The first day at Lords and although it’s only been a few days I’ve missed Test cricket! Great to see Archer back in the team but I’m surprised Tongue was the man to miss out? England won the toss and thankfully batted on a slow, low pitch. What followed was what we once called “attritional cricket”, certainly not BB! On the one hand it was good to see England digging in on a tricky pitch but on the other, wasn’t the BB approach supposed to be the answer on these wickets? Everyone got a start today but Root held everything together to finish on 99* and Crawley did himself no favours. Bumrah was brilliant again.
The second day started with Root completing another century
then a Bumrah burst threatened to derail England. Smith and Carse put an attacking partnership
together to push the total up to 387.
India went in and the recalled Jofra Archer took a wicket with his third
ball and was excellent all day. India
tried to occupy the crease, held together by Rahul finished on 145/3. England slightly ahead after two days?
I tuned in the following morning hoping, almost expecting
quick wickets but it didn’t happen!
Rahul got a ton and together with Pant dug in and set the tone for the
day with England having to scrap for wickets pretty much all day, Stokes running
out Pant was crucial. India looked like
they would go past England’s total but eventually those wickets came with
Woakes having a bit of luck for a change and the scores ended up level on first
innings. At the end of their innings
India lost 4/11. Then it all kicked off
at the start of England’s second innings with time wasting tactics from Crawley
winding up the Indians.
So we had a one innings match now, England batting to set a
target but it’s so bloody tense because India bowled well on a wearing pitch
and dominated the morning session with four wickets. After lunch Root and Stokes threatened to
steer England into ascendancy but the moment I started to relax Root was
out. The innings stuttered along in this
fashion and for the second time this match I ended up thinking that right now
BB would be the way to go! And had
England attacked they couldn’t have collapsed more spectacularly.
After an early wicket to Archer the Indian response threatened to take the game
away but a late burst from Carse dragged England back into the game, then
Stokes bowled the night watchman with the last ball of the day and it’s
anyone’s game!
The final day, no sign of rain so a draw is out of the
question but the other three results are possible at the start of play but
after the opening burst it looked like being a comfortable England win. It was anything but. Jadeja was brilliant and with help from the
tail he kept India in the game and nudging towards the total. At times in the afternoon it looked like he
was leading India to an unlikely win and from a nervous fan’s perspective,
possibly the most uncomfortable final session since the 2005 Ashes. An injured Bashir took the final wicket and
thank fuck for that!!!!!!!!!!
What a Test match!! I’m delighted that
England got the win and at the same time have a huge amount of respect for the
Indian team. England may be 2-1 up but
for fine margins could be 3-0 down, this series has been excellent so far and
it isn’t over by a long way.
Bashir will miss the rest of the series so will England pick
a proper spinner or will they squeeze Jacob Bethall into the team? (Earlier today Dawson was announced in the
squad which is a sensible selection.) Will one of the seamers be rested? Carse was excellent at times in this match
but I’d like to see Tongue have another go and the likes of Atkinson and Wood
are approaching fitness too. I moan
about Test series’ being over in a flash these days but I can’t wait for the
next match.