🏏England tour of India 2024: 1st Test: 25 - 29 Jan 2024 - Day 4🏏 - Page 30

"Yes one of the spinners (Hartley or Rehan) could be dropped to play Dan Lawrence who is equally good with the ball like Root. Or play a seamer instead and play Lawrence instead of Pope." Now that's the sort of thinking I can get behind, Zeus. All hail the Chingford Squirrel!

"Jadeja has a higher batting average than Ben Stokes now, after 68 tests, a large enough sample size!" Two high-quality allrounders you've mentioned there, Vibhansh

END OF OVER 98

7 runs

IND: 385/7

CRR: 3.92

AR Patel

12 (23)

RA Jadeja

68 (122)

MA Wood

11-0-40-0

JE Root

22-2-75-2

"India's slowing run rate, does it mean that it's a slow track and though not difficult to hang in, is not exactly a Bazball pitch? What will Eng's approach be in the second innings!?" Well, Dil, they only went at 3.81 in their first innings in the end. Suspect at some point they'll look to go a lot harder, but maybe not on this track

END OF OVER 99

1 run

IND: 386/7

CRR: 3.89

AR Patel

12 (26)

RA Jadeja

69 (125)

JE Root

23-2-76-2

MA Wood

11-0-40-0

Sonny: "While England have bowled a lot better today and hung on for dear life, it's always that lower Indian order that kills visiting sides! Jadeja doing what Stokes does often, scoring with the lower order." In some ways, both innings have been similar - just India doing their bit better for longer

END OF OVER 100

1 run

IND: 387/7

CRR: 3.87

AR Patel

12 (28)

RA Jadeja

70 (129)

MA Wood

12-0-41-0

JE Root

23-2-76-2

END OF OVER 101

1 run

IND: 388/7

CRR: 3.84

AR Patel

12 (32)

RA Jadeja

71 (131)

JE Root

24-2-77-2

MA Wood

12-0-41-0

"I believe Pope should be on borrowed time," growls Zeus, hefting his thunderbolts. "Surprising that he was given the vice-captaincy. Hasn't got a good score against decent opposition for quite sometime. Conveniently got injured in the last Ashes after failing in a few knocks."

Here's Siddharth: "Axar's career average is higher than KL Rahul's. Don't think we're into the lower order just yet!"