India v England: third Test, day four – live | England in India 2024

17th over: England 41-4 (Root 6, Stokes 7) Bumrah finally gets to have a breather, with Siraj back to try and thud the ball into Root’s pads. There are two catchers close in at short midwicket, ready to snaffle any mis-hits from Root. A maiden is the end-result.

16th over: England 41-4 (Root 6, Stokes 7) Jadeja quickly runs through another, with Stokes nabbing a couple to close the over.

Oliver Major joins us: “Thanks for all the good work; easing us into the pain before we have to turn on the tv!

“One for the stats team… if England are all out for less than India’s first innings lead, England have effectively lost by an innings; the whole majesty of Jaiswal and Sarfaraz was therefore potentially irrelevant ( clearly it wasn’t; wearing down bowlers, crushing hope etc etc). But how many times in Tests has it happened that the third innings is de facto irrelevant?”

15th over: England 38-4 (Root 5, Stokes 5) Bumrah gets Stokes’ outside edge … but the ball drops short of the slip cordon. He eventually gets one wrong, sending it down the leg side and all the way to the boundary, Jurel given no chance of saving it.

14th over: England 33-4 (Root 5, Stokes 5) Jadeja twirls his way through another and I get the feeling Stokes and Root would just like to take it slowly for a bit.

13th over: England 32-4 (Root 5, Stokes 4) Bumrah keeps on trucking in with the new ball, Rohit presumably wanting to keep the match-up with Root going for as long as possible.

“It might sound old school but draws can be as entertaining as going after a huge score. It shows character and grit,” writes Arul Kanhere. “It can show what patience means in a test. I remember how India drew that test match against Australia at the SCG. I know England hate draws, but surely now is the time to test themselves. 1-1 still looks better than 2-1.”

12th over: England 29-4 (Root 5, Stokes 1) Ciaran McAneny’s Sunday itinerary is in trouble: “My plan today was to listen to the game at the gym whilst my boy is at his karate class…Would appreciate if India could slow down a little so I’ve got something to listen to…”

Impact was outside off stump after Stokes was struck playing back to Jadeja. The miracle is still on!

Stokes is struck on the pads and India go upstairs …

WICKET! Bairstow lbw Jadeja 4 (England 28-4)

11th over: England 28-3 (Root 5, Bairstow 4) Joe Root opts against the reverse scoop … for now.

10th over: England 24-3 (Bairstow 4, Root 1) Bairstow is gifted a boundary off his first ball, with Siraj letting it through in the short third-man region. Jadeja has instantly discovered some rhythm, twirling away with pace and accuracy.

WICKET! Pope c Sharma b Jadeja 3 (England 20-3)

9th over: England 20-2 (Pope 3, Root 1) Well this is a lovely sight: Ravichandran Ashwin is back out there! Bumrah gets some very decent tail into Root, and there’s a hearty shout for lbw but India opt against reviewing the not-out decision.

And we’re back. Joe Root is in to face his nemesis, Jasprit Bumrah.

Tea: England 18-2

WICKET! Crawley lbw Bumrah 11 (England 18-2)

8th over: England 18-1 (Crawley 11, Pope 2) Ravindra Jadeja is called in and immediately finds some sharp, troubling turn outside off stump. Pope is forced to see out a maiden.

7th over: England 18-1 (Crawley 11, Pope 2) Time for Pope to do Hyderabad all over again.

WICKET! Duckett run out Siraj 4 (England 15-1)

6th over: England 15-0 (Crawley 11, Duckett 4) India haven’t threatened to take a wicket yet but this has still been a good start from them, Siraj and Bumrah unwilling to give any room outside off for Duckett and Crawley to tuck into. They’d rather play the long game, testing their patience and why not – they’ve got so many runs to play with.

Sankaran Krishna writes in, all the way from Honolulu! “It’s approaching midnight but I’m riveted to the cricket. No question of heading off to bed. And all the credit for that goes to Stokes and McCullum. They’ve honestly rescued test cricket from imminent extinction. And it’s just thrilling to know that England will go after the target whatever it is. I’m hoping all teams start playing this way!”

5th over: England 10-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 1) Duckett is being forced to practise his forward-defence, with Bumrah keeping it nice and straight from around the wicket. Ouch. The left-hander gets a blow to the box and needs a moment on his haunches. He finally gets off the mark with his 12th delivery, punching into the leg-side for a single.

4th over: England 9-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 0) Crawley clips through the leg-side once again for four. Siraj ends the over with a tasty inswinger, so there is still some threat with this new ball.

3rd over: England 5-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 0) Crawley gets the scoreboard working with a clip behind square leg for four after Bumrah goes a touch too straight. The bowler then gets his tricks out, trying a slow off-cutter with the new ball.

In response to Kim’s message below: have you not watched these lot over the last two years? They seem to hate drawing more than losing.

2nd over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Mohammed Siraj takes over at the other end, bowling straight lines to ensure Duckett has no room for an off-side jab. Another maiden follows.

Kim Thonger writes in: “I fully expected to wake up to a score like this. I’m hopeful that Stokes has the good sense to instruct his batters to play for a draw. It would do them good to knuckle down for once and concentrate on not getting out. If he does, my money is on a slow dull watchful century from Root.”

1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Bumrah pitches one out wide and Crawley goes for a big swish … and misses. Of course they’re going to go for it. The great Indian quick doesn’t give much else away, though, forcing through a maiden.

Crawley and Duckett are out there. Bumrah’s got the fresh cherry. Let’s roll.

Anyone got any recommendations for the hype music England should have on in the changing room at the moment? I’ve discovered the genius that is Maggie Rogers this week, so I’d chuck this on and get my feet moving:

Guy Hornsby wrote in just before Rohit called in his boys: “Morning Taha, this a bit of a rum do, isn’t it? I agree we shouldn’t be bowling Jimmy or Wood here. There’s no value in it. This is declaration runs and with Jaiswal’s double ton (and what a Test it’s been for this new star) and Sarfaraz’s 50, it’s pointless. They have an embarrassment of new riches.

“On the whole B******* thing, I’m pretty sanguine. I think a lot is a bit tongue in cheek (and people really want to take it without humour), and it’s also their mantra of positivity, where they say it so they’ll play it. It’s a lot more nuanced and I’m sure it’s very calculated behind closed doors. But is changing things, things that have been around for decades. I’m as pessimistic as they come, having grown up in the 80/90s, but this team makes me think something special could happen when I’d usually be fatalistic by default, and so these things are far less dismal, way more exciting. That’s surprised even me. But I can really see how it annoys people. It annoys me sometimes, but I really like what they’re doing to the Test game. It’s moved the dial, beyond doubt.”

England set a target of 557

India declare on 430-4

Drinks I’m using my last bit of energy to tag in Taha Hashim, who will talk you through the next part of India’s victory march. Bye!

JAISWAL HITS ANOTHER MIGHTY DOUBLE HUNDRED!

96th over: India 397-4 (Jaiswal 199, Sarfaraz 50) Sarfaraz works Rehan off the hip to reach the second fifty of a fine debut. It’s been a long time coming but he looks a keeper: perky, unfettered and richly talented.

95th over: India 395-4 (Jaiswal 198, Sarfaraz 49) Jaiswal, on 197, turns Root to leg and sets off looking for two. Sarfaraz pointedly strolls a single. At first it seemed a glorious act of pettiness but I don’t think the second was ever on.

Since you asked, the last man to score double centuries in consecutive Tests against England was Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf in 2005-06. They were spread across two series; the last to do it in the same series – in the space of eight days in fact – was what’s-his-name in 2003.

94th over: India 393-4 (Jaiswal 197, Sarfaraz 48) Sarfaraz gives Jaiswal an impassioned brollocking after being sent back when he wanted a second run. They make up at the end of the over. No point falling out because they’ll be batting a lot together in the next few years.

93rd over: India 390-4 (Jaiswal 195, Sarfaraz 47) Sarfaraz lifts a full toss back over Root’s head, then clouts a slog-sweep to midwicket for four to move within three of a second half-century on debut. Many people need time to adjust to the rarefied atmosphere of Test cricket; Sarfaraz is not among their number.

92nd over: India 380-4 (Jaiswal 195, Sarfaraz 39) Sarfaraz tries to sweep Rehan out of the rough, misses and is relieved to see the ball bounce over the stumps. Everyone is waiting for a declaration, which may come as soon as Jaiswal reaches his double century.

91st over: India 376-4 (Jaiswal 193, Sarfaraz 38) Sarfaraz is dropped by Root, a sharp, low return catch. He’d take that maube eight times out of 10. He looks at his finger again, having hurt it when he caught Kuldeep earlier in the day. It doesn’t seem too bad. India lead by 502.

90th over: India 374-4 (Jaiswal 192, Sarfaraz 37) Only six players have hit more Test sixes in a calendar year than Jaiswal has in this series, which is one of the more mind-blowing statgasms of 2024. It will be a surprise if he doesn’t shorten that list by reaching 200 with his 21st six of the series.

“I’d like to thank England for their performance yesterday as its given me a reason to sleep until a reasonable time,” says Felix Wood. “I think the answer to ‘Why does everyone hate England?’ lies in the question. Frankly, people already know what they think and are looking for reasons. They probably hated England during the Strauss years for being boring. Strong irrational attachments are part of sport and that’s fine – in the real world is more of an issue. I dislike the India team, and the Aussies. I have to work quite hard to find reasons but I try, I try.”

89th over: India 370-4 (Jaiswal 190, Sarfaraz 35) Root replaces Anderson, who bowled a chastening spell of 3-0-37-0. Five from the over.

88th over: India 365-4 (Jaiswal 187, Sarfaraz 34) Sarfaraz tries to sweep Rehan, with the ball looping up on the leg side to be well caught by the diving Foakes. England review, but then Joel Wilson goes to talk to the square-leg umpire Kumar Dharmasena, which suggests he has given it out and wants to discuss whether it was a clean catch. Finally we hear it is a player review, and replays show Sarfaraz didn’t touch the ball. Not out. England have no reviews left, and even less hope.

87th over: India 363-4 (Jaiswal 186, Sarfaraz 33) Sarfaraz chips Anderson wristily over square leg for four to bring up the century partnership from only 88 balls. These two have only eight Test caps between them; I think the future of India’s Test team looks okay.

Sarfaraz shapes to reverse scoop Anderson, realises the ball isn’t there for the shot and improvises a defensive shot with his inside edge. I bet he learned that one from Kim Barnett.

I’m not sure Anderson should be bowling here; he doesn’t need this at his age. Jaiswal adds four more with a deliberate, open-faced steer. He tries again next ball and misses. I thought there was an edge, watching it live, but nobody reacted.

86th over: India 354-4 (Jaiswal 186, Sarfaraz 33) Jaiswal is two short of Wasim Akram’s Test record of 12 sixes in an innings, maded against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura (I think) in 1996-97. He hits the ball so cleanly, particulartly down the ground.

No sixes in that over from Rehan, though England almost get a wicket when a top-edged sweep from Sarfaraz plops between two fielders. India lead by 480.

“Contrary to their mantra, England have not changed the way Test cricket is played; they have changed the way they play it,” says Darryl Accone. “Also, their dangerous and unseemly self-regard is shown precisely by Duckett’s lack of imagination regarding Jaiswal’s latest ton, which he ascribes to the example of Bazball. Next Duckett will be referencing the playing fields of Eton as the great school room of the world.”

Arf. Do they claim to have changed the way it’s played, or is that the media? That’s a genuine question, not a confrontational one – I’ve completely lost track. Whether they said or not, I would argue they have changed it, same as Steve Waugh’s four-an-over mob at the start of the century. Anyway, I’m going to shut up because I think Jaiswal and Sarfaraz deserve our undivided attention.

85th over: India 350-4 (Jaiswal 180, Sarfaraz 26) Astonishing batting from Yashasvi Jaiswal! He hits Anderson – Jimmy Anderson. the thriftmeister general – for three successive sixes: a pick-up over deep backward square, a drive over extra cover and a savage thump down the ground. Wow.

He has now hit 10 sixes in the innings, an Indian record, and 20 in the series – a world record, with two and a bit Tests to go!

84th over: India 329-4 (Jaiswal 159, Sarfaraz 26) Sarfaraz guides Rehan to third man, where Anderson does incredibly well to save one entirely pointless run. For a 41-year-old, that level of commitment is beyond admirable.

England are going to suffer in the next hour or two. Jaiswal moves to 159 by waving a full toss from Rehan to the extra-cover boundary.

83rd over: India 321-4 (Jaiswal 154, Sarfaraz 23) Jimmy Anderson returns to the attack. He bowls a rare wide, trying to keep Jaiswal quiet outside off stump, and is then steered for a single. It brings up Jaiswal’s 150, his third fatherly century in only seven Tests and a masterpiece of pacing and strokeplay.

The milestone reached, Jaiswal treats himself to a premeditated scoop for four, taking the ball from well wide of off stump. I bet he learned that shot from Jos Buttler. There have been better 22-year-old batsmen in the history of the game; I can’t think of too many with Jaiswal’s range.

“There is no hating this England side,” says Anul Kanhere. “They threatened India in India and are playing in a manner that is forcing everyone to see Tests in a different light. One aberration does not mean anything in elite sports. It costs games – but does not mean the idea was wrong.”

This is an important point about yesterday – Root aside, it was a failure of execution rather than shot selection. Also, and we really should dwell on this a bit more, India played like the champions they are.

“I think the reason non-English followers find Bazball so irritating, as well as cocky and arrogant, is that it pays no heed to one of the fundamentals of sport – respect for one’s opponent, in both words and deeds,” says Pete Salmon. “In any sporting contest, each side needs to respond to what the opposition does – this is a basic sort of respect. Bazball simply goes on as if the opponents don’t exist (nor the match situation, which is ultimately the same). Add to that things like ‘moral victories’ (which seems to imply the opposition were immoral in not joining the fun) and the delusional press conferences that always seem to say they did the right thing, and no wonder they provoke emotional reactions.”

I’d argue the press conferences are knowing rather than delusional. I take the point about the opposition, though this is hardly a new thing in competitive sport. I also think it’s a lot more nuanced. But I get all the criticism and contempt. I suppose what confuses me more is how many England fans seem to dislike their own team.

Anyway, enough, here come the players.

Okay, I need to run and get some lunch before it’s too late. I’ll leave you with a typically elegant piece of writing from Guardian sport’s equivalent to VVS Laxman.

“I take your point,” says Finn. “Perhaps it is true that an attacking mentality yields the best result for the English team. Where I think it falls down is that everyone takes a uniform approach. I would have much the same concerns if the captain asked everyone to adopt an ultra-defensive methodology.

“But the real acrimony you are seeing comes from their belief that Earth’s gravitational pull is derived from the English set up and not the sun. Duckett taking the shine off Jaiswal’s century by attributing said brilliance to the English mentality is symptomatic of a setup that does not have enough people providing some dissent to Stokes and McCullum’s new world order. It’s a bit silly… innit?”

Well, two things. Do they really take a uniform approach? Stokes doesn’t, and the others – though uniformly positive – all score runs in different ways. As for Duckett’s comments, earlier in the series Stokes openly said he had learned from Rohit’s fields, and I thought the opposite was true yesterday: India’s fields were their most imaginative of the series. Teams learn from each other all the time. Maybe Duckett shouldn’t say it but in the grand scheme, who cares? I haven’t seen his specific comments so I may be wrong on this, but to say it “takes the shine off Jaiswal’s century” feels excessive. It still looks bloody shiny to me.

I agree about the Earth’s gravitation pull, though I would argue that comes more from the English media than the team. I suspect the more we subscribe to the view that England are a bunch of Kool Aid-glugging chancers, the more they will play up to it – partly for a bit of fratboy fun, partly to stick two fingers up at people who don’t give them the credit they feel they deserve. They are literally, demonstrably, the most attacking batting team in the history of Test cricket; that alone should buy them a whole heap of slack.

This isn’t very coherent, sorry. I barely slept last night and am all over the show. Put simply, in time I think we’ll remember this team with the greatest fondness. I know I haven’t felt so alive watching sport (not right now, I’m biting my lip to stay awake, but in the past two years) since Michael van Gerwen exploded on the oche in the winter of 2012. That’s just, like, my opinion, man.

Lunchtime viewing

Lunch: India lead by 440

82nd over: India 314-4 (Jaiswal 149, Sarfaraz 22) Jaiswal wallops Rehan into the crowd at long on, his 17th six in three Tests. He’s two short of the world record for a Test series and we’re barely at the halfway point.

I was going to describe Jaiswal as a future superstar but I’m not sure the f-word is necessary. He’s barely 22 years old, and he’ll back after lunch to make his third 150+ score in only seven Tests. Only five players – Don Bradman, Neil Harvey, Javed Miandad, Graeme Smith and Kusal Mendis – have done that before their 23rd birthday.

81st over: India 307-4 (Jaiswal 142, Sarfaraz 22) Hartley replaces Root for the penultimate over before lunch. A cocky, arrogant, mediocre set of six is milked for three runs, which takes India’s lead to 433.

80th over: India 304-4 (Jaiswal 140, Sarfaraz 21) Sarfaraz, such a joyful player, slog-sweeps Rehan for four more; he’s now scored 17 from his last six balls. All England can do is stand there and take it for as long as India deceree.

79th over: India 299-4 (Jaiswal 139, Sarfaraz 17) Jaiswal clouts a full toss from Root over long on. That’s his sixth six of the innings and his 16th of the series. Only Rohit Sharma has ever scored more in a Test series: 19 against South Africa in 2019-20. Jaiswal could break that record today.

Sarfaraz joins in the fun with a sweet hit over midwicket for six more. He plays with such effervescence that it’s easy to forget he’s making his debut.

At the end of the over Root feels his spinning finger, which he hurt while catching Kuldeep. Surely he shouldn’t risk further damage? A worry for England is that this passage of play – essentially meaningless because the game is over – could impact the availability of Wood, Root and others for the fourth Test.

78th over: India 284-4 (Jaiswal 131, Sarfaraz 10) Sarfaraz doubles his score from his 16th delivery, chipping Rehan to midwicket for four.

Seven from the over, India’s best for a while. They lead by 410.

77th over: India 277-4 (Jaiswal 130, Sarfaraz 4) “Well said Finn! (05.10 GMT),” writes Darryl Accone. “It really does seem as though this England squad, coach and captain have been given absolute licence, power without responsibility, to the analogous extent that the children are running the kindergarten and the lunatics the asylum. Surely a corrective brake, a robust adult sensibility, is needed to halt the bedlam? Mike Brearley is not only England’s most successful captain but also one of the UK’s most respected psychoanalysts. Call him in before the delusional madness – never better exhibited than in Duckett’s reality-shunning press conference yesterday – turns the current amusing and bemusing The Coral Island into Lord of the Flies.”

Crikey. I don’t see this at all. They get it wrong occasionally, which is unavoidable when you play so aggressively, but if they played orthodox cricket I don’t think they’ve had had anywhere near as much success in the last two years. And it certainly wouldn’t have been as life-affirming to watch. The only time I thought they lost the run of themselves was at the start of the Ashes; in this series, for the most part, I think their approach has been spot on.

They’re away to India, who never lose at home, with three virgin spinners and a malfunctioning engine room. Most of the dismissals yesterday were to defensive or neutral shots. I detes- dislike myself sufficiently to know that I may well be wrong, so what am I missing?

76th over: India 276-4 (Jaiswal 129, Sarfaraz 4) India’s lead ticks past 400, the first time England have been in that particular position. The match is over; it’s just about the details and the subplots now.