India closed on the third day in Rajkot on 319-4 after centuries from Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara
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Related: Late wickets lift England after centurions Vijay and Pujara star for India
Related: Cheteshwar Pujara: India’s local hero digs in for impressive century | Ali Martin
You wait 100 overs for a wicket from England’s spinners, and then they get two in four balls. Having three of them hasn’t entirely worked so far. At times it has confused Alastair Cook, a man whose immense Test career is based on keeping things simple. He gave the second new ball to Moeen, who might have been the Indian batsmen’s first choice from the menu, then took him off after one costly over. He gave Ansari plenty of overs, even though he is clearly, as befits a Cambridge graduate, The Third Man. And he rather under-bowled Rashid, who was more likely than anyone to exploit the one thing this dustbowl had to offer – bounce. Still, in the end, two wickets have fallen in no time, and the lid has been kept on the pot for almost the whole day. So maybe Cook gets half the last laugh.
This has been a Test of five hundreds, which could have been deadly dull. But one thing has kept it interesting, apart from the bounce: none of the tons has been a big one. On a pitch like this, you can’t win the match with a baby first-innings hundred. Only the daddy will do. But very well played Vijay, Pujara – and Pujara’s dad, watching him in person for the first time in a Test, with a still, fond stoicism that shows you where the son’s patience comes from.
Another one! The nightwatchman has one job and fails to do it, bat-padding Ansari to give Hameed another catch. That’s 319-4 and stumps. The last five minutes belong to England; the day belongs to India.
108th over: India 318-3 (Kohli 24, Mishra 0) A well-deserved wicket for Adil Rashid, who has been exacting all day with his extra bounce.
Rashid’s googly is too much for Vijay, who tickles it to Hameed at short leg and departs for 126. That’s 318-3, the end of a formidable innings and a shot in the arm for the match.
107th over: India 317-2 (Vijay 126, Kohli 24) Woakes persists with his audition for The Miser.
A slightly eerie addition to the Cohen correspondence, as an email arrives from... Leonard Cohen.
106th over: India 316-2 (Vijay 126, Kohli 23) Moeen keeps the lid on.
And the Cohen thread continues with an email from Lee Smith. “More lines from Leonard Cohen,” he says, “less cricket-related but perhaps relevant to other events this week. The song is Nevermind.”
105th over: India 313-2 (Vijay 126, Kohli 20) The game has officially gone to sleep. The anaesthetist is a Dr Woakes.
An email from Keith Moss in Milan. “Leonard anticipating a fictional conversation between Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting ahead of the 2005 Ashes...”
104th over: India 311-2 (Vijay 124, Kohli 20) Moeen backs up Woakes, allowing only two singles. The moment of truth in this Test now looks like being the third innings, when England have to do what India are doing here – rise above their weariness and bat with some serenity.
More on Leonard Cohen, from Chris Drew. “No link to cricket, but an absolutely beautiful, moving song that resonates with me.”
103rd over: India 309-2 (Vijay 123, Kohli 19) Alarmed by that flurry of runs, Cook turns to Woakes, who might have been banking on a longer rest after a fine new-ball spell. He restores order, but even if India fall apart now, they will have saved the follow-on, and with it, probably, the game.
102nd over: India 308-2 (Vijay 123, Kohli 18) Moeen takes some punishment from both batsmen as Virat (you win, Auto-Correct) drives him for a silky four and Vijay lofts him for a swishy six. India haven’t scored fast enough today, but they may be about to put that right.
101st over: India 297-2 (Vijay 117, Kohli 13) Broad keeps Kohli quiet until he tries a short one, which is shovelled round the corner for four. It’s not that far from Barstow, who is standing back now.
Greg John joins the conversation about Leonard Cohen. “I don’t have anything clever to say,” he begins. We’ll be the judge of that, Greg. “But I do heartily recommend this Malcolm Gladwell podcast about Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah
100th over: India 292-2 (Vijay 117, Kohli 8) Stokes gets a rest, Moeen Ali returns, and Kohl plays a nice little chip into the leg side – for only a single, as Mo, like Broad, has some cover in the cow region.
More on Leonard Cohen, from Dave. Just the one name, so we assume it’s David Cameron. “Not from a song,” he writes, “but an aside to the audience in London: ‘I studied deeply in all the world’s major religions, but somehow optimism kept breaking through.’ Sounds like he might almost have been involved a Test match at some point. It is a religion, right?” Oh yes.
99th over: India 291-2 (Vijay 117, Kohli 7) Broad bowls to Vijay with the keeper standing up and a man in the deep at cow corner. It’s a maiden, and Alastair Cook’s transformation into Mike Brearley is complete.
98th over: India 291-2 (Vijay 117, Kohli 7) Stokes continues to try things, slipping in a low full toss which Kohli drives silkily but straight to Duckett at cover. Someone needs to make something happen.
A Cohen contender from Charles. “My favourite Cohen quote, strangely relevant for long, uneventful days of Test cricket, is from First We Take Manhattan.”
97th over: India 290-2 (Vijay 116, Kohli 7) Broad and Stokes are bowling well, serving up swing as well as their familiar feistiness. But the batsmen are equal to it, and Vijay plays a glorious flick through midwicket for three.
The next Cohen line comes in from Pete Wood. “For Pujara, who ‘wore’ one earlier down under before his dismissal, ‘I ache in the places where I used to play’ (Tower of Song).” Absolutely – one of the great lines of all time.
96th over: India 285-2 (Vijay 112, Kohli 6) At last, a flash of intent from Kohli, who drives Stokes for a handsome four and gets a couple of lifters for his trouble.
Peter Leybourne, in Sydney, takes the Leonard Cohen challenge:
95th over: India 281-2 (Vijay 112, Kohli 2) Another testing over from Broad, who has been very good today in his 100th Test. Kohli has 2 from 17 balls, and what’s more, Auto-Correct is determined to turn him into a former German leader.
94th over: India 280-2 (Vijay 112, Kohli 1) More good questions from Stokes. An edge from Vijay, into the gap at second slip: Cook may be ringing the bowling changes but he isn’t about to set attacking fields. And finally a single from Kohli, a tuck to leg. There are still 19 overs to go today, in theory: can England nab a couple more wickets?
93rd over: India 278-2 (Vijay 111, Kohli 0) Broad replaces Rashid as Cook reaches for the spice rack yet again. Broad lets Vijay have a single so he can attack Kohli, who remains scoreless but untroubled.
92nd over: India 277-2 (Vijay 110, Kohli 0) Well bowled Ben Stokes. Why is it that allrounders, more than most bowlers, can take a wicket by sheer force of personality? Kohli treats him warily, with a series of decisive leaves. And yes, beady reader, the score has gone down – a mysterious two got added a few overs ago.
And that’s drinks. Has Stokes brought England back into the game? Or will Virat Kohl see this as just the platform for the sixth hundred in the match? And what are your favourite lines from Leonard Cohen?
Yet another bowling change brings Stokes back and he does the trick immediately, inducing a tired waft from Pujara and a catch for Cook at first slip. India are 279-2 and England have a glimmer of hope.
91st over: India 279-1 (Vijay 112, Pujara 124) Vijay plays another of those delicious swishes of his, lofting Rashid over mid-on like a dad on the beach who is suddenly weary of being kind to his kid. That’s 50 off the last ten overs.
90th over: India 269-1 (Vijay 105, Pujara 123) Ansari almost persuades Pujara to inside-edge to Hameed at leg slip, in what might have been a landmark moment for Anglo-Asian rookies. Instead, it’s three to fine leg and Pujara motors on towards a really big one.
89th over: India 263-1 (Vijay 104, Pujara 116) Rashid replaces Woakes and concedes a few singles. I was going to take this as further proof that Alastair Cook had had a personality transplant, but then noticed that he had gone off the field and left Joe Root in charge. Whoever is in charge, England are a hungry person having breakfast, opening every box in the Variety Pack and still not finding nourishment. What next – Root himself?
88th over: India 260-1 (Vijay 103, Pujara 114) Tidy stuff from Ansari, who has done well to go for only three an over. But the new ball hasn’t got the memo: it’s supposed to make things happen.
87th over: India 258-1 (Vijay 103, Pujara 113) Woakes keeps Pujara quiet. Over on Twitter, Surrey CCC point out that today would have been Ben Hollioake’s 39th birthday. He was a delight to watch when the force was with him. He is much missed, but I hope Adam and the rest of his family can see some of his spirit in this England team, packed with stylish allrounders.
86th over: India 258-1 (Vijay 103, Pujara 112) Another crazy dish from the new-look funky Chef: Broad goes off after one over, and Ansari comes on. He is at that stage of a spinner’s career where a good ball (decent shout for lbw against Pujara) is followed by a dud (lap for four, also Pujara). Gareth Batty, Ansari’s mentor, may be tearing what’s left of his hair out.
85th over: India 253-1 (Vijay 103, Pujara 107) Woakes may well end up in the press box, because he keeps asking the right questions. He finds enough lift to rap Vijay on the thigh – too high for the lbw shout, but another little moral victory. Woakes has 3-0-3-0 in this spell, and 19-5-34-0 in all: quietly heroic.
84th over: India 252-1 (Vijay 103, Pujara 106) The Moeen experiment ends after one pricey over, and Broad is back. Vijay, hungry for a hundred of his own, caresses him to the midwicket boundary with a finesse that smells like VVS Laxman. And then he goes straight to his hundred by gliding the ball in exactly the opposite direction. Sheer class. We now have five hundreds in the match, which is quite enough. Can we please have five quick wickets?
Another one! Vijay feathers Broad wide of the only slip fielder for four. A lovely way to reach a hundred that has been less dominant than Pujara’s, but more secure.
83rd over: India 242-1 (Vijay 94, Pujara 105) Pujara misses one! Woakes slips in a yorker, and Pujara drives outside it, but it doesn’t swing or threaten off stump. Wakes has been strong today, the leader of the attack in waiting.
We have an early contender for the very best of Leonard Cohen. “These lines from Tower of Song are my favourite LC,” says Ben Dorning. “It suggests that none of the questions have any answer. Which feels very cricket-like.”
82nd over: India 241-1 (Vijay 93, Pujara 105) Pujara celebrates with a classy late cut for four off Moeen, who has been given the new ball ahead of Broad. The batsmen won’t mind that at all, as Vijay proves by swishing a six onto the rope at long-off. Cook, for once in his life, is being too funky.
81st over: India 229-1 (Vijay 86, Pujara 100) Woakes did well there, making Pujara work for that hundredth run. And it was Woakes who bowled the three helmet balls – “the only three balls that bothered him,” Nasser reckons.
A new ball, a fresh bowler (Woakes), an over-excited crowd – and Pujara lets a couple go outside off, before pushing into the covers and reaching three figures at last. This is the first Test ever played in his home town, and the first watched in person by his father, who has brought a serene presence and a less than serene polo shirt. Well played, son. A magnificent effort from a man who was hit on the helmet earlier, not once, not twice, but three times.
80th over: India 228-1 (Vijay 86, Pujara 99) A maiden from Moeen, containing a review so bizarre that it didn’t qualify for our Key Event box – for lbw against Vijay. Cook presumably just using it because it was there, with moments left to the new ball.
“Any cricketing references in Leonard Cohen lyrics?” wonders Rob Procopé. “Must be some baseball allusions. I will never forget that night I saw him at the Albert Hall. I think it was the night of Obama’s first election victory and I remember him ending with ‘Democracy’. The line about America, ‘cradle of the best and the worst’, feels appropriate now.” Anyone else got a favourite line or two from Leonard?
“Imagine,” begins Joe Haycock. No possessions? All the people? Nope. “Imagine if Test cricket was a four-day game. This match would be literally pointless right now. However, if the wicket deteriorates like it’s showing a few signs of doing, we might be in for a cracking fifth day. We might also be in for a borefest, but it’s nice to have that comforting hope.” Yes, this is a true five-day pitch. Maybe too true to be good.
India, it seems, is not the only country where an England men’s team has had an international this week. An entertaining email arrives from Rob Lewis in Turkey. “Hi Tim, maybe you can sneak this in at a quiet moment.” Tea would seem to pass that test. “Pakistan narrowly edged out England on Wednesday in the middle of Belgrade Forest in Istanbul, in a low-scoring match.
“Turks don’t really do cricket, but the enthusiastic boss Haluk Bey bounced into my English lesson to announce that we were all going to do some team-building in the forest. He’d ordered in some bats, wickets and a ball from Amazon. As the only ones with any knowledge of the game at all, the Pakistani guy and I were asked to pick teams and explain what to do.
An interesting point from Dileep Premachandran, the editor of Wisden India. “I think I just heard Athers compare Pujara’s batting to Barrington,” Dileep says in an email. “Not sure about that. If anyone is a throwback to that era of Test cricket, it’s Vijay, who bats to his own drumbeat, utterly immune to what goes on around him. He hasn’t managed the big hundreds yet, but temperamentally, he’s the one you’d compare with Barrington, Simpson and others of that ilk.” I’m assuming that’s Bob Simpson, not Homer.
79th over: India 228-1 (Vijay 86, Pujara 99) Another inside-edge, as Stokes gets Vijay playing down the wrong line, and then Cook manages to stifle Pujara by deploying a field setting that will be familiar to anyone who ever played for the Under-11s. So Pujara takes tea on 99, and England have won the skirmish of the last few minutes. But the afternoon, like the morning, belongs to India. England, and the game, badly need a collapse when the new ball is taken.
78th over: India 227-1 (Vijay 85, Pujara 99) Pujara gets tied down by Moeen, and inside-edges, but survives. Well bowled Mo – who already has a hundred in this match.
77th over: India 227-1 (Vijay 85, Pujara 99) Stokes, who was expensive earlier, comes back decently, but Pujara moves serenely on.
76th over: India 224-1 (Vijay 84, Pujara 97) Another classy cut from Pujara, off Moeen this time. Again it doesn’t reach the boundary, but the batsmen have found their bustle. Here comes Stokes.
75th over: India 220-1 (Vijay 83, Pujara 94) The shackles are broken as Pujara cuts Ansari for three. Time for a fiery burst from Stokes, before the new ball?
74th over: India 214-1 (Vijay 81, Pujara 90) A few singles off Moeen, and Pujara is into the nineties.
Gary Naylor, on Twitter, has a story to recommend: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/627878.html.
73rd over: India 211-1 (Vijay 80, Pujara 88) Another tight over from Ansari. India have added only 18 in the past ten overs, which is a great effort by England, led by Broad. It’s been like that spell yesterday when Ben Stokes got bogged down, and, to add to the parallels, Vijay now seems to have cramp.
72nd over: India 210-1 (Vijay 80, Pujara 87) Moeen strings together some dots, which enable Sky to show replays of Pujara’s wife and father reacting to that review. Wife: dancing. Dad: happily not dancing – just sitting there with his arms folded, allowing himself a wry smile.
71st over: India 210-1 (Vijay 80, Pujara 87) So Ansari, on his return to the attack, has to settle for a moral victory. It was such a classic slow left-armer’s delivery, it could have been bowled by Phil Edmonds. But in his day, there was no DRS, so the umpire’s decision would have been final.
The ball was doing everything right, except that it was going over the top of the stumps. Pujara escapes and DRS rescues India again.
Zafar Ansari gets an lbw against Pujara, who reviews. Big, big moment.
70th over: India 207-1 (Vijay 78, Pujara 86) Again, the batsmen see Moeen and do a bit of milking. The three spinners have done OK, but are they really all better than Gareth Batty?
69th over: India 203-1 (Vijay 75, Pujara 85) Rashid keeps it tight, and it’s not often you can say that. England are trying to smother their way to a wicket here, when I would have thought the pitch was doing just enough to justify being on the attack. Their only realistic hope of a win here is to induce a collapse.
68th over: India 202-1 (Vijay 75, Pujara 84) Broad takes a hard-earned breather after a spell of 5-4-1-0, which would have had a 1 at the end, or more, if Hameed had held on to that chance at short cover. Moeen comes on and, without bowling badly, concedes a run a ball. Is that Sod’s law, or just a branch of his legislation?
67th over: India 196-1 (Vijay 70, Pujara 83) Rashid gets one bal to rear outside Vijay’s off stump like an indignant horse. It prompts Nasser Hussain to get philosophical: “There’s still a bit happening, even when the scoreboard tells you nothing’s happening.” There, in a nutshell, is Test cricket.
66th over: India 195-1 (Vijay 69, Pujara 83) Yet another maiden from Broad, who continues with his wily cutters and throws in some unusually smiley chit-chat. Pujara copes easily with both. Big thanks to Vish, the kind of team-mate who not only takes the early shift but comes up with gems like this: “he gropes outside the off stump like a president elect”.
65th over: India195-1 (Vijay 69, Pujara 83) One from the over, as Rashid’s confidence steadily increases but his wicket column doesn’t budge. And with that, I’m off to leave you in the capable hands of Tim de Lisle. Hopefully, he’ll do better than my one for 132 in 42 overs.
64th over: India 193-1 (Vijay 68, Pujara 82) A maiden for Broad, with fielders straight at mid on and mid off, a la Hoggard to Hayden. Sadly for England, no similar result. Still, any excuse to watch this...
63rd over: India 193-1 (Vijay 68, Pujara 82) Rashid’s dip is causing both batsmen a bit of a trouble, but it is a long hop that nearly does for Pujara. It’s an off-length zooter that is mistimed high into the leg side but, despite the cries of “CATCH”, falls well short of the man running in from the leg side fence.
62nd over: India 191-1 (Vijay 67, Pujara 81) A second maiden as Pujara hides behind his defence to deal with Broad’s cutters. The chance offered by Vijay playing on his mind, no doubt.
61st over: India 191-1 (Vijay 67, Pujara 81) Rashid responds to his run-heavy previous over with a maiden. Vijay the man to play it out. It might be wishful English thinking, but he looks like he might be struggling a bit here. Should be out already, as it happens, but seems unable to push on.
60th over: India 191-1 (Vijay 67, Pujara 81) DROP! Broad lures Vijay forward into a false shot and an uppish drive into the covers. Haseeb Hameed, in place at extra cover, dives to his left and gets to the ball but cannot grip it firmly enough to secure it as he hits the ground. Should have been taken. A big miss for England, who need something for their hard work.
59th over: India 190-1 (Vijay 66, Pujara 81) A change of ends for Adil Rashid... and it’s an expensive start, with 12 runs coming from the over. A floated delivery is hit through extra cover for four by Pujara, before Vijay gets three – thanks to some overthrows – with a nicely time push into the same region. Rashid, frustrated, fires in a googly that is worked around the corner for another boundary.
58th over: India 178-1 (Vijay 63, Pujara 72) Pace from both ends, as Broad comes back into the attack. His only spell so far came at the very start of the day when he took the wicket of Gambhir with his first delivery. Atherton and Hussain have identified a broken up area on a decent length that is shorn of green. Broad hits it three times without any reward.
57th over: India 178-1 (VIjay 63, Pujara 72) We expected the ball to reverse in the morning and it didn’t. But it seems to be doing a bit now. Woakes is doing his best to hide the ball as he runs to the crease and a couple of length balls exhibit some late movement, most notably as they pass the stumps.
56th over: India 176-1 (Vijay 63, Pujara 70) That being said, Rashid is doing a good job for his captain, too. Neither batsmen have used their feet against him, though the turn off the pitch isn’t too precarious. As such, Vijay and Pujara are able to pierce square on the off side, watching the ball off the pitch.
55th over: India 174-1 (Vijay 62, Pujara 69) Three of the over, as Vijay gets runs off the first and final ball of the over, overcoming a short-pitched examination in between. Woakes seems to be the bowler Cook trusts the most right now.
We interrupt this OBO to bring you this week’s installment of “Let’s all laugh at Australian cricket”
(from Brad Hogg's book)
Don't mind Matty Hayden, but why would a grown man act like an 11yo girl? pic.twitter.com/WriBr8yS1K
54th over: India 171-1 (Vijay 59, Pujara 69) Even though a four is pilfered from around the corner, as Rashid’s flatter delivery is slightly off line, on leg stump, he is looking to bed in here. He’s getting good pace on the ball – and, as a result, drift – without particularly prodigious turn.
53rd over: India 167-1 (Vijay 59, Pujara 65) Some good pace from Woakes, who is plugging away in the late eighties like a DJ at a wedding. It’s a testing maiden, in the end – not so much outside off stump, but the ball is hitting the bat hard and the length is relentless enough to force Vijay to play.
This looks like a lot of hard yakka @Vitu_E. We need to bowl dry, as wicket looks pretty benign, unlike the future of the civilised world.
52nd over: India 167-1 (Vijay 59, Pujara 65) After a fine over before lunch, Rashid’s first delivery is a wide full toss that is bunted into deep cover for a single. Horrible delivery to start, but he gets away with it and finishes the over in a more controlled fashion.
51st over: India 165-1 (Vijay 58, Pujara 64) Woakes to Pujara – this time the number three uses his bat rather than his bonce to steer him away for two singles in the over.
Right, back underway in a moment. Chris Woakes to resume...
50th over: India 162-1 (Vijay 57, Pujara 62) A huge appeal has Rashid running towards the standing umpire, as a googly beats Vijay’s defence and passes the inside edge, into the right-hander’s front pad. After a long discussion, the review is not taken, much to Rashid’s disgust. However, ball-tracking shows that the ball would have bounced over the stumps. The follow-up delivery is a beaut, too: a conventional leg spinner doing for Vijay’s outside edge this time. Brilliant over to end what has been India’s session.
India's session: 162 for 1 off 50 overs, and little sign yet of reverse swing. They trail by 375.
49th over: India 161-1 (Vijay 57, Pujara 61) Cook resists the temptation to hook Stokes, who misfielded in the previous over, just to pour petrol on the raging fire that is his mood right now. To his credit, it is a measured over, with little width. Still, Pujara and Vijay are able to take three singles from it.
48th over: India 158-1 (Vijay 56, Pujara 59) Adil Rashid replaces Zafar Ansari, as Cook looks for something before lunch. Rashid has one-time Yorkshire teammate Pujara for the last part of the over. A googly is misread and kicked away, drawing an appeal but not a review
47th over: India 156-1 (Vijay 55, Pujara 58) Now the hometown hero gets in on the act, driving Stokes for four – again – to bring up his fifty for 74 balls. He’s hit 10 boundaries and been hit three times. Stokes pulls back his line, Pujara offers his edge (perhaps deliberately) and skews one inside third man for another boundary. Nope, not done yet – a dab around the corner beats fine leg, too. That’s 25 runs from Stokes’ last three overs.
46th over: India 144-1 (Vijay 55, Pujara 46) Ansari coming over the wicket, which not only allows Pujara to find a single through the off side but then gives Vijay the chance to hit through the line for six (after a few steps). It’s a strike that takes him to 51 off 129 deliveries – his 15th half-century in Tests. A wider delivery is flayed over mid off this time, over the head of the fielder and skipping off the ground for four.
45th over: India 133-1 (Vijay 45, Pujara 45) Stokes is full, outside off stump and Pujara is forward, beating two men staggered through extra cover, for four. Outstanding strike and one that has Ben Stokes scratching his head. Pressure just being released here...
44th over: India 128-1 (Vijay 45, Pujara 40) Very good from Ansari. You could say he’s lacking a bit of bite, but there’s no need for him to search for something that is not there. It is telling that Vijay and Pujara have not used their feet to him in the last half-an-hour.
43rd over: India 126-1 (Vijay 44, Pujara 39) Yep, Stokes it is, replacing Woakes after an excellent spell of five overs for just six runs. No signs of too much reverse just yet, as a loose delivery outside off stump is flayed to the cover fence by Pujara. And another boundary finishes the over. Just strayed down the leg side and picked off with ease by Brother Pujara.
42nd over: India 118-1 (Vijay 44, Pujara 31) Some runs off Ansari, as he over-pitches on leg stump and is guided around the corner for three. A single off the last ball brings up 50 from 107 balls between these two.
41st over: India 114-1 (Vijay 41, Pujara 30) Another good over from Woakes, who has bowled with good pace throughout this spell, that may soon be coming to an end. With Anderson out on the field, on ball-polishing duties, might we be close to see Stokes and reverse swing?
40th over: India 113-1 (Vijay 40, Pujara 30) After going off like a train and looking as if he would overtake Vijay, Pujara has been reeled in, thanks to Woakes rattling his cage. Even to Ansari, he is more watchful than he was to Moeen Ali, though Ansari, it should be said, has not veered too far from the appropriate lines or lengths.
39th over: India 112-1 (VIjay 39, Pujara 30) Pujara’s troubles against Woakes have transferredindecision onto Vijay, who gropes outside off stump like a president-elect.
England have a new mid-off... James Anderson.
38th over: India 111-1 (Vijay 38, Pujara 30) A chance for Ansari to bowl to Pujara and a chance for Pujara to use his bat and feet rather than his head. Just two from the over, as deep point prevents a boundary and midwicket’s scarperring saves one off the final ball.
37th over: India 110-1 (Vijay 37, Pujara 30) Second ball after drinks, Woakes tries to serve up the finish blow on Pujara – full, outside off stump – but the footwork is on the money and the drive races through mid off for four. So, second ball, Woakes digs in another bouncer which, yet again, scons Pujara. He’s just wearing them, now. Worked for Home Simpson, to a point.
36th over: India 106-1 (Vijay 37, Pujara 26) Ooooo bit aerial, as Vijay, staying in his crease, almost skews out to a catcher in the covers. Good stuff from Ansari since being hit for six. Maiden and drinks.
35th over: India 106-1 (Vijay 37, Pujara 26) Unsurprisingly after the last ball of Woakes’ previous over, Haseeb Hameed is drafted in at short leg and Moeen Ali is stationed around the corner on the leg side. And Pujara is struck again, this time around the ear, again struggling to weave. Good spell from Woakes. Pujara will have to dig deep to crack on.
34th over: India 106-1 (Vijay 37, Pujara 26) Ansari mixes his pace early – loopy to start, then a bit flatter when it looks like Vijay might just be camping on the front foot. Just two off a better set of six from the left arm spinner.
33rd over: India 104-1 (Vijay 36, Pujara 25) Chris Woakes replaces Stuart Broad, with two slips for company, who are so close they may as well hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes. The over looks to have been comfortably negotiated, until Woakes bowls a brisk short delivery that pings Pujara on the grille as he’s swaying out of the way. Belting delivery.
32nd over: India 104-1 (Vijay 36, Pujara 25) So Ansari does come in and, after one delivery, Vijay charges down and smashes him over long on for six! It wasn’t a particularly bad delivery but tell that to the fielder who has to go beyond the fence to fetch it.
31st over: India 96-1 (Pujara 24, Vijay 29) Bit of bounce from Broad puts Vijay in a bit of discomfort but he’s able to ride the bounce enough to get a single behind square on the leg side, without offering a chance. The rest is hung outside off stump.
Pujara- quality player.#INDvENG
30th over: India 95-1 (Vijay 28, Pujara 24) Moeen looks a tad rattled, here. Pujara cuts a short delivery through cover point and then whips superbly through midwicket, on the move, for a second boundary. Moeen responds by coming around the wicket, so Pujara picks up two to square leg. With two right-handers at the crease, might it be worth turning to Zafar Ansari next?
29th over: India 85-1 (Vijay 28, Pujara 14) Vijay brings about a calm to proceedings, playing out a maiden to Broad, who is subsisting on a wicket-to-wicket line.
28th over: India 85-1 (Vijay 28, Pujara 14) Classy from Pujara. A sweep implores Ali to bowl a touch fuller and a skip down the pitch turns that subsequent delivery into a full toss, which is worked easily through midwicket for four.
27th over: India 78-1 (Vijay 27, Pujara 9) A second boundary to Pujara, as Broad loses his wrist and bowls a half-volley on leg stump. Prompted by Shastri on comms, I’ve had a gander at Pujara’s first class record at this, his home ground: 686 runs at 62.36 from 13 innings (two hundres, one fifty). “Broad wickets tend to be of the bus variety, no?” asks Ian Copestake. “Arriving in a cluster to pick up the hoards of waiting schoolies.” Yep, he loves a cluster. He’s collected five wickets or more in a single spell of bowling seven times so far in his Test career.
26th over: India 73-1 (Vijay 25, Pujara 5) A maiden for Moeen. Early shout this, based on just two deliveries from that over, but I think the off spinner might nick Pujara out with an arm ball. Pujara is not the wristiest off side player and, even in defence, is playing inside-out into the covers.
25th over: India 73-1 (Vijay 25, Pujara 5) Broad, who was wasteful last night, is on the money already. Cheteshwar Pujara, averaging 44 against England, comes in to replace Gambhir and strikes his third ball for four, beating Zafar Ansari at a short-ish extra cover. “Don’t mind that” your mouthy club stumper might say. A good morning to Ian Copestake, who emails in from warmer climes: “Thanks for the coffee, though as I am in LA I was hoping for a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon. Bring on the grind.”
Well then... Broad, first delivery of the day, gets one to move in late to Gambhir, from around the wicket. Gambhir totally misreads the line, plants his front foot across his body and ends up middling his right knee, as the ball hits him right in front of middle. Ed Balls would be ashamed of that footwork.
24th over: India 68-0 (Vijay 25, Gambhir 29) A slowish delivery, followed studiously by the TV camera behind the bowler’s arm, gives us a good shot of the cracks on offer, as Moeen Ali gets us underway. There’s no turn for the first ball or the second, which carries on with Moeen’s angle – around the wicket to the left-handed Gambhir – and beats a flat-footed Jonny Bairstow for four byes.
A minutes silence is observed for armistice day in Rajkot #INDvENGpic.twitter.com/zFVkxxGc9Q
“Ashwin at six” has been quite the buzz phrase this morning. It is a checkpoint that will encourage England’s pursuit, though bestowing more batting responsibility on Ashwin has been a long time coming. He responded to the promotion with two centuries in three innings against the West Indies this year. Considering he has Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in front of him, the burden of run-scoring won’t exactly keep him awake at night. As it happens, India have averaged 186 runs after the fall of the fifth wicket in 2016. England are the next highest with 183.
Or afternoon/evening, wherever you may be. Who’s ready for a day of hard graft? Yep, me too. I suppose we’ll learn exactly how well this tour is going to go by the end of play today. After posting 537, a little bit of air was let out of England’s balloon following a comfortable stroll through the evening session for Gautam Gambhir and Murali Vijay. The pitch is good enough for India to put on 400 and, while there is a bit of spin out there – the turn and bounce Adil Rashid managed, with the penultimate delivery of day two, was pretty special – it is going to be about reverse swing today. Which means England’s spinners will need to hold up an end to assist Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, who didn’t bowl last night. It’s not exactly a task they have excelled at. Right, coffee.
England could soon be the only people in India with a 500 that's worth something. #INDvENG
Vithushan will be here shortly.