For the first time under Ben Stokes, England’s spirit was broken. They looked shattered after a savaging that will stretch Bazball’s sunny disposition to the limit.
Now we will find out if it really is built on an infinite well of positivity after a 434-run defeat that ranks among the heaviest in Test history.
After the first proper hammering of their tenure, Stokes and Brendon McCullum will lift their players by sticking to the script and extolling the virtues of their ways. Bazball has to be seen in the round they will say, not one match. Across 22 games it has made England a much better side. But at its core is putting unrelenting pressure back on your opponents. In Rajkot, they piled it on themselves.
During the Ashes they were similarly overgenerous against Australia at Lord’s and paid for it. They bounced back by channelling their attacking mindset better and reining in the ego. They have until Friday when the next Test starts in Ranchi, to accept it is not a weakness to sometimes play the longer game.
This was a freakish defeat given the margin and how quickly the match spun on its axis after Joe Root’s reverse ramp, but that is not to denigrate India’s achievement. They were outstanding, their mental resolve to cope with the shock loss of Ravi Ashwin before play on day three, and to withstand Ben Duckett’s barrage was a lesson for England.
The way they rebuilt from 33 for three to a 445 first-innings total and then ruthlessly crushed England’s bowlers on day four through the dashing Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second double century of the series was textbook Test cricket in Asian conditions.
England played the part of hapless pushovers, handing their advantage to their opponents to suffer a sixth defeat under Stokes, who for the first time saw a match taken completely out of his control. India became the first team to declare against Stokes, and after Jaiswal’s assault on the senses they were mentally shot when faced with a 557-run target and the prospect of four sessions to bat.
They were soft touches. Within 10 overs England were 20 for three, 60 for six after 23 and all out for 122 within 40, bowled out in the penultimate over of the day. It was England’s heaviest defeat by runs since before India’s partition – against Australia in 1934.
It was comfortably India’s highest ever victory by runs, some turnaround for a team down to 10 men at one stage, although inevitably Ashwin returned from the bedside of a sick family member to rub English noses in the dirt with two wickets.
England were spun out, Ravi Jadeja adding five for 51 to his first innings hundred to be man of the match. Duckett sparked the chaos with a run out, sent back for a silly single.
Zak Crawley was burnt by a tight umpiring lbw decision to Bumrah and stormed off giving the umpire a word.
After that it was spin all the way. Ollie Pope edged to slip cutting Jadeja.
Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes all fell sweeping as Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav ripped it. Rehan Ahmed has bags of character but immaturity shone through as he walloped one to long on. Root was unlucky with an umpire’s call as well and England have been chuntering behind the scenes about Hawkeye for a couple of weeks now.
India is a place where such things can overwhelm a team. The ‘woe is me’ attitude can take hold and touring teams retreat quickly into the bunker. This tour was always going to challenge England’s happy environment like nothing else. We will learn a lot about them over the next two Tests.
To see Anderson suffering a clobbering from Jaiswal should have made the England batsmen reflect on their first innings submission. Jaiswal hit Anderson for three consecutive sixes as he conceded 21 runs in an over, the third most expensive of his career.
In a brutal passage of play India’s next generation – Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan – clobbered 116 in 16 overs. Jaiswal equalled the Test record of 12 sixes in an innings in 214 from 236 balls as Duckett’s “the more the better” for the target became a shuddering truth. England were in the field for another 98 overs in baking heat, and more than 200 across four days. Wood and Anderson bowled 38 overs each and the young spinners have never had this kind of workload before. It was sapping physically and mentally, especially with their own batsman only lasting 111 overs.
Jaiswal Bazballed the Bazballers as India set a new record for the number of sixes in a Test. He is now the third youngest batsman to score two test double hundreds after Don Bradman and another Mumbai streetkid, Vinod Kambli. After retiring hurt on 104 with back pain on day three he threw everything at England after lunch. His innings also included 14 fours.
Jaiswal and Sarfaraz both fought their way up from poverty, learning their games on Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to provide two inspirational stories but crucially comfort for the future. India are missing some big names – Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul – but with Shubman Gill adding 91, before he was run out by the nightwatchman, to his hundred in Vizag, the last two Tests have boosted India’s batting stocks.
England less so. One big call will be over Bairstow. After his first innings duck, he was off the mark nervously with an outside edge for four but missed a sweep for another plumb leg before. He has now made 37, 10, 25, 26, 0 and 4 in this series and with 98 caps to his name is relying on Stokes’s loyalty to reach 100 because after a hammering like this someone normally pays the price.
Root endured a nightmare Test. He will put his hand up and bear the responsibility for the turnaround but will be angry as well because before the match he felt his form had returned in the nets. He was very defensive batting with Stokes, with barely a bad ball to go at, and when he did he missed it sweeping. He is now averaging 12 and England will not recover unless he finds some equilibrium. The same could be said for a few others too.
Day four as it happened, below
12:12 PM GMT
I think that will do it for our blog
Thank you following. Congratulations to India. England need to regroup, and they might well do that. See you for the fourth Test, cheers.
12:11 PM GMT
Steve Finn
“There will be no muddled messages from Ben Stokes. They are here to win.”
12:09 PM GMT
Sir Alastair Cook
“No other England team is better placed to come back from a huge defeat like this.”
12:02 PM GMT
More from Ben Stokes
talking to Swann on TNT.
“Every game has been filled with multiple phenomenal things to watch.
“Disappointing to be on the wrong side of the result. But we are good as a team at leaving things behind and I am good at that as a person. Games can be lost in the head, so we move on.
“They got some quick wickets in first innings, I sensed we had an opportunity after lunch. I’ve got an unbelievable belief in myself. But not everything goes your way.
“I feel good that I had a bowl at 100%. I feel good but my whole body has to get used to bowling.|
11:57 AM GMT
Scyld Berry on that Root drop
“He was standing almost a yard wider at slip than normal for a left-arm spinner when Rohit Sharma edged Tom Hartley to Root’s left. India would have been 40 for four wickets if Root had been standing in the orthodox position.”
11:55 AM GMT
Ravi Jadeja
“Difficult situation to come in, I wanted to come in and play my game. Not be too conscious, just see the ball and play the ball.
“Always good to bat in first half of game here. When Rohit won the toss, we were like “ok!” We wanted to bat first.”
11:53 AM GMT
Rohit Sharma speaks on TNT
“Test cricket is not played over two days. It is about staying in the game for five days. They put us under pressure but we stayed calm and we have class in our team. When those things come off it is a delight to watch,
“Jadeja has so much experience in this format, he has scored a lot of runs (why Jadeja up at five). It’s what is right for us in this match, to go with the flow.
“Good toss to win. Runs on the board, crucial lead. We didn’t have our most experienced bowler but I was proud to see how this group did. Youngsters took the lead with the bat.”
11:49 AM GMT
Ben Stokes speaks to TNT
“Ben Duckett played an unbelievable innings and that was the tone we wanted to set throughout the whole innings. For us it is about identifying that opportunity to push on and get as close as we could. I said I wanted to be bowling yesterday because of how we felt the wicket was going. Sometimes gameplans don’t work out and that is sport sometimes.”
“Everyone has got a perception and opinion. The people in the dressing room are the opinions that really matter to us. Sometimes things don’t work out how we want them to.”
“2-1 down and two games left. We have a great opportunity for 3-2.
“We leave this game behind us and know we have to win the next two games to win the series.”
11:47 AM GMT
Boycott’s Briefing
11:46 AM GMT
Sir Geoffrey is not sparing the rod
Boycott’s briefing coming up…
11:40 AM GMT
Player ratings
India vs England third Test player ratings: 2/10 for Root, 3/10 for Stokes
Will Macpherson and Scyld Berry are both in off their long runs!
11:34 AM GMT
Key moments in this game?
Losing toss.
Root dropping Rohit at slip off Hartley at 47/3.
Indian tail wagging.
Root terrible shot leads to collapse.
For me, it was all over before play today really. Even if England had bowled them out for a target of 400 I think there’s just no way against a quality attack on day four/five if the pitch is doing a bit.
But Duckett run out and then Crawley getting a rough, if correct, umpire’s call on lbw. But really it was all over anyway I would say.
11:33 AM GMT
England’s heaviest defeats (by runs)
11:31 AM GMT
Just looking at the Oval 1934 scorecard
Ponsford and Bradman both massive double tons. The Don’s 244 coming off just 271 balls, which must have been an astonishing scoring rate for the era.
11:27 AM GMT
Loyal Sir Cooky on TNT
“England lost a couple of big moments.”
11:24 AM GMT
Loyal Finny on TNT
“A humungous defeat but it does not tell the story of the game. England can take heart from how they played in the first couple of days.”
11:19 AM GMT
India win by 434 runs
That’s India’s biggest-ever win in terms of runs. Mark Wood finishes as England’s top scorer with the bat. Dearie me. Let the inquest begin!
And as for England, only their 1934 pounding at The Oval against the Aussies, in which they lost by 562 runs, tops it.
Five wickets for Ravi Jadeja to go with a first innings ton, the absolute gold standard of an all-round performance. Be interesting to see who gets the Man of the Match.
11:18 AM GMT
WICKET! Wood c Jaiswal b Jadeja 33
No reprieve for Woody this time, he’s slapped that straight to long on and that really is it. Fitting that the batting hero, whov has bucket hands to boot, has the last touch of the game. FOW 122/10
11:16 AM GMT
OVER 39: ENG 120/9 (Wood 31* Anderson 1*)
Jimmy unpacks his trademark reverse sweep. The ball remains inviolate. He missed it by a mile. Mark Wood though is getting plenty of willow on leather and has clumped another four.
11:13 AM GMT
OVER 38: ENG 114/9 (Wood 29* Anderson 0*)
Mark Wood’s enjoying himself, smashing the ball hither and yon. He’s hit three fours and a six in this over. Some mighty hitting!
Last ball of the over, Wood goes for another big heave across the line and is hit on the pad. Given out. England review, and indeed this had pitched outside leg. Bit of a poor decision from Umpire Wilson you have to say.
11:09 AM GMT
OVER 37: ENG 91/9 (Wood 8* Anderson 0*)
Jimmy goes for a huge hoick across the line but misses, as does the ball.
11:07 AM GMT
WICKET! Hartley b Ashwin 16
There it is! Wide one, Hartley drags it on. Perhaps not how Ravi A would have dreamed of taking his 250th left-hander wicket in Tests, but he moves onto 501 and I daresay that it will be a fillip for him and his close people given his personal difficulties this match. FOW 91/9
11:05 AM GMT
OVER 36: ENG 91/8 (Hartley 16* Wood 8*)
Wood comes in and he’s going to play his shots. Attractive cover drive, I always enjoy watching Mark bat because he has a certain no nonsense but correct approach. More of a tailender’s effort next ball as he smears a no ball to cow corner for four.
11:03 AM GMT
WICKET! Foakes c Jurel b Jadeja 16
And the man to deliver that wicket is Ravi Jadjea! The irresistible Jadeja with a slightly quicker ball, Foakes tries a cut at it but I’m not sure that’s the right ball for the shot. Foakes the keeper might admire the work of his opposite number here, because that is a chunky edge and it’s another superb bit of work behind the timbers from Jurel. FOW 82/2
10:59 AM GMT
OVER 35: ENG 82/7 (Foakes 15* Hartley 12*)
Hartley spanks the ball through the covers, charging up four against Kuldeep Yadav, who has had an enjoyable day. Bar running out Shubman Gill.
Rohit Sharma has asked the umpires about what would be required for then extra half an hour and I believe that he has been told one more wicket.
10:57 AM GMT
OVER 34: ENG 77/7 (Foakes 15* Hartley 12*)
One off the over.
10:54 AM GMT
OVER 33: ENG 76/7 (Foakes 14* Hartley 12*)
Kuldeep to Hartley. He tries the reverse sweep and there’s an appeal for caught behind. No. Another super bit of keeping. The Indian guys are appealing for everything.
10:47 AM GMT
OVER 32: ENG 75/7 (Foakes 13* Hartley 11*)
Ashwin with a beauty. It pitches and turns away, far too good for Hartley. Caught at the wicket. Given not out but India review. I’d only be speculating but I wonder if India are desperate for Ashwin to get a shot in the arm given his personal situation. None of them look very convinced but they have gone for the review nonetheless. The sound was the ball flicking the sleeve.
It’s a maiden. India have used their last review.
Nine overs remain. A person on then live blogging rota at 3am Monday morning might possibly be forgiven for hoping that the inevitable happens today rather than at like 0306 tomorrow…
10:44 AM GMT
OVER 31: ENG 75/7 (Foakes 13* Hartley 11*)
Kuldeep going through the repertoire.
10:40 AM GMT
OVER 30: ENG 73/7 (Foakes 12* Hartley 11*)
Hartley with a couple of nice shots. An attractive whipped six over cow corner, leg in the air, suggestion of a left-handed Kevin Pietersen. Follows it up by thwonking a shot one for four through the offside.
10:37 AM GMT
OVER 29: ENG 61/7 (Foakes 11* Hartley 0*)
Kuldeep bowls to Foakes. Foakes lands a couple of punches with a four through backward point and a firm thwack down the ground, also four. Nearly all over next ball when he is hit on the pad. Given not out. India review unsuccessfully. That hit him outside the line.
10:35 AM GMT
OVER 28: ENG 53/7 (Foakes 1* Hartley 0*)
Ravichandran Ashwin is coming on for a bowl. A typically accurate and questioning over. A maiden.
Will Macpherson writes: “Here’s Ashwin, with England seven wickets down. The script is written, isn’t it?”
10:31 AM GMT
OVER 27: ENG 53/7 (Foakes 1* Hartley 0*)
India bang up for it, and why wouldn’t they be? Foakes drives to midwicket and sets off, the throw comes in like a laser. I think he got back in time, probably.
10:30 AM GMT
OVER 26: ENG 51/7 (Foakes 1* Hartley 0*)
Jadeja bowls a one-run over.
10:25 AM GMT
OVER 25: ENG 50/7 (Foakes 0* Hartley 0*)
Another wicket maiden. 50 has proved a tricky number for England: they’ve lost 3 wickets on that number of runs.
What can Hartley and Foakes do? Stumped by three yards?
Hartley close to gloving the ball to short leg first delivery.
10:23 AM GMT
WICKET! Ahmed c Siraj b Kuldeep 0
England always thinking, always trying things, always seeking to find even more annoying ways to lose Test matches. It’s over to Rehan Ahmed to smash the ball straight down long on’s throat. Mohammed Siraj makes no mistake and that’s the latest. FOW 50/7
10:21 AM GMT
OVER 24: ENG 50/6 (Foakes 0* Ahmed 0*)
Jadeja beats Foakes with a snorter and that’s the highlight of another maiden from Sir Jadeja.
10:16 AM GMT
OVER 23: ENG 50/6 (Foakes 0* Ahmed 0*)
You have to fancy a four day finish now. Presumably India can ask for an extra half hour if they get England to say eight down.
Rehan Ahmed is the new man.
10:13 AM GMT
WICKET! Stokes lbw Kuldeep 15
Stokes joins in the supermarket sweep! It’s a trolley dash to disaster! Stokes sweeps across a straight ball, it pitches in line, it is going on to hit the stumps. Stokes uses, and indeed loses, a review and England are charging towards the defeat line now. FOW 50/6
10:10 AM GMT
OVER 22: ENG 50/5 (Stokes 15* Foakes 0*)
Foakes comes in and survives his first ball.
10:04 AM GMT
WICKET! Root lbw Jadeja 7
Something for the critics to get their teeth into! Root goes for an ambitious sweep (conventional type) and misses the ball. He’s hit on the pad and given out.
There’s a spike on ultra edge but a gap between bat and ball. Ah, he’s hit the ground. That’s going to straighten and it is going to hit the leg stump. It’s an umpire’s call. Joe Root is out leg before sweeping a full flat delivery, Ravi Jadeja has his wicket for the seventh time in Tests and Root has to go. FOW 50/5
Incidentally, the ball was caught by a fielder so I reckon Root was in trouble either way there….
Scyld Berry: “Anybody who sweeps Ravi Jadeja, quicker than most leftarmers, on a turning pitch in India must be wildly optimistic… or else have a frazzled and scrambled brain. Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root are both in a bad place, with the next Test on Friday.”
10:02 AM GMT
OVER 21: ENG 50/4 (Root 6* Stokes 15*)
Kuldeep comes on. Lovely delivery second ball, pace and the ball really hurries on, arguably kept a bit low. Root played back and nearly gets himself in a pickle.
Couple of balls later, this one really keeps low. A shooter. Magnificent bit of keeping to react there from Jurel, as good as you’ll ever see.
10:01 AM GMT
OVER 20: ENG 49/4 (Root 6* Stokes 15*)
Jadeja maiden.
09:58 AM GMT
OVER 19: ENG 49/4 (Root 6* Stokes 15*)
Stokes helps himself off the pads when Siraj bowls too straight. Four.
Beaten outside off shortly afterwards.
09:51 AM GMT
OVER 18: ENG 42/4 (Root 6* Stokes 8*)
Stokes flicks one off the pads and there’s a moment of excitement for Jaiswal at midwicket but it’s not close to carrying.
09:49 AM GMT
OVER 17: ENG 41/4 (Root 6* Stokes 7*)
Siraj returns to replace Bumrah, there’s a suggestion of a sniff of reverse swing, maybe.
Root inside edges onto his thighpad and the ball lands short of the fielder at point.
09:41 AM GMT
OVER 16: ENG 41/4 (Root 6* Stokes 7*)
Jadeja keeps whirling away, an excellent foil for Bumrah and of course a serious threat in his own right.
09:38 AM GMT
OVER 15: ENG 38/4 (Root 5* Stokes 5*)
Stokes edges Bumrah short of the slip cordon. Oof.
09:33 AM GMT
OVER 14: ENG 33/4 (Root 5* Stokes 5*)
Jadeja continues, and there is just one run off the over.
England’s two senior men have a frankly ridiculous task on their hands.
09:29 AM GMT
OVER 13: ENG 32/4 (Root 5* Stokes 4*)
Stokes steps away as Bumrah bowls and his stumps are hit.
09:21 AM GMT
OVER 12: ENG 29/4 (Root 5* Stokes 1*)
Ben Stokes comes in… and is soon the subject of an impassioned DRS appeal! Second ball…
Stokes is on the back foot, playing back and down the wrong line as the ball spins back in. This looks close, but it’s not doing quite enough. India lose a review but I think a reasonable shout.
Quite an over! The prospect of a four-day defeat is live here I think.
09:19 AM GMT
WICKET! Bairstow lbw Jadeja 4
Another one goes. Bairstow only making up the numbers in the England side at the moment, and the numbers posted in this match are 0 and 4. He sweeps, misses, is hit on the pad. He starts walking, stops, and Root is basically like “I’d keep going if I were you mate.” FOW 28/4
09:17 AM GMT
OVER 11: ENG 24/3 (Root 5* Bairstow 4*)
Bumrah into his sixth over; exemplary as ever. Root with a classy guided boundary behind point.
09:13 AM GMT
OVER 10: ENG 24/3 (Root 1* Bairstow 4*)
Bairstow is off the mark, thanks to a misfield from Siraj at backward point.
09:10 AM GMT
WICKET! Pope c Rohit b Jadeja 3
That is a superb catch by skipper. Pope tried to cut a ball that probably wasn’t there for it, edges to slip and Rohit Sharma takes a smart chance. He was moving to his right but took it on his left hip. India are rampant here. FOW 20/3
Scyld Berry: “If only England would realise that, whatever their strategy may be, Bazball or otherwise, it is far easier to make runs in the first innings in India. It is now all about salvaging from the wreckage of going 2-1 down. And that starts with Joe Root playing normally, in his own way that has served him so well. All the momentum of this series is going with India but England could still win 3-2 if Root produces masterclasses.”
09:07 AM GMT
OVER 9: ENG 20/2 (Pope 3* Root 1*)
Root is hit on the pads by Bumrah, and plenty of the Indians want a review. Rohit, correctly as it turns out, does not call for one.
They take a quick single off the last ball of the over; had Rohit’s throw hit, that could have been intreresting.
09:05 AM GMT
Bumrah will resume
the over that he was bowling before tea.
08:58 AM GMT
Alastair Cook on TNT
“This is a big session for England. The game is gone but you don’t want [a heavy beating] on a long tour as it can play on your mind.”
08:45 AM GMT
TEA: England 18/2 need 539 more runs
Well, good luck to them. Here is Will Macpherson:
“The session from hell for England. Carted around for 116 in 16 overs, then a comedy run out and an umpire’s call lbw to top it off. It could be over tonight.
They are chasing 557 and do not like draws, so we know how they will play when set. They were cautious to start – except for in their running, as Ben Duckett hared down the wicket and was sent back by Crawley. A couple of overs later, Crawley was lbw to the narrowest of umpire’s calls. Of this England team, only Mark Wood hasn’t been dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah in this series.
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal, with his second double century in two games, and Sarfaraz Khan, with his second half-century on debut, caused carnage. Jimmy Anderson bowled his most expensive over in 11 years, and the ball flew everywhere. Rohit Sharma’s declaration, the first against the Bazballers, was a mercy.
To make matters worse for England, Ashwin is warming up as I type… He’s returned from Chennai, where he was attending a family medical emergency.”
08:44 AM GMT
WICKET! Crawley lbw Bumrah 11
That was superb bowling from Bumrah,jags it back and hits Crawley on the pad. He reviews but no dice. Clipping the top of leg, and it stays on umpire’s call. FOW 18/2
That brings about tea.
08:42 AM GMT
OVER 8: ENG 18/1 (Crawley 11* Pope 2*)
Time for a bit of spin. It’s Ravi Jadeja.
08:38 AM GMT
OVER 7: ENG 18/1 (Crawley 11* Pope 2*)
Ollie Pope comes in and is off the mark first ball.
Will Macpherson: “Oh my word. Duckett and Crawley have become such a reliable opening pair. Their lowest partnership in this series was 45 – until now. This one ends in suicidal fashion, with Duckett haring down the pitch when there was never a run, then being sent back. He didn’t dive, but I don’t think a dive would have helped.”
08:34 AM GMT
WICKET! Duckett run out 4
Ben Duckett has run himself out! He turns the ball to midwicket and just sets off, don’t think there was anywhere near a run there. He turns back and tries to get home but not even close.
Mohammed Siraj gathers the ball, great work by Jurel to take the ball while falling away from the stumps and then quick hands to get the bails off.
Duckett wasn’t even in the frame. FOW 15/1
Looked at another way, Duckett called and ran as is his right. Crawley sent him back.
08:32 AM GMT
OVER 6: ENG 15/0 (Crawley 11* Duckett 4*)
Duckett tucks the ball away for a couple. Jhurel with a super acrobatic take at the end of the over.
08:24 AM GMT
OVER 5: ENG 10/0 (Crawley 9* Duckett 1*)
They’re not giving any width at all to Ben Duckett, attacking the stumps. And attacking something now that might be even more precious than his wicket: Duckett hit in the privates by a ball that comes back a little.
08:21 AM GMT
OVER 4: ENG 9/0 (Crawley 9* Duckett 0*)
Siraj to Crawley, onto the pads, Crawley onto that in a flash as well. Four.
08:17 AM GMT
OVER 3: ENG 5/0 (Crawley 5* Duckett 0*)
A rare lapse from Bumrah as he strays onto Crawley’s pads. ZC tucks that off his legs for four and England are up and running. Just 553 needed now. A single off the fifth ball.
08:11 AM GMT
OVER 2: ENG 0/0 (Crawley 0* Duckett 0*)
Mohammed Siraj to bowl from the other end, and like his new-ball partner he is on the money right away. Duckett cautious, until the sixth ball which he tries to cut, but chops into the ground.
Tim Wigmore writes: “Fascinating to see England’s approach early on, especially against Jasprit Bumrah. England say ‘we don’t do draws’, but this would be a mighty fine one. One small plus from their batting style today: it probably delayed India’s declaration by five overs or so, reducing the amount of time England need to bat to survive. But 130 overs against an attack of this quality is still plenty.”
08:08 AM GMT
OVER 1: ENG 0/0 (Crawley 0* Duckett 0*)
Bumrah starts with a maiden to Crawley. Outrageous. Bring back Bazball. He didn’t try to hit a single six. Just watched carefully as the mighty Bumrah probed away outside off.
08:04 AM GMT
Here come the England openers
Duckett and Crawley have the opportunity to play the innings of their lives.
Will Macpherson: “That was the first time a team has declared against the Bazballers. No sign yet of Ashwin, but we hear he’s not far off.”
07:55 AM GMT
India declare on 430/4 (Jaiswal 214* Sarfaraz 68*) lead by 556
A brilliant and brutal partnership of 172 off just 26.2 overs has put India in a surely impregnable position. England now chase 557 in about 40 minutes until plus four sessions.
Two double hundred in 2 Tests for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Here is the twin story of him, his boyhood coach and how they journeyed from Azad Maidan to India stardom
Yashasvi Jaiswal: India’s new star emerges from street food selling and living in a tent https://t.co/2vrgWEIP28
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) February 18, 2024
07:53 AM GMT
OVER 98: IND 430/4 (Jaiswal 214* Sarfaraz 68*)
Rehan is smashed for 18: Khan crunches him for two leg side sixes, and a four through the offside. Foakes drops a ball behind the stumps, not sure if that was an edge or not to be honest but it does not matter now because Rohit Sharma has declared.
07:49 AM GMT
Drinks: 412/4 (Jaiswal 213* Sarfaraz 51*) lead by 538
The Indian pair start walking off, they look well satisfied – but Rohit is on the balcony telling them to get back out there and keep batting!
Cook: “I don’t think I have seen someone hit the ball as far as Jaiswal, [particularly for] his size. He is a slight man, he’s not one of these massive guys like Chris Gayle. Mooen Ali is another who hits it a long way, for a bloke who never goes to the gym.”
Bad news for the England bowlers: India are carrying on.
07:46 AM GMT
OVER 97: IND 412/4 (Jaiswal 213* Sarfaraz 51*)
Tremendous entertainment for the home fans here as Jaiswal reaches his double hundred, sensational knock from someone who is clearly going to be a fixture for years to come. A hug from Sarfaraz, B McCullum among those giving him a huge ovation.
Celebrates in style by clattering Root for back-to-back sixes, taking him level with the all-time record of 12 in a Test innings.
That’s drinks.
07:41 AM GMT
OVER 96: IND 397/4 (Jaiswal 199* Sarfaraz 50*)
Sarfaraz Khan gets a single, and he has got himself a fifty in both innings of a Test on debut.
07:39 AM GMT
OVER 95: IND 395/4 (Jaiswal 198* Sarfaraz 49*)
Jaiswal now the one who wants two, Sarfaraz the man who doesn’t fancy it. Couple off Root and both guys are closing in on a milestone.
07:37 AM GMT
OVER 94: IND 393/4 (Jaiswal 197* Sarfaraz 48*)
The only player to have got Jaiswal out of his comfort zone is, erm, Sarfaraz Khan, who is giving his partner a dressing down for not running a (gettable) second run here!
Run out certainly looking like England’s best chance of getting rid of Jaiswal.
07:34 AM GMT
OVER 93: IND 390/4 (Jaiswal 195* Sarfaraz 47*)
I reckon they might have told Sarfaraz that the plug is getting pulled once Jaiswal reaches his double ton, because he has charged down then pitch to slam a four and then slog another four to leg.
Absolute carnage since lunch.
07:30 AM GMT
OVER 92: IND 380/4 (Jaiswal 195* Sarfaraz 39*)
At the end of this Rehan over, the batsmen get a drink and, one assumes, a few directions about the declaration strategy. With the lead over 500, it’s a lovely position to be in, the only question is how long they think they’ll need to bowl England out.
Scyld Berry writes: “Don’t think I have seen any batsman with quicker wrists than Yashasvi Jaiswal. He seems to be the complete player in all formats in Indian conditions. Will he be the same abroad? He appears to have all the attributes.”
07:29 AM GMT
OVER 91: IND 376/4 (Jaiswal 192* Sarfaraz 37*)
Kahn hammers the ball back at Root, who fails to cling onto a tough c&b chance.
07:26 AM GMT
OVER 90: IND 374/4 (Jaiswal 192* Sarfaraz 37*)
Four off the Rehan over. When do India think they have enough?
07:25 AM GMT
The number of the beast
07:23 AM GMT
OVER 89: IND 370/4 (Jaiswal 190* Sarfaraz 35*)
Joe Root comes on to relieve. Jimmy. Five off the over.
07:13 AM GMT
OVER 88: IND 365/4 (Jaiswal 187* Sarfaraz 34*)
Rehan bowls, Sarfaraz sweeps, Foakes catches it and England think Khan got a bit of glove on it. The review says otherwise and England have lost their last review.
07:10 AM GMT
OVER 87: IND 363/4 (Jaiswal 186* Sarfaraz 33*)
The punishment continues for Jimmy Anderson: nine off this over as Jaiswal guides the ball to third man for four.
07:03 AM GMT
OVER 86: IND 354/4 (Jaiswal 182* Sarfaraz 28*)
Sarfaraz sends Jaiswal back for a single, correctly as it turns out. Khan top edges Rehan but the ball lands safe between two fielders.
Will Macpherson: “It’s 10 years to the day that Brendon McCullum completed his unforgettable Test triple-hundred, New Zealand’s first. The way things are going, England might need one of Baz’s boys to get one if they’re to secure a win here.”
06:59 AM GMT
OVER 85: IND 350/4 (Jaiswal 180* Sarfaraz 26*)
The wheels have come off for England – legendary fast bowler James Anderson being treated with disdain by Ashasvi Jaiswal. Six, six, six! Fine leg, cover, and straight. 21 off the over and England are getting pounded.
10 sixes, a record for an Indian in a Test innings.
Nick Hoult: “That was Jimmy Anderson’s most expensive over for 10 years – since George Bailey eviscerated him at the Waca in Dec 2013. This will test the new fluffy, full of Bazball optimism Jimmy. He is on a hiding to nothing, getting flogged by young pup Jaiswal in 32C thanks to those lily-livered batsmen.”
06:56 AM GMT
OVER 84: IND 329/4 (Jaiswal 159* Sarfaraz 26*)
Rehan bowls. Seven off the over, Sarfaraz late cuts for three, Jaiswal creams a four through the covers.
06:49 AM GMT
OVER 83: IND 321/4 (Jaiswal 154* Sarfaraz 23*)
Anderson is bowling wide of the crease to Jaiswal and in fact this second ball is actually called a wide. Jaiswal looks like he wants to get on with it. Jaiswal reaches another wide one and guides it for a single, bringing up a super 150. A ramp to fine leg for four!
06:44 AM GMT
The players are back out
James Anderson has the ball. And it is the old ball…
06:34 AM GMT
India put on 118/2
in the morning session and England really now in major trouble.
Alastair Cook: “I think India will take the traditional route and bat to about 45 minutes before tea, which should be a lead of 510.”
Steve Finn: “England have said they will go for anything, even if India bat until this evening and set them 600! England will try and score that in a day – unless it’s all an elaborate double bluff years in the making and England will just bat out a draw.”
06:17 AM GMT
Target?
India lead by 440 at lunch on day 4. Would love to see England’s response to a totally ludicrous target, 600 or something. Any normal team would have the draw as part of their calculations, but would England be too dogmatic?
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) February 18, 2024
06:05 AM GMT
Lunch: India 314/4 lead by 440
50 runs in the first hour and then India put their foot down. The only Indian who will not have totally enjoyed the morning is Shubman Gill, who was run out by his partner Kuldeep Yadav. Yadav, the nightwatchman, himself fell but did a generally decent job for his side.
This partnership between Jaiswal, back on after an injury yesterday, and Sarfaraz is already worth 56.
England needed something spectacular with the ball this morning. They bowled fine, but never had India under any pressure. I imagine that the afternoon session could be rather a painful one for the English.
Here is Nick Hoult.
This is chastening for England and you hope a steep learning curve. They had a chance in this match, let it slip and now face a big defeat.
India’s massive lead continues to grow. They are 440 ahead and Ravi Ashwin is on his way back to bowl in the fourth innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal is 149 and debutant Sarfaraz Khan hammering the spinners. Shubman Gill was robbed of a hundred when he was barbecued by the nightwatchman, but apart from those two wickets, there has been little for England. They even had more review problems, appealing an inside edge lbw then failing to look at a not out in the next over that would have been overturned. It has been one of those days.
Ben Duckett last night said he hoped India scored ‘the more the better” which as far as I’m aware is the complete opposite of what teams are supposed to want in cricket. Anyway, we know England will bat at their usual tempo when they are sent in. They are not capable of defending and getting the block out. All they can hope is that India bat too long, but a 2-1 lead feels inevitable.
England have now spent more than 200 overs in the field, most of it in boiling heat. There is quite a long travel day east across India to Ranchi on Tuesday and with the fifth Test starting on Friday, not long for players to recover. Anderson and Wood will surely be rested but what effect will all this have on the spinners? Hartley, Rehan and Root have not had this workload before. Apart from Duckett’s innings, there is not a lot to cling on to. It could have been very different.
06:02 AM GMT
OVER 82: IND 314/4 (Jaiswal 149* Sarfaraz 22*)
Jaiswal smacks Rehan for six, and they have lost the ball! Little bit of time to sort that, a single to finish the over and that is lunch.
06:01 AM GMT
OVER 81: IND 307/4 (Jaiswal 142* Sarfaraz 22*)
Tom Hartley coming back for an over. Three off it.
05:56 AM GMT
OVER 80: IND 304/4 (Jaiswal 140* Sarfaraz 21*)
21 off 21 balls from Khan, Rehan clobbered for four.
Surely, Bazball fails when Eng believe in their own hype, no? The key to its success is that this team can achieve the implausible. The moment they think that they can do this as the norm, the concept becomes undone. It’s like when Eurovision became self aware – nope. #INDvENG
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) February 18, 2024
05:52 AM GMT
OVER 79: IND 299/4 (Jaiswal 139* Sarfaraz 17*)
Root with a full toss and Jaiswal says thanks very much, splattering it for six. Root’s figures take a further blow later in the over when Khan slogs him for another six.
Joe Root bowls his 100th over of the series in the third Test.
Previous highest workloads:
63 overs v Pakistan 2022/23 (3 Tests)
60 overs v South Africa 2019/20 (4 Tests)
57 overs v Australia 2021/22 (5 Tests)— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) February 18, 2024
05:50 AM GMT
OVER 78: IND 284/4 (Jaiswal 131* Sarfaraz 10*)
Sarfaraz Khan is a dangerous customer (list A strike rate of 94) and this is the sort of low-pressure situation a batter of his type could thrive in. He smacks a four to leg with an aggressive heave, and then cuts hard for two more.
05:48 AM GMT
OVER 77: IND 277/4 (Jaiswal 130* Sarfaraz 4*)
Root again with a one-run over.
05:47 AM GMT
OVER 76: IND 276/4 (Jaiswal 129* Sarfaraz 4*)
Rehan worked around rather effortlessly here, five singles off the over.
05:46 AM GMT
OVER 75: IND 271/4 (Jaiswal 126* Sarfaraz 2*)
One off Root.
05:35 AM GMT
OVER 74: IND 270/4 (Jaiswal 125* Sarfaraz 2*)
Rehan Ahmed is getting some turn, which is perhaps a bit of a mixed blessing for England. Sarfaraz is off the mark.
05:33 AM GMT
OVER 73: IND 265/4 (Jaiswal 122* Sarfaraz 0*)
Root is obviously okay to bowl after that stinging catch. Jaiswal sweeps him for four.
05:31 AM GMT
OVER 72: IND 258/4 (Jaiswal 115* Sarfaraz 0*)
Sarfaraz Khan has been promoted ahead of Ravindra Jadeja.
Here’s that Rehan wicket.
05:27 AM GMT
WICKET! Kuldeep Yadav c Root b Rehan Ahmed 27
The nightwatchman goes. Smart catch from Root at slip but he looks like he might have hurt a finger in grabbing it. Furthermore, Yadav didn’t walk – he thought it had been a bump ball as he hit it. The third umpire soon disabuses him of that notion and it is FOW 258/4
05:23 AM GMT
OVER 71: IND 257/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 114*)
Nice delivery from Root towards the end this over, an arm ball from over the wicket that nearly shaves Kuldeep’s off stump. He didn’t read that.
05:21 AM GMT
OVER 70: IND 256/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 113*)
Rehan is putting together a tidy little spell here, this is a maiden. Three overs for three.
05:19 AM GMT
OVER 69: IND 256/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 113*)
Jaiswal with a quality shot. Root’s only dropped short by a few inches there but Yashasvi Jaiswal has picked up the length so quickly: rocks back and cuts for four. Class.
05:18 AM GMT
OVER 68: IND 250/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 107*)
Rehan gets through a one-run over.
The stump mic picked up an England close fielder asking the umpires “stop him running on the pitch” just now.
05:15 AM GMT
OVER 67: IND 249/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 106*)
Spin at both ends as Root produces a decent maiden.
05:12 AM GMT
OVER 66: IND 249/3 (Yadav 27* Jaiswal 106*)
Double bowling change, here comes Rehan Ahmed.
05:11 AM GMT
OVER 65: IND 247/3 (Yadav 26* Jaiswal 105*)
The centurion Jaiswal, who went off hurt with a back injury during his innings yesterday, will resume his knock. Joe Root to bowl.
05:04 AM GMT
OVER 64: IND 246/3 (Yadav 26*)
That’s drinks. Here’s Will:
“Oh dear. Those two reviews to Kuldeep rather sum things up England’s reviewing on this tour. Huge inside edge on the lbw shout from Wood cows them out of reviewing the lbw against Hartley, which would have been out. I understand their caution, thinking he was outside the line sweeping, but he wasn’t. Someone has to spot that inside edge.
Anyway, Kuldeep has sold Gill up the river for India’s fourth run out of the series, and out comes Jaiswal again…”
05:01 AM GMT
WICKET! Shubman Gill run out 91
England needed a favour – and India have done them one! Kuldeep smacks the ball at Stokes (India took him on in the first ball of the session and they have taken him on off the last ball of the hour as well). Gill has to turn back, dives, but cannot get there. FOW 246/3
Stokes threw to Hartley, who just about managed to get the bails off. England needed that – they’d had an annoying moment a couple of balls before when Kuldeep missed a sweep off Hartley that would have been out on lbw if England had reviewed…
04:54 AM GMT
OVER 63: IND 241/2 (Gill 86* Yadav 26*)
Kuldeep guides Wood to third man for a four.
Off the last ball of the over, Wood hits Kuldeep on the pads. More in hope than expectation, England review, but I can see that inside edge from North London and England can forget that one. They lose a review.
To be fair, I think England knew it hit the bat, they were wondering if the ball hit the pad first then bat.
04:51 AM GMT
OVER 62: IND 235/2 (Gill 85* Yadav 22*)
Kuldeep looks to be enjoying himself. Gives Hartley the charge and wallops a four, and then attempts a reverse sweep with limited success.
04:47 AM GMT
BCCI statement on R Ashwin
R Ashwin set to rejoin Team India from Day 4 of the 3rd Test
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pleased to announce the return of R Ashwin to the squad after a brief absence due to a family emergency. Ashwin, had to temporarily withdraw from the squad after Day 2 of the 3rd Test in Rajkot to attend to a family emergency.
Both R Ashwin and the team management are pleased to confirm that he will be back in action on Day 4 and will continue to contribute towards the team cause in the ongoing Test match.
The team management, players, media and fans have shown immense understanding and empathy, acknowledging the importance of family as a priority. The team and its supporters have stood united in support of Ashwin during this challenging period, and the management is delighted to welcome him back to the field.
Ashwin and his family kindly request privacy as they navigate through these challenging times.
04:43 AM GMT
Mike Procter
The great South African all-rounder has died aged 77. Here is Nick Hoult:
“Sad news overnight about Mike Procter, a popular figure in English cricket and particularly with Telegraph Sport readers. He did a lot of work later in life and once took me to visit a school he was supporting in Durban. The head took me to one side to tell me that often when they couldn’t afford to pay for hot meals at lunchtime for the pupils, Mike would finance it out of his own pocket. He worked hard raising funds but it was not easy and would make up the shortfall himself. He showed no sign of bitterness when I spoke to him about missing out on an international career, I think life had shown him there was a bigger picture. Here is the piece we did in 2016 (during an England tour).
‘This is for life. How can I walk away?” he said.”
How South Africa legend Mike Procter is fighting to break down racial barriers and bring hope to the poor.
04:42 AM GMT
OVER 61: IND 230/2 (Gill 84* Yadav 18*)
Nick Knight is on TNT commentary: “England have earned the right for us not to write them off.”
Mark Wood is on for a bowl. Can he produce a spark? Going around the wicket to Kuldeep, who plays this pretty well.
04:38 AM GMT
OVER 60: IND 228/2 (Gill 83* Yadav 17*)
Three singles off the Hartley over, pushing the lead north of 350.
04:34 AM GMT
OVER 59: IND 225/2 (Gill 82* Yadav 15*)
“Jimmy Anderson would probably give up 150 of his Test wickets to bounce someone out,” jokes Swann on TNT commentary as the great man delivers a rare bumper. Kuldeep tries to pull but only manages a top edge. Gill now produces a lovely cover drive as Jimmy overpitches. Four.
04:29 AM GMT
OVER 58: IND 219/2 (Gill 77* Yadav 14*)
Another short one from Hartley and these are easy pickings for Gill, who steps back in the crease and pulls with authority.
04:27 AM GMT
OVER 57: IND 214/2 (Gill 72* Yadav 14*)
James Anderson with another miserly over, pestering a fourth stump line. Three overs for three.
04:22 AM GMT
OVER 56: IND 213/2 (Gill 71* Yadav 14*)
England have yet to create so much as a sniff of a chance so far. An okay over from Hartley spoiled by the sixth ball, which is a half-tracker that GP Swann describes as “tired-looking”. Kuldeep helps himself to four.
04:18 AM GMT
OVER 55: IND 208/2 (Gill 70* Yadav 10*)
Another tidy over from Jimmy Anderson, just one off that.
04:14 AM GMT
OVER 54: IND 207/2 (Gill 69* Yadav 10*)
Yadav goes the old-fashioned route and heaves Hartley over the cow corner ropes for a maximum – his first six in Test cricket, and indeed in internationals. Looked like he enjoyed that.
04:11 AM GMT
OVER 53: IND 200/2 (Gill 68* Yadav 4*)
James Anderson returns and a one-run over will start to redress some of the surprisingly poor economy rate from yesterday. The 200 is up.
04:05 AM GMT
OVER 52: IND 199/2 (Gill 67* Yadav 4*)
Here is Tom Hartley to bowl. Shubman Gill takes a quick single first ball, taking on Stokes’s arm in so doing. And winning. Kuldeep Yadav now sweeps his first ball for one and Gill takes another single. India look busy and full of purpose.
And here is Will Macpherson: “If I’m India, I am eking out every single run today, and setting England an utterly ludicrous target, testing their “no draws” philosophy. Why not 600 in four sessions? They would obviously have enough time to bowl them out, but England would probably self-destruct anyway.”
04:01 AM GMT
Play is about to start
Hartley will start us off.
Will Macpherson writes: “Greetings from Rajkot, where you can’t help but feel England could be in for a gruelling day. They are already a very long way behind, and India have power to add. There are a few rumours kicking around that Ashwin is on his way back to Rajkot after returning home for a family emergency. That does not help England’s cause…”
03:54 AM GMT
Aswhin is available today
Yadav, being interviewed pre-match, expects his colleague Ravichandran Ashwin to play today.
03:46 AM GMT
Cook
“England live on a tightrope and you can fall off.”
Finn: “I played with fear. I wish I could have played in a team like this.”
Cook reckons “Root gets out once every 11 balls playing that shot. It’s a mad stat. I’m not sure that’s true.”
03:36 AM GMT
Graeme Swann is on pitch report duty
“This pitch hasn’t really deteriorated. There is a bit of rough outside the left-hander’s off-stump. If England could chase anything less than 450, with their mindset, it is doable.”
03:34 AM GMT
India will resume on 196/2
Sir Alastair Cook: “England always fight back but it is hard to see from here.”
Steve Finn: “There have been wickets every morning.”
08:42 PM GMT
Preview: England have mountain to climb
Good morning and welcome to day four of our live blog of the third Test between India and England. Ben Duckett was good value on Radio Five on Saturday morning, saying that England are undaunted by chasing down whatever it is that the hosts set them: “the more the better. They can have as many as they want and we’ll go and get them,” said the first-innings centurion. It puts me in mind of the old joke about a minister seeing nuns putting petrol in a car via a bedpan and saying “Sisters, I may not share your religion but I do admire your faith”.
England are already 322 runs behind and India still have eight wickets in hand as day four begins. Seems to me that India can cook England any way they want to: fast or slow, or start them in the slow cooker and finish them off on a high heat. With two full days left, India could make England labour until tea or beyond today, or wallop them around. Obviously England could produce something sensational with the ball but they’re going to be set 400 at a bare minimum and you’d have to say it doesn’t feel likely. I guess the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin is a bit of a straw to clutch at but India have the bowling, and England have the out-of-form batters, to make a huge chase on day four seem highly unlikely.
But before England get to bat, India will resume on 196/2 with Shubman Gill on 65* and Kuldeep Yadav, promoted up the order to bat five, keeping him company on 3*. Yashasvi Jaiswal had retired hurt on day three with 104* to his name so he could resume at some point if his back’s okay. Play will start at 4am UK time and will go on until around half eleven this Sunday morning.
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