Cricket Live : September 2018

1st Test Edgbaston

Day 1

England 285-9: Root 80, Bairstow 70, Jennings 42; Ashwin 4-60
India: Yet to bat

A horrible run-out of Joe Root sparked an England collapse on day one of the first Test against India at Edgbaston.

Root was on 80 when he and Jonny Bairstow opted for a second run, only for Virat Kohli's direct hit to beat the dive of the England captain.

From there, England lost four wickets for 27 runs and eventually limped to 285-9.

Earlier, they looked to be taking advantage of winning the toss on a surface that seems true for batting, but is also offering some encouragement to both pace and spin bowlers.

Root shared stands of 72 with Keaton Jennings, who made a watchful 42, and 104 with Bairstow, whose 70 was the most fluent batting of the day.

But, after Root and Bairstow were removed, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tormented England to end with 4-60.

It left England in a disappointing position on the first day of their 1,000th Test, played in front of a ground that was no more than three-quarters full.

The crowd was subdued until it was brought to life by England's struggle, with some of the biggest cheers reserved for number 11 James Anderson blocking the hosts towards the close.

Day 2

England 287 & 9/1
India 274
England lead by 22 runs

Virat Kohli withstood England's bowlers to score a fine 149 and keep India in the game on an enthralling second day in the first Test at Edgbaston.

England were bowled out for 287 before reducing India to 50-3 and 100-5.

Sam Curran took 4-74 and James Anderson and Ben Stokes bowled superbly for two wickets apiece, but captain Kohli dragged India back into the game.

India made 274 before England lost Alastair Cook to the day's final ball as they closed on 9-1 - a lead of 22.

Cook's dismissal - bowled again by a fine delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin - leaves the game in the balance.

England will be left to rue their missed chances: they dropped two catches and allowed India's last two wickets to add 92.

Kohli was put down on 21 and 51 by Dawid Malan but he mixed patience with late aggression to reach his first century in England.

Day 3

England 287 (Root 80, Ashwin 4-62) & 180 (Curran 63, Ishant 5-51)
India 274 (Kohli 149, Curran 4-74) & 110-5 (Kohli 43*)
India need 194 to win

England's first Test against India is set for a thrilling finish after Sam Curran's counter-attack dragged the hosts back into the game on the third day at Edgbaston.

Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed England's top order and Ishant Sharma took three wickets in an over to leave England in disarray on 87-7.

However, Curran hit an enterprising 63 to help the hosts reach 180 and set India 194 for victory.

Stuart Broad took two wickets as India slipped to 78-5, but captain Virat Kohli ended the day unbeaten on 43 with his side 110-5, requiring a further 84.

Day 4

England 287 (Root 80, Ashwin 4-62) & 180 (Curran 63, Ishant 5-51)
India 274 (Kohli 149, Curran 4-74) & 162 (Kohli 51, Stokes 4-40)
England won by 31 runs

England held their nerve to complete a tense 31-run victory over India in the first Test on an enthralling fourth morning at Edgbaston.

India - resuming on 110-5 in pursuit of 194 - were bowled out for 162 as tension mounted in an increasingly boisterous crowd.

James Anderson removed Dinesh Karthik with the sixth ball of the day before Ben Stokes produced a brilliant over to dismiss captain Virat Kohli for 51 and Mohammed Shami.

The all-rounder sealed victory by having Hardik Pandya caught at first slip to finish with 4-40.

Both of captain Joe Root's gambles paid off: Stokes struck twice in his first over and recalled leg-spinner Adil Rashid trapped Ishant Sharma in his first over.

Stokes in particular bowled with aggression and intelligence, although he is set to miss the second Test at Lord's as his court case for affray begins on Monday.

While India came up short, their performance was a far cry from their dismal tour four years ago and bodes well for the remainder of what promises to be a keenly contested five-Test series.

2nd Test

India 107 & 130: Ashwin 33*, Anderson 4-23, Broad 4-44
England 396-7 dec: Woakes 137*, Bairstow 93, Hardik 3-66
England won by an innings & 159 runs

England completed a crushing innings and 159-run victory over India at Lord's to take a 2-0 series lead.

James Anderson took 4-23 to finish with nine wickets in the match and Stuart Broad shone with 4-44 as India were bowled out for 130.

The hosts had declared on 396-7, with Chris Woakes finishing on 137 not out, before Anderson reduced India to 17-2.

Rain delayed play twice but India lost wickets regularly and Woakes took the final scalp to secure an emphatic win.

3rd Test Trent Bridge

India 329 & 352-7 dec: Kohli 103, Pujara 72, Rashid 3-101
England 161 & 317: Buttler 106, Stokes 62, Bumrah 5-85
India win by 203 runs

India needed less than three overs of the fifth morning to wrap up a massive win over England in the third Test at Trent Bridge.

James Anderson looped Ravichandran Ashwin to slip in front of a handful of spectators after Nottinghamshire reversed their decision to charge a £10 entry fee and allowed free admission.

The home side were 317 all out, giving India victory by 203 runs - only their seventh success in a Test in England.

The visitors also drag their deficit in the series back to 2-1 with two matches remaining. The fourth Test in Southampton begins on 30 August.

4th Test

Day 1

England 246: Curran 78, Moeen 40, Bumrah 3-46
India 19-0
India trail by 227 runs

Sam Curran salvaged England after their top order failed again on the first day of the fourth Test against India in Southampton.

Some fine India bowling coupled with woeful England batting left the hosts 86-6 after they won the toss.

But 20-year-old Curran, recalled to play only his fourth Test, made a spirited 78 to drag them to 246.

He shared stands of 81 with the returning Moeen Ali, who battled to 40, and 63 with Stuart Broad.

Curran was the last man to be dismissed, leaving India to survive four overs and close on 19-0, 227 behind.

Day 2

England 246 (Curran 78) & 6-0
India 273 (Pujara 132*, Moeen 5-63)
England trail by 21 runs

Moeen Ali's 5-63 led England's fightback on the second day of the fourth Test against India in Southampton.

The off-spinner ran through the India lower order as they lost six wickets for 53 runs to slip from 142-2 to 195-8.

However, the tourists were hauled to 273 by an unbeaten 132 from Cheteshwar Pujara, who added 78 for the final two wickets with Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.

That gave them a first-innings lead of 27 after England were bowled out for 246 on day one.

Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings came through four overs at the end of the day as England closed on 6-0, 21 behind.

Day 3

England 246 (Curran 78) & 260-8 (Buttler 69, Root 48)
India 273 (Pujara 132*, Moeen 5-63)
England lead by 233 runs

England fought through the third day to leave the fourth Test against India wonderfully poised in Southampton.

Jos Buttler made 69, sharing stands of 56 with Ben Stokes and 55 with Sam Curran as the home side reached 260-8, a lead of 233.

On a gripping day, there were times when England were in peril, especially at 92-4 and, after Joe Root was run out for 48, 122-5.

But the determination of Buttler, Stokes and Curran left England with the edge on a wearing surface that is offering assistance to both pace and spin bowlers.

Day 4

England 246 (Curran 78) & 271 (Buttler 69, Shami 4-57)
India 273 (Pujara 132*, Moeen 5-63) & 184 (Kohli 58, Rahane 51, Moeen 4-71)
England won by 60 runs; won series 3-1 with Test to spare

England sealed a series victory over India with a 60-run win on a gripping fourth day of the fourth Test in Southampton.

Set 245, India looked beaten when they were reduced to 22-3 on an uneven pitch.

Captain Virat Kohli could have been given out lbw to Moeen Ali on nine, but survived to share a painstaking stand of 101 with Ajinkya Rahane.

Even after Kohli was caught at short leg off Moeen for 58, Rahane dragged the runs required down below 100.

However, Rahane and Rishabh Pant fell in successive Moeen overs, beginning a demise that saw India lose four wickets for 13 runs and eventually be dismissed for 184.

Off-spinner Moeen, on his recall to the side, ended with 4-71 to complete match analysis of 9-134 to go with 40 runs in England's first innings.

Victory extends a run which has seen England lose only one home series since 2012.

They take a 3-1 lead to the fifth and final Test, which begins on Friday at The Oval.

Fitting finish to fabulous Test

From 260-8, England's first innings was wrapped up for the addition of only 11 runs and the game appeared to be hastening for a swift conclusion when Stuart Broad and James Anderson's stump-to-stump line ran through the India top three.

Indeed, India could have been as good as beaten by lunch. Third umpire Joel Wilson adjudged Kohli to have hit the ball, when contact looked to be bat on pad, to save him from being lbw to Moeen and Rahane successfully overturned being leg before to Sam Curran on 12.

The reprieved pair battled through the afternoon, playing and missing, nudging the ball square of the wicket and running hard. Their 100 partnership contained only five fours.

Just as India were getting on top, Moeen struck. The delivery after a chance went in and out of Alastair Cook's hands at short leg, Kohli gloved on to pad and, this time, a review could not save him.

England were again in danger when the careful Rahane was joined by Pant, who hit 18 from 12 deliveries.

However, the outstanding Moeen, on the ground where he ran through India four years ago, had Pant held at deep point and ripped an off-break to pin Rahane in front for 51.

England's surge for the line was held up by the last-wicket pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwin dropped at point by Anderson before falling leg before to Curran next ball.

England emerge despite deficiencies

To defeat the world number one side with a match to spare is a fantastic outcome for England, one that did not look likely after a run of poor results and when the hot weather seemed set to produce subcontinental pitches.

However, the margin of victory does not tell the full story. England have emerged victorious in a fluctuating series that was ultimately played out in conditions that have suited them.

Even then, they could have been beaten in both Southampton and the first Test at Edgbaston, while they were thrashed in the third Test at Trent Bridge.

Their eventual success has been built on middle- and lower-order runs from Jos Buttler, Curran and Chris Woakes, backed up by a dependable bowling attack that has exploited the assistance offered throughout.

But questions remain over a top order that continues to fail. England have used four different batsmen at number four over the course of the series, while there is doubt over the futures of openers Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings.

Not only that, but they seem no nearer to knowing the identity of their premier spin bowler, a concern with tours of Sri Lanka and West Indies scheduled for the winter.

India pay price for missed chances

India's spot at the top of the world rankings will not be altered by this series defeat, but they will be left to rue squandered opportunities to record their first series win in England since 2007.

At Edgbaston, they had England 87-7 in the second innings, only for the momentum to be reversed by Curran.

Here, they let England reach 246 from 86-6 in their first innings and only mustered a lead of 27 from 142-2.

Although their turnaround to win at Trent Bridge after being hammered at Lord's was admirable and their pace bowlers have consistently been excellent, India failed to fully capitalise on England's weaknesses.

India can point to an injury that has hindered off-spinner Ashwin in Southampton, but not enough of the tourists have followed the example of Kohli.

The brilliant skipper has 544 runs, twice as many as any other player in the series and the most by a visiting batsman to England since 2006, but will still end up on the losing side.

Broad equals Hadlee, Cook surpasses Fleming

Stuart Broad's dismissal of KL Rahul took him level with Sir Richard Hadlee in eighth in the list of all-time leading Test wicket-takers.

Virat Kohli's tally of 544 runs is the second highest for an Indian in England, behind Rahul Dravid's 602 in 2002.

Alastair Cook's two catches took him to 173 in Tests, surpassing New Zealand's Stephen Fleming and moving into sixth on the all-time list.

5th Test

Day 1

England 198-7: Cook 71, Moeen 50, Ishant 3-28
India: Yet to bat

Alastair Cook made 71 in his final match for England but India's bowlers seized the initiative on day one of the fifth Test at The Oval.

Opener Cook, who will retire after his 161st Test, was given a guard of honour by the India team on his way to the crease.

He was dropped on 37 by Ajinkya Rahane but, for the most part, batted as if in his prime until he played on off Jasprit Bumrah and departed to cheers from an adoring crowd.

Cook's dismissal sparked an all-too-familiar collapse, with England losing three wickets for one run and three more for 10 runs either side of Moeen Ali reaching a painstaking half-century.

Ishant Sharma claimed 3-28 as England closed an attritional, old-fashioned day on 198-7.

That is an excellent outcome for India, who put in a superb bowling performance on a slow pitch that looks to be the best batting surface of the series.

England already have an unassailable 3-1 lead, while India are looking to win two Tests on a tour here for the first time since 1986.

Day 2

England 332 all out (122 overs): Buttler 89, Cook 71, Jadeja 4-79
India 174-6 (51 overs): Kohli 49, Anderson 2-20, Stokes 2-44
India trail by 158 runs

Jos Buttler's 89 dragged England back into the fifth Test before the home bowlers took control of India on day two at The Oval.

Buttler shared 98 for the ninth wicket with Stuart Broad, who hung around for 98 minutes for his 38.

With Buttler also adding another 20 in the company of James Anderson, England turned their overnight 198-7 into 332 all out.

At 70-1, India were making comfortable progress until Sam Curran produced a beauty to bowl KL Rahul.

Anderson delivered a wonderful spell to remove both Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, and was also unfortunate not to have India captain Virat Kohli lbw.

Kohli moved to an ominous 49, only for Ben Stokes to induce edges from both the skipper and Rishabh Pant that left India 174-6, 158 behind.

Anderson's two wickets took him to 561 in Test cricket, three away from overtaking Australia's Glenn McGrath as the most successful fast bowler in the history of the game.

England already have an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series and are looking to send opener Alastair Cook into retirement with victory in his final Test.

Day 3

England 332 & 114-2 (43 overs): Cook 46*, Root 29*
India 292 (95 overs): Jadeja 86*, Vihari 56, Moeen 2-50
England lead by 154 runs

Alastair Cook moved to 46 not out in his final innings as an international cricketer on day three of England's fifth Test against India.

The opener, who is set to retire after his 161st Test, took the home side to 114-2 in their second innings, a lead of 154.

Cook received standing ovations when he arrived at the crease and again when he left at the end of the day as he followed up his first-innings 71 with another knock typical of his 12-year Test career.

India had earlier been revived by 56 from debutant Hanuma Vihari and a swashbuckling 86 not out by Ravindra Jadeja.

Jadeja added 32 for the 10th wicket with last man Jasprit Bumrah as India, who found themselves 160-6 on Saturday, got up to 292 all out.

That left England 40 runs ahead and precariously placed, but Cook's 125-ball stay ensured there would be no top-order panic to allow the tourists to continue their revival.

He was joined by his successor as captain, Joe Root, who moved fluently to 29 not out by the close.

England already have an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

Day 4

England 332 & 423-8 dec: Cook 147, Root 125, Vihari 3-37
India 292 & 58-3 (18 overs): Rahul 46*, Anderson 2-23
India need another 406 runs to win

England took complete control of the fifth Test against India on an astonishing fourth day at The Oval in which Alastair Cook signed off with a century and James Anderson equalled the record for Test wickets as a pace bowler.

Cook made 147 in his final innings before international retirement and captain Joe Root weighed in with 125 as England declared on 423-8.

Anderson then drew level with Australian Glenn McGrath's pace bowling record of 563 Test wickets as India, chasing an improbable 464 for victory, floundered.

The tourists, who have already lost the series 3-1, ended the day on 58-3, trailing England by 406 runs.

The near-capacity crowd spent much of the day on their feet as Cook and Root with the bat, and then Anderson with the ball, put India under the cosh.

It was a historic day all round for Cook, who surpassed Kumar Sangakkara to become the fifth-highest Test run scorer - and most prolific left-hander - before reaching his 33rd and final Test century.

Day 5

England 332 & 423-8 dec: Cook 147, Root 125, Vihari 3-37
India 292 & 345: Rahul 149, Pant 114, Anderson 3-45
England win by 118 runs; take series 4-1

England's James Anderson took the final wicket to become the most successful fast bowler in Test cricket and secure a 118-run victory in the fifth Test against India at The Oval.

The 36-year-old bowled Mohammed Shami to claim his 564th wicket, surpassing the record of Australia's Glenn McGrath.

It secured a 4-1 series victory for England, who were held up for much of the fifth day by centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.

However, a stunning leg-break from Adil Rashid dismissed Rahul as the tourists fell from 325-5 to 345 all out.

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