India v England: first Test, day two – live | England in India 2024
Key events
109th over: India 406-7 (Jadeja 80, Axar 21) With his final ball of the over, a beauty of a googly, as Rehan goes straight through Axar, who plays and misses, though the ball falls out of Foakes’s gloves. The commentators wonder if his position is slightly wrong behind the stumps, hasn’t yet adjusted to India where keepers need to be more agile.
108th over: India 405-7 (Jadeja 79, Axar 21) A super take by Foakes as Leach drifts legside, as the teams play out the final overs of the day. The ground slowly emptying now.
107th over: India 403-7 (Jadeja 78, Axar 20) Rehan, a full toss, and Jadeja dances into a one legged drive and sends it singing to the rope, to take India past 400. The last ball is a grubber that barely lifts off the ground – Axar and Jadeja have a good laugh at that.
Some final Tom Hartley’s to throw in the pot: Herbert Lom (Mark Hooper); Tim Woodward (Stuart Silvers); Michael Knowles (David Brown); Peter Davidson (Andy Richards).
106th over: India 399-7 (Jadeja 74, Axar 20) A slightly hobbling Bairstow prevents a boundary from an Axar drive, but he seems ok as he struts back to position chewing down on his gum.
105th over: India 396-7 (Jadeja 73, Axar 18) Axar has had enough of dab, dab, dab, drops down to his knees and slams Rehan for four. The lead reaches the magic 150.
104th over: India 392-7 (Jadeja 73, Axar 14) I got it wrong, nine overs still left today. Leach back again, the commentators wonder on his short spells, is he under the weather? A tired looking Stokes moves fielders around. Leach wheels through another. One from the over.
103rd over: India 390-7 (Jadeja 73, Axar 12) Rehan is back, lots of encouragement from his teammates. In the crowd little children in coloured caps watch intently – which is impressive in the quietness at the end of a long day.
102nd over: India 390-7 (Jadeja 73, Axar 12) A weary Wood presses on, England still need to bowl another ten overs. I learn that Jadeja’s average pre 2018 is 31, post 2019 44. He prods the ground and lets Wood pass him by.
VAnessa is back, “Just as I had given up, you had to put Tom Hartley’s photo up! It’s him, it’s him to a T, that actor, you know….whatsisname?
“Oh deary me. Off for a soothing cuppa. Thanks anyway, one and all.”
Vanessa, don’t go, Sam Smith has more, “Dennis Price, Charles Boyer and Herbert Lom. I really should be doing some work but this is now infuriating!”
101st over: India 388-7 (Jadeja 71, Axar 12) Root, again, weary. As the television throws up a list of England’s Test averages in the second innings. Joe Root leads the way with 44, Duckett the only other one over 40.
100th over: India 387-7 (Jadeja 69, Axar 12) Must be a bit lonely for Wood without any of his fast bowling buddies to chew the fat with. I miss Stuart Broad dishing out advice. Axar Patel blocks out a 90mph yorker.
Kat Petersen licks her lips“Nachos in toffee sauce!!! (These exclamation marks are firmly of the “yes please, I need this in my life” variety.)
“Please tell me more. Did they come with ice cream? Pickled jalapeños? I feel like either or both of those would work. Might give up on the cricket altogether and go to the shop.”
They were deep fried and came with vegan ice cream. My friend and I shared a bowl and felt a bit dirty afterwards.
99th over: India 386-7 (Jadeja 69, Axar 12) A dab for one off Root for Jadeja as we reach the slow accumulation stage. The lead 140, not long left in the day.
”As per my streaming device, there’s roughly 80 million watching the Test online in India currently. There’s still hope for the real format. Completely with the minimum 3 test rule also.” Thank you Ayan Chakrabarti. And wow!
98th over: India 385-7 (Jadeja 68, Axar 12) Huge effort from Wood, a couple zanged into the pitch, and four leg byes.
Writes Ian Sargeant. “I know what Peter Bowles, Bernard Hepton (Secret Army was fantastic), Charles Dance, Nigel Havers, Simon Cadell et al look like. As someone without access to TNT sports can we have a picture of Tom Hartley as I haven’t a clue what he looks like?” Ah good point.
“Would I be close with Christopher Timothy (all creatures great and small?)“
Not bad. We need Tom Hartley’s parents on here. Though probably proudly watching their boy in person and rightly nowhere near the OBO.
97th over: India 378-7 (Jadeja 66, Axar 11) Anderson getting huge roars from the crowd when he appears on the big screen. He does look astoundingly good, I’d like some of whatever he’s taking, though worried it might take quite a lot of work in the gym. And he probably wouldnt have eaten the nachos in toffee sauce that I had in a pub in Glossop last night.
Root loops through another over.
96th over: India 375-7 (Jadeja 63, Axar 10) Time for Mark Wood. Joe Root gives him a pep talk. Jimmy Anderson, with a good dose of what looks like 1980s sun-in in his hair, watches from the boundary edge in florescent bib. Wood runs in a full tilt – a couple of singles.
Vanessa, I think we’re running out of options here.
Simon Reid-Kay offers a young Charles Dance.
And Andrew Benton, Terry Thomas:
95th over: India 373-7 (Jadeja 63, Axar 9) Root again. Hope he doesn’t have to come in this evening with half an hour to spare. His third ball is driven, with huge stride, and great panache, through the covers by Axar for four.
Hello Martin Fisher. “Ah, England back out on tour in India. The perfect excuse on a slow Friday morning to dig out Rob’s brilliant article looking back incredulously at England’s shambolic 1993 tour. The bad old good old days – what a time to be an England supporter! Gets funnier every time i revisit it, Rob Smyth I salute you!”
Agreed! Such a great read.
94th over: India 367-7 (Jadeja 62, Axar 4) Four byes, as Leach sends one leg side and neither Jadeja, nor Foakes can get anything on it. And we take drinks for the final time today, with the Indian lead 110.
93rd over: India 362-7 (Jadeja 61, Axar 4) Axar Patel blocks out an over of Root. Consecutive maidens – but does Jadeja feel pressure?
Hive mind not working. “Sorry no, head in hands,” writes Vanessa Edwards “1960s maybe? I’m older than I realise. This actor is sooo Hartley that I’ve even checked Tom’s parentage and grandparentage.”
How about this then, from Joseph Hutchinson. “Is it Bernard Hepton (who played Toby Esterhase in the 1970s adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)?”
92nd over: India 362-7 (Jadeja 61, Axar 4) Another Leach maiden, his sixth.
91st over: India 362-7 (Jadeja 61, Axar 4) After that dog’s-breakfast of a wicket, Axar Patel hoofs the ball through cover. Rehan Ahmed performs a spectacular bit of fielding on the boundary, but four is called after his hand appears to brush the rope.
WICKET! Ashwin run out (Hartley) 1 (India 358-7)
Complete balls-up by India, as Ashwin pokes the ball into the covers and both players end up at the same end, while Foakes collects the ball from the sardonic, raised eyebrowed, aristocrat, and whips off the bails.
90th over: India 357-6 (Jadeja 60, Ashwin 1) A quiet maiden from Leach
A couple of votes for Peter Bowles, from Prakash Anand, Chris Goater and
89th over: India 357-6 (Jadeja 60, Ashwin 1) Bharat just has time to crack Root over long on for four before being sent on his way after falling about like a scrambled egg. The lead now 111. Time for some Wood?
WICKET! Bharat lbw Root 41 (India 356-6)
Bharat reviews but it is a a ripping spinner that hits him on the back thigh as he drops for the slog-sweep. Umpire’s call and he must march off, which he does with a roar of frustration. The Root smile returns.
88th over: India 352-5 (Jadeja 60, Bharat 37) Leach is back, and beats Bharat’s outside edge. We wait while Stokes rejigs the field for Jadeja. A handful of singles.
Hello Brian Withington! “Based on the ferocity of appeals and subsequent rueful desolation, I’m guessing England could comfortably get through three reviews each and every session. Ben Foakes may be a very fine glove man but I fear he is an even worse judge of an LBW than Stuart Broad in his celebrappealing pomp. High praise indeed?”
87th over: India 349-5 (Jadeja 59, Bharat 35) Some pretty balls from Root, but three taken from it
Vanessa, Colum Farrelly suggests Anthony Valentine?
86th over: India 346-5 (Jadeja 58, Bharat 33) Hartley/Peter Egan/ Anthony Andrews/Patrick Malahide/Simon Cadell/Peter Egan takes the new ball at the other end. Three from it. The lead stretches to 100.
And I’m afraid, Vanessa still isn’t satisfied. “Good guesses, but no banana, Think sardonic, raised eyebrow, receding hairline, Upper class type….”
The new ball is taken
85th over: India 343-5 (Jadeja 58, Bharat 30) Joe Root takes the new ball from the pavilion end. And the second ball, a full toss, gets driven for four by Jadeja. “It has slipped because of the laquer on the new ball,” says KP.
An email from showbizguru: “My man on the ground ( my son ) reports still no bottled water on sale or suncream allowed in the ground but there are more soft drinks sellers around since yesterday. He’s yearning for those halcyon days of being ripped off at English cricket grounds.” Ouch. I don’t know what’s worse, no suncream, or no water. Has he tried the sweetcorn?
84th over: India 339-5 (Jadeja 54, Bharat 30) A slightly weary plod to Rehan’s step now, 19 overs, one for 95. Some energetic fielding by Bairstow.
83rd over: India 336-5 (Jadeja 52, Bharat 29) The ecstatic crowd get what they want, the Jadeja sword swing, as he reaches fifty with a tight single and an overthrow.
Briefly departing from Tom Hartley’s lookalike, Kit Sedgwick has news “From inside the Rajiv Gandhi stadium I can report that the tempting-looking cups of mango ice cream are, in fact, little cups of sweetcorn. I know. We were disappointed, too.” No!!!!
82nd over: India 333-5 (Jadeja 49, Bharat 29) Bharat milks ten from the over, as Rehan sends a couple of very short ones down.
81st over: India 323-5 (Jadeja 49, Bharat 19) At last it seems as if Root has got his lbw, but Jadeja replays immediately and the replay shows bat onto pad. The crowd, on tenterhooks for the Jadeja fifty, roar with glee. Root not very amused.
And three votes for Patrick Malahide, from Will Symonds, Christopher Elphick and John Starbuck
80th over: India 322-5 (Jadeja 49, Bharat 18) Just one off Rehan, and that’s the new ball available, if England fancy it.
79th over: India 321-5 (Jadeja 49, Bharat 17) Bharat slaps Root for four, another close lbw shout, but no cigar.
John in Brisbane, suggests Nigel Havers, start of 1980s classic The Charmer, as “the one who came into my mind first”
78th over: India 314-5 (Jadeja 49, Bharat 10) Rehan at the other end, four casually pocketed, including two off the last ball which again bounced unexpectedly.
And another great Tom Hartley guess, this time fromRupert Moffatt.
“I think I’ve guessed it – Hi-de-Hi! And Tales of the Unexpected star, Simon Cadell. He was a friend of my father’s and lived close by, and I remember him from when I was very young.”
Evening session – India lead by 63 runs
77th over: India 310-5 (Jadeja 45, Bharat 9) A roar of an appeal from Root, though I’m too busy trying to curate a picture of Peter Egan to catch it. Not out anyway. The second new ball is due in three overs.
Happy Republic day to everyone in India, a national holiday, which helps explain why there is such a great crowd in.
Back to Tom Hartley. Two offers from the office, where John Windmill suggests a young Anthony Andrews
And Stuart Goodwin, Peter Egan
While I go and grab a coffee, and England regroup, a mystery for the OBO to solve.
“Does anyone know the name of the English posh character actor, probably from TV series in the 1970s or 1980s, who closely resembles Tom Hartley?” asks Vanessa Edwards. “It’s driving me spare, and googling has failed to supply the answer.”
76th over: India 309-5 (Jadeja 45, Bharat 9) Jadeja fires Rehan’s first ball past short fine leg for four. Stokes decides to draw Bairstow in at silly point, who tucks his folded cap in his waistband and pulls on a helmet. Three close fielders now. Oooof, one bounces suddenly from nowhere, Bharat survives. And that’s tea.
75th over: India 304-5 (Jadeja 40, Bharat 9) Root really getting into his stride with his appeals, a double-handed crouch for an lbw against Bharat, but there’s a tickle of a bat. And another maiden rolls by. One over left before tea, I think.
John Starbuck, it’s been a while. Hello!
“Hi. It looks as if the omission of record-holder Anderson for this game might have been the wrong decision. Of course, they might be, somewhat clumsily, trying to ease him out, but you’d have thought that two and a half spinners and two seamers would be a better balance on any pitch.” It was certainly a brave decision. I’m wondering if he wasn’t quite in the groove?
74th over: India 304-5 (Jadeja 40, Bharat 9) Rehan returns, with one of those severe teenage boys fringes, and whistles through a maiden in about 60 seconds.
73rd over: India 304-5 (Jadeja 40, Bharat 9) Root, who has recovered his equilibrium, sends down five dots, before Jadeja picks up a quick single. Outside my window, a blackbird chortles a song.
72nd over: India 303-5 (Jadeja 39, Bharat 9) Huge effort from Wood to fire a couple of balls half way down the pitch, the last barely passes Bharat’s head as he drops to a crouch.
71st over: India 300-5 (Jadeja 37, Bharat 8) As Root takes over, for his ninth over of the day, do send me your thoughts on the match, or life in general, on [email protected] . Ooooh, what’s that, a drop I think, no , an outside edge that loops up off Jadeja and bounces just in front of the diving Leach at backward point , and hits him in the throat and he lands on his tummy. Root hides his head in hand. And then another cracking ball, Bharat pushes forward and ball bounds to short leg. Not out says umpire Reiffel. Root is uncharacteristically deeply pisssed off, and stalks off, covering his face with his cap. Though ultra-edge also says, not out.
70th over: India 298-5 (Jadeja 36, Bharat 7) The camera homes in on the crease, where the pitch looks on the dusty side of dry. Wood screams a couple of balls in at 91mph, three singles off the over.
69th over: India 295-5 (Jadeja 35, Bharat 5) A really good looking crowd watches intently, though things have calmed down since Rob left – good of India to keep him awake by thrashing England around the park. A tray-carrying salesman tempts punters with some delicious looking mango ice-cream (?) in little cups. Just a single off Leach, with half an hour till tea.
68th over: India 294-5 (Jadeja 35, Bharat 4) Stokes turns to his pace card, who throws himself into proceedings with typical gusto . A big lbw appeal, but it would have screamed past stump, and a delivery from very wide of the stump that ends with Wood tripping over in his follow-through. The commentators think they can sniff reverse-swing.
67th over: India 292-5 (Jadeja 35, Bharat 3) Hartley continues, shirt untucked, Leach like. Though actually he’s so tall, his shirt might not actually tuck into his trousers. Just a miserly one off the over, as India take a breath.
“Good morning Tanya.” Hello Krishnamoorthy V!
“What do you reckon is a daunting score for England to survive in their 2nd innings?
“And, let us stretch this game a little longer, what will be a difficult score to chase in the 4th innings (Straight face)“
You’ve got to add Bazball to a Hyderabad pitch, take away this and that, throw in a pinch of salt and a touch of Ashwin…. if India get a lead of 150, England are in big trouble. (Lead currently 46)
66th over: India 291-5 (Jadeja 34, Bharat 3) Huge appeal by England for a caught behind against Bharat, but the umpire says no, and England have burned through all their reviews, so that’s that. And actually, in the end, ultra-edge shows no zig-zag line. And another Leach maiden. The fightback starts here. Maybe.