Bashir has come from nowhere to be England Test star – it is one of the great stories

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When the itinerary for this series was announced Shoaib Bashir was preparing to play against Devon in Newton Abbot and hoping to piece together a county career with Somerset.
Now he can boast a spin bowling spell in India that had Graeme Swann and Anil Kumble purring on commentary and announced his name as an England player.
They say Test cricket is an impossible stage for a young spinner to learn their craft and Swann was 28 when he made his debut armed with years in the county game, but in only his second Test, and eighth first-class match, Bashir took it all in his giant stride bowling 31 overs in a row only broken by lunch and tea for 4-84 as England took a tight hold on the fourth Test in Ranchi.
They hold an overnight lead of 134 with India 219-7, thankful at the end for a stubborn stand of 42 between tailenders Kuldeep Yadav and keeper Dhruv Jurel.
After Joe Root’s no frills hundred, England required a similarly smart bowling performance to back it up and Bashir and Tom Hartley kept it tight, letting the cracked pitch do the rest as if they were old pros who had seen it all before.
Shoaib Bashir got a guard of honour from his teammates when walking off the field 🥰#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/uwuAqJAxjZ
Hartley sent down 18 overs in one spell for two for 47, rarely bowling a bad ball and unlucky a couple of shooters did not produce wickets off the cracks, but it was Bashir who was more consistent and built a spell beyond his years.
He had to have treatment for cramp at one stage, his 20 year-old body unused to the physical strain of bowling for so long and he is lucky it is 10C cooler in Ranchi than Rajkot, but did not let his standards drop in his marathon stint, a reflection of the how young players feel 10 feet tall in the Bazball environment.
The last time Bashir took four wickets was against Northants seconds but here he knocked over four of India’s top five including the big scalp of Yashasvi Jaiswal, India’s Steve Smith, a batsman greedy for runs and to grind it out against England.
HUGE WICKET! 💥Bashir has got the big one… Jaiswal is OUT! 🏏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/NCcNmKvfnl
Bashir came on for the last over before lunch and bowled until the close, apart from one over rest to change ends. When he walked off his back must have been sore from all the slaps from his team-mates. He had justified England’s gut feel to pick a youngster not long out of the West Country Premier Division playing for Taunton Deane.
In tandem with Hartley, two young English spinners held the whip hand and it was easy to forget the team’s No 1 slow bowler, Jack Leach, went home after one Test injured. Stokes handled them adeptly, setting smart fields and bringing Bashir on early in the ninth over. 
He showed faith with men around the bat and at one stage Bashir bowled with no fielder between slip and extra cover coming from over the wicket to the right hander meaning he could not drop short. He did not and once the pitch played up, the scoring rate dropped and the spinners held sway.
Bashir was picked because England wanted a tall off spinner who can vary his pace from a high release point, give it a rip and make the most of Indian turning pitches. It seemed India had seen through their thinking by ordering up two flatties in Vizag and Rajkot that neutered their threat but this pitch was just what Rob Key and Brendon McCullum had in mind. 
India, complacent after the Rajkot humping, thought they had England beaten and reverted to a dirt track but all it did was make the toss a game changer, and it was Stokes’s turn to be lucky.
It has helped Bashir and Hartley bowl with the conditions on their side and with so much variable bounce India are not realistically going to chase more than 250, barring a once-in-a-career performance, which puts into context the importance of Joe Root’s century.
Root’s unbeaten 122 and Ollie Robinson’s first Test fifty lifted England to over 350. From 112 for five, Root rescued the prospect of a 2-2 scoreline and a Dharamsala decider. England added 51 to their overnight score, the pitch far more benign than it had been on the first morning and the zip gone out of India. When England lost their last three wickets for six it felt a little bit of a waste but 353 was a game-shaping total.
Anderson took Test wicket number 697 when Rohit Sharma nicked off, but Robinson was wicketless despite frequently beating the edge. He is a bowler who needs overs to oil the wheels and in his first match for eight months he bowled the “nude nuts” pace of 73mph, Matthew Hayden’s Ashes put down.
JIMMY ANDERSON 💥Wicket number 697… 👀#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/CWVBgQ2gJI
Robinson’s skills of hitting the seam are not diminished and if he had a bit more nip he would have twice dismissed Jaiwsal off the edge. In his first over facing Robinson, Jaiswal edged in front of second slip. Next ball he nearly played on. The big chance came on 40 when Jaiswal feathered an edge to Foakes but the third umpire ruled it had bounced first.
Last week England chuntered about the umpire’s call, Stokes even suggesting it should be dropped, but they benefited from three. The first ended an 82-run stand between Jaiswal and Shubman Gill. Bashir beat Gill’s forward defensive and hit him on the front pad.
BASHIR STRIKES 💥#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/dBMBMqNRyN
SHOAIB BASHIR GETS HIS SECOND 🤩#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/yxMnStDbWv
Bashir fired one into Rajat Patidar who was out on umpire’s call, the ball clipping leg stump, and England were really on top when Ravi Jadeja followed hitting Hartley for two sixes by popping a catch to short leg, done by the bounce.
The big one was Jaiswal. He had decided to cut loose recognising India were going nowhere and hit Bashir for three fours in six balls. He responded by skidding one on a little quicker, Jaiswal went back and the ball kept low, deflecting off the bottom of the bat onto the stumps. 
It was a day when England needed to be patient but on this pitch the game will accelerate rapidly over the next two days. Bashir has more work to do.
Resistance at the end from Jurel and Kuldeep, but a good day for England. Added 51 to their overnight score, then reduced India to 219-7. England lead by 134 going into day 3. Shoaib Bashir superb in his second Test.
Epic shift from Shoaib Bashir, bowling from before lunch until minutes from stumps. Spell was 31-4-18-4. At the other end, Tom Hartley wheeled away for 18-4-47-2.
“It looks like the wicket will keep deteriorating – if we can get three early wickets tomorrow hopefully that puts us in a really strong position.”Joe Root speaks after England dominated day two against India 🏏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/54oNnj9sBC
“Fantastic day’s play. England have been very, very professional and smart. The captain has set clever fields and that has been backed up by the spinners.
“This really has been another incredible series that the England team are involved in once again. They certainly are the team to watch in Test cricket.”
2021: Released by Surrey at 172022: Played club cricket for Guildford2023: Professional debut with Somerset2024: Takes a 4-fer for England in IndiaShoaib Bashir, what a story 👏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/pZN4ioXoIt
Root lasted one over and Hartley is back on for the final over. Jurel attempts a sweep and misses. There is an appeal for LBW, but not a particularly convincing one.
It is a maiden over to finish and India close on 219/7, 134 runs behind. Good day for England.
Bashir has just a one-over break as he is now on from the opposite end. This has been an important partnership for India, as England would have fancied bowling India out tonight when the seventh wicket fell.
Bashir’s day is finished with figures of 4-84 from 32 overs. Bravo!
An incredible day for Shoaib Bashir 🔥 Thank you, @CountyChamp admin 😂🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/wtDZHGpuza
Bashir’s mammoth spell comes to an end as Root is coming on for him. Bashir has bowled brilliantly today and can be very proud of his efforts.
Root gets one to rip but it was well outside off stump and Kuldeep gets nowhere near it.
The partnership is now up to 40 between this pair. Maiden over from Anderson. India trail by 136 runs.
Bashir strays down the leg-side and with the ball not getting up, it goes away for two byes. 4 overs remaining in the day.
There is the answer to the question about the seamers; they can bowl. Anderson is brought into the attack, replacing Hartley. A maiden to start with for Anderson.
Bashir is going to continue into his 30th over. He is desperately seeking his fifth wicket here.
With the floodlights on it is uncertain whether England would even be allowed by the umpires to bring any seamers on. Six overs left in the day.
Hartley bowls a horrible long-hop, which Jurel smashes through wide mid-on for four. Hartley and Bashir have bowled very well, but it might be worth a change late in the day with just a few overs to go, as things from an England point of view have gone a little static.
England spread the field once again towards the end of over to allow Kuldeep a single to make sure that he is on strike for the next over. But on this occasion it is thwarted as Jurel gets a single then off the last ball of the over.
The floodlights have been on for a long while in Ranchi. Back-to-back maidens for England and nine overs remain today.
Maiden over from Bashir. 
Kuldeep plays a checked drive through wide mid-off for a couple. Up next the ball does not bounce at all but just evades the stumps and runs away for four byes. India’s 200 comes up.
Hartley then goes too full and on the full toss Kuldeep drives through cover for two. Anderson makes the stop on the boundary rope and it is poor running as they only get a couple.
Bashir has bowled a lot of overs on the trot but Stokes is keeping him on. He is not going for runs and is just one wicket away from a five-for. Three runs from the over. India trail by 158 runs.
Just the one single off Hartley’s latest over.
You can see Bashir is bowling with confidence, putting flight on the ball to try and lure the batsmen into a false shot. Off the final ball Jurel comes down the ground and deposits Bashir over long-off for six.
2 young England spinners confusing Indian players in which way to play in their own backyard is a joy to watch .. I don’t think Bashir has bowled 1 bad ball .. #INDvENG
As well as losing wickets at regular intervals, India are struggling to keep the runs ticking over. Two runs from Hartley’s 14th over.
India have completely brought England into the game preparing a pitch like this … much appreciated … #INDvENG
Bashir into his 25th straight over and just the one run comes from it. India still trail by 171 runs.
Kuldeep is the new man in. Second ball he pulls out a reverse sweep and gets it away for four.
Ashwin LBW Hartley 1 There is not bat so it is all on hawk-eye. Impact in line, wickets clipping and England have the seventh Indian wicket. FOW 177/7
England are in 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 against India 👊Wicket number seven 🔥#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/lQspKGOsVJ
Hartley strikes Ashwin on the pads and the finger goes up. Ashwin reviews…
Bashir is continuing, into his 24th over which he has bowled without coming off. The run of dot balls is ended by sloppiness in the field. Anderson should prevent two but a mis-field allows India through. His throw hits the stumps and deflects away which allows them through for a third run.
Bashir then suffers from some cramp so play is momentarily halted. He is fine to continue.
Ashwin gets off the mark with a single.
Three straight maidens now for England and the pressure continues to mount on India.
Back-to-back maidens for England. This is the chance for England. A good half an hour here and they can complete control over this Test match.
Ashwin is in at number eight. Wicket maiden from Hartley.
Sarfaraz c Root b Hartley 14 Brilliant bowling from Hartley. Your typical left-arm off spinner’s wicket to a right-hander. He lures Sarfaraz into a drive and finds the edge. Root takes a good catch at slip and England have their sixth wicket. FOW 171/6
What a catch from Joe Root! 😮‍💨#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/tBZLhf0lXT
Jurel shows some attacking intent and launches Bashir over wide long-on for four. It bounced just before the boundary.
One run from the over.
It was not going over but it just misses the leg stump. England lose their review so they have just one remaining.
England are loud in their appeals for LBW as Sarfaraz pushes forward. It looked high and Kumar Dharmasena says not out. England deliberate and decide to review.
Bashir is looking for his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket and he would absolutely deserve it. Only one run comes from his 21st over.
Jurel is off the mark with a flick off Hartley for two into the leg-side. There is an appeal for LBW off the last ball but England did not seem overly convinced and do not review.
Jurel has joined Sarfaraz at the crease. Bashir’s figures are 4-55 from 20 overs. Outstanding. This is the moment England need to capitalise and gain a decent first-innings lead.
Jaiswal b Bashir 73 Bashir is now into his 20th consecutive over. He bowls an absolute beauty that bounces and takes the edge. It went quickly between Foakes and Root and runs away for four. That was nearly the wicket we were talking about.
But he has a wicket now and it is absolutely massive as Jaiswal plays onto his own stumps, which gives Bashir his fourth wicket. Perhaps the pressure that was building on Sarfaraz has had an impact on Jaiswal FOW 161/5
Jaiswal had been playing a few more shots, recently, possibly because he sensed a ball would have his name on it on this pitch. Going back to Bashir was always likely to be unwise, though, as it leaves him vulnerable to the ball that stays low. He’s varied his pace so beautifully here. 
HUGE WICKET! 💥Bashir has got the big one… Jaiswal is OUT! 🏏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/NCcNmKvfnl
The pressure is building on Sarfaraz here, who has just five off over 30 balls. England will feel that a wicket could be had here with the pressure they have built.
Bashir drops a little short and Jaiswal cuts away behind square for four to bring the India 150.
Jaiswal is extremely lucky there. Hartley’s first ball of his latest over keeps very low, but just misses the off stump. India get two byes. Think of Stokes’ dismissal yesterday to Jadeja from the very same end.
Jaiswal cuts hard and it comes off the outside edge, flying away for four down to third man. A little fortunate for Jaiswal there.
Nothing lucky about that though. A few balls later he plays a delightful, lofted shot over wide mid-off for four. That is a man in form.
Hartley is now settling into a rhythm. He concedes just one run from his sixth over.
Two singles from that over in which England thought they had a fifth wicket.
Sarfaraz’s bat did bounce up but he just gets some of it grounded before the bails are taken off. England looked confident, Sarfaraz thought he was gone but it is not out.
England think they have Sarfaraz run out this time. England look very confident. Sarfaraz started running as he pushed into the leg side but was sent back by Jaiswal as Stokes’ throw came in.
Hartley, like he was at the end of the afternoon session, is bowling from the other end. Foakes throws down the stumps in an attempt to run out Sarfaraz as India go for a quick single but Sarfaraz is comfortably home. Two singles from the over.
Bashir, who bowled at the end of the morning session and throughout the afternoon session, starts the evening session.
Just the one run from the over, which takes Jaiswal to 600 runs in the series. Yes, 600! He is 300 clear of anyone else in the series. Sensational. That was a probing over from Bashir, who continues his good rhythm from the afternoon session.
The players are back out and we are ready for the final session of day two.
Three wickets from the greenhorn spinner Shoaib Bashir gave England the upper hand in Ranchi – but they could not prise out the prolific Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India took tea on 131 for four, still 222 behind, after Bashir picked up the wickets of Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar and Ravindra Jadeja through control, accuracy and help from a cracked pitch. Gill and Patidar were both lbw from over the wicket to balls that turned sharply, while Jadeja limply fended to bat-pad.
Jaiswal reached tea on 54, his fourth fifty-plus score of the series, but on 40 England were convinced they had dismissed him. Ollie Robinson, who had earlier made a maiden Test half-century, drew an edge, which Ben Foakes dived forward to take in front of him. After the umpires sent it upstairs, replays prompted England’s fielders to celebrate wildly, but Joel Wilson’s verdict came back not out.
Nevertheless, England will be sniffing a first innings lead. They just have to get Jaiswal first.
Control, bounce, turn and threat against right and left-handers alike: terrific spell from Shoaib Bashir, taking 3-32 from 15 overs in an unbroken spell. Another surprise selection – attributes over averages – that has been vindicated.
It is remarkable how this match is now in the hands of the rookies of each side: Jaiswal and Sarfaraz v Bashir and Hartley.
This will be the final over before tea. Hartley bowls a maiden and that will be the tea break. The game is finely poised going into the final session on day two.
Sarfaraz is the new man in and he gets off the mark straight away with a single off his first ball. Bashir now has three wickets and has bowled brilliantly today.
Jadeja c Pope b Bashir 12 Jadeja’s stay at the crease is short. Two sixes and he is gone. Bashir gets a lot of bounce, Jadeja prods forward and gets an inside edge, which loops up into the gleeful hands of Pope. FOW 130/4
BASHIR GETS A THIRD! 💥The 20-year-old is leading the charge for England 👊#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/jJrnSK1G6e
Off just his sixth ball Jadeja launches Hartley over long-on for six. Next ball Jadeja goes again, sweeping over deep mid-wicket for six more.
There was no contact with the bat but it is missing the stumps by a mile. Bad decision from the umpire to give it runs off the bat, awful decision from England to review.
Jadeja does well to keep out a Hartley delivery that kept low and was on the stumps. England appeal for LBW as the ball runs away fine for four. It is given as runs off the bat but England do not agree and review for LBW…
Jadeja is the new man at the crease at number five. Wicket maiden from Bashir.
England didn’t ask Patidar to resume his innings after seeing that LBW review upheld. They seem to be in favour of umpire’s call now.
Patidar LBW Bashir 17 Bashir gets it turning into Patidar, who is on the back foot and strikes him on the pad. Impact in line and it is umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. Hawk-eye suggest it was only just hitting leg stump, which is a surprise as it looked like it was going to smash into leg stump, but England do no care as it stays with the on-field decision of out. FOW 112/3
SHOAIB BASHIR GETS HIS SECOND 🤩#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/yxMnStDbWv
Bashir is into his 14th over and he looks like he has got Patidar out LBW. It is given out on the field but Patidar reviews…
Patidar cuts behind square off Hartley and it runs away for four. Most of Patidar’s runs so far have gone to third man.
Bashir comes so close to dismissing Jaiswal. The ball goes straight on and keeps low but just misses the off stump. One run from another tidy Bashir over.
Tom Hartley is coming on for his first bowl of the game, replacing his county teammate Anderson.
Jaiswal pushes a single to take him to fifty. Yet more runs for him in this series, but England will feel he should not have been there to reach fifty. That debate will go on and on.
Bashir is in good rhythm here and Stokes is keeping him on. Jaiswal is just one run short of a half century. Bashir has 1-29 from his 12 overs.
Patidar gets one away down to third man for four, his second in that area. It came off that outside half of the bat and that will annoy Anderson. That boundary brings up 100 for India.
Bashir continues, into his 11th over. Only one run comes from the over.
Anderson is back into the attack, replacing Robinson. Anderson strays too straight and Patidar flicks off his pads for four to deep square leg. Hartley was unable to prevent the boundary.
Only one run from Bashir’s tenth over.
Ravi Ashwin has all conceivable variations that have made him a unique finger spinner. But his offbreak doesn’t quite have the bite and fizz that it used to have – and Shoaib Bashir is matching him already when it comes to a standard offbreak. To out-bowl Ashwin on this pitch would be some feat … but beating your counterpart is how victories are achieved.
Patidar gets off the mark with an edge down to third man for four.
Patidar is the new man at the crease and second ball an inside edge loops into the air but falls safely.
Gill LBW Bashir 38 Stokes’ faith in Bashir is rewarded in his ninth over. The impact was umpires call and it was smashing into leg stump. Time for drinks. FOW 86/2
A huge wicket on the stroke of drinks for Shoaib Bashir, who has wheeled away with reasonable control and accuracy, justifying Stokes’s decision – almost certainly a hunch – to bowl him eight overs before the other spinners have bowled one. Stayed a bit low, and definitely turned.
BASHIR STRIKES 💥#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/dBMBMqNRyN
It looks like it has hit Gill in line but is it spinning too far?
Has Bashir got Gill? He strikes him on the pads and the finger goes up. Gill reviews…
We are seeing more replays and angles of the not out incident, and a fresh angle that the third umpire did not seem to have at the time looks like it went straight into Foakes’ gloves. It is an incident which is certainly going to create debate and it feels like England may have been hard done by. It does look like the ball went straight in. Can England use that as fuel for the rest of the day and game?
Robinson bowls another no-ball but it is just the one run from his latest over.
Stokes is showing faith in Bashir, with a long bowl either side of lunch. This is his eighth over and just one from it.
India’s seamers returned figures of 5-161, compared to 5-178 for their spinners – and that’s with Jadeja cleaning up the tail. So you can see why England have trusted in pace so far. Had the Jaiswal catch to Ben Foakes been upheld, they’d be very content with their position. But the recent flurry of boundaries leaves England craving some control. 
In frustration at the decision in his last over, Robinson hurls the ball back towards the stump after Jaiswal blocks the ball back to him. He then goes past the edge and he is fired up for this now.
But he drops too short and wide to Gill, who cuts him away for four. Robinson’s last ball is in fact a no-ball, so he has to bowl it again and he is cut away again by Gill for four more.
Gill clips Bashir into the leg-side for a couple. With only three fielders on the off side Bashir is punished for dropping too short as Gill cuts away for three.
England think they have Jaiswal caught behind but the third umpire Joel Wilson decides the ball just hit the ground before it went into Foakes’ gloves. England are not happy with that decision. When they saw the replays they were celebrating but when the not out decision was shown England were stunned. How big a moment could that prove to be?
Jaiswal comes down the wicket to Bashir and deposits him over long-on for six. Next ball England go up for an appeal for LBW but it is turned down. England opt against a review. Looking at the replays there was an inside edge so a good decision not to review.
England do not look any closer to working out how to dismiss Jaiswal. He’s not been dismissed by a spinner since Hyderabad.
Gill flicks Anderson off his pads behind square on the leg-side. Hartley tries to prevent it on the boundary but he is contact with the boundary when he flicked it back so it is given as four. That brings the fifty up for India.
There are still some dark clouds hanging around in Ranchi. A chance of some rain perhaps? You would doubt it but you never know.
Anderson’s last ball is driven exquisitely through mid-on by Gill for four to bring up the 50 partnership.
 A tight over from Bashir at Gill yields just the one run for India.
Since his debut, Anderson has not missed a tour of India, this being his sixth tour.
He is bowling a probing line to Gill. Two runs come from his latest over.
Three singles come from Bashir’s latest over.
Jaiswal guides a single to a deep backward point.
Anderson has started well in this afternoon session. One from the over
It is currently 23 degrees in Ranchi so not too hot for England out in the field and some helpful overhead conditions.
Jaiswal comes down the ground at Bashir and gets it past Robinson, although the connection was not entirely clean. Stokes gets across from mid-on just before the boundary rope to hold it to two. A few balls later Bashir gets one to turn past Jaiswal. That is better from Bashir.
Three runs from the over.
Anderson will open from the other end, the opposite end to the one he bowled from in the morning session. There is some cloud cover in Ranchi so can Anderson get some movement with overcast conditions?
A couple of short balls from Anderson and Gill has not looked comfortable with either. A maiden from Anderson.
Bashir will open the bowling in the afternoon session and Gill is on strike.
The first runs of the afternoon come through a glorious drive through cover for four from Gill. Superb shot to get India going in this session. The last ball he pushes down the ground for a single.
The players are back out in the middle and the afternoon session is about to get under way.
Test wicket no 697 for James Anderson capped a decent morning for England as they extended their first innings to 353 all out and made one early inroad into the Indian batting line up.
The dismissal of Rohit Sharma, pushing forward edging a ball that nipped away, was a trademark removal of an opening batsman by Anderson that England have become accustomed to for more than 20 years.
However Yashasvi Jaiswal is looking dangerous again, striking Ollie Robinson for two fours in the over before lunch to underline his fine form and he could play the decisive hand for India today.
England extended their overnight total by 51, Joe Root finishing 122 not out and Robinson’s maiden Test fifty was crucial. With two no 11s in Bashir and Anderson, Robinson played a vital role in lifting England to a decent score, putting on 102 with Root and batting for a further 50 minutes this morning before the last three wickets fell for six runs.. 
It was a sedate opening session of day two, although a fascinating arm wrestle between two evenly matched teams, in comparison to the chaos and carnage of day one. The life has gone out off the pitch compared to yesterday and this could be the best day to bat making it hard to judge England’s total.
Ben Stokes bowled in the warm up and looks likely to come on at some point, possibly to reverse the old ball. The key for England will be Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir. Both are tall spinners with high release points picked for exactly this kind of surface. Can they deliver on that call?
Lunch., day 2, Ranchi @TeleCricket pic.twitter.com/Rrr4xQNQAm
“It is a finely balanced game at the momentum. We thought the pitch would do a lot more than it has. It will be a battle of attrition. A pitch doesn’t start that dodgy and not deteriorate – it is just a matter of when it does happen.”
Robinson is going to continue and this could be the last over of the first session.
That is one of the best shots of the morning from Jaiswal as he drives Robinson through mid-on for four. One of the hardest shots in the book and he made it look very easy. Robinson strays onto the pads again and Jaiswal flicks him away through square leg for four more. Jaiswal is quite good!
It is the final over and lunch is called. India 34/1, 319 runs behind England.
Anderson is coming out of the attack after a four-over burst and Bashir is being brought into the attack. Hopefully his bowling will be a lot better than his batting effort earlier!
One single from Bashir’s first over of the match.
Robinson nearly finds the edge of Jaiswal’s bat as he gets the India opener feeling for the ball just outside off stump as the ball came across him.
Later in the over Gill pushes gently down the ground and Anderson cannot stop it initially at mid-on so India get back for two.
Gill pushes it to wide mid-on for a single from Anderson’s first ball of his latest over.
Anderson also has a leg slip to Jaiswal and a flick down to fine-leg is not far away from the hands of Duckett at leg slip.
Gill gets off the mark with a single down to fine-leg past a couple of fielders in close.
Bowling to Jaiswal, Robinson has a leg slip in place. One run from the Robinson over and there are just over 15 minutes left of the morning session.
Jaiswal plays a delightful drive through mid-off for four off Anderson’s first ball of his third over. Anderson drifts onto Jaiswal’s pads and the India opener flicks it away for four down to fine-leg. Jaiswal has already scored a mountain of runs in this series so far and England will be hoping he does not do the same today.
He flicks Anderson backward of square on the leg-side for a couple more. 10 off the over.
Robinson finds the edge of Jaiswal’s bat which goes through the slips and away for four. It landed just short of Crawley at second slip and he could not stop it from going for four either. It was a genuine edge but it did not carry. The England slip cordon will likely edge forward now.
Next ball Jaiswal nearly plays onto his own stumps.
Shubman Gill is the new batsman. Anderson has been on the money so far.
Sharma c Foakes b Anderson 2 Big, big wicket inside the first three overs. Anderson bowls one in a great channel, the good old ‘corridor of uncertainty’, and he finds the edge of Sharma’s bat. Foakes takes the easy catch and England have a crucial early breakthrough. Test wicket 697 for Anderson. FOW 4/1
JIMMY ANDERSON 💥Wicket number 697… 👀#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/CWVBgQ2gJI
Robinson opens up from the other end and he will start his first over of the series against Sharma.
The buzzer goes off on his third ball and it is a no-ball. He is getting good shape on the ball but he is looking a little laboured. Perhaps a bit stiff?
Sharma swipes at one quite far wide off his off stump and it beats him on the inside edge. He goes again off the last ball but it goes just past the outside edge this time.
England have just over 40 minutes before lunch to bowl at India. Anderson will open the bowling and Jaiswal takes strike for the first ball of the innings. Anderson is just four wickets away from 700.
His first ball carries through well to Foakes. Good, tight start from Anderson as he begins with a maiden.
All England’s bowlers are warming up. Including Ben Stokes..
It’s all ended in a bit of a hurry, but England would have taken adding 51 runs this morning, and keeping India in the field for more than an hour. 353 seems a decent score, and they’re certainly in the game
Anderson LBW Jadeja 0 Jadeja goes up for LBW against Anderson and after a long deliberation, Kumar Dharmasena gives it out. England review but it is in vain and England are all out for 353. England have had a really poor last 20 minutes. With Root batting magnificently at one end, all Bashir and Anderson needed to do was support him and they both failed to do so. FOW 353 all out.
England lose their last three wickets for six runs 🏏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/XTD0yhTCw7
Root takes a single off the penultimate delivery, leaving Anderson to face one Kuldeep ball, which he blocks. 
Time for drinks.
Anderson joins Root at the crease. They come back for two leg-byes off the final ball of the over to bring up the 350. There could have been a run-out there as they came back for two.
Bashir c Patidar b Jadeja 0 Bashir has come out to join Root. Will Root’s approach change now with the fall of that wicket? This morning Robinson has been the one taking the aggressive approach but will Root take on that mantle now?
Jadeja’s first ball to Bashir rips past the outside edge and England come through for a bye. Root takes a single, which puts Bashir on strike. The young Somerset spinner plays an abysmal shot and gets caught at point as the ball looped into the air. That is ridiculous batting. Why is he not playing for Root? FOW 349/9
Bashir fancies a bash but it goes horribly wrong 😬#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Cu3ULYkN61
Robinson c Jurel b Jadeja 58 It missed the bat but clipped his glove as it went through so Robinson has to go for a well-made 58. FOW 347/8
Hell of a shift from Robinson. Batted selflessly last night in support of Root, and opened the shoulders this morning. His highest Test score and the best he’s batted for England. This pitch should suit his bowling, too. 
Ollie Robinson is 𝗼𝘂𝘁 for 58.His impressive innings comes to an end 🏏#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/NP11M9EzWO
Robinson is given out caught behind off Jadeja but he has reviewed immediately…
Kuldeep Yadav is into the attack for the first time this morning. Kuldeep finds the edge of Root’s bat and it goes towards Sharma at slip. The bowler thinks he has his man but Sharma does not look convinced. He asks the umpires to have a check. Live it looked like it bounced just before Sharma and the replays show that. Not out.
Maiden over to start with for Kuldeep.
One single from Jadeja’s over off Root’s bat.
Interesting to see how hierarchical the Indian team is. Everything flows from the top, the captain. In this England side, with the game drifting, younger players like Zak Crawley and Rehan Ahmed would have been buzzing and setting the tone.
Root pulls away brilliantly behind square for four to bring in the 100 partnership in the 100th over of the innings.
To end the over Siraj bowls a couple of bouncers to Robinson, gives him a few stares and a bit of chat. Robinson merely smiles back. The first time this morning India have shown any aggression.
This is only England’s third hundred stand of the series – two of them have come in this innings. Not one has been put together by the top six and that has been their problem. Root and Foakes put on 113 in the first innings in Ranchi, Foakes and Pope 112 in Hyderabad and now this unexpected, bonus one between Root and Robinson. What a contrasting morning to yesterday. India look very flat. Should have picked Bumrah. Crazy decision.
Jadeja finds the bottom edge of Root’s bat and it deflects onto the pads of Jurel behind the stumps, but he did not have enough time to get his gloves anywhere near it. Just the one run from Jadeja’s third over of the day.
England are rotating strike and keeping the runs ticking over. Four runs from that Siraj over and the partnership is now up to 95.
Robinson has never done his batting talent justice in Test cricket. This is well put together maiden 50, supporting Root in the evening on day one and taking the attack to India this morning. Robinson scored a first-class hundred on debut for Sussex hitting 110 from no 10 but the defining image before now of his Test batting was backing away in Hobart as he became the final wicket of that sorry Ashes series. 
Jadeja gets one to turn past Root’s bat and then the next keeps very low. England will not be too unhappy to see the surface doing that. One single comes from Jadeja’s rapid over.
Siraj was only out of the attack for one over as he is back into the attack from the other end. Four singles from the over.
Surely the second new ball has already proved that Rohit Sharma should have proactively taken it last evening. India’s pacers can swing the new ball both ways. They can swing the old ball only one way. That does not apply to the master craftsman Jasprit Bumrah of course.
Just two overs for Siraj and he is out of the attack. Jadeja is on to replace him. Root cuts away to deep cover for a single. Robinson comes down the wicket and pushes it to long-off for a run. Another easy single for Root to deep cover.
Off the final ball of the over Robinson sweeps handsomely for four to deep square leg to bring up his maiden Test fifty. A good knock and he has played his part in this crucial partnership.
Ollie Robinson brings up his 5⃣0⃣ 🏏Ben Stokes is loving what he is seeing 😍#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/OHJtDHtTRl
Deep drops short and wide and Robinson cuts away. It was a little aerial and not a million miles away from Jadeja at backward point but it runs away for four.
The first Bazball shot of the morning comes as Robinson charges Deep and slashes through wide mid-off for four to take him to this highest Test score. He follows that up with a pull shot through wide mid-on for four more to take the partnership to nearly 80. Robinson is just two away from a maiden Test fifty. 12 from the over.
Siraj’s radar has been a little off so far and his bouncer goes way over Robinson and keeper Jurel and away for four byes. A little lucky that was not given a wide or no-ball.
India go up for a big appeal for LBW but Robinson got an inside edge on it. India did not have a review anyway so they could not review even if they wanted to. England take a single to square leg off the final ball.
Debutant Deep, who took three wickets in the morning session yesterday, will open up from the other end. Root will face up for the first time today after his magnificent hundred yesterday.
It looks like it will be a maiden over to start with for Deep but what he thought was his final ball is in fact a no-ball as the buzzer goes off, a sound all cricket fans are now familiar with when a no-ball is bowled.
Siraj will send down the first over of the day and Robinson will take strike. The first ball is on the pads and Robinson flicks it away for four down to fine-leg. Nice start for England!
Two balls in and India take the new ball, just over 10 overs after it was available. Dot balls for the rest of the over.
As is customary at the start of the day Jerusalem is belted out by the Barmy Army.
Joe Root and Ollie Robinson have made their way out to the middle and we are ready for play in Ranchi on day two. How many more runs can England add to their total this morning? Every run feels quite important on this pitch.
Good morning from Ranchi, where the outfield is a hive of activity. England’s two not out batsmen, Joe Root and Ollie Robinson, have been warming up by having a bowl, a reminder that they have two jobs today. In the first instance, England need to eek out every run they can, but their job will be made more difficult by the extravagant early nip we saw yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aim to counter-attack a bit. 
After the criticism, Joe Root’s celebrations were a little muted but there was no doubt about the reaction from the England dressing room, in particular captain Ben Stokes. They know how good Root is and, as they say, form is temporary, class is permanent.
Just look at Ben Stokes’ reaction when Joe Root reached his century ❤️🙌#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/V3O1zWbEaP
England came in for heavy criticism after a heavy defeat in the third Test. Michael Vaughan praised England and Joe Root’s common-sense approach on day one and you can read more from Vaughan here.
Joe Root’s magnificent unbeaten century on day one has put England in a good position heading into the second day at Ranchi as they closed on 302-7. Root and England faced significant criticism after a heavy defeat in the third test but Root responded in emphatic style yesterday.
At 112-5, England were under pressure after Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first. India debutant Akash Deep took three wickets inside the opening 12 overs of the day. Root’s partnership of 113 with Foakes (47) during the afternoon was important not just in the context of this test match, but potentially the series with England 2-1 down with two matches to go. 
Root’s 31st Test hundred came from 219 balls and he became the first man to reach 10 Test centuries against India. His celebrations were a little muted, whilst his teammates certainly enjoyed watching Root in the runs once again. Before yesterday’s innings, he had not passed 37 in the series and was on his longest run without a half-century for two years. England opener Zak Crawley was full of praise for Root’s display.
“We’re so happy for him and we never doubted him.
“If anything we know that when he’s got a couple of low scores he’s even more likely to get a big one and we expected that from him.
“I said beforehand that if we get 280-300, we’re in a very good position so I stand by that – we are ahead of the game.”
On a tricky pitch with unpredictable bounce and significant cracks, demonstrated by Ben Stokes’ dismissal by Ravindra Jadeja which hardly bounced, these first innings runs will be crucial, especially as India will be batting last on this surface.
Ollie Robinson will resume alongside Root on 31 not out. How far can England push on this morning? Play resumes at 4.00am (GMT).