Key events
27th over: India 179-2 (Gill 93, Iyer 25) Livingstone replaces Rashid, so at the end of this over, his fifth, England will “only” need three more from him and Root. Meantime, after two singles, Gill – who’s been brilliant outside off – cuts for four yet again, the over yielding eight. India are punishing everything here, allowing no respite; the cruelty is inspiring.
26th over: India 171-2 (Gill 87, Iyer 23) Gill has been almost entirely untroubled today – though, in fairness, he only faced one ball from Mark Wood. But it’s Shreyas who strikes the big blow this over, four singles punctuated by a six: he steps inside the line to help one high around the corner and way over the rope at deep backward square.
25th over: India 161-2 (Gill 85, Iyer 15) Gill turns Rashid to deep backward square for two, then sweeps one to midwicket; Shreyas takes one of his own, then Gill reaches to cut two more to third. At the halfway stage, the hosts look poised to impose a brute.
24th over: India 155-2 (Gill 80, Iyer 14) Now England revert to pace, Atkinson replacing Livingstone and, as KP notes, this is a big spell for him given how his first went – and the squad-spot he’s hoping to clinch. And he does OK, his first five balls yielding four singles … then he offers Shreyas a full one, allowing the batter to swing, secure in the knowledge there’s no mid off to trouble him, and a decent over turns into an expensive one, eight from it.
23rd over: India 147-2 (Gill 78, Iyer 8) The crowd in this colossal arena is growing all the time and those there are being treated to a display from India, Iyer clattering Rashid’s first ball – too full and too wide, like me after a big meal and a few drinks – to the cover-fence. Three singles and two dots complete the over, and runs are coming so easily; if India have wickets in hand at the end, they could set something very significant here.
22nd over: India 140-2 (Gill 77, Iyer 2) Tight from Livingstone, three dots before Shreyas taps to mid off for one, getting himself settled, then Gill waits for one, his cut so late it’s dead, finishing the over with a four.
21st over: India 134-2 (Gill 72, Iyer 1) Drag-down from Rashid, and ye cannae bowl there tae him, son; Gill humps over midwicket for four. A single down the track follows, and India appear to be handling the loss of Kohli. I wondered if Buttler might’ve tried an over or two of pace against the new man just to try and get another wicket, but so far he’s sticking with spin.
20th over: India 129-2 (Gill 67, Iyer 1) I do like this pitch, I must say – it seems to have a bit of everything, good for batters and the better bowlers. I wonder whether, had the wicket not come, Buttler would’ve persevered with Livingstone, but now it has he almost has no choice. His first three deliveries yield singles, Shreyas off the mark with the second, then Gill opens the face and Mahmood chases down, slides, sweeps the ball away from the fence … and, as a replay proves, still concedes the boundary. Good effort, but.
WICKET! Kohli c Salt b Rashid 52 (India 122-2)
Beauty from Rashid, drifting, dipping, gripping, bouncing and turning, away from Kohli while brushing the edge, and that’s excellent work. The problem England have it that both of their wickets have required balls of obscene quality, but goodness me they needed that.
19th over: India 122-1 (Gill 61, Kohli 52) Kohli forces one to cover, then Gill drops and runs for one more.
18th over: India 120-1 (Gill 60, Kohli 51) A wide opens the over, then Kohli goes hard over long-off, just about beating the fielder for the second six of the innings. A further single then raises his 50, before Gill skips down and hoists six more, arms fully extended! We wondered what might happen if Livingstone and Root were hit out of the attack – the batters will have noticed England need 10 overs from them – and we might be about to find out. Sixteen off the over, and this target could be a monster.
17th over: India 104-1 (Gill 53, Kohli 43) Two singles to start this second Rashid over, his line to Kohli on middle-and-leg. He’s looking to force him to hit against the turn, but when he gets down the other end, Gill laces a poor delivery through cover to raise his third fifty on the spin. In Hebrew, Gill means joy or happiness – MS, as in Dhoni, means ultimate truth – and he is that alright.
16th over: India 97-1 (Gill 48, Kohli 41) England, desperately in need of a wicket, try Livingstone, whose first three balls go for singles – though both batters are trying to hit him to the fence, as three dots follow. If he can hold up an end, perhaps Rashid can find something to break a partnership that’s now 92 off 90.
15th over: India 94-1 (Gill 47, Kohli 39) Immediately Rashid, who bowled well last match, is causing problems and in comms, they wonder why England tried Root first. My guess is they hoped to fiddle a few overs before India really went after it, but my exegesis of Bazball tells me it should be pressure first: what does your opponent not want to face? Kohli takes one to long-off, the only run of the over, but can England find similar from the other end? Drinks.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
Kohli is well down the track – once upon a time, that’s a flat not out – but there’s no bat involved, so we’ll need to see ball-tracking and face on. We’re waiting … and it pitched outside leg. Drift, baby. Your friend until it isn’t.
15th over: India 93-1 (Gill 47, Kohli 38) Rashdi into the attack and his second ball hits Kohli’s pad. “Is it straight enough, is it straight enough?!” beseeches someone when the umpire says no and, after debate, England review just before time.
14th over: India 93-1 (Gill 47, Kohli 38) India are into this now, Gill twinkling down and getting outside the ball to buggy-whip six over long-on! He’s got such timing; such timing and such front. England badly need a wicket now and I’d expect to see Rashid very soon on a surface that might offer a bit of bounce and grip. Meantime, Atkinson is milked for singles then, last ball, another four – this time hauled around the corner to square-leg – makes this over another 14-runner.
13th over: India 79-1 (Gill 35, Kohli 36) Root gets square-leg squarer, so when Kohli sweeps his first ball he goes fine, flicking to the fence, then takes a single which allows Gill to come down and whip over midwicket. Another single follows, then Kohli makes room to slot cross-batted through cover, a third four of an over which costs 14. I’m not sure we’ll see Root return.
12th over: India 65-1 (Gill 30, Kohli 27) A tighter over from Atkinson, just a wide ceded from its first four balls, then Gill slaps one to deep square. Otherwise, what do we make of Atkinson? I know he’s made a brilliant start of his international career, but I can’t help but wonder how much he’s benefitted from the standard of opposition; I can’t say I’m confident he’ll be effective playing Tests in Australia or India, but I’m excited to see him try.
11th over: India 62-1 (Gill 29, Kohli 26) Powerplay over, Root replaces Mahmood, and if India can get after him England will have a problem as they need him and Livingstone to send down 10 between them. And, as I type, Kohli goes down on one knee to flip a sweep, getting just enough of it to make four, then, on the stretch, he pushes forward and edges four more through third man. Ten off the over, and India are moving.
10th over: India 53-1 (Gill 28, Kohli 17) Atkinson replaces Wood and, after a single to Kohli, Gill edges four through gully. Then, after two dots, he’s offered a half-volley, and unveils a gorgeous on-drive for four. Nine off the over.
‘Morning, Dan,” begins John Starbuck. “What is a hadouken?”
This … this is a hadouken.
9th over: India 43-1 (Gill 20, Kohli 16) Mahmood cramps Gill, opening his over with three dots – that’s 10 in a row – so the batter charges, the bowlers pulls back his length … and the batter swats over mid-on for four. Those are the only runs from the over.
8th over: India 39-1 (Gill 16, Kohli 16) Wood bounds in and Kohli, looking to pull – attacking option, obviously – wears one on the elboid. I think he edges on to himself there, and it looks sore; doubtless it feels sore too, and he calls out the physio to kiss it better. Maiden.
7th over: India 39-1 (Gill 16, Kohli 16) Mahmood in again, they try for a quick single, return, and the throw goes to the striker’s end. Direct hit and it’s long gone, but Salt has to field and break stumps, so Kohli has time to turn and return … then, next ball, a flamingo whip, one-legged, to midwicket, punishes the oversight with four – his wrists must be made of metallic elastic – then a cut earns four more. Mahmood, though, rebounds well, landing one on a length and in the corridor; again, Kohli goes, blood in is mouth, blaming non-apparent movement when he misses, ball passing his off-stump by almost nothing. A single follows, and that’s nine off the over, making this a decent start – especially for a side that lost its captain at the start of the second.
6th over: India 30-1 (Gill 16, Kohli 7) Two slips and two gullies as Wood tears in again, beating Kohli outside off again, the ball swinging away late. But he survives and a single apiece follows, the second a tight one, then a flick to deep square keeps the scoreboard ticking … and outside edge between the aforementioned two pods of two adds four more. Somehow, that’s seven off another menacing over.
5th over: India 23-1 (Gill 11, Kohli 5) Mahmood hasn’t looked anything like as threatening a the bloke hurling 1000mph exocets, and Gill clumps him down the ground for four, then flicks away for two. India are settling.
4th over: India 17-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 5) Wood’s first over was so good his second has the sense of an occasion, as we learn today is the first time he’s taken a wicket between overs 1 and 32 playing an ODI in India. I guess that’s one reason he’s not guaranteed his spot in the side and, as I type, he overpitches a touch and Virat, stood outside the crease, strokes him fo fo through extra, then picks out the fielder next ball. That’s confidence – deliberately getting closer to a bowler unleashing hadoukens – and reactions. This could be quite a duel.
3rd over: India 12-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 1) Back to waking up to sport, the Champions Trophy is in Pakistan and UAE, so those of us in the UK have plenty of enriched mornings coming up. I’ve recently learnt this is partly an ADHD thing – I appear to arrange my life so I’ve the sense of something happening, always – but on a very basic level, it’s better than work and anything else that might be going on, adding movement and buzz to every day. I mean, just have a look at Shubman Gill, showing Mahmood the full face and timing four through cover; to be kvelling at 8.15am is a set-up to a day.
2nd over: India 8-1 (Gill 1, Kohli 1) Wood has found his rhythm here: his first delivery was a jaffa and so is his second, angling in and ripping away; it’s far too good for Kohli, who looks to flick into the on side and cannot. He does, though, get off the mark with a shove to cover, and won’t mind watch this from the non-striker’s, but when Gill paddles to wide deep third, he’s another ball to negotiate and tries to whip away the bat but winds up patting it into the turf.
WICKER! Sharma c Salt b Wood 1 (India 6-1)
Such is this thing of ours! A ton one day, a single the next, and this is a beauty of a loosener from Wood, seam upright, landing on a length and nipping away, appearing to magnetise the edge; the delivery is so lush, Rohit can’t leave it alone, and he guides into the hands of the tumbling keeper.
2nd over: India 6-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) There’s not much better about existence than waking up to sport, but excuse me while I interrupt myself!
1st over: India 6-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) Saqib opens with a yorker, dug out by Rohit for one, then finds shape away from Gill, who leaves alone. But five wides follow – that’s not a good delivery, shaping down leg-side, but the ball absolutely flies off the surface. Six off the over and a decent start from India that required of them no risks.
…and play. Saqib with the ball and a pair of slips.
Our players are with us…
Email! ““I just read that Buttler has won 12 of his last 13 coin tosses,” says Tom van der Gucht. “Is he wasting all his luck in the toss and not saving enough of it for out in the middle? Perhaps he should forgo the toss and just let the other captain choose in order to save some good fortune in the bank for his team.”
Alternatively, imagine how battered his team would’ve got had he lost the tosses.
Last evening, India announced that Jasprit Bumrah won’t make the Champions Trophy squad – he’s injured – while Yashasvi Jaiswal has been left out. This is their squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy. Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.
The thing is, over the last bit, it’s not just the bowling that’s not been working but the batting and the fielding. England have a lot of talent, but it’s not firing: when they were good, you knew that in pretty much every innings, someone would do something, but now they’re struggling as a collective.
England are going to need some contributions up-front. If they let India get away, this could be a long day; Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson are under pressure.
Teams!
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Harshit Rana.
England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Tom Banton, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Saqib Mahmood.
In the studio, they’re a little surprised England haven’t gone with their firsr team – they’d said Jofra Archer would play two of the three matches. But, as Steve Finn notes, he and Brydon Carse are both definites so perhaps it’s a bowl-off between the rest.
Rohit would’ve batted as India have chased twice. He enjoyed it out in the middle last game, it was a knock he needed, and asked about the fielding in this series, which has been good, he says a lot of the players take a lot of pride in it, especially the younger lads. Otherwise, Ravi Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are rested while Varun Chakravarthy has a sore calf; in come Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh.
Buttler says maybe the dew will make it skid on later, but also England have batted first twice so, with the Champions Trophy in mind, he wants them to experience the other side of things. The wicket looks decent, so he’ll see how it plays today, and makes one change: Tom Banton for Jamie Overton.
England win the toss and will field
When under the pump, stick with what you know.
Preamble
Psst, let me tell you something funny: once upon a time and not for very long, England’s men were good at 50-over cricket. I know!
Now, though, they’re back getting hosed on the reg, a miserable World Cup followed by series defeats to West Indies, Australia, West Indies again, and now India. Somehow, it’s like slipping into an old tracksuit with bourbons in your hand and Grange Hill on the telly, and also like necking a load of ayahuasca while pouring bleach up your nose.
And though England can afford to lose this series – just as well, really – a week Saturday, they begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia. They’ll not be wanting another tournament embarrassment, and though many sages feel the world has never needed Bazball more, it couldn’t currently be said to be working.
So, though India hold an unassailable 2-0 lead, England desperately need to find some form, and fast – without the hamstrung Jacob Bethell, one of few in the squad currently enhancing his reputation, the all-rounder replaced with Tom Baton, a batter.
And yet this remains a talented group; the question is whether enough members of it can fire at the same time, or
Play: 8am GMT, 1pm local
