UKC

After a superb batting performance from India and Gill scoring 269, England have started absolutely abysmally.

Yet more madness after winning another toss and fielding first. I can't understand these tactics of Stokes & co. Always playing catch-up!

I agree. Although England managed to win the first test chasing the runs; I think they should have batted first in both tests.

Apparently, before bazball, the last time England won when the other side batted first and scored something like 550+ was in 1890 something or thereabouts. Since bazball, England have done it 3 times I think. So it appears to be an acceptable strategy although it's certainly a worrying one.

P.S. I'm not a fan of the term "bazball" but it's certainly a quick and convenient label to describe the way England now play.

At Headingly, the recent stats actually favour batting second, with the pitch getting flatter throughout.  Edgbaston is a bit different, though.  Staring down the barrel a bit right now.

Unless they carry on at - checks Grauniad obo - 6.37 an over!

6 ducks in England's first innings. No side has ever won with such a stat!

I didn’t see or hear any of the match yesterday as I was out climbing, I’ll have to catch up with the highlights. I’m listening to TMS and wondering when India will declare? Pant’s innings sounded entertaining but apparently was dropped on 10 by Crawley.

No chance of making 600+ runs, and with this batting it will be all over by tomorrow. We really seem to lack some decent bowlers. A Cummings or Hazelwood would be useful, or recall Anderson and Broad.

England will be lucky if they can get a draw which would be a good result. They certainly miss the quality of Broad and Anderson. Crawley is a very frustrating opener, he has talent but is so inconsistent, I’m not sure he deserves his place at the moment.

Drop Crawley, bring in Bethel. Bring Smith up the order. Give Pope the gloves and play him as a number 7. Change the seamers. Maybe drop Bashir with root and bethel for spin option? 

Ah, I see what Stokes is doing. He knew Sunday would be a washout and England would earn a well earned draw and so maintain their one test win advantage! Crafty tactics...

How about calling up Liam Dawson? I’d go for Bethel too.

Probably the only way England will get a draw. 

Jamie Smith has scored 260+ runs up to now and won't be Man of the Match. How unlucky is that?

Jamie Smith is proving to be a great player and scoring a total of 272 runs. I wonder how Stokes will respond on Thursday and continue chasing………. 

What I can't understand is why Stokes isn't using a runner, or has that option been removed for some reason. It was obvious that he was really struggling running between the wickets and certainly denied or hopefully postponed Root's century. Pant was OK to go off after he broke a fingernail. Explain that to me?

No longer allowed in internationals.

But in the women's footy, England must have used 5 subs despite smashing it against the Netherlands!

Old technology.

What a start by Archer. A jaffa of a ball to claim his first wicket after just 3 balls since his return to Test cricket!

Batters can retire hurt, then, as I understand it they can come back on later in the innings. So it’s similar to fielders who can go off hurt and then come back on. 
 

There was some discussion yesterday on TMS about internal or external injuries and what that means for if a fielder can go off hurt then come back on and bowl straight away. A muscle sprain in an internal injury, I don’t know if that changes things for batters right to come off hurt? Or if Stokes didn’t want to come off and then come back in and ‘start again’ later in the innings.

My beef with current test cricket is the slow over rate.

Seems fine on the highlights programme 😀

I gave up watching when India were about 11 runs behind the England total. Absolutely nothing was happening as far as the bowling was concerned and there were an awful lot of dot balls. Turgid viewing  and again anything to slow the over rate, drinks, sight screen moved, change the ball, change of gloves, back away as the bowler approaches the stumps. Did they manage more than 60 overs today? And while I'm out walking the dog, it all happens and scores are level. It's a funny old game!

The game is nicely poised...

You missed a memorable over! Genuinely brilliantly entertaining test cricket. All the essence of it packed into one gloriously tense over. Incredible, the game can beat you into boredom but then serves up that. 

It's called test cricket. A great day's play.

Interesting last over yesterday with Crawley time wasting etc. Gill apparently told Crawley to ‘grow some fu**ing balls’. Could be a feisty start today.

Certainly an exciting climax to end the day's play. I can't  wait until tomorrow, but it's about evens at the moment. It could go either way.

Wow! What a Test Match. I really thought India were going to win. This is some Test Series. Riveting cricket. Who said Test matches were done, and a full house at Lords too. Roll on the next Test. 2 very balanced sides.

Yep, I also thought India would just squeak it. Good to see Archer back, let’s hope he can get back to full fitness soon.

I thought it would almost certainly be an England win after the early wickets.... then increasingly became more concerned as I watched over-by-over news coverage.

It's great to see such a tight finish, especially when Bazball pips it, again