India v England, third Test, day two as it happened – Ben Duckett hits rapid century and Ravi Ashwin bags 500th wicket
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Updated 16/02/2024 at 11:54 GMT
Re-live our live text coverage of the third Test between India and England at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. England captain Ben Stokes, leading the team once more in his 100th Test match, watched on as Ben Duckett gave England a chance of achieving first-innings parity. You can watch all of the action from the third Test live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
England's Ben Duckett celebrates after scoring a century
Image credit: Getty Images
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The story of day two in Rajkot
- England reach 207-2 at six-an-over but still trail by 238
- Ben Duckett scores brilliant 133* from 118 balls
- Ravichandran Ashwin reaches 500-wicket landmark
Bazball has truly arrived in this series, with England ending day two of the third Test on 207-2, and with Ben Duckett set to resume on 133* after hitting a brilliant century.
Duckett’s 133 runs have come off just 118 balls, featuring 21 fours and two sixes, with England rattling along at almost six runs an over and give a high-quality India attack all sorts of problems.
Zak Crawley (15) and Ollie Pope (39) were the two wickets to fall for England, with Ravichandran getting Crawley to make history with his 500th wicket in Test cricket, becoming only the ninth bowler to do so.
Ashwin also played a decent part with the bat earlier in the day as India got up to 445 in their first innings, meaning that they still lead by 238 despite being put to the sword by England in the evening session.
England started the day with a bang, taking two early wickets to give hope of wrapping up India’s innings quickly
James Anderson had the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav caught behind for the first dismissal of the day.
And centurion Ravindra Jadeja was unable to start again as he chipped a catch straight back to Joe Root.
But India ground out the runs in the remainder of an attritional morning session, as Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel ensured India went beyond 400.
Two bad drops after lunch didn’t prove hugely expensive for England, but a late flurry from Jasprit Bumrah (26 from 28 balls) lifted India up to 445 all out – a decent total, especially having been 33-3 early on.
All five England bowlers took wickets in the innings, with Mark Wood ending with figures of 4-114 and Rehan Ahmed bagging 2-85. Tom Hartley bowled tidily and racked up 40 overs in the innings, while there was plenty of work for Wood and Anderson, who got through 27.5 and 25 overs respectively.
There was also a moment of slight controversy as India were hit with five penalty runs as Ashwin was warned for running down the wicket, meaning that England started their innings on 5-0 without facing a ball.
Duckett’s stunning century saw England counter-attack in their innings, which started with a mini-spell before tea and continued with a flurry of runs in the evening session.
But India still hold a significant lead with three days of this Test remaining, and England will need to bat well on the third day to take advantage of their strong start.
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- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
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STUMPS: England 207-2 (Duckett 133, Root 9) Overs: 35
England trail India (445 all out) by 238 runs
Ashwin is brought into the attack given that Bumrah wasn’t getting any reverse (which is also probably why India were so keen for a change of ball).
There’s a huge appeal for caught at first slip, with Rohit making the T sign while still prone on the ground having dived forward for a catch.
Duckett did push at it, but there’s no contact with the bat and so it’s not caught, and ball tracking says it pitched outside the line. It’s another lost review for India, but that was close for Duckett on two fronts.
Root carves away the final ball of the day for four runs as Ashwin throws down a full toss looking for the magic delivery.
It’s stumps and England will be extremely happy with the second half of today’s play, thanks in large part to the brilliance of Duckett.
England 200-2 (Duckett 131, Root 4) Overs: 34
England trail India (445 all out) by 245 runs
India try and get the ball changed again but no joy. Siraj continues, perhaps with this bumper ploy – the field certainly suggests so.
It’s a really good over and he squares Duckett up with a beauty that yields a short and optimistic lbw shout.
Duckett knocks a single off the last ball of the over and that brings up the 200 for England, reached at a run rate just shy of six-an-over.
England 199-2 (Duckett 130, Root 4) Overs: 33
England trail India (445 all out) by 246 runs
India try to get the ball changed but the ball passes through the ring fine and the umpire says no. Rohit questions the roundness of the ring, which seems like a stretch.
Bumrah is back into the attack for a burst before the close, which is a wise move from Rohit. But there’s a slight concern for India as their star man appears to tweak something in his leg. The physio comes on, gives him a gel, and that’s it. Maybe it was just cramp.
England 196-2 (Duckett 129, Root 2) Overs: 32
England trail India (445 all out) by 249 runs
Siraj has his tail up after that wicket and India will fancy getting another one tonight.
How Root plays will be fascinating. Cook in the TNT Sports studio says he hopes to see the batter take his time and give himself a chance to come back tomorrow, rather than attacking this final 20 minutes.
England 193-2 (Duckett 127, Root 1) Overs: 31
England trail India (445 all out) by 252 runs
Jadeja oversteps twice in an over, which is bizarre for a spinner really.
And his over gets even more expensive as Duckett dances down and slog sweeps a huge six.
WICKET! England 182-2 (Duckett 119, Root 0) Overs: 30
England trail India (445 all out) by 263 runs
Ollie Pope lbw to Mohammed Siraj for 39 (55b)
India need to try something new and Rohit opts for a spell of short-pitched bowling through Siraj.
It’s a good idea and poses a few questions of the batters, with Duckett missing out on a four as a hammered pull is cut off in the deep.
A particularly well-directed bouncer catches Pope in the helmet and there’s a pause in play as he’s assessed by the England medical team.
Pope is briefly worried as a lofted ball falls safe but close to Rohit, although it was a no-ball in any case.
But in the extra delivery of the over India manage to get the wicket. It’s a surprise full one from Siraj, which catches Pope on the pads. The umpire says no but Rohit reviews. There’s no bat involved and ball-tracking says it’s hitting the top of leg, three reds, Pope has to go.
England 176-1 (Duckett 116, Pope 37) Overs: 29
England trail India (445 all out) by 269 runs
Pope rolls out the reverse sweep against Jadeja and it’s four more for England.
And Duckett joins in as he lofts the left-armer behind square with an aerial sweep that runs away to the boundary.
Jadeja so nearly gets the scalp, finding the inside edge, but it somehow misses Duckett’s stumps and runs away for two. That’s a big let-off.
And Duckett will keep the strike as he knocks a single, with 13 runs coming from the over.
England 163-1 (Duckett 108, Pope 32) Overs: 28
England trail India (445 all out) by 282 runs
Still the runs flow for England as Pope slides Siraj away for four more to fine leg.
Jadeja is one of the best fielders in the game and does his best to cut it off, but the boundary is given.
England 156-1 (Duckett 106, Pope 28) Overs: 27
England trail India (445 all out) by 289 runs
India turn to Jadeja for the first time in this innings. He’s already made a big contribution with the bat in this Test, can he produce some magic with the ball?
Well something magic happens, but it’s from Pope instead, as he unfurls a quite extraordinary reverse lap over his own head to pick up his second boundary of the over.
There’s a big appeal for lbw later in the over, but India have already burned a review in this innings and Rohit gestures to say he thinks it’s going down leg. The decision on-field was not out and the Indian skipper opts against the review. Replays say that it was a great call by the captain.
CENTURY! England 148-1 (Duckett 106, Pope 20) Overs: 26
England trail India (445 all out) by 297 runs
India bring Siraj back into the attack as Rohit shuffles his pack, looking to make the most of this little spell of pressure.
But Duckett passes the test and brings up his century with a superb drive down the ground, reaching three figures off just 88 balls. It’s a magnificent knock and his third Test century.
And he gets straight back on the horse after his celebrations, pulling Siraj away for another four.
At one point Duckett looked on course for the first ever hundred for England, but he slowed slightly after Crawley departed, playing the responsible hand for his team.
England 140-1 (Duckett 98, Pope 20) Overs: 25
England trail India (445 all out) by 305 runs
Pope scrambles into his ground and swerves to get out of the way of Jadeja’s shy at the stumps, slipping in the process. That brings a smile to a few players’ faces as Pope laughs it off.
That brings up the fifty partnership for these two, and Duckett knocks away a single off Bumrah.
Just those two singles come off the over as England try and get through Bumrah’s spell as safely as possible.
England 138-1 (Duckett 97, Pope 19) Overs: 24
England trail India (445 all out) by 307 runs
Kudeep is into the attack and goes for just a single as India look to tempt Duckett into a big shot. He resists the temptation.
Meanwhile, Sir Alastair Cook is getting some heat in the TNT Sports studio about his choice of attire for today's coverage.
England 137-1 (Duckett 97, Pope 18) Overs: 23
England trail India (445 all out) by 308 runs
Jurel does pretty well to prevent four byes as Bumrah fires one down the leg side. He’s had a decent day, the debutant.
Duckett rolls out one of his best shots yet with a fizzing drive that races away to the long-on boundary.
He rolls out a solid back-foot defensive shot to end the over safely, and the players head for a drinks break.
England 131-1 (Duckett 92, Pope 18) Overs: 22
England trail India (445 all out) by 314 runs
India’s best bowling pair are working in tandem now, with Ashwin spinning a web from one end and Bumrah reversing his rockets from the other.
Pope bottom-edges onto his pads to leave Ashwin grimacing in disappointment, but he manages to get off strike.
And Duckett displays a pretty aggressive way of taking on this challenge, slog-sweeping Ashwin for a huge six.
He hacks another one to the boundary as Ashwin drops one slightly short in response to that six.
Duckett nudges one away to end the over with a hard-run three, as Jadeja shows off his football skills to prevent the boundary in the deep.
England 117-1 (Duckett 79, Pope 17) Overs: 21
England trail India (445 all out) by 328 runs
Bumrah is so good, and he has Duckett in trouble as he inside edges just beyond his own stumps.
The Indian quick is getting the old ball to talk, and England are going to have to find a way through this spell.
Two singles come from an outstanding over as Bumrah finishes with a big appeal for lbw after a yorker catches Pope. India review and it looks like there’s a big inside edge as the ball, bat and ground come together at the same time.
It’s a tricky one for the television umpire but he makes the right decision and India lose a review.
England 115-1 (Duckett 78, Pope 16) Overs: 20
The boundaries keep on coming for Duckett, who finds the rope for the 16th time in this knock, pulling Ashwin into the gap.
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England 109-1 (Duckett 73, Pope 15) Overs: 19
Bumrah looks for the yorker first up and slightly misses it, allowing Pope to whip him away for four runs.
Was there a hint of shape there though? England will hope not. Bumrah is dangerous enough, never mind if the ball starts reversing too.
He almost gets Pope at the end of the over as an inside edge falls safe. There was reverse there, I’m pretty sure. Good luck, England!
England 104-1 (Duckett 73, Pope 10) Overs: 18
Four more for Duckett as he sweeps Ashwin superbly into the gap.
He’s slowed ever so slightly since losing his opening partner, but it’s still been a breathless contribution from the left-hander.
India are looking at the ball and they think it might be bashed up enough already to get some reverse swing.
Are England ready to deal with this threat? This was where India grasped the upper hand in the second Test – will Bumrah be able to do it again?
England 100-1 (Duckett 69, Pope 10) Overs: 17
Pope dances down the wicket and pumps Kuldeep into the stands for six. England are something else, that’s one way to deal with pressure.
He almost goes next ball though as he misses a reverse sweep and Jurel whips off the bails. And Pope nearly runs himself out later in the over as he attempts an unwise third run after Siraj’s misfield and has to dive back into his ground.
It’s stressful to even watch Pope at the start of his innings.
The 100 is up for England and they’re rattling along at more than five-and-a-half runs per over.
England 92-1 (Duckett 69, Pope 2) India: 445 Overs: 16
It’s a different sort of phase of play now for England, as they regroup following Crawley’s departure.
Ashwin’s latest over goes for two singles.
England 90-1 (Duckett 68, Pope 1) India: 445 Overs: 15
The wicket has brought a totally different feel to the game, with Ollie Pope close to being stumped twice in his first over against Kuldeep.
Pope’s starts are always a bit frenetic, and today is no exception as he scrambles through a maiden.
500th WICKET! England 90-1 (Duckett 68, Pope 1) India: 445 Overs: 14
Zak Crawley caught by Rajat Patidar bowled Ravichandran Ashwin for 15 (28b)
Crawley looks to sweep Ashwin over the top, but he doesn’t connect right and floats a catch to Patidar to give the off-spinner his landmark 500th wicket in Test cricket.
He’s only the ninth player in history to reach that tally, the second Indian along with Anil Kumble.
Only the legendary Glenn McGrath reached 500 in fewer deliveries, while only McGrath and Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan have better averages in that 500-club than Ashwin.
He’s a sensational bowler and he’s given India the breakthrough to half England’s early momentum.
England 89-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 68) India: 445 Overs: 13
Kuldeep is one of the bowlers that England have decided to target today, and Duckett goes after him with a slog sweep and a pull early in the over, finding the boundary on both occasions.
India have a lot of runs to play with so just need to stick in this, try and not get rattled by the Bazball of it all. There will be periods where the bowlers find some dominance in this innings, it’s important to remember that.
Ten more from the over. Duckett is on 68 from 52 – a strike rate of 130, which wouldn’t be totally out of place for a T20 opener.
England 79-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 58) India: 445 Overs: 12
There are going to be a lot of different challenges for England in this innings, not least the looming threat of Bumrah with the old ball, which has been one of the defining features of the series so far.
How England deal with Ashwin will be one of those challenges, and the off-spinner comes into the attack for the first time, just one wicket short of joining the 500 club in Test cricket.
There’s a shout for lbw against Crawley as he gets a reverse sweep a bit wrong, but the bowler thinks it struck the bat first and he’s right. No review is the correct call.
Ashwin’s mind games begin as he pulls out of the final ball of the over and makes Crawley wait. The opener gets in a stride and defends well.
England 76-0 (Crawley 15, Duckett 55) India: 445 Overs: 11
It’s a chance for India as Duckett gets a reverse sweep wrong and gloves one wide of slip. Most players would take that as a warning, but not the England opener, who whips the next ball to the rope for four more.
England’s attacking approach continues against the left-armer as Crawley dances down the wicket to pump the last ball of the over back over the bowler’s head for four more.
England are a long way behind India still, but this is extraordinary cricket right now.
FIFTY! England 67-0 (Crawley 11, Duckett 50) India: 445 Overs: 10
Duckett cracks Siraj away for another four to start the over, and the bowler responds next ball by throwing through to the keeper with a hint of aggression towards the little left-hander. He pulled out of really following through, but Duckett will be happy enough to see that, and rubs salt into Siraj’s wounds with a beautiful cut for four next up.
A single into the on-side brings up the fifty for Duckett off just 39 balls.
Siraj’s mood isn’t improved by a classic Crawley cover drive that races away to the boundary to mean 13 runs come off the over.
England 54-0 (Crawley 7, Duckett 41) India: 445 Overs: 9
The fifty partnership comes up in quick time as Duckett reverse sweeps Kuldeep over the in-field and away for four more.
England 48-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 36) India: 445 Overs: 8
Oof. Duckett bumps Siraj straight back down the ground with a gem of a drive that runs away for four. That’s a lovely shot. The left-hander is scoring at more than a run-a-ball so far in this innings.
And the runs keep on flowing as he takes a risk, pulling over the head of the ring, with the ball racing away to the rope. ‘Four more to the England’ comes the chant from the travelling fans, with a flourish of trumpet to finish.
The way he’s playing will always create chances and a leading edge that drops in the gap between bowler and mid-on ends the over with a bit of hope for India.
England 40-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 28) India: 445 Overs: 7
England made it through that initial mini-session of new-ball pace bowling, and now it’s time for the next challenge. Kuldeep takes the ball for the first over of spin in the innings, and it’s going to be so interesting to see how the three Indian spinners go on this surface. They are three high-quality operators.
Duckett’s rapid start continues as he sweeps twice, finding the boundary on both occasions for back-to-back fours. The way the field is set suggests that India want him to play that shot, and Duckett isn’t going to say no to that.
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The story of the day so far
England started superbly with the ball as they picked up two early wickets to give them hope of rolling India out quickly on the second day.
James Anderson got the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav with a lovely delivery that was far too good for a tailender, taking the edge through to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.
And England were on a roll when Ravindra Jadeja miscued a flick straight back to the bowler Joe Root to depart for 112, meaning that India had lost 2-5 at the start of the day.
But impressive contributions from Dhruv Jurel (46), Ravichandran Ashwin (37) and Jasprit Bumrah (26) boosted India to a total they’ll be extremely happy with, aided by a couple of bad drops from England in the afternoon session.
All five England bowlers took wickets in the innings, with Mark Wood ending with figures of 4-114 and Rehan Ahmed bagging 2-85. Tom Hartley bowled tidily and racked up 40 overs in the innings, while there was plenty of work for Wood and Anderson, who got through 27.5 and 25 overs respectively.
Rohit Sharma’s 131, Ravindra Jadeja’s 112 and Sarfaraz Khan's fiery 62 on day one meant that India have got up to a decent score after winning the toss, but the hosts did hand England five penalty runs thanks to running down the pitch on a number of occasions.
England made it through a mini-spell before tea without losing a wicket, with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 19* and Zak Crawley settling in on 6*.
TEA: England 31-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 19) India: 445 Overs: 6
It’s another four for Duckett who is playing nicely here.
Siraj cuts Crawley in half with an in-ducker, but the big opener survives and England make it through to tea without losing a wicket.
It’s another classic fast start from this opening pair.
England 25-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 14) India: 445 Overs: 5
Glorious from Duckett who glances Bumrah away to the boundary and then finishes the over with an uppish drive that races away through the covers for four more.
Watch this series LIVE on TNT Sports
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England 16-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 6) India: 445 Overs: 4
Duckett plays and misses at a wide one from Siraj and then is beaten by a gem later in the over.
Another big swipe from Duckett only finds fresh air to end the over.
England 16-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 6) India: 445 Overs: 3
Attacking stuff from Duckett who goes after Bumrah and punches him away for four at the start of the over.
The bowler has his own mini-victory as he beats the bat of Duckett with a peach, but five runs come from a wicketless over.
England 11-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 1) India: 445 Overs: 2
Siraj’s knee has made a miraculous recovery after he was hobbling around out in the middle just a few minutes ago, and he takes the new ball from the other end.
There’s plenty happening in his first over as Duckett plays and misses and Siraj has two optimistic lbw shouts against Crawley at the end of the over.
England 8-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 0) India: 445 Overs: 1
There’s a brief pause to the start of the innings as Bumrah notices that the ball isn’t the one he picked. The umpires come out with the correct fresh cherry.
England start at 5-0 thanks to those penalty runs, and a no-ball from Bumrah adds to that tally straight away.
It’s a good first over from India’s strike bowler, with quite a defensive field first up from the home side, but Crawley makes it through despite a scare to one that he left only to see it nip back close to the off stump.
TNT Sports: The home of England men’s tours of India
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
Why England will start with five bonus runs
India have been penalised for running on the pitch in their first innings, with Ravichandran Ashwin the last batter to do so, much to his frustration.
Check out this explainer for more details:
The umpires ruled that the repeat offences were enough for five penalty runs to be awarded to England, so they will start their innings on 5-0.
Here’s how Sir Alastair Cook and Steven Finn saw it in the TNT Sports studio.
Over to you, England
India will certainly take 445 having been at 33-3 and the home side are definitely in the dominant position in this Test.
But, having won the toss and put on a 204-run stand for the fourth wicket, India could have absolutely buried England, and they haven’t done that.
It’s a cliché, but we won’t know just how good that total is until England have batted on this surface.
It looks like there’s plenty of runs on offer out there for batters who get in, but there’s turn and a bit of irregular bounce for the spinners, and it’s also a surface that should offer reverse swing for the quicks.
Can England put together something special against India’s fearsome bowling attack? It’s going to be fascinating to watch, and surviving Bumrah first up is going to be the first big test.
WICKET! India 445 all out
Jasprit Bumrah lbw to Mark Wood for 26 (28b)
Siraj took a bit of a blow to the knee in attempting that big reverse sweep, which his teammates find quite amusing up on the balcony.
The medics come out to delivery a bit of magic spray and a painkiller, and Siraj should be fine when it comes time to bowl.
Another big shot from Bumrah off Wood adds four more to the score.
But Siraj is in a spot of bother as he bursts back for a second run later in the over, hobbling his way into his ground. Is it just bruising from that blow a few moments ago? Or is it something worse? India will be crossing their fingers that they will have the services of Siraj with the ball.
England try and burgle a wicket on review against Siraj, but it’s heading down leg.
There’s no such reprieve as Wood traps Bumrah straight in-front off the very next ball. It looks good, and it is good, despite the review.
India are 445 all out and are in the driving seat in this game.
India 437-9 (Bumrah 19, Siraj 3) Overs: 130
The finger goes up as Hartley appeals for an lbw and Siraj reviews straight away. The replays show why – there was an edge on that before it hit the pad. The decision is overturned and it’s more frustration for England.
Bumrah has a quick word with his partner and advises him against any further extravagant reverse sweeps.
India 436-9 (Bumrah 18, Siraj 3) Overs: 129
England won’t be enjoying this flurry of final-wicket runs and turn to the pace of Wood to try and blast out the tail.
It’s a fiery over but India make it through and the innings continues.
New Zealand make history with series win
Elsewhere on TNT Sports, there was a significant win for New Zealand in Hamilton this morning, where they wrapped up a series win over South Africa for the first time ever.
Yes it was a weakened South African touring party, but that is still a genuine achievement for the Black Caps.
India 434-9 (Bumrah 17, Siraj 2) Overs: 128
Rehan floats one up and Bumrah takes it on, sending a lofted four to cow corner.
And Bumrah plays his best shot yet, unfurling a lofted drive that soars over the in-field and runs away for four more.
These are very helpful runs for India.
India 426-9 (Bumrah 9, Siraj 2) Overs: 127
Sound the trumpets, here comes Bumrah. He was always likely to go big and he does just that, hammering Hartley for six.
Three singles mean that nine runs come from the over and Bumrah will be back on strike for the next.
India 417-9 (Bumrah 1, Siraj 1) Overs: 126
Siraj is going to stick around for as long as he can and blocks out a maiden against Rehan.
India 417-9 (Bumrah 1, Siraj 1) Overs: 125
England are on the cusp of wrapping up this innings, but Bumrah and Siraj make it through Hartley’s over with two singles.
How will this pair go about it? In the past we’ve seen Bumrah have a crack when it gets down to the final wicket. A few quick runs could be exactly what his team need.
WICKET! India 415-9 (Bumrah 0, Siraj 0) Overs: 124
Dhruv Jurel caught by Ben Foakes bowled Rehan Ahmed for 46 (104b)
He’s having a good first knock in Test cricket, is Jurel, and he dances down to Rehan, hammering a drive back over the bowler’s head for six.
One keeps a bit low later in the over, which Jurel exaggerates a little with his reaction, perhaps as a bit of a nod to the England batters.
But Rehan gets his man late in the over, denying Jurel a fifty on debut. A cut shot is edged, and it’s an excellent catch from Foakes behind the stumps.
India 409-8 (Jurel 40, Bumrah 0) Overs: 123
Jurel wants to milk the strike and he does well to get a single at the back end of Hartley’s latest over. England have dropped him twice – will he make the tourists pay?
India 408-8 (Jurel 39, Bumrah 0) Overs: 122
Rehan has an over against Bumrah and bowls one absolute cracker that has the tailender completely bamboozled, But it misses the edge and off stump.
It’s another maiden for England as the Barmy Army’s trumpeter trills his way through a rendition of the group’s signature tune.
India 408-8 (Jurel 39, Bumrah 0) Overs: 121
Hartley gets through another maiden, with Jurel doing well to keep out one shooter from the tall left-armer.
That sort of inconsistent bounce will be a concern for England, who really need to try and avoid a big first-innings deficit on a pitch that all of the local experts say will break up in the last couple of days.
WICKET! India 408-8 (Jurel 39, Bumrah 0) Overs: 120
Ravichandran Ashwin caught by James Anderson bowled Rehan Ahmed for 37 (89b)
Wood’s tiring spell comes to an end. It should have yielded a wicket were it not for that Stokes drop.
Rehan replaces him and starts with a poor delivery that is pumped for six by Jurel. Rehan spoke during the break between Tests about how he will always prioritise wicket-taking deliveries over bowling tight, but that does mean he’s going to send down the occasional pie.
But the bowling change works for England as Ashwin chips a catch straight to Anderson at mid-on. He almost made it three poor drops in quick succession for England, but grabbed the ball at the second attempt just before it reached the turf.
Jasprit Bumrah is the new batter.
India 401-7 (Jurel 32, Ashwin 37) Overs: 119
It’s another maiden for Hartley, who has bowled tight today.
DROP! India 401-7 (Jurel 32, Ashwin 37) Overs: 118
Wood must be exhausted and he sends down another barrage.
The final ball of his over is flicked down the leg side by Jurel straight to Stokes at leg gully, but he drops it. That’s two really bad drops for England off Jurel since lunch.
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India 400-7 (Jurel 32, Ashwin 36) Overs: 117
Hartley gets one to rip out of the rough which will interest India’s spinners. It’s going to be a challenge for England to get close to parity whenever they do finally get a chance to bat here. It’s a excellent Test wicket – good for the batters but with enough to keep the bowlers interested even this early in the Test.
And a single brings up the 400 for India.
India 399-7 (Jurel 32, Ashwin 35) Overs: 116
Ashwin guides a Wood short ball down the boundary and India are on the cusp of 400.
DROP! India 394-7 (Jurel 32, Ashwin 30) Overs: 115
Oh that’s a bad drop from Ollie Pope. Jurel shanks a ball from Hartley straight to Pope at midwicket, but he shells a simple one. Will that cost England?
Pope can’t believe he’s dropped that and neither can the bowler.
India 392-7 (Jurel 31, Ashwin 29) Overs: 114
Wood has the ball in his hand and is ready for another blast after lunch.
He’s put in a ton of work in this innings and peppers Ashwin with some short-pitched stuff first up, but the batter ‘wins’ the over with a punch-drive for four.
The story of the first session
India began the day on 326-5 and were looking to kick on to a big first-innings score in Rajkot.
But it was England who made the early breakthroughs of the day, with James Anderson getting the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav with a lovely delivery that was far too good for a tailender, taking the edge through to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.
And England were on a roll when Ravindra Jadeja miscued a flick straight back to the bowler Joe Root to depart for 112, meaning that India had lost 2-5 at the start of the day.
India were down to their last two recognised batters, but debutant Dhruv Jurel and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin ground out an important partnership for the hosts to put some miles into the legs of the England bowlers.
The scoring rate was not fast, but time is not an issue for India, especially on a surface that will almost certainly break up in the back half of the match.
There was one moment of particular interest in the partnership, as Ashwin was officially warned for running down the pitch, the second time that an Indian batter had been warned in the innings. That means five penalty runs for England, which is a rarity in the Test game.
An attritional last hour leaves India on 388-7 and with 400 within reach, meaning the home side will be the happier of the two teams after the opening session of the day. They are yet to take the game completely away from England though, who will have hope of running through the tail quickly if they can remove one of this pair.
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TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
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- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
How do I watch cricket live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
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You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
LUNCH: India 388-7 (Jurel 31, Ashwin 25) Overs: 113
It’s the last over before the interval and Hartley bowls it. He’s bowling nicely, but Jurel in particular looks in complete control against him, and blocks out the first half of the over.
A drag down is too much for Jurel to resist and he cuts it away for four. It’s been a contrasting debut knock compared to Sarfaraz’s explosive contribution yesterday, but equally impressive in its way.
And that’s lunch in Rajkot.
India 384-7 (Jurel 27, Ashwin 25) Overs: 112
Wood bends his back with another over before lunch as England look to target Ashwin. Jurel does his partner a favour though, dashing through for a bye as a leg-side delivery is well-stopped by Foakes.
England are looking to test Jurel with angled bouncers across the body, and he’s done well so far to resist the temptation to flick it to the close fielders.
It’s high-quality cricket and excellent from India to make it through this testing Wood spell.
India 382-7 (Jurel 26, Ashwin 25) Overs: 111
The fifty partnership comes up for this pair, and it’s a crucial contribution for India. Not an exciting contribution, but an important one.
Two singles come from Hartley’s over. The left-armer is bowling a nice line and length, but he’s also pretty unthreatening.
India 380-7 (Jurel 25, Ashwin 24) Overs: 110
The short-pitched ploy from Wood continues, but India negotiate it well. There’s only so long that a bowler can do this for. Lunch isn’t far away.
India 375-7 (Jurel 20, Ashwin 24) Overs: 109
Ashwin is playing nicely here and he’ll also be quite interested in the patches of rough that are forming on this pitch. If the game goes to a fourth innings then it’s going to be extremely tough to bat on this surface, and Ravi Shastri on commentary says that Ashwin will be “licking his fingers” in anticipation of having a bowl on this wicket. I’m not sure that’s a saying, but agree with the intended sentiment.
India are grinding their way towards a decent position this morning, and two singles come off Hartley’s latest over.
India 373-7 (Jurel 19, Ashwin 23) Overs: 108
England try something a bit unusual, with a heap of fielders on the leg side and behind square in deep catching positions, specifically for the ramp shot and hooks. There’s a leg gully, a couple in the ring on leg too, there for the fend off.
Unsurprisingly Wood goes into the body of Jurel, and it very nearly works as the batter fends one down leg side and just wide of Stokes in that leg gully position.
India 369-7 (Jurel 15, Ashwin 23) Overs: 107
Hartley is bowling really nicely this morning and he gets one to rip past the outside edge of Ashwin’s bat. England briefly consider the review, but that touched nothing.
One run comes from the over.
Psychologically 400 feels important for India here. Get beyond it and they’ll feel they are in a dominant position in the Test.
England say they don’t worry about that sort of thing, but scoreboard pressure against an attack as good as India’s is definitely a thing, no matter how much positive-thinking you approach batting with.
India 368-7 (Jurel 14, Ashwin 23) Overs: 106
This feels like a decisive moment in the match, and England turn back to Wood in search of a wicket.
At the non-striker’s end Ashwin continues to talk to the umpires looking for a justification for that five-run penalty for running down the wicket. He definitely did run beyond the legal spot on the pitch, but in fairness to Ashwin he’s on the receiving end of a punishment that’s partly on Jadeja, who did the same thing yesterday for the first warning.
It's exciting stuff, it really is. Meanwhile India knock Wood for three singles.
India 365-7 (Jurel 12, Ashwin 22) Overs: 105
One run comes from Hartley’s latest over and it’s a bit of a grind currently from India, intentionally so.
This pair are the last recognised batters and know that they could put their team completely in control of the Test if they can put together a sizeable partnership. Time is not an issue, nor is the rate of scoring.
India 364-7 (Jurel 11, Ashwin 22) Overs: 104
Rehan drags one down at the end of his latest over to give Ashwin some easy runs.
India 359-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 18) Overs: 103
Still spin at both ends for England, as Hartley continues to twirl away.
He’s bowling tidily here and it’s another maiden.
India 359-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 18) Overs: 102
Rehan is put away by Ashwin through the covers for four.
But here’s a turn-up – the umpires have warned Ashwin for running down the wicket. He’s not happy about it at all and remonstrates about the decision, but replays show that Ashwin was totally in the wrong there, he came straight down the middle of the wicket in the ‘red zone’.
It’s the second official warning for India in the test, which means five penalty runs for the home side. You don’t see that all too often!
India 354-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 13) Overs: 101
Hartley takes the ball after drinks and it’s a tidy over, going for just the one run.
This is a decent pitch, not a road by any means, but one that offers plenty of runs once a batter is set.
We’ve seen a bit of grip and turn though, with the odd ball keeping low and some cracks that will interest the quicks later in the game too.
Winning the toss was so big for India on this surface, and England will need to bat well to prevent giving up a big first-innings deficit for the third time in this series. Bazball can do miracles, but if you consistently trail at the midway point of matches you’ll lose more than you win in these conditions.
Drinks: India 353-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 12) Overs: 100
Rehan is handed the ball which means all five bowlers have been used in this first hour. It’s also a deserved rest for Anderson after his hard work this morning.
He’s got something about him, England’s leg-spinner. It’s partly the confidence and swagger, but also his relative accuracy, which is better than you’d typically expect from a teenage leggie.
His over goes for just the one run and that signals the end of the first hour. Time for some drinks… anyone for a coffee?
India 352-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 11) Overs: 99
Hartley bowls a maiden that began with a loose shot from Jurel that dropped just short of backward point. England’s reaction suggests that was a plan.
India 352-7 (Jurel 10, Ashwin 11) Overs: 98
England want another one so ask Anderson to continue his lengthy spell. It’s a slightly tired over though, with Ashwin helping himself to a ball on his pads that he flicks for four.
India 347-7 (Jurel 9, Ashwin 7) Overs: 97
It’s time for a spot of Hartley in the England attack and he gets one to keep extremely low on a length. That was a real shooter, and will be a slight concern to England’s batters, who are going to want to score big in the first innings on this pitch, which will break up quickly when it starts to go.
Ashwin squirts a slightly out-of-control prod into the infield and England react with interest. Another wicket here would make it England’s morning for sure.
India 346-7 (Jurel 8, Ashwin 7) Overs: 96
England stick with Anderson as they look to break this partnership which would expose India’s tail.
He gets the edge from Ashwin too, but it drops short of Crawley in the slips. It’s a maiden for Anderson, but India will take that.
India 346-7 (Jurel 8, Ashwin 7) Overs: 95
Jurel’s first boundary in Test cricket is a ramped six off Wood. That is serious confidence from the debutant.
Eight runs come from the over in total and India are ticking over again after those early setbacks.
India 338-7 (Jurel 1, Ashwin 6) Overs: 94
It’s another over for Anderson with a few slips, a gully, and a pretty traditional field to the new pair.
Two singles come from the over, meaning that Jurel now has his first run in Test cricket.
India 336-7 (Jurel 0, Ashwin 5) Overs: 93
Oof. Wood serves up a gimme for Ashwin first up, and he drives beautifully to the rope. But the comeback is fierce, as a bouncer fizzes past the right-hander’s grill. The pace is high from Wood and he follows up with another short one into the body. Intimidating stuff.
One more single comes from the over as Ashwin makes it through the test.
India 331-7 (Jurel 0, Ashwin 0) Overs: 92
First impressions of the new batter Jurel is that he’s got a solid defence, and also excellent facial-hair game. Not quite as impeccably full as Jadeja’s, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Stay tuned for more such searing insights.
Anderson’s latest over is a maiden and Wood is warming up ready for a crack at the two new batters.
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WICKET! India 331-7 (Jurel 0, Ashwin 0) Overs: 91
Ravindra Jadeja caught and bowled by Joe Root for 112 (225b)
Huge for England as Jadeja chips a catch straight back to Root and has to go. That is exactly what England needed at the start of play, getting the centurion as well as the nightwatchman.
Jadeja departs with his head bowed, but credit to him for a knock of 112 that has given India a decent platform in this third Test.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the new batter, and we know he can bat. He’s got five Test centuries and loves sticking it to England. Can he swing momentum back in India’s favour?
He blocks out his first delivery and it’s a wicket maiden for Root.
WICKET! India 331-6 (Jadeja 112, Jurel 0) Overs: 90
Kuldeep Yadav caught by Ben Foakes bowled James Anderson for 4 (24b)
Jadeja has already been involved in three run-outs in this series and there’s a bit of hesitation as he tries to pick up a quick single against Anderson, with Kuldeep heading back.
He does get that run he wanted later in the over, but that exposes Kuldeep, and the nightwatchman is nowhere near good enough to defend a classic Anderson delivery that nips away just a touch from the perfect length and takes the edge through to Foakes behind the stumps.
Kuldeep did his job last night and has taken a touch more hardness out of the new ball today too. It’s a second debutant appearance for India in this Test as Dhruv Jurel strides to the crease. He was picked partly for his ability with the bat, so this is a big wicket in the context of the game.
India 330-5 (Jadeja 111, Kuldeep 4) Overs: 89
Root continues, with Bairstow fielding in that unusual kneeling close-fielder position we see sometimes from England.
It’s a way of getting a very low catcher in the action, although if you’re being unkind you could say it’s also a way of taking Bairstow’s hobbled leg out of the equation. He’s been moving like a 70-year-old in the field in this series.
Root bowls a maiden.
India 330-5 (Jadeja 111, Kuldeep 4) Overs: 88
Anderson does indeed take the ball from the other end with Jadeja on strike, and there’s a strangled appeal as the centurion goes for a flick off his pads and it takes a feather through to the keeper. Unfortunately for England the feather was off the pad, outside the line, with no bat involved at all.
On commentary, former England spinner Graeme Swann is pointing out that some patches of rough are starting to form, with a few cracks also widening for the quicks. This might be a flat pitch right now, but it will get pretty lively in the last few days, so you don’t want to be a long way behind the game after the first innings.
India 328-5 (Jadeja 110, Kuldeep 3) Overs: 87
Root takes the first over of the day, which is a slight surprise, and nightwatchman Kuldeep picks up two runs.
The ball is only a few overs old, so you’d expect pace from at least one end in this first half hour, with a hint of haze in the air.
03:55 – A massive morning
When you score 326-5 on the first day of a Test you’re definitely on top, especially when you’ve done so after being 33-3... and even more so if you have a bowling attack behind you as strong as India’s.
But you could tell from Rohit Sharma’s reaction to the run-out of Sarfaraz Khan that he feels his side could have buried England on a pitch this flat, and they haven’t yet done so.
If India can kick on beyond 400 today then they will be in complete control of the Test.
But should England have a decent morning with the ball then they will have a way back into the game. It’ll take a good batting display from the tourists either way, but this first session is key – yes it’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason.
03:50 – Stokes’ landmark Test
England captain Ben Stokes has joined an exclusive club this week, becoming the 16th player in England’s history to receive 100 Test caps.
He’s only the second genuine all-rounder to have done so, after Ian Botham (unless you count Joe Root), and his spectacular career isn’t done yet.
Will he finish his career as England’s greatest ever? Is he already?
03:45 – Hello and welcome
Good morning. Everyone ready for another big day of Test cricket? India are well-placed after a strong showing with the bat on day one in Rajkot, but Mark Wood’s excellence means that England haven’t been batted out of this Test just yet, despite losing the toss on a bit of a road.
What happens in this first session will be massive – can England pick up wickets with the second new ball, which is just a few overs old? Or will India pile on more runs? We’ll find out soon enough.
Watch the day two action LIVE on TNT Sports
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Recap of day one
India close on 326/5; Rohit Sharma (131) and Ravindra Jadeja (110*) hit tons; Wood takes 3-69
Rajkot served up a classic day of Test cricket, with India closing on 326/5 after day one and in a dominant position on a surface that looks excellent for batting.
Mark Wood was the star of the day for England, taking a brace of early wickets as India slumped to 33-3. And Wood finished with figures of 3-69 along with a brilliant run out.
But centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, aided by a fiery half-century from debutant Sarfaraz Khan, mean that India are well-placed to control this Test, with the series tied at one apiece.
India made four changes to their XI and opted to bat first after winning the toss, but it was England who enjoyed the dream start, picking up three wickets in the first hour of play on a decent batting surface.
Mark Wood, returning to the XI, took his first wickets of the series, removing both Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) and Shubman Gill (0) in an outstanding spell of fast bowling that left the home side reeling.
Both Wood and Anderson were excellent with the new ball, but the third wicket fell to the first over of spin in the day, as Rajat Patidar (5) chipped a simple catch to Ben Duckett off Tom Hartley.
At 33-3 England were well on top on a surface that looked perfectly suited to provide a big first innings score, but a dropped catch by Joe Root and an overturned LBW decision for an inside edge gave Rohit Sharma two early reprieves, and he helped make England pay.
With Ravindra Jadeja promoted to number five, India rebuilt through until lunch and then made England toil through a wicketless afternoon session as runs flowed on a wicket that offered little for the spinners, with Rohit and Jadeja putting on a partnership worth more than 200.
Rohit brought up his 11th Test century just after tea, but did eventually depart as he miscued a catch to Ben Stokes off Wood for 131.
But that brought debutant Sarfaraz Khan to the crease, and he lived up to his billing with a fiery first innings in Test cricket. Sarfaraz has a superb domestic record and has long been tipped for the Indian side, and he tucked into a tiring England in the final session of the day, scoring at a rapid pace.
Sarfaraz looked on for a century of his own, but was run out with Jadeja on 99 as the pair looked for a quick single, with Wood hitting the stumps with a brilliant direct throw.
Sarfaraz could barely hide his disappointment, and neither could a furious Rohit up in the stands, with the debutant departing for 62 from 66 balls.
But Jadeja did bring his fifth Test century in the same over, and finish the day unbeaten on 110 after a knock that has helped put the hosts in a strong position in Rajkot.
England gave up a sizeable first-innings deficit in each of the first two Test of the series, needing a miracle to win the series opener and failing to pull off a similarly unlikely comeback in the second Test.
And Stokes’ side face an uphill challenge if they are to get back to parity in this game, especially on a surface that will almost certainly break up in the back half of the Test.
TNT Sports: The home of England men’s tours of India
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
The new agreement means:
- England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
- TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.
How do I watch cricket live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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