Join us for updates, analysis and color from day one of the fourth Test
Welcome to the first day of our live report of the fourth India-England Test from Ahmedabad. Join us for updates, analysis and color. You can find the traditional ball-by-ball statement here
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10m: Axar on, Dom off
Spinning into the mix for the sixth over, and quickly England need to get into Indiana Jones mode. Sure, it will take just two balls for Axar Patel to strike and bring his test game bowling average under nine … and again it is the non-turner who does the damage, because Dom Sibley plays on looking for a spin, but only succeeds. in illuminating the inner edge of the sole of the foot. I couldn’t even say that the ball had previously been spewed with great ragging, because Sibley was disciplined – but I believe the horse has already bolted when it comes to England’s mind against spinning.
9.45am: Sighters
So, is he going to be a bunsen burner, a nice little earner for Virat Kohli and his side once again? You couldn’t blame them for taking that route, with the way England’s batting has gone down since they did 578 at the start of the series – and all the suggestion before they started here was that Motera would dust nicely with a red ball, as he did for the pink (although so many eliminations in the third Test came from delivery did not turn). Anyway, for now it’s a classic diet of fresh ball seam, India starting with Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj in harness; Ishant pulled a man into Zak Crawley’s front pack in the opening, but DRS showed he was going over the top. To avoid the desire for the future, I will leave you with this little cat between Sanjay Manjrekar and Raunak Kapoor on the topic of turning parks in India.
9.25m: WTC
The state of play: India only have to avoid the issue to reach their place in the final of the World Test Championship. At the same time, England can only play the part of the parties, but Australia – the team that would benefit from India – will do more for them. Beyond the WTC context further, England are aiming to become the fourth team since 1984 to win two trials in a row in India.
9.05am: England win toss and bat
G’day and welcome to our ongoing report of the fourth Test. It’s a time of tension in the race for the Test World Cup qualification, and the final stop on England’s six-game sub-divisional odyssey … and Joe Root has won the third throw of the series. What that means for the next thing five four a few days? The tourists have made a couple of changes, changing the balance of their side by introducing batsman Dan Lawrence and spinner Dom Bess, with sailors Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad letting go. -mach. India, having already released Jasprit Bumrah, has replaced Mohammed Siraj. In fact, if this was a report from the red carpet at an awards ceremony, everyone would die for a word with the park. “Are you listening to the critics? How are you holding together? Can you achieve last week’s performance?” It won’t be long until we find out just how many booby traps have been made. applied for the second game in Ahmedabad.
Alan Gardner is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick