Ali Martin has completed his report from Rajkot, signaling for me to take a break and get some fresh air. It was a day where India’s talented players outshone England’s, leaving their hopes in ruins. However, Ben Stokes instilled his team with his unwavering confidence, preventing a complete loss. Thank you for joining and communicating with us: the OBO will return tomorrow morning for the 4am GMT start. In the meantime, here’s Ali and Jim reporting on the game.

Ben Duckett is conversing with Graeme Swann, discussing the Northants-Notts collaboration.

Duckett acknowledges the impressive performance of the opposing team tonight. They were able to shut down our offense in the morning, despite our efforts to attack like we did yesterday.

He supports Joe Root’s decision to use a ramp shot, even though it resulted in his second dismissal in a Test match. “Rooty is exceptional, he executes shots that most of us are unable to do… He has mastered the ramp shot. To me, it is similar to playing a drive and getting caught out.”

Swann believes that this game is still within our reach. Despite being 330 runs ahead, the fact that Australia sent in a nightwatchman shows their wariness towards us. We will continue to play our style of cricket and if a couple of our players can score quickly on this pitch, anything is possible. While their optimism is commendable, the issue today was not England’s aggression but their collapse, reminiscent of past failures.

According to Brendan Murphy, is it more appropriate to call Australia “Humble Aussie” or “Dumb Aussie”? While England was at a disadvantage, being over 200 runs behind at the beginning of the game, they managed to win the second day, similar to how India has secured a victory on the third day.

Our Australian friend is being sincerely modest this time. “I’m sorry Tim,” he says, “My name is Finn. If I’m going to tease a whole country, I should at least use my first name.”

“PS Hartley is a wonderful discovery. I am looking forward to his arrival on our shores next year.”

Tom van der Gucht exclaims, “England has a chance now!” He believes that if they can take one more wicket, they will have a small chance of winning. He is certain that with a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast of Weetabix, England will be ready to give their best effort. When he tunes in at 6am, he predicts that England will be batting again and Duckett will be on his way to scoring a second century in the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal dominated the day and the series with his impressive scores of 80 and 15, 209 and 17, and now 10 and 104 retired hurt. He has already accumulated 435 runs, surpassing the next leading scorer, Duckett, by 150 runs. Despite a brief period of aggressive play after tea, Jaiswal may believe that his back injury was a necessary sacrifice for his success.

According to the prediction on CricViz, India currently has a 96% probability of winning the match. England, on the other hand, only has a 4% chance and it seems unlikely for the match to end in a draw.

In the 51st over, India’s score is 196-2 with Gill at 65 and Kuldeep at 3. Gill earns another single and Kuldeep manages to survive the remaining four balls. England has had a tough day and India has been relentless, increasing their lead from 126 to 322. The game is almost over.

In the 50th over, India has a score of 195-2 with Gill at 64 and Kuldeep at 3. Kuldeep manages to survive a maiden over from Hartley, but takes a risk by not playing a ball that was turning in from the rough outside off. England appeals for LBW, but the umpire does not give it. Stokes chooses not to review, possibly because Kuldeep is the nightwatchman. HawkEye reveals that the ball would have missed the leg bail by a small margin.

In the 49th over, India’s score is now 195-2 with Gill at 64 and Kuldeep at 3. Gill chooses to take a single off Rehan and gives the strike to Kuldeep. Kuldeep surprises everyone with a square drive for three runs.

A reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, sends their greetings to England as the saviours of cricket. While we do not encourage anonymity, this message is noteworthy. The reader admits that they typically do not pay attention to England’s cricket games unless they are attempting to win back the Ashes, a feat that has not been accomplished in quite some time.

However, their arrogance and self-satisfaction have made it quite entertaining for me to witness their downfall in a mere six hours. I must admit, I am watching and hoping they can revive Test cricket. Sincerely, a modest Australian. Is this a subtle brag?

In the 48th over, India’s score is now 191-2 with Gill at 63 and Kuldeep at 0. The nightwatchman has been brought in and Tom Hartley, England’s top performer, has taken another wicket in this series. Hartley managed to beat Gill with a sharply turning ball that was caught by Root at slip before making the breakthrough.

Rajat Patidar will be kicking himself. He got a long hop from Hartley and slapped it to midwicket. To be fair, it may have kept a bit low.

Bringing one also brings two.

In the 47th over, India’s score is now 190-1 with Gill scoring 62 and Patidar at 0. Rehan only manages to get a single run. Graeme Swann, who has a different opinion from the rest of the commentators, suggests that England might only need seven more wickets to win as Jaiswal is injured and Ashwin is on leave due to compassionate reasons. “Things are looking up for England!” says Swann. However, this statement should be taken with a grain of salt.

The 46th over of the match saw India at 189-1, with Gill scoring 61 runs and Patidar yet to score. Hartley bowled a straightforward over to Patidar, not allowing any runs to be scored. This was the first maiden over of the innings by a spinner other than Root.

In the 45th over, India’s score is at 189-1, with Gill at 61 and Patidar at 0. As there are only six overs remaining in the day, India briefly considered using a nightwatchman before realizing it was unnecessary. Mark Wood has been replaced by Rehan, and Gill, who is now the primary batsman, patiently waits for a weak delivery and gracefully hits it through the covers for a four.

He is departing from the field and receives a mixed reaction of both sympathy and admiration.

In the 44th over, India has scored 184 runs for the loss of one wicket. Jaiswal, who has scored 104 runs, appears to be in discomfort. It would be wise for him to retire, as he has successfully completed his role in the game.

Rudrarpan Chatterjee states that he does not want to interfere with the visiting team’s self-destruction, but he believes that Root’s obligation to bowl 20 overs in each innings is greatly impacting his batting. Even though it may not affect his skill, his reflexes are likely to be slower due to the buildup of lactic acid in his muscles.

In the 43rd over, India’s score is now 184-1 (Jaiswal 104, Gill 56). Wood is still bowling, indicating that Jaiswal is anticipating a short ball on the next delivery. Jaiswal expertly deflects the ball to get a run and allow Gill to take over. Gill hits a six off Wood’s bowling, reaching his half-century off 98 balls. He has been playing patiently, but now he is looking to increase the scoring rate. He follows this up with a cut shot for four and then a slightly mistimed pull for a single. The cut shot also brings up the partnership’s score to over 150, and India’s lead has now reached 310 runs. These two batsmen have practically batted England out of the game.

The bowlers have not really troubled Jaiswal, but his back is now causing him discomfort. He lies on the ground, checking his spine just above his waist, and calls for the physiotherapist. The physio turns him over onto his stomach, stretches his left leg, and gives him a pain-relieving medication. “It’s the jump!” exclaims Ravi Shastri as a replay shows Jaiswal leaping in celebration when he reached his hundred. He is able to carry on playing.

The 42nd over of the match saw India at 172-1 with Jaiswal scoring 103 runs and Gill scoring 45. Hartley came in for Root and attempted to take advantage of the rough pitch, managing to beat Jaiswal with a low delivery. This suggests that the pitch may not be as easy to play on as originally thought, and England will face a challenge in chasing a score starting with a 4.

In the 41st over, India’s score is 171-1 with Jaiswal scoring 102 and Gill scoring 45. Wood continues to bowl with great speed. He has been one of England’s top performers in this Test, alongside Duckett, with four wickets and a fantastic run-out. Unfortunately, he was left stranded on 4 not out when he could have produced one of his typical scores in the 30s. However, his efforts are not paying off in this innings. Despite Stokes’s clever tactics, the bowling attack is struggling to make an impact on this flat pitch.

In the 40th over, India’s score is 168-1 with Jaiswal scoring 100 runs and Gill scoring 44 runs. Gill, who has been playing a supportive role, takes the lead and hits a six off Root’s bowling. He also adds two runs with a tuck shot off his hips. The partnership between the two has now increased to 139 runs.

India is at 158-1 in the 39th over, with Jaiswal at 100 and Gill at 34. The audience celebrates the century in their usual manner, filled with joy like children.

Jaiswal cuts Wood for four to reach a highly unusual hundred off 122 balls. He went very slowly at first, then lightning-fast, then sedately again. It’s his second hundred of the series: by making a name for himself, he has ensured that India have barely missed their big names.

In the 38th over, the score for India is 149 for 1 with Jaiswal scoring 94 and Gill scoring 30. Root continues to play a supportive role, limiting Jaiswal to a two-run lofted shot. Despite some challenges, Stokes has managed to decrease the run rate once more, with India only scoring 11 runs in the last six overs.

In the 37th over, India has scored 146-1 with Jaiswal at 92 and Gill at 30. Wood is bowling and using bodyline tactics. Instead of having slips or a short leg, there are three fielders out for the hook shot and three in the leg side ring in case of a mis-hook. However, Jaiswal remains patient and plays with a straight bat in front of his face. In response, Stokes brings in a short leg fielder. Jaiswal tries to step away towards the leg side like a tailender, but is unable to find a gap in the off side. This is an intriguing battle, not just between bat and ball but also between bat and brain, as Stokes strategizes and plans his next move.

In the 36th over, India’s score is 144-1 with Jaiswal at 91 and Gill at 29. Root chooses to follow Graeme Swann’s earlier suggestion and bowls over the wicket to the right-handed batsman. However, he only does so for three balls before switching back. Swann comments that those three balls were well-played. Each batter gets a single and it seems that Mark Wood will be returning to bowl.

In the 35th over, India’s score is now 142-1 with Jaiswal at 90 and Gill at 28. Rehan follows Root’s lead and only allows two runs in this over. However, India has dominated the past hour, adding 98 runs since tea. Most of those runs, 71 to be exact, have come from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who started off slow but is now scoring quickly. India now has a lead of 268, making England’s day even worse.

In the 34th over, India’s score is 140-1 with Jaiswal at 89 and Gill at 27. England is in great need of a peaceful moment. Root, serving as the team’s experienced spinner, delivers an over that yields only two singles.

In the 33rd over, India’s score is 138-1 with Jaiswal at 88 and Gill at 26. The 12th man for India is on the field, providing new gloves and possibly receiving instructions from Rahul Dravid. Based on what follows, it seems like Dravid is suggesting Jaiswal try the reverse sweep. Jaiswal then faces Rehan and successfully executes the reverse sweep, scoring two additional fours.

Gary Naylor wonders if it is premature to label Jaiswal as the future star of Test cricket. He praises Jaiswal’s skills such as his precise footwork, strategic understanding of the field, and excellent timing in attacking and defending. Naylor even compares him to legendary batsmen Viv Richards and Brian Lara in terms of his calm and composed approach. However, Naylor is not completely sold on this comparison. Nonetheless, the mention of Jaiswal’s composure is thought-provoking.

In the 32nd over, India’s score is 130-1 with Jaiswal at 80 and Gill at 26. Jaiswal, who has been hitting sixes frequently, takes a cheap shot at Root’s full toss delivery. However, Root responds with a delivery that bounces unpredictably from the rough, narrowly missing the bat. This will surely excite the Indian spinners.

In the 31st over, India’s score is 123-1 with Jaiswal at 73 and Gill at 26. Jaiswal easily hits another six off Rehan’s leg-break as the lead extends to 249. In the last five overs, India has scored 48 runs. To make matters worse, the batters and umpires are offered water, but the fielders are left thirsty.

In the 30th over, India’s score is 116-1 with Jaiswal at 66 and Gill at 26. Hartley, who had a slightly better performance than his stats of 10-0-39-0, is replaced by Root. According to Ravi Shastri, Root has bowled more overs in this series (89) than he has scored runs (70). Jaiswal, who seems to be seeing the ball easily, hits a slider for a four towards midwicket.

In the 29th over, India’s score is 111-1 with Jaiswal at 61 and Gill at 26. Stokes takes over for Anderson, who has unusual stats of 6-1-32-0. This is the first time Rehan Ahmed is bowling in this innings. He begins strongly, but is unable to prevent Gill from executing a graceful late cut for four runs. This brings India’s total to 67-0 in the 13 overs since tea.

In the 28th over, India’s score is 107-1 with Jaiswal at 61 runs and Gill at 22 runs. Jaiswal’s performance has drastically improved as he hits a full toss from Hartley for six and reaches his fifty. He repeats this feat again! He has gone from scoring 35 runs off 73 balls to scoring 26 runs off the last eight balls.

Geoff Wignall suggests that England is facing an unavoidable and severe criticism due to their poor performance. It is best to wait until the series is over to make final assessments. However, when does Bairstow’s position become uncertain or even unmanageable? His performance has been lacking since his sports mishap and it appears that he is only temporarily holding the spot for Harry Brook.

In the 27th over of the match, India’s score is now 94-1 with Jaiswal at 49 and Gill at 21. Anderson’s delivery to Gill results in a single, marking a 50 partnership after 90 balls. The combination of young talent and traditional techniques is proving successful for India. However, Jaiswal takes advantage of a potential taunt from Stokes, who had positioned fielders in a silly mid-off manner. Jaiswal responds with a powerful six and follows it up with a four over slip and another four from a pull shot. Anderson’s over yields a total of nineteen runs for India.

In the 26th over, India’s score is 75-1 with Jaiswal at 35 runs and Gill at 20 runs. Hartley delivers a ball that beats Jaiswal due to its lift rather than turn, causing him to miss a cut. However, before that, both batters were able to take a single, resulting in India’s lead of 201 runs.

Guy Hornsby expresses disappointment but acknowledges that it was expected for this team. He attributes the loss to their aggressive playing style and the contributions from the lower order batsmen in previous matches. He believes that a few quick 20s from Ahmed and Hartley could have made a difference. Despite Root and Bairstow’s low scores, the 5 for 20 result was still a setback. He praises the Indian team for their talented batting lineup and acknowledges that all they can do is continue to work hard. However, he sympathizes with Jimmy and Wood, who have been performing well but were not able to secure a win.

In the 25th over of the match, India’s score is 73-1 with Jaiswal at 34 and Gill at 19. In addition to the short midwicket, Anderson has also positioned a slightly silly mid-on. He continues to bowl consistently and earns a maiden, but is unable to produce enough reverse to trouble Gill.

In the 24th over of the match, India’s score is 73-1 with Jaiswal at 34 and Gill at 19. Throughout the innings, I do not recall seeing any sweep shots until now. Jaiswal, who is facing Hartley, executes a swift and confident sweep shot that could be compared to Duckett’s skill. However, Hartley quickly responds by turning the ball out of a rough area, causing the bat to miss and resulting in an appeal for leg-before (which was not given or reviewed). This incident is significant as there was a puff of dust, which could be a bad sign for England since they will have to bat last.

In the 23rd over of the match, India’s score is 67-1 with Jaiswal at 29 runs and Gill at 18 runs. Jimmy Anderson replaces Wood as the reverse merchant and has a similar field, with one slip and a short midwicket. Similar to when using a new ball, Anderson starts off by bowling too short, allowing Gill to easily score four runs with a cut shot.

In the 22nd over, India’s score is 63-1 with Jaiswal at 29 and Gill at 14. Hartley, unable to make any progress, changes his angle and bowls over the wicket for the final delivery of the over. He manages to deceive Jaiswal, who attempts a forceful swing, possibly influenced by Stokes’ absence at long-on. This could be England’s only chance to regain control – creating chaos and confusion for the inexperienced batsmen.

In the 21st over, India’s score is 62-1 with Jaiswal at 29 runs and Gill at 13 runs. Wood is still bowling and Knight believes his strategy is to make Gill hit around his front leg. There is some reverse swing happening, but Gill confidently hits a four with a cover drive when Wood delivers a sharp ball.

“According to Deepak Puri, I was just checking the updates for the OBO and I noticed that Bairstow got out without scoring any runs in just four balls. When he last played in India, my colleague Ali and I came up with the phrase ‘back in a Bairstow’ to describe a brief moment of time. It seems like it’s still relevant.” Ha.

Bairstow’s average score in Tests while playing in India is 27, which is his lowest in any country where Test matches are played (his average in UAE is 22).

In the 20th over, India’s score is at 56-1 with Jaiswal at 28 and Gill at 8. Jaiswal displays a burst of aggression by confidently advancing down the pitch and executing a cover-drive against Hartley for a four. Nick Knight praises his footwork, speaking with admiration in his voice.

In the 19th over, India’s score is now 50-1 with Jaiswal at 23 and Gill at 7. Wood continues with his signature move of throwing himself to the ground. Jaiswal consistently takes a single off the first ball, which works in England’s favor as they want to face Gill. However, Gill is more active this time, managing to hit a single with a strong push and a clear call. The over results in four singles, including an inside edge from Gill. Wood then leaves the field, making way for Dan Lawrence to take his place.

In the meantime, a television caption provides a clue for Ben Stokes. It reads, “Shubman Gill in Tests: dismissed five times by James Anderson.”

In the 18th over, the score for India is 46-1 with Jaiswal scoring 21 and Gill scoring 5. Stokes replaces Root and brings Hartley back into the game. Hartley successfully outwits Gill, as he tries to step out of his crease but misses the ball and has to awkwardly play a shot.

In the 17th over, India’s score is now 45-1 with Jaiswal at 20 and Gill at 5. Play continues from the Wood-Hartley end, as Stokes takes over from Hartley. The field now has only one slip and a short midwicket. Jaiswal starts off with a single on the first ball and receives a scolding from umpire Kumar Dharmasena for running on the pitch – the same mistake that led to a penalty of five runs in the first innings.

This is Ewan Glenton’s opinion on the Bazball England team. He believes that the team has earned respect by consistently performing well, and we should give them some leeway to have a discussion about their recent collapse after the match. If they are able to turn things around and achieve a positive outcome, it shows that their approach includes both highs and lows, much like gambling. However, if they do not improve and the end result is the same as the previous tour, then it is necessary to evaluate their strategy.

In the recording room, Alastair Cook is stating, “England must make a bold move to regain control of this game.” Narrator: Cook has never resorted to shock tactics in any situation.

“Tim, my dear friend,” exclaims Kim Thonger. “After much thought on Root’s dismissal, I can only imagine it’s a strategic move to instill overconfidence in the Indian attack, as part of a larger plan crafted by Stokes. When chasing 499 to win, Root will undoubtedly transform into his focused and familiar self, leading us to victory with an unbeatable score of 250. It’s fate.” And it most certainly is.