England vs India - PROPER cricket - 1st Test

[tiger76]

Ton for Root. lead is 158, still need a few more though, India wasting their reviews.

[DesmondHaynes]

Root is on course to become England’s greatest ever batter.

[tiger76]

Root is on course to become England’s greatest ever batter.

This has certainly been one of his best ever knocks for England considering the state of the match when he came in.

Some fine names on this list, and he's got a fair way to go to pass Cookie's century toll.

[tiger76]

272/6. lead of 177. and new ball due, this could be a key phase of the contest.

Gripping test match whichever way it ultimately goes, just hope the weather doesn't spoil it, we deserve a tense finish after such a tough battle.

[DAVETHEVICAR]

Root gone to new ball
Fabulous innings from the skipper
Curran and now Robinson doing ok
Hope I have not put the mockers on as Curran just dropped

[tiger76]

Root gone for 109, 283/7, Sam Curran & Ollie Robinson at the crease, lead still only 188, so every run is precious now.

[ClaretTony]

Time for Buttler to go and Bairstowe to keep wicket and Hameed come in
Buttler good in one day but poor in 5 day tests

We don't want Bairstow behind the wicket. It's time for Buttler to get some red ball cricket. Absolute nonsense throwing him in like this.

[dandeclaret]

We don't want Bairstow behind the wicket. It's time for Buttler to get some red ball cricket. Absolute nonsense throwing him in like this.

Agreed…. Bairstow keeps like he’s wearing a lot of cymbals

[Vino blanco]

Bairstow is lucky to be in team. In my opinion, he is not a test match batsman. Very good in the white ball game, but not a red ball player.

[tiger76]

Sam Curran gone for a brisk 32, 295-8, lead exactly 200, if England could squeeze another 20-30 from these last 2 wickets it would help no end.

But we do at least have a game now, which after the first day and a half didn't look likely.

Broad goes 1st ball, over to Jimmy now.

[dandeclaret]

We don't want Bairstow behind the wicket. It's time for Buttler to get some red ball cricket. Absolute nonsense throwing him in like this.

Agreed…. Bairstow keeps like he’s wearing a pair of cymbals

[dandeclaret]

All out, India need 209 to win. England 10-20 short I reckon.

[tiger76]

All out, India need 209 to win. England 10-20 short I reckon.

Possibly! what will encourage England is the ball is swinging, and there's no greater exponent to him than Jimmy when that's the case.

However England will need an early wicket or two, we can't afford to allow their openers to build a partnership as they did 1st innings, otherwise the game will be gone.

Worth mentioning that if you take Root out of the England 2nd innings, the next highest score was Sam Curran with 32, so it's obviously not an easy track to score runs on.

Crucial session tonight, if England can nick 2 or 3 out they'll feel an awful lot better about their days work.

This is what makes test cricket so great all the various twists and turns over the 5 days, and white ball cricket simply can't deliver that.

[tiger76]

No joy for Jimmy & Co yet, India 34-0 in the 11th.

[tiger76]

Broad strikes, and boy did England need that. 34-1 Rahul out for 26.

[tiger76]

India's day 52-1 at stumps, and if the weather stays fair they should go on to victory tomorrow,

[Mondsley]

Can someone explain why 3rd man is now an obsolete position in test cricket? 12 of India's runs have gone through there. Apparently stats show that 38% of runs scored go through there. What is the point of analysts if we don't take any notice of them?? On a general note I am in very poor humour this evening following Clarets and Lions results!!

[ClaretTony]

This has certainly been one of his best ever knocks for England considering the state of the match when he came in.

Some fine names on this list, and he's got a fair way to go to pass Cookie's century toll.

Saw all but one of them (Hammond the exception) and you are right, some fine names, some real quality.

[tiger76]

Saw all but one of them (Hammond the exception) and you are right, some fine names, some real quality.

Indeed! CT, pity we couldn't clone them at their peak for our trip to Oz, that would be a formidable batting line-up.

You're a lucky man to have seen most of them play, and what's highlighted is some of the names not on that list.

Atherton
Botham
Compton
Dexter
Edrich
Gower
Hutton
Stewart
Vaughan

Are just a few who spring to my mind, however this might well be due to the lack of tests they all played compared to the modern era.

Hammond for example scored his 22 centuries in only 85 tests at an average of nearly 60, and that was playing on uncovered pitches, those numbers are ridiculous.

[ClaretTony]

The oldest two on that list that I saw were Ken Barrington and Colin Cowdrey.

Barrington was known for his slow patient approach to batting but Cowdrey was a superb player to watch. I'm not sure how Cowdrey would cope today, he wasn't the fittest looking of gentlemen and spent his time in the field standing at slip, and I mean standing. He was probably in the first test team I remember.

[DesmondHaynes]

Of those on the list, only Hammond has a better average than Root (I think).

[tiger76]

Shame! about this blessed rain, it could have been a great final day, and there is still hope as in theory they can play until 7.30, but the longer it goes the less likely any play seems.

England won't admit it, but of the 2 teams they'll probably be the happier if this final day is a washout, India would have fancied getting another 150 or so with 9 wickets still in hand I'd wager.

[tiger76]

Match abandoned as a draw, that ended as a damp squib didn't it, after a great 4 days of competitive hard fought test match cricket.

The pluses for England are runs for Root, and wickets for Anderson & Robinson, and Kohli didn't spend any time at the crease, however the worry is how fragile this England batting unit looks, and if Root doesn't make runs England will struggle to post any kind of score.

Anyway on to Lords now with everything to play for.