England tour of India 2024

[Admin]

Wood instead of Bashir

[Admin]

Third Test, Rajkot (day one of five):
India 326-5: Rohit 131, Jadeja 110*, Sarfaraz 62; Wood 3-69
England: Yet to bat
Scorecard
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja both struck centuries to take India to 326-5 after England made a stunning start to the first day of the third Test in Rajkot.

Asked to field after losing the toss, England had the hosts 33-3 inside the first hour and could have made that 47-4 had Joe Root held an edge at slip when Rohit had 27.

Reprieved, Rohit stroked an elegant 131 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 204 with Jadeja, promoted to number five on his return from a hamstring injury.

After Rohit fell, debutant Sarfaraz Khan dominated a stand of 77 with Jadeja. Sarfaraz, with a first-class average of almost 70 and whose father was in tears when he was presented with his cap, crashed a sparkling 62 from only 66 balls.

With Jadeja on 99 and Sarfaraz keen to run a single, Jadeja sent him back, too late to beat Mark Wood's direct hit from mid-on.

Jadeja reached his hundred from the next ball, but the wicket of Sarfaraz was a gift for England, just as the day seemed to be getting away from the tourists.

Wood, on his return to the England side after missing the second Test, was the pick of the bowlers with 3-69, well supported by the miserly James Anderson.

India perhaps had marginally the better of the day, but England fought hard. This is shaping up to be another compelling contest in a series perfectly poised at 1-1.

England will rue missed chances, says Vaughan
Rohit & Jadeja hit centuries in Rajkot - as it happened
Rank Stokes' 10 best moments from his 100 Tests
England left to wonder what might have been
There is a long way to go in this match and the series, but there is a nagging feeling that Root's drop of Rohit could prove a vital moment.

England were dominant in the first hour and India, who made four changes to the side that won the second Test, tentative. The next two batters in were Sarfaraz and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, both on debut.

Rohit still had to overturn being given lbw to Anderson and survive another leg-before shout off Rehan Ahmed that could have been given. Along with the composed Jadeja, the captain built a partnership that could prove to be defining.

England had taken advantage of some tackiness in the pitch in the early stages, but in the fierce afternoon sun, the surface began to look increasingly good for batting.

With temperatures set to reach 35 degrees during the course of the match, the pitch seems sure to deteriorate, the question is to what extent and how swiftly.

Despite the heat, England's efforts never dropped and India did not get away from them. However, in the second Test England could not find a suitable response to India's first-innings total and face a similar examination this time around.

Old heads come through
This is an India batting line-up in transition. It is 25 years since they played a series without at least one of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli or Cheteshwar Pujara.

As the senior batter and skipper, Rohit was required to stand up after all of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rajat Patidar fell cheaply. He had his moment of fortune when he tried to clip Tom Hartley through the leg side, with Root slow to move low to his left, but then played a captain's knock.

With rubber wrists he clipped off his pads, barely scoring a run in front of square on the off side. He hit three sixes off the spinners over the leg side and went to his 11th Test hundred with a cut off Ahmed, celebrating in subdued fashion.

Jadeja, on his home ground, does not possess Rohit's grace but is the premier multi-format all-rounder in world cricket. The left-hander jabbed the ball off his pads, hit drives down the ground, heaved Root for six and got lucky with a top edge off Wood for another maximum.

Rohit was just moving through the gears when he fell for Wood's short-ball plan, giving way to Sarfaraz, who lived up to his big reputation with sweeps and lofted drives off the spinners.

Jadeja's crawl through the 90s was perhaps the reason for the mix-up with Sarfaraz, a huge bonus for England late in the day. Jadeja's sword-swishing celebration lacked its usual gusto, but his continued presence is dangerous for England going into the second day.

Tireless Wood leads England effort
England bowler Mark Wood celebrates taking a wicket
Wood took three wickets and ran out Sarfaraz in a fine showing on day one
England's decision to play two seamers for the first time in the series was vindicated. Anderson was a constant threat and Wood bowled tirelessly after his initial success with the new ball.

Jaiswal, who made a double century in the second Test, was discomforted by Wood's pace and poked to first slip. Gill, with a hundred of his own in Visakhapatnam, looked nervous and edged behind for a duck.

When Hartley's short ball stuck in the pitch and Patidar somehow chipped it to Ben Duckett at cover, England were rampant. Who knows how Hartley might have bowled had Root held Rohit, but from there the Lancashire man was never far away from a poor delivery.

Hartley was not the only one to struggle. Root has not taken a wicket since the first Test and England might be asking too much of his off-spin. Ahmed was the best, bowling a long spell after tea, but went wicketless.

Ben Stokes, the captain playing his 100th Test, went through his plans. At one stage Anderson had four catchers on the leg side and Wood's endeavour was rewarded when Rohit fell for the bouncer trap.

Even after such a huge effort, Wood still had the energy for his last act in running out Sarfaraz. England attempted without success to remove nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav with the second new ball, which will be three overs old on Friday.

'India are on top' - reaction
England coach Paul Collingwood, speaking to TNT Sports: "It's been a good day of Test cricket, they've got some highly skilled batters, they fought back really well.

"The morning session was a bit cooler, it nipped around a bit. So tomorrow we've got a fresh new ball, we'll be looking to take early wickets."

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "It will be a big session in the morning. 420 looks to be a decent score and England's batsmen must respond strongly when it's their turn or they'll find it tough batting last."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "England will be happy with their effort but the pitch will deteriorate. India are on top."

[Admin]

Third Test, Rajkot (day two of five):
India 445: Rohit 131, Jadeja 112, Sarfaraz 62; Wood 4-114
England 207-2: Duckett 133*
England trail by 238 runs
Scorecard
Ben Duckett's scintillating century led a breathtaking England counter-attack on the second day of the third Test against India in Rajkot.

The opener crashed his third Test hundred from only 88 balls in a swashbuckling assault on the India bowling in the evening sun.

Duckett added 84 from 80 balls with Zak Crawley for the first wicket then another 93 off 102 with Ollie Pope.

He was unbeaten on 133 from 118 balls at the close, with 21 fours and two sixes. Duckett had taken England to 207-2 from only 35 overs, 238 behind India's 445.

Ashwin out of third Test because of family emergency
'I couldn't believe how cleanly he hit the ball'
England started the day by removing nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, finally out for 112, inside the first five overs, but were then frustrated by a partnership of 79 between debutant Dhruv Jurel and Ravichandran Ashwin.

It was the beginning of an eventful day for Ashwin, who was the culprit when India were penalised five runs for running on the pitch and then removed Crawley to become the ninth bowler to reach 500 Test wickets.

Even after getting through Ashwin and Jurel, England were frustrated by a last-wicket stand of 30 between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj.

Then came the Duckett pyrotechnics, another thrilling chapter in a superb series tantalisingly poised at 1-1.


India v England: Mark Wood on Ben Duckett’s remarkable 88-ball century against India
England Bazball when they need it most
Realistically, England were staring down the barrel of the match and possibly the series at the end of India's innings. Never before have India been beaten when making so many runs in the first innings of a home Test.

England missed chances on day one and were unusually passive on day two. They removed Kuldeep and Jadeja in quick succession, then later would do the same to Ashwin and Jurel, but in between they dropped Jurel twice, were oddly defensive with their fields and seemed devoid of wicket-taking ideas.

The tourists also showed signs of tetchiness sparked by India's running on the pitch. Joe Root even got frustrated with the Spidercam.

There was nothing defensive about the way England got themselves back into the match, with Duckett tapping into the freewheeling spirit of the early days of the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era. Bar the one-off Test against Ireland, this was England's fastest run-rate for more than a year.

India were stunned, completely powerless to contain Duckett, who made a huge dent in the deficit in little more than a session of play.

England still have plenty more to do. On a pitch that promises to deteriorate, batting last will be a huge challenge. A first-innings lead would be incredibly valuable.

Duckett delivers
Duckett has been threatening to play a knock like this all series. In all four prior innings he reached 20, but never got past 47.

This was a memorable blitz, at one point threatening Gilbert Jessop's 122-year old record for the fastest England Test hundred. Surely it is only a matter of time before a member of this England team better Jessop's 76 balls.

Duckett's highlight-reel strokeplay had him scoring through 360 degrees. When there was width, he cut. If the ball was too full, he played drives through the covers or down the ground. He played his trademark sweeps to the spinners, with Kuldeep belted for seven runs an over and Jadeja more than eight.

The left-hander's half-century came from only 39 balls. Crawley's contribution to the opening stand was only 15 and after he top-edged a sweep to give Ashwin his landmark wicket, Pope eased into Duckett's slipstream.


India v England: Ravichandran Ashwin reflects on reaching 500 Test wickets
Duckett survived an lbw review on 79 when he was struck by a searing Bumrah yorker, then drove Siraj for four to complete the second-fastest hundred by an England opener in Tests after Crawley's 86 balls.

Duckett's celebrations were passionate, but that turned to disbelief when Pope was given lbw on review to Siraj for 39, the ball shown to be clipping the top of leg stump. It left Root to restore calm on nine not out, though Duckett did also survive an lbw review against Ashwin in the final over of the day.

England finally tame the tail
India resumed on 326-5 and England would have had hopes of limiting their total after Kuldeep edged James Anderson and Jadeja chipped back to Root.

But wicketkeeper Jurel looked assured and Ashwin was typically obdurate. England captain Stokes opted against his usual close catchers, while Mark Wood was asked to bowl a back-breaking spell of bouncers either side of lunch, without success.

During the eighth-wicket partnership came the moment of controversy. India had been given a warning on the first day for Jadeja running down the pitch. When Ashwin repeated the crime, umpire Joel Wilson stepped in.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed finally made the breakthrough. Ashwin scooped to mid-on on 37 and Jurel, dropped by both Pope and Stokes on 32, edged a cut on 46.

England still had to endure Bumrah swiping 26 before he was pinned in front to give Wood a fourth wicket.

The penalty runs meant England began their innings on 5-0, not that Duckett needed the head start.

'Neck and neck' - reaction
India spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin: "I would like to dedicate my 500th wicket to my father. He has been there through thick and thin.

"The game is neck and neck. They are putting us under pressure but it is important not to react to that pressure."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "One of the incredible days of Test cricket. Ben Duckett's was a special innings and up there with Ollie Pope's in the first Test.

"If England bat the full day tomorrow they have a great chance."

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "A remarkable innings from Ben Duckett, he has wrestled every bit of initiative India had.

"What a day but England still have more batting to do."



ASHWIN OUT OF TEST FAMILY ISSUES

[alanw]

Good day for Bazball but I'm still a sceptic.

[Admin]

299-7 collapso

[Admin]

319 all out

[Admin]

191-1 massive lead and Swann talking pap on telly as Patidar raps Hartley straight to Ahmed 191-2

[Admin]

Third Test, Rajkot (day three of five):
India 445 (Rohit 131, Jadeja 112; Wood 4-114) & 196-2 (Jaiswal 104, Gill 65*)
England 319 (Duckett 153, Stokes 41; Siraj 4-84)
India lead by 322 runs
Scorecard
England are in a dire position in the third Test after a dramatic collapse and spectacular Yashasvi Jaiswal century on day three gave India complete control in Rajkot.

A breathtaking fightback on the second evening had seemingly handed England all the momentum when they resumed on 207-2 in response to India's 445.

But the tourists lost their last eight wickets for 95 runs to be bowled out for 319, an implosion that began when Joe Root's reverse scoop at the pace of Jasprit Bumrah was caught at second slip.

Jonny Bairstow was out fourth ball for a duck and Ben Duckett tamely patted a very wide delivery from Kuldeep Yadav to cover to fall for 153.

Captain Ben Stokes made 41 but then became the first in a final slide of 5-29 after lunch as England conceded a first-innings deficit of 126.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep conjured a beguiling spell and paceman Mohammed Siraj claimed 4-84 as India's bowlers put in a huge effort following the loss of Ravichandran Ashwin, who withdrew from the Test overnight because of a family emergency.

Jaiswal rammed home India's advantage with his second hundred in as many matches, adding an increasingly damaging 155 with Shubman Gill, who remains 65 not out.

England's bowlers were taken apart by India's free scoring in the evening session before Jaiswal retired hurt with a back problem on 104.

By the end, the hosts had moved to 196-2, 322 ahead and primed to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Reaction to day three in Rajkot
England waste golden opportunity
This was a golden opportunity for England. Even with Ashwin, India had been floored on the second evening and the tourists had a platform from which they could possibly fashion victory.

There were questions as to whether, given the circumstances, England would allow Ashwin to be replaced in the India XI. The playing conditions do not permit such a move, so England showed compassion and generosity with their batting.

It was a wreckage similar to England's self-destruction in the second Ashes Test at Lord's, when Australia were there for the taking after Nathan Lyon was injured. This was possibly a bigger waste and could even be England's worst day under Stokes' captaincy.

The spotlight will fall on Root and the nature of his dismissal. No doubt it was ugly and unnecessary, but he was certainly not the only England player guilty of a poor stroke.

England repeated their mistake from the second Test in Visakhapatnam, where a sloppy first innings left them too much to do in the second. They will be bullish about their eventual run chase, but comebacks are so much harder in India because of the way pitches deteriorate - this one is showing signs of sharp turn.

Presented with their sizable and unexpected lead, Jaiswal and Gill roasted England in the burning sunshine, and already Stokes' men face pulling off the highest pursuit by a visiting team in this country.

Root scoop sparks England collapse
Bar some handy bowling in the first Test in Hyderabad, Root is enduring a tough tour. In five innings he has not made more than 29 and on the first morning of this Test dropped a crucial slip catch off Rohit Sharma.

The reverse scoop has become his trademark under Stokes' captaincy, yet in the circumstances this was a grave error of judgement. Jaiswal took a sharp catch to give Jasprit Bumrah his ninth dismissal of Root in Test cricket.

England never recovered. Bairstow played back to a sharp turner from Kuldeep and was bang in front. Duckett, architect of a stunning 133 not out on Friday, added 20 more runs but could have been caught twice and run out before he toe-ended one off Kuldeep that he could barely reach.

Stokes took his time before lunch, then could not resist a slog sweep at Ravindra Jadeja shortly after and was caught at long-on.

The lower-order was exposed. Ben Foakes patted Siraj to mid-on and Tom Hartley sprinted past Jadeja to be stumped.

Both Rehan Ahmed and James Anderson were victim to deadly Siraj yorkers. In all, England lost their last five wickets in just 38 deliveries.

India defy odds to take control
India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal raises his helmet and bat in celebration after hitting a century
Yashasvi Jaiswal followed up his brilliant double century in the second Test with a sublime century in Rajkot
India's mauling on Friday was compounded by the loss of Ashwin, yet still the hosts rallied with incredible spirit to take charge of the match and series.

Kuldeep was transformed from the man battered by Duckett to bowl a mesmerising spell of 12 successive overs. Siraj was lethal with reverse-swing. Rohit captained expertly, especially with defensive fields that frustrated Duckett.

Rohit was lbw on review sweeping Root to give England their best moment of the day, but after that rising stars Jaiswal and Gill again demonstrated why they are the future of India's batting.

They had been careful up to a point when Anderson set six fielders on the leg side to Jaiswal. At that stage, the left-hander had 35 from 73 balls, but flicked a switch to hit a six and two fours in three consecutive deliveries.

From then on, Jaiswal was unstoppable, taking 65 from his next 49 balls and bringing up his third Test hundred with a cut for four, celebrating with what is becoming a trademark outstretch of his arms.

Gill had been quiet, only to hit Root for a straight six and pull Wood for another. All of Jaiswal's swinging put his back out, so he gave way to Rajat Patidar, who somehow miscued a Hartley long-hop to mid-wicket.

'England have been given a lesson' - reaction
England opener Ben Duckett, speaking to BBC Sport: "They bowled really well. Maybe their plans were a bit clearer and things were tough. Whatever the situation is, we'll try to throw punches back at them. I thought they batted superbly.

On Root's dismissal: "He's earned the right to do that. He has played that shot so well."

On what England can chase: "The more the better. This team is all about doing special things and creating history. They can have as many as they want and we'll go and get them."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "England have been given a lesson that Test cricket is played in ebbs and flows. I just wish they had a bit of common sense at times.

"They should have enough temperament and skill to bat the majority of the day and they failed."

Former England spinner Phil Tufnell: "Another fantastic performance from Jaiswal. He knows when to soak up pressure, knows when to turn the gas on as well. He's going to be around for a long, long time."

[Admin]

Slaughtered

[man in the stand]

Feeble performance from England....unlikely to have won but could have played for the English supporters out there....losing is losing but it looks better if you have made some sort of effort.

Not seen all the dismissals but playing across the line???

[Admin]

Third Test, Rajkot (day four of five):
India 445 (Rohit 131, Jadeja 112; Wood 4-114) & 430-4 dec (Jaiswal 214*, Gill 91, Sarfaraz 68*)
England 319 (Duckett 153, Stokes 41; Siraj 4-84) & 122 (Jadeja 5-41)
India won by 434 runs, lead series 2-1
Scorecard
England spiralled to a miserable and massive defeat by India on the fourth day of the third Test in Rajkot.

In perhaps their worst performance since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge, England were dismantled by Yashasvi Jaiswal's 214 not out, then capitulated with the bat.

Set a notional 557 to win, the tourists were bundled out for an embarrassing 122 in a blur of irresponsible strokes.

The 434-run margin of defeat is England's largest in terms of runs since 1934 and India's biggest of all time.

India, who take a 2-1 lead in the series, were led by the brilliant Jaiswal's second double century in as many Tests.

The opener returned on 104 after retiring hurt on the third evening and took his tally to 12 sixes, equalling the record for a single Test innings.

In partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, who made 68 not out, Jaiswal took India to a declaration on 430-4.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ran through England's middle order for figures of 5-41, to go with the century he made in the first innings.

The fourth Test begins on Friday in Ranchi, where an India win will preserve an unbeaten home record that stretches back to 2012.

Reaction to India's crushing win in Rajkot
England wasteful and humbled
This was an astonishing implosion from England, who began Saturday with a golden opportunity to take control of the match, only to be crushed by Sunday evening.

It was a performance from a bygone age. England dropped crucial chances, misused the decision review system and at times saw their bowling dismantled by the India batting.

Most disappointing was England's own batting. They surrendered the initiative with a collapse of eight wickets for 95 runs in their first innings, then were absolutely awful in the second.

So often England talk about their love of chases, whereas just taking this game into a final day would have been the minimum requirement.

What makes the defeat all the more galling is the fact India played more than a day of the match with 10 men after Ravichandran Ashwin returned home because of a family emergency. Ashwin, who withdrew on Friday evening, returned on Sunday and took a wicket in his six overs.

For any team to win one Test in India, let alone an entire series, is an incredibly difficult task, yet England have let chances slip by.

The superb win in the first Test in Hyderabad now feels a long time ago, surpassed by the wastefulness of the second and third Tests. Somehow, they must regroup for Ranchi.

England suffer at hands of 'Jaisball'
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrate hitting a double century
Yashasvi Jaiswal made 209 in the second Test and finished 214 not out in Rajkot
This is turning into Jaiswal's series, confirmation that the 22-year-old has arrived as a superstar of the global game.

He had to retire hurt with a back injury on Saturday, but not before helping India to 196-2 overnight.

Returning after Shubman Gill was run out for 91, Jaiswal's awesome demolition of the England bowling effectively meant he made two separate hundreds in the same innings without being dismissed.

Just like on day three, Jaiswal slipped gears in an instant, scooping James Anderson over his shoulder in the first over after lunch. In Anderson's next over, Jaiswal flayed three consecutive sixes.

Debutant Sarfaraz kept pace with Jaiswal for his second half-century of the match. The sixth-wicket pair added 172 in 158 riotous balls, laying waste to the England bowling in the unbearable afternoon heat.

Jaiswal's single off Joe Root made him the third youngest man, after Vinod Kambli and Don Bradman, to make double hundreds in successive Tests. He hit the next two balls for six to match the record set by Pakistan's Wasim Akram against Zimbabwe in 1996.

India declared at the end of the following over, the first team to do so against England since Stokes and McCullum took charge just under two years ago.

England implode
Before this Test, Stokes reiterated his belief that draws are "off the table". On the third evening, when asked about a potential target, Ben Duckett said "the more the better".

In reality, when given 131 overs to chase their record target, England could not last 40 of them.

Duckett was the first wicket to fall - run out after pushing into the leg side and setting off, before Zak Crawley rightly sent him back.

Mohammed Siraj's throw was smartly gathered by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel to leave Duckett well short.

Crawley was aggrieved when replays showed Jasprit Bumrah's lbw shout to be just clipping leg stump, then England fell apart.

Ollie Pope forced Jadeja to slip, while Jonny Bairstow and Root were both out sweeping the same bowler. Stokes also missed a sweep, this time to Kuldeep Yadav, the wrist-spinner then enticing Rehan Ahmed to hole out to long on.

Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley flirted with the fifth day, but Foakes edged Jadeja and Hartley chopped on off Ashwin to leave England 91-9.

Mark Wood smeared 33 from 15 balls before lofting to long-off to give Jadeja his fifth and end England's sorry showing.

[Admin]

4th Test Ranchi 23/2/2024 to 27/2/24



The JSCA International Stadium is an international cricket stadium which comes under Jharkhand State Cricket Association,[3] located in Ranchi, Jharkhand.[4] It is the home ground of the Jharkhand cricket team. The Chennai Super Kings played home games at the venue.

The JSCA International Stadium was inaugurated in January 2013.[5] The first ODI match was played on January 19, 2013, between India and England.[4] This stadium has organized 7 matches of Indian Premier League so far.[6]

History

This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The JSCA's decision to build a new cricket stadium in Ranchi stemmed from a dispute with Tata Steel, regarding allocations of international matches and conducting matches in Keenan Stadium.[citation needed]

This conflict came about when an international match between India and England was moved to Bangalore, with the JSCA stating they did not receive any response from Tata Steel. Following this, the JSCA decided a new stadium was needed. As Jharkhand State Cricket Association is a full member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it organizes international matches in the state, but JSCA did not own any international cricket stadiums, the only one being Keenan Stadium,[7] Jamshedpur which was owned by Tata Steel. Therefore, it was decided to construct its own International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand.


Main Stadium during construction
The design commission was given to architectural consultants Kothari Associates Pvt. Ltd. of Delhi.

This stadium is built within the premises of HEC (Heavy Engineering Corporation), a public sector company. This stadium is the home ground of Indian Cricket Team's former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.[citation needed]

The stadium has been constructed in such a way that no shadow falls on any of the nine pitches before 4.45 pm, even on the shortest day of the year. There is another ground in the complex which has five pitches.[citation needed]



There is a practice arena with eight pitches. The stadium has a seating capacity of 39,000 and 76 corporate boxes. Spectators can also enjoy views from two nearby hills on the East and West Sides called the East and West Hills. This is the only stadium in the country having hills on both sides.[8]

The two pavilions, North and South, are fully air-conditioned have five levels each which include VIP areas, members' enclosure, donors' enclosure, president's box, the BCCI box and two large dressing rooms with separate dining spaces for players.[citation needed]

Membrane roofs provide shade from the sun. The Stadium also features an Indoor Cricket centre consisting of three indoor pitches, with a residential complex where players can stay for training.[9]

In November 2015, the stadium was selected as one of the six new Test venues along with Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Holkar Stadium, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium and Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in India.[10]

[Admin]

BIT LATE WITH THIS, AHMED HAS RETURNED HONME AS WELL

Fourth Test, Ranchi (day one of five)
England 302-7: Root 106*, Foakes 47; Deep 3-70
India: Yet to bat
Scorecard
Joe Root returned to form when England needed him most with a masterful century on the first day of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi.

Short of runs and at the centre of a debate around his approach to batting, Root played a classical Test innings to keep the tourists in the series.

In a breathless morning, England were reduced to 112-5 by some superb India bowling in highly testing conditions.

Akash Deep bowled with venom for three wickets on debut and Ben Stokes was helpless to a delivery that Ravindra Jadeja got to scuttle along the ground.

But Root conquered the conditions, showing patience, determination and supreme skill for his 106 not out.

By the close he had taken England to a very strong 302-7 as they look to level the series at 2-2.

Root added 113 for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes, who made a priceless 47, then another 57 with the recalled Ollie Robinson, who accompanied Root to three figures in his unbeaten 31.

When Root drove Deep for four, he reached his hundred from 219 deliveries, the slowest by any England batter since captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge.

For England, it was a fantastic ending to a day that began with the news leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has returned home because of an urgent family matter.

Root rules Ranchi to show England's adaptability
TMS podcast: Root raises game in Ranchi
England recover after chaotic morning session - how day one unfolded
England read the room to stay in series
England were criticised after their massive 434-run defeat in the third Test, with some accusing them of being too cavalier and not properly adapting to the nuances of Test cricket.

It would be harsh to apportion blame for the position they found themselves in at lunch. Yes, they scored at almost five an over in the morning session, but only Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow were out attacking.

India exploited the conditions, perhaps aided by moisture in the surface and the hardness of the new ball. When the pitch dried and the ball softened, batting eased, but that takes nothing away from the manner in which Root and Foakes read the situation.

Their partnership, 113 from 261 balls, was England's slowest in excess of 100 in the Stokes-McCullum era. The 86 runs at 2.33 runs per over they scored between lunch and tea was England's slowest session of scoring in those same two years.

Praising England's determined approach in Ranchi is not a criticism of their preference to be aggressive. There is a time and place for both and here England have demonstrated their flexibility.

Only time will reveal if their first-day efforts are enough to force a fifth-Test decider, but the crucial toss has left India with the proposition of batting last on a pitch that could turn out to be devilishly difficult for batting.

Root back in the runs
With a highest a score of 37 in six innings on this tour, Root was in his longest run without a half-century for two years. Of more concern were the manner of his dismissals: a wild swipe in the second innings of the second Test, then a reverse scoop at Jasprit Bumrah in the first innings of the third.

Whether Root had already decided to alter his approach, or simply adjusted to the situation, he was flawless. The former captain's defence was immaculate and he used the sweep and reverse-sweep sparingly.

Root played delicate glides to the third-man boundary and only scored his first four in front of square from the 126th delivery he faced. There was never a suggestion of a reverse-scoop.

Dependable support came from Foakes, who was just moving through the gears by taking 16 - including a six - off a Ravichandran Ashwin over when he clipped Mohammad Siraj to short mid-wicket.

India could not call upon Root's nemesis, the rested Bumrah, and the frustrated hosts had used all their reviews when Robinson was pinned by Jadeja on eight, with replays showing the ball would have hit the stumps.

Root's celebration for his 31st Test hundred was muted, but greeted with delight by Stokes. He will return on Saturday with the opportunity to put further pressure on the home side.

Deep trouble on breathless morning
The pre-match attention on the pitch suggested there would be fireworks in Ranchi. Whether it was the conditions, the brilliance of Deep or a combination of the two, a riveting first morning did not disappoint.

In the first over, delivered by Siraj, Zak Crawley had to fend one off his throat and watch another keep low. Deep hammered a consistent length and got the ball jagging back into the right-handers.

Crawley took multiple blows and was bowled off a Deep no-ball before launching into some stellar strokeplay. At one point he followed three consecutive fours off Siraj with an astonishing whip for six over long-on.

Deep held his nerve. Ben Duckett prodded at one that left him, Pope advanced to his second ball and was leg-before to a very good review. Root survived a review from his first ball and Crawley was bowled through the gate on 42 as Deep produced a replica of the earlier no-ball.

Bairstow picked up Crawley's aggression and looked to be finding some form of his own. He slog-swept Ashwin for six only to fall lbw on review for 38 attempting a similar shot at the same bowler.

When Stokes was lbw to the shooter from Jadeja - the ball not getting above ankle-height - it spelt trouble for England and batters across the rest of the match. Then came the Root masterclass.

'That could be a match-winning innings' - reaction
England opener Zak Crawley, speaking to TNT Sports about Joe Root: "We're so happy for him and we never doubted him.

"If anything we know that when he's got a couple of low scores he's even more likely to get a big one and we expected that from him.

"I said beforehand that if we get 280-300, we're in a very good position so I stand by that - we are ahead of the game."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "A really good day for England and a masterful hundred from England's best player in Joe Root. This was the day England played the situation perfectly."

Former England spinner Phil Tufnell: "That could be a match-winning innings from Joe Root. England have got a good score through his determination, application and skill.

"It was a classical Joe Root innings."

[man in the stand]

England back in contention mainly due to a sub standard wicket..

[Admin]

England 353 all out: Root 122*, Robinson 58; Jadeja 4-67
India 219-7: Jaiswal 73; Bashir 4-84, Hartley 2-47
India trail England by 134 runs
Scorecard
Shoaib Bashir's wonderful 4-84 gave England a golden opportunity to take control of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi.

Off-spinner Bashir, who is playing in only his second Test, bowled 31 consecutive overs in a spell that stretched across all three sessions of the second day.

At one stage he picked up three wickets for five runs in 41 deliveries, then crucially got Yashasvi Jaiswal to chop on to his stumps for 73.

From 177-7, India rallied to 219-7 thanks to an unbroken stand of 42 between Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav, leaving the hosts 134 behind the 353 England were dismissed for on Saturday morning.

Joe Root and Ollie Robinson added 102 for the eighth wicket, with Robinson making 58 for his first half-century in Test cricket.

Robinson was the first of three wickets taken in 11 deliveries by Ravindra Jadeja, who mopped up the tail to leave Root unbeaten on 122.

England may have sensed a chance to be batting again before the day was out, but Jurel and Kuldeep fought hard and face the prospect of the second new ball on the third morning.

India's tail holds up England after spinners dominate day two - reaction
Leach to have surgery on knee injury
Superb England fight back
Tom Hartley celebrates a wicket
England's spinners took six wickets on the second day
England have been excellent since they were reduced to 112-5 in spicy conditions on the first morning.

Root mastered the situation, cajoling 241 runs out of England's last five wickets, then the brilliant Bashir led the visitors' steady work through the India batting.

Bar fleeting moments, India were outplayed. They were flat during the first hour as Root and Robinson extended their partnership, then their top order would have been blown away had it not been for the prolific Jaiswal and 38 from Shubman Gill.

There were times when the pitch looked docile, but increasing signs of uneven bounce are a good sign for England as they will bowl last in the match.

As a sub-plot, England benefited from three 'umpire's call' lbw decisions, having questioned the decision review system after defeats in the second and third Tests.

India are not out of this, especially if they can defy England on Sunday morning, but Ben Stokes' side will know they are a strong second innings away from being on the brink of a series decider.

Brilliant Bashir puts England on top
Bashir is turning into one of the most inspired England selections in recent memory, having been chosen for this tour after only six first-class matches for Somerset.

Just last summer, he was still playing club cricket for Taunton Deane.

Left out of the third Test following a debut in the second, the 20-year-old showed why he appears most likely to succeed the injured Jack Leach as England's first-choice spinner.

Though James Anderson had Rohit Sharma caught behind for his 697th Test wicket, England's pace bowlers struggled to get the same life out of the surface as India's. Robinson looked rusty and down on pace, having not bowled in any competitive cricket since July.

Bashir was plugged into a marathon spell that started before lunch and would have lasted until the close had he not switched ends for his final over of the day. He bowled with relentless control, helped by some occasionally defensive fields from Stokes.

England were just beginning to look bereft when Jaiswal and Gill were adding 82, but Bashir got sharp turn to Gill for a first tight leg-before decision.

Rajat Patidar was trapped on the back foot and Jadeja got in a tangle to be caught at short leg.

Jaiswal remained, looking immovable, until Bashir found some low bounce, taking the toe of the bat en route to the stumps. Tom Hartley had been ignored until the 32nd over, but in an 18-over spell of his own, the left-armer had Sarfaraz Khan edge to slip and pinned Ravichandran Ashwin in front.

Bashir was into the longest spell by an England bowler for 11 years and he went down with cramp in his 24th over. For an England squad down to 14 players, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick donned his whites to run the drinks.

It was a huge collective effort, only halted by the determination of Jurel and Kuldeep.

Root and Robinson move on
Ollie Robinson celebrates his 50 with Joe Root
Ollie Robinson's maiden Test half-century included nine boundaries and one six
From England's overnight 302-7, Robinson dominated the scoring as he and Root pushed on against the second new ball. At one point he crashed Akash Deep for three fours in the same over.

Robinson's half-century was the first by an England number nine for three years, the stand with Root England's first in excess of 100 for the eighth wicket since 2017.

Root, 106 not out from Friday, was untroubled bar an edge off spinner Kuldeep that fell just short of slip.

However, Root was a helpless spectator as England lost their last three wickets for six runs.

Robinson gloved a reverse sweep at Jadeja to wicketkeeper Jurel and last man Anderson was leg-before. In between, Bashir played a wild hack at only his second delivery, but made complete amends with his beguiling bowling.

'Best England spin display for long time' - reaction
Ex-England captain Sir Alastair Cook on TNT Sports: "Today was the best I have seen England spinners bowl for a long time.

"As a batter, when you know a bad ball is coming you can sit and wait. Bashir and Hartley, I can only remember four or five balls that were a bit of a pie.

"To do that over a whole period, for guys who we keep mentioning their age and that they are at the beginning learning their trade, was incredibly impressive."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "It was a fantastic day's play. England have been very, very professional and smart.

"The captain has set clever fields and that has been backed up by the spinners."