Live Test Match Blogging / Richard O’Hagan / 01 August 2011 /

Test cricket dodged a massive bullet last night as common sense prevailed and Ian Bell was reprieved. But can India get out of a hole themselves by chasing down a huge total to level the series? Richard O'Hagan talks us through it all.

ENGLAND WIN BY 319 RUNS AND LEAD THE FOUR TEST SERIES 2-0

Well, that was astonishing. I thought that England might be bowled out before lunch today, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that India would be bowled out before 5.30pm. It was an astonishingly good bowling performance from England, helped by some terrible decision making from Tendulkar and Dhoni. In the end, India only managed to get three batsmen into double figures, and two of those were bowlers.

Thank you for following the game with betting.betfair.com, we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 10th August for the Third Test.

WICKET! Sreesanth b Broad 0 India 158 all out

Broad finally yorks Sreesanth and India have been thrashed by 319 runs

17.20 India 156-9

Everyone's favourite monomonickered cricketer, Sreesanth, comes in and begins swinging at everything. Broad almost takes him out with another yorker, but is just wide of leg stump.

Man of the match is going to be a tough call. Broad? Bell? Bresnan? Dravid? Or will they give it to Dhoni, which would be the first time someone has been man of the match despite being unremittingly rubbish in every thing he has done during the game bar one remarkable thing?

WICKET! Kumar b Anderson 25 (India 153-9)

The ball after turning down an easy single in order to keep the strike, Kumar receives a peach of a yorker which even a top order batsman would have struggled with. It is almost over.

17.10 India 153-8

Kumar takes India past 150 and himself to a Test best of 25. Can they make it to 175 now? That's on offer at 2.01

17.00 India 143-8

Things are getting a little bizarre. First Kumar flat-bats three boundaries off Bresnan, the he almost runs himself out trying to pinch the strike from a disinterested Sharma.

16.50 India 130-8

It is the last knockings of this game. Anderson is trying to pin Ishant leg before but the batsman seems pretty adept at just knocking the ball away when it is straight.

How many do you think India can make in this innings now? They are at 1.8 just to make 150

WICKET! Harbhajan c Sub (Elstone) b Bresnan 46 (India 129-8)

Scott Elstone gets a second chance and doesn't miss it this time, as Bhaji skies to backward square leg. Good for the lad, the crowd were getting on his back for the earlier drop.

That's Bresnan's first 5 wicket haul in Tests and boy has he deserved it.

16.40 India 127-7 Harbhajan 45

Bhaji moves closer to that fifty by taking sixteen from a Bresnan over. He clearly doesn't trust Kumar et al any more than Tendulkar trusted him. If these two manage to make it to stumps I'll turn vegetarian for a month

DROPPED! Young Elstone drops a tough catch at square leg as Praveen hoists one skyward. First mistake England have made since the first ball of the innings.

16.30 India 109-7

Brilliant change there from Strauss, who brought on Bresnan and switched Anderson to the Pavilion end. Harbhajan is 2.2 to make his 29 into a 50. Does he have the patience - and the support - to do it, though?

WICKET! Tendulkar lbw b Anderson 56 (India 107-7)

Terrible, terrible mistake by Tendulkar, who tries to leave a perfectly straight ball and is plumb leg before. Game over.

16.20 India 106-6

Harbhajan survives a close LBW shout from Swann - he was just outside the line of off stump and the ball just clipped the glove anyway - and then responds by clouting England's spinner for six then four

FIFTY! Tendulkar reaches his half century with a fine square cut off Anderson, his first fifty of the series

16.10 India 85-6

Tendulkar almost runs himself out taking a quick single off the last ball of Anderson's first over back. That would just about sum up India's day, a run out of the Little Master. Then he is almost caught by Pietersen running and diving at long off as he slogs Swann. Living dangerously, but he's gone to 49.

England need to get through some overs here. There are still 35 left in the day and for all their success in the field they have bowled at a painfully slow rate. I suspect that Andrew Strauss will find himself over match referee Ranjan Madugalle's knee at the end of this game. 85-6

16.00 India 68-6

The players are back, I am back and Kevin Pietersen is having a bowl, probably to allow a change of ends.

Betfair's Cricket Ambassador Michael Vaughan has twice predicted - here and here-that the game would end in this session. The odds on that are only 1,22 now

TEA India 68-6 Tendulkar 35 Harbhajan 10

Boy do India need a break. Everything now rests upon Tendulkar and the ability of Harbhajan and the tail to stay with him. Praveen Kumar has opened the batting in domestic first class cricket in India, but surely this is too big an ask?

The bigger issue now is whether Tendulkar can make it to 100. He's drifting out on that front, now at 4.7

I'm off to fix a recalcitrant laptop, but I shall see you at 4pm for the restart.

HAT TRICK BALL Disappointing full toss that Harbhajan crashes away for four

15.28 India 57-6

The was the last ball of Bresnan's over, so he'll have a wait for his hat-trick ball. Interesting to note that the first to leap on him after that wicket (whatever happened to a handshake?) were his best buddies Anderson and Swann. No-one else gets a look in with those three.

Harbhajan avoids his pair, but England are on the attack and runs are easy to come by

WICKET! Dhoni lbw b Bresnan 0 (India 55-6)

Dhoni tries to leave his first ball, but it darts in and hits him on the roll. Gone first ball.

WICKET! Yuvraj c Cook b Bresnan 8 (India 55-5)

One ball after I posted that, Yuvraj's brave vigil ends. Alastair Cook called for a nuclear-power-plant-worker's supply of protective gear, then stood too close at a short gully position and had to turn and dive to take the catch as Yuvi fended off another short ball.

15.20 India 55-4

Solid defence from these two Indian batsmen. Young Scott Elstone is being cheered to the rafters every time he fields the ball, and he is getting plenty of encouragement from the England team, too. Nice to see on both counts.

15.10 India 53-4

Yuvraj takes India past 50 with an extra cover drive, but then continues his perilous existence by almost edging to leg gully via his thigh pad. The good ship Tendulkar sails serenely on, though. He's now on 32 and 2.5 to make that hundred

15.00 India 48-4

Predictably, England pepper Yuvraj, but he plays everything manfully, getting on top of the ball and removing the bottom hand from the bat at almost every turn. I never thought of him as a player with much heart, but he could prove us wrong.

Then drama as England think they have him caught down the leg side, but the ball comes off his elbow - another bruise to nurse.

14.50 India 47-4

Yuraj clips the ball just past Bell at short leg. It wasn't really a chance but on a day like today anything could happen and that was very close to his hands. Bresnan is bowling beautifully here, always at the batsman and giving them no chance to settle. And he hits Yuvraj on the bottom hand and that looks painful. The physio is on, the gloves are off and his left index finger looks very swollen indeed. There's tape, new gloves and frankly India are desperate for him to stay out there because the way Dhoni is batting the tail begins after this pair

DRINKS India 45-4

It is Tendulkar v England at the moment. He's made 28 so far and has looked entirely at ease. Yuvraj, on the other side, is being faced with three slips and three gullies and really doesn't seem to have a clue where to play the ball.

14.35 India 38-4

Yuvraj almost edges his first ball to slip, but it lands just short of Anderson.

When do we think that this game is going to end? You can only get 1.51 on India being all out after tea. Tomorrow morning at 2.66 looks more likely, but England are well on top here and if they don't win they will kick themselves

WICKET! Raina c Sub (Elstone) b Bresnan 1 (India 37-4)

Bresnan almost bowls Raina with another startling ball which turns him around and then swings late to pass just over middle stump. Later in the over thought he has him, hooking to sustitute Scott Elstone at fine leg. That poor lad's heart must have been in his mouth as he took that.

14.20 India 31-3

Tendulkar has been playing Anderson so sweetly that I've been humming Depeche Mode's 'Master & Servant' every time he whips him away for four. Strauss responds with a field which includes a short mid on and a short mid off. Cat and mouse time.

WICKET! Mukund c Strauss b Bresnan 3 (India 31-3)

Bresnan comes into the attack and atones for his earlier error with an absolute peach of a ball, straight into the body with two men catching on the leg side. Mukund tries desperately to avoid it but it follows him and he can only deflect it over his head to first slip.

Suresh Raina is the new man and his weakness against the short ball is well known. England sense blood here.

14.10 India 23-2

Two wonderful drivs from Tendulkar - one square of the wicket, one straight - remind us that we are in the presence of greatness. England are not making the Indians play enough, though, although the stubborn Mukund has the crowd excited when he bump-balls to gully.

14.00 India 14-2

Massive pressure on Tendulkar here. He's due a decent score in this series and he's really India's last hope of batting through til stumps tomorrow. And that elusive hundredth international hundred will be at the back of his mind. He's 3.3 to make it in this innings

Mukund has managed 3 runs in all of this time. His continued presence is a thorn in England's side. There's been a lot of talk about that Bresnan drop from the first ball. He fields at slip for Yorkshire but England's slip cordon is so settled that even Jonathan Trott, regarded by some as the best slipper in the country, can't get into it. It is a hard role to step into when you are out of practice

WICKET! Laxman b Anderson 4 (India 13-2)

Moments after creaming Anderson for four Laxman gets an absolute jaffa, an inswinging legcutter which has him playing down entirely the wrong line. India in big trouble now. This would be a really good time for that Tendulkar hundred.

13.40 India 8-1

Welcome back. I think I survived lunch and hopefully India have been able to choke down theirs as they have a big task ahead of them.

Over the interval, television has been showing an enthralling wicketkeeping coaching session with Matt Prior and England's wicketkeeping coach, Bruce French. I hope that all wannabe keepers such as me saw it, as it was utterly enthralling and I have learned so much from it.

Some slight movement in the market over the interval. England are now 1.19, the draw 7.4 and India drifting like a rudderless ship on 28.0

LUNCH India 8-1 Mukund 2 Laxman 0

England completely on top here. They should have had two wickets already, but picking up Dravid is the one they would've chosen if they had to choose.

I am off for lunch. In a vain attempt to pretend that I am in a decent press box I have prawn and monkfish curry waiting for me. I'm a terrible cook, so if I don't reappear in 40 minutes send an ambulance.

England are currently 1.21 to win this game, with the draw now 6.8 and India way out at 27.0

WICKET! Dravid c Prior b Broad 6 (India 6-1)

That is a HUGE wicket for England. Broad has made Dravid play and miss a couple of times and finally he touches one. Exactly what England want before lunch.

12.50 India 2-0

Asad Rauf saves England wasting a review by ruling that they delayed too long before asking for one. England thought that they had Dravid caught down the leg side, but the ball hit pad only.

DROPPED! What a letoff for Mukund as Bresnan shells a one handed effort at second slip. He's only there because Swann and Trott are injured, and Anderson is bowling. Will that won't come back to haunt them?

12.40 India 0-0

It will be Rahul Dravid and Abhinav Mukund to kick off the Indian innings. Mukund will be on a king pair after his first ball dismissal on Friday. He's had two days and more to reflect on that. India need 478 to win.

One day, I am going to write a children's story about animals based upon the names of Indian batsmen. The Mukund will be a small squashy thing, like a poodle-sized deer. The Dravid will be a voracious thing, devouring everything that it can. Which fits the man exactly, he's a run machine and India need him to bat for the rest of today and most of tomorrow. He's a very generous 4.3 to top score for them in this innings

WICKET! Swann c Sub (Saha) b Sharma 3 England 544 all out

England's innings ends as Swann drives firmly to mid-off, where Saha holds on at the second attempt. He's a one man fielding side, that lad.

There will be a ten minute break between innings, so why not join in our debate on yesterday's events?

12.30 England 544-9

This is a little pointless now. Anderson is a genuine number 11 and Swann seems too hampered by his hand injury to play any real shots. I don't think the declaration can be far off - I've just seen Ian Bell in his full kit and I think England fancy an over or two against Dravid and Mukund before lunch.

12.20 England 543-9

England have now added more than 100 runs since 11am. Graeme Swann has extra padding on his glove to protect the spot where he was hit on Friday, but he is still taking his hand off the bat to protect it at times.

That little flurry of wickets has dragged India's odds back down to 17.5, but the draw is now looking good at 4.3, as India will try and bat out five sessions on what is still a reasonable batting track. They are not going to go for the 475 they need to win, that's for sure!

WICKET! Bresnan c Dravid b Kumar 90 (England 540-9)

Next ball and Bresnan gets a brute from Kumar which spits off the shoulder of the bat as he props forward and Dravid pouches an easy one at backward point. Shame for Bresnan, who deserved a hundred and is out for the second time in the 90s in a Test.

WICKET! Broad run out 44 (England 540-8)

Brilliant fielding from Wriddiman Saha, the sub, to run out Broad from mid on

12.02 DRINKS England 538-7 Bresnan 90 Broad 42

Broad benefits from some more woeful fielding as Sreesanth dives over a ball, before clobbering Suresh Raina over mid-wicket for consecutive sixes. Bresnan then wins the fielding lottery as Kumar dives over one to see the Yorkshireman into the 90s. Why isn't Harbhajan bowling? And if he is unfit, why have him out there, he's not going to bat above 7 anyway so that can't be a consideration, and there are better fielders in my fridge than him.

11.50 England 514-7 Bresnan 85 Broad 25

The 500 comes up for England and still they bat on. Bresnan is thriving as India keep giving him wide half volleys to cover drive. They now need a world record total to win and as a result are at 25.0, with England now 1.43. Yuvraj comes on and is treated with utter distain by Broad, who clatters him for consecutive boundaries.

11.40 England 495-7

Broad gives Bresnan a little 'run' signal when he turns down a run after a diving stop at cover. He then takes 10 from the next three balls, turning a slight misfield into two before punching a cover drive and then slashing over slip. The hunt for quick runs is clearly on.

England 477-7

Stuart Broad is gifted a free run by some horrendous fielding from Harbhajan at mid on, who overruns the ball, but injures himself in the process. Hopefully only a tweak. Bresnan, meanwhile, is motoring and moves to 70 with a sumptuous cover drive off Sreesanth. He's never made a Test hundred, but he's only 4.0 to get there today.

11.20 England 463-7

A quiet couple of overs. No alarms for England, less swing than I would have expected, nothing like the first morning. Praveen Kumar has a bruised or blistered toe, it seems.

11.10 England 459-7

Kumar surprises everyone by not only bowling a bouncer at his gentle pace, but getting it so high above 6'6" Stuart Broad that it is called a wide. Worryingly for India, Praveen is limping. They can't afford to lose their bowling workhorse.

That wicket has pulled India's odds in slightly, to 15.50

WICKET! Prior c Dhoni b Kumar 73 (England 459-7)

The ball after creaming Praveen Kumar through cover for four, Matt Prior feathers an edge to MS Dhoni, who just about manages to grab hold of it.

FIFTY for Tim Bresnan

Bresnan is squared up slightly by some unexpected bounce from Sreesanth and does well to guide the ball through the vacant third slip area off the shoulder for four and a well deserved half century

ENGLAND 441-6 Prior 64 Bresnan 47

Matt Prior and Tim Bresnan batted superbly against a tiring Indian attack last night. How far can they push on this morning? I reckon that England will be looking for around 100 runs more, so the offer of 1.72 on them making more than 525 runs in this innings looks like a good one

WEATHER

There's heavy cloud cover this morning and rumours of a shower or two. Those conditions are going to favour India first thing and I wouldn't be surprised to see two or three wickets fall in the first hour. But it is forecast to brighten up later in the day and England will have to look for quick runs if they want to make use of the best bowling conditions, too.

PREAMBLE

Well, that was quite a third day. It had runs, drama, a spirited fightback from India and then one from England. Now the big question is how many runs England can compile, and how quickly, before declaring. I don't think they'll want to leave India less than 450 to chase, especially after 400 runs were scored yesterday alone. At the same time, they have to leave themselves enough time to bowl their opponents out, still no mean feat, as the visitors showed on Saturday. All in all, it promises to be an enthralling day.

England are currently 1.39 and India a whopping 19.0. I find that surprising with two days left, I think that quick England wickets will have India right back in the frame before the morning is out.

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