firmly forward, head over the ball, and that will be stumps
BATSMEN | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington Sundar* (lhb) | 60 | 117 | 8 | 0 | 51.28 |
Axar Patel (lhb) | 11 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 32.35 |
BOWLERS | O | M | R | W | ECON |
Jack Leach (sla) | 23 | 5 | 66 | 2 | 2.87 |
Dom Bess (ob) | 15 | 1 | 56 | 0 | 3.73 |
MAT | RUNS | HS | AVE |
---|---|---|---|
4 | 229 | 85* | 57.25 |
3 | 23 | 11* | 7.67 |
MAT | WKTS | BBI | AVE |
16 | 62 | 5/83 | 29.61 |
14 | 36 | 5/30 | 33.56 |
5.16pm Right, that's your lot for this evening. From Miller, Deiva, Venkat and the team, good night, and see you bright and early tomorrow!
Here's the man of the moment, Rishabh Pant: "The team plan was to build a partnership, that was the only thing in my mind. I thought after assessing the pitch I would play my shots. Sometimes you have to respect the bowler, and the ball, get a bad ball, look for a single. I just see the ball and react to it, that's the USP of my cricket. The team plan was to get to 206 and then get as much of a lead as we can as a batting unit. Everything went to the team plan. The reverse-sweep, you have to premeditate it, but when things are going your way... most of the time I get the licence to go for my shots, after I've assessed the game. And if the crowd are entertained by that, I'm happy."
5.03pm Wow. What a thrilling day, and what an exhilarating final session. It was ebb and flow for the first two sessions, and England were probably favourites for a first-innings lead at 146 for 6. But then Rishabh Pant got going with an outrageously brilliant hundred - some of his shots against the second new ball took the breath away. And they most certainly took the game away. India lead by 89, with three wickets standing against an incredibly weary attack that, given Dom Bess's struggles, is down to effectively three bowlers.
Two of those, James Anderson and Ben Stokes, were heroic for the first two sessions, but they had run out of gas by the time their final recalls came. I wonder if we'll still be here on day four? It's going to take something incredible to trump the batting we've seen this afternoon.
Sammy J: "Hello Andrew, I just awoke and discovered that Pant had played brilliantly to put India in the driver's seat... rendering my non- printable " mundane balderdash" prescient. Perhaps it might be a sporting gesture, in the best spirit of the game, to print my mundane comment regarding his rising star status at this time. How's that Andrew???" That's a perfectly acceptable level of self-aware balderdash and consequently it passes the necessary minimum requirements for publication.
Gareth: "England's distinct lack of all-rounders has hurt them badly throughout this tournament, never more so than now. A quality spin bowling all-rounder is desperately needed to give the squad greater flexibility. Dawson (inj aside), Livingstone or Moeen if given the right development/stint in the squad, could well have made a difference."
Liam Dawson could have been a massive player in this series. Perfectly anodyne, could put it on the spot time and again, and bat rather well too...
BPavan: "@Andrew - Which part of the world are you in currently? How difficult is it when the commentary is shared between different nationalities? " I'm in the UK, Deiva's in Bangalore, but it couldn't be easier as we are all one big happy family at Cricinfo.
zipping down the leg side, good take from Foakes
pads away, and half an appeal. England ponder the review, but it's guesswork
Deepak Sahu: "@Miller, how much will be too much for England?" Well, they made 81 last time out... but this is an easier pitch than the third Test. Doubt they'll make 200 again though
sharp turn, and scuttles too as Patel defends on the back foot
big stride to the pitch of the ball, smothering the spin
outside off, over the wicket, hits the footmarks and bounces past a back-foot block
that's pretty adjacent! And yes, up goes the finger! Sundar reviews, was there an inside-edge? Maybe? He was right back on his stumps, and that was surely hitting leg... but DRS confirms! Yep, a big fat spike on UltraEdge. On we go!
back onto the stumps, and fenced back to the bowler
big stride, onto the front foot, head right over the ball. And solidly blocked
big turn! Drift and dip from Bess, and it explodes from outside off... and Foakes has appealed for the stumping He got the bails off quickly, but I don't think there's any issue there. Toe seems safe
onto the front foot, and punched to mid-off
Sankalp: "Persistence is the sincerest form of flattery then!! :)" Something like that!
slapped high into the covers, Anderson gives chase, but it plugs just out of reach!
on the back foot, solid in defence
clipped to the leg side, another jogged single to keep things ticking. It's all a bit flat out there at the moment which will suit India just fine. No rush, just stretch England every which way to the close
back of a length, flogged out through midwicket as Leach drops just short enough to free the arms
sharp turn, into the pads, gathered at leg slip
outside off, and nudged to point
Zainulabeddin: "Hello Miller.... How are you doing??? I have been reading your articles and commentaries for years. Thank you for your amazing " Hello Zainulabeddin, I don't usually give in to such outright flattery, but you have been very persistent. Many thanks!
fully forward and defended
good finish too, another sharp spinner from outside off
full face of the bat, big stride, smothering the spin as Bess settles into a better rhythm in this over