Summary

  • England bowled out for 178 - India need 420 to win or to bat for just over a day

  • Root top-scores with 40; six wickets for Ashwin

  • England choose not to enforce follow-on but lose Burns first ball

  • Ishant takes 300th Test wicket by dismissing Lawrence lbw

  • Two wickets each for Leach and Anderson as India bowled out for 337

  • First Test, day four, Chennai

  1. Postpublished at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Time for us to call it a day and get some kip.

    Matt Henry's report on day four is here.

    The scorecard is here.

    You'll be able to download the latest Test Match Special podcast from here later on this afternoon.

    Make sure you join us at 03:45 GMT tomorrow morning. It's set to be a cracker with all three results still possible.

    England celebrate a wicketImage source, BCCI
  2. 'Can't see India winning'published at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on The Cricket Social

    I can't see India getting the runs and I think Ishant is playing a bit of kidology to throw that seed into the minds of the England team.

    It's going to be so hard for a batsman to start on this surface. They'll need a big, big partnership because I think there will be wickets that fall in clusters.

  3. Postpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on the Cricket Social

    England have so far played it stonewall brilliantly apart from that little mess towards the end of the second innings.

  4. Postpublished at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on The Cricket Social

    England have played great. None of us gave them a cat in hell’s chance of winning this series and if they go 1-0 up I still think India will come back strong. If England are sat in that dressing room in 24 hours’ time and it’s 0-0, I don’t think they’ll come back from that.

    Joe Root and Jack LeachImage source, BCCI
  5. Postpublished at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    The tactics in the evening session were questionable but if England win this Test does it matter?

    It's a difficult balancing act for England. They have to win this series 3-1/3-0/4-0 to qualify for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand.

    There isn't much leeway there so they can't really afford to lose, but a draw - which may happen because of the time lost - isn't that useful either.

  6. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    #bbccricket

    Ralph Brooker: Very disappointed by the big blemish to England’s performance. Inexplicable tactics once the stroke makers had gone. And then defensive fields to spinners. I fear that this will cost them the win. Somehow deep negativity set in at tea.

  7. 'A 9.8/10 performance'published at 11:47 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on The Cricket Social

    It's very close to a 10/10 performance. It's knocked it down to about 9.8, that last session. I don't know what they had for tea but something's affected them.

  8. Postpublished at 11:45 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent on The Cricket Social

    Jack Leach's wicket was an unplayable delivery that spun from around about leg stump and hit off - the sort of ball that you might get on this pitch that sends a shiver down the spine of the batting side. A major blow struck.

    Jack Leach celebrates dismissing Rohit SharmaImage source, BCCI
  9. 'England feared India could win'published at 11:43 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on The Cricket Social

    I'd say that England have won every single session barring that last one. They've played incredible cricket to get themselves in a position of dominance. That last session they seemed to get confused about the way they wanted to play. Someone's said that India can still win this game and that's feared them.

  10. Postpublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    If you'd been offered this position on day one you'd have taken it right?

    It was only last winter that England were lacklustre, and being dominated, in New Zealand. They have made significant strides forward in the last 16 months and to be in this position, heading into the final day in conditions that are so different to their comfort zone, is such a positive.

  11. 'We are very positive'published at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    India bowler Ishant Sharma, who took his 300th Test wicket today, talking to Channel 4: "It has been a rollercoaster life till now. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve had a lot of mentors in my life who have taught me how to bowl in the subcontinent and aboard what kind of lengths I need to bowl."

    On the state of the game: "It all depends on how we start tomorrow. If we get a good start I am sure that we can chase this down. We have a fearless batting line-up and we are very positive so it’s about how we start and then we can think about how we go through the game."

    On the pitch: "For the first two days I thought we were playing on a road but yesterday it started to spin a bit more. I think we’ve bowled really well, even on day one or two when the pitch was offering nothing."

    Ishant Sharma celebratesImage source, BCCI
  12. 'India have a sniff of getting out'published at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on The Cricket Social

    It's a great position India have found themselves in after playing so poorly for three days. They've now got a sniff of getting out of the Test match. Virat Kohli will be quietly delighted.

  13. Postpublished at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    England are surely overwhelming favourites from here?

    They have dominated the game, and apart from that bizarre hour and a bit with the bat post-tea they have been superb.

    Earlier we asked you if you thought they'd win or not. Here are the results.

    BBC Sport vote for England or India winImage source, BBC Sport
  14. Close of playpublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Ind 39-1

    And that will be that for day four.

    England need nine wickets to win and India 381 runs on day five to complete a world-record chase.

  15. Postpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Yes, Felix.

    I'm not committing to that until at least lunch tomorrow.

  16. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:29 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Text us on 81111

    Is it bad if I'd already like to be regularly updated on the required rate?

    Felix, Oxford

  17. Ind 37-1published at 12 overs

    Target 420

    That is Jack Leach done for the day. He finishes with figures of 1-21 from his six overs. He got the crucial breakthrough and has been tidy.

    Dom Bess will bowl the final over of the day.

  18. How's stat?!published at 11:26 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2021

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician on the Cricket Social

    Here's a stat for the Leach skeptics. He's struggled in first innings in his career: in 12 first innings he's bowled in, he's got 14 wickets at an average of 57, but he's been superb in second innings. That was his 33rd wicket in 11 innings, he's averaging 20.09 in second innings of Test matches.

    Forty England bowlers have taken 30 or more wickets in second innings in the last sixty years, and he's averaging the best of all of them.

    Jack LeachImage source, BCCI
  19. Ind 35-1published at 11 overs

    Target 420

    Good start from Dom Bess. He was far too short this morning and got some tap so it will do this confidence the world of good to bowl two good overs tonight.

  20. Ind 35-1published at 10.3 overs

    Target 420

    There's a bit of extra pop there for Dom Bess anyway as Cheteshwar Pujara turns one either side of Ollie Pope at short leg.

    Encouraging signs.