Key events
James Wallace
Here’s Ali Martin’s report on an enthralling day at Headingley. That’s my cue to say goodbye. Thanks for joining us, Rob will be back bright and bushy in the morning. Do you know something? I think it’ll be a big first session.
Ben Duckett has been doing some end of play media duties:
We couldn’t have done much more with the ball today. They could have got 600 plus so to bowl them out for under 500 we are pleased. We are in a good spot and if we win the first session tomorrow we are really in this game.”
On Jasprit Bumrah:
Going out there against the best bowler in the world, it wasn’t easy at times. He is world class. It is hard as an opener as he bowls so many different balls. I tried to play as late as I could but it is tricky. I enjoy that challenge, and getting through the new ball gives you good confidence.”
I feel like I am at the top of my game but I wouldn’t say I am near the best in the world. There is no dressing room I would rather be a part of and these are the best years of my life.”
On Ollie Pope:
I had goosebumps when he got his 100. He is such a big part of the dressing room. He didn’t need to do that but to go and do it, I take my hat off to him. I can’t wait to give him a hug.”
On England’s position in the game:
When a side get 471, the first innings is so important. We are in the game and this is a fast scoring ground. We need the first session tomorrow.”
Bumrah finishes with all three wickets and was backed up by Siraj who bowled aggressively for no reward. India’s attack does look heavily reliant on their star bowler though.
The day belongs to England and Ollie Pope. After reducing India to 471 all out when the visitors were well in command at 430-4 the home side finish 262 runs behind with seven wickets in hand. Moving day tomorrow, the game intriguingly poised.
Stumps – England 209-3 (trail India by 262)
Are you kidding me!
Harry Brook plays an absolute stinker of a hook shot and is CAUGHT OUT at short midwicket!
That is a complete brain fade of a shot to Bumrah in the last over of the da… IT’S A NO BALL! Bumrah has been over-stepping throughout this final over – elongating the tension beyond words – and he has done it again at the crucial moment! Brook was walking off forlornly only to be given a second chance. That’s a huge moment in this game and a big let off for Brook and England.
This is brilliant drama. Bumrah spears in a yorker and Brook slams his bat down just in time. One ball to come. You could cut the atmosphere with a spoon. Bumrah fizzes the ball past Harry Brook’s ear! How did that not take the glove?! Brook survives somehow and that is stumps.
What an enthralling day of Test match cricket.
49th over: England 209-3 (Pope 100, Brook 0)
48th over: England 206-3 (Pope 100, Brook 0) Jadeja rattles through an over in no time at all so that Jasprit Bumrah has time to bowl the last over of the day. Harry Brook will be on strike. Is there another twist before the close?
47th over: England 206-3 (Pope 100, Brook 0) There are ten minutes left in the day but Harry Brook strolls out, no nightwatchman in sight here. Headingley takes a deep breath.
Bumrah beats him with the first ball! Pressure now on for England and would you know it the clouds have rolled in. Bumrah looking to kick the doors in on this England innings. Brook defends and survives the over. Don’t go anywhere.
It wasn’t a great shot from Root you know, a bit of a nothing waft with no foot movement. He’ll be livid to let India in before the close when England looked so comfortable.
WICKET! Joe Root c Nair b Bumrah 28 (England 206-3)
GONE! Root edges Bumrah to slip the very next ball. A loose shot and India strike back!
100 for Ollie Pope!
Root nudges a single off the returning Bumrah to bring Pope on strike. Is this the moment? YES IT IS! A squirt into the leg side sees OLLIE POPE GO TO HIS NINTH TEST HUNDRED! He punches the air and soaks in the applause. Pressure, what pressure. That’s a top knock.
46th over: England 204-2 (Pope 99, Root 27) Pope drives Jadeja for a single to the off side boundary rider. Root returns the favour to get Pope back on strike. Jadeja just slows things down, making Pope wait. Dot ball. Single to third. 99 for Pope… but Root pilfers the strike off him with a single off the last ball of the over. Joseph!
45th over: England 200-2 (Pope 97, Root 25) It’s a change of ends for Tnakur. Pope gets his Robin Smith on and rasps a square cut away for four! He’s on 95 now. We might see some tub-thumping celebrations from England’s number three here, he’s delivered when his side needed him and under some very real scrutiny. We might see a nod up to Ben Stokes who has backed his man vociferously. Four leg byes and a no ball from Thakur, he’s been off the mark so far. 200 comes up for England, for the loss of two wickets. Dignified applause echoes arroud Headingley. I’m serious!
Pope is one shot away. Fire up Gimme Shelter again why don’t you.
44th over: England 188-2 (Pope 91, Root 24) Jadeja replaces Thakur who failed to deliver on the clamour. Root glides a single to third and Pope clips a single to the man at ‘45. Blink and miss it, that’s the over.
43rd over: England 186-2 (Pope 90, Root 23) Careful! Pope makes a late decision to attempt an upper cut off Krishna but doesn’t connect. Shot! Krishna goes short again and Pope swivels a pull away for four to go to 90…
42nd over: England 181-2 (Pope 86, Root 22) Shot! Root plays a delicious late cut off Thakur for four. That brings up the fifty partnership too. Root clips off his pad and puts on the after-burners to come back for two. It was a front foot no ball too. Another single to Root, nine runs pocketed off the over.
41st over: England 172-2 (Pope 85, Root 17) Pope cuts Krishna away fine for four, that was a classy shot, full of confidence. Krishna follows up with a steepling bouncer that Pant does well to cling on to high above his head. England’s session at the moment with just the loss of Duckett but a couple of quick ones before the close will see India roar back. Don’t go anywhere basically.
40th over: England 165-2 (Pope 80, Root 16) Thakur needs a bit of WD40, he seems a bit creaky and distinctly medium paced as he rolls in from the Rugby Stand End. Ollie Pope moves to 80 with a drive square that Jadeja can’t cut off with his size tens. The Western Terrace enjoyed that bit of village level cricket from on of the world’s best fielders. He’s dropped a catch today too. I’ll get off his case now.
39th over: England 157-2 (Pope 74, Root 13) Pope is busy, pulling and cutting, accumulating runs on both sides of the wicket. Some slightly dodgy running as the pair in the middle seem to mishear each other but all fine in the end. Root has settled into his work after that flibberty-jibberty start. Oh look – here comes Shardul Thakur for his first bowl in the match.
38th over: England 152-2 (Pope 69, Root 13) Siraj continues after a slurp, he’s as wholehearted as ever, sprinting in and scurrying to do his own fielding. Root clips for two and Pope pulls with control for a single. Headingley bathed in evening sunshine, England chipping away and India on the hunt.
37th over: England 147-2 (Pope 67, Root 10) Root drives compactly but not overly sweetly for three runs down the ground. Krishna then swoops to do some nifty fielding in his follow through and hurls the ball with Root momentarily out of his ground. Plenty of jeers inside the ground as the ball hits Root but the apology is offered and Root isn’t mithered. Time for a drink.
36th over: England 143-2 (Pope 66, Root 7) Siraj thunders in and nearly blows a vein shaped gasket as Pope scampers a quick single and the shy at the stump is not backed up. BUZZERS! Bonus run to Pope and England. Où est Shardul?
35th over: England 141-2 (Pope 64, Root 7) Prasidh Krishna replaces Bumrah at the Kirkstall Lane end. A good portion of Headingley breathes a sigh of relief. Still no sign of Shardul Thakur as of yet, he can sometimes have something of a golden arm… it’s a mystery as Roy Orbison crooned. Pope tucks for two to keep England ticking.
34th over: England 138-2 (Pope 62, Root 7) Paul Reiffel gives Joe Root out lbw to Siraj but it is overturned on review! Scenes at Headingley and huge cheers as Root survives and Reiffel has to do a reverse-ferret. It was missing by a stump and a half tbf but India thought they had their man and celebrated accordingly. Another top over from Siraj mind.
33rd over: England 137-2 (Pope 61, Root 7) Bumrah targets Pope’s pads but the Surrey man plays straight and pinches a single to mid on. Beaten! Bumrah rips one through Root but it turns out to be a front foot no ball. It’s been a sketchy start from Root so far, he’s been unsure waht to play and what to leave. An inside edge brings some respite as a single is squirted to square leg.
32nd over: England 133-2 (Pope 60, Root 5) Root whips Siraj off his pads for four but the bowler straightens up and jags one past the outside edge next ball. It’s intense can’t take yer peelers off it cricket right now. Root sees out the over playing watchfully and wonderfully late. On we go, Bumrah coming back for a fifth over on the spin.
31st over: England 129-2 (Pope 60, Root 1) Bumrah into his fourth on the spin, he arrows one into Root’s pad in an attempt to pin the livin’ ledge lbw. Too straight next ball and Root clips away fine for a single to get off the mark. Bumrah is full to Pope and would have been in business for a lbw but for a late inside edge. DROP! Pope is shelled by Jaiswal at a wide second slip. Tough chance diving away to his right but should’ve been taken. Pope survives but chastises himself for the loosey goosey waft.
30th over: England 127-2 (Pope 59, Root 0)Pope chops the returning Siraj backward of point for a single. Root is beaten again by a ball that zips around fourth stump. India would be in raptures if they get the local lad early. And again! Root fences slightly at a good length ball but connects only with fresh air. Brilliant over by Siraj but the edge remained elusive.
29th over: England 126-2 (Pope 58, Root 0) Root has a fiddle at his second ball and is extremely lucky not to nick off! The intensity has ramped up a good few notches now after the Duckett wicket.
WICKET! Ben Duckett b Bumrah 62 (England 126-2)
Pope gets a tickle on a leg-side lifter from Bumrah, the ball flies about two feet wide of the diving Pant and away for four. A genuine nick off the next ball lands short of the cordon and they take one.
Bowled’im! Duckett tries an expansive drive to Bumrah but chops onto his middle stump! A typically pugilistic innings comes to a close and India prise the door open. Here comes JOE ROOOOOOT!
28th over: England 121-1 (Duckett 62, Pope 53) Duckett tries the reverse-sweep once again to Jadeja and this time he gets it cleanly, the ball scurries away for four into the gap behind square. Hearty cheers go up around Headingley.
27th over: England 117-1 (Duckett 58, Pope 53) Another Bumrah over negotiated and three runs collected by England and more specifically, Ben Duckett.
26th over: England 115-1 (Duckett 55, Pope 53) Duckett attempts a reverse-sweep, misses and nearly loses his leg pole. Sun beating down now at Headingley, optimum batting conditions, the pitch still looks flat and supposedly gets flatter on day three. No you stop it.
25th over: England 113-1 (Duckett 54, Pope 53) Pope steers Bumrah through the vacant gully – quite deliberately – to pick up four and reach fifty. He’ll feel prettay good right now. You know that Groucho Marx quote – “no one is completely unhappy at the failure of their best friend” well Crawley fell for not many and Pope is out there scrapping it out. Getting it done. Jacob Bethell is the ghost at the feast and very much waiting in the wings.
Righto. We go again. The players emerge after tea.
Tea – England 107-1 (trail India by 364)
24th over: England 107-1 (Duckett 53, Pope 48) Jadeja whirls through a maiden but England survive. They trail by a Len Hutton big one (364) but have nine wickets in hand after only suffering the loss of Zak Crawley in the afternoon session. They’ve also taken a decent chunk out of the India total and at a fair old lick – 4.47 runs per over. BIG SESSION this evening.
23rd over: England 107-1 (Duckett 53, Pope 48) Bumrah is negotiated by Pope and Duckett, both batters clip a single and keep the scoreboard ticking. There will be one more over before the tea break. It’s been a fascinating session.
22nd over: England 105-1 (Duckett 52, Pope 47) Duckett sweeps Jadeja for four to bring up a 14th Test fifty and the hundred partnership. England doing well but here comes Jasprit Bumrah for a short burst before tea.
21st over: England 99-1 (Duckett 47, Pope 46) Siraj bowls himself off his feet looking for the breakthrough, face full of dirt for his troubles. Pope gets an inside edge and scampers a run into the leg side. It’s been a good spell this from Siraj before tea, he’s asking plenty of questions. Proper criggit.
20th over: England 96-1 (Duckett 46, Pope 45) Jadeja drops short and is flat batted away by Pope through the off side. Four runs. England approaching their hundred and these two batters closing in on well made half centuries.
19th over: England 91-1 (Duckett 46, Pope 40) Siraj beats Duckett with a snorter that pitches straight and moves late. Duckett holds the defensive shot and gives the bowler a smile and a nod of approval. And again! Duckett is beaten but crucially he didn’t lunge at the ball, his compactness saved him there. Testing over from Siraj. Twenty minutes til tea.
18th over: England 89-1 (Duckett 45, Pope 39) Here’s some spin for India. Jadeja from over the wicket with a slip and leg slip in place. He rattles through his over at warp speed as is his wont. Darting the ball rather than flighting it. Pope and Duckett pick and flick, three singles off it.
17th over: England 86-1 (Duckett 43, Pope 38) The sun is beginning to burn through again here at Headingley. Siraj whistles through another over, full and straight, two singles and a brace to Ollie Pope collected.
John Starbuck is in the mood:
“Jim, if England can get to the close of play more than halfway behind, they’ll probably see the positive side. Confidence is everything!”
But you haven’t mentioned the one crucial factor John old boy – wickets! Half way there with only a couple in the hutch is a good position. Any more than four down and advantage India I reckon.
16th over: England 82-1 (Duckett 42, Pope 35) Top batting from Ben Duckett. He pulls Krishna away through midwicket and after much tinkering with the field from Gill then finds the gap left at extra cover for the second boundary of the over. He’s such a little disruptor, bet he was a nightmare in class.
15th over: England 72-1 (Duckett 34, Pope 33) Pope survives a tight lbw shout from Siraj! It was a bail trimmer but the umpire said not out and so it stays that way on review. Something something the barest of margins. Siraj gives it the big one with the next ball after Pope misses another but this one was heading down leg and Gill doesn’t call for the review. Breaking news: Mo Siraj has got his dander up.
14th over: England 71-1 (Duckett 34, Pope 32) Krishna continues after drinks. The intensity has dipped slightly, like the school playground when the bully is inside doing extra spellings.
13th over: England 67-1 (Duckett 30, Pope 32) The players take drinks after Siraj’s latest. Duckett plays and misses at the last ball. Have a Tizer and settle down lad.
England ticking along at over five an over despite the early loss of Zak Crawley. Tea will be taken between 16:50 – 17:10 and the final session will go from 17:10 – 18:43.
Plenty of cricket left to be played today and it looks like the rain is staying away. Penny for your thoughts on a potential close of play position?
12th over: England 65-1 (Duckett 29, Pope 31) Pope drives elegantly for four off Krishna and picks up a bonus boundary as Bumrah lets a ball through his legs whilst sweeping up. The crowd emit a loud cheer/jeer. Don’t rile him up then!
11th over: England 56-1 (Duckett 28, Pope 23) The clouds have lifted a bit at Headingley and this pair have settled into their work. Two singles off Siraj. Positively sedate out there now. Still searingly tropical in the press box, FYI.
10th over: England 54-1 (Duckett 27, Pope 22) Duckett pounces on a short ball from Krishna and pulls it away over the leg side for four. Will Bumrah be back for another? Nope, he’s been given a breather by Gill and so have England. Siraj to bowl next with a change of ends. And Breathe. But not too deeply. Fifty up for England.
9th over: England 47-1 (Duckett 20, Pope 22) Shot! Duckett drives Bumrah on the up for four. There’s that straight bat! I’m harping on aren’t I?
8th over: England 41-1 (Duckett 16, Pope 20) Prasidh Krishna replace Siraj and Pope and Duckett have a look, for the moment. Two singles off it.
GOOD NEWS: Jofra Archer is set for a long-awaited return to first-class cricket in Sussex’s County Championship clash at Durham. The England fast bowler’s appearance in the Division One fixture at the Banks Homes Riverside, starting on Sunday, will be his first red-ball outing in more than four years following a litany of injuries. He was surprisingly absent when Sussex announced a 12-strong squad to travel to Chester-le-Street on their website, raising concerns the 30-year-old had suffered another frustrating injury setback. But the England and Wales Cricket Board later clarified Archer was among Sussex’s contingent for the contest.
England would love to have him play a part in this series. A Lord’s return is being mooted. Wouldn’t that be something.
7th over: England 39-1 (Duckett 15, Pope 19) DROP! Blow me down with a rhubarb leaf. Jadeja spills a regulation chance at backward point! Duckett slaps the final ball of the over in the air straight and it goes in the hands and straight back out again. Jadeja and India can’t believe it. Duckett is one lucky boy.
6th over: England 39-1 (Duckett 15, Pope 19) The crowd are fully engrossed in the contest, not a beer snake in sight. Siraj pounds in from the Rugby end, four dots in a row as he targets Pope’s off stump. Too straight and whipped for four by Pope. He middled that one.
Gah! Don’t do that! Pope throws his hands at a wide one and plays an ugly stroke that he would be mortified to get out to. No foot movement and just a waft. You know that line in The Departed where Ray Winstone’s character tells Leonardo Di Caprio’s (in a ropey Boston accent) that “There are people you can hit and there are people you can’t hit..”
Well there are ways to get out (nicking an unplayable Bumrah snorter say) and there are ways to not get out (tamely poking a Siraj wide ball to point). Capiche?
It’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away!
5th over: England 35-1 (Duckett 15, Pope 15) Pope edges Bumrah with a twisted blade and nearly suffers the exact same fate as Zak Crawley! He’s a lucky lad as the edge bisects third slip and gully at chest height and flies away for four. Play straight! Yes I sound about ninety years old. Eeeesht. Duckett steps away and flays off the back foot, the ball squirts through the cordon for another four but England are well on truly on the rocks here against Jasprit Bumrah.
4th over: England 24-1 (Duckett 11, Pope 8) “Bumrah must be literally licking his lips at the prospect of bowling at some nervous English lads on a juiced-up wicket under heavy skies…AT HEADINGLEY!” emails Jeremy Boyce.
“Can there be a better Test ground in England to bowl quick stuff when it’s “doing something”? What’s the forecast for the rest of the afternoon ?Apart from wickets…”
It has brightened up at Headingley but the rain hasn’t diluted the atmospheric pressure. If I may get my Schafernacker on. You get my drift. It’s muggy as mate. Certainly the trickiest conditions to bat so far in the match but the pitch is still an absolute belter. Ben Duckett proves it with a punch through mid-off and a late cut past point to pick up two boundaries off Siraj.
3rd over: England 14-1 (Duckett 1, Pope 8) Bumrah sends down a searing yorker to Pope and it pins him on the toe. There’s a huge appeal, arms akimbo in the air from bowler, keeper and cordon. Not out say the umpire but India fancy it and send it upstairs. NOT OUT! The ball pitched outside the line of leg stump by a gnat’s eyebrow and so India lose a review and Pope survives. Another probing over from the man with the bullwhip arm, every ball an event. Test match cricket at its finest.
2nd over: England 13-1 (Duckett 1, Pope 8) Duckett clips a single to leg to get off the mark. Pope then opens his account with a four through midwicket to a straight ball, that’s what Crawley was trying to do but Pope did’t turn the bat so much. Pope then picks up four more with a glide wide of point with velveteen hands.
