the team; he is not necessarily going to be a Glenn McGrath or Josh Hazlewood type but he gets the ball to swing and that is really dangerous and hard to play We would all love to be perfect but what he does for the team is excellent.”
Before Day 5 of #AUSvIND, catch up on Sunday's interviews & features in the 7sport app.
• 'Stumped', the cricket quiz show • 'The Nightwatchmen', with Peter Lalor & Gideon Haigh • All the #WBBL04 interviews
A lot of attention on the Finch non-review. I liked Gerard Whateley’s interpretation on Cricket360 last night that Finch didn’t view himself as important enough to take a pop at a 50/50 review like that, but he should because he is already a senior player in such an inexperienced side.
Gold coin donation to get into Adelaide Oval today. So if you’re in the area, you know what to do.
How have you found the telly? Four days in, seems like a decent enough sample size to make a call on the new broadcast teams at Seven and Fox. I’m not well placed to talk about the former, as they are precluded from showing their call online and all the press box TVs are very much Fox.
But I want to know what you think. Here is a prompt.
Best parts of #7Cricket coverage: 1. @plalor and Gideon Haigh 2. @copes9 analysis 3. Live score in top corner during ads 4. Punter
David Saker, Australian bowling coach, has just been on SEN defending Mitch Starc, who was far from his best this week. He also said that Aaron Finch should have reviewed his dismissal yesterday. That isn’t a view shared by Nathan Lyon, who told us after play that he talked to the third umpire about the matter and concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the decision made on the field. Never a dull DRS moment!
So then, what are your feelings about Shaun Marsh? If re-writing the citizenship test to include subjective measures, the question about Don Bradman’s average would be replaced with the task of writing an essay about the West Australian’s lengthy and complex career arc.
He resumes on 31. What does it mean? Not a lot out of context; a humble start. But such is the history, we know that when the left-hander gets a start – out of single digits, more to the point – special things can happen.
Honours relatively even at the end of the day, though tilted towards Australia. India could still come out and run through the last four wickets for not much, which would have them in the frame. But if Australia can push past 300, and up towards 350, that could be a very good score on this wicket.
It’s already doing enough. We’ve seen the occasional ball deviate sharply from cracks. We’ve seen the new ball especially move at times. We’ve seen excellent pace and carry. But for all that, we’ve seen it be more than possible to score, especially for batsmen willing to take on the game. India can try that out tomorrow, and have some batsmen who might enjoy it.
90th over: Australia 277-6 (Paine 16, Cummins 11) And somehow, India have made up their overs. Applause. It only took the usual extra half hour, plus three extra minutes, plus some racing work from their part-time spinners, to get them through 90 overs in the day. The captain is safe. So is the other captain, as Cummins decides to do the team thing and occupy the striker’s end, which would ensure the day would be done if a wicket fell.
It nearly does once, as Bumrah beats the edge. And it nearly does from the very last ball of the day, fizzing in towards the batsman this time, keeping a bit low. It hits Cummins dead in front. It looks good. The umpire says no. Cummins immediately starts walking off for stumps, leaving Kohli agonising about whether to review. He wants to, he wants to. But the pressure of the moment is too much, and eventually he says no.
89th over: Australia 277-6 (Paine 16, Cummins 11) Cummins is able to collect runs ins this style: he just presses into the gap at cover and places it well enough to get back for two. Shami bangs the ball in, and not for the first time today it takes off like a moon launch. Down leg side and high, and again we have the sight of Rishabh Pant in his gleaming white uniform, silhouetted against the rich green turf fabric flapping, caught mid-flight like an albatross about to plunge into a strange and distant sea. By which I mean he stopped the ball. Cummins jabs a single off his hip from the replacement delivery.
88th over: Australia 272-6 (Paine 15, Cummins 8) Mitchell Johnson is doing special comments on ABC radio this summer. You can tell he’s still quite shy, but has some interesting things to say. “He looks so good, Pat Cummins, he could bat at five. That technique. If you were to come into the stadium without knowing much about it. He’s facing a bowler at 145 and looks so comfortable.”
Cummins’ main strength is judiciousness, I’d say. A rare quality in the lower order. He waits out some wider and shorter balls, then places the straight ball from Bumrah through midwicket for three runs. Paine loses control on his pull shot, but square leg is very deep on these long, long, AFL-ground length square boundaries. And square leg is looking straight into the setting sun. So he can’t see the ball that probably would have landed well short of him anyway.
87th over: Australia 268-6 (Paine 14, Cummins 5) Cummins gets off strike with a skew that lands near gully. Seven men in an infield ring for Paine, with long leg and deep square out. Umesh chisels away in the off-stump channel. Paine will not be drawn.
86th over: Australia 267-6 (Paine 14, Cummins 4) Bumrah has been exceptional today, despite only taking one wicket. He’s into his 20th over and beats Cummins with a pearler first ball, jagging away from the batsman. When he gets straighter he concedes a couple of singles, but he skips a bouncer past Cummins, then hits him low on the pad. The umpire says not out, and Bumrah tells his captain it was going down leg side. So even his reviewing is on point.
85th over: Australia 264-6 (Paine 13, Cummins 3) The shadows are now in the middle of the ground, and there are patches of sun at either end, as the light creeps in under the canopy as well as over it. Cummins gets off the mark by gliding two, then cutting one, and Paine connects cleanly with his pull shot against Umesh Yadav.
84th over: Australia 257-6 (Paine 9, Cummins 0) What’s an adequate exclamation sound for that? Jasprit Bumrah has come on, and bowled a genuine unplayable. Not entirely under his own steam though. It hit a crack, you’d think, on a good length on about off stump. The brand new, cherry-dark Kookaburra jagged towards the off side. Paine was playing across his pad looking to work the ball to midwicket. Instead it sheared away and beat his outside edge. It also beat Pant for four byes. Paine’s eyes widen, and he walks down to conduct a full geological analysis on the pitch. That will be in every batsman’s head for the rest of the match, the idea that the surface can play a trick like that at any time. Coupled with the one that kept incredibly low earlier - was it Harris facing? And then the one that leapt to bring Harris’ dismissal. There’s a wildcard in this deck.
83rd over: Australia 251-6 (Paine 7, Cummins 0) The nightwatchman for Pat Cummins is Pat Cummins. A very competent batsman. He leaves and blocks, as Ishant bowls out a wicket maiden. Ishant now seems to be holding his side, and the physio comes out to drag him off the field and have a look.
Freddie is doing the deep-dive stats analysis for CricViz.
This has been a day defined by missed opportunities. India wasted the first new ball while it was seaming around & allowed Australia to get ahead in the game. India improved after morning drinks but Australia have wasted starts & lost wickets to some loose shots. #AUSvIND
There it is. The result that has been threatening to happen his whole innings. Ishant returns for a new spell, with a new ball. The very first delivery, Head goes wildly at the ball again. There was width, and he aimed a huge Big Bash drive that perhaps was supposed to clear cover for six. Instead it took a thick outside edge and flew flat and direct to third man, who caught it easily. Really don’t understand the point of how Head went about his business, having already enjoyed some luck in making a start. He has three fifties in four Tests, but had his best chance to go better than that today.
82nd over: Australia 251-5 (Head 58, Paine 7) Now the new ball is taken, with Shami entrusted with it. What is Head doing? “He’s made runs, and good on him, but it hasn’t been convincing,” says Dirk Nannes on ABC radio. I’d have to agree. First ball with the new ball, Head wafts outside off stump. Third ball with the new ball, he absolutely thrashes a drive straight at cover. A few deep breaths, Travis... Finally he gets off strike by gliding to third man, a shot which also seems risky against a new ball on this wicket. Paine plays and misses as well.
81st over: Australia 250-5 (Head 57, Paine 7) India opt not to take the new ball. Strange, it’s not like the spinners are dominating. Vihari certainly isn’t with an overpitched ball that lets Paine drive his first boundary, out through cover. Paine then tries to smash a pull shot square, but it’s all toe and lobs down to mid on. Head ticks a single to raise the 250.
80th over: Australia 244-5 (Head 56, Paine 2) Carved away by Head again for four! In the air, over the gap between slip and gully, after Shami gave him width and Head leant back and threw the bat. He can get away with that on this surface, and he’s taking toll.
Give a quick salute in the direction of Guardian desk editor Richard Parkin, who in these festive times is giving that we may grow.
It's the office Christmas party and this schmo's the idiot that has to work. So I'm having a one man disco - starting with only absolute bangers from the year 2000.
79th over: Australia 238-5 (Head 50, Paine 1) Also, who would have tipped that Head would reach a milestone and Marsh would not? Head has been jumpy all day, but he’s survived. Slows down after driving a single first ball of Vihari’s over, and Paine soaks up the rest.
78th over: Australia 237-5 (Head 50, Paine 1) Shami is back. Head gets off strike by dropping into a gap in the covers, and Paine gets off the mark the same way. Head flicks a couple, then some sharp running by Paine from the far end gives Head his 50th run after Head just dropped a ball a few metres from his feet with a defensive stroke.
77th over: Australia 232-5 (Head 46) Marsh out from the last ball of that over. Since when does Shaun Marsh make 60 and 45? Neither a hundred nor a duck. I don’t know what to make of it. The captain Paine will be in next, looking boyish and cheery on the stadium’s big screens. “The toughest pretty boy I’ve ever met,” was how his coach Justin Langer described him the other day.
Who saw that coming? Marsh has been playing so well today. Vihari comes around the wicket and lobs in a ball outside off. It’s not that short, but Marsh wants to cut with the width. He drops his knees to get low enough given the length, but perhaps doesn’t anticipate the bounce in this pitch. Because despite the ball being low, the bat manages to get beneath it, and send a top edge skipping up to first slip. A simple take for Rahane.
76th over: Australia 227-4 (Marsh 44, Head 43) Marsh takes back the lead! Murali Vijay is on to bowl, two part-time spinners trying to make up the run rate. Marsh takes full advantage, pulling a four then driving one almost through Head at the non-striker’s end. In the meantime, Head tries to go downtown and nearly chips straight to mid-on. Just fell short. Ten from the over.
75th over: Australia 217-4 (Marsh 35, Head 41) Travis Head with that wristy flash of his. Went forward, saw Vihari’s length, sways back instead and flashes away through backward point for four. Then tries it again next ball and misses, as Vihari pushes it through faster and Head doesn’t adapt.
74th over: Australia 213-4 (Marsh 35, Head 37) When Marsh is leaving the ball well, that’s when he looks convincing. He’s happy to let most of this Ishant over go.
73rd over: Australia 213-4 (Marsh 35, Head 37) This batting pair is now working Vihari pretty well. Three singles ticked about the place. The big shadow from the Perth Stadium roof is nearly halfway across the ground and approaching the pitch, looking like a giant set of piranha jaws is about to enclose Umpire Dharmasena.
72nd over: Australia 210-4 (Marsh 33, Head 36) Ufff, that’s ugly from Marsh. His earlier assurance has vanished, as he throws the bat at Ishant and gets a big edge back past his leg stump. The same way he got out in the first innings at Adelaide, though the shot this time wasn’t as hideous. Head flashes away a drive past gully for a couple as backward point comes round. That’s drinks, so we pause with 43 minutes to the scheduled stumps break and 73 minutes to what will be stumps with the extra half hour. Can India make up 18 overs in that time? Wouldn’t think so.
71st over: Australia 207-4 (Marsh 32, Head 34) Travis Head skips down and slots Vihari through midwicket for four. Clunked it but looked a bit risky. He’s gone past Marsh’s score, having faced 50 balls to 77.
70th over: Australia 201-4 (Marsh 31, Head 29) Shami sends down a maiden to Marsh.
Re the over rate @GeoffLemonSport, India will be able to take the new ball at 80 overs, but probably have only four or five to deliver today, meaning fresh bowlers have the hard rock tomorrow morning. That seems unfair in a series in which margins are likely to be tight.
69th over: Australia 201-4 (Marsh 31, Head 29) The 200 comes up from another Vihari over. Not even 70 overs gone and we’ve got less than an hour until the scheduled close. That is impressively slow.
68th over: Australia 198-4 (Marsh 30, Head 27) Another edged boundary from Head. The runs are ticking over, and a 50 partnership has just come up, but you can’t say that it’s looked convincing.
Keep yourselves nice. Everything’s expensive to import to Perth, even cops.
67th over: Australia 192-4 (Marsh 29, Head 22) A slip and a gully, quite a few strides back from the batsman. Vihari bowls outside off and Marsh is dropped! No takes are that easy for a keeper up to the stumps, but that was as easy as they can get. Marsh tried to cut, it was a top edge from a flashing shot, but the ball went straight into Pant’s gloves. Perhaps he was up a bit too early, or leaning back, because it went in, hit his hands, and bounced back out. Pant couldn’t recover to lunge forward for the rebound because his weight was going backwards and he was falling away. Marsh celebrates by ending the over with a straight-driven boundary.
66th over: Australia 186-4 (Marsh 24, Head 21) Shami is on, Kohli able to use his quicks in short bursts with the spinner bowling. They could still rue not picking Jadeja instead. Shami pounds in, bearded and barrel-chested, looking like he should be carrying an axe in one hand. Head can’t control his only shot, squirting away a couple of runs to leg. Shami can’t control his bouncer, called a wide.
The final crowd figures have just come through, a tick under 20,000. Not bad for a lot of countries, but it looks slender for a ground that can seat three times that number. It’s a Friday, so there should be more on the weekend.
65th over: Australia 183-4 (Marsh 24, Head 19) Hanuma has to Vihari up, because the run rate is dire. He races through an over for a single to try and catch things up. Needs about 20 more of those. Overs, not singles. The singles probably won’t bother him much either.
64th over: Australia 182-4 (Marsh 24, Head 18) Bumrah is still getting some real trampoline from this pitch. It’s swinging between the batsman and the keeper, and testing out Pant as he leaps towards first slip. India still have three slips in. First, second, and fourth, I’d probably call it. First slip is a pace wider than he might be. Marsh only plays once, and leaves the rest of the over. A model of discipline.
63rd over: Australia 182-4 (Marsh 24, Head 18) The best thing about Vihari bowling is that it gets Rishanbh Pant up to the stumps. Then you can hear his loud and cheerful chatter through the stump mics, and with Harsha Bhogle on air he can translate the instructions to the bowler. Nothing ground-breaking, but it’s good atmos. Marsh and Head don’t mind Vihari, because he gives them each a short ball to cut for a single to the point sweeper.
62nd over: Australia 180-4 (Marsh 23, Head 17) Head is trying to settle, walking across a touch to Bumrah and working a couple of scoring shots into the leg side.
61st over: Australia 177-4 (Marsh 23, Head 14) Hanuma Vihari. Ain’t no passing craze. He means no worries for the rest of your days.
No worries unless you’re an Australian batsman, as the off-spinner is the one who got a ball to go vertical against Harris earlier. He draws an edge from Marsh this time, but it goes past slip and way for four.
60th over: Australia 171-4 (Marsh 18, Head 13) Jasprit Bumrah is back, bowling with what Harsha Bhogle on the ABC calls “his Tin Man action”. Like his colleagues, he’s mixing up a probing fuller length with a testing shorter one. Marsh handles that competently enough, dropping a single away to leg, but Head is all at sea. One gets through, hits him, via the glove, and could have gone anywhere. Then another wild shot comes outside the off stump, just outside as the ball was leaving him. But it was short enough that he didn’t need to play. Head is not long for this innings if this continues.
59th over: Australia 170-4 (Marsh 17, Head 13) Head, on the other hand, is currently batting like he’s been stitched together out of graverobber parts at an early anatomy school. Has another slap outside off, more of a drive this time but it was built out of parts of a few different shots. Misses again. Then chops another ball through the cordon for a couple. Hopping and jumping. Makes it through the Ishant over, trading singles with Marsh from the last two balls.
58th over: Australia 166-4 (Marsh 16, Head 10) I don’t want to sound clichéd, but this is excellent cricket. Umesh Yadav zings a ball past Marsh’s outside edge. Then pinpoints a bouncer that Marsh ducks. Then beats the edeg again with a beauty that moves away from the left-hander. Then bowls short again but is cracked away by Marsh’s hook shot for four, all along the ground. Facetiousness aside, I’ll bet Marsh does make a hundred here. He looks an absolute lock.
57th over: Australia 162-4 (Marsh 12, Head 10) Ishant bowls full and Head tucks him for four, so the bowlers goes back to the shorter ball. Head plays exactly the shot Handscomb played, except in a mirror because he’s a left-hander. Except Head is lucky enough to miss the ball, which zips over the top edge of his back-foot glide.
My descriptions aren’t really adequate, you deserve to see this.
56th over: Australia 158-4 (Marsh 12, Head 6) Yadav continues the short attack to Head, but he’s able to jump and stab a single. Marsh leans back with dismissive casualness and creams a cut shot for four. Full power, full face, and that’s the kind of shot that makes the Marsh devotees keep believing. He’s on to 12 now, so he’s a dead cert for a hundred.
55th over: Australia 154-4 (Marsh 8, Head 5) And Ishant nearly doubles up, nearly makes it two in two. His first ball to Head is a snorter, a proper bouncer, like the one that dismissed Head in Adelaide. That previous time he gloved it to gully. This time he gloves it over gully for a very lucky boundary. The batsman edges a single next ball, and gets down the other end.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC! What a catch from Virat Kohli. Ishant bowls the way he does, fast and back of a length, getting good lift. Handscomb looks to glide the ball away with an angled bat. But it’s too close to his body and gets too big. Takes the top edge of the diagonal and soars away. It should clear the cordon for four, but Kohli anticipates it. Stretches, leaps, is fully off the ground by the time the ball reaches his orbit. Reaches out his right hand, high above and to the side of his body, and grips the catch. A beauty, and the whole press box yelps with the catch and sighs in admiration with the replay.
54th over: Australia 148-3 (Handscomb 7, Marsh 8) Three from the over, as Handscomb snares a brace and a one, then Marsh is whacked on the leg by Umesh Yadav. “It’s actually not that bad to get a stinger on the thigh straight after a tea break. It wakes you up,” says Ricky Ponting. Jesus, imagine what the morning must be like when you stay over at Ricky’s house for the first time.
I sound like a lunch buffet. I’ll do my best to stay fresh and hot and free from unfriendly bacteria.
“Vihari is the new Ernie McCracken,” says a mysterious email from John Phaceas. “Welcome to the chair Geoff. No words required.”
Australia had the first hour, India had the second. Harris and Finch were starting to look imperious straight after lunch, after a flurry of boundaries and comfortable strike rotation saw both reach their respective half-centuries. But a wonderful spell from Jasprit Bumrah brought the visitors back into the contest. First, he dismissed Finch after beating him for pace to have him LBW, before strangling Usman Khawaja so fiercely that Yadav was able to pick him up an over later. Vihari then got one to rear from a crack, which got rid of Harris, meaning India took 3-33 in the hour. Thanks for staying with me during that absorbing session, and now hang around the sumptuous stylings of Geoffrey Lemon.
53rd over: Australia 145-3 (Handscomb 4, Marsh 8) After about half an hour off, Bumrah returns. To be expected, he’s bang on the money. What a quality bowler he is. It’s a maiden, and it takes us to tea.
52nd over: Australia 145-3 (Handscomb 4, Marsh 8) Yadav overpitches to Marsh again, who helps himself to two through square early in the over. It brings Handscomb on strike, who finds three slips behind him and a deep backward point, of all positions. The double bluff is on, as Yadav finishes with a full ball zeroing in on the stumps that only just misses. Yadav wheels away in anguish, hands clasped on head.
51st over: Australia 142-3 (Handscomb 4, Marsh 5) A maiden from Vihari - Handscomb looked tentative there. He was beaten with the first and was tied down for the rest. After an inauspicious starts, he’s grown into his spell.
50th over: Australia 142-3 (Handscomb 4, Marsh 5) Looser from Yadav, who concedes three to a Handscomb pull, then four all-run from a Marsh square drive. Long boundaries out here. He can afford to attack though, as another wicket would put this Test firmly in the vistors’ favour. As I type that, he beats Marsh and strikes the pad, resulting in a huge appeal. It’s given not out, and Kohli decides against reviewing, indicating he thought it was going over.
Australia needs at least 322 on this pitch. Big partnership here.#AUSvIND
49th over: Australia 135-3 (Handscomb 1, Marsh 1) India shading it now, and very interesting to see some quirky pitch behaviour so early in the Test. Vihari’s wicket brings Handscomb to the crease - the Australian will be ever-eager to make a strong contribution today. A good innings from Harris, too, who’ll take confidence from that. Vihari: who’d have thought?
Vihari gets him! A Kohli bowling change does it again! A flat Vihari delivery has surely hit a crack there and reared up at Harris who was shaping to cut. It takes his glove and pops up to first slip, where Rahane takes it easily. Vihari celebrates widly, as he should. Turning into a great hour for India.
48th over: Australia 132-2 (Harris 69, Marsh 0) Yadav is bending his back here, he’s cranked it up after a fairly innocuous first spell. Marsh manages to tuck one to fine leg for one, and then Yadav slams a bouncer into the deck that Harris is able to pull for one. Stats suggest Yadav has dismissed Marsh eight times. He’ll fancy himself to do it again, I feel.
47th over: Australia 132-2 (Harris 69, Marsh 0) Tight here from Shami, who concedes a single and a leg bye while both Marsh and Harris largely defend. Can India strike again before tea?
Usman Khawaja has hit one boundary in 200 balls faced this series. #AUSvIND@FoxCricket
46th over: Australia 130-2 (Harris 69, Marsh 0) Yadav gets the reward for Bumrah’s work, I’d say. There may have been a little more pace than normal, but it was otherwise a fairly rank delivery. Was it too close to cut, perhaps? Either way, it leaves Australia a little precarious. Shaun Marsh is warmly welcomed by his home town, but as ever, the question is: can he get to ten?
Khawaja flashes at a short and wide one from Yadav, nicks it and he’s caught behind! He’d been tied down and no doubt his eyes would have lit up at the chance to score. It was a clunky innings from the number three. Whatever India’s plans are, they’re working. India getting on top.
45th over: Australia 127-1 (Harris 65, Khawaja 5) Eventful. First, Harris attempts to drive ambitiously but misses. It was a loose shot, but it didn’t stop him chasing another one - this time it’s a little shorter and wider, and Harris gains a healthy edge after trying to cut, and KL Rahul can’t hang on after his outstretched hands tried to grab it at second slip. I’d call it a half chance, it would have been an excellent take. Harris gets four for it, which releases a little bit of pressure for Australia.
44th over: Australia 122-1 (Harris 60, Khawaja 5) Harris gets an early single, which sets up another battle between Khawaja and Bumrah. The Australian number three has been so far constrained by the paceman, and there’s a real sense this exchange could make or break Australia’s day. Bumrah can’t have many overs left in this spell, and Australia will relish seeing him off as the heat rises and the day deepens. That’s when it’s time to cash in. Khawaja sees him off. It really is excellent bowling; I wonder if he can keep going. It’s been a long spell.
43rd over: Australia 121-1 (Harris 59, Khawaja 5) Shami’s back into the attack, and it gives Khawaja some reprieve. After a sustained period of really disciplined bowling, Shami errs and goes too straight, allowing Khawaja the chance to tuck one off his pads for three. Harris then softens the hands on one and sets off for a quick single which Khawaja responds well to. That’s the way you release pressure. Shami then manages to elicit a thick outside edge from Khawaja, but it bounces twice before reaching second slip. The follow up strikes him in the midriff, but Khawaja escapes otherwise unscathed.
42nd over: Australia 117-1 (Harris 58, Khawaja 2) Bumrah nearly beats Harris on the inside edge as Harris strides forward, but the Australian manages to get enough on it to gain a single down to fine leg. It brings Khawaja on strike, who’s greeted with a quick bouncer that easily beats Khawaja’s half-hearted hook for pace. Pant just manages to snaffle it in one hand. He leaves well on the next ball, in what’s proving a really testing period for the number three. He then manages to get one to the vacant square leg. They think about two and Harris sets off before changing his mind, correctly so. Bumrah moves one away from Harris to finish; he’d have to be getting tired now, wouldn’t he?
Marcus Harris' discipline has been excellent today. Against the 57 good length deliveries he's faced today, he's only scored five runs, happy to let the good balls go by. All of his other runs have come when the bowler has bowled too full, or too short. #AUSvIND
41st over: Australia 115-1 (Harris 57, Khawaja 1) Sharma seems to be bowling at about 85% pace, but his line and length remain spot on. Harris manages a single off his hip (an important shot for him this innings), before Sharma gets four balls at Khawaja. The number three is 1 from 19 balls at the time of typing, and hasn’t been offered anything from which to score from. Another ball nearly gets him on the fingers toward the end of the over. It will be interesting to see how he gets himself moving in this innings.
40th over: Australia 114-1 (Harris 56, Khawaja 1) Bumrah’s the danger here. He gets another very good look at Khawaja, who is rapped on the finger at one point with one that jumps at him. When he’s not rushing Khawaja with short ones, he’s moving the ball away from him. He just offers nothing, Bumrah. Very few overpitched deliveries, and no width. Get the sense that he will carry a fair amount of responsibility for wickets here. Another maiden.
39th over: Australia 114-1 (Harris 56, Khawaja 1) The runs have really dried up here for Australia, as India continue the strangle. The pressure tells, as Harris plays a shot that could generously be described as a ‘waft’. Sharma lets him know too, and Harris replies by walking directly at him in a bid to pat the part of the wicket Sharma’s standing on. More leaves follow before Harris finally gets a single off the hip to rotate the strike. Next up, Khawaja drives a full ball which is stopped by Kohli in the ring, before the Indian captain shies at the stumps and concedes an overthrow. Bit of a pressure killer, that. Harris leaves the next, and that’s drinks. Despite a wicket, that was Australia’s hour, I’d say. 48 runs is pretty good going, and if they can do that again, they’ll be well placed in this Test.
38th over: Australia 112-1 (Harris 55, Khawaja 0) Bumrah gets another elongated look at Khawaja, who bats facing two slips, a gully, and an otherwise ring field. The Indian expressman challenges the Australian on off stump for six deliveries, and Khawaja defends with respect. Square leg then drops back for the last delivery in classic double-bluff fashion. It’s full, Khawaja leaves, and Bumrah finishes with a maiden.
It wasn't Umesh but trapped lbw by the full in-swinger is how Finch fell. Four of Finch's five dismissals against pace in Test cricket have been bowled or lbw & four of them have been in-swingers. #AUSvINDhttps://t.co/32mlXIPOn1
37th over: Australia 112-1 (Harris 55, Khawaja 0) Vihari is pulled from the attack straight away, and it’s Ishant from that end now. He’s pretty tight to begin with, and Harris is happy to defend. He’s bowling with a deep point and deep square, so there are singles on offer. Harris doesn’t utilise them though, as Sharma is unerring in that fourth stump line. Dirk Nannes points out that it looks fairly slow, and the 128km/hr reading backs that up. Regardless, he starts with a maiden. Feel the Sharma/Bumrah axis will be decidedly more difficult for Australia to deal with than what Kohli was offering earlier.
36th over: Australia 112-1 (Harris 55, Khawaja 0) Bumrah shows his class again. After dismissing Finch, he follows up with an absolute beauty to Khawaja, who is beaten all ends up. He then finishes the over with another ripping delivery, around the wicket, that roars past Khawaja’s edge and Pant takes it above his head.
Bumrah makes immediate impact! After a forlorn shout from the first ball, the second hits him below the knee roll, and strikes the pad. It was almost a half volley. It’s given straight away, and Finch doesn’t bother reviewing. He’s filthy with himself, swiping his bat angrily as he turns and departs. A promising innings from the Victorian, but he’ll feel he missed out, I’m sure.
35th over: Australia 112-0 (Harris 55, Finch 50) Here comes the part time spinner, Vihari, and Finch takes him on straight away. It looks gentle, and Finch drives him between cover and mid-off for four. The next one goes too, another boundary, this time through cover. Finch then gets a single on the off side and brings up his fifty. A great comeback from the Victorian who looked all at sea last Test. This author thought he’d be removed from the squad at first opportunity. Not now. Nine from the over for Australia. Worrying signs for India.
50 for Aaron Finch after a week of scrutiny. Started well, struggled in second hour but looks better after lunch. Huge opportunity beckons for maiden Test ton #AUSvIND
34th over: Australia 103-0 (Harris 55, Finch 41) The hundred partnership comes up for Finch and Harris, after Harris drops the ball at his feet to scamper through for one. This is good batting from Australia, who were consistently unable to rotate the strike in Adelaide. They’ve forced field changes, earned gaps in the field, and are now profiting from it. Finch then punches off the back foot for three - a very long boundary out there. ABC commentators are talking about how little swing there is - India are certainly struggling to ask too many questions here. It’s starting to look a little ominous from their perspective.
32nd over: Australia 99-0 (Harris 54, Finch 38) Yadav is looking laboured here, before unleashing an unbelievably short bouncer that takes off and clears Pant comfortably, cannoning into the fence. He directs a better short one at Harris a few balls later, the Australian swaying effectively out of its way. Harris then turns the strike over from the last ball. Wonder if that’s Yadav’s last of this spell.
31st over: Australia 93-0 (Harris 53, Finch 38) Shami squares Harris up twice in this over, beating the bat both times. When he gets that line right, he looks very likely. But as has been the tale so far this session, he lets Harris off, and Harris picks up one down to fine leg. Finch tries to drive late in the over, but miscues to mid on.
30th over: Australia 91-0 (Harris 52, Finch 37)
A single each to Finch and Harris, both of whom have earned some boundary riders, and thus the chance to rotate the strike. Harris then square drives extravagantly, but only to the man on the boundary. Yadav is pained by it, as it probably wasn’t quite there. Finch then tucks off his pads for one. The runs are flowing fairly easily for Australia here, the bowling a little ‘both sides’, as they say.
29th over: Australia 87-0 (Harris 50, Finch 35)
Shami continues and rips a beautiful away-swinger past Harris to start things off. Harris hung his bat out there and was beaten comfortably. He’s just starting to tighten his grip on the West Australian-cum-Victorian, and Harris could use a run to get off strike. He does better than that though, hitting another square drive to the boundary. It wasn’t that full, but Harris is confident there. That shot takes him to 49, before a dabbed single to the vacant midwicket brings up his maiden Test fifty. He gets warm applause for it, too, and it’s well deserved. To continue the momentum, Finch then punches Shami through the off side for another boundary. It was a poor end to the over from the paceman, who’s otherwise been metronomic in his lines.
28th over: Australia 78-0 (Harris 45, Finch 31)
It’s Yadav again, and Finch looks super solid in his front foot defence. As good as he’s looked in the series, to be fair. Yadav would be struggling to hit 130km/hr here, I’d venture. Yadav shortens his length and Finch tries to biff him off the back foot through the offside, but misses. Yadav throws his hands to his head - was a bit tight for Finch to attempt that. He survives.
27th over: Australia 78-0 (Harris 45, Finch 31)
More runs for Australia, as Harris steers a square drive for four from Shami’s second delivery. The next keeps very low, though, and sneaks under Harris’ bat, and can only have been whiskers from taking the off peg. It must have hit a crack. It nearly rolled! Harris then assuredly drives Shami square for another boundary, before leaving the next. He moves to 45 in an eventful over.
26th over: Australia 70-0 (Harris 37, Finch 31)
It’s Yadav to begin, and India have a couple of slips and an otherwise ring field. After leaving the first, Finch then leans on a cover drive that pierces cover and point, and grabs three for it. He tightens his line to Harris, who meets a similar field to Finch. Meanwhile, Ed Cowan describes Yadav as bowling ‘medium pace swingers’, and his analysis seems right - for this over anyway. Harris then tucks Yadav off his hip for an easy one down to fine leg. A lackadaisical start from India here. It’ll be Shami from the other end.
We’re a couple of minutes away
The kiddies are forming a guard of honour for both sets of players, the Fox Sports aerial cam is zooming around wildly, and blokes (term used advisedly) to my right in corporate boxes are knocking back beers with abandon.
Possibly too early to draw inferences, but wonder if India may have missed a trick by leaving a spinner out. As I type this, Hanuma Vihari is out on the field rolling his arm over - given the heat, he may have to get through at least ten to fifteen overs today.
...and cheers for joining me as we head into the second session at a baking Optus Stadium (think it’s hitting 39 degrees here).
26th over: Australia 66-0 (Harris 36, Finch 28) Shami around the wicket to Harris, who races through for a tip-and-run single to cover to begin, Finch then back off strike himself with a leg bye. The left handed opener is able to leave the rest, tucking his bat under the arm and jogging down to Finch after the final ball so that they walk off together.
A fine session from the hosts. They may have only added 19 runs in the second hour but they way they repelled the new ball early gave them the chance to slow things right down before lunch without much risk. Harris is going beautifully, scoring down the ground and through midwicket with ease. Finch had his moments but he will be overjoyed at having the chance to bat through the hottest part of the day. That’s all ahead of us.
25th over: Australia 64-0 (Harris 35, Finch 28) Bumrah to continue his stoush with Finch. It’s another accurate set, the big quick refusing to let the opener off the hook. Maiden. They are going to race through to get one more over in before the lunch break.
24th over: Australia 64-0 (Harris 35, Finch 28) Harris pushes Ishant to cover then Finch drives him for one, both singles controlled along the ground. A yorker jams up the southpaw but he is able to let the final ball go, as is his preference with five minutes till lunch.
“I am writing from Canada,” emails Raja Ajay. “It is nice and cold and near midnight. India sure got their selection wrong again just like they did in England. It’s better to have Jadeja and Umesh in the team rather than an extra inexperience batsman who is going to get 5&7 in the match. Jadeja could bowl a lot of overs and would surely score more runs than the extra batsman.”
23rd over: Australia 62-0 (Harris 34, Finch 27) Three maidens on the trot, of course, helps build the pressure so India still feel close. Finch, facing Bumrah, wafts at the first ball of a new over, lucky not to nick behind. The outside edge of the blade is clipped later in the set, juuust evading the diving KL Rahul at second slip. As Mark Waugh notes on the telly, he played with soft enough hands that it may not have carried to a third cordon catcher. In any case, some rare runs for Finch - four of them - making seven for him in the last hour or so. Sure enough, Bumrah bites back with a quicker offering that beats the Victorian for the second time outside the off-stump. An excellent over of accurate fast bowling.
Super over from Bumrah to Finch. India have been much better since drinks, but that first hour, when ball was new and batsmen not set, has already cost them #AusvInd
22nd over: Australia 58-0 (Harris 34, Finch 23) You know what? This is a touch boring. When was the last time you could say that about an Australian opening stand? It’s a beautiful feeling home fans who have longed for a quiet session as far as the top order is concerned. Harris is right in his happy place, leaving Ishant well alone with lunch nearing.
21st over: Australia 58-0 (Harris 34, Finch 23) Back to back maidens, Bumrah not able to tempt Finch, who is leaving with purpose in this second hour. Might be time for some pre-lunch spin. Oh, right.
India are straining to make something happen. At Adelaide, 20% of their new ball deliveries were full-pitched. Today, it's been 40%. #AUSvIND
20th over: Australia 58-0 (Harris 34, Finch 23) Ishant is back too, from the southern end. So, the openers have switched approach. The difference since the last time that he bowled is that Harris is now well set, happily jumping onto the front foot to defend with his off-drive. On the telly, they confirm that it is 36 degrees with 16 per cent humidity in the middle.
Good point from CricViz: the Indian seamers are getting the ball moving more than enough, they just haven’t found a way through.
In Adelaide, the average seam movement with the new ball was 0.55°. So far at the Optus Stadium, the ball has moved 0.79° off the surface. India can't blame the pitch - there's plenty of assistance. #AUSvIND
19th over: Australia 58-0 (Harris 34, Finch 23) Bumrah back for another go, from the northern end this time around. Finch turns the strike over early in the set behind square, Harris taking a single from the final ball in the same direction off his thigh pad. India have to keep their cool here in the lead up to lunch.
The worst thing about India playing all quicks is that it means Rishabh Pant won't be keeping up to the stumps mic. #AUSvIND
18th over: Australia 56-0 (Harris 33, Finch 22) Singles from Harris then Finch to begin, the former tickling to fine leg the latter doing likewise from the inside portion of the bat. Harris has the good sense to leave when the moving ball when he can, defending solidly to finish. As Chris Rogers says, what Harris has learned since leaving WA and moving to Victoria is how to time an innings by constantly ticking the board over with singles. He’s building very nicely here.
17th over: Australia 54-0 (Harris 32, Finch 21) Finch creams a dead-straight drive to begin but Umesh gets his foot down just in time; good cricket from both. He tries to beat cover with another stroke off the front foot a couple of balls later but picks out the fielder. Unlucky. A patient finish from the opener, who defends then leaves. Whisper it: I think he’s just about set.
Trent Copelandis doing a fantastic job on the Seven coverage with these Anderson Cooper-esque segments.
16th over: Australia 54-0 (Harris 32, Finch 21) Shami to Finch, who has been stuck on 20 for about half an hour. The Indian quick is striving to hit that front pad, bowling inducker after inducker. Shami is such a talented bowler thant the outswinger will come soon enough - all part of the plan, I’m sure. Oh, here it is, but Finch is up to it, defending solidly to cover. To finish the over, he turns one to midwicket to get his tally moving again, the first run taken from Shami’s three overs.
15th over: Australia 53-0 (Harris 32, Finch 20) Another productive over for Harris, clipping two more to that midwicket region to start the over and pass 26 (hoorah!) before smaaaaashing Umesh past point to record his sixth boundary of the morning. He loves that shot. There was a brief bit of concern in the middle of the over when India were interested in a catch behind, but it came off the flap of his pad the replay confirmed.
14th over: Australia 47-0 (Harris 26, Finch 20) Not lost upon anyone on social media or the TV call that Harris is 26, the score he was dismissed on in both digs at Adelaide. It’s Shami to Finch this time though, the match-up that so nearly won India their first wicket during his first over. Really welly handled by the Victorian this time around, defending the first half of the over before leaving the rest. I keep saying it, but what a massive day for him.
“Loving your work right now,” Kellie Brandenburg kindly tweets. “Interminable day at the hospital now enlivened by the #AusvsIndia cricket. Just hope the phone battery holds out for the next few hours.”
13th over: Australia 47-0 (Harris 26, Finch 20) Umesh sends down the final over of the first hour. Harris starts it well with a straight blade in defence before the bowler finds a bit of movement to beat the edge. Good nut. Harris keeps his cool, clipping the final delivery through midwicket along the carpet to take Australia to drinks without losing a wicket.
12th over: Australia 45-0 (Harris 24, Finch 20) Masssssive shout from India, Shami’s first ball coming back off the seam at Finch and crashing into his pad. They go upstairs to review the not out decision but they have been hurt by the bounce, the ball shown to be going just over the leg stump. Next ball it is a carbon copy, Shami even more insistent but this time unable to convince Kohli to review again. It wouldn’t have mattered as not enough of the ball was hitting the stumps. Phew. Finch fights through, getting his bat down on the final four induckers, all defended off the stumps. Wonderful bowling, compelling Test Match cricket.
11th over: Australia 45-0 (Harris 24, Finch 20) Magnificent batting from Harris, driving Umesh down the ground for a delightful boundary to start the new over. “You might have found one here,” says Michael Vaughan on the Fox call. The over finishes with four more for him through the gap in the cordon, steered with control. Fine work.
10th over: Australia 37-0 (Harris 16, Finch 20) Bumrah gets another over and it doesn’t go to plan, Finch timing three through midwicket then Harris driving a half-volley for three more out towards the cover rope. Shami a lock to get a chance from the southern end next up.
“I’m at the staff Christmas party sneaking in as many looks at the cricket as I can,” says Dan Guidone. “I don’t think Australia could’ve asked for much more. Really proud of these two.”
9th over: Australia 31-0 (Harris 13, Finch 17) Aaron Finch will breathe a sigh with Ishant’s opening spell dealt with, Umesh Yadav on to replace him, the experienced seamer brought in to replace Ashwin. The opener does the job with the bat but is nearly run out by Kohli! He wanted Harris to come through for a single but was sent back, the throw not far from ending his morning in terrible fashion. Phew. Responding to that missed opportunity, Kohli took a ping at the non-strikers’ end from the next ball, allowing the pair to turn for a couple of overthrows.
8th over: Australia 28-0 (Harris 13, Finch 14) Finch more convincing here, defending Bumrah well before taking a single to cover. Harris saw off the rest of the over without concern. “India have got their team wrong,” says Michael Vaughan on telly, getting in nice and early. He wanted to see Jadeja in the side. “But also their batting. They have Umesh Yadav coming in at number eight.”
THIS IS THE PROBLEM! That probably wasn't a noey. But what if a wicket fell? There would have been no recourse for Ishant. I'm glad the shocking decision the ICC made to scrap the move to technology has been scrutinised this week. Keep the pressure on. #AUSvINDhttps://t.co/KxJ3wRYv4B
7th over: Australia 27-0 (Harris 13, Finch 13) Harris really going now! It took him 14 balls to get off the mark but he’s creamed Ishant for three attractive boundaries in this over. The first was a well-timed clip, then came a lurrrrrvely on-drive and finally an equally correct off-drive. Between times, Ishant was called for a no-ball. Sure enough, given the headlines this week about the 16 non-called foot faults he bowled in last week’s first innings at Adelaide, the crowd give a nice little Bronx cheer.
It was the first time that Tim Paine won the toss this in a Test Match morning. Way to go. Sure enough, Andrew Samson is all over that.
Most tosses lost before winning one as captain of Australia: 5 WL Murdoch 1880-1882 4 R Benaud 1958 4 TD Paine 2018 World record: 7 BE Congdon (NZ) 1972-1973.
6th over: Australia 14-0 (Harris 1, Finch 13) Edge, four! It was Finch steering Bumrah through the gap to the right of gully down to the rope to finish the over. “What’s a real WACA shot,” says Mark Waugh on the Fox call. “Using the pace down to third man.” Earlier, Harris got himself off the mark via an inside edge that spat down to fine leg, one of two times that part of his bat was located in the over.
Who would of thought that moving from a small, purpose built cricket ground to a huge multi purpose stadium would make it look empty on TV? #AUSvIND
5th over: Australia 9-0 (Harris 0, Finch 9) Three times in three overs Ishant has beaten the outside edge. This time it is Finch, played for the considerable inswing but didn’t make contact, lucky not to lose his off-stump in the process. The Indian attack leader is going after the Victorian’s woodwork, finding an inside edge and hitting a pad through the over as well. Can Finch get through to the other side of this spell?
Just realised that I never posted the final XIs as named. Hamuma Vihari is also into the Indian middle order with Rohit Sharma picking up a back niggle in Adelaide. He’ll also send down some offies, as he did in England.
4th over: Australia 9-0 (Harris 0, Finch 9) Putting to one side the first couple of balls, this is a nice start from Finch. To the first of Bumrah’s new set he is clipping with control through midwicket for a couple. The off-cutter is too good for him when it comes, but he responds calmly, tucking another single in front of the square leg umpire to finish.
India are struggling to get their radar going this morning. Not one delivery in India's first three overs would have hit the stumps. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/kbmQAAheOJ
3rd over: Australia 6-0 (Harris 0, Finch 6) Finch pushes his second single to cover. Much better batting. Harris gets another ripper from Ishant, angling in and moving away, passing his outside edge by a coat of varnish. Fantastic delivery. This should be a brilliant first session.
The first over of this match was the first time in his entire first-class career that Marcus Harris has faced the first ball #AusvInd
2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Harris 0, Finch 5) Some gold from Ricky Ponting on Seven’s call, which Geoff Lemon picked up to my left. The former Aussie captain noted that India set their backward point deep to protect against Harris’ best shot, the cut. Next ball, he creamed it right there, the fielding saving four. Earlier in the over, Finch nervously negotiated the start of Bumrah’s day with an awkward defensive stroke that found the splice of the bat before missing a wild hook second up. He was much better third time around, nailing a pull shot from to the rope to collect Australia’s first runs.
“How do Adam.” If it isn’t my old mate Andy from Shakerfaker. Good morning to you. “Was that Luciano Pavarotti singing the Australian national anthem from the grave? Sounded amazing. How did he hold that last note for so long?”
As this @CricViz graphic makes clear, India's seam attack were better than Australia's at Adelaide by every metric - apart from pace. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/kHsvxAI4lE
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Harris 0, Finch 0) All the build up and tension... and Ishant sprays the first ball well down the legside. I’m so glad that I got my big camera out to capture it. His maiden to Harris involves the bat only once, the opener beaten by a beauty but leaving well otherwise. We’re away at Perth Stadium.
The players are on the field! Aaron Finch and local boy Marcus Harris are striding out to open the batting for Australia. Ishant Sharma is preparing to bowl the first ball ever at this stadium from the broadcast or northern end. Harris to face. PLAY!
Huuuuuge innings ahead of Aaron Finch. Before the Adelaide Test had even finished, Justin Langer was talking about a potential shuffle of the order where the Victorian could drop down to the middle order. But they have backed him in and now he walks out on a greenish pitch on morning one. These are the moments that can make or break a Test career.
In front of us there are kids with flags, which means the teams can’t be far away for national anthems. I neglected to note that by going with Umesh, India have also overlooked Jadeja. A side must be going well to consistently leave out the fifth ranked bowler in the world, a man who also boasts a batting average of 43 over the last couple of years.
Amod Paranjape gets us underway on the email.“All I can say with regards to the Bhuvneshwar Kumar situation is that the skipper and coach are not comfortable playing him where the ball doesn’t swing,” he writes. “Absurd in my opinion but there it is.”
I’m with you, I can’t believe Bhuvi isn’t in the XI. That’s no reflection on Umesh, who has some of the best reverse swing skills in the world. But Bhuvi! Oh well.
Kohli says he would have batted too. But he’s very happy to bowl. “I’ve seen a one-day game happen here and it had quite a bit for the bowlers so we’re pretty excited.”
In the ODI at this stadium in November, CricViz tells me, there was more average bounce than in any game played in Australia since 2015.
Umesh playing, Bhuvi isn’t. Four quicks for India! Australia unchanged.
Paine explains his decision: “It is really warm today and this wicket in the Shield game played pretty well to start with and with some hot weather around, we expect it will crack and up and be hard work.”
The good oil. The goss in the lift on the way up is that Australia are going to bat and India are strongly considering having a bowl. The captains are about to make their way out to the middle so we will know shortly.
Welcome to the first day of Test Cricket at Perth Stadium! It’s the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy fixture between Australia and India, the visitors going one-nil up at Adelaide on Monday. This becomes only the tenth venue used in the 141 years they have been playing Tests in Australia, so we have that considerable piece of history ahead of us today in WA.
It’s HOT outside. In the ten metres between the front door and my uber, I’ve sweated through my shirt. To that end, the toss will be complicated. I don’t doubt for a moment that bowling first could be on the agenda for both captains given how much grass is on the pitch. With so much hot weather ahead, the best time to take advantage of that is session one.
Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime you can read his preview of the Test, featuring an excited Virat Kohli …
Advantage Australia. The home side added 49 runs this morning, a number they would happily have taken if offered before play. Here is the card. I’ll be back after grabbing a coffee for India’s reply with about four overs to come before the lunch break.
First ball! And an even better one, angled in at off-stump before seaming away, Hazlewood tickling it behind to Pant. Too good. Ishant finishes with 20.3-7-41-4.
The third first innings in a row where the final two wickets have fallen in consecutive deliveries (I think). But niche, but I like it. #AUSvIND
Coming around the wicket to start a new spell, Ishant tempts Starc with a drive outside the off-stump, which he edges behind to Pant. There was a lovely bit of shape on that delivery, earning the Indian attack-leader his third of the innings. A partnership of 15, nothing with that.
108th over: Australia 325-8 (Starc 6, Lyon 9) This will be driving Kohli crazy, Starc lifting the second ball of a new Shami spell over the man at midwicket for three then Lyon then working out to the same part of the ground for another. Happy with their fill, Starc sees off the rest.
Nathan Lyon is having a lovely time this year with the bat. Averaging 18.80 (his highest average for five years), he's also scoring at 3.74rpo, the fastest he's ever scored in a calendar year. Australia would dearly love a quickfire 30 from their spinner just now. #AUSvIND
107th over: Australia 321-8 (Starc 3, Lyon 8) Umesh beats Lyon with a good’un that really took off to start, something Starc will enjoy from the non-strikers’ end. But Lyon is going well enough to push the next ball to midwicket for a couple then defending past the bowler with lovely timing for two more... Sachin-esque! Two more singles either side of square completes a productive over for the hosts.
106th over: Australia 315-8 (Starc 2, Lyon 3) Nathan Lyon is the man in form and it shows first ball, clipping Bumrah with class through midwicket for three. Starc is away too, also through midwicket, taking a couple from a full toss that completes Bumrah’s successful over.
Yep, that’s out. Lovely from Bumrah, jagging it back off the seam at Paine, who was caught on the crease. DRS confirms that it was hitting leg stump. The end of a very important innings by the home captain.
IS PAINE LBW TO BUMRAH? He’s given out but the captain sends it upstairs. Stand by.
Immediately after a graphic came up on the TV noting that only four balls out of 85 sent down this morning would have hit the stumps, Umesh does just that, beating Cummins with a beaut that held its line and hit the top of off. But 59 runs valuable runs were added by the pair.
105th over: Australia 310-7 (Paine 38)
104th over: Australia 310-6 (Paine 38, Cummins 19) Great fight from Paine, responding to yet another whack to the body - the ribs/stomach this time - with an on-driven four to finish another pacy Bumrah over.
“With another 50 run stand racked up, surely it’s time for the wispy locks of India’s specialist partnership breaker “Ernie” Vihari?” suggests John Phaceas. There was a lot of attention on Vihari’s hair on social media yesterday, extending to The Grade Cricketer live show last night. Our own Sam Perry did a fine job co-hosting, with Ed Cowan also in great nick. Make sure you get along in Melbourne or Sydney when they go again.
Average partnerships that Pat Cummins has been involved in since the start of last season is 27.38, (794 runs of which he has scored 355 at 22.19). For Mitchell Starc, a previous #8, it's 370 runs at 17.62, personally making 210 at 12.35.
Before play on TV, Justin Langer said that it would be a “huge bonus” if Australia could get through an hour. Well, they have done that without so much as losing a wicket, adding 29 runs along the way.
"If we bat for anything over another hour (today), it'll be a huge bonus for us."
103rd over: Australia 306-6 (Paine 34, Cummins 19) A lot more comfort when Umesh is on, Paine finding enough time to cut a single behind point after defending the first half of the over without too much bother. DRINKS! An excellent hour for Australia.
102nd over: Australia 305-6 (Paine 33, Cummins 19) Bumrah wheeeeeels. On two occasions, Paine was left with little clue from shorter balls. Early on, he was beaten in defence - a delivery that took off past the shoulder of his blade. When it came again, the skipper tried to pull but only spooned it to where short leg should be positioned. He survives.
“What problem does a four day test solve?” asks Ian Forth. “If the question is, ‘How can we encourage more draws?’, then it’s a fantastic solution. Kevin Roberts suggests we should “stay open minded”. My mind is open, Kevin, but I for one quite enjoyed day five of the last test. To take one example from hundreds upon hundreds.”
101st over: Australia 303-6 (Paine 32, Cummins 18) Nice clip from Cummins to midwicket, collecting a couple to bring up the 50 partnership between these two. Watching a highlights package of Bumrah’s first over on telly, it’s remarkable that he was held back this long into the day - some of those deliveries were quite superb. Umesh does find Paine’s outside edge in this set, but the captain plays with soft enough hands to get it down before reaching Kohli at second slip.
100th over: Australia 300-6 (Paine 32, Cummins 16) Bumrah, at last. Sure enough, it is eventful with the towering quick beating Cummins with his first two deliveries and then Paine with his last. Lovely stuff. Between times, he located Cummins’ inside edge too, which brought the run to raise the Australian 300. As Andrew Samson notes on SEN, that’s quite significant as the last time they got to 300 in the first innings of a Test was at Durban in March. Blimey. How different the world looked then.
Back to those Kevin Roberts comments, they are up in a story now.
“We haven’t had an approach from WA around that (Boxing Day Test),” Roberts told SEN Cricket.
“We’ve always got to consider the future shape of the strategy. Our working assumption is that the Boxing Day Test continues in Melbourne and the New Years Test continues in Sydney.
99th over: Australia 299-6 (Paine 32, Cummins 15) Okay, there is a change from Shami’s end but Umesh gets the ball. It is not a good start from the veteran, allowing Cummins to shoulder arms to a series of balls well outside the off stump before pushing a single to cover. In keeping with the theme, he’s wide again to Paine with the one ball he gets at him.
98th over: Australia 298-6 (Paine 32, Cummins 14) Ishant to Paine who gets one to hoop back, the captain getting his bat down just in time. That wasn’t far away at all. Cummins is doing his job too, turning a straight offering to midwicket. Ishant gets another to dart back at Paine to finish, crashing into his thigh pad for the third time this morning.
97th over: Australia 296-6 (Paine 32, Cummins 13) Shami goes upstairs to Paine a couple of times, the captain getting both to ground for a couple then a single. Nothing much going on here. Bumrah next, yeah?
96th over: Australia 292-6 (Paine 29, Cummins 13) Cummins clips Ishant fine for a single from the first ball of his fresh over, Paine then defending and ducking and leaving the rest without a concern. Going nicely.
“Hello from a very cold Sheffield,” emails John Goldstein. “In theory four days makes sense but cricket is a weather dependent sport and weather effected games happen all the world. Add in the fact that teams rarely bowl their allocated overs in a day now. How are they going to fit in another 20 or so per day to make up the number of overs in a Test.”
95th over: Australia 291-6 (Paine 29, Cummins 12) Shot! Paine biffs the shot of the morning so far, cutting Shami with authority past point to the rope. Until that stage it was a probing over, Paine having to dance out the way of a well-directed bumper then copping a whack on the thigh. Simon Katich asks a reasonable question: where is Bumrah? Surely India’s best bowler of the opening day had to get the first crack on morning two?
Daoud Khan also likes 12 wickets for day two. “Australia to be all out within 20 minutes of lunch,” he writes. “India to be eight down at stumps. Nothing really to say other than that except a shoutout to the VTCB days,15 years or so ago. It truly was a great place to discuss cricket.”
94th over: Australia 287-6 (Paine 25, Cummins 12) Cummins gets his first run of the morning, tickling Ishant fine after Paine gave him the strike after one ball. He was in big trouble from the penultimate delivery when Paine took a quick single to cover, but KL Rahul didn’t pick it up cleanly and couldn’t get a throw away. Even with the big dive, I suspect the big quick would have been well short had the direct hit been executed.
See below the audio of the aforementioned Kevin Roberts interview. Gerard Whateley is talking it through now with Simon Katich, including the debate about the Boxing Day Test. It isn’t really a debate, but the chief exec of the stadium here, Mike McKenna, did successfully get it circulating with some comments he made on Thursday.
LISTEN | @cricketcomau CEO Kevin Roberts discusses the Perth Stadium seating issue, the state of the Second Test, scheduling of Boxing Day and New Years Tests, and says we need to be open minded about the prospect of Four Day Tests. https://t.co/C5n2rpuzakpic.twitter.com/yif4cUFwqP
93rd over: Australia 284-6 (Paine 23, Cummins 11) Good from Paine, getting deep in the crease to Shami’s first ball and pull/hooking it for four. Not the most convincing shot, but with a big gap out there it was safe and hit well enough. He then picks up a single, to third man for the second time this morning. Cummins then defends and leaves, as he does so well.
Tom Bristles has 12 wickets falling. “I reckon Paine will get a century,” he adds. If Paine gets a ton and 12 wickets drop, this will be quite the day.
92nd over: Australia 279-6 (Paine 18, Cummins 11) Ishant from the southern end to Paine who nearly gets himself bowled down the legside! As he did in Adelaide, the captain was shuffling across his stumps before the ball was bowled and got into a tangle. He keeps his nerve, deflecting the next safely to third man for a single before Cummins sees off the rest.
Kevin Roberts, the new CA Chief Exec, was on SEN radio before play discussing a wide range of topics including the prospect of four-day Tests in Australia. I’ll fetch those quotes asap, they sound quite newsworthy.
91st over: Australia 278-6 (Paine 17, Cummins 11) Good cricket to begin, Shami getting the ball to shape nicely away from Paine early in the over, the captain leaving competently with considerable carry. Shami finishes with the off-cutter, Paine turning nicely to midwicket to open his account on this second morning.
Vishal Karna says 10 wickets. “India through to stumps 6 down with 197 on the board,” he writes. “I’m from the future. Trust me.”
The players are on the field! Australia are resuming at 277/6 with Paine (16) and Cummins (11) returning to the crease for Australia. Shami has the ball for India, to bowl from our broadcast or northern end. He has a couple of slips and a gully in the cordon. The captain is on strike. PLAY!
How about those cracks?! They just did a close up of one that is running a metre long about two thirds of the way down the track, opening up already. My prediction? 20 wickets to fall today. Take a ping. The closest to the pin can go to dinner with Geoff at some stage this summer.
Sharmeen Khan. The former Pakistani player was the definition of a trailblazer. Alongside her sister Shaiza, she made their entry to the Women’s World Cup in 1997 possible, in the face of death threats that extended to newspapers editorials. Yesterday, Sharmeen passed away from pneumonia at the age of 46. Vale.
Mitchell Starc is on Fox Sports. He was asked about his bowling last week in Adelaide and the response to it. “Apart from about thee overs I was pretty happy,” he said. “I have worked on my consistency over the last few years and my economy rate was the best it has been in my career.” He added that “bar three overs” with the second new ball in both innings, he was satisfied with how the ball was coming out and his wrist position.
Quick, if shameless, plug. Geoff Lemon (who will be us later) and I have our Final Word podcast cooking with gas again for another summer. We’re into about season five now so we have a vague idea of what we’re doing. And we have some excellent guests coming up over the next couple of eps. Give it a go during lunch if this sounds like your thing.
Prithvi Shaw is doing some extensive throwdowns on the field with Ravi Shastri. Fit for the Melbourne Test? Looks like it. And the current Indian captain is one who especially enjoys making changes. Watch out, Murali Vijay. In fact, watch out any Indian batsman. You never know how things can go.
Morning all. And a very different morning to yesterday with ample cloud cover. The sting from yesterday’s heat has also vanished overnight, which should play to the home side’s advantage with the ball later today.
The early exchanges this morning will be interesting. Will Paine and Cummins (then Starc) bust out all their shots in order to get as many on the board as possible before one rolls along the ground or shoots at their head? On the evidence of yesterday, it’s going to be that kind of Test.
91st over: India 246-5 (Kohli 119, Pant 12) Singles mingles, Kohli keeps collecting. A couple more in this over, and his last eight scoring shots have been ones. Pant matches his approach. Cummins the bowler.
Some good stuff as ever from Ric. I’ve been meaning for years to write a paean to Younis Khan, the most underrated of all the great Test batsmen.
Test players (min 20 centuries) with more 100s than 50s: Bradman 69.05% of all 50s converted to 100s Kohli 56.8% Azharuddin 51.2% MClarke 50.9% Hayden 50.85% Younis Khan 50.75%
90th over: India 243-5 (Kohli 117, Pant 11) They’ve got Pant on strike to start this Hazlewood over, but he just drives a casual single to get off it. Don’t patronise me, man. Kohli does likewise. Hazlewood draws an edge from the left-handed Pant, but the batsman is prodding softly at it and so it bounces into the ground and into the gully gap for four.
I like the idea that there can be left-handed Pants.
89th over: India 237-5 (Kohli 116, Pant 6) What is this? Starc, the attack leader, with the new ball, is bowling with the field spread. Paine has pushed out a third man, deep point, deep square leg, and long leg. Mid-on and mid-off are set back conceding a single. They want to bowl at Rishabh Pant. But that just looks like rolling over in surrender. He’s a No7, not a No11. (Even if the No11s start at No8 in this team.) Surely you back your strike bowler to get Kohli out rather than just give in. It looks like surrendering even while Australia is still nearly 100 in front.
Kohli happily takes the run on offer, Pant collects a one and a three whenever the ball is on his pads, and the score moves along with barely a flicker of risk for India.
88th over: India 232-5 (Kohli 115, Pant 2) Hop, stab, run. No, it’s not someone being mugged by a kangaroo. It’s Virat Kohli’s batting approach against this new ball. Happy to give Pant plenty of the strike, and perhaps impress upon him the responsibility the young wicketkeeper needs to take. Pant defends three, takes a quiet single.
Mind you, the actual analysts suggest that Pant can basically do what he likes.
Rishabh Pant could be crucial here. In his Test career so far he's scored at 4.53rpo, rarely holding himself back. A false shot percentage of 16%, only slightly higher than the global average of 14%, suggests he's right to have such confidence. #AUSvIND
87th over: India 230-5 (Kohli 114, Pant 1) Kohli is happy to just keep harvesting the singles as opportunities arise. Tap to point, drop to short leg and dash. Pant gets off the mark with a mistimed glance. In the meantime, a bouncer doesn’t quite work out.
Mitchell Starc bowls wide and it’s bye, bye, byes.
86th over: India 223-5 (Kohli 112, Pant 0) What will Pant do? Go hog-wild? Start cautiously? The latter, three balls from Hazlewood with nary a wild swing among them.
Simon Richards has found my email address. “Australia v India is ‘box office’, but 25,000 in 68,000 capacity stadia still lacks atmos. India v Any Other Team are the same in India. Should Test matches be played in smaller venues, 15,000-25,000)?”
A sigh of relief for the Australians. If they can’t get Kohli they need at least need to knock out the foundations supporting him. Perfect new-ball stuff from Hazlewood: upright seam, slight bit of movement away, and Vihara was back and tentatively defending rather than getting forward to cover the line of the ball. A fine edge to Paine.
85th over: India 223-4 (Kohli 112, Vihari 20) Starc over the wicket, short, but Kohli makes riding the bounce defensively look as easy as driving through cover. Simples. Hops up again next ball and this time guides the defensive shot with an angled and open blade past gully for one run. Vihari is looking pretty solid himself, and finding singles without too much trouble.
84th over: India 220-4 (Kohli 111, Vihari 18) Hazlewood to Kohli, dropping short outside off and it’s flayed away for six! Over third man, a position which was unoccupied anyway for Kohli, who has two slips and a gully but no one back. Was happy to take the risk therefore against the short ball, got something of a top edge on the cut, but hit it so hard that it carried the rope flat and hard. Party time for Kohli? The deficit has dropped to 106.
In terms of individual stats, there are plenty flying around. Of visiting batsmen, only Hammond and Hobbs for England have more hundreds in Australia than Kohli. They also played a lot more Tests here.
83rd over: India 214-4 (Kohli 105, Vihari 18) Starc strays to full and Kohli laces this through cover for four! What a shot, the sound of that off the bat was as crisp as anything he hit in that nets video. Crack, leaning forward, getting low again, and meeting the ball down low on the ground, just as it bounced. Starc of course follows up with a bouncer that nearly clears Paine for four byes. Kohli is unflapped (which must be a word if unflappable is an adjective) and taps his next ball to midwicket for a single. That’s drinks.
82nd over: India 209-4 (Kohli 100, Vihari 18) Hazlewood is the other new-ball taker, unsurprisingly. A couple of runs to Vihari through square leg.
As of now, Kohli has made hundreds in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. He’s never played in Hobart (and never will). So he’s only missed out in Brisbane, but he’s only played there once. He has six hundreds in Australia in 19 innings. Absurd.
81st over: India 207-4 (Kohli 100, Vihari 16)
New ball, new me. Mitchell Starc has the shiny projectile, but Kohli has a shiny new milestone to his name! His 25th Test century. Starc is bowling full and looking for swing. So the first ball of the over, Kohli can work it easily enough through midwicket for two. Then the second ball, he drives, elegantly, dead straight for four! What a shot. And what an understated response. Kohli drives, trots halfway down the pitch, stops to watch the ball hit the rope, then takes off his helmet and taps the face of the bat with his first. Shakes hands with his partner, walks back to the striker’s end, gives one brisk wave of the bat to the crowd, then puts his helmet back on and prepares for the next ball. Class.
80th over: India 201-4 (Kohli 94, Vihari 16) The wristy slap first ball from Kohli, but he gets it too straight, between the bowler and non-striker, and Lyon is able to land on it and smother it. But the next ball, Lyon goes wide and Kohli slathers it over the turf for four! Through cover, he dropped into a crouch, aimed a diagonal bat at it, and gave it everything. Perfect contact, bringing up the 200.
Then an edge! Things are heating up. Kohli gets a leading edge over slip really, out towards gully, but there’s no one there! Lands safely, but can’t get a run. So he goes the next ball, and Vihari is nearly run out. That was a bad call, Travis Head was right there at cover, and his throw at the base of the stumps missed. Paine was there, but Heads throw hit the turf between Paine’s feet and he couldn’t gather the throw. Would have been gone for all money.
79th over: India 196-4 (Kohli 89, Vihari 16) It’s tip and run time for the Indian captain. Might as well, every run matters with the lead still standing at 134. Kohli drops Cummins into the gap at cover and sprints through again – there was a man there, but it was just to his left. Vihari favours a more direct approach, as he gets a slightly overpitched scrambled seam delivery from Cummins and drives it through mid-off for four. Cummins reverts to the bouncer. “Bowled Patty!” is the shout. And another nasty short one, with a short leg in place, but Vihari stands up tall and plays it straight down into the pitch in front of him. Exceptional defensive technique.
78th over: India 191-4 (Kohli 88, Vihari 12) Thoughts of a run-out as Kohli goes round the corner against Lyon. Cummins was there at backward square leg and he made the pick-up beautifully, running around to his left, but had to throw awkwardly in chicken-wing style towards Paine, and couldn’t get much power on the throw. It was either lucky or extremely well judged by Kohli in going for the run, and Vihari was safely home.
77th over: India 189-4 (Kohli 87, Vihari 11) Cummins continuing, so the bowling changes have settled. Kohli chops a single to midwicket, Vihari chops one to third man.
An email in from SSimon, who may or may not be a snake. He is sending me a lot of pro-snake literature, that’s all I’m saying. “Morning Geoff. Loving the coverage but there’s another exciting southern hemisphere test happening. Each of you covers a session 2 or 3 hours at most. A parallel OBO from Wellington, you workshy fops!”
76th over: India 187-4 (Kohli 86, Vihari 10) Lyon zips through a maiden over to Vihari, from the southern end. The second new ball isn’t far away.
75th over: India 187-4 (Kohli 86, Vihari 10) Now Cummins has been swung around to the northern end. A lot of swinging so far this morning. Vihari resists swinging at the shorter ball this time, and instead drives the full ball down the ground for three to reach double figures. Kohli has had some magic spray treatment for his upper forearm where Starc hit him a little while ago.
“G’day for another summer Geoff. I’m a big fan of Amy Remeikis’s work but I reckon you’ve got the premier live blog today,” emails Matt Harris. Amy does the Australian parliament and politics blogs, and at least with Tim Paine’s team, I can claim to have the more dignified Australian representatives to write about. It’s been a close race for embarrassing behaviour for a good few years.
74th over: India 184-4 (Kohli 86, Vihari 7) More changes. Lyon is back from the southern end. Is that just because Vihari is on strike? Lyon bowls well down leg side, maybe just testing out the back-foot balance. or maybe just bowling a crap ball. Who knows? Vihari clips off the toes for a single. “Break this end, Goat,” says Tim Paine as Kohli takes strike. I don’t know what that means, but it certainly doesn’t sound like responsible farming practice.
73rd over: India 183-4 (Kohli 86, Vihari 6) The new man Vihari needs to calm down. They’ve put a third man back for him against Starc, and he still slashes outside off at the short ball. It nearly carries but just drops short. Kohli demonstrats a lower-risk method to his partner, using a straight bat to force a half-short ball away behind point for a couple.
72nd over: India 180-4 (Kohli 84, Vihari 5) Paine has got the result he wants with Lyon, and immediately swings a chacne with Cummins to bowl to Kohli. A good move before the Indian skipper gets set. Which takes about as long as Superglue: you’ve got a handful of seconds to correct any mistakes before you have to live with some painful and stubborn consequences. Kohli plays every ball, but compactly in defence.
71st over: India 180-4 (Kohli 84, Vihari 5) Owwwwwwwwww. No, a dog hasn’t taken over the OBO. Kohli is hit on the arm by Mitchell Starc, a short ball that didn’t get up that high. Kohli saw he couldn’t control it and just let it hit him, a glancing blow near the elbow from a ball going so fast it almost carries to fine leg. They run a leg bye, not sure how since Kohli wasn’t dodging or playing a shot. Starc stays short for Vihari, who takes a leaf from Rahane’s book and clobbers a zesty cut shot away for four.
70th over: India 175-4 (Kohli 84, Vihari 1) Hanuma Vihari, whose name I keep singing as Hakuna Matata. It means no worries. But India have worries, they’re still a long way behind, and Vihari is only playing his second Test. Pant to come next is a dasher who could easily hole out, and the tail is so long that this Indian team could be a brontosaurus. Huge blow by Lyon at the first time of asking today. Vihari gets off the mark through midwicket. Kohli shovels a dodgy run behind square. Would have tight for Vihari coming to the danger end had there been a better throw. Rattled?
Lyon does it! Not Kohli, who just got off strike with a gentle tuck to midwicket. But his deputy falls. Natural variation from Lyon, who bowled an off-break but it skipped straight on. Perfect line just outside off, Rahane played forward defensively but accounted for a fraction of turn, and there was none. Instead it nicks the outside edge and Paine makes an excellent take standing up to the stumps.
Right then. We. Are. Away. Lyon with the ball, Kohli to face, Rahane at the other end.
“Good morning Geoff,” writes Amod Paranjape. “Is it just me or are Skippers and their deputies rmore relaxed while batting with each other? Rahane and Kohli have the numbers to back my claims.”
Maybe for India. I don’t recall Clarke and Watson having a great simpatico. And Smith and Warner never seemed to bat together much. They weren’t a great combination in other ways, either.
This is pretty lovely, and sad. Shakti Gauchan – look him up, someone who has done so much to help develop cricket in one of the countries where it could next become a force. And a fine player.
Emotional scenes here in Kathmandu as a great servant of Nepal Cricket leaves the field for the final time carried on a lap of honour by team-mates and opponents alike#ThankYouShakti#EPLT20pic.twitter.com/dvTbdlh8AV
Local conditions in Perth: it’s a lovely sunny day, pretty warm in the direct sunlight but the mercury is only reading 26 degrees now, with a high of about 30. There’s a decent sea breeze coming cool across the ground too, then swirling around the stadium. So, relatively pleasant conditions for bowling, especially compared to the first day when it was closer to 40 than 30.
Some quality work happening on the tweet feed already. (No, tweet feed does not mean bird seed. That’s a good delivery bowled by Jackson Bird.)
They should have just had a ‘Test’ between India and the West Coast Eagles.
Imagine the booing from Eagles fans when Kohli comes out to bat. Would Dean Marghetts be umpiring?
In fact, with 25 minutes until the start of play, you’ve just got time to squeeze in that whole Newsom song. Some beautiful writing there, if you’re a fan of harps and a general mediaeval fairground vibe.
Nice early note here from Gary, one of the regulars. Reminds me of a Joanna Newsom lyric: “We tramped through the poison oak, heartbroke and inchoate.”
it's hard to identify Kohli's greatest strength @GeoffLemonSport. This knock has something of his Edgbaston masterpiece about it - that innings one of the best I've ever seen. I suggest it's Kohli's understanding of the ever inchoate rhythm of a Test that sets him apart.
Lara certainly had his mindset
As always, get involved with the OBO. Thoughts, observations, hopes, dreams, desires. I will aid with what I can, or at least expose it to a generally friendly audience.
Drop me a tweet @GeoffLemonSport, or an email via geoff.lemon@theguardian.com.
Buckle up, everybody. We could be set for a special one. Yesterday was, on reflection, one of the best days of Test cricket that I’ve had the pleasure of attending. The way the Australian quicks came out breathing fire, smashing through the first couple of Indian batsmen. The position of vulnerability of the batting side given its long tail. Then the resistance from India’s own Big Three, first Pujara fighting and stonewalling, later Rahane’s counterattacking dash, and through it all, Virat Kohli, rising to the challenge once again with supreme control.
I know that people talk this guy up, and others grumble about that being excessive, but with 24 Test hundreds and 20 Test fifties having just turned 30 years of age, the record says you’re wrong. Runs and runs aplenty in South Africa, England, Australia, runs in fourth-innings chases and on difficult decks. He’s ticked every box.
59th over: Australia 145-4 (Khawaja 45, Paine 16) Another dicey over goes by for Australia without cost. Umesh to Khawaja, beat the outside edge once, then beat a half-hearted pull shot that was nowhere near the ball. A real get-out shot there. There’s a single off the last ball.
58th over: Australia 144-4 (Khawaja 44, Paine 16) Ishant on in a double change. A wild one down leg at first, then a nasty one that whacks Paine in the hip. Those hurt where there’s no padding, artificial or otherwise. Khawaja leaves the rest in the channel.
57th over: Australia 143-4 (Khawaja 44, Paine 16) Umesh Yadav on to replace Bumrah, so another little victory for the batting pair. The forecast isn’t predicting high temperatures but it’s still very hot out there in direct sun. So far it looks a decent time to bat and a tricky one to bowl. Last night in the dim light under clouds the bowling seemed a lot more menacing.
“What happened to Aussie machismo?” asks Simon. “Didn’t Steve Waugh once bat one-handed with his fractured left arm in a sling ? Man up Finchy! (Seriously though, glad he wasn’t hurt too badly – fun player to watch).”
56th over: Australia 142-4 (Khawaja 44, Paine 15) They’re hanging in and building the lead ever so slowly. A couple of singles in Shami’s over, and the most dangerous overs of the morning have been negotiated, the freshest ones from rested bowlers while the batsmen are getting set.
55th over: Australia 140-4 (Khawaja 43, Paine 14) Should have been run out! Crazy run from the Australians, Khawaja chops Bumrah just to the leg side of the pitch and went for it. Bumrah picks up and throws on the spin, falling over. Never easy. But had he hit, Khawaja would have been short. Those near things have to fall your way in these close situations. The Aussie lead is out to 183.
54th over: Australia 139-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 14) Another maiden for Shami, though a bit lucky when Paine’s drive hit Khawaja. A bit unlucky when Paine misses a waft outside off stump.
53rd over: Australia 139-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 14) Paine off strike first ball. Booming swing from Bumrah in this over. But it came after the ball passed the batsman, hooping away towards slip. He brings the line back in tighter, striking the pad! But via the inside edge. Right in front of off stump, that could have been trouble.
52nd over: Australia 138-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 13) Shami to Khawaja, another maiden. Beats the edge once, then takes an edge that bounces just in front of slip. Good start from both ends for India.
51st over: Australia 138-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 13) Bumrah looking good, getting the ball to zing through now. A couple of false shots from Paine, one of which earns him four runs as the edge bounces through the cordon gap.
AP emails in: “Video evidence suggests if the on-field decision had been not out, the 3rd umpire couldn’t have found conclusive evidence to overturn that either, Yes? Did the onfield umpires unwittingly influence this Test at a crucial point, by not giving the batsman benefit of the doubt?”
50th over: Australia 134-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 9) Shami from the other end, his first ball keeps low but is wide of Usman’s off stump. So is most of the over, which is duly left alone.
49th over: Australia 134-4 (Khawaja 42, Paine 9) Bumrah to start the day, which is a good move. He was so good yesterday, and a bit unlucky – caused a lot of false shots and appeals. Each batsman squeezes out a single at one stage in the over.
Right then. Australia 175 in front. Four wickets down. Khawaja on 41 and Paine on 8. India need wickets. Sun is shining. Let’s go.
The news just in is that Aaron Finch has been cleared to bat today. Presumably he’ll come out at the fall of the next wicket. And may just try to clear the pickets and swell the lead fast. That could be fun.
Alright, let’s do this. Might as well put my cards on the table. First, these kind of catches will never meet agreement. I’ve already had people emailing saying that you can clearly see that it bounced, and clearly see that it didn’t. There are still images on Twitter that make it look dodgy, because literally every close low catch has a couple of frames that can make it look dodgy. If they didn’t, then the batsmen would walk and the umpires wouldn’t check it. All low catches look a bit dubious, at best, on television screens, and even worse in still images.
I think it was out. And I wrote an article last night (scroll down for the link) rhapsodising over Kohli’s innnings. I would have loved to see him go on. So there’s no bias one way or the other, which is the absurd thing that a lot of fans will say. Check out Harsha Bhogle’s Twitter, for instance – he’s being attacked by self-appointed ‘patriots’ because he had the temerity to explain how the decision-making process currently works in international cricket. Now he’s apparently a fifth columnist. (Most newspapers these days can’t afford one columnist.)
One other thing I can tell you – the overnight intrigue has not translated into interest at the ground. Perth Stadium is deserted. I walked in only a few minutes ago and the footpaths and ticket gates had the merest handful of people using them. Inside the ground, it’s nt quite the MCG during a Shield game, but it’s not much better. A smattering of people at the members’ end across a few tiers, but the population on the arena – camera crews and players warming up and groundsmen and hangers-on – are in danger of outnumbering them. There are massed empty banks of seating through the other three quarters of the giant continguous grandstand. I know it’s a Monday morning, but it’s also a week shy of Christmas at the debut of a top-class venue, and the fourth day of a gripping contest.
Something ain’t right.
I’d like it formally entered on the record that I was a Lemon for decades before Liz was even invented. Other than that, thanks JP. Big day yesterday alright for the news faff that surrounds the cricket. I thought that Tim Paine was shrewd enough to use the less brusque appellation ‘big head’, knowing that he was close enough to the stump mic to risk being picked up. But Howcroft hears ‘dickhead’. I suppose it’s the insult version of the Handscomb catch. All that faff aside, we had a brilliant day’s Test cricket yesteday. India’s pace bowlers were outstanding. Finch looked in great touch, suddenly, until his injury. Khawaja battled hard. Kohli was supreme. R. Pant was exciting. For a day, we actually did have it all.
Right, that’s enough from me for the time being, over to the maestro Geoff Lemon, my second favourite of all the Lemons (sorry mate, Liz Lemon 4 eva). Reporting from the Perth press box I’m sure there will be some juicy updates on all the overnight drama.
One story you might have missed during yesterday’s action was the reopening of the Monkeygate controversy. In an interview with Adam Gilchrist for Fox Sports, to be aired tonight, Andrew Symonds indicates Harbhajan Singh later apologised to him for the diplomatic crisis, apparently going so far as to break down in tears.
“He actually broke down crying, and I could just see that was a huge weight off his shoulders,” Symonds says. “He had to get rid of it. We shook hands and I gave him a hug and said: ‘Mate, it’s all good. It’s dealt with’.”
WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN ??? BROKE DOWN ???? WHAT FOR ??? Harbhajan broke down when apologising for 'monkeygate' - Symondshttps://t.co/eQFeETVChy
I thought he was a very good cricketer but Symonds has turned out to be a good fiction writer - he sold a story then (2008) and he is ‘selling a story’ now (2018). Mate, the world has come of age in these 10 years and it’s time you also grew up
Waiting for Godot it is not, but the stump mic picked up an entertaining exchange between competing skippers yesterday evening.
Kohli: “If you mess up it’s two-nil.”
However, this analysis from @CricProf suggests Harris’ leave, while obviously a bad one, perhaps wasn’t that gross a miscalculation.
Not a good leave from Marcus Harris, but he can be forgiven when you look at similar deliveries Bumrah bowled to him today. Of course, it's still a gamble, but it was the only ball that pitched in that area that would have hit the stumps. #AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/O9ADCf1s7T
An excellent point has been raised by email from David Marshall. “Any discussion on Harris’ disastrous leave yesterday, and whether there was any concussion from the earlier knock on the helmet? I didn’t hear much discussion on 7 about it when the wicket fell.”
I think this is definitely an issue that requires following up. Are cricket’s concussion protocols adequate? We know it’s a major issue in contact sports around the world - is cricket doing enough? It doesn’t seem too wild a theory to suggest Harris’ judgement could have been impaired by the fierce blow he received earlier in his knock.
WATCH: Australian opener Marcus Harris is felled by a brutal Bumrah bouncer.
Finch’s injury has diverted attention from what promises to be a thrilling couple of days of Test cricket. All results remain possible with the prospect of a nail-biting fifth day conclusion.
That Australia hold the upper hand owes a lot to the contentious dismissal of Virat Kohli, caught by Peter Handscomb off the bowling of Pat Cummins. There is far from unanimous agreement about the cleanliness of the catch but once the soft signal indicated it was out, replays failed to prove conclusively that the decision should be overturned.
Finch’s retirement yesterday curtailed a promising opening partnership with Marcus Harris and opened the door for India to regain a foothold in a match that was sliding out of their control.
Here’s Geoff Lemon’s report from Perth on yesterday’s action, putting Finch’s misfortune in context.
Here’s the second of those two net session scares. It would seem more work is required on that swivel-pull against some friendlier bowlers before it’s next unfurled against Test-calibre opponents.
An aspect of the concern for Finch is due to this not being the first time this summer the ODI skipper has been struck on that part of his body. Mitchell Starc has injured him twice before in net practice, almost preventing Finch from appearing in the pre-Test ODI series.
Here’s vision of one of those incidents and Finch discussing his recovery and injury management.
Skipper Aaron Finch provides an update on his injured finger ahead of the first Gillette ODI on Sunday and reveals whether he's a heads or tails man at the toss (hint - he's neither!) #AUSvSApic.twitter.com/Slkn6g8WJF
So, to the first order of business, how is Aaron Finch’s right index finger? Not as bad as first feared.
Following the conclusion of play yesterday Australia’s coach, Justin Langer, explained that x-rays revealed there is no fracture and Finch could bat today if required. “It’s not fractured, which is really positive for us,” Langer told SEN Radio. “He was playing so well. It’s nice to have Finchy being able to bat, hopefully, in the second dig. Every run here is very important.”
WATCH: Aaron Finch is struck on the finger and is forced to retire hurt.
Good morning everyone and welcome to live coverage of day four of the second Test from Perth. We’re firing up slightly earlier than usual to allow plenty of time to get through all the talking points from yesterday’s action.
What talking points, you might be asking? Well, there’s Aaron Finch’s dodgy digit and Virat Kohli’s dubious dismissal for a start, and we could venture into the reopening of old wounds once thought securely locked away in a safe marked Monkeygate: do not touch.
53rd over: India 133-6 (Pant 26, Umesh 0) Seven men out for Pant now with Starc starting another over, and the Indian ‘keeper obliging by taking one to midwicket. The plan was for them to come back for a second but there wasn’t time. That gives Umesh four balls to deal with - this could be messy. The first is a bouncer, which he just gets under. He tries to hook the next, failing to make contact and landing on his bum. The Australians are up for leg before from the third, a ball that keeps low but is not quite on line, missing off-stump. One to go... Umesh defends nicely to mid-off, declining the single on offer to give the strike back.
More poetry! From John in Turton, titled “Arise, Sir Alistair”:
52nd over: India 132-6 (Pant 25, Umesh 0) The field remains out for Pant, so he takes one from the first ball to long-off. Better for Umesh to play himself in facing Lyon than Starc, I guess. He’s going okay with that forward defensive, the men around the bat not yet in the game.
51st over: India 131-6 (Pant 24, Umesh 0) That might be Starc’s last for now, with Cummins and Hazlewood fresh and ready to roll. He’s banging it in quickly at Pant, who takes it on after missing a couple, two runs added behind the cordon. Oh, and he finishes with a snorter, which Pant plays without control and could have gone anywhere on the off-side but lands safely in the gully.
Simon Hutchinson wasn’t joking, Nath was talking Christmas hols between overs. What’s your view on the stump mics becoming such a big part of the coverage from the new broadcasters? Surely we’re the big winner as consumers but I’m not sure the players would agree. But I guess, per Paine yesterday, they can use it to their advantage as well.
50th over: India 128-6 (Pant 21, Umesh 0) Umesh does what he must to deny Nathan Lyon a third, jumping forward then back to defend. He’s beaten by one that doesn’t turn but it is wide enough from the woodwork for it not to matter.
“Some discussion out there about Christmas holiday destinations?” Simon Hutchinson notes of the constant chat through the stump mic. “Hamilton Island, Great Ocean Road. Elite Tourism?”
49th over: India 128-6 (Pant 21, Umesh 0) Pant knows he has to do all the work now, running hard for two to midwicket then doing the same into the posh side. He finishes with a big swing at Starc, the top edge landing just short of the rope at third man, getting four for the punt.
“I’d just like to point out to both team captains that our youngest daughter is now in the air with her Australian boyfriend,” explains Kim Thonger, “en route for Southern Hemisphere Xmas hols, and her mother jolly well expects all this sledging nonsense to STOP before she lands. In my wife’s view, impressionable girls shouldn’t be subjected to such silliness, and for the avoidance of doubt, she is NOT used to being thwarted.” G’luck with that! We’re back on the sledge, make no mistake.
48th over: India 120-6 (Pant 13, Umesh 0) It’s the first time in his career that Umesh has walked out at eight, Andrew Samson says on SEN. “Highlighting that they have four number 11s” adds Gerard Whateley. It’s Pant on strike and immediately changes gears, trying to slog the first ball of the new over, the leading edge landing out near point just short of the prospective catcher. After that close call, he calms down and defends before taking one to cover. Umesh does his job, keeping out the rest.
Scrap that! Starc targets Vihari’s hip, the batsman cramped up by the angle. He gets an inside edge onto the thigh pad, the ball landing with Marcus Harris just in front of square to complete the easy catch.
46th over: India 117-5 (Vihari 27, Pant 11) Vihari has started solidly. He looked good last night too; as he should with a First Class triple ton. He defends Lyon well here, keeping the strike with one to square leg to finish.
45th over: India 116-5 (Vihari 26, Pant 11) Starc to Pant, who is defending from the crease easily enough until the nasty one comes from just short of a length to finish, zipping past the edge and his shoulder. Expect plenty more balls to do that as we get deeper into the day.
“Pant’s on fire, so if one or two of the others can hang in there I predict that he will lead India to a series win and cement his place as the worthy successor to MSD!” writes Tom Richardson. Australia obviously see him as the danger man, and fair enough too. But we are yet to see any sign of him exploding into life this morning quite yet.
44th over: India 116-5 (Vihari 26, Pant 11) The proceeds of today’s gold coin donation entry is going to the mighty Perth Telethon. In the middle, Lyon to Pant with the four men out on the rope once more. He’s beaten with a beauty early on; perfect flight and turn. The next ball doesn’t spin, finding an inside edge. Super bowling from Australia’s number one.
“For all of Sir Viv’s achievements,” begins Ed Elias, “the one that stands out for me was watching him bat as a 12-year-old as Glamorgan beat Kent to win the AXA Sunday League in Canterbury in 1993. (I should make it clear: I was 12, Sir Viv was a little older.) Viv & Tony Cottey took hold of the game for Glammy and brought us home! Anyway, after the chat yesterday about Sir Viv in art, I offer you this (slightly irregular) poem.”
He’d come out to bat with a smile and a swagger, Strutting his way to the crease like Mick Jagger, Who could this be, hitting it harder and faster? None but Sir Viv, the first Master Blaster. His technique saw him hit ‘across the line’, But it worked! Did you see his one-eighty-nine?! He didn’t just blast, he used tactics and theories: As captain of the Windies he never lost a series. Bowlers would try to have their little bit of fun, Though it was a mistake to sledge the Antiguan: You might get a few to go past Viv’s sticks, But you never knew when he might hit you for six! (“It’s round and it’s red” was how Thomas described it; Then boom! “You know what it looks like - now go find it!”) The first two World Cups, he was the winner, He wore no helmet, bowled a decent off-spinner, About Sir Viv you can’t be too complimentary: Wisden named him a “Cricketer of the Century”.
43rd over: India 115-5 (Vihari 26, Pant 10) It is Starc, to Vihari initially who pushes out to midwicket from the inside half of the bat to take his second single of the morning. Once again with Pant on strike a couple of men drop out. The feisty ‘keeper defends until the final ball, which he drives out to the sweeper at deep point to retain the strike.
How about the stink here! Great pick up by Seven, Ravi Jadeja and Ishant Sharma getting stuck into each other yesterday. Watch this space.
42nd over: India 113-5 (Vihari 25, Pant 9) Vihari underway with an easy push to long-on. The field is well spread for Pant, four out on the rope. He doesn’t take the bait, happily playing out the Lyon set.
“Morning Adam.” G’day, Simon Richards. “Are these Twitter storms and Social Media frenzies getting out of hand? Paine and Kohli are hard but fair professional competitors. And yes, probably nice blokes. Perspective?” Yep, proabably. I quite enjoyed it, but then again, I would.
The players are on the field! And not a bad crowd, either. Gold coin donation to enter today and there must be a decent 5,000 in, I reckon. India to resume on 112/5 with Vihari (24) on strike, Pant (9) up the other end. It looks like Nathan Lyon will begin from the southern end. The target is 287. PLAY!
Here is Mitch Starc on Ch 7. I suspect he’ll be on straight away as well.
Terry Hogan on Paine’s captaincy. “Love your work,” he begins. I didn’t need to put this in, obviously, but here we are. “Not sure that this has been mentioned already, but I did a quick bit of research and noticed that Paine is the only Australian Test captain, other than Jack Ryder, not to get a win in his first four tests. And no Australian captain has ever gone five tests before bagging their first win. I guess Paine is well placed to avoid being the first today.”
And not just losses but HUGE thrashings in Jo’burg and Abu Dhabi. I’m expecting some memorable celebrations if they do get over the line today.
Opening the bowling on the email is Adam Hirst. “What was Marcus Harris thinking?” he asks. “He’s clearly not fit for Australian test cricket saying those kind of things. You don’t have to be out to go clubbing! Just get a taxi straight to the ground in the morning like a proper test cricketer from the 1980s would.”
Or an English player, for that matter. All I see here is a window to plug Derek Pringle’s superb new book. Buy it, read it, live it.
Nathan Lyon speaks with Channel Seven. He now has 500 First Class wickets. What a remarkable story. To pick one element of it, something I wrote in Bangladesh last year from when he was a curator at Manuka in ‘09/10 and we played at the same Canberra club (Carn Westies!).
The pitch. All told, we probably expected more and deeper cracks by the end given how it played on the opening afternoon. But as we saw with Shami and Bumrah after lunch yesterday, it’s still more than a handful.
Day/night for Perth? WACA boss Christina Matthews has been making the case for the new stadium to host pink-ball Test next summer. We know when Brisbane had one a couple of summers back it began at 1pm local, partly to hit the TV sweet spot. Let’s assume they do the same here, it would see the final session would wrap up on the east coast - after the extra half hour - at 11:30pm. Too late for young eyes?
Even if you enjoy the niggle between these cricketing giants... you probably wish Monkeygate was behind us forever. Sadly, not quite. As you can read below, a Fox Sports special was on last night going back through the incident with Andrew Symonds, which has kicked things off again. As Dan Brettig said to me on Sunday, the man who documented so much of this in his wonderful book Whitewash to Whitewash: “The first rule of cricket writing is that Monkeygate is never over.”
“I thought he was a very good cricketer but Symonds has turned out to be a good fiction writer.”
Good morning! Sure enough, it is another stonking Perth morning, not a cloud to be found. Australia require five wickets to square the series leading into Boxing Day; India 175 further runs to gather to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in straight sets.
The former is far more likely on the basis that this capricious pitch is only to get harder to bat on. In saying that, we made the exact same observation 24 hours ago only for it to play flat and true after it had been rolled yesterday morning.
Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime, catch up on what happened on day four, including this: