Karun Nair scored a brilliant and historic unbeaten 303 as India declared on 759-7, and England ended the day 270 runs behind
And so the day comes to an end. It’s been long, hard and historic. Nair’s knock was phenomenal, for all that he was dropped at slip a couple of times. Having got out for 7 and 13 in his first two Test innings, this came from nowhere and then kept coming. England were reeling by the end, punch-drunk and dizzy, bowling and fielding poorly as they waited to be put out of their misery. England have never conceded more runs, India have never scored more, and Nair became just the second Indian, after Virender Sehwag, to score a triple century. It’s been memorable. Bye!
Trevor Bayliss, who’s leaving the tour a day early to undergo minor surgery, says:
It was just one of those days. India played extremely well. I’ll just put it down to one of those days that hopefully don’t come around many times in your career. The main thing is, if you set a field you’ve got to be able to bowl for it. It’s probably a little bit skill and a little bit concentration - it’s something we’re working towards and time will tell.
Rashid’s someone who has made some strides this winter, but there’s a long way to go. When he’s bowled well he’s landed the ball on the spot, the last couple of games not so much. He’s not the only one. There’s a few players that need to take a long, hard look at themselves. Tomorrow will be a test of their character. I like the way that Dawson went today. He showed great control today, when we needed someone to bowl to a field he was the one that stood up.
Karun Nair talks:
It’s the best knock I’ve made in my life. I think once I got 100 the pressure was off. When I got the first 100, I didn’t feel any pressure, I was just playing my shots after that. Sweeping comes naturally to me. I’ve been playing it a lot, it’s beenn my go-to shot whenever I needed a four. It just came off today. My dad watches most of my games so having him here was not extra pressure for me. I’d like to thank them for supporting me. They should feel proud. After 250 the message was just to go after the bowling. We had a set number of overs in mind, but when I got closer to 300 they pushed it up. I’d like to thank the team management for giving me a bit of extra time.
The pitch has been good for four days. It’s getting worse day by day. Any new batsman coming in, it’s not easy to play. It’s turning a bit right now, and I hope it turns more tomorrow.
5th over: England 12-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 9) Jadeja bowls the final over, but Jennings handls the first four balls adroitly, and Cook copes with the final two. And with that, the day is over. It’s been historic.
Related: Karun Nair scores 303 in India’s highest Test total as England’s misery continues
4th over: England 11-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 8) Four for Jennings, whose deft sweeps just evades the fielder on its way to the fine leg boundary. One more over.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 3) Jadeja has a go at Cook, who has pretty much been his plaything throughout the series. No dice. Meanwhile, Nair’s numbers continue to be crunched.
Nair scored his first 100 runs off 185 balls; his second 100 runs off 121 balls and his third 100 runs off 75 balls. #IndvEng
2nd over: England 4-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 2) Spin from the start, as Ashwin takes aim at Jennings, who deals with it pretty well, but for a minor lbw appeal, stymied only by the fact the ball pitched outside the line, and would have missed the stumps.
1st over: England 2-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 0) Ishant bowls the first over, and his third delivery is a cracker, angled into Cook, forcing him to play and then moving away, but it misses the bat by a couple of inches. Of all the ridiculous numbers swirling around this game, what follows is one of the zaniest: Nair’s day in full - 245 balls, 232 runs.
Karun Nair...
Yesterday: 71 in 136 balls (S/r 52.21)
today: 232 in 245 balls (S/r 94.69)#IndvEng
India’s 759-7 declared represents the seventh highest Test tally of all time. They were only seven runs away from the top five. They might regret that.
191st over: India 759-7 (Nair 303, U Yadav 1) England’s gameplan was to keep Umesh on strike, and deny Nair a chance to complete his triple ton. This they achieve for just one ball, and then after a further dot Nair cuts square for four, and he’s done it! He is the second Indian in all of history to score a Test 300, and that’s the last ball of the innings!
190th over: India 754-7 (Nair 299, U Yadav 0) Dawson bowls, and Nair gets a single off the first, and Jadeja a single off the second. That takes the total to 753, making this the biggest ever score achieved against England, beating West Indies’ 751-5 declared at St John’s in 2004. The batsmen cross before Jadeja is caught, leaving Nair one ball to face, and he misses it completely, stamping about in frustration.
Jadeja hoicks towards the midwicket boundary, and Ball takes a fine running catch a couple of yards from the rope. And so the collapse begins ...
189th over: India 751-6 (Nair 297, Jadeja 50) Nair finds himself back on strike, five short of 300, with Rashid bowling, but he chips the ball in the air towards long on, a bit of a limp shot even if the ball dropped well short of Broad. That puts Jadeja back on strike, and he hits a single to complete his own half-century, complete with bat-twirling celebration, from his 52nd delivery.
No. No it isn’t.
188th over: India 747-6 (Nair 295, Jadeja 48) Jadeja thunders Moeen’s first delivery down the ground and high into the stands. Then the batsmen sprint, which seems a quite unnecessary expenditure of energy, to convert an easy single into a sharp two. A single brings Nair on strike, six runs from 300 with two balls remaining, and when he gets just a single off the first he pounds the turf with his bat in frustration. Is that the end?
Moeen and Rashid have bowled two maidens between them in 68 overs
187th over: India 736-6 (Nair 294, Jadeja 38) Nair cracks the ball through the covers to the boundary, and this is now the fourth biggest innings in the history of Indian Test cricket. Only Sehwag has scored more than this. England’s fielding has become a bit shambolic in the last few overs, but nothing except for the size of India’s total, the immensity of Nair’s individual contribution, and when it’s all going to stop really matters now. And then he boshes Rashid’s final ball through midwicket for four more, and now he’s No3 on the list.
186th over: India 722-6 (Nair 280, Jadeja 38) It’s just numbers now. A tidal wave of numbers. Really big, confusingly enormous numbers. Still, just five runs from Moeen’s latest over, so that’s something.
This is the 10th time there have been 4 century partnerships in a Test innings. https://t.co/DzgRsu0rBf
185th over: India 717-6 (Nair 276, Jadeja 36) Nair shuffles back, swings his bat and sends Rashid’s second ball over midwicket and into the stands for six, and then he sweeps the next along the ground for four, and a dot later does it again. He’s faced 360 deliveries, but only the fielding side are tiring. Those are three fabulous, vicious strokes. They’ve got to let him complete the treble ton now, surely?
Umesh Yadav, who batted 11 in the last Test, is padded up. If he comes in as nightwatchman, Virat Kohli wins the real quiz. #IndvEng
184th over: India 701-6 (Nair 261, Jadeja 36) Moeen bowls, and Nair tries to clear the midwicket boundary but the ball drops 10 yards short. So he has another go off the next ball, a little straighter this time, and there’s no stopping that one. India’s total has teetered past 700, and out comes another messenger from the dressing room. Two more overs would, I think, leave England with 10 to face this evening, which is a pleasingly round number.
183rd over: India 687-6 (Nair 251, Jadeja 35) Nair turns Rashid’s first ball to square leg for a single, completing his 250. It’s been, well, ludicrous. And they’re still batting, India’s balcony having refilled again.
Only Garry Sobers (365*) and Bob Simpson (311) were able to convert their maiden Test 100 to a triple century!#IndvEng
182nd over: India 686-6 (Nair 249, Jadeja 33) Nair has just overtaken Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time biggest Test innings, 248 against Bangladesh in 2004. Only three batsmen, and six innings, are still ahead of him in the list of India’s all-time top Test knocks. At the end of the over, someone emerges from the dressing-room with a drink and a message. What, though, could it be?
181st over: India 681-6 (Nair 247, Jadeja 30)“You ask what they’re waiting for,” writes Robin Hazlehurst. “Wasn’t there some kid in India who got 900 and odd runs in a first-class game last year or something? That record’s got to be worth chasing. And frankly worth sacrificing the victory for. 4-0 series thrashings happen all the time, but the first Test 1000 would be a truly memorable achievement.”
180th over: India 677-6 (Nair 246, Jadeja 27) Another let-off for Nair, who goes down the ground to Moeen, misses completely and was way out of his ground if Bairstow could only collect and whip off the bails. Which, obviously, he couldn’t. This is now India’s all-time highest innings total against England, beating the 664 they scored at the Oval in 2007, and they lead by 200 runs. England’s torture is nearly over, though: their balcony has just emptied.
@Simon_Burnton Just this - https://t.co/UoaDeYaibJ
179th over: India 671-6 (Nair 244, Jadeja 25) The 50 partnership is completed, from 45 balls. “Do you think England can bat out a draw or does the pitch have some venom for Ashwin and co to make it 4-0?” asks Shankar Subramanian. It’s still a flat enough pitch, but what is in doubt is the psychology. Do England’s players have the determination and the discipline to bat slow and long, given that this is the last match in the series, it’s nearly Christmas, they know they can’t win, and they’re all a bit miserable and want to go home?
Having said that, Stokes’ final delivery rears up into Nair, who fends it away for a single.
178th over: India 665-6 (Nair 242, Jadeja 22) Moeen returns, and Nair reverse-sweeps ever so fine for four. India lead by 188 runs as the players take drinks. What, now, are they waiting for? Nair’s 250? A 200-run lead? Jadeja’s 50? Ishant Sharma completing a century? Umesh Yadav’s jackpot double ton?
177th over: India 658-6 (Nair 237, Jadeja 20) Ben Stokes does some bowling, and keeps the scoring relatively slow, with just four singles conceded.
176th over: India 654-6 (Nair 235, Jadeja 18) Between overs Jadeja calls for and receives a new, bigger, thicker bat. No more holding back, now India want to score some proper runs. Ball bangs one short, and Jadeja pulls it away for six off the middle of the bat, and then a similar shot off the next ball brings four more.
@Simon_Burnton
Karun Nair is @VVSLaxman281's true successor!. Looks like he has the same elegance and ability to play off either foot.
175th over: India 640-6 (Nair 232, Jadeja 7) Sadly this is one record Nair never looked like getting, given that he leapt straight from 228 to 232 by clubbing wide of mid on for four.
@Simon_Burnton golden opportunity here for Kohli to declare with Nair on 229 - the lowest score never made in a Test... DOES HE EVEN KNOW?
174th over: India 633-6 (Nair 227, Jadeja 5) The records are tumbling now, but the top of the all-time maiden century rankings remains distant, Garfield Sobers sitting pretty on 365*
Karun Nair's is now the highest score by an India batsman at No. 5 or lower beating MS Dhoni's 224 at the same venue in 2013-14.#INDvENG
Karun's score of 226* is the 12th highest maiden Test hundred, the highest by an Indian & the highest since 1979 (Bacchus). #IndvEng
173rd over: India 630-6 (Nair 226, Jadeja 3) For the first couple of overs with the new ball England played a long stop, to dissuade Nair from attempting a ramp shot. Then they gave up, and now Nair leans back and helps a short ball on its way towards, and indeed over, the boundary for six!
The best catch ever with the score on 616. In fact the only catch. First time in Test history a wicket has fallen at 616. #newground
172nd over: India 620-6 (Nair 218, Jadeja 1) Nair is dropped again! He edges the ball to the right of Root at slip, and he gets a palm to it but fumbles! Earlier Ball had a go at bowling short at Jadeja too, but his attempt isn’t quite so accurate as Broad’s, and the third man umpire signals a wide. “Alastair Cook has about the best test bowling average in the world - 7.00,” notes Jonathan Gresty. “Now is the time for him to stop being so self-effacing it and improve it with a quick five-for before the sun goes down in Chennai.”
171st over: India 616-6 (Nair 215, Jadeja 0) Broad welcomes Jadeja with a vicious bumper that rears up into his chest, completing an excellent, aggressive over.
That’s a fantastic catch from Buttler at gully! An absolute beauty! The ball is flying low to his left, but he dives, flings out a hand and collects cleanly, a couple of inches from the ground. Phwoar!
170th over: India 614-5 (Nair 215, Ashwin 66) Ball’s first delivery is banged in short, and Nair swats it from somewhere near his right ear through mid on for four, and the next delivery, pitched up, heads back in precisely the same direction but doesn’t quite reach the rope.
169th over: India 606-5 (Nair 208, Ashwin 65) England take another new ball, hand it to Broad, and Ashwin cuts late, sending the ball down to third man for four.
Send this Test match to dignitas.
168th over: India 600-5 (Nair 207, Ashwin 60) In which Nair scored another fine boundary, leaning back and punching the ball past extra cover. A couple of singles take India to 600 runs, a lead of 123. Which, as has been established, is as easy as ABC, so really there’s nothing for England to worry about.
167th over: India 593-5 (Nair 202, Ashwin 58) Nair’s first century took him 185 balls, his second came off 121. A decent knock.
No nightmare one-nineties for Nair, who cracks the first ball of Jennings’ over through cover for four to move onto 201!
166th over: India 585-5 (Nair 197, Ashwin 55) Moeen bowls, and after his first three deliveries yield singles, the second three deliveries don’t yield anything. At the end of it all Nair is on strike, three runs from the double ton, and Jennings has the ball.
The players are back out. An hour or so and then a declaration, leaving England a nervy 45 minutes?
Last time England got stuffed this badly abroad, Cook made KP the scapegoat.
Needs to stab himself in the back this time. #INDvENG
And the only question is, when will India stop this torture, and start a different kind of torture.
Ashwin reprieved by DRS review. Just as England were about to turn the series on its head.
165th over: India 582-5 (Nair 195, Ashwin 54) Jennings thinks he’s got a wicket now, as the ball thumps Ashwin in the pad and loops up to point and Simon Fry finally raises his finger. India review, though, and it turns out the ball just missed the edge of the bat, and would have missed leg stump, so no dice. Nearly-wicket maiden, and that’s tea.
164th over: India 582-5 (Nair 195, Ashwin 54)“At what point does Cook warm up to bowl?” wonders Kevin Wilson. “After all, he has a decent record with the ball against India!” It’s true, he accounted for Ishant Sharma at Trent Bridge a couple of years back.
163rd over: India 579-5 (Nair 193, Ashwin 53) Jennings is close to getting Nair out again, convincing the ball to move back a little off the seam, and Nair inside-edges it just past his stumps. He gets four runs, obviously. Not a bad over, really.
STAT ALERT: Four 50s and three 5-fors in a series: George Giffen, Aus v Eng 1894-95; R.Ashwin, Ind v Eng 2016-17.
162nd over: India 575-5 (Nair 189, Ashwin 53) The last person to score 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a Test series was Ian Botham, in 1985. The person before that was also Ian Botham, in 1981. The only Indian to achieve the feat before was Kapil Dev, across six matches against Pakistan in 1979-80.
161st over: India 572-5 (Nair 187, Ashwin 52)“Come on Keaty!” shouts Bairstow into the sump microphone. “Get him out yet again here, yeah!” That’s basically gross insubordination, isn’t it? That’s outright and explicit criticism of the umpires thinly disguised as encouragement for a team-mate.
160th over: India 568-5 (Nair 185, Ashwin 51) Moeen bowls, and there’s plenty of turn for him too. This makes Ashwin a little uncomfortable, but probably also a bit excited. “You know those horror movies that start with a relaxing weekend away in a remote cabin that’s all going really well before the couple unwisely venture into the sinister woods and then there is absolute terror and carnage in the third act?” ponders Phil Russell. “Well I think this Test match has just reached the point where you hear the door slam shut from 100 yards away and start to see some shadowy figures moving between the trees, which turn out to be Ashton with five close fielders in full protective gear.
“In case you’re wondering it starts with Cook getting killed off early and then retiring, Root looking like the saviour only to get triggered in a cynical plot twist before ending in a moment of black comedy as Broad tries to review a plumb lbw for the 10th wicket not realising they’ve both already been burnt by Ali and Stokes.”
159th over: India 568-5 (Nair 184, Ashwin 51) An eighth bowler of the innings: Keaton Jennings has a go, and he should have got a wicket with his very first delivery in Test cricket, which raps Nair on the front pad but doesn’t impress Simon Fry. Even if England had a review it wouldn’t have changed anything, as there’s an orange for impact, but that ball was hitting the stumps very emphatically and it has to go down as a bad decision from the umpire. Ashwin then completes his half-century with a finely-timed flick to long leg.
Simon Fry's worse than the Grinch. Just give it out, mate. It doesn't matter anymore. #INDvENG
158th over: India 563-5 (Nair 183, Ashwin 47) Dawson bowls as if desperate for the India innings to end as soon as possible, bowling short, wide, or short and wide and getting clattered about by Nair, who twice drives through cover for four. England’s strategy is to let him reach 199 and then hope he gets himself out.
Rashid has gone for 800 runs in this series - that can't have happened often to an England bowler I suspect @Simon_Burnton
157th over: India 552-5 (Nair 172, Ashwin 47) Nair slams another sweep just past a diving fielder on the rope for four, and then Ashwin slots Rashid’s final delivery past point for four more. Another 100-odd runs before India declare, do you reckon? They’re 75 ahead as I type, and at the moment it’s hard to envisage the innings ending any other way.
156th over: India 542-5 (Nair 167, Ashwin 43)“Only three extras in a total of - so far - 539 runs,” notes Nick Winch. “Is that some kind of a record - or is it that nowadays umpires don’t bother to look for no balls any more (there have been none in this match at all) and just check the front foot if a wicket might have fallen?” Bit of both, I imagine, but three does seem unusually low. Credit to Bairstow, probably.
155th over: India 539-5 (Nair 166, Ashwin 40) Nair nails a lovely sweep, sending the ball rocketing along the ground and just past the dive of a despairing Dawson on the rope. He tries to reverse the next, fails, the ball is caught by Stokes at slip and England appeal, leading to a bit of a muddle while the umpire shakes his head, decides he’s maybe been a bit hasty, and then asks the TV umpire to make the decision for him. Luckily, he was right all along.
154th over: India 535-5 (Nair 162, Ashwin 40) Nair adds another single from Dawson’s over. No hurry.
153rd over: India 534-5 (Nair 161, Ashwin 40) Hello! So, this is fun. I mean, as perpetually repeating nightmares go, it’s not bad, is it? Let’s make one thing clear, for those actually sporting the three lions rather than just watching from a distance it’s probably not as much fun as, say, repeatedly stabbing yourself in the palm with a compass, or eating small amounts of laundry detergent, or getting drunk, losing your keys, failing to gain entry to your own home and passing out in a rudimentary shelter made from a couple of freesheet newspapers and a recycling bin, so fairly low down the scale of fun. But let’s not nit-pick, eh?
151st over: India 530-5 (Nair 159, Ashwin 38) Rashid is heading for another maiden when Nair produces a sweet sweep for four. He has 23 off his last 20 balls, commanding from a man in his third Test. And that’s drinks. The hour belongs firmly to India. The rest of the day belongs to Simon Burton; it’ll be like when Root takes over from Cook. Thanks for your company and excellent contributions.
150th over: India 525-5 (Nair 154, Ashwin 38) Tidy from Dawson, just a single.
149th over: India 524-5 (Nair 153, Ashwin 38) Joe Root takes the helm, bright-eyed as ever, tells Rashid to bowl outside off, and is rewarded with a maiden. I have seen the future, and it’s working so far.
An email from Jonathan Gresty. “Waking up damp with cold sweat on a freezing grey morning in greyest East Slovakia, I had to indulge two little numerical fantasies in my efforts to crawl out of bed: that England would skittle India out for under 600 and roar back in the second innings; and that you-know-who in you-know-where would not get his required 270 and would be duly ‘unpresidented’. An hour later and after a less-than-hearty metaphorical breakfast of dried crust and bacon rind (with the hairs still on it), I feel ready to go back to bed.” Nice.
148th over: India 524-5 (Nair 153, Ashwin 38) Cook is so stumped, he brings back Dawson, who bowled the entire morning. The runs flow regardless. Cook leaves the field in disgust; his end, as a captain, is nigh. Let the man bat and bat and not have to think.
“Goodness @TimdeLisle,” says Richard Morris, “the one word summaries of the test make grim reading on the 0658 from Richmond.” Never mind the paragraphs, there’s a whole world in those last four words.
147th over: India 520-5 (Nair 152, Ashwin 35) After that scratchy start, Ashwin has now grabbed the wheel, as befits a man who walks into the World XI. He takes a couple of twos off Rashid, one of which – a sort of shove-cut – could have gone to hand, but didn’t.
146th over: India 515-5 (Nair 151, Ashwin 31) The fours are coming thick and fast. Ashen punishes a short one from Moeen with a handsome upright pull. That’s 50 since lunch.
145th over: India 509-5 (Nair 150, Ashwin 26) Cook turns back to Rashid, not before time, and Nair square-pushes a single to bring up his 150, off 240 balls. Great stuff. and particularly painful for Cook, who dropped him on 34. Rashid is still good enough to beat him with a classic leg-break. Not at his best here, Rashid has nonetheless been easily England’s bowler of the series.
144th over: India 507-5 (Nair 149, Ashwin 25) Another four, as Nair sashays down the track to Moeen, turns a half-volley into a full toss, and drives back past the bowler. Then yet another, a light-footed cut. If this was a party, all the girls would want to dance with Nair, though they might have trouble keeping up with him.
143rd over: India 497-5 (Nair 141, Ashwin 24) Another contender for shot of the day: Nair drives Ball on the up for four through the covers. Who does he think he is, Sachin Tendulkar?
“Morning @TimdeLisle,” says Guy Hornsby on Twitter. “You’re not alone here.” Phew. “And however lifeless it seems right now, we’re only ever a session away from an England skittling.” True.
142nd over: India 491-5 (Nair 136, Ashwin 23) Just when he has a maiden in his sights, Moeen drops an inch short and Ashwin unfurls that late cut of his.
An email arrives from Robert Wilson. “Christmas here in Paris is a mulish festival of reluctance and unsentimentality. It’s all indigestion remedies and extra smoking, telling kids that Santa’s a US imperialist fantasy and eating animals that have been festively and exhaustively tortured. Believe me, the OBO is light relief (especially when my beloved Rashid is playing).” Playing, but not bowling much: just the one over today, for reasons best known to Cook.
141st over: India 487-5 (Nair 136, Ashwin 19) Shot of the day from Nair: a ramp for four off Ball, who can only gawp in astonishment. This could get entertaining.
140th over: India 480-5 (Nair 130, Ashwin 18) So Ashwin wallops a six, India are in the lead, and Cook’s hard-won control is fraying.
Simon Ward sends an email. “I found myself obliged to take my brother and his family to the airport this morning,” he reports, “early enough so he could down a traditional pint of Guinness before boarding his flight. I was pleased that the Test match was still on, but unfortunately the cricket was so soporific in the first session that I missed the turn off to Durham. Now sitting outside a Greggs in Darlington waiting for it to open…” There’s a whole world in that paragraph.
Ashwin gets tired of blocking and wellies Moeen over long-on for six. A handsome way to go past England’s 477.
139th over: India 472-5 (Nair 129, Ashwin 11) Ball keeps it tight with a maiden to Ashwin.
Over on Twitter, Dominic Sayers’ question about what Cook and Root were up to in those screen-shots elicits an answer from Jesse Linklater. Or rather another question. “Did we figure out what Root was palming to Cook yet? Was it smelling salts?”
138th over: India 472-5 (Nair 129, Ashwin 11) A couple of singles off Moeen, and then a crisp sweep for four by Nair. The deficit is down to five, and India are just beginning to sniff victory.
137th over: India 466-5 (Nair 124, Ashwin 10) Cook is lunch-drunk now: a THIRD bowling change in three overs, as Rashid, after one over, gives way to Jake Ball. Or Mr Ball the Bowler, as he would be in Happy Families. Nair, Mr Bat, calmly collects another single.
“Good morning from Bangalore, Tim.” Good morning from London, Karthik Krishnamoorthi. “Seeing as you’re all alone on the OBO today, I thought I would write in for the first time to convey my appreciation. Hope it feels good to know that you’re not shouting into the void.” It does.
136th over: India 465-5 (Nair 123, Ashwin 10) Dawson comes off at last. Moeen comes on, and instantly has a big shout for caught at short leg against Ashwin. Not out, says Marais Erasmus, who is usually right. England look as if they would have reviewed if they could have.
An interesting tale from Adam Levine. “I was in Mumbai last weekend for the Test, and every time Stokes came in to bowl the Indian supporters behind me were singing his name with strong emphasis on the first vowel: Beeeeeeeen Stokes. I was thinking how sporting it was of the Indian crowd, not only to recognise the talents of a great all-rounder from the opposition team but also to sing his name. So I started singing along: Beeeeeeen Stokes. This seemed to amuse the supporters around me, who started laughing and singing his name even more. A friend of mine, who is originally from Chennai, was sitting a few seats away. He leaned over and calmly explained that Ben Stokes, when the emphasis is placed in such a way, sounds remarkably like the Hindi phrase for someone with a predilection for a very specific type of intra-familial sexual relations (think Jamie Lannister). I carried on singing even louder, but at least I was in on the joke at that point.” Delicately put.
135th over: India 463-5 (Nair 122, Ashwin 9) Cook wakes up with a jolt and gives Stokes a breather at last. He may regret it, as Adil Rashid comes on and Nair helps himself to four with an off-drive. That’s lunch. It’s India’s morning, but Cook, somnolent or not, has kept things under control: only 72 runs in the session, 51 of them to Nair, who has been cool, calm and collected.
134th over: India 457-5 (Nair 117, Ashwin 8) Ashwin finally finds his feet, in style, late-cutting Dawson for four. That’s Ashwin’s first boundary, off his 35th ball.
133rd over: India 453-5 (Nair 117, Ashwin 4) Sturdy stuff from Stokes. He too has bowled a long spell, for figures of 8-1-26-0 which could easily have been 8-2-20-2. Cook has gone to sleep. So has the game. How about you, dear reader?
132nd over: India 452-5 (Nair 117, Ashwin 3) Almost a maiden from Dawson, who is damned if he’s going to get a hundred here: he has 1-99 off 35 overs, and 1-5 off the last five of those.
131st over: India 451-5 (Nair 117, Ashwin 2) Nair chops Stokes for a single and the 450 comes up. As milestones go, it’s both admirable and boring, like a 45th wedding anniversary.
130th over: India 449-5 (Nair 116, Ashwin 1) Ashwin under-edges Dawson, and the ball goes into the ground and up into the region known to generations of commentators as Amidships. Usually so assured, Ashwin has been scratchy today.
129th over: India 447-5 (Nair 115, Ashwin 0) Stokes keeps Nair quiet with a maiden. He never stops trying.
128th over: India 447-5 (Nair 115, Ashwin 0) Dawson continues his marathon spell. Rashid and Moeen may be wondering why they got out of bed today. But there’s method in Cook’s madness, as Dawson is bowling cannily. He gets one past Ashwin’s bat, a bit of a grubber, which doesn’t bode well for England.
127th over: India 446-5 (Nair 114, Ashwin 0) Stokes summons up a snorter to take the shoulder of Nair’s bat – literally, as a chunk of willow comes off. He hands it to the umpire, insouciantly, and bats on, and celebrates his escape with a crunching square drive for four. Stokes then replies by beating the battered bat. A good little duel: we needed that.
126th over: India 437-5 (Nair 105, Ashwin 0) Dawson looks happy to bowl all day, which is lucky as that is what Cook seems to have in mind for him. This spell has been 9-1-23-1.
125th over: India 436-5 (Nair 104, Ashwin 0) Steady from Stokes, and then sharpish as he raps Ashwin on his right hand.
An interesting tweet lands from Dominic Sayers. Our neat tweet mode isn’t working, so I’ll try it as a link...
124th over: India 435-5 (Nair 103, Ashwin 0) That’s a wicket maiden. Well bowled Dawson, or Dawss, as he has become in Jonny Bairstow’s unstoppable commentary from behind the stumps. Shouldn’t Jos Buttler be getting a go with the gloves?
Vijay has gone, pinned on the back pad by a flatter ball, and Liam Dawson has that first Test wicket. Just deserts all round. India are 435-5.
Dawson gets an LBW given by umpire Erasmus, but Vijay reviews. He might as well...
123rd over: India 435-4 (Nair 103, Vijay 29) Stokes did well there to produce the five dots, but Nair rose to the challenge.
Karun Nair has done it! Stokes and Cook stifle him with a 7-2 field, he sets off for several aborted singles, but then there’s a full one and he squirt-drives it for four to wide third man. He goes to 103 out of 435 – a first Test hundred, richly deserved.
122nd over: India 431-4 (Nair 99, Vijay 29) Nair pulls Dawson for a single to the sweeper, and kicks himself for not finding the gap. Dawson’s own century is looming (30-3-94-0), but he has bowled better than that.
“And so to bed,” says Brian Withington, alarmingly. “I think Ian Copestake had the right idea – best to save oneself for a stupendous day five denouement. Trust that you will be serving up the OBO honours tomorrow as a reward for putting in the hard yards this morning.” Interesting definition of reward there.
121st over: India 430-4 (Nair 98, Vijay 29) Nair takes another single, Stokes gets some nice reverse away from the bat, but Vijay watches the ball carefully and cashes in with a square drive for four. That’s drinks, and the first hour, like so many in this series, belongs to India.
120th over: India 425-4 (Nair 97, Vijay 25) Vijay takes a single to bring up the fifty partnership. Nair plays that paddle-swat of his again, hoping for four, settling for one as Cook dives to his right at short super-fine leg. Then another single apiece as Nair stays nerveless.
119th over: India 421-4 (Nair 95, Vijay 23) Nair picks up a couple more, driving a wide one from Stokes, who, like Broad earlier, seems a little creaky. Nasser feels Stokes has been under-bowled, and reckons England are “wrapping him up in what is now a dead rubber”. The mind boggles.
118th over: India 417-4 (Nair 92, Vijay 22) Nair stays busy against Dawson, cutting for two off middle stump, and shovelling to leg for a two and a single, but he also swats at one coming out of the rough, which Nasser sees as a sign of nerves. Bowling change approaching: Stokes for Broad.
117th over: India 412-4 (Nair 87, Vijay 22) Broad continues, muttering, and each batsman takes a single. Paging Ian Copestake: have you gone back to bed? If so, I can’t say I blame you.
116th over: India 410-4 (Nair 86, Vijay 21) Dawson seems to be on top, when Nair suddenly launches himself down the wicket and clumps him for six. It’s Nair’s first six for India, and a hint that the nineties will not be nervous.
Brian Withington is back. “Doesn’t this umpire know that it’s the done thing to err in favour of the side without a review left when the other team has two spare?! Especially with a snick behind where there is no LBW margin of error bias to worry about.” It’s a fair cop.
115th over: India 404-4 (Nair 80, Vijay 21) Big appeal, more of a celebration from Broad, as Vijay drives loosely and gets a thin edge – but umpire Fry isn’t interested and England have no reviews left. “They used their reviews last night,” Nasser Hussain notes, “in that crazy ten minutes.” He sounds like your favourite teacher when he’s disappointed with you.
114th over: India 404-4 (Nair 80, Vijay 21) A good piece of cricket as Nair belts Dawson straight, Dawson stops it well and tries to run him out at the striker’s end. Nair then scrapes a single, and Vijay adds another. Dawson, England’s sixth spinner in this series, has started well today.
113th over: India 402-4 (Nair 79, Vijay 20) Broad keeps Vijay quiet, and honest. A maiden, and the last ball flew off a length to give Bairstow some goalkeeping practice down the leg side. Whisper it, but there may be signs of life in the pitch.
112th over: India 402-4 (Nair 79, Vijay 20) Vijay pushes for two through midwicket, then edges a single. So India pass 400 yet again. Meanwhile, in Brisbane, “... and then sadly the tenth!” writes Brian Withington. “At least we can now focus all our energies on your exemplary OBO coverage of this riveting test match (especially as present wrapping was concluded on Friday during day one coverage).” It seems a bit early for compliments, but thank you, Brian.
111th over: India 399-4 (Nair 79, Vijay 17) Another delay for some gardening, with Broad apparently directing the groundsmen. And then a lively over, which would have been a maiden had Nair’s attempted leave not gone for four through the slips. Pakistan, alas, have lost their ninth wicket. “As exciting as it sounds at the Gabba,” tweets Ali Martin, “here in Chennai we’ve just had two overs bowled in the first 15 minutes.”
110th over: India 395-4 (Nair 75, Vijay 17) Liam Dawson is the first spinner of the day, and he bowls the first ripper, finding turn and bounce to beat Vijay’s back-foot defence. And then one keeps low, to whet Dawson’s appetite further. Ian Copestake has even spotted that my email address was mis-typed above (“too many dots”). Very Guardian. Thanks, Ian.
109th over: India 394-4 (Nair 74, Vijay 17) Stuart Broad opens the proceedings, rather as the Duke off Edinburgh might: he looks distinguished but creaky. Whether he throws in a risqué quip too, the stump microphone doesn’t relate. Karun Nair helps himself to a couple first ball, with a push through mid-on, and adds a single after a delay caused by ropey footholds. England’s fans fill an empty stadium with the sound of Jerusalem. That’s quite creaky too.
“Morning, Tim,” says Ian Copestake, who rises as steadily as the sun, in fact before it. “If it was tough getting up for this game, I hope the gift of Pakistan’s fightback has made it all worthwhile.” That is quite a story: they need 50 with two wickets left. Follow it here, if you decide it’s more gripping than India v England: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2016/dec/19/australia-v-pakistan-first-test-day-five-live
The rubber is dead. The pitch is dead. The match is half-dead. But the hills are alive with the sound of OBO. Nobody said a sporting encounter had to be exciting in order to be covered here. There are many moods of Test cricket, and one of them is barely there at all. It can make for a nice blank canvas.
England, let’s face it, know how to grab defeat from the jaws of inertia. They managed it after making 400 in Mumbai, and they could just about do it again in Chennai after making 477. If India can turn 391-4 into another total that begins with a 6, it’ll be game on. And there’s always our old friend, the individual sub-plot.
Tim will be here soon.
Related: KL Rahul’s epic knock for India makes victory for England a tall order
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