Key events
48.2 overs: India 200-2 (Jaiswal 91, Gill 57) Carse starts his over with a rank bad ball that Jaiswal cuts for four. That brings up India’s 200 and moves Jaiswal into the nineties. But he is really struggling and I’m not he’ll make it to tea, which is still 15 minutes away. The physio is coming on again.
“Any chance of England finding some bowling down the back of the sofa?” writes Ed Wilson. “I’ve somehow blagged tickets for Lord’s AND Old Trafford – not sure the wife has realised yet – it would be nice to see something other than Indian centuries…”
There’s a decent chance you’ll see Jofra. And some Indian centuries!
48th over: India 196-2 (Jaiswal 87, Gill 57) Jaiswal continues but he’s wringing his hand between deliveries. Bashir should try a couple of moon balls, the equivalent of a football team peppering an injured goalkeeper. Or just give him a single and let Carse do his worst at the other end.
Bashir ends another good over with a big-spinning delivery that Gill leaves. Given the context, individual and collective, I think he’s started really well.
“On the subject of drinks bottles, let’s all hope that the charming marketing wonks at Ryanair never get their mitts on a cricket ground sponsorship deal,” says Jeremy Boyce. “Imagine that: NO drinks allowed to be brought in (only overpriced stuff available in the ground), pay extra to bring your backpack in, limit on backpack size, pay extra to reserve a seat where you actually want to sit, pay extra to gain early entry….”
Not been to a Blast game lately?
“If Roses Match naming rights are allowed to transcend cricket, how about the Bleasdale/Bennett?” writes Anthony Baxter. “The teams could compete for the Shavings, a vintage pencil sharpener reputed to be full of charred pencil swarf.”
47.2 overs: India 195-2 (Jaiswal 86, Gill 57) There’s a break in play while Jaiswal receives treatment. It looks like he might have cramp in his right hand or forearm.
47th over: India 195-2 (Jaiswal 86, Gill 57) Gill mistimes a pull off Carse, who has probably been England’s most threatening bowler today. Not that the competition is volcanic. I wonder what let it go, Smyth, it’s over Ollie Robinson is up to this afternoon. Still England’s best bowler for mine.
A maiden from Carse, his fourth in 13 overs. That’s as many as the other bowlers between them.
46th over: India 195-2 (Jaiswal 86, Gill 57) Everyone hold their nerve, we’ve been How’s Jimmy bowling these days here before in the Bazball era and I just don’t know what’s going off out there it has often ended in a Send ‘em home! thrilling run–chase.
Bashir continues with an in-out field, slip and leg slip for Jaiswal. He averaged 90-odd against Bashir in last year’s series, a statistic that comes to mind as he spanks a disdainful boundary back over Bashir’s head. That brings up a brilliant century partnership between the present and future of Indian cricket: Jaiswal (23) and Gill (25). England wish we were talking about their score rather than their age.
“Not sure,” writes James Wallace in reply to Smylers’ query in the 43rd over, “ but I did see a bloke decanting a bottle of white wine on the way in. That’s the only intel I have.”
45th over: India 188-2 (Jaiswal 80, Gill 56) Carse replaces Tongue (11-0-45-0) and is encouraged through mid-on for three by Gill. He produces a jaffa later in the over that ends up in the gloves of Jamie Smith. England appeal for something, anything, everything, but there’s no edge and it was too high for LBW. The umpire Chris Gaffaney pointed towards the stumps, and for a second the Sky commentators thought Gill might have bowled. Turns out Gaffaney was just asking to see whether the bails had been disturbed.
44th over: India 183-2 (Jaiswal 79, Gill 52) England’s decision to bowl looks a bit of a stinker, though Shubman Gill would have done the same. One person knew: your friend and mine, Tim de Lisle, sent me an email at 11.10am along the lines of, ‘Has Stokes done a Nasser at Brisbane?’
Bashir continues his encouraging start – accurate, seductive flight – with a modern rarity: a maiden from a spinner to Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Fifty for Gill on captaincy debut!
43rd over: India 183-2 (Jaiswal 79, Gill 52) Shubman Gill pulls Tongue well in front of square for four to reach a silken half-century from 56 balls. New captains tend to start well with the bat; few had done it as elegantly as Gill today.
“Please could somebody at Headingley confirm if gate staff are enforcing the ‘No plastic drink bottles if the seal has been broken’ rule?” asks Smylers. “In this weather, it seems cruel to confiscate drinks from fans who felt they needed to hydrate on their way to the ground or while queuing outside, and so opened their drink before making it through the gates. Asking for somebody who’s got tickets for this weekend.”
Jim is there so hopefully he’ll tell us, although given his, a-hem, social intent he may have put all electronic devices for the forseeable.
42nd over: India 172-2 (Jaiswal 78, Gill 47) A thick edge from Gill off Bashir runs away for four more. That was a good bit of bowling, but England are haemorrhaging boundaries: 28 fours and a six in 42 overs.
That six from Jaiswal was his 27th in Tests against England; he’s already only seven short of Viv Richards’ all-time record.
41st over: India 172-2 (Jaiswal 78, Gill 42) My Sky feed has just gone down. Great stuff. And you thought England’s bowlers started the series badly.
I don’t you think you/I/we have missed much, just a single to Gill from Tongu- ah, scratch that, Jaiswal has slapped Tongue’s last ball over point for six.
40th over: India 165-2 (Jaiswal 72, Gill 41) Cheers Jim, afternoon everyone. I’ve arrived just in time for Shoaib Bashir’s first over of the day; this already feels like an important spell in the context of the game.
Jaiswal slashes his first ball behind square for four. But that aside it’s a promising start from Bashir, with some nice drop and a couple of balls that turn noticeably.
James Wallace
39th over: India 159-2 (Jaiswal 67, Gill 40) Tongue bends his back and bangs in an over of short stuff to Jaiswal. It slows the scoring but looks hard yakka. Might be time for some spin soon?
Would you look at that, it is most definitely time for Rob Smyth to slip into the OBO hot seat to guide you through the rest of the day.
Thanks for your company, that was lots of fun. I’m off to seek out that ice cold shandy…
38th over: India 158-2 (Jaiswal 66, Gill 40) It’s getting sticky out there for England, in more ways than one. Woakes leaks three boundaries to Jaiswal, driven, punched and cut. The ball has gone soft and the pitch has gone flat.
Here’s Romeo trying to lighten the mood. Trying…
“Hi Jimbo, I was disappointed to see in the Cricketers’ Who’s Who 2025 that Brydon Carse’s nickname is Cheesy. I was rather hoping it would be Carsey.”
It’s the way he tells ‘em.
37th over: India 145-2 (Jaiswal 53, Gill 39) Tongue has tightened up his line after a scrappy spell earlier. He’s zoning in on the top of off stump and moving the ball back in to the right handed Gill.
Julian Menz’s Bucolometer is seemingly off the charts:
“Hi James and readers from around the world… We are sat around in the garden enjoying Midsummer here in Sweden (not THAT one, I have yet to bash an elderly person’s head in with a wooden mallet, and Midsommar was actually filmed in Hungary).
We are eating pickled mackerel with potatoes, chopped red onions, and sour cream. My daughter is moaning about how pappa gets to spend more time on his phone (following the OBO) than she does, and the grandparents are passive-aggressive about the fact that I have TMS on in the background.
If this was a Sunday, the Kinks might have written about it.”
36th over: India 142-2 (Jaiswal 51, Gill 39) Gill drives Woakes for four more through cover. He looks in fine fettle, worryingly for England.
35th over: India 135-2 (Jaiswal 50, Gill 33) Fifty up for Jaiswal! His first Test knock on English soils and he’s been as impressive as ever. Compact when he needs to be and swashbuckling-ly expansive when he doesn’t. He lifts his bat subtly to the appreciative crowd. Plenty more to get…
Oooft. Shubman Gill plays his trademark back-foot punch square of the wicket. Just for two on this occasion but lovely to see it in the flesh. Be still my beating…
34th over: India 132-2 (Jaiswal 49, Gill 31) “Regal” purrs Ravi Shastri like an E-Type Jag in the fast lane of the M1 after Gill on drives Woakes’ final ball for four.
33rd over: India 128-2 (Jaiswal 49, Gill 27) “Dear Jimbo, much chatter about the Anderson/Tendulkar trophy, following Crowe/Thorpe, Richards/Botham.
But surely cricket’s greatest rivalry needs to be recognised with a new cup? What names should be honoured for the clash between Lancashire and Yorkshire?”
Sweet Baby Tim Sowula getting the debate going. Must be a quiet passage of play. Do they have to be cricketers? My old man is from Wigan… and my ma is from Huddersfield. The Wallace Trophy. There you go. Sorted.
Tongue replaces Carse. Field set for some short stuff. Starts with a full toss. Double bluff didnae work.
32nd over: India 124-2 (Jaiswal 46, Gill 26) Gill edges Woakes between slip and gully to pick up four in streaky fashion. Nothing streaky about the next shot though! Gill takes a couple of steps out to Woakes and drives imperiously through cover. There’s that MRF sponsored blade once more. Ahem. Shot! More lovely batting, Woakes goes too full and is clipped away off the pads for four more. Gill is into his groove now.
31st over: India 112-2 (Jaiswal 46, Gill 14) It feels ‘nick-y’ out there according to Stuart Broad on the Sky comms. Carse is thundering in, sweat dripping off his tattooed forearms. Two no-balls in a row as Carse struggles with his run up and oversteps. One of them was a speared in yorker that Jaiswal did well to keep out, not that it would have mattered.
30th over: India 107-2 (Jaiswal 45, Gill 12) The new England captain is using an MRF stickered blade. The tyre behmoth’s torch being passed on from Tendulkar to Kohli and now Gill*. Woakes continues with a leg slip in place. Just two runs to Jaiswal though cover.
*Not a paid promotion. But can be…
29th over: India 105-2 (Jaiswal 43, Gill 12) Gill guides Carse for a couple through point. The big burly bowler is too full and wide with the next ball and Gill just leans on it to get four over the rapid square. Hundred up for India, those wickets will still be annoying them.
28th over: India 98-2 (Jaiswal 42, Gill 6) Woakes back into the attack after the break. He’s over the wicket. Three slips and a gully in place. Maiden. On a postage stamp is the Wizard. Is that good English? I don’t know. I know I had chow mein for lunch, sans fork. In 30 degree heat.
27th over: India 98-2 (Jaiswal 42, Gill 6) Gill plinks to midwicket and calls a risky run… Ollie Pope swoops and has a shy at the stump – MISSES! Gill was out if he hit, that was not a good run. Early nerves from India’s new skipper. No one was backing up the throw so four overthrows are added to India’s score. That would have been some start after the break, could even have blown fork-gate out of the water.
26th over: India 93-2 (Jaiswal 41, Gill 1) Stokes polishes off the three balls remaining in the over. His opposite number, Shubman Gill, shoulders arms to a length ball and then gets off the mark with a drop and run into the covers. The clouds have rolled over Headingley, can it be so muggy it doesn’t swing?
25th over: India 91-1 (Jaiswal 41, Sudharsan 0) Sai Sudharsan arrives on Test debut. Close! Carse goes full and scuds one into the debutant’s front pad as he offers a tentative forward defence. It was going over, but not by much.
We interrupt this OBO to tell you that there was distinct lack of forks in the media centre lunch room. I know that’s the sort of detail you are after. Nearly the entire lunchbreak had passed before, inexplicably, two gleaming forks were ceremoniously wheeled in. It sounds like a joke/metaphor for this morning’s first session but is actually true. I had to eat my chow mein with Jeremy Coney’s crutch. Definitely true. Anyway, the players are back on the field. I suppose you want that sort of detail too do you?
Lunchtime Reading:
And for those of you after the TMS overseas link, William Hargreaves has got you covered. Ta Bill.
https://www.youtube.com/live/2V7a6nPI1Bs
Lunch – India 92-2
For the best part of two hours India were bossing the start of this game. One brings two as the old adage goes, Ben Stokes leads his men off for some well deserved scran with a skip in his stride. India’s new captain, Shubman Gill, will be at the crease after the break. Righto, to the buffet!
WICKET! Sai Sudharsan c Smith b Stokes 0 (India 92-2)
A strangle! Stokes plays on the debutant’s nerves and desire to get bat on ball, a leg slip in place and a leg side trap set. Sudharsan flicks at one but doesn’t connect, he doesn’t learn his lesson though and gets a tickle on the next! England are cock-a-hoop with that, from nowhere they’ve got two wickets and a gruelling morning session is now about honours even.
WICKET! KL Rahul c Root b Carse 42 (India 91-1)
A flat footed drive from KL Rahul is snaffled by Joe Root in the cordon! The edge went quickly but Root hung on well with both hands. England needed that and in truth were gifted it by Rahul who will be livid that he gave it away on the stroke of lunch.
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