Summary

  • England close on 67-1, needing 332 more runs to beat India

  • Bharat takes fine diving catch to dismiss Duckett off Ashwin

  • Hosts lose 4-28 after tea to be bowled out for 255

  • India 255: Gill 104; Hartley 4-77, Ahmed 3-88

  • Second Test, day three, Visakhapatnam

  1. Postpublished at 11:48 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    More from James Anderson on TNT Sports, on the key to his longevity: "I'm not sure there's a key to it. I'm lucky that my body can cope with the stresses of Test cricket. I've not had any operations in my career which is huge and I look after myself pretty well. All of those things together have allowed me to play for this long and I still love playing the game so I think that hunger helps. That comes from various places. I've always loved playing cricket from a young age and I am loving playing in this dressing room at the moment. That keeps me going a little bit more. I love this group of blokes, the captain and coach have got a great thing going at the moment and it's fun to be a part of. For me it is just something I want to try and do for as long as possible."

    On whether the break after this Test mean more hunger to chase tomorrow: "It's nice that we've got a little bit of a break because out here with conditions, heat and the work for the bowlers it does take its toll so to have a little break and a rest is good and rest the mind. Either way we'd be coming out here tomorrow and swinging and trying to get the runs as quickly as possible. We've seen Rehan Ahmed tonight - on the tannoy it said 'nightwatchman' and we were like 'no he's not'. We saw that in the last over. He's walking off after bowling 20 overs and saying 'I want to put my pads on skipper' and that's just amazing confidence."

  2. Postpublished at 11:46 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Sir Alastair Cook
    Former England captain on TNT Sports

    England will have to be wary of the back-of-a-length ball because it might keep low. You have to be less greedy and not think boundary and just play with a straight bat and think one or two down the ground. They'll need a little bit of luck that they aren't on the stumps.

  3. 'We're in a great position'published at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    England's James Anderson talking to TNT Sports, about them not being out of the game: "Yeah, absolutely. We feel well in the game. We got sat down by the coach last night and he said if India get 600 ahead we're going to try and chase it down, that is exactly what we're going to do. I thought we stuck to our task really well today. They put on a partnership at one point but I thought the way the spinners kept going and kept toiling was brilliant. We're in a great position and we're going to give it a good crack tomorrow."

    On being a senior player and delivering this morning: "For me, you know out here that as a seamer you've got a limited chance to bowl, it is going to be a lot of load for the spinners, so I just focus on being in the right spot every ball and trying to bowl my best ball every ball. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't. Fortunately today I managed to get a couple early on, set us off well and that allowed the spinners to do their thing from the other end."

  4. 'Crawley will play important role'published at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Sir Alastair Cook
    Former England captain on TNT Sports

    Zak Crawley is going to play such an important part tomorrow. His ability to score at the rate he does and how hard he can be to bowl at, as such a boundary hitter, he'll play an important part in the morning.

  5. Postpublished at 11:36 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Despite a lead of almost 400, India were so defensive towards the end of their innings while England kept attacking.

    Ben Stokes set funky fields, there were men around the bat, plenty of noise and confidence.

    The shift in mindset of the team under Stokes and McCullum is exemplified in the fact that most England fans weren't too disheartened by a target of 399 by the end of it!

    Rehan Ahmed taking 10 from the last over of the day pretty much sums it up.

  6. Postpublished at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on TNT Sports

    India's bowling has experience but Ravichandran Ashwin, with nearly 500 wickets, would have men around the bat and there would be noise, but the way that England play is putting pressure back on the opposition.

  7. 'Bazball effect on India is mind-boggling'published at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Sir Alastair Cook
    Former England captain on TNT Sports

    Shubman Gill saying 70-30 is the effect of Bazball. We saw it in that last session, I cannot remember an Indian side, in the last four or five overs, not having any fielders round the batters for their spinners on the third evening.

    Not to have a short leg or silly point, It is almost mind-boggling the effect this has had on the opposition.

    No side has ever got near this sort of total on the subcontinent. We're only talking about it as a possibility because of what Ben Stokes has drilled into the side.

  8. 'It is 70-30 in our favour at the moment'published at 11:26 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    India's Shubman Gill: "I am definitely very pleased but I think I left a bit out there to be honest. We were in a good position and I think we could have scored a few more runs, but overall I think it was a good effort."

    On the reviews at the start of his innings: "The first one that I nicked, I definitely didn't feel but Shreyas Iyer, at the other end, told me to take the review just in case it was umpire's call and once I saw the the deflection on the big screen I was pleased."

    On what was going through his mind before his dismissal: "Nothing really. I saw the point fielder go there and I thought on that wicket the reverse sweep was a percentage shot, but maybe not in that situation where there was five or six overs to go until tea. Maybe I should have played through that and got the runs after tea."

    On the pitch: "I think it is a pretty decent wicket to bat on. Run scoring is not easy, you can't hit on the rise, you have to apply yourself because the odd one is turning and keeping low. Hopefully if we get the right amount of balls in the right area tomorrow we'll get the job done."

    On the state of the game: "We are pretty much in the game, I think it is about 70-30 at the moment. I think the morning session will be important because we have seen moisture for the quicker bowlers and spinners so if you get the right amount of balls in the right area it should be good."

  9. Postpublished at 11:22 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Right, where to begin?

    Every day of this series, so much seems to happen it's hard to remember what happened at 4am.

    We'll hear from India centurion Shubman Gill shortly, who helped the hosts finish their second innings with a decent (!) lead and set England 399 to win.

    From England's point of view, Tom Hartley took four wickets to continue his impressive start to Test cricket, and three for Rehan Ahmed.

    England will believe, but their task is very difficult with a further 332 runs required on a day four pitch and Jasprit Bumrah's reverse-swing still to come.

  10. Postpublished at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler

    England are changing the way a ‘nightwatchman’ will bat forever.

  11. Postpublished at 11:19 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent

    Extraordinary shots from the nightwatchman in the last over of the day!

  12. Close of play - Eng 67-1published at 14 overs

    Target 399

    Slogged over mid-wicket for four, and edged past slip for another! Rehan Ahmed ends the day with some entertainment.

    That ends yet another gripping day.

  13. Eng 58-1published at 13.1 overs

    Ah! He takes a single and now Zak Crawley has five to face. I don't think that's what's expected of a traditional nightwatchman, but I also don't think this team is a fan of tradition.

  14. Eng 57-1published at 13 overs

    Target 399

    One over to go, then.

    I'm so intrigued as to what Rehan Ahmed will do. He's got Axar Patel to contend with.

  15. Eng 57-1published at 12.1 overs

    Glorious. Zak Crawley drives elegantly down the ground for four, much to Ashwin's disapproval.

  16. Eng 53-1published at 12 overs

    Target 399

    No signs of aggression from Rehan Ahmed yet. He defends solidly.

    There are two overs left in the day...

  17. get involved

    Get Involved - great sledgespublished at 11:10 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Via WhatsApp on 03301231826

    As soon as they drop one behind the stumps, turn to the wickie and say “best get off to Tesco mate, you need a new set of slippers”

    Tom in Essex

  18. Postpublished at 11:08 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler

    That is a great catch from Bharat. Ashwin is now only three wickets away from 500. He could be dangerous in the fourth innings here.

  19. Eng 50-1published at 11 overs

    Target 399

    Rehan Ahmed is in at three! We have a new nighthawk!