Broad out of the series with a calf tear, and Jimmy a doubt with a quad niggle, so Mahmood has been called up, and Hameed, Moeen & Pope also in the nix to play.

India will be without fast bowler Shardul Thakur, who has a hamstring injury, so Ashwin might make a return to the fold for the tourists.

Will probably get battered
My XI though
Burns (toss of a coin with Sibley both not up to it but Burns for positivity)
Hameed
Pope (will be Crawley though)
Root
Bairstow (good cricketer nothing better)
Lawrence
Butler
Ali
Robinson
Mahmoud (will probably be Curran or Overton though)
Wood

Time for a few changes,not sure Mahmoud is up to test cricket yet but not alot else to choose from

Three changes but surprisingly Anderson plays.

Big call playing a 39 year old that’s carrying a knock. Hope it doesn’t backfire.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:58 am

Three changes but surprisingly Anderson plays.

Big call playing a 39 year old that’s carrying a knock. Hope it doesn’t backfire.

Anderson’s legs went 9 years ago.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:13 am

Anderson’s legs went 9 years ago.

They hadn't gone last week

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:13 am

Anderson’s legs went 9 years ago.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:13 am

Anderson’s legs went 9 years ago.

They didn't go far ... they still seem to be attached to his body

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:22 am

They hadn't gone last week

Indeed.

Amazingly, he's taken more than 350 Test wickets since turning 30

Looks like the start was delayed, anyway England won toss and bowl, and with this cloud cover it should be a bowling day you'd think.

Hameed, Moeen & Wood return, Crawley, Lawrence & Broad out, Pope not even in the squad.

matttheclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:36 am

Indeed.

Amazingly, he's taken more than 350 Test wickets since turning 30

Actually that stat doesn't surprise me, Jimmy just seems to improve with age, and all that experience must count for something.

matttheclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:36 am

Indeed.

Amazingly, he's taken more than 350 Test wickets since turning 30

Wow hadn't realised that stat.
Amazing for a fast bowler.
At 39 he is one hell of an athlete being able to perform at Test level
for a leading Test cricket nation
If he doesn't become Sir James I will spit feathers

He looks like he can take a lot more as well.

I’ll bet he’s desperate to play every game which isn’t wise at this stage. Especially with the tight schedule.
Was it at Lords against Australia two years ago where they decided to play him when he was struggling and it backfired?

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:51 am

He looks like he can take a lot more as well.

I’ll bet he’s desperate to play every game which isn’t wise at this stage. Especially with the tight schedule.
Was it at Lords against Australia two years ago where they decided to play him when he was struggling and it backfired?

I'll be amazed if he plays in the 3rd test, perhaps one of the reasons he's got the nod here is Broad is missing, and without either of those talisman, England have a really inexperienced attack, plus he wasn't massively overworked in the 1st test, he only bowled 28 overs over the entire 5 days, and they were in sport spells with plenty of rest breaks due to the inclement weather.

The major concern for me is what the heck do England do once Anderson/Broad finally retire, in terms of true world class options the cupboard is bare, Archer & Wood seem prone to breaking down, Robinson looks promising, but he lacks a huge amount of test experience, and Woakes is a great weapon in English conditions, but his overseas record isn't anywhere near as potent.

9 runs off 8 overs is proper test cricket.
England would probably have scored 29 and lost 3 wickets.

Athers was saying this morning, the sports scientists had warned about Broad and Anderson going in the red zone.

But that was for lack of bowling.

Tight opening spells from Anderson & Robinson, who's impressed again, but no early breakthrough for England yet.

It might be slow by India, but it's sensible batting by their openers, grind the bowling down, and then later in the day you should be able to cash in, good old-fashioned test cricket by India.

And yes England's top order could learn a lot from their approach.

38-0 at drinks, and India will be more than content with that first hour, England really needed an early wicket or two given they inserted.

46-0 off for rain.

Hmm! 67-0, and the Indian openers looking increasingly comfortable, when will Joe Root begin to regret his call to bowl 1st.

50 for Rohit Sharma, and at a decent pace as well, only 83 balls, that's good scoring in testing conditions.

As much as I’ve tried to advocate a lot of the white ball stuff, the fact this is Moeen’s first red ball game in England since September 2019 sums up quite a lot of where we’re at at the moment.

As the old saying goes.

"if you win the toss, you can think about bowling but then think again and bat!"

Let’s face it, had we gone in to bat we’d be looking to hold on until the tea break.

Berne Leigh wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:00 pm

As the old saying goes.

"if you win the toss, you can think about bowling but then think again and bat!"

The fact that Root choose to bowl first tells you everything you need to know about how much faith he has in his batting line-up, and TBH you can see his point, however if you put the ops in you don't expect them to be 109-0 after 37 overs, and unless England take a few quick wickets he'll have plenty of awkward questions at the close of play.

Is it too early for England fans to do a rain dance yet?

Does the Queen still visit Lords on the 2nd day to meet both teams during the tea interval? It always used to happen. Perhaps another tradition that's bit the dust in favour of a rock band for 20 minutes.

Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:14 pm

Does the Queen still visit Lords on the 2nd day to meet both teams during the tea interval? It always used to happen. Perhaps another tradition that's bit the dust in favour of a rock band for 20 minutes.

Might be worth giving her a go batting at 3

Good news might be that Anderson will probably only have to bowl in one innings with the way it’s going.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:18 pm

Good news might be that Anderson will probably only have to bowl in one innings with the way it’s going.

Indeed! there is rain in the forecast for Sunday & Monday, right now that looks like England's best hope again.

Get in Jimmy

Jimmy trying his best to haul England back into this contest.

622 and counting now.

150/2 another for Jimmy Pujara gone

Jimmy coming to the party again, remind me who was saying he was over the hill.

Anderson v Kohli, this should be interesting.

India 202-2, Rahul nearing his 100, and Kohli starting to settle in, Anderson & Moeen & Robinson very good, Sam Curran & Wood delivering far too many pies, and both going at near or over 4 an over on the 1st day of a test match simply isn't good enough, if you can't take wickets then at least keep it tight and make the batsman work for their runs.

We need to pull our finger out. If it carries on at this rate India will be 1016 all out by the fifth day.

A perfect display of how to bat in a test match from India today, yes they've had the odd stroke of fortune, but they've earned that through their hard graft.

It's already looking like a backs to the wall exercise for England, and remember we inserted them this morning.

Oh1 what England would give for an opening pair like Rohit & Rahul, they've been immense so far in this series, and it makes a huge difference when you can lay a platform for your lower order.

Wow! this is a staggering stat. I hope Joe Root can sleep well tonight.

This is the second-highest score for two wickets down from the 47 times England have inserted the opposition in England. You have to go back to 1926 when England put Australia in and they got to 249-2.

England's last hope is the 2nd new ball which is due in 4 overs, but even then it's asking a lot to restrict India to less than 350 from here, and would you back this current England batting to post anywhere near that against Bumrah and Co.

100 for Rahul, and he deserves that. classic opening innings for his side, exactly what you hope for when given 1st use of the pitch.

Century for Rahul.
Might be something in this working hard at the start of the innings and playing yourself in.

New ball taken, and England could do with 2/3 quick wickets here.

258-2 with one guy on 100+, and the skip on 40, this could easily run away from England if they aren't careful.

Kohli gone. England’s game to lose now.

That late wicket of Kohli gives England faint hope, but if you put the opposition in I don't think you can consider 276-3 to be a good outcome.

And apart from Anderson & Robinson the bowling looked toothless.

Even if India only make 400 from here, does anybody really think England will get anywhere close to parity on 1st innings, and that allied to the fact England will bat last suggests to me if there is going to be a winner it'll be the away side.

In a disappointing summer the shinning light has been the emergence of Ollie Robinson, but that's a small crumb of comfort for English cricket fans, amidst all this misery.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:56 pm

Kohli gone. England’s game to lose now.

Did you miss the 2 off the front of their score? No way our batting will better this.

box_of_frogs wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:14 pm

Did you miss the 2 off the front of their score? No way our batting will better this.

Just joshing my friend.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:15 pm

Might be worth giving her a go batting at 3

The Queen has opened all her life!

Only an idiot wins and bowls on a test match.

IanMcL wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:54 pm

Only an idiot wins and bowls on a test match.

Exactly! especially at Lords, however it's worth pointing out that Kohli said he'd have also bowled first, the difference being if he had England would probably be 7/8 down at the close and not 3.

However if Root doesn't trust his batters surely it's better to bat 1st, and then if you at least put say 300 on the board, that gives Jimmy and the rest something to bowl with, and crucially you're not batting 4th on a wearing pitch.

The stark reality is India are streets ahead of England in every department, and indeed this England side have been bang average for quite a while now, and it's only been the individual displays of Root and Stokes with the bat, plus Jimmy and Stuart with the ball that have papered over the gaping cracks.

And I fear a pasting in Australia this winter, the Aussies aren't the force they used to be, but they won't need to be to blow this weak England outfit away with ease, especially with the power of home advantage on their side.

If Jimmy decides to pack cricket in anytime soon then we should offer him a trial and see if he can play wide right.

He’s an incredible athlete.

Robinson gets Rahul 2nd ball of the day

Jimmy gets Rahane with his 1st ball of the day

Great start!