Isn’t it nice to have cricket back on terrestrial TV? I have had it burbling away in the background over the last few days.
A few thoughts.
Root’s batting is great, his captaincy verges on the lamentable.
As a Somerset lad it is good to see Bess doing well. On the other hand it is sad to see Leach doing poorly.
I’m a bit surprised by Kohli’s batting, all a bit cagey. Pant was entertaining.
It’s a draw.
Yes, I suspect you are right.
I thought Gill looked very impressive and was lethal on anything off line. Sadly his end was uncharacteristic. But I think Gill and Sharma are technically much better than Burns and Sibley.
Kohli kept his team together on the field.
Why is Archer batting higher than Leach?
Bess looks a tough competitor.
Batting on the last day might prove a bit tricky.
I’ve been a critic of Root’s captaincy in the past, but I thought he did ok today…good to bring himself on for 2 overs, which set up for Pant being dismissed. Also good to see him bring Leach back on…he will need another spinner, with some confidence.
He could maybe have used Archer and Stokes a bit more, but easy to say from here. Looked pretty hot and humid there. Ball looked like a dog had got it after about 50 overs!
Bess bowled a much better line than he did in Sri Lanka. Although he got Pant out, he does struggle a bit against lefties for an off spinner…I used to love bowling at left handers…
My thing with Archer is what Root did before, ie bowl him like he is a second string seamer. Archer bowled as many overs as the spinners today, that should be Stokes’s job. Archer is a super quick, very special strike bowler to be used sparingly and kept fresh. I thought Root didn’t have enough men round the bat given how far ahead he is in the game. It was bizarre that he had Leach and Bess bowling to 7 and 8, that was the time to put on Archer, maybe with Bess on at the other end or Stokes. It allowed the new batsmen to get in. Stokes had bowled 3 overs (against Archer’s 15?) until his outing in the final session. I know hindsight is an easy thing and England are doing well mainly because of Root’s batting but that shouldn’t disguise the captaincy issues.
Only my opine of course.
I agree that he has overbowled him in the past.
However, looking at the state of the ball and the pitch, I could understand why Root kept the spinners on, though maybe not together. I didn’t think Stokes looked likely to pick up a wicket either…
I think that Root wanted to give Leach a decent bowl at the end to rebuild his confidence after Pant destroyed him, though he will maybe learn to toss it up slower and wider…I had the privilege of playing with and keeping to a very fine left arm spinner at my club, who took over 2000 wickets over 35 years at a high level, including first class cricket and it was amazing watching how he varied it depending on batsman and conditions. His control was better than many Test spinners I’ve seen.
I still think it’ll be a draw. Pitch is too slow to be otherwise unless India chuck some wickets away again second time round.
I thought Stokes’s bowling looked stiff, not match-fit, in sharp contrast to his batting.
I agree too with you that Root’s captaincy has been pretty good this game, as it was in Sri Lanka. A couple of times o would have like to have seen a short leg to the quicks, or a leg gully for the spinners, but generally these were sorted out in time. I’m not sure whether there was any other ploy that would have worked better with the Leach v Pant battle. Although the latter was certainly the short term victor, it was very high stakes stuff, and on another day a gust of wind or a bit of grip off the wicket might have caused one of those sixes to have been caught. As for keeping Leach on, I thought it showed a lot of faith in a bowler who performed well in SL, and his expensive looking analysis was not a result of poor bowling in my view.
It will be interesting to see what the decision is if/when the follow on is an option; not sure I’d want to bat last but probably the best way of forcing a result.
I don’t think they’ll enforce a follow on even if they get the chance. Only way to lose the game.
Gill looked very good in Australia. Not much footwork but a great eye and timing.
Maybe a bit rusty having missed the last 3 tests vs Australia? He’ll come good. He’s too good a player to not have an impact.
I get that, but as I say, the best chance of winning. Ordinarily in the first test of a series I would take the safety first option, but if they want to play in the test championship then can they really afford to give up a winning position?
Bowl them out in the morning, build a big lead, and leave a day and a bit to bowl them out again.
That will be the theory anyway.
Yes, but they’ve still got to bowl India out…this lad Washington looks a player, is an opener in first class cricket, and Ashwin has 4 Test tons. If England have to bowl another 20-30 overs on a hot day, how much will they have in the tank? The new ball will only be a force for about 10 overs or so I think…it gets shredded on that pitch pretty quick.
Perhaps as the chances of getting to this fairly flawed test final are quite slim Root may feel it’s his only option…
It’ll be interesting to see how much of a carrot this test final actually is. I can’t imagine it’s going to prompt uncharacteristic risk this early is a series, but who knows?!
Hoping to see England building on a good lead when I wake up tomorrow, but let’s see 
This is baffling
Why has Bess been hogging the strike? I am going mental.
Perhaps Anderson is having a nap
Although like Root’s “inspired captaincy” of putting himself on for an over to have Pant caught on the boundary this could just be nearly the best set up for a result I could have hoped for. It was Napoleon who said he would rather have lucky generals than good ones.
Really enjoying having it on the telly again. 
Great to see it back on terrestrial tv. Root’s batting is in a different league to his team mates. Desperately need a couple more wickets this session.
Agreed and but for Root’s batting we would be facing defeat sometime tomorrow afternoon
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