Live Test Match Blogging / Jaymes Monte / 10 August 2011 / 2

There's plenty to play for at Edgbaston this week as England and India arrive in Birmingham. India need a victory to keep the series alive while a win for the hosts would give them the coveted title of the world's number one Test team. Jaymes Monte talks you through day one.

STUMPS England 84-0
England in complete control of this match as their toothless bowling attack fails to make any impression on England's openers after their batting line-up crumbled in familiar fashion. Andrew Hughes will take you through tomorrow's action, do join him.

FIFTY Strauss
A solid and inspiring fifty from the captain. Surprisingly, or not, his first since Sydney way back in January. England are toying with India.

18:00 England 58-0
England are well on top here. India have just seven overs remaining to get a breakthrough, and boy do they need one. Talking of boys here's Ishant Sharma with what has now been confirmed as the most feminine haircut in world cricket. That's including women's cricket.

17:43 England 37-0
India have tightened things up considerably with just one run coming from the last four overs. A couple of half-hearted lbw appeals along the way, but nothing really giving. England's price is holding firm at [1.5], the draw is [4.2] while India are on the drift out to [10.0].

17:28 England 36-0
Kumar and Sharma are bowling better lines but causing few problems for England's openers. Not so sure about Sharma's new haircut? What do you think? (betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk) Looks like the haircut my mum had in 1985.

17:16 England 32-0
A poor opening over from Ishant Sharma and this is England's highest opening partnership of the series. Betfairians have very little faith in India's bowling attack and have 425 runs priced up as the tipping point in the market.

17:06 England 16-0
England's innings is underway with an expensive over from Sreesanth that leaks 11 runs to the bat of Andrew Strauss. The captain has a good few runs on the board now and can be backed at [1.8] for a fifty.

16:56 England 1-0
A trio of maiden overs from Kumar and Sreesanth to kick things off for India, but there's little in there that will really concern Strauss or Cook. A superb stop from Gautum Gambhir raises the temperature a little with a possible run-out chance, but Strauss is safely home and England are off the mark in the fourth over.

16:40 England 0-0
So, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook stride out into the middle, both short of runs in this series. It's getting pretty windy out there and expect Praveen Kumar to cause some problems with his gentle-paced outswingers.

WICKET Sharma c Cook b Anderson 4
Incredible catch from Cook. Straight off the face of the bat, Cook, at silly point, manages to hold on to the ball with a combination of forearm, armpit, chest, chin and a few other body parts. It matters not India are all out for 224 and those backing India to score 225 runs or more at [1.01] are left spitting feathers. Big massive duck feathers.

WICKET Dhoni c Strauss b Broad 77
No he can't. Dhoni's superb innings comes to an end as Broad finds the edge that, thankfully for England, goes through to the one and only slip in place. And with that wicket India's innings is on the verge of coming to an end. Genuine numbers 10 and 11 Sharma and Sreesanth are in the middle.

16:17 India 222-8
Can Dhoni get his century? He's playing a gem of an innings here. He hooks Broad's first ball of the over for six and moves on to 76. Odds of [1.8] are available on what would be a superb ton under the circumstances.

16:10 India 209-8
Dhoni, understandably, wants as much of the strike as possible and is turning down any singles on offer. Sharma, though, sees off an over from Broad without any concerns. England have drifted back out to [1.7] and are now a backable price in my eyes.

TEA India 205-8
England's session again. Praveen Kumar and MS Dhoni did well to get India back into the match but the late wicket of Kumar swung things back in favour of England. I'm going to have a quick cuppa, catch you in 20.

WICKET Kumar c Prior b Bresnan 26
Another successful review from England. Umpire Steve Davis didn't think Kumar had knicked it, the England team did, and so did hotspot. Kumar was providing some strong resistance there. Can Sharma hold up an end and allow Dhoni to keep attacking?

FIFTY MS Dhoni
There it is, Dhoni's fifty comes up with a drive past short cover for four following a slog six over cow corner in the previous over, and finally the Indian fans have something to cheer about. Hit that little refresh button at the top of your Betfair screen and pick up your winnings.

15:16 India 168-7
A boundary from Kumar brings up the fifty partnership and these two are dragging India back into this match. England remain very much on top but if India can get to 200 - they are [1.4] to do so - it'll give them a massive psychological boost considering they were 111-7.

15:01 India 150-7
Dhoni is in "one-day mode", in the words of Nasser Hussain. A huge six back over the bowler's head takes him to 34 then a single moves him within three of becoming India's top run scorer of the innings. You can get odds of [1.5] that he makes his fifty. Fill yer boots!

14:51 India 130-7
MS Dhoni and Praveen Kumar have decided to go on the offensive. And it looks like a wise decision to do so. They need to do something. England are now in to [1.37] in the Match Odds and although India are adding runs quickly Strauss will be happy to see these two playing the big shots for now.

In terms of betting, there is no use in backing England at this price. They won't go any shorter before the changeover, but could get a little bigger if these two put together a partnership.

WICKET Mishra c Prior b Broad 4
And another! Nelson strikes as India slump to 111-7 and Broad picks up his third. Lets not forget that this is the number one ranked Test team in world cricket, England are making them look like village players.

14:20 India 100-6
Andrew Strauss commented before the game that this was "a chance to put a feelgood factor into the papers." And his bowlers are certainly obliging.

MS Dhoni and Amit Mishra are at the crease both marooned on nought. How many can India make? It's a [1.8] chance that they get to 175, at the minute that looks a long way off and well worth a lay.

WICKET Laxman c Broad b Bresnan 30
VVS Laxman, who is wearing more jumpers than is necessary for an arctic expedition, is gone. He looked to be the only Indian batsman capable of playing a shot, but he's been caught going for the pull for the third time in three Tests. This is turning out to be another procession.

WICKET Raina b Anderson 2
Anderson strikes and gets the wicket that his earlier work deserves. Raina plays all around a straight one that goes between bat and pad and takes out the middle stump. A desperately out-of-form Dhoni strides to the crease.

13:52 India 82-4
The sun is out and the ball hasn't been doing a great deal since lunch. If you did back England at the suggested [3.0] earlier then it may be time to at least take your stake back by laying them now at [1.77]

13:40 India 77-4
We're back underway at Edgbaston. Rumours of David Cameron contacting Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss for tips on how to take control of a situation are, as yet, unconfirmed. Suresh Raina has joined VVS Laxman in the middle.

Lunch India 75 -4
And that's lunch. England's morning. Join me again in 40 minutes for the resumption. In the meantime let us know your thoughts on the first session by e-mailing in to betfairliveblogger@hotmail.co.uk or leaving a comment at the bottom of this page.

WICKET Dravid b Bresnan 22
Tim Bresnan is causing more destruction than a hooded youth on an English city high street, beating Dravid's outside edge and making a mess of his stumps. India are in disarray.

12:50 India 68-3
Those two wickets have put England back on top after a resilient fight back from Gambhir and Dravid. Having briefly gone odds on an England win is now priced at [2.1]. If you did take the advice to back at [3.0] then I'd hold out a little longer, the few overs after lunch could be pivotal.

WICKET Tendulkar b Broad c Anderson 1
Broad reaps the rewards of Anderson's previous over as a regulation edge flies to Jimmy in the slips. Tendulkar never looked comfortable out there.

12:38 India 60-2
Jimmy Anderson has got Tendulkar in a spin. The Little Master isn't sure which ones to play at and which ones to leave. He gets off the mark with Anderson's final delivery of the over but that was a nervy over for India.

12:34 India 59-2
So Tendulkar resumes his crusade to reach 100 international centuries. Will this be the innings? You can get odds of [4.5] that it is.

WICKET Gambhir b Bresnan 38
BOOOOOM! Tim Bresnan gets the breakthrough, an inside edge sends Gautum Gambhir's leg stump cartwheeling out of Edgbaston. It's the breakthrough that England needed at a perfect time with just 30 minutes to go until lunch. Sachin Tendulkar comes to the crease.

12:13 India 52-1
Good stuff from Dravid and Gambhir. Gambhir now looks comfortable following his shaky start and these two have done well to claw things back for the tourists. Broad and Bresnan are still probing away though and at odds of [3.0] its worth dipping your toe into the Match Odds market again with a back of England.

12:00 India 43-1
England's bowlers are having a bit of a lull here. In fact the game in general has quietened down and the run rate is now down to 3.35 as the umpires call for drinks. England are out to [2.9], India remain [5.0] and the draw is in to [2.2].

11:47 India 40-1
Tim Bresnan comes into the attack and there's a big lbw appeal from his second ball. Steve Davis is quick to shake the head and hotspot confirms that Dravid got a nick before it struck the pads. Nevertheless, a promising maiden to start from Bresnan.

11:35 India 35/1
The runs are coming quickly for India, at a rate of 5.00. But England shouldn't be too concerned. Few of those runs have come from confident strokes and Broad and Anderson are getting plenty of action on the ball.

The India first innings runs line is currently hovering at 300. Lay a bit of that at around [2.0].

11:20 India 23/1
Gautum Gambhir is living dangerously. Two balls in the over drop perilously short of the slips, either side of another four behind square that the umpire deems Gambhir got a tickle on. Hotspot suggest otherwise.

11:15 India 17-1
Two more boundaries for Gambhir in Jimmy Anderson's second over, but the ball is moving around in the air and there are two, unsuccessful, appeals for England in the same over. Plenty happening. If you didn't back England at [2.5] pre-match then there is still value in backing the [2.1] that is available now.

WICKET Sehwag c Prior b Broad 0
Andrew Strauss has no hesitation in reviewing Stuart Broad's first delivery. There was a big noise as Sehwag tried to get out of the way and replays confirmed that he gloved it to Prior behind the stumps. Sehwag faces just one ball on his return to the side.

11:05 India 8-0
And we're underway. Jimmy Anderson opens the bowling. Gautum Gambhir steers the second ball of the over down to third man for a four and flicks the final ball finely off his pads for another boundary. The ball is carrying nicely through to the keeper and Anderson is getting some good swing.

10:45
Right, onto the betting. There is plenty of cloud cover around Edgbaston today, which will obviously suit England's bowlers. There is, however, also rain expected, but not until later in the day. So, we'll start with a back of England and keep an eye on the weather before trading on the draw later in the day.

10:38
Virender Sehwag and Gautum Gambhir return for India and are expected to open. Amit Mishra comes in for Harbhajan and Sreesanth joins Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma to make up the visitors' pace attack.

As expected, Ravi Bopara replaces Jonathan Trott in the England team and is the only change from Trent Bridge.

10:33
England have won the toss and Andrew Strauss has decided to have a bowl due to the pitch having a "green tinge". The hosts have shortened slightly to [2.5], the draw is a similar price and India are [5.0]. MS Dhoni confirms he would also have bowled.

10:25
Welcome to betting.betfair's live blog for the third Test from Edgbaston. The game goes ahead despite the after effects of last night's riots clearly visible in the form of a thick black plume of smoke coming from a Birmingham scrap yard.

While we wait for the toss there is still time to have a quick read of Michael Vaughan's preview.

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1. Anonymous | 11 August 2011

   here i wanted to comment on tendulkar. I am surprised by the way he is batting. He is doing same mistakes in this series three times he got out in slip. he has to leave those balls which are away from the body, being such experienced played he has to play like that .

2. Anonymous | 11 August 2011

   here i wanted to comment on tendulkar. I am surprised by the way he is batting. He is doing same mistakes in this series three times he got out in slip. he has to leave those balls which are away from the body, being such experienced played he has to play like that .

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