Key events
84th over: India 242-7 (Jurel 41, Kuldeep 25) Next to me, dog sighs, with a hint of fox still about her ruff. Bashir again, confident, measured – outrageously so actually for one so young.
83rd over: India 241-7 (Jurel 40, Kuldeep 25) The old warhorse is summoned, and immediately canters into an immaculate line. India twice nearly get themselves into a pickle over whether to run or not, but eventually pick up a single.
82nd over: India 240-7 (Jurel 39, Kuldeep 25) India’s tail now becoming an irritant, as Kuldeep takes advantage of the new ball to drive Bashir square to the rope.
On comms they nod sagely over the seven minutes of rolling permitted this morning to flatten out the pitch.
81st over: India 235-7 (Jurel 39, Kuldeep 20) And the new ball goes immediately to Robinson, not Jimmy Anderson. Just two slips. Oh that’s a beautiful straight drive by Jurel as Robinson overpitches searching for swing, the first time the ball has crossed the rope this morning, half an hour in.
80th over: India 230-7 (Jurel 34, Kuldeep 20) Dot, dot, another Bashir maiden and here comes the blessed new ball.
Ah, Brian Withington, hello! “You ask if anyone is awake to send an email, and I wonder how you approach the 4am shift? I keep meaning to set an early alarm but invariably end up watching something on YouTube or wherever and find it’s already approaching 3am so might as well keep going. Of course I only have to fire off the occasional email and can nod off intermittently, whereas you are required to read and curate them – whilst summarising every over of the cricket too.”
I have worthy intentions of an early bedtime, but it is so tricky to keep to them. And yesterday, darling, I had a double date of Vanya followed by the final night of Barbara Dickson’s farewell tour as OBO favourite TIm de Lisle’s plus one.
78th over: India 230-7 (Jurel 34, Kuldeep 20) Two no-balls in the first three deliveries of Robinson’s over –and here’s a statastic: he has bowled 77 no balls and taken 76 wickets in his 20 Tests. Rest of the over on the money. The current partnership stretches to an irritating 53.
78th over: India 226-7 (Jurel 33, Kuldeep 19) Kuldeep peers through the grill of his helmet as Bashir wheels in, passing in front of the umpire in his approach, like a youth on a bmx suddenly swerving into your path on the pavement.
77th over: India 226-7 (Jurel 33, Kuldeep 19) It’s overcast in Ranchi, “fresh” reports our man on the ground Ali Martin, who is wearing a hoodie. A nice save by Joe Root at slip stops a glide from Kuldeep running down to the rope, and Robinson bends his back later in the over to dig out a bouncer.
76th over: India 223-7 (Jurel 31, Kuldeep 18) Bashir through another over in the blink of an eye, just a single from it. Kuldeep nicely forward with bended knee – good movement for so early in the day.
Good morning Stephen Dobbie! “Perfect Saturday night entertainment here in California watching the lads. Just wondering if it’s too far from here to Dharamashala if we make it to 2-2!”
75th over: India 223-7 (Jurel 31, Kuldeep 18) With six overs left till the second new ball is available, Ollie Robinson starts from the other end. Almost immediately oversteps again. A relatively easy couple of singles, then some extra bounce which surprises Kuldeep Yadav.
74th over: India 219-7 (Jurel 30, Kuldeep 17) Twinkly approach to the crease, an lbw appeal first ball as Kuldeep pads him away and the Barmy Army run through Jerusalem. A maiden.
Our young Woking hero has the ball.
This was a cracking read by Barney on Shoaib Bashir yesterday:
As I prop my eyelids open, out come the players. If you’re awake, do drop me line, I’d love the company.
Also need to know how Alastair Cook and Steven Finn look so fresh in the studio every day at this ungodly hour. No baggy Ian Ward eyes to be seen, just clean, pressed, boy next door manners.
Young Jaiswal has the microphone, and is asked how he is learning to bat on these wickets ?!“I like to challenge myself all the time, I am learning from my net session and learning from my seniors.” And modest too. But India will need still more fireworks from him in the second innings, facing what seems likely to be a 100-plus deficit.
Preamble
Good morning! Before any of you England fans out there get too excited, remember one thing: at the start of day three of the third Test, England were on top – and went onto take a proper kicking.
Nevertheless, at the start of day three here at Ranchi, the force is once more strong with England. They reduced that Indian line-up to hoovering up crumbs, prevented the immense Jaiswal from getting three figures, and sung small hosannas to their 20-year-old spinner Shoaib Bashir, he with the dip and zip, and whose a 31-over spell of 4-83 is, according to @CricVizdata, the longest spell by an England bowler since Graeme Swann’s 6-90 in 2013. England go into the day with a lead of 134, and India with only three wickets to play with.
I must go and get a few hours kip but see you here shortly before play starts at 4am GMT. Don’t miss a beat.
