🏏England tour of India 2024: 2nd Test: 02 - 06 Feb 2024 - Day 4🏏 - Page 5

"When did playing slow in a test match become a crime?" Folk have no patience these days, AJ. Blame Gen Z, basically

"The over rate must be excellent!!!" All part of Bazball's pact to save Test cricket, Sowmya

IND 99/2 (30.5)

CRR: 3.21

Day 1: 1st Session

Congratulations to Jaiswal for his half century.

Ind--103/2

Lunch break.

END OF OVER 31

4 runs

IND: 103/2

CRR: 3.32

SS Iyer

4 (7)

YBK Jaiswal

51 (92)

JM Anderson

8-1-19-1

Shoaib Bashir

10-0-39-1

30.6

Anderson to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, 135kph, half-volley on off, and Iyer meets it with a nice straight bat as he punches it through mid-on. Lovely timing, races away to the boundary!

SandyKam: "Keep calm and Have faith in India's Jais-WALL."

Tony Booth: "One thing I noticed about Stokes in this match, most captains field at slips or mid-on / off but Stokes seems to be in the deep (or at least deeper)! Do you think that allows him to see the bigger picture and takes the emotion out of fielding by not being to close so keeps a clearer head?" Could be, Tony. Although he seems a bigger picture guy, generally speaking

Thanks for the tag...

"Hard to accept India allowing Eng to bowl well," bemoans Ajith. "Yes, boundaries are not easy, but India easily 25 to 30 runs short already!"

This is from our stats guru, S Rajesh - Rohit vs offspinners in Tests:

2016 to 2021 - 476 runs in 671 balls, 4 dismissals, ave 119.00, SR 70.9

since 2022 - 121 runs in 264 balls, 6 dismissals, ave 20.16, SR 45.8

A fascinating morning session comes to an end here in Vizag. India won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch that isn't offering a great deal of turn to start with, unlike Hyderabad where the ball spun quite early. But England have made them work hard with good tight bowling. There have been some looseners, yes, but on the whole the visitors won't be too disappointed with their effort so far.

"If these two can stick around and get decent scores, that will go a long way in soothing India's nerves." That would certainly be the hope in the home dressing room, Murali