- India 144-8 beat England 139-6 by five runs
- Three-match series tied at 1-1
So that’s the series tied up at 1-1 as India win a thriller. Nehra and Bumrah were so, so good at the death, having the confidence to bowl full and aim for the yorkers despite the dew on the ball and Jos Buttler at the crease. England will rue two key, shocking lbw decisions but don’t let that detract from the performances of those two.
For England, Stokes and Root batted very well and their seamers and Moeen outstanding with the ball. Bowling has been their weakness in limited overs cricket so, after a second strong performance on the spin, they might be disappointed their batsmen failed to chase an achievable target.
20 overs: England 139-6 (Jordan 0, Moeen 1) 6 to win Moeen needs to hit a six here to win it. Surely a slower ball coming from Bumrah, whose last two overs have been absolutely brilliant. Round the wicket, full and Moeen misses! India win!
19.5 overs: England 139-6 (Jordan 0, Moeen 1) 6 to win Chris Jordan doesn’t so much stride out as come in, head low, like a condemned man. Seven needed from two balls to win, six to force a super over. Swings, misses and they take a bye to Dhoni. Six off the last ball needed!
19.4 overs: England 138-6 (Moeen 1) 7 to win Quicker this time, keeps low and goes into leg-stump via Buttler’s pad!
19.3 overs: England 138-5 (Buttler 15, Moeen 1) 7 to win Buttler has a big swing at a lovely slower ball outside off and misses. Seven from three.
19.2 overs: England 138-5 (Buttler 15, Moeen 1) 7 to win Slower ball, pushed to cover for one.
19.1 overs: England 137-5 (Buttler 15) 8 to win Root pulls across the line and is given lbw! And it’s a bad decision as he’s got an inside edge on that! After Kohli got away with one plumb against Jordan earlier England will be furious with the umpiring.
19th over: England 137-4 (Buttler 15, Root 38) target 145 Nehra, with three for 12, to bowl the 19th. Buttler, looking a world away from the batsman he can be, can only dig out a yorker for one from the first then Root once again gets away with mistiming one, toe-ending it into the air and getting two pretty well undeserved runs. He smashes the next one back into the bowler and they scramble a single. 20 off nine needed and England are desperate for the boundary ... and Buttler gets it! He smashes a short one through square-leg for four – the first boundary off Nehra’s bowling. Another good yorker but Buttler digs it out well, down the ground for a couple. Short again off the last, Buttler pulls towards long-on, Kohli sprints round, leaps and gets a hand to it, but can only tip it over the rope! Six! He hit that with such ridiculous power and no timing at all. 16 off the over, eight needed off the last and we’re going ball-by-ball!
18th over: England 118-4 (Buttler 2, Root 35) target 145 Can Bumrah hold his nerve after that outstanding over from the veteran? It’s a good start to Buttler, conceding just a single guided to point off the first three balls. Root on strike and two more dots take the required rate up to 12. England will be the side feeling the pressure now and it tells as Root goes for the big shot, doesn’t get hold of it and sends it high in the air. In fact he’s mishit it so badly that it won’t reach Pandya coming in from long-on and drops safely for two. Brilliant couple of overs from England, who need 24 off the last 12 balls.
“No better man than Moeen to hit the winning runs!” reckons Dean Kinsella, who might feel putting a fiver on that is worth it.
17th over: England 118-4 (Buttler 1, Root 33) target 145 With two for seven from two so far, Nehra returns. He needs to hold his length back, you would think, but then that probably allows these two to just work it around the vast expanse of outfield for the eight an over they need. In short, it’s difficult for India from here, although if you were backing any team to defend 144 it’s India. Root brings up the 50 partnership in outrageous fashion, reverse sweeping the pace bowler and taking a single when Yuvraj fumbles at gully. Oh but then Stokes is gone, brilliantly taken out with a slower ball to give Nehra his third wicket! He’s gone for 38 from 27, surprisingly his highest score in international T20s. Here’s Buttler: get him early an India will be confident.
Big wicket! Stokes doesn’t read a full, slower ball. He tries to deposit it over midwicket, misses and is hit in front!
16th over: England 113-3 (Stokes 36, Root 31) target 145 Back to – well, not pace, but Bumrah’s medium-paced seam. The dew will make life tougher for him, you would think. In fact just to highlight that, Kohli fumbles at cover then a full toss is worked well from outside off and twix the converging fielders at midwicket for four by Stokes. With that, he overtakes Root’s score in double-quick time, moving to 33 from 21 balls. Since his let-off against Mishra, he’s batted beautifully.
15th over: England 104-3 (Stokes 27, Root 31) target 145 It looks like Kohli wants to get rid of his spinners ASAP: Chahal is on for his fourth. A couple of singles takes the required runs down to an even 50, with 34 balls left to get them. England will be fairly confident even with the lack of pace in this pitch. There’s no turn and Chahal gives Stokes width outside off, begging to be smacked, but Stokes can only hammer it at the fielder. He takes his frustration out on the fifth ball, climbing into a short on and muscling it over the long midwicket boundary for six more. That’s England’s hundred up.
“Daniel, Daniel.” Robert Wilson. “So obvious that was not the real Mac Millings. More False Flags from failing lamestream media’s Dan Lucas. Total FAKENEWS. No way he calls Smyth a ‘cad’. A disaster. Sad. #MakeTheOBOgreatAgain!!!”
14th over: England 93-3 (Stokes 17, Root 30) target 145 Raina is also going to bowl through. Stokes backs away and thumps his first ball back down the ground for England’s first boundary in – by my count – 28 balls. The next ball he plays similarly, only now going over the top for a straight six. Root misses out on a full-toss, but England won’t mind too much given that’s an over that went for 13, doing a bit of damage to Raina’s figures: none for 30 from his four but just 17 off the first three.
13th over: England 80-3 (Stokes 5, Root 29) target 145 Mishra is into his final over. India’s fielding in the outfield is so good that even on a ground this size expected twos are being kept to ones. Root looks to sweep, misses and Dhoni removes the stumps, but he’s absolutely fine. Mishra finishes with an excellent one for 25.
12th over: England 77-3 (Stokes 3, Root 28) target 145 A third over for Raina and why not – his first two went for just nine and not a boundary among them. This is a more inauspicious start though, as a wide is followed by two wides. He thinks he’s got Root with a full one but it’s
probably just missing leg, Hawkeye confirms. Those two wides mean this is a fairly long over for a spinner, and it goes for a handy eight runs.
“Morgan 17 c McMahon b Lucas” honks McMahon.
11th over: England 69-3 (Stokes 1, Root 26) target 145 After a drinks break, Mishra continues and gets rid of England’s captain straight away. He almost makes a mockery of my saying he’s not a problem by taking a second wicket, but Stokes gets away with it. He can only squeeze the free hit out for a single into the off-side though. That’s sort of a shame for Mishra as it was a glorious ball, but it’s his own fault for overstepping, which is pretty unforgivable for a spinner. He appeals for lbw a couple of balls later but it’s missing leg.
“Hi Dan.” Hi, none other than Mac Millings! “Of course I’ll write you an email. It’s true that I was previously saving myself for Smyth, but then it turned out he was publishing emails from other people, too, the cad. If I may answer Andrew Benton’s poorly worded question from the 16th over of India’s innings, the real reason I don’t write in much any more is that, having fallen on hard times, I have been forced to wade into the sticky world of amateur pornography, under my nom de spume, Jack Fillings. Yours, the [insert relevant type of artist here] formerly known as Mac Millings.”
Mishra comes round the wicket to Stokes and takes out his off-stump with a straight one! He simply played down the wrong line and ... oh no he’s overstepped by a long way! Just as happened to Root in the last match, Stokes has a reprieve and free hit!
First ball after drinks Mishra strike! Morgan slog-sweeps and immediately drops his head in disappointment as the ball comes off the lower half of the bat: Pandya is under it well inside the midwicket boundary.
10th over: England 65-2 (Morgan 17, Root 24) target 145 Five singles from Raina’s over. It’s finely poised as the ropes come on to mop up some of the dew. India will be happy about that.
9th over: England 60-2 (Morgan 14, Root 22) target 145 If you’re having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but then man with that number on the back of his shirt ain’t one. Mishra has shelved his leg-breaks, perhaps mindful of the way Rashid took some punishment. Root gets back to back boundaries to fine-leg, the first swept from well outside leg-stump, the second inside-edged past the stumps. After the fifth ball, Kohli gets a telling off from the umpires for throwing the ball in on the bounce. He gives them a fair amount of backchat, which continues after the over is concluded: he could be in a bit of trouble for that.
“With this pair at the crease and the batting still to come, England should win this from here, eh? When’s the next World T20?” writes Simon McMahon.
8th over: England 49-2 (Morgan 13, Root 13) target 145 Kohli said he might do this, depending on how the match was going: Raina is on for some part-time offies. After his first ball, a delay for something I’ve never seen before: they’re changing the batteries in the bails. Five off the over with not even a suggestion of a boundary, although that’s not an utter disaster in context.
In other sport, Sutton Utd have just knocked Leeds B out of the FA Cup.
Related: Sutton United v Leeds United: FA Cup – live!
7th over: England 44-2 (Morgan 11, Root 11) target 145 This is going to be interesting: Mishra, the leggie, is on and I suspect he’s the spinner England were planning on going after. But then they probably hadn’t planned on losing two for two in the fourth over of the match. After four straight singles, Root pushes through the covers for two. He’s going to play the anchor here, which I think is fine when you’re chasing in a low-scoring ODI. He wants two off the next ball and there’s a review for a run-out when he doesn’t dive, but the replay shows he didn’t dive because he was home by miles.
Autocorrect’s Matt Dony is back: “Eight emails about me? I’m pretty much internet famous. I’d like to thank all the little people who have helped to make me so big.” You actually saved me, because your typo ensured no one noticed that I’d put Ashwin as the not-out batsman even though he’s not playing. Again, refresh, corrected and that.
6th over: England 36-2 (Morgan 9, Root 5) target 145 Nehra is taken off, Bumrah on. Nehra was bowling so well I’d have been tempted to give him one more. Then again, the ball isn’t coming on to the bat from this medium pacer either; maybe Morgan is regretting the decision to bow first? He does get his first boundary with a nice shot, waiting on a slower ball and easing it through the covers with neat timing.
5th over: England 29-2 (Morgan 3, Root 4) target 145 With two new men at the crease, Kohli keeps his spinner on to build up the pressure. There is a slip in for both batsmen too. Half a shout for lbw against Morgan but he got a massive chunk of bat on that. England aren’t getting tempted into going for the drives, instead just knocking it about for five singles.
Morgan's SR in the Powerplay is just 76.71 & 64% of his balls faced are dots. There's an argument to be made for holding him back. #IndvEng
4th over: England 24-2 (Morgan 1, Root 1) target 145 The tactical battle between Nehra and Billings is comfortably won by the bowler as he removes the two openers with consecutive balls! The batsmen crossed when Billings was out, so Roy was on strike for the next ball but it’s Morgan who will face the hat-trick ball ... and he leaves it outside off-stump. This is brilliant bowling; India will feel this is on, especially with their spinners to come. Two wickets and as many runs from the over.
“I’m going for 144 for England, too,” writes Andrew Benton. “It’s not easy going and their margin of victory last time was narrow. India’ll haul ‘em in this time to set up a thriller in the third. Billings/Millings, Dhoni/Dony ... whatever/whoever next?” Naylor/James Taylor?
Roy tries to work it into the on-side but gets a leading edge. It loops up and Raina takes a simple catch on the edge of the circle at midwicket!
Billings comes down the track but Nehra has given him absolutely no room for the hook shot. Up it goes off the toe-end of the bat and Bumrah, coming in from long-leg, holds it.
3rd over: England 22-0 (Roy 10, Billings 12) target 145 Now Billings goes for the big hit, sending Chahal’s full first ball high over long-on for six. A single brings Roy on strike and he goes for similar, top-edging a slog-sweep to the same region for six more. Chahal is tossing it up, trying to induce the mistimed shot, but the mid-on fielder is up in the circle so it’s safe enough for the batsmen to go that way.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Roy 3, Billings 4) target 145 Ashish Nehra from the other end and you imagine England will look for early boundaries here. Roy, looking to drive a full one through the off-side, splits his already taped-up bat. It’s a good line from Nehra, nice and straight and not giving the batsmen any room to swing the arms. Roy goes after a short one but can only send his pull racing to the man at deep midwicket. If anything, Clive, he’s hit that too well as they only have time for one.
Eight emails now, about Matt Dony’s typo. Refresh the page and it disappears.
1st over: England 2-0 (Roy 1, Billings 1) target 145 It’s Chahal, who removed both openers in the last match, to open up the bowling. A good move as Roy is far more comfortable with pace on the ball. Chahal is through it quicker than signatures on an anti-Trump petition and concedes just a pair of singles.
The typo in Matt Dony’s email in the 20th over of the first innings has been noted by five of you and corrected. I’ll be honest, I was concentrating on the cricket, because, you know, that’s my job.
That wasn’t great from India, although nor was it too far short of the average first-innings score of 149 on this ground. They are an outstanding side when it comes to ground fielding, which could be important in an arena this side. And they’re back out.
20th over: India 144-8 (Bumrah 0) Jordan to bowl the final over; don’t expect to see a huge amount in the batsmen’s half of the pitch. Dhoni swings one off his hips for a single, before Pandya gets off the mark with a bunt down the ground for two. He sends a wide down the leg-side before Pandya is run out off the third and Mishra off the fifth. Dhoni has the chance to hit a boundary off the last but then he’s out too. That’s a brilliant over from Jordan.
“I do appreciate that my email was used right after an entry that closed with ‘Enter Dhoni.’ Felt a bit like a personal introduction. It’s a simple thing, but I always enjoy hearing commentary about Dhoni because firstly, it’s almost always positive, and secondly, his name is a perfect homophone for mine. There aren’t many of us Dony’s around, so it’s a rare pleasure.” Writes
Mac Millings Matt Dony.
Has a big swing at one outside off, inside edges into his off-stump.
Dhoni wants two to deep midwicket, it’s not on so Mishra runs himself out to give Dhoni the strike off the last ball.
Unlucky. Pandya slaps it straight back past the bowler and demolishes two of the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Dhoni had set off so Jordan picks the ball up from by his feet, picks up middle stump and completes the run-out. Dhoni gets the strike though.
19th over: India 139-5 (Pandya 0, Dhoni 3) It looks like my earlier prediction of 180 being a good score might have been a touch high, then. Mills, rather than Stokes, will bowl the penultimate over. Pandey gets his first boundary from his 24th delivery, spotting a fuller slower ball from off-stump and whacking it into the stands beyond mid-on. He gets a couple more from the next ball but his innings is curtailed on 30 from 26 balls. If that sounds like a handy contribution, it wasn’t.
Look! A girl! “Hi Dan,” writes Eva Maaten. “Okay, I’m coming out of hiding since there was a mention of the lack of women contributors. I used to write in more often - in the days of Lawrence Booth, Andy Bull and Rob Smyth – but I realised that when one googled me the first things to come up were my witticisms (or not) on the OBO. And since I was trying to establish myself as a professional consultant (and not in the area of sports journalism) this didn’t seem to be such a good advertisement... Am watching in Johannesburg - great to live in a cricketing country again after a 6 year stint in the Philippines.”
Slower ball, Pandey misses with the big mow and out go middle and off.
18th over: India 129-4 (Pandey 21, Dhoni 2) Jordan, who will presumably bowl this and the final over, returns and he strikes straight away to dismiss Rahul for a fantastic 71 from 47 balls. The under-pressure opener scored 57% of his side’s runs up to the point he was out. England will probably be happy to keep Pandey there, too. He whacks the final ball out to deep midwicket and looks to have got four, but Stokes is so quick across this big outfield and takes it cleanly on the bounce to save three.
“I’m very much in favour of a simple roll call,” writes Matt Dony. “It means I can save all my really good Manic Street Preachers-based material and ‘comedy’ pessimism (treading the fine line between self-deprecating and self-loathing) for the rugby next week. Result!” Don’t take this the wrong way, regular writers to this blog, but you’re not really trying today.
Big wicket! Jordan bangs in a short off-cutter, Rahul tries to smash it but he’s not strong enough to inject it with the requisite power, given there was no pace to work with, and flat down the throat of midwicket it goes. Enter Dhoni.
17th over: India 124-3 (Pandey 18, Rahul 71) This innings has flown by: we’ve barely been playing an hour. Rahul gets away with an uncontrolled slash at a wide yorker, slicing it up in the air and the ball landing just short of Jordan at third man. Instead he takes a single, before Pandey chips down the ground for a couple to bring up the 50 partnership from 37 balls. That’s good, taken out of context, but in truth Pandey is struggling badly – he’s yet to find the boundary – and Dhoni must be kicking his heels. Rahul edges a full-toss down to third man for the first boundary in 19 balls.
16th over: India 114-3 (Pandey 14, Rahul 65) Back to Mills, who was thumped for 15 in his last over but at least doesn’t have to bowl to Virat Kohli now. Round the wicket again, plenty back of a length and plenty of slower balls. It’s not just the fact that he’s bowling to the plan well, but Mills deserves credit for disguising his slower balls and cutters well enough that the batsmen are struggling to read him. Six singles.
“There are only two questions left re OBO contributors,” reckons Andrew Benton. “1. Where is the great Mac Millings?, and 2. Where are all the women contributors? Need a bit of gender balance here in the Guardian, I’d have thought.” Only Rob Smyth is deemed worthy of an email from Millings these days, it seems. As for the gender balance, I promise you I don’t have women flocking to my inbox and I’m keeping them hidden. Unless you count the ones from my girlfriend about festivals this summer.
15th over: India 108-3 (Pandey 11, Rahul 62) Time to go back to seam for an over or two? Yep, here’s Stokes for Dawson and his potpourri of varying paces is far too good for Pandey. Oh and how unlucky is this!? He beats the batsman with a slower ball, clips the stumps, which light up, but the bail remains in its groove! That’s a very strange one as the bails are only supposed to light up when dislodged. I assume it must have just bounced up imperceptibly. If ever a bowler deserved a wicket, it was Stokes there.
“Picking and sticking with a spinner is baring ripe fruit now with Moeen,” writes Dean Kinsella. “So often slated as not being good enough at international level is really showing his worth in this series – then add in the batting.” Indeed, he’s had a couple of near-perfect games with the ball. He’s also a player you’re always pleased to see doing well.
14th over: India 105-3 (Pandey 9, Rahul 62) And now we’re back to Rashid, whose first ball is sent screaming over extra cover for four by Rahul; the fielder didn’t have time to move an inch. Then a poor leg-side ball is swept down to fine-leg for the same. As Nasser points out, Rashid and Dawson have bowled fuller than Moeen and are getting punished for it.
Thanks to Damian Clarke for sending me a list of names headed “roll call”. I didn’t recognise any of them, sorry.
13th over: India 93-3 (Pandey 7, Rahul 52) A gentle nudge out to midwicket allows Rahul the single he needs to bring up a 32-ball half-century. Three fours and a pair of sixes in it and the low-key way in which he passed the milestone feels almost incongruous for a T20 in India, even on this ground. A single from each and every ball in this over. Moeen finishes with excellent figures of one for 20 from his four; he didn’t concede a single boundary either.
12th over: India 87-3 (Pandey 4, Rahul 49) Pandey, the newest batsman, misses out on a full toss, which he can only flat-bat out to deep mid-on for one. Rahul though isn’t going to miss a thing and he comes down the track and launches a gigantic six over the same region. Even as an England fan, you can’t really complain about a talent such as this kid’s (well, he’s 24) getting some much-needed runs. Another full toss to finish the over and Rahul nails it through long-on to edge towards his half-century.
11th over: India 72-3 (Pandey 2, Rahul 36) A couple to Yuvraj with a nice clean drive out to deep mid-off, clearing the back leg and nailing it off middle stump. That’s as good as it gets for him though: he was lucky to survive the lbw appeal a couple of overs ago as that was clipping the bails, but this one was keeping a good eight inches lower. Five for one from the over.
“Afternoon Dan.” Afternoon, Simon McMahon. “The tennis was ok, but even a week later I’m still a bit sore about Andy’s loss. I mean, Federer’s great blah blah blah, but 18 Slams is just a bit, well, greedy if you ask me. A SUPER OVER would make up for it though. And the Six Nations starts next week. So I’m over it now. Good old OBO.” Ah yes, I’m getting my rugby hat back on for the next few weeks after this.
Yuvraj will remain on 225 career sixes: he’s missed a big sweep and is struck in front of middle. Moeen is on fire.
10th over: India 67-2 (Yuvraj 2, Rahul 35) Woaaaahhhhhh we’re halfway there, woooahh-oh, Rahul murders a waist-heigh full-toss over midwicket for six as India take 10 from the over and reach 67 for two and the midway point of the innings. At this juncture, the groundstaff drag the ropes around the outfield to remove the dew, which might well help England later on.
9th over: India 57-2 (Yuvraj 0, Rahul 27) Moeen ties these two in knots and concedes just one. There’s a big appeal for lbw against Yuvraj, who falls over missing a sweep and is struck on the pad, but I reckon that was going down leg.
8th over: India 56-2 (Yuvraj 0, Rahul 26) Time for a man I had genuinely forgotten was in the England team: Adil Rashid, a specialist fielder in Kanpur. He’s happy to toss it up and is rewarded with both a bit of turn and indeed the wicket of Suresh Raina, who never really got going. The bad news for Rashid is that the new man has hit 225 sixes in his T20 career. Just two and the wicket from a cracking over.
John Starbuck writes: “Dan, if all we OBO readers have to do now is simply turn up for the roll-call (Ian Copestake in over 4), our job becomes easier than ever. No need to provide witticisms, reminiscences of indie bands, or even reference other sports; just let you know we are in attendance and we’ll get a mention. Mind you, I can’t even remember my old class roll-call list these days. Can anyone over the age of 40?” To be honest I just worry about Ian if he doesn’t email half a dozen times at least.
Perhaps feeling the pressure a bit, Raina goes for the slog-sweep, doesn’t realise it’s a googly and top-edges high to deep midwicket. He goes for seven from 10.
7th over: India 54-1 (Raina 6, Rahul 25) Another change as Moeen replaces Jordan. He was excellent with the ball in Kanpur and this ground should suit him even better. After a trio of singles, Rahul brings up the India 50 with a reverse sweep for three, the ball well reeled in by – I think – Billings on the slide. That ensures it’s a boundary-free over, which goes for eight.
6th over: India 46-1 (Raina 3, Rahul 21) After the punishment Mills took in his last over, Stokes comes in and begins with an off-side wide. Rahul, who seems to have his eye in nicely, gets four off the fifth ball – a juicy half volley – with a beautifully timed drive that he places inches wide of the man diving to his right at cover. It was there to be hit but he hit it beautifully.
5th over: India 37-1 (Raina 1, Rahul 15) Well that was a fun cameo from Kohli but Jordan can be very pleased with himself, taking him down first ball. That’s not going to inhibit Rahul though, who scythes the very next ball, a full one, over extra cover for a one-bounce four. Otherwise it’s a lovely mix of cutters and slower balls from Jordan, which keeps them to just three further runs.
“With the amount of chatting/discussing/talking etc that Nasser believes ‘this England team’ does, how do they find time for nets or, indeed, for playing matches?” asks Gary Weightman. Well, in answer to the last question, they are playing now. Or are you suggesting that these conversations, which are televised, are a figment of Nasser’s imagination?
Kohli gives it the charge but doesn’t spot the slower ball. Up it goes, high off the bottom of the bat, and Dawson takes a comfortable catch well inside the boundary, on the straight behind the bowler.
4th over: India 30-0 (Kohli 21, Rahul 9) Oh this is more like it from Kohli. He follows an incredible shot, a back-foot drive up and over mid-off for six, with a venomous flick off the pads for four more. A mistimed punch over cover for two, a nudged single and then Rahul guides one just over the leaping man at backward point for two more. 15 off the over after 15 off the first three. Fair to say they’ve learned to read Mills quickly.
“Your petition digression is deeply suitable for your statgasmic, number-crunching crickety-type readers,” writes Robert Wilson. “Seeing that total climb at breakneck speed is like watching Shahid Afridi give it the long handle. Thrilling stuff. An allergic reaction made manifest.” Thanks Robert. For the record, regular reader Ian Copestake has confirmed he is with us.
3rd over: India 15-0 (Kohli 8, Rahul 7) Jordan is into the attack for Dawson. He pins Kohli back on the crease and goes up for a loud lbw shout, which is turned down. Height presumably saved Kohli but he was so far back it looked plumb to me. No reviews in this series though ... and that’s lucky for Kohli because the replays confirm that was taking leg stump out the ground. Pretty poor decision from the umpire that. With Jordan offering nowt in the way of driveable balls, a single plus a couple of twos out to deep midwicket mean it’s five from the third consecutive over.
Andrew Benton writes: “I’m holding out for a draw, just to be awkward.” Presumably you mean an India win to tie up the series? Or else you’re really going out on a limb. “And to keep the pressure on India. England certainly won’t seal it today. PS Do remind us who’s touring England this summer, and when.” South Africa are over in July, the West Indies in August.
2nd over: India 10-0 (Kohli 7, Rahul 3) Tymal Mills, from round the wicket to tighten up the angle, will share the new ball duties. He offers absolutely nothing from the first two balls, slightly back of a length, so Kohli goes for the big swipe and gets a massive top edge, which sails high into the night sky and bounces inches inside the ropes at fine third man, beating Billings and picking up the four flukiest runs the India captain will ever score. A single off the next takes him out of the firing line and Rahul can only block out the last couple.
Cripes, the emails are flowing quicker than the runs right now. “I’ll be with you for the duration,” begins Damian Clarke, “or at least until the phone rings to let me know that Milady wants picking up from the girly do she’s attending. To be honest, I’d rather she stays on late this time. She’ll be trollied, but at least I can enjoy all the cricket.”
1st over: India 5-0 (Kohli 2, Rahul 3) England are going to open with the left-arm spin of Liam Dawson, with the small matter of Virat Kohli standing between him and the wickets and the latter thwacks a nice tossed up delivery out to deep cover for a single. Rahul takes three from the next four balls and Kohli retains the strike with a nudge off the last. Tidy.
“Who is the favorite of today’s game? Any percentage?” asks Dharani Bhoi. Having won the toss, I’d make England favourites. They’re in the rare position of perhaps having more big hitters than India for once, too, which could be crucial with the longest boundary here 78 metres.
The players are out for the anthems. Which means we’ll begin shortly. Anybody out there?
V Kohli*, KL Rahul, SK Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni†, MK Pandey, HH Pandya, A Mishra, JJ Bumrah, A Nehra, YS Chahal
Nothing to do with the cricket, but this is kinda fun.
Watching this go up in real time has greatly enhanced the enjoyment of our Sunday roast. https://t.co/ziv1gammmp
The wicket looks very dry. As Eoin Morgan says, it’s typically Indian with nary a blade of grass to be seen. Combine that with the slightly longer boundaries and you’d reckon 180-odd will be a good score here.
England bring in an extra spinner, with Dawson replacing Plunkett. India do something similar, with the leggie Mishra replacing the offie Rasool. Kohli says he wanted to bowl first but thinks the pitch will deteriorate.
England have won it and elected to field. Looking for a repeat of Thursday’s performance then. Batting won’t be as easy here, either, so it makes sense.
You’re all still caught up in the tennis, aren’t you? Well, if not then I have some recommended reading: Ali Martin caught up with poor old Ben Duckett.
Related: Ben Duckett: ‘I was on the verge of being dropped – I did what the captain said’
Afternoon/evening/whatever it is wherever you are, folks. Forget your FA Cup drama and Liverpool morphing into Crystal Palace. Forget Federer v Nadal, Serena v Venus and the 5000 to one Australian Open finals. Forget Bell and Bresnan winning the Big Bash. Put down your sumptuous Six Nations preview and stop the conspiracy theories around Eddie Jones’s black eye. This Sunday is about one thing and one thing only: the second T20 international between India and England from Nagpur!
Being dismissive is easy, though. True, this is a slightly odd series tacked on the end of the most gruelling of tours. No, neither side is likely to learn a huge amount that will help them in the Champions Trophy in England this summer. But, as I learned from reading my esteemed colleague Barney Ronay last night, England have not won a bilateral limited overs series in India since 1985, when our own Vic Marks – whose record as the most economical off-spinner ever in ODI cricket, with a qualification of 250 balls bowled, is unlikely to ever be broken – was the unsung hero. Win here and Eoin Morgan’s boys will go down in history, sort of.
Dan will be here soon.
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