India v England: fourth Test, day two – live!

63rd over: India 155-6 (Pant 37, Sundar 2) Root has a shout for leg-before against Sundar, but doesn’t review it, wisely, as there was an inside edge.

Warning: this post contains some fruity language. “FUCKING DRS,” says Mark from Seattle. “How is 49% of the ball crashing into middle stump with contact on the back leg about six inches from impact not out, and you can dance half way down the wicket and if the missile tracking thinks 51% off the ball is hitting you’re out. One is far more certain than the other.” True.

A question from Em Jackson. “How long can England rely on a 38-year-old to get their batters out of jail? That’s the 64,000-wicket question… which Anderson is scheduled to get some time around 2275 on an England tour to Venus.” Ha. Did you see that photo of him bowling yesterday? He was flying. If you didn’t see the photo, go here and scroll down, and you can enjoy Andy Bull’s first-day report at the same time.

“Guilty confession,” says Sumit Rahman. “Every time – EVERY TIME – I read the name Washington Sundar, in my head I hear it to the tune of Buffalo Soldier. It’s slowing down my reading speed quite badly.” There’s always time for a good tune.

A word about Rohit Sharma, who is having a hell of a series. Today, for the third Test running, he was the main man in India’s top order, but in a quite different mode from his breezy 161 at Chennai. Rohit is now the leading run-scorer on either side, with 345 – seven runs more than Joe Root and twice as many as Virat Kohli (172). If India win the series, it will be down to Rohit as much as Ashwin and Axar.

An email from Nick, picking up on CricViz and that 29 per cent (59th over). “England’s chances of a win, as calculated by NicViz, are now 0 per cent, because they still can’t bat.” Harsh, but funny.

62nd over: India 153-6 (Pant 36, Sundar 1) Bess, buoyed by his moral victory, bowls a real snorter to Sundar, looping, dipping, biting, the lot – apart from taking the edge. And that’s tea, with India making 73 for two in the session, about half of them to the dangerous Pant. England have hung in there, mainly thanks to Anderson and Stokes, who have four for 52 between them off 34 overs. Leach has been good too, if not lethal like Axar Patel. The balance is still beautiful: this Test is very much my cup of tea.

Bess raps Pant on the inside of the back thigh as he plays across the line. It’s too high for the umpire to raise the finger, but England have plenty of reviews to play with… It’s straightening nicely, hitting the top of middle-and-leg, but umpire’s call! That could be a pivotal moment.

61st over: India 152-6 (Pant 35, Sundar 1) Now Root brings himself back, so it’s a double change and off-spin from both ends. Not sure about that – Leach had found a good rhythm. Root’s first ball turns handsomely but Pant carries on accumulating. He and Rahane have been the only batsmen to manage a high tempo.

60th over: India 149-6 (Pant 32, Sundar 1) As Sundar is a left-hander like Pant, Root brings back Dom Bess, to turn the ball away from the bat. And he does so, bowling two good deliveries, and just as importantly, no bad ones. Still no maiden though, as each batsman takes a single.

“This is all much more encouraging than I was expecting when I got up,” says Andrew Cosgrove. I second that emotion. “In the 57th over, you describe Pope as the specialist short leg who sometimes makes 20. Hey, don’t knock it, that’s how Ian Bell started in the 2005 Ashes.” Ha. “Maybe Pope really is hs reincarnation. Is there some sort of karma in how specialist short leg Pope got out unluckily to a catch at short leg?”

59th over: India 146-6 (Pant 30, Sundar 0) Out comes Washington Sundar, a very classy No.8. He looks eager to get after Leach but he can’t, and that’s a wicket maiden. England’s chances of a win, as calculated by CricViz, are now 29 per cent.

Another one! Ashwin gets a ball that stops in the pitch and chips it to short midwicket – where Pope, who is indeed short, leaps to take the catch.

58th over: India 146-5 (Pant 30, Ashwin 13) It’s still Stokes, pink-faced, red-haired, big-hearted. And England again come close to removing Pant as Ashwin takes a quick single and Jonny Bairstow, racing in from square leg, hits the only stump he can see.

57th over: India 145-5 (Pant 30, Ashwin 12) Leach drops short – a mirror image of the ball that flummoxed Ashwin – and Pant latches onto it with a superb cut for four. Next ball, though, Pant clips off his pad and Ollie Pope almost takes a wonder catch. On this tour, Pope has been a specialist short leg who sometimes makes 20.

56th over: India 139-5 (Pant 25, Ashwin 11) Stokes, still banging it in at Ashwin, could do with a short leg, but Root doesn’t feel that he has enough runs to play with. Could be a false economy.

Here, on a different note, is Kim Thonger. “We moved to the farthest northeast corner of Northamptonshire this week,” he begins. I wasn’t expecting Northamptonshire there. “I woke very early today, before the cricket started, and idly perused the village historical society website. And found a cricket section. Do read the last sentence, it’s a beaut.” So I did. “May 18th 1912, Colleyweston v Fineshade played at Colleyweston. Colleyweston won by 50 runs… The scorebook also records that the Umpire, L Hill, had his nose broken during the game (how it happened is not recorded).”

55th over: India 138-5 (Pant 24, Ashwin 11) Pant vs. Leach has been good viewing ever since one of them began the series by mauling the other. Pant comes down the track but can’t go through with the big hit, and then he inside-edges as the ball turns out of the rough and very nearly gives a catch to Foakes. Don’t you love a low-scoring Test?

54th over: India 135-5 (Pant 23, Ashwin 11) The ball after his narrow escape, Ashwin wafts outside off and gives a quarter-chance to gully, who barely moves and may be standing too close. Stokes is doing so well here as the second seamer. In 32 overs, he and Anderson have taken four for 50, while the spinners, in 22 overs, have one for 78. Root may be wondering whether to use Zak Crawley, who was a seamer as a child and certainly has the physique for it.

Nothing on Ultra Edge, until the ball hit Ashwin’s shoulder. Good ball though.

A bouncer from Stokes, an unhappy fend, the finger goes up but Ashwin reviews straight away.

53rd over: India 130-5 (Pant 22, Ashwin 7) Root takes himself off, suggesting that Bess is not the only off-spinner in whom he lacks faith. Back comes Leach, and he’s on the spot with a maiden – the one bad ball, short outside off, persuaded Ashwin to play and miss.

“Seam doing well today,” says Felix Wood. “Probably no need for the extra spinner. Have England once again picked the team for the last Test not the current one?” Yes, one step behind. Olly Stone would have been a handful on this surface.

52nd over: India 130-5 (Pant 22, Ashwin 7) Stokes, who has been himself again in this match, dishes up a rare freebie – a low full toss, which Ashwin gratefully pushes to the cover boundary. Then there’s a short ball, fended off, which leaves Ashwin getting sprayed by the physio for a bruised finger on his bowling hand.

51st over: India 124-5 (Pant 21, Ashwin 2) Root continues, and finds some turn to draw a thick edge from Pant. Then he finds no turn, Axar-style, and draws a thick edge from Ashwin, who gets off the mark with two to third man. It’s said that captains either over- or underbowl themselves. Root has done both in quick succession: he has underbowled himself today, as he did in the last Test until that magic spell – whereupon he overbowled himself, taking the new ball in the second innings when Anderson might have had a couple of wickets in him. But he has certainly handled the other bowlers well today.

Thanks Adam and morning everyone. After that wicket, this match could not be better poised.

IS ROHIT LBW TO STOKES ON 49? He’s given! He reviews! Stand by!

49th over: India 121-4 (Rohit 49, Pant 20) Root pulls the ripcord: he’s replaced Bess with himself. But just as it was with Bess, they aren’t going to let him find any rhythm: Pant leans into a full-blooded reverse sweep, stopped by Crawley with big dive on the point rope. Next comes the dance, over long-off for SIX! This is Pant at his very best, taking the attack to finger spinners. To him, trusting his eye and hitting through the line is no riskier than playing a forward defense. The best of short-form cricket on show in the Test arena. Suddenly, with 41 runs added in 67 balls between this pair, the pressure transferring back onto England. The deficit is 84.

48th over: India 112-4 (Rohit 48, Pant 12) Pant goes at Anderson and gets four through cover for it but he wasn’t in control of the shot and it looks a fraction pre-meditated. But a good contest this, Jimmy mixing it up from around the wicket, Pant refusing to be cowed. Might they give him one more over? Turning into a long spell.

47th over: India 108-4 (Rohit 48, Pant 8) Maybe that’s the over Bess needed. Sure, three singles – not a lot of pressure. But he brings short leg into play for the first time with one that dips on Rohit. He has to find a way through or it’ll be back to Leach, or Root himself.

I’m probably guilty of being too sympathetic too. Perhaps a bit of PTSD from watching Nathan Lyon cop it in India in 2013, back before I was a journalist and Nath was our club captain in Canberra.

46th over: India 105-4 (Rohit 47, Pant 6) A very rare slip from Anderson, giving Rohit some width. It doesn’t get up but he’s seeing them well enough to adjust cut for four. Of course, the spearhead is right back where he needs to be for the rest of the set. I reckon it might be back to Stokes next up, who bowled so well before lunch.

“Morning,” tweets HotMilk, my brilliant local cafe here in Bounds Green – and, coincidentally, where Sadiq Khan launched his re-election campaign yesterday. “Good to have you back in town! Best part about this C4 coverage is that we can watch in bed in the morning. And because the TV is on in bed the kids are keen to watch the cricket. A lot of ‘what’s happening daddy?’” Love this.

45th over: India 101-4 (Rohit 43, Pant 6) Bess can’t settle, Rohit won’t allow it. Every time he overpitches, as he does again here to start, it’s going to the rope. The next ball spins down the legside and he lets out a gasp of frustration – he’s hurting out there; there’s nothing fun about this. Pant’s turn – a better match-up – and he lands the first, then the next. Better. Graeme Swann is talking about the expectations on the shoulders of any finger spinner in India as he finishes the over with Pant advancing and miscuing in the air, not far away from Anderson at extra cover. Okay, something to work from.

44th over: India 96-4 (Rohit 38, Pant 6) Taking a quick look out the window between overs – what a beautiful London morning, not a cloud in the sky. No clouds in Ahmedabad either, where Anderson has it on a string. Remember the garbage you’d read in the stranger corners of the web that he was only any good at home with thick clouds at Trent Bridge? Nah. Now to Pant, making him play in the channel for the first half of the over before the temper that did him in at Chennai on the final day (and Dickwella at Galle) – well ignored.

43rd over: India 96-4 (Rohit 38, Pant 6) Rohit does Bess a favour, pulling one to begin. It gives the off-spinner a chance at the left-handed Pant from around the wicket for the first time. In saying that, it only takes two deliveries for him to run down the pitch at him – there’s never any let off when the Indian ‘keeper is up against finger spin, ask Nathan Lyon. He turns the next ball into a full toss but doesn’t make good enough contact to beat the bowler. Nice delivery to finish but Pant is up to it, forcing a single to deep point.

42nd over: India 94-4 (Rohit 37, Pant 5) Edge, four! Anderson brings Pant forward from around the wicket and gets enough movement away but Pant plays it with soft hands – well handled in the end by the left-hander. Jimmy has two slips and a floater in the cordon, and they’re nearly serviced from the follow-up, beating the edge with one that takes off and moves. Beautiful shape to finish too.

41st over: India 90-4 (Rohit 37, Pant 1) No real loop from Bess. He’s giving it a rip, nothing wrong with that, but compare this flatter trajectory to Ashwin yesterday after tea. Okay, it’s not fair to contrast him to the greatest finger spinner of his generation (of my lifetime). But still, it stands out when they’re opposing numbers. Rohit takes advantage of another full toss; four more. Not great.

40th over: India 85-4 (Rohit 33, Pant 0) Jim to go again. A quick scan shows that he now has 988 First Class wickets. That’s exciting to me. Surely he’ll be the last man in the 1000 club for some time? For now, guess what? Another maiden to Rohit. His figures: 13-10-7-2 Rude.

“Morning Adam.” Morning to you, Colum Fordham. “Nice to have a bearer of good news in the form of your good self. England fans can hardly have slept soundly. Heard the sports bulletin on radio 4 after perusing the OBO sleepily and listened in horror as it reported that India were 62-3 after reading that Rahane had just been out to Anderson and India had slumped to 80-4. I will only follow the OBO from now on.” Slack given: it’s an early morning for everyone.

39th over: India 85-4 (Rohit 33, Pant 0) That’s not pretty from Bess, way down the legside at Rohit and too far gone for Foakes too – four byes. The opener keeps the strike with one down the ground. “India have three left handers,” notes Harsha. “Bess has a role to play.”

38th over: India 80-4 (Rohit 32, Pant 0) Pant leaves well alone. Right, back to Bess. Without wanting to overplay it, what a big session this might be in the context of his career. Needs to click.

The players are back on the field. Rishabh is the new man, with one ball to face in the successful and incomplete Anderson over. PLAY!

Good morning to England fans joining us. Your boys, I can report, did very nicely while you slept. They picked up three wickets, including Kohli for a duck, while conceding just 56 runs. Anderson finished the stanza in the best possible way, nicking off Rahane. India are 125 behind but while Rohit is there, there’ll be no panic for the hosts – he’s done everything right, unbeaten on 32.

And here’s something to wake you up. A big week for Maximo Park storming up the charts with their super new album. But at this time of day, let’s have one of their dancefloor fillers from yesteryear.

I’m going to grab a cuppa; suggest you do likewise. A top morning for England, who aren’t giving this trophy away without a fight. A reminder that Geoff Lemon is on the OBO for the other game, Australia are batting first in that T20i against New Zealand. And if you really like us in tandem, here’s our latest Final Word ep.

Credit to Dan Lawrence. Yes, Dan Lawrence. Just before that wicket, we got a look at him at mid-off, his shirt filthy as the designated ball manager. He’s done his job so well – the ball in such good nick – that Jimmy was able to keep it hooping into the final over of the session, enough to find Rahane’s edge. It’s a team game.

Brilliant from Anderson, finding Rahane’s outside edge with what becomes the final ball of the session, snaffled low by Stokes at second slip! Three wickets for the morning; honours to England.

37.5 overs: India 80-4 (Rohit 32)

37th over: India 80-3 (Rohit 32, Rahane 27) Rohit takes the single on offer behind square, which Bess probably won’t mind as it gives him a look at Rahane – the less set of the two men. A slip and short leg in position. He’s getting plenty of bounce, albeit without a lot of flight. Yikes, and now way too much flight – a full toss, put away through cover for four. Graeme Swann notes the pressure that will be on the shoulders of the young man this week – a talking point for lunch. Which won’t be now – there’s enough time for another from Jimmy.

36th over: India 74-3 (Rohit 31, Rahane 22) Jimmy is back and immediately beating Rahane with an absolute beauty. First ball, that’s a picture-perfect outswinger, doing everything other than kissing the outside edge. Late swing, too. The inducker follows, which Rahane turns behind square for a couple – good response. Of course, it was the Indian vice-captain Anderson did with a booming bit of reverse swing on the final day of the First Test, which feels like a long time ago. It doesn’t look to be reverse quite yet out there though, the swing more conventional based on the angle we’re seeing. He’s bringing Rahane forward a couple of times with pushes to cover before prompting a false stroke to finish, the inswinger nervously chipped over midwicket for two more. Very close to another for England. He should get one more in before lunch.

35th over: India 70-3 (Rohit 31, Rahane 18) Bess is on for his first over today and second of the innings. A clever and calculated response from Rohit, backing himself to bisect the fielders at deep backward square and cow corner and doing it well, a one-bounce four. Clever because it doesn’t allow Bess to settle into a groove before lunch.