Key events
Are England favourites now? You have to think so. Of course, Bumrah has magic balls in him, but the back-up seamers are meh, the pitch isn’t offering loads, the batters are set, and there’s absolutely loads behind them. Sensible behaviour from here, and the hosts should win.
Lunchtime email: “In my secondary school in the late 80s,” writes Tom Paternoster-Howe, “there was a girl called Candice who hated American Pie. This came up because it was played a lot on the radio around the 30th anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death, and I remember being surprised that anyone could hate such a lovely song. Admittedly this was 36 years ago, and she may have changed her mind in the interim, but there certainly used to be someone who hated it.”
Can we find Candice to check in on her? I hope it’s not still raining in her heart.
30th over: England 117-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 64) Target 371 Now Siraj returns, Duckett flicks a single to square leg, and that is lunch. What a session for England, who need 254 more to win.
“It’s not quite something that everyone likes,” says Josh Robinson, but when Nick Parish mentioned the relief at hearing something everyone knew, I couldn’t help think of the (possibly apocryphal) heckle at a recent Dylan performance: ‘Oi, mate, do you know any Bob Dylan songs?’”
It’s a mad thing that, being at a Bob gig, listening your absolute hardest, having no idea what you’re hearing, then suddenly a lightbulb: “Tangled Up In Blue, I love Tangled Up In Blue!”
Otherwise, a point of order: we’re not even looking for something everyone likes, just something no one hates.
29th over: England 116-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 63) Target 371 Crowd singing his name, Bumrah snaps in again and Duckett plays his first two balls confidently, then wears the third on the pad. The bowler appeals but you could see it was going down and there’s no review, then Duckett drives three to mid-off, Siraj chasing, sliding and returning. So Bumrah goes again, Crawley drives … it’s in the air, low … Bumrah stretches down with his weaker left hand … and the ball hits his wrist then drops. Agony for India and, to grind it in, swing takes the final delivery of the over well away from Pant’s dive, adding four byes to the total. This is falling apart for the tourists, who, should they lose this one, will have a full week to stew before the second Test.
28th over: England 109-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 60) Target 371 Finally, the ball refuses to pass through the ring, so India take a different one and immediately reckons Butch, you can hear the difference, off pitch and bat. Duckett takes a single to long on then, off the final delivery, Crawley gets down on one knee to sweep, only to mistime an effort into himself … and again, England get away with it. Everything has gone in their favour this morning.
27th over: England 108-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 59) Target 371 Bumrah returns and Duckett slaps his loosener to deep backward point for one, then Siraj noises up the crowd, looking for something, anything. But this pair are batting with confidence now, Crawley seeing off five dots and, um, er … as the Bazballers playing for lunch?
“I was musing on your slightly disapproving take on Duckett’s sometimes ill-advised braggadocio,” emails John Swan. “I agree that his post-play interviews sometimes make me cram my fist into my mouth (I want to say, you do know the guys who are bowling at you tomorrow will hear this? And also they are very good?) but I wonder if that’s more an English discomfort with or distrust of a supreme self-confidence? How would he fit into, say, an Aussie or South African dressing room, for example?”
Oh, I don’t mind it at all. It’s good to see players being themselves and offered an environment in which that’s encouraged. I’d have liked the interviewer to ask that he take us through them so we could debate whether each sweep was discrete, but otherwise, all good. I really like him as a cricketer and a personality; Ias below, though, I’d just like him to make the most of his starts.
26th over: England 107-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 58) Target 371 A tighter over, Jadeja rushing through – each ball and between balls – for the cost of a single to Duckett, again via reverse. But was it a different variety of than the previous one? Or just the same thing with a different name, à la Shane Warne?
25th over: England 106-0 (Crawley 42, Duckett 57) Target 371 A no ball gets the over moving for England, then offered width, Crawley – confidence growing – clouts a square drive to the fence. Krishna, though, responds well, banging one in short, and beating the attempted pull, then Crawley goes again, yelps as it gets unexpectedly big on him … and the ball drops between the men at midwicket and deep square. They run two, then an edge adds two more, and it’s all going for the hosts at present. Ten off the over, and Gill must surely risk giving Bumrah another dart before the interval.
“I agree with you about American Pie,” emails Nick Parish. “Don McLean was headlining at a festival we went to last summer, which surprised me because I didn’t realise he was still … well let’s just say I didn’t realise he was still performing. Anyway his set was mostly dreadful, but the closing number of American Pie was absolutely epic and the crowd went wild, partly because for most of us it was a relief to finally hear a song we recognised. But it is a fantastic song, and even better played live and in full.”
There’s actually a doc on the tune – how many that have ever been written could justify that? – which I really enjoyed, Madonna’s cover less so.
24th over: England 96-0 (Crawley 33, Duckett 56) Target 371 Ah, it’s Jadeja replacing Thakur – I’m not sure we’ll be seeing him at Edgbaston – and in comms DK remembers Duckett bragging about the 57 varieties of sweep he has. Nasser doesn’t know what he’s talking about but I heard that interview and also mind him saying it. Four singles from the over, one of them a reverse from the master, and with 275 runs to get, you’d back England from here were this an ODI.
23rd over: England 92-0 (Crawley 31, Duckett 54) Target 371 A single to Crawley then a brace to Duckett, before Krishna finds a bit of extra bounce, beating the outside edge. Then, just as he thinks he’s getting away with a relatively miserly over, Duckett twizzles him to midwicket for two more. Surely Gill must try Jadeja, or give Bumrah another wave before lunch.
“I’d put forward Keanu Reeves,” says Ben Heywood as we continue our quest to find something no one hates. “Search the internet (which has been around for a while). There’s literally not bad word said about the guy since his career began in (gulp) the late 80s. I’m with you on Fleetwood Mac, by the way.”
22nd over: England 87-0 (Crawley 31, Duckett 50) Target 371 Duckett turns to deep square for the single that raises his fifty, but can he go on? Thirteen half-centuries and five centuries isn’t a great conversion rate, even if we accept that his role in the team isn’t to bat long, but he’s at it today. And Crawley, who’s been unusually quiet, feeds off him, drilling a drive through cover before taking a single. India are in trouble.
21st over: England 81-0 (Crawley 26, Duckett 49) Target 371 Duckett is batting very nicely and again, offered width, he doesn’t miss out, slamming through extra and remaining in pos. Then, after he again tries a ramp, this time into his own chest – a right sair yin – he responds to a bouncer by rolling wrists over a pull, adding fo mo, before a single completes an over which adds nine to the total. India need something badly – especially given how deep England bat.
20th over: England 72-0 (Crawley 26, Duckett 40) Target 371 I don’t think it’ll be long before we see Jadeja, because England are managing India here, a single taken from each of Thakur’s first three balls; another comes from the fifth and, for the second time in three weeks, a finish that promised mayhem is instead delivering relative serenity. What can Gill and his men do about it?
“Forgot Solkar taking the shine of the ball for India,” emails Niall Morrissey. “Didn’t Gavaskar occasionally open the bowling, also attracting the attention of the umpire for his follow-through? I was convinced at one stage that Kapil was bound to take an all-10, not on his merits alone, but based on a complete absence of wicket-takers at the other end.”
Yup, he totally changed the game in India; what an era the era of all-rounders was – him, Imran, Botham and Hadlee all competing. Incredible, imagine this now:
19th over: England 68-0 (Crawley 24, Duckett 38) Target 371 Given my Fleetwood Mac hypothesis has been, figuratively and literally hurled out of the window, with what can we replace it? What is there, in the world, that no one hates? Sweet and sour chicken? Don McLean’s American Pie? I’ve also yet to find anyone with anything bad to say about the music of Black Sherif, for my money the best singer in the world at present. Back in the middle, Crawley edges to deep fine for one, then Duckett – the more aggressive of the two openers today – hauls a pull for four, and England are moving.
18th over: England 63-0 (Crawley 23, Duckett 34) Target 371 Thakur replaces Siraj, who bowled well, and England will surely look to put pressure back on the bowlers now. Crawley takes a single, then Duckett is offered one to force around the corner and doesn’t miss out, adding four before bumping one to midwicket. England have played really sensibly this morning, seeing off the front-liners, and this is their reward. Drinks.
“Averages aren’t everything,” writes tom Russell on Bumrah’s place in the pantheon, “but there are only 16 bowlers with tTest averages below 20, half of whom played before 1900, with only five playing after the Second World War. Those five are Bumrah, Frank Tyson, and then three modern players who have all played fewer than 20 tests (Boland, Jamieson and Patel).”
And his average in India, not exactly renowned a fast bowler’s paradise, is 17.19.
17th over: England 56-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 29) Target 371 Krishna is now showing why India picked him, his first delivery hauling Duckett forward then beating his push. Gosh, but his next ball bounces a lot less, bounces again in front of Pant, and scuttles to the fence for four byes; India do not need that. Krishna, though, responds well, again drawing Duckett forward before the ball leaves him. And the batter must be feeling antsy, because he tries a scoop seeking to get the score moving, misses, then retreats in his crease to clobber through cover for four.
16th over: England 48-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 25) Target 371 They actually ran a leg bye on the appeal, then Duckett adds another single and stuart Broad is presented with a birthday cake – the kind of thing you find in offices “in the usual place”. Must do better. TMS would never.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
Yup, the ball was missing leg – with Crawley so far down, Gill might’ve opted to leave that one.
16th over: England 47-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 24) Target 371 Siraj continues and his third delivery catches Crawley on the shuffle – across and down – then on the pad. There’s an appeal, which Umpire Gaffaney refuses … and Gill sends it upstairs. I think it was going over and wide…
“I was brought up with Solkar and Abid Ali taking the shine off the ball for the spinners,” begins Richard Woods, “and even post-Kapil Dev, it still feels slightly bizarre to think of an Indian as the foremost pace bowler of his generation. For me, overall he is right up there with Waqar Younis as a top example of a destructive paceman who uses his brain as much as his weapon to get batters out.”
Funny you say that – here’s an essay on Kapil and the development of Indian fast bowling, by, er, me.
15th over: England 46-0 (Crawley 21, Duckett 24) Target 371 England have won the first battle: Bumrah goes off, no wickets lost, and Krishna comes on. Will England target him? This morning, Krishna asked Broad for tips on how to bowl at Headingley, with the England team watching; Broad reckons short steps to keep the run-up solid given the wind, then hit the pitch hard. Crawley has a look before finagling a single to square leg then, offered width, Duckett throws hands, edging high between slip and gully for four. India will be feeling a little concerned.
14th over: England 41-0 (Crawley 20, Duckett 20) Target 371 A single to Crawley, then Duckett drives uppishly … but past the dive of Krishna at min-on for four. There’s then a brief pause while the ball is passed through the ring – India aren’t getting it changed this early – and that they’re trying to at this early stage suggests they’re not happy with it, good news for England.
“In terms of where Bumrah is in the pantheon,” begins Martin Jones, “the best comparator I can think of is Malcolm Marshall: idiosyncratic run up, slingy action, all the variations at high pace, the accuracy, all those fivefers…”
I was thinking of Marshall too – and Wasim Akram, because of how hard it must be to watch the ball out of the hand because of all the drama with the arms.
13th over: England 36-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 16) Target 371 Duckett’s defended well so far this morning and he again presents the full face as Bumrah targets the channel. Maiden.
“The Reynolds Girls beg to differ,” says Mark Hooper. “(your words gave me this instant earworm so I’m passing it on as revenge).”
Oh wow, it’s a minute since I’ve heard that.
I’m not sure why, but in my mind I always associate that song with this one:
Maybe they were on the same Now!
12th over: England 36-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 16) Target 371 Siraj goes around to Duckett, who flicks to fine leg for one, then Siraj sends down a wobble-seam nip-backer that beats Crawley’s airy drive – ctrl c, ctrl v – and misses the off-bail by fractions. Great ball, though, and if it hit a crack, there should be more of the same to follow; if not, India will be slightly concerned that three belters have yielded no wickets. Siraj is bowling well here and the final ball of the over is another beauty, again jagging in off the seam, cutting Crawley in half, and rapping the knee-roll. Tahere’s a strangulated appeal, but that was a little high.
11th over: England 35-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 15) Target 371 What level of bowler do we think Bumrah is? He’s obviously the best there is now, but looking with a wider lens, where does he enter the pantheon? There are obviously bowlers who’ve taken more wickets, but if we’re evaluating them at their best, then what? Meantime, Crawley drives nicely to deep backward point, Jadeja chasing down to save one as they run three. A single follows, and England have six, maybe 12 balls left to negotiate before the biggest threat to them is sent for a graze.
“So Pant is cap 29,” begins Sean Hennigan, watching at 3am in Santa Monica. “Bumrah is cap 290 … yet all match Pant has been wearing Bumrah’s 290 cap (paired with his own 291 shirt). I thought maybe he was just holding it for him while he bowls as umpires do but as far as i can tell he’s been wearing it all match. Any ideas? Enquiring minds want to know.”
10th over: England 31-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 14) Target 371 A no ball to begin Siraj’s second over of the morning, then Crawley drives to point for two. Save those two Bumrah jaffas, this has been a pretty sedate start so, as I type, Crawley takes an “It’s just the way I play” huge hoik across the line and splatters fresh air out of the ground, then flicks a single to mid-on.
“‘This should be one of the better working days’ concludes your preamble,” – thus begins Brian Withington. “‘You get paid for this, mate?!’, I enquire incredulously which incidentally was my opening gambit to the guy at the mountain ringed Queenstown airport after a breathtaking flight from Sydney on a glorious summer’s day. He just smiled at my impertinence.”
9th over: England 27-0 (Crawley 13, Duckett 14) Target 371 Again, coming around but from pretty close to the stumps, Bumrah slants in another than rips away off the seam, Duckett again left mystified. What an absolute champion this freak of nature is, and a handsome so-and-so to boot; maiden.
“There are very definitely people who hate Fleetwood Mac out there,” advises Dean Vaughan. “My friend Matthew once threw his stereo out of the window of his flat because his girlfriend was listening to Tango in the Night.”
What a lad. He must be such a muso, him.
8th over: England 27-0 (Crawley 13, Duckett 14) Target 371 Crawley, who could really use a contribution today, edges one to square leg, the atmosphere crackling – but in the middle, the relatively small crowd allowing us to enjoy the patter of the fielders. Four dots follow, then Duckett plays down into the off side and England end the over with a single.
I\m not going to shame the millions of you who are keen to let me know how much they despise Fleetwood Mac or post-Peter Green Fleetwood Mac, but know that you are seen.
7th over: England 25-0 (Crawley 12, Duckett 13) Target 371 Bumrah comes around from the off and Duckett defends solidly. In comms, Athers notes that save their late-order collapses, India would be out of sight; I think it’s worth noting that in both inningseseses, Josh Tongue has devoured the tail like Fergus Henderson. The sample size is small, but it’s one on which to keep an eye. Meantime, Duckett drives through cover for four, then to end the over, Bumrah sends down a 90mph off-break that swings in then nips away, a devastating piece of sorcery that leaves the batter flummoxed. You and us both, old mate.
Ben Duckett takes guard, Jasprit Bumrah has the ball. This is going to be great.
“You claim that nobody hates Fleetwood Mac,” says Bob O’Hara, “but they’re pretty famous for hating each other in the mid-70s.”
And yet at the same time they were also pretty famous for loving each other.
Here come our teams. Bring it on!
“A fantastic final day in store,” reckons Krishnamoorthy V. “While all the attention shall be on Bumrah (rightly so), I have a feeling that it is Ravindra Jadeja who is going to be the matchwinner, should India win this match. A Root century is going to be inevitable whether England wins it or loses it.”
Jadeja’s record in England isn’t that good, but agree that he’ll probably have to have a good day. Even if he’s not the matchwinner, Gill is probably relying on him to hold down an end, and i can totally see him nabbing a key wicket or two, though I’d be surprised if he’s the key man.
“Since I live not far from Leeds,” says John Starbuck, “I always check those weather prospects in each day’s Guardian. I see the forecast is 15-20C and 85% rain. There’s also a bit of a breeze about but the skies are pretty grey, which will probably make catching rather difficult, especially at such a poor sight ground as Headingley.”
That last point is a really important one, because the catching in this match hasn’t been great, and India need 10 wickets. That’ll be hard enough, never mind if drops leave them needing 12 0r 13.
Talking of Fleetwood Mac, a hypothesis: they are the only thing in the world that no one in the world hates.
Say what you want about Bazball, but that we’re even having a conversation about England winning this tells us the extent to which they’ve changed the game. I was mainly joking when I talked about Bazball being a way of life, but committing to attacking options is a serious piece of advice that’s worth remembering on a daily. In the words of Fleetwood Mac, play the way you’re feeling.
I said earlier that Bumrah getting it done feels like the likeliest outcome, but I do quite fancy England. The way they play, they’ve enough time to get the runs without taking risks, and India’s back-up quicks will not frighten them. If we assume Bumrah will be bowling spells of four or five overs, that’s not that many to survive while making hay the rest of the time.
Email! “The Beeb is even more pessimistic,” laments Graham O’Reilly. “Showers till 4pm. Boo!”
My festival experiences tell me that is the last place to look. I think we’re going to be OK.
They say that at Headingley, you look up, not down, but that’s not foolproof. Though it’s overcast, it’s also blustery, which suggests there’ll not be much swing about. However the earlier clement weather should mean the pitch is crumbly, offering uneven bounce. Athers reckons that’s best exploited by a hit-the-deck bowler like Prasidh Krishna, rather than skiddier ones like Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, and I understand the theory. But it’s hard to see anyone other than Bumrah – and Ravindra Jadeja – making the difference today. I’m not sure we’ll see Kuldeep Yadav sitting at the side in the next match.
There’s another huge contest going on today: Met Office v Weather Underground.
Underground Ultras for ever.
Preamble
Good morning everyone, and in the truest sense of the phrase too – not just a greeting but a statement of fact. Everything is possible and nothing is probable, save hours of intense joy at a time in human history when we need as much of it as we can get … if the rain allows it.
After what was surely a long night of the soul, Shubman Gill will be feeling something. After the elation of scoring a century in his first Test in charge, India failed to force home a position of strength after tea yesterday, taking too long to score too few such that should they lose today – scoring 835 runs across their two inningseseses – his decision-making will inevitably be criticised. No one will judge his tenure on the strength of this first match, but momentum is important, and going one down – after playing well, with four away Tests still to come – the pressure will feel enormous.
And what of Ben Stokes? It might just be that, over the last few days, we’ve witnessed the birth of Bazball 2.0, England retaining their aggressive intent but tempering it with the curious concept of context. A year ago, we’d never have seen their quicks bowling to fields featuring no slips, just as we’d absolutely have seen the openers thrashing at this target from the off. But ultimately, for all the inspiration and affirmation of the Testvangelist way of life, there’s nothing either inspirational or affirming about losing all the bloody time. England gave the game a kick up the arse, the game has since given them one back, and both should be the better for it.
Gosh, that’s a lot of words without mentioning Jasprit Bumrah, isn’t it? Because much as sport taunts us into complicating it with thoughts of narrartive and meaning, things can simultaneously be very simple, and there’s a decent chance the best bowler in the world is just too good to be denied. This should be one of the better working days.
Play: 11am BST
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