Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

A feature of the bowling has been the length which has been not over pitched but fullish. Morkel is a big man but is still dragging the batsman forward, Philander the same and Rabada most obviously.

My concern for Root is that he too is slightly playing around the front pad, perhaps getting a little too far across his stumps. He's taking guard on off stump, so that front leg is often in front of all three. The new skipper talks to himself, bangs the bat on the ground and guides behind point for four.

Image source, PA

Ted Milnes

Image source, Getty Images

They haven't been together long, but you wonder if it's written in the stars that England's new captain and vice-captain will ride to the rescue today. South Africa are probably still having nightmares about Stokes hammering them all over Cape Town. Some stand-and-deliver from the Durham man, forcing Rabada through the covers for four.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

I hear De Villiers may play against India. May play? You're either a Test player or you're not. He's probably watching this match, I find it sad he doesn't want to be playing in his series. I want to see the greats playing against each other.

I'm a fan of the new England kit, though the jumpers are certainly a different shade of white/cream to the shirts. Speaking of sartorials, there's some absolute shockers going on in the stands. I've just seen on fella in a sky blue blazer with pink trousers. What moves a man to dress like that in order to watch cricket?

Paul in Cambridgeshire

Kagiso Rabada, rather than Vernon Philander, after lunch. Stokes is only sporting a short-sleeved shirt, one which reveals the ink that adorns his right arm. Is the vice-skip batting a touch of his crease there? He's certainly getting a huge stride in. Maiden over.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

I can't see many matches being draws, unless it rains. Both sides have good bowlers but if you look at the batting on both sides - a couple are good but the rest are a bit iffy.

The stands are very, very empty as play gets back under way. Still a pork pie to be eaten and White Lightning cider to be quaffed in the Harris Garden. Root continues where he left off this morning - iffy outside off stump, strong off his pads. Four taken to long leg.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

We've got a good cricket match here and the game has moved on quite quickly. The captain and vice captain are at the helm but they have a lot of work to do. You would think batting would get a bit easier but England have already lost four wickets.

Front-line? More like the 12th man. The players are back out. Joe Root is on strike, on 30, Ben Stokes at the other end on four. Morne Morkel has the ball.

Image source, PA

Just a brief cameo from me - like many of the England batsmen. I now hand you back to our front-line live texter, Stephan Shemilt...

Ruth Brooksbank‏: There's an awful lot resting on Joe Root now, let's hope the added responsibility of captain doesn't affect his game today.

Ballance's dismissal brought another Yorkshireman to the crease in the shape of the in-form Jonny Bairstow. JP Duminy gave he and Root a helping hand by dropping the latter, but their partnership would not last much longer with Bairstow out lbw to Philander just before lunch.

76-4.

Ballance's return to the Test arena ended in disappointment as he was trapped lbw to become Morne Morkel's first victim of the match. This one he did review, but to no avail.

49-3.

For the briefest of moments, it looked as though Root and Ballance were going to bring a stubborn Yorkshire fightback to the occasion...

Fellow opener Jennings followed Cook from the middle soon after as the combination of a poor umpire decision and bad judgement from partner Gary Ballance to turn down a review saw the Durham man out lbw to Philander. It pitched outside leg and was missing leg stump, but apart from that it was plumb.

17-2.

Joe Root's predecessor as captain Alastair Cook was the first man back in the tent after fishing unnecessarily at a wide, short ball from Vernon Philander to nick off for just three.

14-1.

To start the recap of that first session, here is a boundary from Keaton Jennings - England's first of the day. Enjoy it. Things get ugly from here on...