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5th over: India 23-1 (Gill 11, Kohli 5) Mahmood hasn’t looked anything like as threatening a the bloke hurling 1000mph exocets, and Gill clumps him down the ground for four, then flicks away for two. India are settling.
4th over: India 17-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 5) Wood’s first over was so good his second has the sense of an occasion, as we learn today is the first time he’s taken a wicket between overs 1 and 32 playing an ODI in India. I guess that’s one reason he’s not guaranteed his spot in the side and, as I type, he overpitches a touch and Virat, stood outside the crease, strokes him fo fo through extra, then picks out the fielder next ball. That’s confidence – deliberately getting closer to a bowler unleashing hadoukens – and reactions. This could be quite a duel.
3rd over: India 12-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 1) Back to waking up to sport, the Champions Trophy is in Pakistan and UAE, so those of us in the UK have plenty of enriched mornings coming up. I’ve recently learnt this is partly an ADHD thing – I appear to arrange my life so I’ve the sense of something happening, always – but on a very basic level, it’s better than work and anything else that might be going on, adding movement and buzz to every day. I mean, just have a look at Shubman Gill, showing Mahmood the full face and timing four through cover; to be kvelling at 8.15am is a set-up to a day.
2nd over: India 8-1 (Gill 1, Kohli 1) Wood has found his rhythm here: his first delivery was a jaffa and so is his second, angling in and ripping away; it’s far too good for Kohli, who looks to flick into the on side and cannot. He does, though, get off the mark with a shove to cover, and won’t mind watch this from the non-striker’s, but when Gill paddles to wide deep third, he’s another ball to negotiate and tries to whip away the bat but winds up patting it into the turf.
WICKER! Sharma c Salt b Wood 1 (India 6-1)
Such is this thing of ours! A ton one day, a single the next, and this is a beauty of a loosener from Wood, seam upright, landing on a length and nipping away, appearing to magnetise the edge; the delivery is so lush, Rohit can’t leave it alone, and he guides into the hands of the tumbling keeper.
2nd over: India 6-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) There’s not much better about existence than waking up to sport, but excuse me while I interrupt myself!
1st over: India 6-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 0) Saqib opens with a yorker, dug out by Rohit for one, then finds shape away from Gill, who leaves alone. But five wides follow – that’s not a good delivery, shaping down leg-side, but the ball absolutely flies off the surface. Six off the over and a decent start from India that required of them no risks.
…and play. Saqib with the ball and a pair of slips.
Our players are with us…
Email! "“I just read that Buttler has won 12 of his last 13 coin tosses,” says Tom van der Gucht. “Is he wasting all his luck in the toss and not saving enough of it for out in the middle? Perhaps he should forgo the toss and just let the other captain choose in order to save some good fortune in the bank for his team.”
Alternatively, imagine how battered his team would’ve got had he lost the tosses.
Last evening, India announced that Jasprit Bumrah won’t make the Champions Trophy squad – he’s injured – while Yashasvi Jaiswal has been left out. This is their squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy. Non Travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.
The thing is, over the last bit, it’s not just the bowling that’s not been working but the batting and the fielding. England have a lot of talent, but it’s not firing: when they were good, you knew that in pretty much every innings, someone would do something, but now they’re struggling as a collective.
England are going to need some contributions up-front. If they let India get away, this could be a long day; Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson are under pressure.
Teams!
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Harshit Rana.
England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Tom Banton, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Saqib Mahmood.
In the studio, they’re a little surprised England haven’t gone with their firsr team – they’d said Jofra Archer would play two of the three matches. But, as Steve Finn notes, he and Brydon Carse are both definites so perhaps it’s a bowl-off between the rest.
Rohit would’ve batted as India have chased twice. He enjoyed it out in the middle last game, it was a knock he needed, and asked about the fielding in this series, which has been good, he says a lot of the players take a lot of pride in it, especially the younger lads. Otherwise, Ravi Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are rested while Varun Chakravarthy has a sore calf; in come Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh.
Buttler says maybe the dew will make it skid on later, but also England have batted first twice so, with the Champions Trophy in mind, he wants them to experience the other side of things. The wicket looks decent, so he’ll see how it plays today, and makes one change: Tom Banton for Jamie Overton.
England win the toss and will field
When under the pump, stick with what you know.
Preamble
Psst, let me tell you something funny: once upon a time and not for very long, England’s men were good at 50-over cricket. I know!
Now, though, they’re back getting hosed on the reg, a miserable World Cup followed by series defeats to West Indies, Australia, West Indies again, and now India. Somehow, it’s like slipping into an old tracksuit with bourbons in your hand and Grange Hill on the telly, and also like necking a load of ayahuasca while pouring bleach up your nose.
And though England can afford to lose this series – just as well, really – a week Saturday, they begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia. They’ll not be wanting another tournament embarrassment, and though many sages feel the world has never needed Bazball more, it couldn’t currently be said to be working.
So, though India hold an unassailable 2-0 lead, England desperately need to find some form, and fast – without the hamstrung Jacob Bethell, one of few in the squad currently enhancing his reputation, the all-rounder replaced with Tom Baton, a batter.
And yet this remains a talented group; the question is whether enough members of it can fire at the same time, or
Play: 8am GMT, 1pm local
