Key events
28th over: India 107-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 38) Jadeja thick edges Wood wide of slip for four, then clips to deep midwicket for two. He loves extracting his team from the malodorous stuff, particularly against England; his last Test century, at Edgbaston in 2022, came when they were 98 for five.
27th over: India 101-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 32) Hartley starts around the wicket to Jadeja, who eases him into the leg side for a single. A quiet over reinforces the feeling that this pitch is now belter we were promised the morning. Apparently Jimmy Anderson is off the field, though we don’t know why.
Ali Martin
Greeting Rob and chums; excellent morning, excellent lunch (paneer lababdar and freshly cooked naan) and excellent to have a quick chinwag with local hero Cheteshwar Pujara at the nets out the back of the stand. He’s preparing for Saurashtra’s next Ranji Trophy fixture against Manipur that starts tomorrow.
We chatted about Sussex – he loves Brighton and is looking forward to returning this summer – and I slightly unctuously compared him to the Terminator on that Australia tour of 2020/21 when he wore so many short balls to the body. He didn’t quite say “I’ll be back” but he says he’ll be ready if the call comes…
Unctuous, you say.
26th over: India 100-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 31) Jadeja starts assertively after lunch, working Wood for two twos and a three. Wood’s speed was just shy of 90mph; he should be a bit sharper in his next over as he starts to rev up.
Mark Wood, who took two wickets this morning, will start after lunch.
“Kumar Dharmasena parachuting into this series has reminded me he has his own range of oud/perfume in Sri Lanka,” writes Ali Martin.
Feels like a few of his predecessors missed a trick there. Steve Bucknor could have had his own fragrance for umpires, Eau Death.
Lunchtime reading
Lunch
Intriguing stuff in Rajkot. Mark Wood and Tom Hartley reduced India to 33-3, and it would have been 47-4 had Joe Root caught Rohit Sharma at slip. Instead Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja batted with increasing authority in an unbroken partnership of 60. It was still England’s session, but they’d have loved one more wicket.
25th over: India 92-3 (Rohit 52, Jadeja 24) Rehan Ahmed is given the last over before lunch. His third ball leads to a stumping referral against Rohit, who is beaten by a beauty. Foakes did the necessary but Rohit’s back foot stayed grounded.
Root at slip thought there was an edge, though it missed the bat by a fair distance. That’s lunch.
24th over: India 90-3 (Rohit 51, Jadeja 22) Jadeja drives a half-volley from Root through mid-on for four, a majestic stroke to bring up a restorative fifty partnership with Rohit Sharma. It’s been a good advert for experience.
Batting is starting to look easier, although it helps that England are bowling some muck. Root follows that half-volley with a short ball that Jadeja cuts to the fence.
23rd over: India 81-3 (Rohit 51, Jadeja 13) Rohit survives a big LBW shout after pushing outside the line at Hartley. England decide not to review but that looked close, very similar to Rohit’s dismissal in the second innings of the first Test. It was umpire’s call so the decision wouldn’t have been overturned anyway.
Rohit flicks Hartley for two to reach his first fifty of the series and indeed the season, a stylish if occasionally frisky 71-ball knock. He was dropped by Joe Root on 29; had it been taken India would have been 47 for four.
“I’ve a horrible feeling that the drop off Rohit will prove as crucial as that off Jaiswal in the second Test,” says Gary Naylor. “In both instances, Joe Root’s hands were too high too soon and he couldn’t get back to the ball. Mark Waugh and Mahela Jayawardene were the best I saw slipping to spinners and both stayed very low for as long as possible – Root doesn’t, and he’s paid the price.”
22nd over: India 78-3 (Rohit 49, Jadeja 12) Jadeja works Root to leg to break the run of dot balls before Rohit sweeps a loose ball round the corner for four. He’s starting to look pretty ominous for England; we all remember Chennai.
21st over: India 72-3 (Rohit 44, Jadeja 11) Just under 15 minutes until lunch as Hartley begins his seventh over. The field is spread for Rohit, who inside-edges safely round the corner for a single, and Jadeja defends the remainder of the over. He hasn’t scored in his last 15 deliveries, though there are no signs that he is losing patience.
20th over: India 71-3 (Rohit 43, Jadeja 11) Joe Root replaces Anderson (7-1-19-0), probably with the left-handed Jadeja in mind. Jadeja remains passive, arguably too much so, and it’s a maiden from Root.
19th over: India 71-3 (Rohit 43, Jadeja 11) A long hop from Hartley is slugged to cow corner by Rohit, who is starting to look dangerous: 19 from his first 35 deliveries, 24 from the next 25.
18th over: India 67-3 (Rohit 39, Jadeja 11) Anderson goes round the wicket to his old friend Jadeja, who unlike Rohit is playing every ball on its merits for the time being. With Anderson as accurate as ever, it’s a maiden.
17th over: India 67-3 (Rohit 39, Jadeja 11) Stokes has mid-off and mid-on up when Hartley is bowling to Rohit, who blocks a few deliveries and then spanks Hartley back over his head for four. It looks like he’s had enough of being dominated by the England bowlers.
16th over: India 62-3 (Rohit 35, Jadeja 10) Rohit tries to change the momentum by charging Anderson and spooning a drive that just clears mid-on. His next stroke is much better, a classically elegant back-foot drive for four. This is a fascinating contest between two old dons with a combined age of 77.
Meanwhile, this is quite something.
15th over: India 56-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 10) Jadeja turns Hartley just wide of Pope at short leg. It would have been an incredible catch, though Pope has managed a few of those in recent years. Jadeja’s main focus until lunch is survival, though he’s never going to look a gift half-volley in the mouth: he scrunches the last ball of the over down the ground for his first boundary.
14th over: India 50-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 4) An outstanding over from Anderson, who is nibbling it both ways, continues with Rohit wearing a couple of deliveries on the body.
“Lovely sunny if chilly morning here in the countryside south of Delhi, smog resting gently on the mustard fields and all that,” says Martin Wright. “Jadeja at No5? Does that mean we’re through to the tail? Or am I having one of Withington’s fever dreams?”
Yep, you’ve been Withingtoned. Never, ever underestimate Ravindra Jadeja. He averages 12 at No5 in Tests, admittedly, but it’s a small sample size and this is the kind of situation he relishes.
Rohit is not out! Yep, Rohit survives. But these are really nervous times for India, with the ball doing more than expected for both the seamers and spinners. It should get easier after lunch so this is a crucial spell.
It was a lovely nipbacker from Jimmy Anderson, who in truth didn’t look entirely convinced it was out. Ah, that’s why: there was a slight inside edge from Rohit. The third umpire is still confirming it was bat first; I’m 99.94 sure it was.
ROHIT IS GIVEN OUT LBW AND REVIEWS!
13th over: India 49-3 (Rohit 29, Jadeja 3) Rohit begins a counter-attack with consecutive boundaries off Hartley, a cut past point and a hearty thump over midwicket. But then he’s dropped by Root at slip! Rohit heaved across the line and got a leading edge to the left of Root, who couldn’t hold on to a tricky low chance. The ball dipped late and Root could only get his fingertips on it. It looked pretty tough to me, though the commentators reckon Root should have held it.
I SAID IN OTHER NEWS…
12th over: India 39-3 (Rohit 19, Jadeja 3) It’s relatively cool in Rajkot, which allows Stokes to give Wood a sixth over. Jadeja is beaten, pushing tenatively outside off, and then Rohit pulls confidently for a single. Apart from one cage-rattler, he has played Wood really well.
After an unimaginably good first hour for England, it’s time for drinks.
“I’ve opened the digestives,” says Deepak Puri. “I feel the situation demands it.”
One more wicket and the situation might demand a digestif.
11th over: India 34-3 (Rohit 18, Jadeja 0) Hello! Hartley beats Rohit with a beautiful delivery that curves in and then growls past the edge. Another ball stops in the pitch and is almost driven back to Hartley by Rohit. A very good maiden.
Dinesh Karthik thinks the turn is down to moisture more than anything else, another reason this wasn’t the worst toss to lose. There’s still lots to do for England though because batting should become a whole lot easier after lunch.
10th over: India 34-3 (Rohit 18, Jadeja 0) Rohit, hitherto comfortable against the short ball, is hit in the grille by a magnificent bouncer from Wood. Just a single from the over, paddled round the corner off the last delivery. This is an outrageously good start from England, who have taken three wickets for 12 runs in the last 38 balls.
9th over: India 33-3 (Rohit 17, Jadeja 0) The local boy Ravindra Jadeja comes in ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.
“Hola Rob,” writes Deepak Puri (3rd over). “Wish I’d stayed in bed now.”
Don’t worry, India will score a lot of runs today – this pitch is a belter. In truth I’ll be surprised if England take another wicket ever again.
Patidar fell in very tame fashion, lobbing Hartley gently to Ben Duckett in the covers. The ball was slightly short and turned slowly, probably too slowly. Patidar looked befuddled as he walked off, and replays confirm that the ball got stuck in the pitch. You don’t usually see that on the first day.
WICKET! India 33-3 (Patidar c Duckett b Hartley 5)
What on earth is going on? Ben Stokes decides to have an early look at Tom Hartley, and yet again his instinct is spot on.
8th over: India 32-2 (Rohit 16, Patidar 5) Rohit hasn’t had a great series so far, but he has looked serene this morning and has plenty of time to paddle Wood round the corner for a single. Patidar then plays a quite gorgeous back-foot drive through extra cover for his first boundary. The ball from Wood was 92mph as well.
“Before the first ball I was summoning every ounce of optimism and punting on a par lunchtime score of 125 for one,” writes Brian Withington. “After three overs that appeared a fever dream, a foolish 4am fantasy. But then you doubted the wisdom of opening with Mark Wood, or even selecting him. Care to call time on Jimmy’s career next?”
I did that umpteen times in 2009, and still nobody thanks me.
7th over: India 25-2 (Rohit 14, Patidar 0) Patidar wafts at Anderson and is beaten. India just need to get through this new-ball spell: they’ve lost two wickets for three runs in the last 20 balls.
6th over: India 24-2 (Rohit 13, Patidar 0) The new batter is Rajat Patidar, playing only his second Test. India’s Nos 4-7 went into his match with 70 Test caps between them: Jadeja 69, the rest 1.
Ali Martin, our man in Rajkot, reports that a) the wifi is up the spout and b) Mark Wood is Jimmy Anderson’s 25th new-ball partner in Tests.
Mark Wood is bowling beautifully here. He almost cleaned up Shubman Gill with the previous ball, which kept low and just missed the off stump. Gill pushed nervously at the follow up, feet going nowhere, and edged healthily through to Ben Foakes. After a century in Vizag, a nine-ball duck in Rajkot.
WICKET! India 24-2 (Gill c Foakes b Wood 0)
England’s magical new-ball expert strikes again!
5th over: India 23-1 (Rohit 12, Gill 0) Anderson has a big LBW shout against Gill turned down. It might have been high and there was definitely an inside edge, but it was a lovely nipbacker from Anderson. Apart from Jadeja this is an extremely inexperienced Indian middle order; England would love to have a crack at Patidar at Sarfaraz while the ball is still hard.
“Good toss to lose, because ChatGPT isn’t much help…” says Kim Thonger.
Q. When playing a test match in India, on winning the toss, should England captain bat or bowl first?
A. Deciding whether to bat or bowl first upon winning the toss in a Test match in India involves considering various factors including pitch conditions, weather, team strengths, and historical match outcomes at the venue. India’s pitches typically offer good batting conditions on the first couple of days before starting to deteriorate, which can assist spin bowlers significantly as the match progresses.
Are you trying to crush my spirit? That thing is going to put me out of a job by 2026 and probably out of existence by 2030. I’ve seen Ex Machina, I know what’s coming.
4th over: India 22-1 (Rohit 11, Gill 0) I think Mark Wood’s last new-ball wicket in a Test match was David Warner at Trent Bridge in 2015, when Australia were skittled for 60.
WICKET! India 22-1 (Jaiswal c Root b Wood 10)
Goddim! Wood pulls his length back and takes the big wicket of Jaiswal, who fiddles outside off stump and is taken at first slip by Joe Root. That is a vital breakthrough, and I’ll keep my opinions to myself from hereon in.
3.4 overs: India 22-0 (Jaiswal 10, Rohit 11) Wood isn’t a matural new-ball bowler. His first delivery is too full, too straight and Rohit rolls the wrists to put him away through midwicket. I do think Wood was the right selection but I can’t get Ollie Robinson out of my head right now.
It won’t be long before start to get creative. Wood takes out third slip and rams in a bouncer that beats Rohit’s attempted flick-pull.
In other news, what a charming picture this is of the debutant Sarfaraz Khan and his father. I’m getting sentimental in my old age, I know, but this is lovely.
3rd over: India 17-0 (Jaiswal 10, Rohit 6) Another full ball from Anderson is waved to the long-off boundary by Jaiswal, who has started with his usual intent. England really, really need to get him early or he could have 200 by the close. This pitch looks like an absolute belter.
“Woke for the second time for the night at 3.55am to respond to the needs of [redacted but fairly common medical condition],” writes Deepak Puri. “Saw it as a sign that I should put the telly on. I have tea… and there’s an unopened package of digestives in the cupboard. Game on.”
2nd over: India 13-0 (Jaiswal 6, Rohit 6) It’s rare to see Mark Wood take the new ball; before this series he hadn’t done it in a Test since 2015. His third ball is too full and waved elegantly through mid-on for four by Rohit. The fifth delivery, left by Rohit, bounces nicely into the gloves of Foakes. England will have to watch that bounce when they start sweeping later in the game.
Wood’s selection makes sense on this pitch, given how flat it looks, but what England would give to have Ollie Robinson alongside Anderson this morning.
1st over: India 6-0 (Jaiswal 5, Rohit 0) That’s how to start a Test match. Anderson pitches the first delivery up, testing for swing, and Jaiswal punches him through mid-off for four.
Anderson settles into a length thereafter, and Rohit Sharma is beaten by a lovely delivery. Theer’s also a rare no-ball from Anderson, but overall it was a good start.
Here we go: James Anderson to Yashasvi Jaiswal
This interview with Ben Stokes’ mum is really lovely
Ben Stokes: 100 not out
Never mind ‘moving Test’, this is definitely a Test full of milestones. Ben Stokes plays his 100th Test, while Ravichandran Ashwin and James Anderson are eyeing even rarer achievements. Ashwin needs one wicket for 500 in Tests; Anderson needs five for 700.
Jimmy is such a constant that we’ve become anaesthetised to the fact an England fast bowler is going to take 700 Test wickets. When he started his career 21 years ago, Courtney Walsh held the record with 519 and only one England bowler, Lord Beefy, had half as many wickets as Anderson has now. It’s entirely bonkers.
There’s another Test going on at the Waca, and Australia – specifically Darcie Brown – have made a flying start.
Sign up for the Spin!
We almost certainly won’t see Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett bat until tomorrow, but give this a read anyway – it’s very good.
The teams
India have made four changes in all. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj, who were injured and rested respectively at Vizag, come in for Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar.
India Jaiswal, Rohit (c), Gill, Patidar, Sarfaraz, Jadeja, Jurel (wk), Ashwin, Kuldeep, Siraj, Bumrah.
England Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Bairstow, Stokes (c), Foakes (wk), Rehan, Hartley, Wood, Anderson.
India won the toss and bat
It’s never good to lose the toss in India, but this might not be the worst game in which to bowl first. There might be a little bit in the pitch for Jimmy Anderson this morning, and the consensus from those on the ground is that the pitch – which looks a belter – won’t break up completely. Still, you’d rather be batting first.
“We’d have batted first, that’s what you do in India when you win the toss,” says Ben Stokes. “The series is nicely balanced, it’s a fair reflection. We’re refreshed after a break and we’re looking forward to the battle this week.”
Team news: Sarfaraz and Jurel make Test debuts
India have two more debutants in this game: Sarfaraz Khan, a 26-year-old with a first-class average of – get those exclamations marks ready – 69.85, and the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. They replace Shreyas Iyer and and KS Bharat, who kept beautifully in the first two Tests but scored a modest 92 runs in four innings. We’re still waiting to hear who Ravindra Jadeja will replace.
England named their team yesterday, with one change from Vizag: Mark Wood in, Shoaib Bashir out.
Read Ali Martin’s preview
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of India v England at Rajkot. The third day of a Test match is often described as “moving day”, because it’s often when an evenly matched game begins to move decisively in one direction. The contest we are about to enjoy, the third in a five-match series, might be a a rare example of a moving Test.
It’s only the fourth time this century that a five-Test series has been 1-1 after two games. A draw is almost impossible, even on what should be the best batting pitch of the series, so one of these teams will almost certainly move within touching distance of a series victory.
It’s too early to imagine it might be England, because a series win away to India – even an under-strength India – would be almost too joyous to bear. But just imagine if it’s England.
