Summary

  • Duckett hits sublime unbeaten 133 as England close on 207-2, trailing by 238

  • Pope trapped lbw on review by Siraj for 39

  • Ashwin dismisses Crawley to reach 500 Test wickets

  • India 445: Rohit 131, Jadeja 112, Sarfaraz 62; Wood 4-114

  • Third Test, day two, Rajkot - series level at 1-1

  1. Ben Duckett's unbeaten ton leads tourists' fightbackpublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    Ben Duckett celebrates his century for England against IndiaImage source, Getty Images

    This Test is so nicely poised - what can Ben Duckett and the England batters do tomorrow? You're not going to want to miss out on following it with us.

    But let's get ahead of ourselves.

    Take a read of Stephan Shemilt's match report from an enthralling day's play in Rajkot.

    There will also be a Test Match Special podcast available later here.

    Scroll down to read all of the reaction from our experts. We'll be back on Saturday at 03:45 GMT for day three.

    Have a good day.

  2. Duckett 'amazing to watch' - Woodpublished at 11:58 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    England bowler Mark Wood, speaking to TNT Sports, after his four wickets: "The two at the top were really important to start the innings off. I was really happy with the Rohit one. He tried to hit it back to Ranchi."

    On Ben Stokes' dropped catch off his bowling: "He said sorry. I normally can't say anything because I'm the worst fielder in the team but now I have got that run-out..."

    On Ben Duckett's century: "Amazing. As a bowler class to watch after all of that toil. Sometimes it looked like India weren't sure with their fields. In the nets we are trying to get him to leave one ball."

  3. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Interesting, well to me at least, 326 runs scored on each day!

    Steve, Littlehampton

  4. Postpublished at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    Well then, that was quite something.

    For the second day in a row England enjoyed early success, dismissing the overnight pairing of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the first five overs of the morning session.

    But debutant Dhruv Jurel and Ravichandran Ashwin added 77 for the eighth wicket, while number 10 Jasprit Bumrah added 26 from 28 as India finished on 445 just short of the tea break.

    England's openers confidently worked through a tricky six overs before the interval before Ben Duckett unleashed after tea, racing to England's fastest century against India.

    Zak Crawley fell to Ashwin, and Ollie Pope arrived to add 93 with Duckett, before being dismissed lbw on review by Mohammed Siraj. But Duckett remains not out on 133, with day three now an enticing prospect.

  5. Postpublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain

    One of the incredible days of Test cricket. Ben Duckett's was a special innings and up with Ollie Pope's in the first Test.

    If England bat the full day tomorrow they have a great chance.

    India will also know if they get three wickets in the first hour things change very, very quickly. It’s worth getting up at 4am to watch this England side

  6. 'The game is neck and neck'published at 11:41 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    India spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin after taking his 500th Test wicket: "It has been quite a long journey. I would like to dedicate my 500th wicket to my father. He has been there through thick and thin of everything in my life. He has had heart attacks every time I have played. I am sure he will be very happy today. We have got a game in the balance now.

    "The surfaces we have played on have enabled the batters to have a reasonable amount of time. The pitch will be tough to bat on day five. England have found themselves in such situations in the series and we found way to come back into match.

    "The game is going neck and neck. They are putting you under pressure but it is important not to react to that pressure."

  7. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Do England purposely score fast so batting last might be on a fourth day wicket rather than the 5th day in India?

    Nick, Ipswich

  8. Postpublished at 11:37 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    Jonathan Agnew
    BBC cricket correspondent

    It has been a remarkable innings from Ben Duckett. 21 fours and two sixes. He has wrestled every bit of initiative India had.

    What a day but England still have more batting to do.

  9. Close of play - Eng 207-2published at 35 overs

    Duckett 133, Root 9

    Joe Root ends the day fittingly with a boundary, slipping the ball through the covers.

    A remarkable evening session from England - 176 runs from 29 overs.

  10. Not outpublished at 11:35 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    Well, there's no bat involved, so it can't be caught out.

    And ball tracking shows the ball pitched outside leg. Duckett survives!

  11. Umpire reviewpublished at 34.4 overs

    Drama in the last over of the day!

    Ashwin thinks he has Ben Duckett lbw. Rohit Sharma reviews from where he's sprawled on the ground - having hit the deck trying to take a catch. If it hit the bat it's obviously not out leg before...

  12. Eng 200-2published at 34 overs

    After five dot balls, Ben Duckett flicks away a Mohammed Siraj delivery to backward square to bring up England's two hundred.

    We'll have one more over today, as Ravichandran Ashwin is returning to bowl it.

  13. Eng 199-2published at 33 overs

    Jasprit Bumrah returns, with Rohit perhaps thinking he can winkle out Joe Root quickly.

    There's a bit of a scare after he grasps his hamstring following his first delivery, but he appears to be fine after a quick visit from the physio.

    England run two after Root turns a ball down to fine leg.

  14. Eng 196-2published at 32 overs

    What, no boundary, England?

    Bit of a quieter over, just three singles off the bowling of Siraj.

    India try to get the ball changed at the end of the over, but it passes through the assessment rings well enough.

  15. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 11:13 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Great time for Root to come in and get a score. Duckett taking India to pieces will allow Root to bat how Root bats and not feel like he’s under pressure to score quickly.

    Sam, Rotherham

  16. 6 runs

    Eng 193-2published at 31 overs

    Root gets off the mark, dropping deep in his crease to push the ball to point. England pick up a second run because Jadeja's overstepped for the second time in the over.

    Duckett comes on strike and crashes the penultimate ball of the over for six with a reverse sweep. Majestic.

  17. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 30 overs

    Pope lbw Siraj 39 (Eng 181-2)

    Well, I'm surprised!

    That looked high, at best umpire's call, but ball tracking has it striking the top of leg stump.

    Ollie Pope throws his head skyward in frustration, England's second wicket partnership comes to a close for 93.

    In comes Joe Root - in need of a score.

  18. Umpire reviewpublished at 30 overs

    Another India appeal - Siraj lands one on Ollie Pope's pads. Umpire says no, Rohit deliberates then sends it upstairs.

  19. Eng 181-1published at 29.5 overs

    Pope is fine to continue, and Siraj inevitably returns with another bouncer. The England number three gets some bat on it but doesn't strike the ball cleanly - it falls short of Rohit at square leg.

    Not that it matters as Siraj overstepped anyway.

  20. How's stat?!published at 11:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 February

    An anonymous WhatsApper (names on messages please) has pointed out Australia's David Warner reached a century after 19.4 overs in a Test against India at Perth in 2012.

    He certainly did - at 69 balls it is the fastest century by a Test opener and he beat the previous mark of Chris Gayle in that Perth 2009 Test mentioned below.

    Can't say for certain if this was the earliest in a Test innings that someone reached their century though, with ball-by-ball data not easily available for many matches.

    Told you it was a tricky stat to check!