Glad I didn’t get up early for that.
Sack the lot of em.
There was probably a point in that game where a switch to a more pragmatic approach could, I guess, have earned perhaps a draw.
Not sure it’d be as much fun to watch though.
And Bumrah rested for the 4th test
I can see England playing the three spinners again plus Root and (a lightly used) Stokes. Robinson might even come in so that they can rest Anderson and Wood.
By the sound of this, the Test might not last 5 days…
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Need to win the toss.
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Roooot!
Finally gets a score, tremendous effort!
Intriguing stuff in Ranchi.
302-7 is starting to look like a pretty decent total. At 112-5 things were looking bleak but Root and Foakes were superb. Nice contribution from Robinson late in the day.
It’s going to be interesting to see what Anderson and Robinson can do with the new ball, it’s a strange pitch.
Remarkably they bowled the required overs in regulation time, can’t remember the last time that happened.
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Fantastic effort from England, this. Utter stranglehold by the rookie spinners.
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I hope England can have another good day tomorrow. It’s a thrilling series, made better because England won’t lie down. They seem to really play well when they absolutely have to.
The way they pressured the batsmen today was just brilliant. The pitch seemed to flatten out after the ball softened only slightly, but the spinners were miserly. Bashir especially was fantastic. 31 overs without a break! He hardly bowled a bad ball, with dip and an immaculate line. And with a keeper behind that basically has the reflexes of a bluebottle, and super tight fields, the batters became tentative, unsure of using their feet. They couldn’t get away.
Stringing together enough sessions to win the game from here, will still be a tough ask against this team, who have some incredible players. But they’ve given themselves a chance.
I can’t take my eyes off it and will be up at the crack for sure!
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Bashir was outstanding. I wasn’t aware that he spent some time at the Rajasthan Royals Academy.
Look who was there at the time…
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Wasn’t he just!
He and Hartley have been amazing. This picking of young players on a hunch and backing them to the hilt is new in English cricket, isn’t it? The selectors have ignored older, experienced pro’s and put these guys front and centre. Today, Stokes seemed to know it was Bashir’s pitch, but even so, 31 overs with hardly a bad ball at 20 years old and less than a handful of list A games. Incredible. 
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Can you imagine those two being picked - and playing - for a series in India, even just a few years ago?
Not a chance.
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Yes, it’s a sea change, for sure. India have always put youngsters in, whereas England have seemingly been obsessed with player’s averages and experience.
Talking of India’s youngsters… Jaiswal is bloody ridiculous! 
I’ve been really impressed with the others they have blooded too. Such a depth of talent.
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On the other hand, Robinson’s barnet is a war crime.
Ashwin on fire! 
Very classy 50 from Zac Crawley.
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