International cricket thread

So West Indies set 329 to win. They have scored tonight 49 for the loss of a single but seriously carelessly given away wicket. Powell run out having failed to ground his bat with it in the air despite being about a foot home over the line.

280 more runs needed from tomorrow’s play. RRR will be about 2.9 give or take.

outfield slow as fuuukkkk, value for shots not great, some shots on other grounds are going for 4, some today only 2....day 5 pitch tomorrow , deliveries misbehaving, outfield slow... the first session will decide it...if WI only loose one wicket and can put on 80 runs in the morning, I’d fancy them, just... 3/4 down by lunch, draw or Pakistan victory.

Brilliant start by England and Anderson. 12 overs gone, India 26/3 off 12. Anderson bowling like a man possessed, like a 25 year old possessed ..taken 3 wickets, conceded just 6 runs, off 6 overs.

Robinson has been economical if not very threatening and Curran getting lots of swing and more or less accurate and threatening.

Totally, 56/4 at lunch. Rabbit in headlights batting by India, but deadly accurate and threatening by England.

Jimmy Anderson, 39, bowled 8 overs, 6 runs conceded, 5 maidens, 3 wickets... guy is a freak.

rest of the bowlers super accurate, economical and threatening.

Good bowling by England but terrible batting by India, what was Pant at there?

Gas how much Kohli has got under Anderson's skin!

India 67-8... English bowlers have been unreal... India though batting like a amateur club team.

edit : 67/9 Curran on a hat trick.

This is shocking by India, arguably worse than England last week. Great bowling yes but still. Interesting to see how the pitch plays for England's batting but they have a big chance to level the series here.

Eng 8-0 after 2 balls

Yep, 71-0 now, Burns and Hameed have looked relatively untroubled... a very slow run rate.

india and Kohli up to their usual disruptive tactics, looking to get the ball changed, they eventually succeed even though the previous over the original ball was going through the rings at ease.... strange.

scores level, English have all wickets intact, cant see past the English now.

How often does it happen, a side gets bowled out for nothing and the other team then knocks off the runs so easily. India haven't turned up at all. Need to make something happen soon or it 1-1.

Ishant got England off to the best start. Awful over, wiped out over 10% of the deficit there. Like I said that's how it goes. Demoralised bowlers against a buyont batting side.

They talked a lot about Stokes today, it being the two year anniversary of his great innings at Headingley. His bowling from the day before is what dragged England back into that game really. So India can still get out of this if they show up tomorrow. As it is England hugely on top. Perfect day for them.

Good start by England but as I type Hameed goes for 68...164/2.

England are essentially 86/2 here.. India have more of a spring in their step the main catalyst being Bumrah... if they can squeeze one more out before lunch they’ll be reasonably happy.

England absolutely cruising with the lead already over 160 with eight wickets remaining. Root with YET ANOTHER Test fifty and Malan justifying his re-selection. England are likely to win this by an innings unless they succumb to one of their usual collapses!

Could get very ugly for India. Sun is out, flat pitch and bowlers tiring. Another 100 odd overs in the field chasing the ball everywhere usually means quick wickets when England bowl again then.

What were India doing in the ten days post Lord's. Unrecognisable.

Watching batting greatness with Root. It's how effortless he does it.

This would have been a tailor made for Ben Stokes. Bairstow and especially Buttler haven't been able to transfer their white ball form to test cricket at all. Stokes has gone into proper T20 mode loads of times. Ali and Curran more likely than Buttler to do something other than blocking it and chipping it straight to someone .

Really odd performance by India after last week, they're by a distance a better side than England but they have been badly exposed by the English bowlers and batsmen today and yesterday. England will win but India need to bat well (particularly Kohli who has to start delivering serious runs) and try to make some fight of it to gear themselves up for the Oval. Great batting by Root, head and shoulders above the rest of their batsmen, notable once more though that Bairstow and Butler couldn't cash in despite England broadly coasting in the game.