ENGLAND trial INDIA by 226 runs with 3 wickets remaining.
Over 93 – England 229-7 (Ansari 4, Rashid 19)Slip, gully, silly point, short leg crouch in anticipation as Ashwin tests Ansari’s resolve – the Surrey man countering with an on-drive for four to get off the mark, using his feet to turn a full delivery into a full bunger.
Over 85 – England 210-6 (Stokes 61, Rashid 13)
It also gives Ansari, who was struggling with nausea yesterday, a little bit more time to recover. Rashid shows just how dangerous he can be with the new ball coming onto the bat, clipping Umesh for four, then driving through the covers for a second boundary. The best is yet to come, though, a glorious cover drive to the rope that has Kohli yelping in frustration. The previous ball from Umesh was short and rapped Rashid on the gloves as he took his eyes off it, but no damage done.
Over 81 – England 191-6 (Stokes 55, Rashid 1)Umesh is angling the ball in at Rashid’s ribcage, with a short-leg in place, but Rashid is up to the test, working a single find of the awaiting close catcher. Stokes then sees out the final three deliveries before lunch. That was a fascinating session of Test cricket.
Over 80 – England 190-6 (Stokes 55, Rashid 0)Another maiden over from Jadeja, this one to Stokes. How quickly the momentum can shift with just one wicket… We’ll get one more over in before lunch, in comes Umesh again.
Over 78 – England 189-5 (Stokes 54, Bairstow 53)Maiden over from Jadeja to Bairstow. Less than 15 minutes till lunch, can this England pair survive the session? Plus, just two overs till the second new ball is due for India – will they take it straight away? And will they get an over or two with it before the interval?
Over 73 – England 179-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 47)Fifty for Stokes as he punches a single to cover. Very well-deserved – it has been a terrific knock so far, though England need a fair few more runs from him. Bairstow add a couple more to his personal tally with a reverse-sweep.
Over 68 – England 166-5 (Stokes 45, Bairstow 39)Top shot from Stokes. He picked the length of a shorter ball from Jadeja brilliantly and cuts it away square for four.
Over 67 – England 161-5 (Stokes 41, Bairstow 38)Ashwin into another over, and concedes two. Stokes guides another single fine into the offside off his outside edge, while Bairstow sweeps for one.
Over 60 – England 138-5 (Stokes 28, Bairstow 30)There is a bowling change, but slightly surprising that India are sticking with seam, bringing Shami on for Umesh. It’s a decent enough opening over, mind; just one from it.
Over 57 – England 133-5 (Stokes 26, Bairstow 27)Somewhat proving my point from the previous over, Stokes sweeps Ashwin fine for four to bring up the fifty partnership between this pair.
Over 55 – England 125-5 (Stokes 21, Bairstow 24)A couple more close calls from Ashwin’s latest over. Firstly, there is another strong shout for lbw, this time against Stokes, who shoulders arms to a delivery that straightens with the arm. It flicks his back pad, but probably didn't come back enough. Then, next ball, the England left hander is nearly stumped as he is beaten by a beauty that turns past his outside edge as he presses forward. Saha can’t gather the ball cleanly behind the stumps though.
Over 53 – England 119-5 (Stokes 21, Bairstow 18)Stokes nearly serves up a bat-pad chance to short leg, but the ball falls a little squarer of the waiting fielder and he races through for a single. Bairstow then flicks one to midwicket before Stokes carves four through the covers.
Over 51 – England 113-5 (Stokes 16, Bairstow 17)India waste their final review – a real shocker from Ashwin. He thinks he has Bairstow out lbw when sweeping, but that came flush off the glove. The worst part of it all though is that Ashwin called for the review immediately, not taking any advice from his team-mates. Stokes sweeps to the boundary off the last ball of the over.
Over 50 – England 106-5 (Stokes 12, Bairstow 15)
Bairstow offers up further encouragement that he has got over his little injury scare – which he seemed to pick up when stumbling while doing his warm-ups on his way out to the middle by scampering through for two off a flick down to long leg.
WELCOME TO DAY THREE
England with it all to do in this Test after a mini-collapse in the final session yesterday. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow are still around, and those who can remember Cape Town last year will know all is not quite lost, yet. But a deficit of 352 runs still, means it's India who are very much in the ascendancy on this Vizag surface that is now starting to break up.
England with it all to do in this Test after a mini-collapse in the final session yesterday. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow are still around, and those who can remember Cape Town last year will know all is not quite lost, yet. But a deficit of 352 runs still, means it's India who are very much in the ascendancy on this Vizag surface that is now starting to break up.
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