The kill was quick and clinical but the ramifications for England will be wider reaching. An innings defeat inside three days in the final Test was a sorry, pathetic end to a series that leaves Bazball in the dock for some and spoiled James Anderson’s historic moment.
This humbling in the Himalayas, and England are not very humble, will have turned a few who may have been tempted to give them more rope. They have lost six of their 10 Tests against India and Australia, crashed to a 4-1 defeat here, and that will be enough for many to conclude time for a rethink.
Ben Stokes arrived in India having won 13 out of 18 Tests but goes home with four successive defeats and his first series loss. England were not expected to win in India, but they should have beaten Australia last summer and that failure brings more scrutiny on this performance.
It would be lunacy to upend this team’s approach. “Write me off, write this team off at your peril. Bazball will inspire players,” said Stokes and he had a point. We have seen too many reviews commissioned in the past only for the team to end up back at square one. Instead England must learn from these mistakes, make a couple of changes, become more ruthless when on top and hone their aggressive approach, not throw it out, because to win the Ashes in Australia requires going toe to toe with their opponents as last summer proved.
Losing in India is no disgrace and England were competing on level terms until days three in Rajkot and Ranchi sucked the spirit out of them. The frustration is they promised much more after winning the first Test in Hyderabad, inspired by Ollie Pope’s 196 and India folding under the first hint of pressure without some of their big names available. For the second India tour running, winning the first Test was just a white lie for what was to follow and the home team found some new stars to build a future around.
There was still plenty of pride to play for in Dharamsala and Joe Root showed how classy players recognise that fact, stroking 84, but England were bowled out before tea for 195, losing by an innings and 64 runs, with Ravi Ashwin marking his 100th Test with 5-77, nine in the match.
Anderson clocked up his 700th Test wicket, a relief for him and a truly historic moment in Test cricket as the third man to do it as well as the first and surely only ever seamer. After a torrid Ashes put a question mark over his career, Anderson recovered his poise in India through his high levels of professionalism that are a lesson to others. He deserved better than the batsmen to throw it all away.
Jonny Bairstow hit 30 of his 59 runs in his 100th Test by whacking sixes, intent on making a statement on such a big personal occasion instead of playing the situation. The team needed more from their no 5 than violent cameos and for him to end with seven scores between 25 and 39 shows how England messed up the balance between attack and defence. Neither him nor Ben Foakes did much for their futures. Harry Brook cannot come back quickly enough.
When Pope returned to the hotel in Hyderabad after his 196 the staff lined up to throw rose petals from the balconies above the lobby. But he discovered that rose petals can soon become rocks. He shrank as the series wore on, was stumped in the first innings here, then out sweeping in the second, falling to two premeditated shots because he is so cross-eyed against high-quality spin. His series never recovered from Jasprit Bumrah demolishing his stumps with a yorker in his next innings after the 196. Perhaps that made him more frantic to score against spin. Instead of providing calmness as vice-captain at no 3 he spread panic.
After Anderson had removed Kuldeep Yadav for his 700th and was mobbed by his team-mates, Shoaib Bashir completed a five-wicket haul that is significant for the future, dismissing last man Mohammad Siraj stumped smartly by Ben Foakes. Bashir has bowled himself to no 1 England spinner and deserves more chances. Anderson let Bashir keep the match ball, a nice touch.
A crazy morning saw seven wickets fall, five of them English and the sorry fact was that it was not a surprise. Only twice before in nine innings had England batted more than the 83 overs remaining in the day so a 259-run deficit felt like enough for India not to worry about having to go out and bat again.
It took India too long in this series to open with Ashwin to Ben Duckett. When he did in Ranchi and Dharamsala, he got him out both times within five overs. This was the worst: Duckett bowled advancing down the track and swiping at thin air.
With Bumrah beating the outside edge at one end, the ball was turning viciously for Ashwin at the other. Zak Crawley has had a good series but recorded his first single-figure score since the Lord’s Test, out for a 16-ball duck when he clipped a catch to backward short leg.
Pope fell next, inevitably, with a rush of blood. Bairstow pumped Ashwin twice down the ground for sixes and swept another over midwicket and looked good again as he put on 50 with Root in 40 balls. Ashwin was hit out of the attack but on came Kuldeep and it took him just four balls to trap Bairstow on the back leg with a quicker delivery. Ashwin came back for his man, Stokes, and his miserable tour against spin ended, bowled by the arm ball that whisked past a fragile defence.
Foakes went next, playing an uncharacteristic slow sweep which showed just how scrambled minds had become and with Tom Hartley bowled by Bumrah’s slower ball and Mark Wood recording a pair, there was nothing left but for Root to make consolation runs.
There was a comic moment when Bashir tried to review not realising he had been bowled, but this was not a day for humour, just miserable acceptance that England were not good enough and have much to learn.
India win the fifth Test – as it happened
09:28 AM GMT
Will Macpherson’s England ratings
Ben Stokes
199 runs at 19.9; one wicket at 17
Bizarre. Started well with the bat, but was a sitting duck to all spinners by the end. Couple of moments of fielding genius, and one absurd wicket. Captaincy was good, especially in first half of the series, but that matters little at 4-1. 3/10
Read more…
09:24 AM GMT
The Indian captain Rohit Sharma has the last word
The team responded pretty well throughout the series when they were put under pressure. Lots of players put their hand up in the middle when we needed it.
We came close to winning in Hyderabad, and in the next four Tests all the bowlers responded and took responsibility. You could see they wanted to make a difference.
We’ve had a lot of conversations with Kuldeep over a period of time. We know he’s got a lot of potential and can be a matchwinner, as he showed in the first innings here when the chips were down. He’s got something about him which we all need to accept and be happy about. Since his knee injury a couple of years ago he has worked really hard, and his batting was most pleasing as well!
[On Yashasvi Jaiswal] We saw through the series that he wants to take on the bowlers, and that’s something we want to encourage and take forward. There will be challenges for him but he’s a tough guy, he’s come a long way, and he understands what he needs to do. He likes to score big and I hope he continues to do that.
09:18 AM GMT
The player of the match is the extraordinary Yashasvi Jaiswal
I really enjoyed this series. It gives me a lot of experience and I’m really happy with how I have played. [On hitting a record 26 sixes] I was just thinking to play my shots, and if I felt confident about taking a bowler down then I wanted to take them down.
09:15 AM GMT
The player of the match is the wonderful Kuldeep Yadav
I think I’m getting the rewards for the hard work over the last few years. I would probably chose the Ranchi Test [as his favourite performance]. The wicket was slow and the way I used the drift was fantastic.
I liked the Ben Stokes wicket in Ranchi and also Zak Crawley here – that was a beautiful ball.
[Why have you improved so much?] I’m just focussing on length, which is very important for any spinner in any format. I’m not trying too much, just working on my length and pace, and my rhythm as well.
09:10 AM GMT
Ben Stokes’ reaction
We’re man enough and big enough to say we’ve been outplayed by the better team. We’ve got so much cricket to look forward to and I’m excited to take the positive and drive this team even further forward.
There have been moments in every Test where we’ve wrestled the momentum back towards us but we haven’t been able to keep it going. The game can turn really quickly out here so you need to be more relentless in those moments. How that looks I’m not sure, but we all know as individuals that that’s where it’s gone wrong for us on more than one occasion.
When India get on top with the ball, they bring a lot of men round the bat. They’ve got such quality bowlers and I feel like you have to find ways to get rid of the men round the bat. Sometimes that comes with risk and it doesn’t always pay off. You have to be positive enough to take that risk, knowing that it might lead to your downfall.
[What positives do you take?] There’s a few. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett continuing their formidable partnership; I think they’ll only get stronger and stronger. Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley coming in and showing what they’re about; we’ve found some real quality cricketers there. Bash was sick as a dog at the start of his Test match so for him to get five wickets is great. Tom Hartley’s been exceptional throughout the series. Joe Root came into some really good form at the back end of the series, which is exciting for the summer. And from a personal point of view it was great to back bowling and getting myself into the game again.
[On Jimmy Anderson] It’s amazing to be on the field for a milestone like that. It’s phenomenal. Any young kid who wants to be a fast bowler should try to emulate everything he’s ever done. He’s 41 years old and he’s honestly as fit as I’ve ever seen him. I don’t know when he’s gonna stop.
09:01 AM GMT
It’s time for the presentation
First up, Ben Stokes.
08:51 AM GMT
Sir Geoffrey has his say on England’s batting performance
08:49 AM GMT
Watch: Anderson’s 700th Test wicket
A reminder that earlier today, a lifetime ago, Jimmy Anderson became the first – and almost certainly last – fast bowler to take 700 Test wickets. Here’s how he did it.
08:47 AM GMT
Michael Vaughan’s verdict
India are so strong at home .. With so many players missing they have showcased the strength they have .. England haven’t been able to get the tempo right with the Bat in hand .. Beaten convincingly by a better team .. #INDvENG
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 9, 2024
08:40 AM GMT
Ravichandran Ashwin, the leading wickettaker in the series with 25, speaks
I was really happy with how the ball came out, particularly in this game. I’m most pleased with this performance and the second innings at Ranchi.
[On Ollie Pope’s wicket] Cricket is largely played in the mind and I was able to pick which shot he would play. What had happened previously, with the new ball biting off the pitch, was definitely playing on his mind.
Anyone at the top level, in any profession, will have to take it when they are criticised by the experts. That happened to me but I have kept my ears and eyes open to good feedback. I lock away what I learn and if I’m confident of executing something I go ahead and do it.
08:34 AM GMT
India 4 England 1
As when these teams met in 2018, a 4-1 scoreline doesn’t tell the full story of a largely competitive series. England couldn’t summon the mental energy for the final game and were well beaten.
Both sets of players and coaching staff shake hands on the field. There have been a few lively moments in the series but there seems to be plenty of goodwill and mutual respect. England pushed India hard at times, but eventually India asserted their greatness in emphatic fashion.
08:31 AM GMT
India win by an innings and 64 runs!
Wicket! Root c Bumrah b Kuldeep 84 It’s all over. Root holes out to long on to complete a crushing victory for India – in the match and, ultimately, in the series. FOW: 195 all out
08:29 AM GMT
OVER 48: ENG 195/9 (Root 84 Anderson 0)
Root takes a single off Jadeja’s fourth ball, giving Anderson two to survive. He does, so on we go.
08:25 AM GMT
OVER 47: ENG 193/9 (Root 83 Anderson 0)
Root moves into the eighties by reverse sweeping Kuldeep for four. It’s almost a decade since Root and Anderson added 198 for the tenth wicket against an Indian attack including Ravindra Jadeja. How on earth did that happen?
08:22 AM GMT
OVER 46: ENG 189/9 (Root 78 Anderson 0)
Anderson survives the final ball of the over. Bashir actually tried to review his dismissal, thinking he’d been given caught behind. Even the England balcony are smiling as they watch the replay.
08:21 AM GMT
Wicket!
Bashir b Jadeja 13 Nine down, one to go. Bashir plays back to Jadeja and is bowled by a fast, straight delivery that keeps a touch low. That’s a classic Jadeja dismissal. FOW: 189/9
08:17 AM GMT
OVER 45: ENG 184/8 (Root 73 Bashir 13)
Kuldeep has changed ends and will replace Siraj after one over. Root misses a sweep and is hit outside the line; India’s appeal is caught in the throat. Replays show he hit the ball as well. That aside…
08:11 AM GMT
OVER 44: ENG 183/8 (Root 72 Bashir 13)
The pitch looks really flat now, and you wonder whether Pope, Bairstow are hearing Jim Bowen’s voice as they watch on from the balcony, Here’s what you could have won if you’d survived the first 40 balls.
08:10 AM GMT
OVER 43: ENG 183/8 (Root 72 Bashir 13)
A double bowling change. Mohammad Siraj, last seen moving the ball round corners on the first morning, replaces Bumrah. Root helps himself to successive boundaries with a clip to fine leg and an expansive square drive. If he makes another 25 runs without being dismissed, he’ll finish top of the England averages for the series.
08:05 AM GMT
OVER 42: ENG 175/8 (Root 64 Bashir 13)
Jadeja comes on for Kuldeep and almost strikes when an edge from Bashir flashes past gully at catchable height. The ball runs away for four, which takes Bashir into double figures for the second time in the match.
08:01 AM GMT
OVER 41: ENG 171/8 (Root 64 Bashir 9)
Root is hit on the thigh by a big nipbacker from Bumrah, then groans after being beaten by a tempting wide delivery. Bumrah offers him another next ball, which Root blazes over backward point for four. He may yet end a disappointing series with a second century in as many games.
07:58 AM GMT
OVER 40: ENG 167/8 (Root 60 Bashir 9)
Another surprisingly harmless over from Kuldeep. His work was done with that matchwinning spell on the first day.
07:53 AM GMT
OVER 39: ENG 165/8 (Root 59 Bashir 8)
Root is beaten by a delicious legcutter from Bumrah, who would love to dismiss him one last time. These teams play another five-Test series next year so it’s all credit in the bank.
An inside-edge saves Root from being LBW for the third time in the innings; on this occasion India don’t review. Bumrah tries again but errs in line and is clipped stylishly for four. Root is playing a lovely, almost entirely futile innings.
07:46 AM GMT
OVER 38: ENG 161/8 (Root 55 Bashir 8)
Bashir bashes Kuldeep straight into the helmet of Sarfaraz at short leg, with the ball dropping well short of the other Indian fielders. He smiles broadly after keeping out a nasty grubber from Kuldeep, then carts an expansive slog-sweep for four. He’s having the time of his life.
07:43 AM GMT
OVER 37: ENG 157/8 (Root 55 Bashir 4)
Root flicks Bumrah though backward square leg for four to bring up an excellent half-century. Given the chaos at the other end, he has played with admirable serenity. He will have regrets about this series, like all the England batsmen, but he has played really well in the last two games. Maybe some good came of that notorious reverse ramp after all.
Bumrah ends his over, then realises the sixth delivery was a no-ball. The extra ball is driven elegantly to the point boundary by Root, who is playing on a different pitch to his team-mates.
07:36 AM GMT
OVER 36: ENG 148/8 (Root 47 Bashir 4)
Root turns down a single early in Kuldeep’s over, a worthy gesture but fairly pointless in the circumstances: England still trail by over a hundred. He does what he intended, though, keeping the strike with a single off the last delivery.
07:32 AM GMT
OVER 35: ENG 145/8 (Root 44 Bashir 4)
Bashir manages to clip Bumrah’s attempted yorker off the pads for four. Now that the game is almost over, I wonder whether Joe Root will pull out the reverse ramp.
07:29 AM GMT
Wicket!
Wood LBW b Bumrah 0 Jasprit Bumrah pins Mark Wood LBW with a searing yorker! It curved in to hit Wood on the boot in front of middle stump. He reviewed in the hope it was missing leg; it wasn’t. Wood has bagged the first pair of his Test career, out second ball in both innings. FOW: 141/8
07:25 AM GMT
Wicket!
Hartley LBW b Bumrah 20 The stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah throws himself the ball. He still hasn’t taken a wicket in this game, despite beating the bat at least a dozen times. He strikes immediately when Hartley plays down the wrong line and is plumb LBW. England are three wickets away from being put out of their misery. FOW: 141/7
07:23 AM GMT
OVER 34: ENG 141/6 (Root 44 Hartley 20)
Apart from the ball that dismissed Bairstow, Kuldeep hasn’t got as much turn today as he did in the first innings. Hartley drives a single to reach 20 for the fifth time in the series, a really good effort from a debutant lower-order batsman.
07:19 AM GMT
OVER 33: ENG 139/6 (Root 43 Hartley 19)
India waste another review on Joe Root. He inside-edged a carrom ball from Ashwin onto the pad, and had it been anyone else I doubt they would have reviewed it.
Hartley jumps all over a short ball later in the over, slapping it through point for four. He’s playing nicely and has raced to 19 from as many balls.
07:14 AM GMT
OVER 32: ENG 134/6 (Root 42 Hartley 15)
One from Kuldeep’s over.
07:12 AM GMT
OVER 31: ENG 133/6 (Root 41 Hartley 15)
Ashwin, who has already taken a five-for in this innings, needs one more wicket for a ten-for in his 100th Test. He almost gets it when Hartley drags a big shot onto his back pad; that could have rolled onto the stumps.
Hartley fights back with a cracking extra cover drive for four. He’s been really impressive with the bat in this series.
07:08 AM GMT
OVER 30: ENG 128/6 (Root 40 Hartley 11)
Hartley moves into double figures by turning Kuldeep to the fine leg boundary. Whether he makes 81 or 11, Hartley won’t hang around.
07:05 AM GMT
OVER 29: ENG 122/6 (Root 39 Hartley 6)
Never mind this miserable batting display, let’s celebrate our favourite quadragenarian.
The first time I saw Anderson play was in Australia in 2002, and his control over the ball looked special.
Nasser Hussain spoke very highly of him back then and today, I am sure, he would say, “Maine bola tha” — that he had called it so early. 😀
700 test wickets is a stellar… pic.twitter.com/GijfRXYvoY
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 9, 2024
07:02 AM GMT
OVER 28: ENG 119/6 (Root 38 Hartley 4)
Root survives an LBW review off the bowling of Kuldeep by virtue of a last-gasp inside-edge. There are some very sour faces on the England balcony. They competed admirably for four-fifths of the series, give or take the odd shocker, but the mental strain has overwhelmed the batsmen in this Test.
06:58 AM GMT
OVER 27: ENG 117/6 (Root 36 Hartley 4)
Sarfaraz walks over to have a word with the new batter Hartley, who ignores him and then edges just wide of slip for four. England look shot mentally; how could they not be after five Tests trying to resist this Indian force?
06:56 AM GMT
Wicket!
Foakes b Ashwin 8 Ravichandran Ashwin has his fifth wicket! Foakes plays a peculiarly out-of-character slog sweep, misses and is bowled. That was very unusual from Foakes, like seeing the vicar pick his nose in front of the entire congregation. FOW: 113/6
06:52 AM GMT
OVER 26: ENG 113/5 (Root 36 Foakes 8)
Root and Foakes are batting in their usual style, dealing in lowish-risk ones and twos. They bat well together, despite or perhaps because of their similiarity in approach. Easy to say now but there was a case for putting Foakes up to No5 in this series.
06:50 AM GMT
OVER 25: ENG 110/5 (Root 36 Foakes 5)
It’s not beyond the realms that this will be Ben Foakes’ last Test innings. He’s 31 now and, rightly or wrongly, the mood music is that England don’t really fancy him outside the subcontinent.
06:45 AM GMT
OVER 24: ENG 105/5 (Root 35 Foakes 1)
Root waves Kuldeep’s first ball down the ground for a single. You wouldn’t begrudge him a bit of red ink here; in fact he could end the series as England’s fourth highest runscorer but second in the averages.
Foakes gets off the mark with a clip to midwicket.
06:42 AM GMT
OVER 23: ENG 103/5 (Root 34 Foakes 0)
Ashwin finishes the over that he started before lunch with a dot ball to Foakes. He has ODI figures: 9-0-55-4.
06:41 AM GMT
Afternoon session
Joe Root charges onto the field after lunch, with Ben Foakes alongside him. The two straight men of England’s batting line up are together again, possibly for the last time.
06:17 AM GMT
Lunch report
At least Dharamsala is the kind of place where England fans can fill two blank days because this Test is finishing today with an England hammering.
A crazy morning, which featured James Anderson taking his 700th Test wicket, ended with Ben Stokes bowled by a Ravi Ashwin beauty and England 103-5, 156 behind and racing down the mountain to a 4-1 series defeat.
Seven wickets fell in the session, England scored at 4.5 an over, and Ashwin took 4-55 while being belted for three sixes and going at 6.2 an over – just another normal day of Test cricket in the Bazball universe.
Anderson dismissed Kuldeep Yadav to become the first seamer, and third cricketer, to 700 Test wickets and it felt like a relief, rather than a celebration given the game situation and the slow drag to the milestone. Anderson has taken eight Tests to go from 685 to 700, averaging 51 in that time, but has recovered some of his poise in India.
More significantly for the future, Shoaib Bashir finished off the Indian innings for his fifth wicket, Anderson giving him the ball as a memento.
With a 259-run deficit, and two of the top three looking like they are reading braille when facing India’s spinners, it felt like a collapse was waiting to happen.
Ashwin opened, removed Duckett for the seventh time bowled, dancing down the pitch and swinging at thin air. Crawley tickled one to backward short leg for a 16-ball duck and Ollie Pope’s lack of trust in his defence, method and everything else saw him premeditate a sweep and pop a catch to square leg.
Bairstow smacked three sixes and made his highest score of the series, 39, but fell to Kuldeep’s fourth ball of the innings, hit on the back leg misjudging the length. His 100th Test has included 58 runs – 30 of them in sixes. Time is up for him, it feels. Ashwin returned to dismiss Stokes for the 13th time in Test cricket, bowling him with the arm ball. It should be done by tea, a miserable climax to a series that could have been much closer.
06:09 AM GMT
WV Raman: 11 Tests, 448 runs at 24.88
#Jaiswal has learnt from the visiting batters (according to one of them) but they have not learnt from Jaiswal !! What a duck!!
Such is cricket..#INDvsENG #cricket— Woorkeri Raman (@wvraman) March 9, 2024
06:06 AM GMT
Lunch: England trail by 156 runs
Not much happened in that session, just a 700th Test wicket for Jimmy Anderson and a slightly demented England collapse. The series will be over in the next couple of hours; it’s probably best for everyone.
Arrived amid the wreckage, but Jimmy Anderson taking 700 Test wickets is a monumental achievement
I spoke to 5 great quicks from 5 countries – Holding, Hadlee, Donald, Broad and Cummins – about Anderson, and the crazy idea of a fast bowler in the 700 club https://t.co/jU7Vxp0EpY
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) March 9, 2024
06:02 AM GMT
Wicket!
Stokes b Ashwin 2 Ravichandran Ashwin strikes on the stroke of lunch! Ben Stokes pushed down the wrong line and was bowled by a ball that zipped straight on, a dramatic way to end a crazy morning session. Ashwin has Stokes’s number; he’s had it for almost a decade.
Stokes ends a very disappointing series with 199 runs at an average of 19.90, and 70 of those came on the first day of the first Test. FOW: 103/5
05:59 AM GMT
OVER 22: ENG 102/4 (Root 33 Stokes 2)
Stokes is trying to get forward to Kuldeep, even though it doesn’t come naturally. Just a single from the over, and there will be time for one last over in this eventful morning session.
05:55 AM GMT
OVER 21: ENG 101/4 (Root 32 Stokes 2)
Two from Jadedja’s over, another 90-second affair. He hasn’t been especially threatening so we’ll probably see Ashwin after lunch, especially if Stokes is still at the crease.
05:52 AM GMT
OVER 20: ENG 99/4 (Root 31 Stokes 1)
Root continues to bat in orthodox fashion, driving Kuldeep through mid-off for four. He looks in decent touch now; it’s a month too late.
05:48 AM GMT
OVER 19: ENG 95/4 (Root 27 Stokes 1)
Jadeja gets through another over in about 90 seconds. Just over 10 minutes till lunch.
05:45 AM GMT
OVER 18: ENG 94/4 (Root 27 Stokes 1)
That is Bairstow’s highest score of the series, but only by one. What does the future hold for him? Who knows. A bizarre 100th Test in which he scored 58 runs, 30 of them in sixes.
05:43 AM GMT
Wicket!
Bairstow LBW b Kuldeep 39 Bairstow’s reward for smashing Ashwin out of the attack is the chance to face Kuldeep Yadav – who dismisses him straight away. Bairstow is trapped LBW by a beautiful delivery that turns extravagantly to hit the pad. It’s given out on the field and, though Bairstow reviews, replays show it would have hit the leg bail. Umpire’s call = out.
It’s the end of a ferocious cameo from Bairstow, which included a slanging match with Shubman Gill both before and after he was dismissed. FOW: 92/4
05:39 AM GMT
OVER 17: ENG 90/3 (Root 24 Bairstow 38)
Bairstow is in violent mood. He scrunches Jadeja to long off for a single to move to 38 from 28 balls, though the wind up suggested he had another six in mind. It’s great entertainment and, while it won’t change the result, it has put a bit of pressure back on India.
05:36 AM GMT
OVER 16: ENG 88/3 (Root 23 Bairstow 37)
There’s another six for Bairstow, launched over wide mid-on off Ashwin. Then, after defending what looked like a carrom ball, Bairstow slams a cut for four to bring up the fifty partnership off only 40 balls.
05:32 AM GMT
OVER 15: ENG 76/3 (Root 22 Bairstow 26)
Root works a rare loose ball from Jadeja past short fine leg for four. England’s approach isn’t to all tastes but they are going down on their terms, with a run-rate in excess of five an over.
05:29 AM GMT
OVER 14: ENG 70/3 (Root 17 Bairstow 25)
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Jonny. He pummels Ashwin over the leg side for successive sixes, the 100th and 101st of the series. Apparently that’s a new record, just beating the riotous India-England series of 1981-82.
05:25 AM GMT
OVER 13: ENG 56/3 (Root 16 Bairstow 12)
Spin from both ends now, with Jadeja on for Bumrah. Root, who has looked the most comfortable of the England batsmen so far, keeps the scoreboard ticking with a two and a single.
05:22 AM GMT
OVER 12: ENG 52/3 (Root 13 Bairstow 11)
Bairstow wallops a sweep for four off Ashwin to bring up the England fifty. Four more hours of this and things could get interesting.
05:19 AM GMT
OVER 11: ENG 47/3 (Root 12 Bairstow 7)
Bairstow is bristling, lost cause or not, and gets his first boundary with a clip through square leg off Bumrah. This match, which technically hasn’t even reached the halfway point, is hurtling towards a conclusion.
05:14 AM GMT
OVER 10: ENG 41/3 (Root 12 Bairstow 1)
Root moves into double figures with a high-class off drive for four. England trail by … oh never mind.
05:11 AM GMT
Wicket!
Pope c Jaiswal b Ashwin 19 Ravichandran Ashwin is running riot! Pope top-edges a sweep towards square leg, where Jaiswal takes a really good running catch. England can’t cope; I doubt many teams could. FOW: 36/3
05:10 AM GMT
OVER 9: ENG 34/2 (Pope 19 Root 7)
Root inside-edges Bumrah just wide of the stumps. There’s at least one big scare every over for England, who are ready to go home.
05:06 AM GMT
OVER 8: ENG 34/2 (Pope 19 Root 6)
Root relieves a bit of pressure with a crisp reverse sweep for four.
Oh my word how has that missed! Pope, on the drive, is beaten by a jaffa from Ashwin that bounces just wide of leg stump, beats the unsighted Jurel and runs away for four byes. England are being overwhelmed by this marvellous Indian attack.
05:01 AM GMT
OVER 7: ENG 24/2 (Pope 18 Root 1)
Bumrah beats Pope twice outside off stump, the first with a beautiful delivery. This game will be over in a hurry, probably before tea. It’s natural to criticise but we’ll never understand how hard it is to bat at the end of a tour like this, when your brain is scrambled and your spirit has been slowly squeezed.
04:55 AM GMT
Wicket!
Crawley c Sarfaraz b Ashwin 0 Zak Crawley goes for a 16-ball duck! He was taken at leg gully by Sarfaraz, who had just been moved there after a delivery from Ashwin turned grotesquely down the leg side. Two balls later Crawley instinctively turned Ashwin round the corner, where Sarfaraz snaffled a sharp chance with glee. Ashwin, playing his 100th Test, is on a roll. FOW: 21/2
04:53 AM GMT
Duckett’s terrible shot
Ashwin got under Duckett’s skin again in this series (4 dismissals) and really India should have opened with the off spinner more often. Duckett finishes the tour averaging mid-30s, which is about expected but inflated by the innings of his life in Rajkot. It was a terrible shot but it was the ball before that did him, Duckett defended got an edge and if Ashwin had stationed a more attacking field he might have been caught around the corner.
04:52 AM GMT
OVER 5: ENG 19/1 (Crawley 0 Pope 16)
Pope continues his fast start with consecutive boundaries off Bumrah, a thick edge followed by a stylish clip through midwicket.
04:48 AM GMT
OVER 4: ENG 8/1 (Crawley 0 Pope 7)
Pope gets off the mark with a crisp cut for four. He’s had trouble with Ashwin himself, particularly three years ago, but there’s no sign of him going into his shell.
04:46 AM GMT
OVER 3: ENG 2/1 (Crawley 0 Pope 0)
Another maiden from Bumrah to Crawley includes a startling delivery that seams past the edge and trampolines over the stumps. Spoiler alert: this is the last day of the series.
04:45 AM GMT
OVER 2: ENG 2/1 (Crawley 0 Pope 0)
A strange form of tribute to Jimmy Anderson by Ben Duckett: to play a shot like him.
04:45 AM GMT
‘It’s an insane number’
Some of the greats of the game, including Pat Cummins and Sir Richard Hadlee, have paid tribute to Jimmy Anderson after he became the first fast bowler to take 700 wickets.
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04:41 AM GMT
A lot at stake for England’s batters
For England to take this match into a fourth day they will have to bat 83 overs, which they have only managed twice in nine innings so far in the series. There is a lot at stake for individuals with Harry Brook waiting to come back. England will not change their approach on the back of this series defeat, and they shouldn’t, but a refresh of personnel is needed.
04:40 AM GMT
Wicket!
Duckett b Ashwin 2 Ravichandran Ashwin strikes straight away! Duckett – unsure whether attack is the best form of defence, defence is the best form of attack or attack is the best form of everything against Ashwin – charges down the track and yorks himself. It’s an ugly dismissal, one that betrays a scrambled mind against Ashwin. FOW: 2/1
04:35 AM GMT
OVER 1: ENG 0/0 (Crawley 0 Duckett 0)
After the joy of Anderson’s milestone, the reality of trying to overcome a 259-run deficit in India. Jasprit Bumrah starts with a fine over to Zak Crawley, moving the ball both ways and inducing one false stroke that lands well short of mid-on. A maiden.
04:31 AM GMT
Anderson ignores writing on the wall
Superb James Anderson. His greatest achievement, I would say, is to have bounced back from the Ashes last summer. The writing was on the wall but he refused to read it and wrote his own script instead. Keep going!
04:30 AM GMT
A good one-two
There was a look of relief on Jimmy Anderson’s face as he celebrated becoming the third man to take 700 Test wickets. It is a significant moment in the history of Test cricket because we will not see another seam bowler take 700 wickets, they simply do not play enough matches anymore and will the next generation want to devote themselves to the longer format when there is more money to be made elsewhere? It was a classic Anderson delivery, drawing Kuldeep forward to play a ball outside off. The ball before he had surprised him with a bouncer. A good one-two.
04:23 AM GMT
Watch: Anderson makes history
04:21 AM GMT
India lead by 259
Jimmy Anderson is invited to lead his teammates off the field, then slows down so that he can be joined by Shoaib Bashir. “The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up,” says his great mate Sir Alastair Cook in the TNT Sports studio.
Bashir wasn’t even alive when Anderson took his first Test wicket in May 2003.
04:19 AM GMT
Wicket!
Bumrah st Foakes b Bashir 20 Shoaib Bashir wraps up the innings and completes his second consecutive five-for. Bumrah pushed forward defensively, overbalanced was smartly stumped by Ben Foakes. The third umpire took a long time to give it, but give it he did and Bashir is embraced by his teammates. He finishes with 5/173, a fine comeback from that early pummelling. FOW: 477 all out
04:16 AM GMT
OVER 124: IND 477/9 (Bumrah 20 Siraj 0)
Anderson receives a standing ovation from the Barmy Army at the end of the over. It is entirely bonkers that he is still taking Test wickets at the age of 41, more than two decades after his debut. No fast bowler will ever get close to taking 700 wickets. Might not even get 500.
04:14 AM GMT
Jimmy Anderson takes his 700th Test wicket!
Kuldeep c Foakes b Anderson 30 Jimmy Anderson’s 700th Test wicket comes from an old-fashioned set-up: a sharp bumper that hit Kuldeep on the glove, followed by a fuller, wider delivery that was thin-edged to the keeper. This is a truly extraordinary achievement, never to be repeated, from a bowler who started as a tearaway fast bowler and grew up to become a surgeon. FOW: 477/9
04:10 AM GMT
OVER 123: IND 477/8 (Kuldeep 30 Bumrah 20)
Kuldeep moves into the thirties with a wristy flick for a single, the only run from another quiet over. The ease with which he and Bumrah have played must give England encouragement ahead of their second innings.
04:08 AM GMT
OVER 122: IND 476/8 (Kuldeep 29 Bumrah 20)
Anderson’s first over is right on the money. Kuldeep gets a thick edge for a single, well wide of the solitary slip, after which Bumrah defends a series of full, straight deliveries.
04:03 AM GMT
OVER 121: IND 475/8 (Kuldeep 28 Bumrah 20)
Shoaib Bashir, who is one wicket away from a second consecutive five-for, opens the bowling. Bumrah and Kuldeep, who batted so sensibly yesterday evening, take a single apiece to extend their partnership to 47.
It looks like Jimmy Anderson will open up at the other end.
04:00 AM GMT
A crucial innings for England
England’s second innings is going to be one of their most important in the course of the Stokes-McCullum era. If it disintegrates, as a losing side so often does at the end of a long tour, then Bazball is going to be ridiculed with a 4-1 scoreline. England’s players will keep playing the same way, and rightly so, but they won’t be taking all their supporters with them next summer.
03:59 AM GMT
Mission: utterly impossible
Welcome to Dharamsala where it’s another beautiful day in the mountains. England have it all to do. In fact they have so much to do that it feels utterly impossible. It would be a very bad look to collapse in a heap today. There’s the carrot of Jimmy Anderson’s 700th wicket – if not now, then when? – while a couple of the batsmen are playing for their Test futures, you feel. This is not a nasty pitch, but batting will be very hard work, with India surely immediately unleashing their brilliant spinners with lots of men around the bat.
In other news, Ollie Robinson is here, just in time for the team photo, after two days in bed with a dicky tummy. Marcus Trescothick will be relieved that sub-fielding reinforcements are on the ground.
03:57 AM GMT
Jimmy Anderson: 699 not out
We don’t yet know who will open the bowling for England, but there’s every chance Jimmy Anderson will be given the opportunity to take his 700th Test wicket. It’s a crazy statistic, almost beyond comprehension. One day it will all make sense.
03:48 AM GMT
Tom Hartley talks to TNT Sports
The tour has been fantastic, a massive learning curve. To play all five games has been great and I’ve got a lot to take home.
It’s a pretty good wicket – there’s a bit of spin but the bounce is good. It looks like a nice track to be honest.
I thought we stuck at it really well yesterday. Days like that can be long but we enjoyed ourselves. We’ll get ready to go again this morning and hopefully put on a pretty special day.
03:41 AM GMT
The pitch
Graeme Swann, who is part of the commentary team in Dharamshala, says it is still rock hard and good for batting. The biggest threat to England’s batsmen could be Kuldeep Yadav, who will turn the ball on anything. Before we come to that, England need to take the last two Indian wickets.
05:09 PM GMT
Some silver linings for England
Staring a fourth defeat in a row, and after eight long weeks on the Subcontinent, England can do with all the silver linings they can clutch at. And even though day two of this fifth and final Test served up another chastening day in the field – India hitting the attack to all parts on their way to a 255 first-innings lead with two wickets still intact – there were two slithers of light that should cheer the tourists.
First, the sight of Ben Stokes steaming in and taking a wicket with his first ball, that of the well-set Rohit Sharma. And second, the performance of Shoaib Bashir, who on a flat pitch showed character and class as he persevered to take four wickets and give the tourists some reason to cheer.
Even on the eve of this Test the likelihood of the captain turning his arm over seemed remote, and it was just a five-over spell. But Stokes reminded everyone what a fine bowler he is and offered a tantalising prospect of him being back in fifth gear come the English summer.
As with the rest of the England attack Bashir toiled in the face of Rohit and Shubman Gill’s attack. But the off-spinner kept on going picking up four wickets on the way as the hosts lost seven wickets for 198 having been 140 without loss. Tom Hartley, the other young spinner, chipped in with two wickets, as England showed some heart.
“They are two young guys that are building their careers in the Test arena. I keep drilling that into them that this is the most exciting time of your career so celebrate every wicket, and enjoy yourself out there with your team,” England spin coach Jeetan Patel told TNT Sports.
“Bash wasn’t well the day before the game started, he wasn’t 100% yesterday and he’s a bit iffy today as well so to bang out 45 overs and take four wickets is a great effort. He’s put in such a shift, so has Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jimmy – all of them.
“There are always tough days in Test cricket, and this was one of them.”
Stay here to see whether England can magic any other silver linings on what could be the final day of the series.
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