Alastair Cook made 71 in his final Test match but India ended the day on top as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were out for ducks
Related: Alastair Cook keeps England afloat before India claim late wickets
90th over: England 198-7 (Buttler 11, Rashid 4) It’s the final over of the day, bowled by Bumrah, and Rashid just keeps out a mean yorker. And that’s the close, with India well on top, thanks to their excellent bowling, but England hanging in there, thanks to their 60-something plays-and-misses, and one last fine careful rapture from Alastair Cook, who makes off with the Man of the Day award.
“Good evening, Tim.” Good evening, Sara Torvalds in Karis, Finland. “I need some help here. What is going on?! Seriously, I went to the sauna (it is, after all Friday and I’m a Finn) and what do I find?! From 133 for two (yes, I put off the sauna until there was no chance of a century for Cook) England have collapsed to 196 for 7?! What about how flat the track was? Where is the massive lead I’m pretty certain Hope said was a certainty? Why is this happening again? I thought we had all agreed it would be a 766 sort of Test, for old times’ sake?!” I wish I knew the answers.
89th over: England 198-7 (Buttler 11, Rashid 4) Buttler sees off Shami and picks up a couple to square leg. In the deep, Shikhar Dhawan does a dance for the crowd, which goes down a treat. “Proper Bhangra,” says Harbhajan Singh.
“It’s a bowlers’ game, is cricket,” says Andrew Benton. “If Moeen can work wonders with the ball, lower scores need not bother England.”
88th over: England 196-7 (Buttler 9, Rashid 4) Bumrah has the new ball now, as if the old one wasn’t lethal enough. There’s oodles of inswing, but Rashid stands firm and swats a four past gully.
87th over: England 191-7 (Buttler 9, Rashid 0) Shami, who’s been immense without the wickets to show for it, is back and very nearly gets his man. Buttler has another close shave, which may mean he’ll rattle up a quick 60 tomorrow. The shadows are lovely and long now.
Ultra Edge to the rescue. What a good review – though Buttler didn’t go for it straightaway, so he can’t have heard the nick either.
He’s reviewing, but it could well be out.
86th over: England 190-7 (Buttler 8, Rashid 0) Kohli decides it is time for the new ball, so here comes Bumrah. And here come four more byes, as yet another ball veers down the leg side. Byes have now overtaken Jennings to become the third top scorer of the innings, on 25. Adil Rashid keeps out the straight ones, as befits a man who now bats about as often as he bowls.
85th over: England 186-7 (Buttler 8, Rashid 0) Buttler celebrates his escape with a delicious push for four to extra cover. His eight runs are the only ones by England right-handers all day.
“So,” says Leo Brown, “144 runs from the top 3… reckon looking nicely settled, let’s ink those boys in – just need to make a few swingeing wholesale changes to that troublesome middle order and we’ll have a batting line-up.” Ha.
The Indians are celebrating a catch off Ishant, the soft signal is out, but the review says no – no bat, and too high for LBW.
84th over: England 182-7 (Buttler 4, Rashid 0) Buttler takes a single off the first ball from Jadeja, trusting Rashid, who responds with some sturdy blocks.
“Thank you Mr Brian Withington (81st over),” says P. Satish Kumar. “This is by far the most heart-warming comparison of the Indian pace attack. For decades we had pop gun attacks which were mocked all over the world. Finally to have 4 fit pace bowlers is quite a joy. Of course whether they can help India secure that elusive away series win in Australia remains to be seen. Australian wickets bounce but lack any movement so the strength of this attack could be nullified.” Luckily for England, only three of them were picked today.
83rd over: England 181-7 (Buttler 3, Rashid 0) Sam Curran got a well-earned ovation from his home crowd – maybe that was what threw him. But all credit to Ishant, who has sensational figures of 21-10-24-3.
Sam Curran, who always gets 20, finally succumbs to the law of averages. He tries a late leave, but it’s too late and he gets a nick. England have lost six wickets for 48. Who needs the new ball?
At last, all that thin air gives way to a thin edge, and England are in trouble.
82nd over: England 177-5 (Ali 50, Buttler 3) Still no new ball, so Jadeja continues and Moeen flicks to leg to reach a most uncharacteristic fifty. It’s taken four hours, he’s missed almost as many as he’s hit, but he’s held England just about together.
81st over: England 176-5 (Ali 49, Buttler 3) Mo suddenly realises that he hasn’t played and missed for a few minutes, so he puts that right as Ishant gets his usual shape, away from the left-hander. Mo then takes a single into the on side.
“Am I alone,” wonders Brian Withington, “in experiencing a Back to The Future style flashback to England’s travails against West Indies in the 1980s. You spend nearly all day resisting a deadly four man pace attack and then realise they have another new ball with only 170 runs on the board.”
80th over: England 175-5 (Ali 48, Buttler 3) Mo takes a comfy single off Jadeja. Buttler is in his watchful mode, but he spots a near-half-volley and square-drives for a couple.
79th over: England 172-5 (Ali 47, Buttler 1) Buttler, facing Ishant, plays and misses, just like everyone else – according to Sky, 64 balls today have gone past the edge. That’s a whole heap of thin air.
78th over: England 172-5 (Ali 47, Buttler 1) This is the sort of situation that often greets Moeen as he comes in. Instead he’s been there for what feels like weeks. Jos Buttler, a cool head in a crisis, gets off the mark straightaway with a tuck to leg.
Just after jamming down late on a Jadeja shooter, Stokes gets another, misreads the length, tries to shovel it round the corner, and is plumb. A very plumb plumb.
77th over: England 170-4 (Ali 45, Stokes 11) Ishant is back, which either means Johli is planning on delaying the new ball, or he’s going to give it to Shami. Stokes plays out another maiden, despite coming down the track, with a curious crouching stance, like a caffeinated crab.
“O Boycott, Where Art Thou?” suggests Matt, who is somewhere near Krasnodar. ”Geoffrey quits the tour of India to play golf then go on a spiritual (and money-making) journey in apartheid South Africa.”
76th over: England 169-4 (Ali 45, Stokes 11) Stokes loosens up a touch with a flick for four, to the fine side of fine leg.
Here’s Mark Ireland. “I like how Geoffrey Boycott uses the phrase ‘I rest my case’ on TMS - more a pause between breaths rather than actually ending his argument!” Yes, his argument never ends – it just loops round and runs again, like an announcement on the tube.
75th over: England 164-4 (Ali 44, Stokes 7) Shami continues and Mo plays at thin air, for about the 21st time today - before producing a cover drive for four that is so supremely effortless, it’s more of a cover cruise.
74th over: England 159-4 (Ali 39, Stokes 7) Mo works Jadeja for a single, and that’s drinks, with India right back in it and England hanging in there. We even have a decent over rate.
Here’s Paul Callinan. “Following on from Kevin Wilson’s comment [70th over], Bairstow’s form has definitely dipped since he became a selector.” That’s a great line.
73rd over: England 158-4 (Ali 38, Stokes 7) Yet more byes as history instantly repeats itself, Shami finds too-late swing and Pant can’t touch the ball. Byes are now on 17, which is 17 more than Root and Bairstow managed between them. And then – stone the crows – there’s a boundary, as Stokes punches through the covers. It’s the first four off the bat for an hour.
72nd over: England 149-4 (Ali 37, Stokes 3) Moeen plays a nice straight drive off Jadeja, but it’s so straight it goes straight back to the bowler, who fields it smartly.
Jim Hodson has a movie for us. “Mike Gatting. Life of Pie.”
71st over: England 148-4 (Ali 36, Stokes 3) Four more byes as one ball from Shami goes haywire after passing the stumps. In other news, Stokes manages a run, but it’s off the edge.
Here’s Peter Tutton. “From director Guy Ritchie Benaud: Block, Shot! and Two Smoking Boundaries.”
70th over: England 141-4 (Ali 34, Stokes 2) Jadeja keeps Stokes quiet, not that it seems to be difficult these days.
Kevin Wilson has a point. “Wonder what Ollie Pope makes of an injured Bairstow batting like a chump?” He’s certainly having a strange series, as Simon Wilde notes on Twitter: 70, 28, 93, 15, 0, 6, 0, 0. What’s next in that sequence?
69th over: England 140-4 (Ali 33, Stokes 2) Shami returns too, and Stokes joins the ranks of the players-and-missers. His 2 has come off 17 balls.
“Hi there young Tim,” says Phil Keegan, winningly. “I don’t know Ian Brownlee but I also say Xin Chao from Saigon, where it is, indeed, chucking it down heartily. I am wondering if YJB is getting himself out on purpose in order to sabotage the idea of him becoming a specialist batsman. It reminds me of men, obviously I am not one of them, deliberately doing their share of the housework badly in order that their wives lose patience with their uselessness and just do it all themselves. Best wishes, Phil Keegan, aka Casablanca Kennedy.”
68th over: England 140-4 (Ali 33, Stokes 2) Kohli only has one problem, which is that his opening bowlers are on, and the new ball is due in an hour. What would you do? He opts to bring back Jadeja, and the batsmen, unable to believe their luck, help themselves to a few singles and a two.
“On an earlier riff,” says Gerry Gill, “I would go to see The Cook, His Wife, The Thief and David Gower.”
67th over: England 134-4 (Ali 29, Stokes 0) Stokes keeps Ishant out. He’s been a blocker ever since that night in Bristol, but at least he’s still there. England’s left-handers, so far today, have made 123 for two off 65.5 overs; the right-handers have made 0 for 2 off seven balls.
“For cricketing films,” says Tom Paternoster-Howe, “how about The Unbearable Lightness of Batting? Told from the bowler’s perspective as Sehwag smashes a double century.
66th over: England 134-4 (Ali 29, Stokes 0) More good questions from Bumrah, who has figures of 18-7-37-2. Is he the new Anderson? And is Moeen the new Bill Lawry?
“Got to be something in honour of Chef, hasn’t it,” says Charlie Mawer. “A tail of a missed stumping off a spinner perhaps. Somehow stretched to 90 minutes. The Cook, The Leave, The Life, and his Glover.”
65th over: England 134-4 (Ali 29, Stokes 0) Stokes threatens to join the procession, edging Ishant towards Kohli at third slip, but he keeps his hands soft and it drops short. Since tea, England have made 11-3 off six overs.
Time for some more films. “LBW Confidential,” says Robert Cookson, succinctly.
Just when he was looking more solid, Bairstow nicks Sharma’s outswinger, and England have conjured a collapse out of nowhere.
64th over: England 133-3 (Ali 28, Bairstow 0) So no hundred for Cook, though I’d put a fiver on him managing one in the third innings, now he’s got a four-hour knock under his belt. And no runs at all for Joe Root, who, for once, had seen the new ball blunted, but had no answer to Bumrah in full flow. That’s a double-wicket maiden, and the two scalps were the big ones. Game on – but Jonny B at least starts by covering his stumps, unlike in Southampton.
He lasted three balls. It was a good ball, full and straight and spearing in, and it was hitting leg stump. India are finally getting the rewards they deserve.
Given out, looks out...
Just when he was looking so serene... Cook drags it on. And gets, of course, a standing ovation.
63rd over: England 133-1 (Cook 71, Ali 28) Cook is shovelling merrily to leg now. It’s as if the past eight months never happened.
“Good evening from Saigon,” says Ian Brownlee, promisingly, “where it’s raining the proverbial domestic animals. On the subject of cricket grounds, may I register a vote for Low Bradfield in South Yorkshire? We even had the Tour de France here a few years ago. Now that’s what I call moving behind the bowler’s arm. Equally appealing (but unvisited by the peloton) is the picturesque village ground at Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire. My son speaks highly of the cricket tea there, although he once mistook the onion rings for calamari. Needless to say, his team mates have not allowed him to forget this Mandelson-like faux pas.” All grist to The Guardian.
62nd over: England 132-1 (Cook 70, Ali 28) Cook eases into the seventies, Mo is beaten yet again by Bumrah, and Mick Jagger chats to Mark Nicholas, wearing the kind of baseball cap favoured by rock stars with a lot less hair than he has.
“Film suggestion,” says Lee. “12 Angry Men. Modern take on a classic. Fly on the wall documentary about next year’s Ashes touring team (and the 12th man) as they look to prove Ben Stokes guilty in a re-trial. Dave Warner to play Ed Begley’s part.”
61st over: England 131-1 (Cook 69, Ali 28) Three nurdles for a single – it’s almost as if they heard us mention Collingwood.
Here’s Kim Thonger. “I’d rather like Bamburgh Castle as my ‘flat’ overlooking Bamburgh Castle CC in Northumberland. A hot tub on the turret, perfick.”
Yes, far too high. “Awful review,” says Nasser, quite rightly. “56 reviews in the series and just nine have been successful.”
Not given, looks high, but Kohli is a bit desperate...
60th over: England 128-1 (Cook 67, Ali 27) Bumrah returns, Mo carries on playing and missing – and then, at last, he remembers that he is Moeen Ali, and clips an elegant four off his legs.
More films, from Gareth Wilson. “One flew over the Keeper’s Head.” Love it. “One Fine Leg; A Few Good Areas.”
Coming soon at a cinema near you, maybe.“Title for a cricket-based film?” says Matt Kirkham. “Has to be The Third Man.” Could be elusive, these days.
“Dial N for Nurdle,” suggests Nick Hide. “The Paul Collingwood Story. One for the strawberry blondes.”
A thoughtful email from Nickrit, written before Moeen’s blockathon but still relevant. “Very glad Bairstow is back at WK; even if he behaved less than perfectly, I think it was braver to let it be known that his confidence depends, for now, on being included not just as a batter. And I think he is right too about that confidence trick working for him. Buttler’s self-belief seems, again for now, to be of the more serene, unperturbable variety.
For similar reasons, Root is right to go back to 4. But while I will be delighted if Moeen becomes the next Trott, I will also be amazed. For the tour I would go back to Bell, he’s a proper 3, not the best, but the best available.”
“Bit harsh?” says Robert Ellson. “Admittedly, I don’t have to watch it, but I’ve been waiting all summer for England to play some Test cricket. For the first four Tests it’s seemed as if the batsmen have followed Rashid and Buttler’s example and basically given up red-ball cricket. Seems a bit harsh to criticise them now that they’re finally looking to bat all day.” Fair point. Personally, I tend not to lay into them for playing their shots – in fact, I’d say India blew their chance of winning the series by going so slowly in the fourth innings of the last Test. If they’d all played like Pant, they might well have been on fire.
And here’s Chris Lewis, picking up on the 45th over. “The Canyon bike factory is in Koblenz if you’re into that sort of thing.” Thanks. “@chris drew – I’m in Aachen now, one of the best things is just being able to walk the streets while drinking a cold beer and taking in 2000+ years of history. And having just moved from Australia, I would also take an apartment overlooking the SCG – if you could look over the Noble stand, it would have to be one of the world’s best views. That or Newlands.”
59th over: England 123-1 (Cook 66, Ali 23) Cook’s regulation single comes off the inside edge, as Ishant swings his variation ball into his pads. And that’s tea, with Cook and Moeen somehow surviving a whole session of sustained excellence from the bowlers, led by Shami. Mo has 23 off 102 balls. Send him back down the order! And Cook is two-thirds of the way to what may well be called a fairytale hundred. After going into his shell – and it is some shell – he has half-come out again.
“Oy oy Tim.” Oy oy Michael Keane. “The prettiest cricket ground I’ve been to is Nelson. But if I had a flat overlooking it then it wouldn’t be nearly so pretty. So please can I opt for The Grange in Edinburgh? Thank you. As it happens, I’m following the OBO from an ugly building in Regent’s Park. Nobody else at the London Screenwriters Festival seems interested in the Test. I’m thinking of pitching a cricket-based film idea to any producers I meet. Titles please...” If that’s not clickbait, I don’t know what is. See you when the kettle has done its stuff.
58th over: England 122-1 (Cook 65, Ali 23) Jadeja’s 15th over, like so many of his others, goes for a single. clipped off his legs by Cook. This, I’m told, is what Test cricket was like in the Fifties. Soporific.
57th over: England 121-1 (Cook 64, Ali 23) Shami is replaced by Ishant, who keeps Moeen quiet too, with a maiden, but no play-and-miss.
We have an answer to William Golightly’s question (55th over). “I’d like to live on a roundabout,” says The Stella Rossa, “overlooking the Basin Reserve, Wellington.”
56th over: England 121-1 (Cook 64, Ali 23) Jadeja drops short and kicks himself because he knows exactly what’s coming: a cut from Cook for four.
“I recently drove back from Thüringia to France,” says Chris Drew, “and we stopped overnight in Liège on the way there (don’t), but you could ‘pitstop’ overnight in Aachen (where we stayed at the Hampton Inn). “Walk from there into the middle of Aachen, and eat in the little restaurant next to McDonald’s - lovely Italian food.” Slight risk that my daughter will be in McDonald’s, but thank you. “Easy access to and from motorway. And make sure your suspension is in good order before driving across Belgium - huge potholes on the motorway where you could easily catch a puncture.” Top tip, thanks.
55th over: England 117-1 (Cook 60, Ali 23) A single for Cook this time, pushing Shami back down the pitch. When he gets runs in the V, you just know he’s eyeing one of his 240s. Shami’s superb spell ends at 9-4-14-0.
54th over: England 116-1 (Cook 59, Ali 23) Cook glides Jadeja down to third man for a single.
We need someone to start a conversation, and here’s William Golightly. “If you were blessed with a home overlooking a cricket ground, which would it be?” he wonders. “New Road for me!” I’ll take the SCG.
53rd over: England 115-1 (Cook 58, Ali 23) How Shami doesn’t have two-for is a mystery. He beats Mo for the 35th time with his outswing.
“Good Morning from drizzle-filled Albany, New York,” says Scott Richmond. Nice to see that Britain doesn’t have the monopoly on drizzle. “Has the pitch been doctored to help Cooky get his farewell 100? If he scores triple figures in the first inning, will tears fill his eyes (like Bradman) to deprive him of triple figures in both innings?” Good question, but he would refuse to answer it on the grounds that you take one tear at a time.
52nd over: England 115-1 (Cook 58, Ali 23) Cook is just getting some praise from Nasser for leaving Jadeja well when a full toss arrives and he fails to cash in, bunting it to midwicket.
“Yes, I’m out here,” says Trevor Marshall (45th over). “Currently being driven up the notoriously lumpy D1 from Brno to Prague with a group of great students from @ECP_Prague.” Classy. I’m about to drive my daughter to uni in Bavaria – in case anyone knows a good pitstop in the Koblenz area.
51st over: England 113-1 (Cook 56, Ali 23) A nudge to leg for a single by each batsman, and two more wafts outside off from Mo. That last four of Cook’s brought up the fifty partnership, off 26.2 overs. He doesn’t want too many people to watch Test cricket when he’s gone.
“Afternoon Tim.” Afternoon, Brian Withington. “A quick review of the list of career-ending innings appended by Rob at 36th over raises two observations. 1. I trust A Sandham wasn’t dropped after his 325 against West Indies in 1930. 2. What manner of beast signs off with 145 against the Aussies at a strike rate of over 180?! (Answer, of course: Brendan ‘mad dog’ McCullum.)”
50th over: England 111-1 (Cook 55, Ali 22) Jadeja overpitches and Cook straight-drives for four. He’s going to go crazy now and get 45 in the half-hour before tea.
49th over: England 107-1 (Cook 51, Ali 22) A maiden from the excellent Shami to the unexpectedly tenacious Moeen, who is beaten yet again.
“TMS in USA,” Rai Skrupskis begins. Just when I’m losing the will to live, Rai adds: “I followed the directions given in over 39 only to be told that TMS ‘is unavailable in your location’. So, relying on the OBO as usual.” That’s more like it.
48th over: England 107-1 (Cook 51, Ali 22) Another single for Mo, off Jadeja. Ain’t nothing happening here but the affection of Cook.
“That goodbye video,” muses Peter Gibbs. “It’s the choice of backgrounds that most intrigues: the artwork, the incidentals (like ‘New York Paris HALE’)... Sure half of them look like they were shaken awake from their hotel beds and others are up against the white like some of The Usual Suspects. Is Monty on a swing? I shall miss Cookie. Can we all send in our video tributes?
47th over: England 106-1 (Cook 51, Ali 21) A single for Mo, tucked to leg, and then another jaffa from Shami, beating Cook’s prod. When people talk about him having only three shots, they forget the poke at thin air. But then he pushes solidly down the ground for a couple, and that’s his fifty. It’s (a) acclaimed like a double hundred, and (b) the first fifty by an opener on either side in this series.
“99 off 45 overs?” splutters Keith Bradley. “And the authorities wonder why people have lost interest in Test cricket.” In England, they haven’t, to be fair, but point taken.
46th over: England 103-1 (Cook 49, Ali 20) Jadeja drops short for once, perhaps presuming that Cook has forgotten how to cut. He hasn’t.
“Afternoon, Tim.” Afternoon, Richard O’Hagan. “If anyone wanted proof that this is a different India team, look back to their only Test win at The Oval in 1971. Bedi, Venkat and Chandra took 17 of the 20 English wickets to fall. They didn’t even play a proper seamer, just two medium pacers whose main job was to ensure the shine came off the ball as soon as possible.” Ancient history.
45th over: England 99-1 (Cook 45, Ali 20) Mohammed Shami beats Moeen’s outside edge, twice, then gets bored and beats him on the inside, which brings four byes, the only runs of the over. Anyone out there?
44th over: England 95-1 (Cook 45, Ali 20) Mo gets a single off Jadeja. Cook plays and misses yet again. Is his whole Test career passing before our eyes?
Afternoon everyone and thanks Rob, excellent as ever. I’ve been on trains today, so reading this page rather than watching. From what I can fathom, the England team have decided that, as a tribute to their leaving legend, they will all play like him. Alastair Cook, meanwhile, thought it would be amusing to play like them, but couldn’t keep it up. His first 25 came off 42 balls, and his last 20 have come off 84. Not much left in the tank. India have treated the afternoon as the morning, swinging the ball round corners and either beating the bat or finding the edge. The world gone mad.
43rd over: England 94-1 (Cook 45, Ali 19) Cook pushes at a short, wide delivery from Shami and is beaten. There’s an appeal for caught behind, mainly from the slips, but Ultra-Edge shows there was no bat involved. I think the slips were deceived by late swing. Cook is then beaten by consecutive deliveries towards the end of a majestic over. Shami is such an impressive bowler.
That’s drinks, so I’ll hand over to Tim de Lisle for the rest of the day. You can contact him on tim.delisle.casual@theguardian.com or on Twitter @TimdeLisle. Bye!
42nd over: England 94-1 (Cook 45, Ali 19) Cook works Jadeja behind square for another single. In micro terms it has been an entirely forgettable innings; in macro terms it will be anything but if he gets a hundred.
41st over: England 93-1 (Cook 44, Ali 19) Moeen is trying to play like a classical No3, even though it doesn’t come naturally. He has 19 from 56 balls. I don’t know what else to say.
“Re: Mo batting at No3 in Sri Lanka,” says James Evans. “Any concern that bowling long spells in sapping heat and humidity might be an issue?”
40th over: England 91-1 (Cook 44, Ali 17) Jadeja replaces the superb Bumrah and is shovelled into the leg side for a single by Cook. This kind of tedious accumulation is just what England need when they have such a devastating middle order; they’ll expect to cash in against tired bowlers this evening.
“Nobody beats Andy Ganteaume, who scored 112 in his last Test,” says Kevin Wilson. “It was also his debut Test. I wonder if Ed Smith admires the West Indies selectors of 1948? I’d also have been impressed if Cook brought out his inner McCullum today.”
39th over: England 89-1 (Cook 43, Ali 16) Moeen pushes the new boiwler Shami through the covers for two. After a torrid start, particularly against Bumrah, he is starting to look more comfortable. He ends the over with a pristine straight drive for four, easily his best shot of the innings.
“Finding the TMS overseas link is really easy if you are using a non-UK IP Address,” says David Keech. “Just go to the main BBC site. You could well see the swap from the UK menu to the overseas menu (it’s a white on black top line instead of a black on white for the UK one). Then follow the sport/cricket links and you will see a link to go straight to where you can see a link to the site. I use this all the time and it never fails.”
38th over: England 83-1 (Cook 43, Ali 10) This is Bumrah’s 14th over, which is a fair shift before drinks in the afternoon session. Moeen takes a leg bye after being hit on the pad by a big inswinger, and that’s about it.
“How’s this for a sensible change to guarantee the future of Test cricket?” says Tony Brennan. “For five-match series, the first two games should be worth half a point. If team managements are going to insist that one three-day warm-up is all the practice that is needed for five five-day games, they need to be saved from themselves. Let the first two games be classed as somewhere between official matches and warm-ups, the third game be a win for the by now warmed-up visitors, and then the business really starts. No dead rubber - guaranteed.”
37th over: England 82-1 (Cook 43, Ali 10) Cook has gone into his shell, with only two runs since lunch. He’s not quite the plodder we sometimes think - he has a faster Test strike rate than Graham Thorpe and Robin Smith, among others - but with the ball swinging it makes sense for him to put all his shots away for a while. The moment I type that, he pings a wide half-volley from Ishant through extra cover for four. Lovely shot.
36th over: England 78-1 (Cook 39, Ali 10) Since you asked, these are the highest scores by a batsman playing in his last Test. Most didn’t know it was their last Test at the time, so there wasn’t the same emotion and expectation as there will be if Cook gets close to a century today.
“While Moeen Ali is taking his time just now against mainly the faster men, he is supposed to be pretty good against the slow guys,” says John Starbuck. “Later this year he ought to be able to cope fairly well near the top of the order as the Sri Lankans usually employ spinners earlier. So for the next series at least, he should be just the right chap. Also, he solves Root’s problem while not changing the team.”
35th over: England 75-1 (Cook 38, Ali 8) India are 13/2 to win this game, which seems very generous. Incidentally, I thought Moeen got an inside edge to negate that last LBW appeal from Bumrah; turns out he didn’t, and replays show it was hitting the bails. That said, it was umpire’s call so the original decision would not have been overturned even if India had reviewed.
34th over: England 74-1 (Cook 37, Ali 8) This has been a beautiful spell from Bumrah, who is swinging it both ways and has beaten Moeen at least once an over. After surviving that review, Moeen gets a leading edge for four and survives another LBW appeal by virtue of an inside edge.
Moeen survives a big LBW shout after padding up to a Bumrah inswinger. Virat Kohli decides to review. This looks close but might be too high. Hawkeye confirms that’s the case: it was bouncing over the top and India lose their first review.
33rd over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) It’s not often that the wicket of Keaton Jennings slows the scoring rate down, but since his dismissal England have scored eight runs in 10 overs. That includes five consecutive maidens either side of lunch. Batting looks tricker than it did this morning, and Cook is beaten pushing at a wide delivery from Sharma.
32nd over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) Now Moeen has been dropped! He flashed loosely at the superb Bumrah and edged to the left of second slip, where Kohli put down a sharp one-handed chance. Two dropped catches in four balls. This start from Moeen has reinforced the feeling that he will never be a Test No3 in English conditions.
In other news, thanks to Richard for this.
31st over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) The ball has started swinging at the Oval, perhaps because it is more cloudy than in the morning session - and Cook has been dropped. He was squared up by Sharma and edged low to fifth slip, where Rahane spooned a relatively straightforward low chance.
Meanwhile, a few of you have asked about the overseas TMS link. I can’t find it but it should be somewhere on their Twitter feed. Also: have a nice life.
30th over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) Moeen is struggling against Bumrah, who beats him with a wide yorker. There was a bit of an appeal for caught behind but his bat hit the ground rather than the ball. Later in the over Moeen is turned round and gets a leading edge along the ground to gully. A blistering over ends with a big outswinger that beats the outside edge. Moeen has 2 from 22 balls.
“So many Cook memories to choose from but the highlight for me has to be the innings at the Bowl in 2014 when the crowd support really lifted him when he needed (and appreciated) it most,” says Brian Withington. “I’m a bit of a sucker for people overcoming adversity and negative punditry - that and scoring 150+ in their farewell Test match with scarcely a dry eye in the house.”
29th over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) Ishant Sharma starts after lunch to Alastair Cook. Edit: Ishant Sharma starts after lunch with a maiden to Alastair Cook.
“My favourite memory of Alastair Cook is that I have no memories of Alastair Cook,” says Gary Naylor. “Though I’ve seen him he score more runs than any other batsman I’ve ever watched, they’re all gone from my mind in the time it takes him to walk back to the pavilion. And I hope I’ll be able to say exactly the same about his successor #lookinthescorebook.”
28th over: England 68-1 (Cook 37, Ali 2) Bumrah beats Moeen with a beauty, the penultimate delivery of the morning. It’s been the quietest session of the series. Keaton Jennings made 23 before giving his wicket away, while Alastair Cook played sensibly in benign conditions to make his highest score of the series. He couldn’t, could he? Of course he bloody could you idiot he’s done it 32 times before!
See you in half an hour for the afternoon.
27th over: England 67-1 (Cook 36, Ali 2) Shami tries a couple of bouncers to Moeen. The second really takes off and is excellently claimed by the leaping Pant. He has kept really well since he came into the side, whatever the extras column says. A maiden from Shami.
“With Jennings failing again,” says Pete Salmon, “can I officially be the first person to call for Cook to be recalled?”
26th over: England 67-1 (Cook 36, Ali 2) A good move from Virat Kohli, who brings Bumrah on at Jadeja’s end to attack the new batsman Moeen Ali. His first ball beats the outside edge as Moeen pushes forward. Moeen is a really good option at No3 this winter, but the thought of him in this position against Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins verges on the grisly.
“My favourite Cook memory is from the great first Test against New Zealand in 2015,” says Will Denton. “It was my first time watching Test cricket at Lord’s and he’d had a tough couple of years without a century before digging in and giving us a great platform for victory with another big hundred, even if it was slightly overshadowed at the time by Stokes absolutely marmalising the bowling at the other end...”
25th over: England 64-1 (Cook 34, Ali 1) Cook pushes Shami through mid off for a couple. He has played pretty well this morning, though it’s hard to judge his innings against the others in the series because conditions are so different.
“What is your favourite(s) Cook moment(s), Rob?” asks Bill Hargreaves.
24th over: England 62-1 (Cook 32, Ali 1) Jennings punched his bat in frustration the moment he realised what he’d done. He really did give that way. That said, it was another lovely sharp catch from KL Rahul, who has had a great series in the field if not with the bat.
Oh, Keaton. This is a poor stroke from Jennings, who turns Jadeja straight round the corner to KL Rahul at leg slip. “There’s a fielder there!” says Bumble on Sky. It was off the face of the bat, played deliberately, and Jennings will be really annoyed to get out like that.
23rd over: England 60-0 (Cook 31, Jennings 23) It’s been such a manic summer for your friendly neighbourhood OBOer, with every day of every Test so full of incident, that it’s hard to know what to say during a session like this. Erm, it’s a maiden from Shami to Cook?
“Everyone talks about Cook’s batting, but one thing I’ll always remember is that, for a tall guy, he was an incredibly good close fielder,” says Richard O’Hagan. “His snaffling of Stuart Clark and Mike Hussey on the last day at the Oval in 2009 will stay with me forever - not difficult chances, but vital to England regaining the Ashes and of course done with the usual minimum of fuss.”
22nd over: England 60-0 (Cook 31, Jennings 23) A slice of luck for Jennings. He charges Jadeja, tries to flick to leg and gets a leading edge that loops over cover for two. Jadeja has started well and is likely to do a lot of bowling today.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Rob Fowkes. “That PCA video: I didn’t think it was possibly to love Moeen even more, but then he goes and refers to Cooky as ‘Chefry Dujon’. And with that, I’m spent.”
21st over: England 57-0 (Cook 30, Jennings 21) Shami is bowling a decent spell from around the wicket. A single takes Cook into the thirties for the first time in this series. It’s all very quiet out there.
“I, too , was at the WACA in 2006, and had the pleasure of meeting Alastair Cook at Coco’s restaurant on the far side of the Swan River,” says Robert Cookson. “I was also there to witness Sir Geoffrey, marching to his table, full voice, talking down to Cook as only he could, telling him, at full voice as he sat there eating a meal with his girlfriend, about how he had ‘panicked’ once he got his hundred. (No mention of McGrath bowling some of the best overs he ever delivered.) Cook took it all with characteristic good grace. He was probably the only one in the place who didn’t want to tell Sir Geoffrey to stick his ‘advice’ up his… well you get the rest.”
20th over: England 56-0 (Cook 29, Jennings 21) Jadeja has an LBW appeal turned down when Cook misses a sweep. He was outside the line. There’s already a little bit in this pitch for Jadeja, and he could be really dangerous in the second innings. He is a brilliant bowler on turning pitches.
This is a good point from Chris Savory. “Re Alastair Cook going back to Essex and scoring millions of runs (over three), I almost hope from England’s POV that it doesn’t work out that way. Look how quickly Ian Bell’s name still gets brought up every time our middle order struggles, despite his fairly average county record over the last two years (matches vs Glamorgan aside). With an Ashes series next summer, two new/inexperienced openers in the side, and a still-only-34yo Cook effortlessly racking up centuries for Essex each week, how long before all anyone can talk about is recalling him to the side?”
19th over: England 55-0 (Cook 28, Jennings 21) Jennings drives Shami for two to move into the twenties. He looks calm and solid and will be really annoyed if he doesn’t cash in today. The openers on both sides have earned a pitch like this after having such a torrid time in the first four Tests.
“My favourite Cook memory was sitting, freezing, at Chester-le-Street on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 2016 after the Sri Lankans managed to set us 70-odd to win,” says Ben Powell. “During his innings Cook scored his 10,000th Test run. The far from mighty crowd rose as one and I’ve always been disappointed that as the camera pans across the largely empty stands, it stops just short of where I sat, in splendid isolation, looking as happy as any cricket fan who’s not brought enough layers, whose hands and turning blue and who is raising his third pint of the day in the general direction of the square.”
18th over: England 53-0 (Cook 28, Jennings 18) Jadeja has three men round the bat for Cook: slip, leg slip and short leg. Cook squirts a single to bring up the fifty partnership.
“I first saw Alastair Cook bat when my future wife and I went to watch Yorkshire v Essex (her county v. my county) in 2004, his first full first-class season,” says Tim Sanders. “He walked out to bat with the very tall Will Jefferson, and scored a good 50. Andy Flower and Darren Lehmann, the future coaches from the 2013-14 Ashes, were playing too. A futuristic fixture all-round.”
17th over: England 49-0 (Cook 27, Jennings 16) “I’ve just realised that I have virtually no memories of Alastair Cook,” says Robert Ellson (again). “I really don’t mean this churlishly. Which makes me think two things. 1) Has there ever been such a great player who was so unobtrusive? Graeme Smith? 2) It would be really good if Test cricket came back to FTA. Cook’s whole career has been behind the paywall: the first significant England cricketer of whom that’s true?”
Yes, him and Monty Panesar I guess, with Stuart Broad just after them. Monty isn’t behind the paywall anymore, as anyone who watched Celebrity Masterchef from behind the sofa last night will confirm.
16th over: England 48-0 (Cook 26, Jennings 16) Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack. He caused Cook a lot of trouble in the return series 18 months ago, dismissing him six times in 10 innings. His second ball, speared down the leg side, beats everyone and goes for four byes. Then Jennings pulls out the reverse sweep, nailing it round the corner for four. That’s a good shot, and a brave one too because you can imagine the pelters should he get out playing such a modern stroke.
15th over: England 39-0 (Cook 25, Jennings 12) Mohammed Shami’s first ball is edged along the ground for four by Cook. If England manage to collapse today, on this pitch, they will all deserve MBEs for services to comedy. The pitch is so flat.
“Can confirm Jennings niftily sidestepped the guard of honour,” says Robert Ellson. “Comfortably his best piece of foot movement of the summer. Arf.”
14th over: England 32-0 (Cook 18, Jennings 12) The debutant Hanuma Vihari comes into the attack. He’s an occasional offspinner, with 19 wickets at 40 in 63 first-class matches), and I doubt he’s come on first change too often. A quiet first over, and it’s drinks.
“Morning Rob,” says Jules Spencer. “Amongst the deluge of sentiment bestowed on Cook this week, I presume you have seen Jimmy’s contribution at 8mins 20secs in the PCA video you posted at 10.25 this morning. It really is rather good.”
13th over: England 31-0 (Cook 17, Jennings 12) That’s the ball of the morning from Bumrah, a trampolining legcutter from around the wicket that beats Jennings all ends up. The last ball is too straight and flicked to fine leg for four by Jennings.
“I’ve applied, unsuccessfully, for compassionate leave from work to attend the Oval today to witness Alastair Cook’s last Test match - so I’m emailing you instead,” says Patrick Ford. “It has been 12 years of total man-love. I was lucky enough to see his 116 at the Waca back in 2006, and to be on a gap yah in 2010-11 to witness his cricketing apotheosis. And I was there at the MCG last December for his final hurrah. I have great memories of freezing cold mornings in late 2012 where I’d re-read the Guardian OBO feed of his latest mammoth century from India. Above all, though, I have enjoyed listening to his accent get bizarrely more Essex with every passing season. I’m not sure how I’ll cope without him...”
12th over: England 27-0 (Cook 17, Jennings 8) Cook, reaching for a wide outswinger from Sharma, squirts it in the air through the vacant gully region. That’s all folks.
“Personally,” says Richard O’Hagan, “I would’ve given Border a guard of honour just to annoy him.”
11th over: England 26-0 (Cook 17, Jennings 7) Bumrah goes around the wicket in an attempt to elicit an actual shot from Jennings. It works, though it’s only a defensive stroke. He takes a single from the last ball of the over, albeit a very dodgy one - Cook would have been well short with a direct hit from point.
“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says Michael Avery. “I can’t explain quite why this brings me so much joy, but when Alastair Cook scored the run that brought him his double century in the Brisbane Test of 2010-11, he also brought England’s total to 432/1. Over 131 for anyone who wishes to check.”
10th over: England 25-0 (Cook 17, Jennings 6) Jennings is leaving as many deliveries as possible and has shown good judgement of his off stump. It helps that the ball is unlikely to boomerang back into him or scuttle along the floor as it did in the last Test. This is a great chance for him to get a significant score.
The lack of pace in the pitch is demonstrated when Jennings ducks into a bouncer from Sharma that thuds into the side of the helmet. He seems fine and doesn’t bother with a concussion check. I thought they were mandatory? Anyway.
Related: County cricket: Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire and more – live!
9th over: England 24-0 (Cook 17, Jennings 6)Sod it, let’s go: it’s on! Cook cuts and pulls Bumrah for consecutive boundaries to move within 83 of his century. They were two cracking shots, played with an end-of-term flourish. This pitch looks a belter.
“Hi Rob,” says Felix Wood. “With this Test match the glorious summer, like Cook’s great England career, is coming to an end. Feels a bit melancholic, really. So, as I believe is customary on the internet, I’m going to avoid this by provoking pointless argument: Cook, knowing he was going to retire, should have not played this match. He is depriving his successor of making a debut or comeback on a relatively benign pitch in a meaningless fixture rather than having to do it on a raging bunsen in Sri Lanka. Selfish.”
8th over: England 16-0 (Cook 9, Jennings 6)“Fair point about the guard of honour, it can be a bit much,” says Niall Mullen. “But let’s remember that if it was John Terry out there he’d bat to his average and then retire unbeaten but simultaneously shamelessly and shamefully.”
I don’t mind the guard of honour at all. It’s the stuff around it BREAKING NEWS: ALASTAIR COOK HAS ARRIVED AT THE OVAL that can be a bit much.
7th over: England 16-0 (Cook 9, Jennings 6)The ball is doing nothing, the pitch is slow and India don’t have the same furious intensity they showed in the last two Tests. I’m not here to tempt fate, not on today of all days. All I’ll say is that if batting was my job, I would fancy a long day at the office.
“Hello Rob,” says Aditi Prabhudesai. “Undoubtedly my favorite Cook moment was the over in which he bowled and bagged the wicket of Ishant Sharma. His unrestrained delight while celebrating was very infectious. Also, and I am sure you will agree Rob, it’s especially heartwarming that he stays away from social media.”
6th over: England 13-0 (Cook 8, Jennings 4)A maiden from Sharma, in which Cook is beaten outside off stump. It’s been a very quiet start.
“When did the guard of honour become a thing?” asks Gary Naylor. “The first I can recall was for Curtly and Courtney at the Oval in 2000, but I may have missed some earlier, distracted by a glass or two. I know the Don got one here, but a lot about him was unique.”
5th over: England 13-0 (Cook 8, Jennings 4) The pitch looks a bit slow and there hasn’t been any movement in the air or off the pitch. The early impression is that these are some of the better batting conditions of the series. Saying which, Jennings is beaten on the drive by Bumrah.
4th over: England 13-0 (Cook 8, Jennings 4) Cook clips Sharma through midwicket for four, a slice of bread and butter that has sustained him throughout his career.
“My favourite Cook memory comes from seemingly eons ago, Rob,” says Bill Hargreaves. “A friend who was coaching cricket at St. Edwards in Oxford (he’d kept wicket for the uni so knew a thing or two) spotted a young batsmen playing for Bedford School who he said was amazing. He said that every time he took to the field he seemed to get a century and to watch out for him - name: Alastair Cook.”
3rd over: England 9-0 (Cook 4, Jennings 4) Jennings survives a hopeful LBW appeal from a Bumrah delivery that pitched well outside leg. I suspect he’ll go on the winter tour if he gets any kind of score in this match. He’s probably a better player of spin than pace, and the likelihood is that England will face some vile turners in Sri Lanka.
“I’m sure a lot of people are going to heap praise on Alastair Cook but the thing that impresses me is he’s going back to Essex next season as I think he feels he owes them a whole season and hopefully a bucketful of runs,” says Dave Brown. “A beacon of decency is our Cookie!”
2nd over: England 7-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 3) Only Morne Morkel has dismissed Cook in Tests more often than Ishant Sharma, who will share the new ball. Cook gets off the mark with a nice cover drive for three. That brings Keaton Jennings on strike. This is a significant Test for him too, and he also gets off the mark with a crisp cover drive for three.
“Morning,” says Smylers. “The 6yo still hasn’t managed to watch any England cricket, for a variety of reasons (rain; my accidentally volunteering to help at the PTA fair; and, most inexplicably, England winning a Test match in three days), so when Ilkley Literature Festival announced “Moeen Ali comes to the town”, I said we could go. Then the festival programme was published, and, while most of the events are a short walk from our home, it turns out Moeen’s is actually at a private school miles away. And on a Sunday, when public transport is sufficiently infrequent that by bus and train it will take us a 5¼-hour round-trip for the 1-hour talk. So I was wondering if by any chance there happens to be an Ilkley-based OBO reader who’s driving to Moeen’s talk and would be prepared to squeeze us in for some petrol money?”
1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 0, Jennings 0) It’ll be
Eric Hollies Jasprit Bumrah to open the bowling. Cook is beaten by his second and third deliveries, and England get off the mark with a bye down the leg side.
Please do send in your favourite Cook memories today. Anything you like.
Here comes Alastair Cook, one penultimate time, to a standing ovation from the Oval crowd. He receives a guard of honour from the Indian players and a handshake from Virat Kohli. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that at the start of a match.
I didn’t see whether Keaton Jennings walked through or round the guard of honour. He should have done a Derek Zoolander.
‘We’ll have to look at the data’
Related: Where does Alastair Cook rank among England captains? | Datablog
“A word about Moeen Ali, if I may…” says Richard Shinn. “When he made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2014, he was selected as a specialist batsman who could provide a few overs of spin when required. However, his performances with the ball surprised many, and in my opinion this began to confuse the selectors as to his exact role in the England team. The success of Moeen’s spin bowling (combined with the lack of alternatives in the country) has kept him his place over the past four years. However, it has also undermined his role as a batsman in the team. To me, he’ll always be a reluctant (yet possessing a golden arm) spin bowler and a hugely talented, free-spirited top order batsman. Finally it looks like the management team are recognising this!”
I wouldn’t be too hopeful. I’m sure he’ll bat in the top order this winter but it’s hard to see him batting No3 in the Ashes next summer. In an age of rotation, I have no real problem with Moeen being a utility player. He certainly has the temperament for it.
“Why are we not discussing the elephant in the room?” says Sreekanth Nandakumar. “Kohli has lost the fifth and final toss in the series and India have more or less have lost this match as they can’t chase anything above 50 runs. I know those are ifs and buts but if India had won at least one toss, I am sure the scoreline would not have been 4-1.”
India will win this match. You have my word.
England are unchanged, though Jonny Bairstow resumes his role as wicketkeeper.
Hanuma Vihari makes his debut for India. He has a modest first-class batting average of 59.79. Vihari replaces Hardik Pandya, while Ravindra Jadeja comes in for the injured Ravichandran Ashwin.
Joe Root completes a whitewash of tosses. The pitch is grassy so it could be a tough morning for England, but it’s dry underneath and they have two spinners.
Pre-match reading
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Related: Focus shifts to Keaton Jennings as Alastair Cook prepares to bow out | Vic Marks
Related: Joe Root tells Alastair Cook to end England career with final century
Everybody loves Alastair
The circle of Test cricket
Proud moment for Hanuma Vihari as he becomes the 292nd player to represent #TeamIndia in Tests.#ENGvINDpic.twitter.com/M5qh0Y54E0
There have been a lot of Cook stats going round in the last few days. This is my favourite: the most deliveries faced in Test cricket since Cook made his debut on 1 March 2006. Cook has faced 46 per cent more than anyone else. 46 per cent*. No wonder he has nothing left in the tank.
* Thanks to Ally Macsporran and Lorraine Reese for pointing out my crap maths.
Graham Gooch never won any awards for quotability. What this blog presupposes is ... maybe he should have done? Gooch’s observations about cricket contain an earthy lyricism that few cricketers can match:
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