Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n
That\u2019s it for the day folks. England have rebuilt after losing three quick wickets early in their reply. A 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Joe Root and Harry Brook has taken them from 25 for three to 77 for three after India piled on 587 in their first innings.. <\/p>\n
Thanks again for your company today on what was largely a day of watching runs, runs and more runs on a flat deck, which then sprung into life after tea. England will be rested up tomorrow after 151 overs in the field, so should be able to bat and bat \u2014 it\u2019s still flat but the top order looked a bit mentally fatigued and the new ball was swinging. <\/p>\n
Should be a fascinating day\u2019s play tomorrow. Would love it if you joined me for it. <\/p>\n
Could be worse, could be Australia<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Australia are now 114 for five against West Indies in the second Test, having just lost another wicket. They won the toss and elected to bat in Barbados, but it\u2019s been a tough session and a half or so.<\/p>\n
Shemar Joseph sent down a brutal delivery which Travis Head edged behind. All of Australia\u2019s top five gone now, with Beau Webster and Alex Carey at the crease.<\/p>\n
Not quite sure Brook is fully with it at the moment. He\u2019s trying to play to third man with three slips in \u2014 that\u2019s got disaster written all over it. He needs to do what he does best here, he\u2019s too frenetic. Root, on the other hand, looks much calmer.<\/p>\n
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NIGEL PARKER\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n
England still have another 25 minutes or so to negotiate.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been done before…<\/p>\n
England have won two games under McCullum having conceded more than 550 \u2014 one in Multan last year, and one at Trent Bridge against New Zealand. But boy, does that feel a long way off from where they are at the moment.<\/p>\n
Harry Brook brings up the 50 for England with a big heave for six over mid-off, counterattacking Siraj. Only another 537 to go.<\/p>\n
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Siraj is going round the wicket to the right-handed Brook, and the Yorkshireman tries backs away to try and cut through point but misses. The ball only just misses the stump,and we can hear on the stump mic Gill saying \u201cit\u2019s all happening, boys!\u201d. He\u2019s not wrong.<\/p>\n Half an hour of play left.<\/p>\n Always loved umpire\u2019s call<\/p>\n Massive shout for lbw \u2014 Siraj thinks he\u2019s got Harry Brook, and the rest of the team give a massive appeal too. It\u2019s given not out on the field and India review. The ball went within a hair\u2019s breadth of the bat, but UltraEdge showed no contact. There were questions about height, but Brook was quite far back in his crease. It\u2019s confirmed as umpire\u2019s call so Brook survives. <\/p>\n England had found almost no swing over the last day and a half \u2014 India are finding it though. Brook\u2019s first ball swung away from him and only just missed the edge.<\/p>\n And then the next ball he is well beaten, poking at one outside the off stump and it only just misses the edge. There is a bit of movement, and this is a very dangerous last hour of the day for England. <\/p>\n Brook has gone on the counter-attack, trotting down the wicket to Siraj but he can\u2019t quite time it. He\u2019s getting a bit of noise from the slip cordon behind him.<\/p>\n Crawley\u2019s gone now, and England are in big trouble. He\u2019s gone for a big drive off Siraj, clipped it with an outside edge and it\u2019s flown to Nair at first slip. He walks for 19.<\/p>\n This so often happens even on very flat decks \u2014 having been in the field for so long England will be fatigued, which can affect the fine margins of judgement, but fair play to India. They have come out fired up and bowling with heat.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n I bet Joe Root didn\u2019t expect to be batting so soon. Akash Deep is on a hat-trick\u2026 and Root survives with a push into the off side.<\/p>\n Uh oh. Ollie Pope\u2019s gone. Two in two for Deep. Another snaffle in the slips, although this one was taken at the second attempt for KL Rahul. England are 13 for two and really up against it.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n It\u2019s a pretty dreadful start for England\u2026 Duckett\u2019s gone for a duck, edging behind to Gill off Deep, who takes it brilliantly.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Well, there is a statement of intent. Zak Crawley has dispatched Akash Deep for four on his second ball. Straight down the ground. <\/p>\n And then knocks the next ball through mid-wicket for an easy two.<\/p>\n Deep has gone for 12 in the over, which included a no-ball. Tough start.<\/p>\n England\u2019s openers are making their way out to the middle. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett made 69 and 211 respectively across both innings at Headingley, and will be eyeing big scores here given the state of the pitch.<\/p>\n Little and large don\u2019t have to worry about Jasprit Bumrah today, but Mohammed Siraj is not exactly a village cricketer. A couple of spinners might want to take advantage of some foot marks at either end, particularly to the left-handers\u2026 <\/p>\n Akash Deep has the ball, Crawley on strike. Here we go.<\/p>\n It\u2019s over \u2014 151 overs after it began. India are all out for 587 as Mohammad Siraj is stumped having missed one down the leg side off Bashir for eight. <\/p>\n England will have an hour and 40 minutes to bat tonight. <\/p>\n India are keen \u2014 the England players hadn\u2019t even got off the pitch and the India slip cordon are on the outfield having balls flung at them.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Australia are in trouble again. They\u2019ve slumped to 50 for three against West Indies, both openers are out and Steve Smith on his return is caught at mid-wicket for three. And Cameron Green is yet to score. How long will they persist with him at No3? It\u2019s getting a bit ugly\u2026<\/p>\n Typical isn\u2019t it, you wait all day for a wicket and two come along at once. Bashir tosses one up, and Akash Deep knocks it straight down the throat of Ben Duckett at long on.<\/p>\n Prasidh Krishna has a Test average of 1.25 and a first-class average of 8.39 \u2014 doubt he\u2019ll be here long. <\/p>\n There is a bit of turn with the ball gripping a bit which India won\u2019t mind.<\/p>\n He\u2019s gone. He\u2019s finally gone. <\/p>\n The whole of Edgbaston stands to applaud a magnificent innings by the Indian captain. It\u2019s the highest Test innings by an Indian skipper \u2014 he\u2019s gone for 269 with Tongue making the breakthrough, a short ball is hooked to square. A slightly tame dismissal but we\u2019re probably near the end of this epic innings. The talk here is they haven\u2019t got enough! That is how mad the Bazball era is.<\/p>\n Time for Tongue to mop up the rest of them.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n We\u2019re back out for the evening session on a lovely summer\u2019s afternoon. Tongue has the ball, and Gill is on strike, pulling through the leg side for a single.<\/p>\n And that, my Lords, ladies and gentlemen, is tea. Time for a brew and a Vicky sponge, or a cold beer if that\u2019s your preference on this sunny day.<\/p>\n 564 for seven and on they go. You would though wouldn\u2019t you against this England team \u2014 just bat and bat and bat. <\/p>\n Roooooty Toooooooty \u2014 partnership breaker. I\u2019ve always said it. In his fourth over he\u2019s broken the mammoth partnership and got rid of Washington Sundar, bowled for 42 from 103 balls. <\/p>\n Perhaps now Josh Tongue can get munching some rabbit pie as we\u2019re into the tail. <\/p>\n Akash Deep joins Gill in the middle, with a first-class average of 11.91. Root\u2019s first ball to him is a bouncer at 73mph \u2014 which is quicker than Harry Brook\u2019s seam up. <\/p>\n Things are livening up now.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Stokes is trying a load of different things here. He gave Harry Brook a crack. Joe Root is now in his second over. Personally, I think he should ask Ben Duckett to have a bowl. He\u2019s taken two first-class wickets in his career \u2014 albeit at an average of 49.50. But what\u2019s there to lose?<\/p>\n In amongst all the Barmy Army fun, Shubman Gill surpassed 250 runs. He\u2019s now on 257, the highest score by an Indian Test captain. Wonder if he\u2019s getting bored?<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n I\u2019ve just ventured out of the press box to spend a bit of time with the Barmy Army over in the Hollies. They have about 350 people who have booked directly with them, and they all sit together in blocks 24 and 25 of the Hollies stand. They have more than 1,000 Barmy Army faithful attending this Test match across the first four days.<\/p>\n The most important of the contingent is Finchy the trumpeter. Now in his fifth season as the Barmy Army\u2019s dedicated brass man, he took over from Billy Cooper, who had done the job since 2004. <\/p>\n With India piling on the runs on a flat pitch, it is Finchy\u2019s job to try and rouse the crowd. All of the England players have said publicly on a number of occasions how much they appreciate the noise the Barmy Army make and the songs they sing and how much they as players actually enjoy being posted out in the deep in front of the Hollies stand.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n \u201cMy job is to get the fans singing. Sometimes it is harder than others because sometimes, particularly at home Tests, people don\u2019t always know the words to our player specific songs so I have to go back to the old favourites such as The Great Escape but Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett\u2019s song for example have really caught on\u201d.<\/p>\n Finchy has his work cut out as India are currently 547 for six, but what he has observed both here and at Headingley in the first Test people are \u201cabsolutely absorbed by the cricket\u201d in this series.<\/p>\n He adds: \u201cThey aren\u2019t just drinking and partying, they are actually sitting watching the cricket because there is such quality on show.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big year for cricket,\u201d Dan Brown, one of the Barmy Army\u2019s marketing officers told me. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a big following with us throughout this series but even bigger for the Ashes. We\u2019ve got 3,000 already booked directly with us on travel packages. Melbourne and Sydney are the most popular as they obviously fall in the Christmas holidays, but there\u2019s also going to be a big following at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been massive since we went live with our travel packages. We will have a big contingent there. People are so excited about it because obviously they couldn\u2019t\u2019 go to the last one because of Covid. There is so much pent up excitement \u2014 people have been waiting for this for eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n Finch is celebrating his 52nd birthday at Edgbaston today, and has played for the likes of Liam Gallagher, Beyonc\u00e9 and Florence & the Machine<\/p>\n SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL<\/p>\n Finchy won\u2019t be on duty in the third Test, as Lord\u2019s don\u2019t allow musical instruments. However, last year, for the first time, they allowed a dedicated block for Barmy Army fans to all sit together. They\u2019re allowed to go through their repertoire of songs even if they have to do it a capella, but being allowed to have a dedicated block of seating is \u201cprogress\u201d and \u201chas been brilliant for the atmosphere\u201d, Brown told me.<\/p>\n England are losing the plot in the field here. A wider one from Carse doesn\u2019t quite bounce as much as expected, and slides under Jamie Smith for four byes. One of those days.<\/p>\n Shubman Gill\u2019s record-breaking innings keeps getting better. He\u2019s 229 not out, third on India\u2019s all-time individual Test scores against England, and the highest made in England.<\/p>\n Top of the list is Karun Nair, who made 303 not out at Chennai in 2016. His next highest Test score? The 31 he made here yesterday. He\u2019s absolutely lethal once he gets past 32.<\/p>\n Having shipped 12 runs in his first over, Brook has stemmed the tide, only going for three in his second. Great response from a proper bowler.<\/p>\n Brook\u2019s only wicket is Kane Williamson, in Wellington in February 2023<\/p>\n JOHN MALLETT\/PROSPORTS\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n After drinks, Brook has the ball again. Imagine if he got rid of Gill\u2026<\/p>\n A sign of how desperate England are becoming? Or just giving the bowlers a rest from being hammered around by Gill? Either way, Harry Brook is into the attack, and has gone for 12.<\/p>\n Gill makes double century<\/p>\n Gill has been on 199 for 13 minutes.<\/p>\n But there it is \u2014 the Indian captain is more than leading from the front with this innings. He\u2019s played beautifully. His maiden double Test hundred and it has come off Josh Tongue with a tickle down to fine leg. It\u2019s come off 311 balls, with 21 fours and two sixes. He comes thundering down the pitch and roars with delight, before delivering his trademark theatrical bow.<\/p>\n Yes, the pitch is flat but that is a magnificent innings. <\/p>\n Josh Tongue has been sharp today \u2014 into the mid-90s mph at some points.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Nice little stat there on Sky Sports about this exceptional innings from Shubman Gill \u2014 it\u2019s the highest Test score by an India captain in England. <\/p>\n India really should be looking to reach 500 here with four wickets in hand.<\/p>\n A bit of news from the England Women camp. The captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is due to go for scans on a groin issue, and will miss the next T20 match against India, but could be out for longer. Tammy Beaumont will captain in her absence at the Oval tomorrow. India lead the five-match series 2-0. <\/p>\n The players are back out on the field after the lunch break, with Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar in the middle, with the captain on strike. Shoaib Bashir is going to return from the Birmingham End. Sundar is being watchful at the moment, quite happy to prop forward and defend anything on length.<\/p>\n A wicket. An actual wicket. Jadeja gets in a tangle after a bit of extra bounce off a short one from Tongue. And that maybe opens the door. Jadeja goes for 89 bringing to an end that mammoth partnership. <\/p>\n Now for a first look at Washington Sundar. <\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n That\u2019s the 200 partnership up, as Gill plays a huge sweep behind square that sails over the boundary for six of Bashir. Earlier in the over, Jadeja trotted down the pitch and deposited it down the ground. Tough going for the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n Thoughts here are turning to what is for lunch. And here is the answer.<\/p>\n See anything you fancy?<\/p>\n It sums up how things are going that from a very simple defensive block shot, the ball pings off Jadeja\u2019s bat \u2014 which seems to have a very good middle \u2014 and races to the boundary. <\/p>\n Stokes has two catching mid-ons for Tongue to Jadeja but he\u2019s not falling for it at the moment. <\/p>\n This is very, very tough going for England. The pitch is very flat. Tongue is on from the pavilion end, but the partnership is now up to 177 and despite some funky field placings, no real chances have come along. <\/p>\n Carse\u2019s speeds were well down during his last spell, and it sounds like he\u2019s having some bother with his troublesome toe.<\/p>\n Carse\u2019s big toe on his left foot has caused him plenty of issues. He said earlier in the summer that he had considered amputating it<\/p>\n ANDY KEARNS\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n There\u2019s the 150 for Shubman Gill, brought up with a quick single off Bashir. He scampers away before raising his bat to the appreciative crowd, and embraces his partner Jadeja in the middle. It\u2019s his maiden 150 in his 34th Test match, and he makes it having come three runs short at Headingley in the first Test. He\u2019s the first Indian to reach the total at Edgbaston.<\/p>\n Questions were asked there about his captaincy in the field, but as a batsman he\u2019s excelled in these first two matches. <\/p>\n The big worry for England is that it looks rather likely that he will convert it to 200 before too long. <\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n That\u2019s drinks. It\u2019s been a decent first hour for the visitors, adding 55 in the first hour without losing a wicket. Gill and Jadeja are looking very settled with the partnership now at 154. It\u2019s a bit tricky to see where a wicket is coming from, to be honest.<\/p>\n Stokes trying to make a change<\/p>\n Gill slaps Carse for back-to-back boundaries, and Stokes is trying to make a few manipulations to his field, just to try and make something \u2014 anything \u2014 happen. <\/p>\n It\u2019s getting warmer at EdgyB (don\u2019t worry, that\u2019s the one and only time I will call it that) but the crowd need something to get them going \u2014 either wickets or beer \u2014 or both.<\/p>\n The partnership between Gill and Jadeja has not passed 150, and England just don\u2019t seem to know how to break it.<\/p>\n Laboured start for England<\/p>\n I\u2019m afraid not loads is happening out there at the moment. Frustrating for England that the new ball hasn\u2019t made a breakthrough. <\/p>\n India bring up 350 and Gill marches on in his own understated way. He\u2019s just clipped Carse beautifully through the leg side, beautifully timed.<\/p>\n A capacity crowd at Edgbaston watches on<\/p>\n SCOTT HEPPELL\/AP<\/p>\n Here comes the spinner Bashir, who got the important wicket of Rishabh Pant yesterday for a tame 25 by the batsman\u2019s standards. England would love him to take another big wicket here.<\/p>\n Simon Finch, the Barmy Army trumpeter in the Hollies has struck up a rendition of Gary Numan\u2019s Cars, to greet the announcement of Brydon Carse being brought on to bowl. He was struggling with a bit of a limp, attributed to a long-term foot injury, so let\u2019s see how he does on day two.<\/p>\n Incidentally, it\u2019s Simon\u2019s 52nd birthday today. Surely there aren\u2019t many better ways to spend a special occasion than a day on the Hollies.<\/p>\n There\u2019s the half-century for Ravindra Jadeja. He brings it up with single after a tap into the leg side off Woakes, and swings his bat around in his customary celebratory manner. <\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n His 23rd Test fifty has come off 80 balls, further cementing this sixth-wicket partnership, which is now worth 119. A very handy innings from the all-rounder alongside his captain to keep India nice and stable here.<\/p>\n Edgbaston is looking an absolute picture.<\/p>\n Evidence in this first over of that bit of extra bounce. The umpire is having a look at where Stokes is running in his follow through, and has had a bit of a word to warn him he is straying into the danger zone. <\/p>\n Carse was hobbling last night \u2014 he has had all sorts of issues with his toe over the last year, and has had to have some different boots made. <\/p>\n It is, unsurprisingly, Woakes who opens up from the other end. He bowled beautifully yesterday and was unlucky to only get two wickets, thanks to umpire\u2019s call. He\u2019s clipped for four through the leg side by Jadeja straight away.<\/p>\n The England players are out, it\u2019s nice and bright overhead and we\u2019re ready to go again. Gill and Jadeja touch gloves on the boundary and make their way into the middle, resuming on 114 and 41 respectively.<\/p>\n Remember, England took the new ball last night, and it\u2019s only five overs old. Ben Stokes is about to open from the pavilion end, with Shubman Gill on strike. The captain gets a quick one almost immediately, and the hundred partnership comes up.<\/p>\n Woakes frustrated by umpire\u2019s call<\/p>\n It takes a lot to get Chris Woakes angry, but umpire\u2019s call got him pretty close yesterday. He was denied twice by the technology after two decisions given not out on the field were sent upstairs by Ben Stokes. On both occasions the dreaded amber of the umpire\u2019s call saved the Indian batsman on whether or not the ball was hitting the wickets. <\/p>\n Watch his full press conference from yesterday below.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019re in a good mindset\u2019<\/p>\n Yashasvi Jaiswal denied rumours of unrest in the India dressing room over selection for the Edgbaston Test.<\/p>\n See his full press conference from yesterday evening below.<\/p>\n Both teams are on the outfield going through their warm-ups. The ground staff are leaning on the heavy roller, and the Sky chaps are broadcasting from their expensive iPad on wheels by the boundary. The crowd are steadily drifting in and the bars are already doing a nice bit of business. <\/p>\n Yesterday, the 14-year-old superstar Vaibhav Suryavanshi set a new India Under-19 record with a blazing knock against England Under-19 at Wantage Road \u2014 he hit nine sixes in a whirlwind innings of 86 off 31 balls that helped India to a four-wicket victory to go 2-0 up in the series. There were some half-serious jokes in the press box yesterday that he might be in the India Test team by the time we reach the fifth Test at the Oval at the end of July. <\/p>\n Steve James, at Edgbaston<\/p>\n The delivery to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal had not been one of Ben Stokes\u2019 most venomous offerings, but players of his standing and influence \u2014 think of Ian Botham or Andrew Flintoff, with whom Stokes drew level here with 219 Test wickets for England \u2014 can conjure mistakes from thin air with their golden arms. This was what Stokes had done here to take India\u2019s third wicket on a flat pitch. Jaiswal was crestfallen. Some words had been exchanged between the pair earlier and now Stokes had definitively had the final word.<\/p>\n![\"England](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/f6fe7436-778f-4226-a97d-2193edf125da.jpg\")
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Nothing going England\u2019s way<\/p>\n![\"England](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/1f3a0ba6-436b-4fa5-83ff-eb27c169df3d.jpg\")
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Ben has the Beefy about him<\/p>\n
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India selection scrutinised<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/6b8f96f1-46bb-4aff-b38b-1a479da58bf4.jpg\")
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