England vs India Highlights, Trent Bridge Test Day 3: Joe Root, James Anderson Frustrate India for Last Wicket
India's pacers picked up nine wickets but were stalled by an unbroken last-wicket partnership of 54 between Joe Root and James Anderson as England reached 352/9, trailing by 105 runs at the end of the third day of the opening Test at Trent Bridge. Catch all the live updates here.
Joe Root helped England reach 352/9, trailing India by 105 runs at the end of the third day of the first Test at Trent Bridge. Follow all the Highlights here. (Scorecentre)
22:00 IST: Stumps - England are 352/9 and trail India by 105 runs. England did well to bounce back and first avoid the follow-on before erasing the deficit, thanks to Joe Root (78 not out) and Stuart Broad (47). Root then went on to share an unbroken 54-run last-wicket stand with James Anderson (23 not out), as India were left to endure a frustrating wait. Kumar picked up four wickets while Ishant snared three. Shami pocketed two wickets.
in the context of the match, these are invaluable runs for england. talking of which, where are the tailenders now?
- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 11, 2014
22:52 IST: Root and Anderson brought up their 50 run partnership off 74 balls as England continued to keep India at bay after losing nine wickets to their seamers. This has been a superb knock by Root, who had made his Test debut against the tourists back in 2012. England are 348/9 and trail by 109 runs.
22:40 IST: Another last-wicket stand taking shape here? Root and Anderson have so far added 37 runs in 10 overs and have managed to frustrate the Indians, who were on a high after a sensational second session. England are 335/9
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21:59 IST: WICKET! Kumar gets his fourth wicket as Plunkett departs, with England on 298/9. If India get the last wicket quickly, they will have a huge lead to bat with against the hosts.
21:56 IST: Root raises his fifth half-century in 18 Tests as England reach 298/8, still trailing India by 259 runs.
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21:50 IST: Root is key to England erasing the deficit. Liam Plunkett and James Anderson have to dig in deep and support him as much as possible.
21:28 IST: WICKET! Stuart Broad falls for 47 to Kumar. He was given out lbw but Broad walked off in apparent disgust as England slipped to 280/8. However, TV replays showed it was a good decision by the umpire. However, Broad did well to add 78 for the eighth wicket with Joe Root as the hosts avoided the follow-on.
21:14 IST: Broad hammered Kumar for a FOUR! and England have avoided the follow-on. This has been a typically gutsy innings from the all-rounder with Root, looking elegant at the other end. The English are no strangers to lower-order fightbacks and India need to be wary.
21:08 IST: Root and Broad have now added 50 for the 8th wicket to start an England revival. But this still is a good pitch to bat on and India realise there will be the odd partnership.
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20:53 IST: "India have completely outbowled England," says Manjrekar on air. Very true. The Indian seamers have hit the right line and they seem to know where exactly to bowl. This has been a spectacular performance by Ishant, Shami and Kumar, silencing critics not just in England but back home in India too.
Judge a wicket once both teams have batted once on it...#justsaying
- Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) July 11, 2014
20:44 IST: Root and Broad have come out with some purpose after tea; Broad particularly is looking to score quickly and perhaps erase the deficit. England's first target is to of course avoid the follow-on.
20:14 IST: Tea - England are 205/7, trail by 252 runs. What a turnaround for India. After failing to take a single wicket in the first session, the tourists snared six, with Ishant picking up three, Kumar two and Shami accounting for Moeen Ali. After all the questions about the Indian attack, leading up to this Test, the trio answered in style, silencing critics by dismantling the English on a flat pitch. Last afternoon, India had also lost four wickets, before a dramatic last-wicket recovery. The onus is now on Root and Broad to help England launch some kind of a fightback in the last session of the day.
20:00 IST: WICKET! Kumar is ecstatic; he now has a second scalp as Ben Stokes departs. There was no problem with this dismissal as a clear edge went through to MS Dhoni, who was only delighted to lap up the chance. England are in all sorts of trouble at 202/7.
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19:57 IST: WICKET! The Indian seamers are really turning it on here. After Ishant and Shami tore the England middle-order apart, Kumar removed Prior but the England wicketkeeper walked off unhappy with the decision. It looked like the ball did not take the edge as Dhoni caught it behind the stumps.
19:50 IST: WICKET! England are crumbling. Shami, who had removed skipper Cook last evening, struck for the second time to see off the in-form Moeen Ali for 14 as England slipped to 197/5 in the 70th over. Ali tried to pull out of a shot after noticing the short ball, but the edge off the bat carried to Dhawan at slip.
19:45 IST: Kumar must be utterly frustrated with what transpired in that over, but he would want to remember what he himself said after close of play on Day 2. India need to be patient to bowl England out twice, Kumar had told the press and it appears they will indeed have to be, on a flat pitch, that has lacked bounce or even hint of assistance for the lone Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
19:40 IST: Joe Root had a couple of lucky escapes against Kumar; two edges did not carry to the slip cordon and one not-so-bad lbw shout was turned down by the umpire. However, because the edges did not carry, Dhoni got up to the stumps and the move drew immediate criticism from Sanjay Manjrekar, on air. The former India batsman feels that with the 'keeper standing up, it would negate Kumar's ability to get some swing.
as good a spell as any i have seen from ishant. and i've seen a few!
- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 11, 2014
19:09 IST: WICKET! It's Ishant again, who has now removed Ian Bell for 25. Bell poked at a short ball outside off and edged it to Dhoni, who gleefully accepted the chance. It is is safe to say that England are now in a spot of bother.
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19:04 IST: Kumar is under fire from Bell, as the right-hander smashes three boundaries in the 59th over. Ishant, who has been outstanding at the other end, needs some serious support from his other bowling colleagues.
18:58 IST: Ishant's dismissal of Ballance has left India with a strong chance to force England further on the backfoot. The left-handed number three was looking good and he was pacing his innings well. But with Bell and Root in the middle, England have the chance to frustrate India further. Ishant is high on confidence and he needs to keep striking at regular intervals and hope that the rest of the attack follows suit.
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18:51 IST: Sourav Ganguly, on air, said it's important for Kumar to do what Ishant Sharma is doing; that is to keep up the pressure on England and see to it that no big partnership develops.
18:46 IST: WICKET! Ishant strikes again as he takes Ballance out; trapping the left-handed batsman for 71. This is a crucial breakthrough for the tourists, who went wicketless in the morning. Joe Root in the middle with Bell.
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18:39 IST: India have not really been very aggressive with their tactics against England so far; the short balls have been missing. Who knows how Ballance would have reacted to a serious of bouncers even on a flat pitch! If they also allow Bell to settle down, Dhoni can abandon hopes of finishing the third day on a high.
So, how does Ballance fare against bouncers? We won't know because Indian bowlers haven't bowled a single bouncer to him #strange
- Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) July 11, 2014
18:25 IST: Ian Bell, the new man in, must be itching to score some runs; he had a good series against India in 2011, but he would be disappointed with how his 100th Test ended up in a 100-run defeat against Sri Lanka. With Ballance set and looking good for a big score, India will have to be relentless in their search of wickets. England are 141/2.
18:16 IST: WICKET! Just like England's bowlers did, Ishant Sharma has struck after a break; he rapped Sam Robson on the pads and the umpire upheld an energetic lbw appeal, a somewhat dubious call. There seemed to be some bat on it before the ball rammed the pads. But India won't mind as England slip to 134/2, trailing India by 323 runs.
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18:14 IST: Around this time last evening, India lost four wickets in quick time after lunch, before that record last-wicket stand bailed the tourists out. Can Shami, Kumar or Ishant inflict similar damages on the English? A couple of wickets now could be damaging.
17:31 IST: Lunch (Report) - England are 131/1 in 48 overs. England's session, hands down. The pitch stayed as flat as it was on the first two days and the Indian attack remained insipid as overnight batsmen Robson (59 not out) and Ballance (59 not out) helped themselves to half-centuries and added an unbroken 122-run stand for the second wicket. The two started slowly in overcast conditions this morning, deciding to give some time to the bowlers. However, after Shami, Kumar and Ishant showed that they were not going to threaten enough, Ballance upped the ante, hitting Ishant for three boundaries in an over. It will be another difficult session once play resumes after lunch, with two set batsmen eager to score big.
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17:25 IST: Dhoni has four men around Ballance's bat with Jadeja in the attack. At least the Indian skipper is not thinking of saving runs and is looking for wickets. India have a huge total on the board and they should keep the pressure up on England.
17:16 IST: And now Robson brings up his half-century, also with a boundary off debutant Binny; this time the ball went down to third man. Robson already has a hundred in Test cricket and this fifty is another feather in the cap for the young opener.
17:10 IST: Gary Ballance brings up his second fifty in Tests after hitting Binny for FOUR! He has been the more aggressive of the two in the middle, after a watchful start. England reach 112/1 off 42 overs.
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16:58 IST: Finally, positive intent from England as Ballance targeted Ishant Sharma to take three boundaries off the over as the hosts move to 96/3 off 38.
16:44 IST: Ballance and Robson have dropped anchor and England reach 78/1 after 35 overs. Up against India's massive first-innings 457, England had to show more aggression with the bat but they have decided to play for time in the first session. Strange tactics because India do not have a very threatening attack and the pitch has been flat.
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16:32 IST: First signs of aggression from the Indian pace attack as Ishant Sharma tests Sam Robson with a short ball. This could be a long day for India unless Dhoni's bowlers come up with better plans on a surface that has barely helped bowlers on either side.
16:23 IST: There is a case for Moeen Ali to bat at number three instead of Ballance, who does not seem like a natural at that crucial position. England no more have the services of the dangerous Kevin Pietersen, who could take attacks mercilessly, when he was in-form. England are 73/1 after 31 overs.
16:00 IST: Ballance and Robson have a combined experience of seven Tests but they have done a solid job so far this morning. They have of course been assisted by a placid pitch, but the rookies are under obvious pressure to stick around and deliver. England are 68/1 off 27 overs.
15:39 IST: FOUR! Robson gets it away towards the fence and sloppy work from Kumar near the ropes meant useful runs for the opener. England have been watchful today, trying to give the first hour to the bowler no doubt. England 49/1 in 20 overs.
15:32 IST: Shami starts proceedings for India with Robson on strike. Slightly overcast conditions and we know what that means in England. England are 44/1 after the first over of the day.
15:25 IST: Minutes away from start of play on Day 3. The Trent Bridge has been flat and that has not impressed hosts England and it also allowed India's last-wicket to stage a remarkable fightback after a collapse post-lunch. Shami then dismissed Cook to put the tourists ahead, but can he and the rest of the Indian attack come up with something special on a batting friendly surface?
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The onus will be on India's four-pronged pace attack on Friday morning as nervy England aim to weather Nottingham's early morning conditions on Day 3 of the first Test at Trent Bridge.
India have been on top in this match so far. If Murali Vijay slammed a classy 146, his maiden Test century overseas, the icing on the cake on Thursday was a record 111-run 10th wicket stand between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami that frustrated England's bowlers to no end. (Need to be patient to bowl England out twice: Bhuvneshwar) But there was more bad news for England and particularly, skipper Alastair Cook.
Cook's torrid form continued as England made a shaky start to their innings. England's under-pressure captain was bowled off his thigh pad for five as his side closed on 43-1 in reply to India's 457. Cook, whose team have lost six of their last seven Tests, has now scored only 606 runs in his last 13 Tests at an average of 24.24. India vs England 2014 Schedule
Trailing by 414 runs, England will look for a solid start from two promising batsmen Sam Robson (batting 20) and Gary Ballance (15 not out). Robson is a 25-year-old Sydney-born who has come through the ranks at Middlesex. He has a century already in the couple of Tests he has played. Zimbabwe-born Ballance, 24, shares a nickname - Gazza -- that former England football star Paul Gascoigne was known by. He too has a century in the three Tests he has played so far. Both batsmen would be looking to guzzle runs against an inspired Indian attack led by Ishant Sharma.
It was Shami who added the cherry on a wonderful day for India on Thursday. He sent back Cook, who looked nervous from the first ball. But Friday will be a new day and England have enough depth in their batting ranks to look India in the eye.