Live Report - India vs England, 2nd Test, Visakhapatnam

31m ago

India in command after a one-wicket session. They reach tea at 225 for 3 after 63 overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 125 underpinning a dominant display. England have stuck at it, with James Anderson offering the most probing threat in between some diligent work from the spinners. A brief foray before tea for Rehan's legspin, which will doubtless have more to offer this evening.

43m ago

A reverse-sweep from Rajit Patidar flies through backward point for four off Joe Root. That was, of course, a feature of England's batting in Hyderabad but not a frequent option for India's line-up. Maybe that's about to change with the debutant in their ranks. His next shot seizes on the opportunity that such a stroke can create, as Root overpitches outside off and gets drilled for four more for his troubles.

Jaiswal, meanwhile, is powering on with ominous intent. He did have one mildly hairy moment when, on 115, he slashed airily at Hartley and skewed a leading edge over backward point. But overall, that stroke is the exception that proves just how poised the rest of his strokes have been.

Now then, at 215 for 3 in the 60th over, it's time for Rehan Ahmed... a tidy start, three runs off the over including a mistimed flick back down the pitch that loops over the bowler's head.

1h ago

It's a wicket from nowhere, and suddenly there's a debutant at the crease. On Jaiswal's watch, India were powering into a comfortable position, but at the other end, Iyer's steady knock is curtailed by Tom Hartley, allied to some smart glovework from Ben Foakes. It was back of a length outside off, luring the cut from Iyer, but the ball skidded on low, took an under-edge, and nestled in Foakes' gloves to send him on his way for 27. That's three batters who have got in and out... Jaiswal needs someone to stay with him if India are to make this innings count.

1h ago

Steps into a length ball from Tom Hartley, and deposits him high over long-on for the third six of a mighty innings. He's been supreme all innings long, his control percentage at close to 90% confirming the inevitability of this, his second Test hundred and first on home soil.

England are beginning to lose the grip on the scoring rate that had been a feature of the first hour after lunch, but Shoaib Bashir is persevering with his offbreaks, settling into Test cricket in a lengthy spell, much as Hartley did in the first innings at Hyderabad. Rehan Ahmed has been spotted warming up in the outfield though. Could be time for some legspin soon.

1h ago

Slow but steady, and growing in poise as this innings progresses. The fifty stand has come up from 85 balls, and Jaiswal in particular is beginning to open his shoulders, with a brace of boundaries in consecutive overs, including an exquisite inside-out launch for six over long-off off Joe Root.

England had broken each of India's two previous stands before they could make real hay, and has the chance for this one come and gone? On 73, Tom Hartley straightens one into Jaiswal's edge but Root at slip can't close his fingers around a tough chance. Jaiswal immediately punishes the lapse with two more fours in consecutive drives, to rush along to 85.

2h ago

False shot % vs Eng's bowlers so far today:

3h ago

51 from 89 deliveries, 6x4, 1x6

Yashasvi Jaiswal is unfazed by the loss of Shubman Gill, or by the fast-approaching lunch break. The first truly loose delivery of Shoaib Bashir's spell is a shin-high full toss from round the wicket, and it gets dumped high into the stands at wide long-on for India's first six of the innings. Bashir's next ball is dragged down and cuffed violently out to deep cover, where an awkward bounce leaves Rehan Ahmed looking sheepish. Ten off two balls, and Jaiswal has his half-century, from 89 balls all told. After missing out on his hundred in Hyderabad, he's looking good to make amends.

Shreyas Iyer finishes the session with an emphatic drive through long-on off Anderson, to get off the mark and bring up India's 100. At 101 for 2 on a belter of a wicket, that is honours even.

3h ago

Shubman Gill ups the ante with 20 minutes to go until lunch with a volley of boundaries to kickstart his innings ... or rather, to bring it to a swift conclusion as things turn out!

The first is a touch streaky, and a harbinger of things to come, deflected down through deep third as James Anderson concedes the first four of his day's work, but the next two are stamps of class against the probing Shoaib Bashir - an emphatic slog-sweep behind square, one of the first such strokes that India have attempted today, then a crisp drive through the covers as Bashir over-corrects.

But back comes Anderson, with his appetite for the battle whetted. The first ball of his next over is a genuine nick, but with only one slip it too slips away to the third-man boundary. But he merely hits the seam once more on a fractionally wider line, Gill pokes forward and Ben Foakes swallows a flying edge with a leap to his right! It's Anderson's 691st Test wicket, and his first of 2024, making it the 22nd consecutive year that he has claimed a Test wicket. Simply remarkable.

4h ago

A stunning moment in the second hour of this Test match. Rohit Sharma, India's captain, closes the face on an offbreak from the debutant Shoaib Bashir and tucks his leg glance straight to Ollie Pope at leg slip! A maiden wicket in only Bashir's fourth over, and a richly deserved one too, as he had earned the right to that extra close catcher thanks to the solidity of his line and length right from the outset of his spell. It's only the 11th wicket of his first-class career, and what a big fish to land!

Rohit had been steadfast all morning, not a single boundary in his 41-ball 14, which was a tribute both to England's discipline and also India's determination to make amends for their slapdash first innings in Hyderabad, in which each of their top five had fallen to attacking strokes. This time, however, the entrenchment proves the captain's downfall. It's still a belter of a wicket, so plenty scope for India to cash in, but it's a callow line-up in the absence of Kohli and KL Rahul.

4h ago

The moment has come for the new boy. The 12th over of the day, India 27 for 0 and sitting pretty. His first ball is a bit of a nervy long-hop but Stokes' field is sympathetic and Jaiswal can only cut it straight at point. Thereafter he's onto a better length from round the wicket, with a hint of turn away from the left-hander, and all delivered from that rangy 6'4" frame.

It's not quite a maiden, as Jaiswal flicks his sixth delivery off his toes for a single, but overall it's an encouraging introduction. Tom Hartley has just replaced Anderson at the other end. Only Rehan of the specialist options has yet to get a twirl this morning.

4h ago

When you've picked three specialist spinners and need a new-ball option, who do you turn to? It's Joe Root, obviously, who shares the honours with the recalled James Anderson, and is immediately into a battle as Yashasvi Jaiswal comes out swinging in his first over. Root's first ball, full and wide outside off, is slashed in the air through the covers for four - a stroke that is greeted with an encouraging clap from Ben Stokes, who doesn't mind India taking on his ring of catchers in the off side.

Anderson, meanwhile, settles into a solid rhythm after two leg-side sighters in the first over of his 184th Test, and though there's not much movement to speak of, he finds it anyway with a hint of each-way nip, particularly against the right-handed Rohit Sharma. Overall though, it looks a good toss for India to have won. No real threat in these conditions just yet, and the promise of a long day of toil for England's attack.

5h ago

Rohit Sharma calls correctly, and India will bat first. "It looks a good pitch, we've got to play good cricket to win the game," says Rohit Sharma. "What happened in Hyderabad, we'll take some positives and move quickly on. We didn't bat with the same intent in the second innings and it was a brilliant knock by Ollie. Hopefully we can correct those mistakes and not repeat them."

He confirms a debut for Rajit Patidar, while Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar also come in for KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Siraj.

Ben Stokes would have batted first. "New game, new week. We'll take the confidence but we'll start again. It's an amazing atmosphere to bat in front of, and the opportunities for our young guys will stand them in good stead."

Anderson and Shoaib are confirmed, in place of Wood and Leach, who handed the new boy his cap before the start of play.

The pitch, according to Eoin Morgan, is "an absolute beauty" and should suit England's style of play, but it's India's batters who will get first use of it.

India YBK Jaiswal, RG Sharma*, Shubman Gill, RM Patidar, SS Iyer, KS Bharat†, R Ashwin, AR Patel, JJ Bumrah, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav

England Z Crawley, BM Duckett, OJ Pope, JE Root, JM Bairstow, BA Stokes*, BT Foakes†, Rehan Ahmed, TW Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, JM Anderson

6h ago

We're back under starter's orders for the second Test of five between India and England, this time at Visakhapatnam. And it's all to play for after England's stunning victory in the opening Test at Hyderabad. It wasn't simply that England overturned history, with India having lost just three of their previous 46 home Tests, or a first-innings deficit of 190. It was the extraordinary poise with which they did so that will have got the home team rattled (to borrow a phrase that did the rounds during the Ashes last summer).

From Ollie Pope's sublime 196 to Tom Hartley's debut figures of 7 for 62, England found the heroes they needed at the crunch moments of the contest, and were expertly captained throughout by Ben Stokes, whose reputation as a leader goes from strength to strength. India, by contrast, shrunk in the latter stages and suffered further collateral damage, with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja both suffering injuries that have ruled them out of this game.

England are far from the finished product, of course, and with Shoaib Bashir inked in for his Test debut in place of Jack Leach, they are set to field arguably the most lop-sided bowling attack in history, with the returning veteran James Anderson (183 caps already) joined by two other spinners, Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, with a total of three caps between them.

But India's batting, already missing Virat Kohli, has a callow look to it too, and in fact their entire squad boasts fewer Test runs (10,702) than England's resident great, Joe Root (11,447). It promises to be a humdinger, as every Test of England's Bazball era has so far proven to be.

Some required reading before we get underway: