Key events
78th over: India 383-4 (Gill 143, Jadeja 59) Beautiful hitting from Gill, who swipes Root for successive sixes over midwicket and deep square. Even his big hit. He could look elegant playing Twister.
Gill’s match total of 412 is the fourth highest in Test history. I wonder how many of those 412 have come from false strokes. Twenty? Thirty? Few batters get as close to perfection as Gill has in this game.
77th over: India 369-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 58) On and on and on we go. Maybe Shubman’s a Longpigs fan.
76th over: India 367-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 57) Jadeja moves to fifty and beyond with consecutive fours off Root. India’s lead is 547, which means England would need the highest score to win any first-class match.
The record is held by West Zone, who scored 541 for 7 to beat South Zone in 2010.
“And a tremendous bit of information we’ve just received, Nass!” says Mike Atherton on Sky. “The losing captain in that game was Dinesh Karthik.”
Here’s the proof. I’m not doing justice to how funny that was, the sudden burst of joy in Athers’ voice as he realised one of his colleagues failed to defend 541.
75th over: India 358-4 (Gill 130, Jadeja 48)
74th over: India 351-4 (Gill 129, Jadeja 42) Root replaces Woakes, who bowled two overs of existential despair at a cost of 22.
Root is a bit more successful, spearing a couple of dot balls well wide of off stump. India’s lead is 531. They don’t need any more, they just want to melt the brains of England’s top order.
73rd over: India 347-4 (Gill 127, Jadeja 40) I missed another bit of record-breaking a few overs ago. India’s match total of 934 runs is their highest in any Test match, beating the 916 they scored in that fascinating Sydney decider against Australia in 2003-04. Here’s the list.
“I know it’s being precious, but do you, like me, get slightly irritated when you see a player so obviously in The Zone as Shubman Gill has been for all but his first hour at the crease on Wednesday?” writes Gary Naylor. “Sure it’s a privilege to watch, but the game isn’t supposed to be this easy. It fascinates us because it’s hard, really hard – but not for Gill, not this week. I feel strangely cheated.”
Gary, I adore you, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. But that thought has never entered my head before, nor shall it ever do so again. Shubman Gill is creating the highest art in industrial quantities and you feel cheated!
72nd over: India 341-4 (Gill 126, Jadeja 36) India have enough runs – they lead by 521 – so this is all about mental disintegration. The longer this goes on, the more I think England could malfunction spectacularly and lose tonight. Unless I’ve forgotten a game I liveblogged while half asleep at 4am, this team have literally never tried to bat for a draw.
71st over: India 337-4 (Gill 124, Jadeja 34) England’s understandable desire to protect their fast bowlers means Shoaib Bashir has had some extremely sour overs to bowl in the last few months. There was the third Test in New Zealand as well, when the home side led by something like 48,000 when they declared.
Gill sweeps him for four more to move to 393 runs in the match. I said to Steve Stone: before this series, some people thought he was a potential weak link!
“Hello Rob,” says Tim Sanders. “I think India might just be ensuring a half-decent rest for their bowlers, alongside applying a little of the Waughian psychology. Going too hard this afternoon and evening might set a higher target, but they might not want to risk losing wickets too soon, and prefer to accelerate in the evening session. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of recovery for weary legs and bodies. Stuart Broad, quoted in the 61st over, always seemed to appreciate it, prior to his move to the commentary box.”
Yes that’s a very good point. I suspect they also like the idea of England starting their innings later in the day. There’s something about mini-sessions in the evening that increases the pressure, plus the batters are often frazzled after a day in the field.
70th over: India 331-4 (Gill 119, Jadeja 33) Chris Woakes draws the short straw and is invited to bowl one of the more futile spells of his proud career. Gill belts 14 from his first three deliveries, the highlight an almost mishit six over long on.
After a couple of singles, Gill steals a second run off the last ball to make it 18 from the over. This is declaration batting.
69th over: India 313-4 (Gill 102, Jadeja 32) Shoaib Bashir continues after the break. Ravindra Jadeja, strokeless in the afternoon, belts his first ball of the evening session over long for six. And why not. India’s lead clicks up to 393.
Teatime reading
“I was thinking the opposite to Geoff Wignall (65th over),” says Robert Ellson. “Seems like India want to put a run-chase beyond even the Bazballers’ grasp, thereby forcing England into a defensive batting mode they are far from comfortable with. Doesn’t seem like the worst plan to me.”
Yas on the Wisden podcast has been advocating that approach – “to call England out on their bee ess”.
I love this England team with most of my heart, but if they try to win this game it’ll be an insult. Mind you, they literally haven’t tried to bat for a draw since the Sydney Test of 2021-22*, so don’t rule out a spectacular malfunction. This isn’t a computer game, you can’t just press a button for a different batting mode.
* Only three of that team are playing in this game: Crawley, Root and Stokes
Tea
68th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Jadeja (25 from 68 balls) plays out a maiden from Bashir to compete a slightly strange session in which India’s batting was less crescendo and more diminuendo. Still, they lead by 484 runs and their captain has just made history by becoming the first man to score a double century and a century in a Test against England.
Another century for Shubman Gill
67th over: India 304-4 (Gill 100, Jadeja 25) Gill works Bashir into the leg side, sprints down the other end and raises his arms in delight. This is about as good as batting gets: 269 in the first innings and now a 129-ball hundred in the second. Not just that, but he has been in almost total control throughout both knocks.
Sometimes, when you watch a brilliant performance, you don’t quite know how it will settle historically. But it’s probably safe to say that the start to Gill’s captaincy will be talked until the end of time, or at least the end of cricket.
66th over: India 302-4 (Gill 99, Jadeja 24) Gill drives Root gently to long on to move to 99. Root then gets one to spit violently out of the rough to Jadeja. Too wide to cause any trouble but, as Nasser Hussain points out on Sky, Jadeja will be spinning it into the left-handers from that same rough.
65th over: India 300-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 23) Jadeja turns Bashir off the pads for a single to bring up the 300. Gill has one ball to reach his hundred; he flicks it along the ground to midwicket.
“Why such mystification among the commentariat about the Indian approach?” says Geoff Wignall. “Surely they want England to believe they have a gettable target in the time available, to dissuade them from playing for the draw: not that they take much dissuading. So 500 in four sessions would sound about right.”
I’m not sure. If that’s the case, why not make it 530 in four-and-a-bit sessions, in case you need that bit to take the ninth and tenth wickets? That said, I’m certain this is part of India’s plan because Jadeja is nobody’s eejit. I’m just not sure what that plan is.
64th over: India 299-4 (Gill 98, Jadeja 22) “Given, as you say, the old ball’s done nowt this Test, surely the plan is to declare with 15 overs or so to bowl this evening?” says Nick Wilsher. “You get a second go with a new-ish ball and rested opening bowlers tomorrow morning, and a new ball early in tomorrow’s evening session if you need it. In which case, Jadeja diligently batting time makes complete sense. The runs are immaterial.”
Personally I wouldn’t go that far. You can still take wickets with the ageing ball, especially tailenders, so the more overs India have in the field the better. But I’m sure there is an element of mental disintegration about all this, with time rather than runs the disintegrator of choice on this occasoin.
63rd over: India 296-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 20) Bashir drops short and is cracked through the covers for four by Jadeja. That’s his first boundary from his 47th delivery. India lead by 476.
62nd over: India 289-4 (Gill 97, Jadeja 13) Joe Root replaces Stokes and is swept lazily over backward square for four by Gill, another beautiful shot. He steals a second run to move to 97, though he would probably have been out with a direct hit from Crawley in the deep.
61st over: India 281-4 (Gill 90, Jadeja 12) “I can’t understand this at all,” says Stuart Broad as Jadeja plays another immaculate forward defensive. “He’s playing as if India are behind in the game… England will be loving it.” It’s a maiden.
“There should be a good financial opportunity for Rishabh Pant,” writes John Starbuck. “All he needs to do is find a batmaker willing to take a cricket bat and adorn it with the picture of a flying (mammalian) bat, sit back and wait for the sponsorship money to roll in. They could call it a batbat.”
60th over: India 281-4 (Gill 90, Jadeja 12) Gill gives Stokes the charge and toe-ends the ball towards the vacant long-off region for two. Still no boundaries since the 53rd over but India have started to reduce their dot ball percentage. And Shubman Gill has moved stealthily into the nineties.
59th over: India 274-4 (Gill 85, Jadeja 10) Jadeja roars into double figures from his 32nd ball. Actually, that’s a bit cheap on my part: it’s Ravindra Jadeja, FHS, his brain is as sharp as almost any in the game. This must be part of the plan.
58th over: India 270-4 (Gill 84, Jadeja 7) Since Pant’s dismissal India have scored 33 from 11 overs, which isn’t quite the platonic ideal of declaration batting. If they win this partnership will become a footnote; if England are eight or nine down tomorrow evening, it’ll be used as a cautionary tale for future generations.
Jadejawatch: 7 from 30 balls now.
57th over: India 269-4 (Gill 83, Jadeja 7) It’s not immediately obvious what Jadeda is up to. He has 7 from 27 balls after playing some more immaculate forward defensives in that Bashir over. “It’s your own time you’re wasting,” says Mark Butcher on Sky. “As my teacher used to say.”
56th over: India 267-4 (Gill 82, Jadeja 6) Gill works Stokes to move past 350 runs in the match. That’s a record for India in Tests, beating Sunny Gavaskar’s 344 in Trinidad on the triumphant tour of West Indies in 1970-71. As I type he’s joint-14th on the list for any country, with the Moustachioed Department of Run-Making at the top. Graham Gooch, what a player, the end.
55th over: India 264-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 5) Gill gets outsaide the line to negate an LBW appeal when Bashir turns one sharply. The non-striker Ravindra Jadeja will have noted that, although at this stage it’s a once-every-ten-overs occurrence.
54th over: India 262-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 4) A maiden from Stokes to Gill. The old ball is doing nothing, so England should have a good chance of saving this game if they get through the first new ball. Should.
53rd over: India 262-4 (Gill 80, Jadeja 4) Thanks James. hello everyone. Shubman Gill moves closer to his third hundred of the series, and his third outside Asia in his career, by belting Bashir for four and six. The first was crashed down the ground, the second lifted handsomely over midwicket on the run.
When he’s in this form, Gill looks like he can do whatever he wants to a cricket ball. India lead by 442.
James Wallace
52nd over: India 249-4 (Gill 67, Jadeja 4) Stokes replaces Tongue with the latter in danger of going for a ton off just 15 or so overs. Stokes has a heavily packed leg-side field. Jadeja and Gill are content to pick off the singles. Time for a drink and for Rob Smyth to slip into the OBO armchair and bring you the rest of the day’s action. Bye!
51st over: India 246-4 (Gill 65, Jadeja 3) A single to Gill as he drives Bashir down the ground. The camera pans onto Jofra Archer on the boundary edge. He’ll be in for Lord’s. It’ll be some sight to see him and Bumrah in full flow in the same game.
50th over: India 245-4 (Gill 64, Jadeja 3) The lead stretches past 418 and so England will need to beat a Test record to win this one.
49th over: India 243-4 (Gill 63, Jadeja 2) A lull in proceedings as India accumulate steadily off Bashir.
48th over: India 237-4 (Gill 58, Jadeja 1) A lesser spotted maiden from Josh Tongue. Some respite after the dismissal of Pant.
47th over: India 237-4 (Gill 58, Jadeja 1) With the lead standing at 416 runs, Ravindra Jadeja strides to the crease. Gulp. The man with the best barnet in cricket (and the top ranked all-rounder in the world) nudges a single into the off side to open his account.
WICKET! Rishabh Pant c Duckett b Shoaib Bashir 65 (India 236-4)
Gone! Oh my word – Pant throws his bat again whilst trying to moose Bashir into the stratosphere! The ball loops to Ben Duckett in the deep and the bat travels nearly as far. Pant collects his bat from Brydon Carse on the way off, what an entertainer he is.
46th over: India 232-3 (Gill 58, Pant 61) Gill charges Josh Tongue and swats him down the ground for four. Gill is usually so aesthetically pleasing but there was a real woodcutter’s scythe.
45th over: India 228-3 (Gill 54, Pant 61) Bashir loops up a full toss and Pant sweeps for four with ease. That’s the 100 run partnership between this pair, in just 92 balls. England are starting to look weary, whatever happens in the rest of this match there will need to be some fresh faces (and limbs) injected onto the bowling line up for Lord’s.
44th over: India 224-3 (Gill 54, Pant 57) Rishabh Pant goes to his 16th Test fifty with a flick off his hips. He then opens his shoulders and bunts Tongue wide over mid-on for SIX. India’s lead is stretched beyond 400.
43rd over: India 215-3 (Gill 52, Pant 49) A single to each batter off Bashir. Some calm before the inevitable storm.
42nd over: India 212-3 (Gill 51, Pant 48) slams another one in short and once again Shubman Gill clobbers it for SIX with a nonchalant hook shot! England’s fielders resemble Brownian Motion but it doesn’t matter where they are if the ball is sailing into the stands. Tongue is now going at more than seven an over in this innings, his two wickets coming at a not insignificant price. Shot! Gill flat backs another short ball through mid on for four and goes to a half century. Yeh, he’s in decent nick.
ICYMI: Bad news for Sciver-Brunt and England
England women’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of their T20 series against India due to a left groin injury. The all-rounder was ruled out of Friday’s match with a groin injury that she sustained during the second match in Bristol and the ECB confirmed on Saturday she will be unavailable for selection ahead of the ODI series against India, which begins on 16 July.
41st over: India 199-3 (Gill 40, Pant 47) Bashir tosses one up wide of off stump, Pant shoulders arms and there is some slow but considerable turn. Ravi Jadeja will be looking at that with interest.
40th over: India 197-3 (Gill 39, Pant 46) Splat! Gill hooks Tongue for SIX and then pumps two consecutive fours to the off side fence. Ben Stokes is guilty of a mis-field to gift the second, he looks down at his finger accusingly, he might’ve hurt himself in the process, just what England need.
39th over: India 183-3 (Gill 25, Pant 46) A sign of things to come no doubt – Bashir starts the afternoon session with a drag down and Pant doesn’t miss out – scything square for four. England’s task will be much harder than Headingley, not only because the runs they’ll need will be much higher but also because they’ve will have spent much longer in the field by the time they do come out to bat. Did I mention I was up at 5am this morning. Much the same sort of situation I reckon.
Here come the players post lunch, India will look to bat this session and see where they are at. I know that’s the kind of searingly sharp analysis you are after. Give me a break I was up at 5am.
Lunch: India 177-3 (lead England by 357 runs)
An enthralling session comes to a close, India lost two wickets but put on 113 runs at 4.5 an over. The lead stands at 357. Pant and Gill will return after lunch to put their foot down and set England 500 or more before getting on with the task of bowling them out in a just over a day or so. England will chase whatever they are set and India know it.
There’s a fascinating situation brewing, time to grab a Kumar Sanger-kara and see you back here in half an hour.
38th over: India 177-3 (Gill 24, Pant 41)
37th over: India 173-3 (Gill 22, Pant 39) Bashir to Pant. Honours even. Pant hoicks a four over the leg side but the young spinner responds well, keeping Pant tied down with five dots.
36th over: India 169-3 (Gill 22, Pant 35) Josh Tongue bowls a tidy over, just a Pant single off it. Things quieten down with just over five minutes to go until lunch.
35th over: India 168-3 (Gill 22, Pant 34) A gnat’s eyebrow! That’s how close Shoaib Bashir has just come to bowling Pant as the pint sized pyro merchant misses a huge sweep across the line. Bashir gets out of the over well, for the cost of just three runs.
Meanwhile, down the road in Worcester, 14-year-old batting wunderkind Vaibhav Suryavanshi has just smashed a 52-ball hundred for India U19s against England U19s. What chance we might see the teenager in a Test this summer…?