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The Committee of Administrators had asked the board to fix a date for the Special General Meeting ahead of the ICC conference on December 8 and 9, but there has been little movement on the matter

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Nov-2017Even as the BCCI office bearers dither over announcing the date for a special general body meeting (SGM) to discuss the new Future Tours Programme, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has given its nod to the broad plans devised by board chief executive officer Rahul Johri.The ICC has scheduled a workshop on December 7 and 8 in Singapore to discuss the minutiae of the new cricket schedule agreed in-principle by the Full Member nations at an ICC Board meeting in Auckland in October.At the workshop, the countries would chalk out a week-by-week plan for the FTP that will span the period between the 2019 and 2013 World Cups. Apart from the global events, the calendar would comprise the Test and ODI Leagues which start in two years’ time.The CoA, having received a request from the acting board secretary Amitabh Choudhary, had asked the BCCI to call for an emergency meeting to discuss the FTP along with the settlement of a dispute concerning Kochi Tuskers, the former IPL franchise, and revoking the suspension of the Rajasthan Cricket Association.In its e-mail sent to BCCI acting president CK Khanna on November 15, the CoA told him to finalise a date for the SGM and send a notice to all board members (state associations) within two days. However, an alert is yet to go out. Khanna told ESPNcricinfo a final decision would be taken in a meeting between the CoA and office bearers on Tuesday. He also said that he had tried to call an SGM on December 1, but Choudhary was unavailable on that day.On Tuesday, the COA chairman Vinod Rai recommended that the BCCI office bearers comprising Khanna, Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry (BCCI treasurer) fix the SGM before the ICC workshop. “I told them there is the ICC meeting in Singapore to finalise the FTP, so please convene your SGM before that. Till today they have not sent the notice.”It is understood that the three office bearers sat with Johri and set December 9 as the date for the SGM – the day after the ICC workshop – but the state associations have received no notice.This current episode of infighting is part of the prevailing power struggle between the COA and the office bearers, the latter a group that is deeply divided.After the COA asked Khanna to call the SGM last week, reported a strongly-worded e-mail sent by Chaudhry to Khanna and Choudhary in which he wondered how the state associations could be expected to take a call when proceedings were being “hustled through”.”It is absolutely shocking that a decision of this magnitude may be hustled through when all the members ought to have been given proper notice and time along with all relevant documents to study and deliberate on the item,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying in the letter.On Tuesday, though, Rai pointed out to the office bearers that Khanna was supposed to call the SGM on November 15, three weeks before the ICC workshop. Under the BCCI rules only the president can call an SGM with 10 days’ notice, and at the SGM, Johri was meant to talk about the FTP and explain to members the BCCI’s plans.A BCCI member claimed the infighting between the office bearers has been creating unnecessary hurdles. “Where is the question of hassling,” they said. “If BCCI cannot hold the SGM, you can’t hold the world to ransom.”

Kane Williamson and Tim Southee won’t be playing in Christchurch but West Indies are still in for a fight to level the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Dec-2017

Big Picture

If West Indies have become nervous that this could turn out to be a difficult series, it is because New Zealand tend to overpower visiting ODI sides. Ask Australia, who have lost the two most recent iterations of the Chappell-Hadlee series. Ask Bangladesh, who were whitewashed roughly a year ago. Or Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who have been thumped twice each over the last four summers. South Africa were the only exception – winning 3-2 earlier this year thanks to the sharp work of Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.New Zealand have won eight of their last nine bilateral series at home, with a wide cast of performers. On Wednesday it was Doug Bracewell and Todd Astle who propelled the team to victory. At other times, Matt Henry, or Tom Latham, or Martin Guptill have played match-winning hands, while the likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Trent Boult provide the consistent, engine-room performances. There is no real formula – just finely crafted plans and familiarity with home conditions. New Zealand may lose the occasional match, but they never look rattled.West Indies’ plight is further complicated by their inexperience. Of the XI from Whangarei, only Jason Holder and Chris Gayle have played more than 30 ODIs. And Gayle – the man most likely to blow New Zealand away – has been unwell and is in danger of missing this match. If there is some hope for West Indies, it is that the hosts will also have to do without two of their senior players – Williamson and Tim Southee have been rested for the remainder of this series.

Form guide

New Zealand WLLWL(completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLLLL

In the spotlight

It has been a long apprenticeship, but there is evidence in the second half of 2017, that Tom Latham is beginning to prosper as an ODI batsman. In his last seven trips to the crease, he has hit two hundreds – both match-winning efforts – and three fifties. Latham’s challenge now is to maintain that form as he takes over as captain in Williamson’s stead. Since he also keeps wicket in the ODI team, the next few days shape as a test of his maturity.At times in the Test series, Shannon Gabriel was West Indies’ most penetrative bowler, finding success with his straight balls on a good length that trapped batsmen in front of the stumps. The attack leader for the ODIs as well now, he was underwhelming in Whangarei, going wicketless and giving away 57 runs. With Martin Guptill (injured) and Williamson both absent, West Indies have an opportunity to expose a weakened top order. If he can find rhythm, Gabriel is their likeliest bet to make those telling early breakthroughs.

Team news

Matt Henry is likely to replace Tim Southee in the XI, while Neil Broom may step in for Williamson.New Zealand (probable): 1 George Worker, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Neil Broom, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Todd Astle, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultA call on Gayle’s availability will be made on the morning of the match. If he cannot play, it is possible that Kyle Hope – brother of Shai – enters the XI. Also to be assessed ahead of the game is seamer Kesrick Williams, who has sustained a hamstring complaint. If he can’t play, left-armer Sheldon Cottrell is the likely replacement.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Jason Holder (capt.), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Ronsford Beaton, 10 Kesrick Williams/ Sheldon Cottrell , 11 Shannon Gabriel.

Pitch and conditions

Hagley Oval tends to favour seam bowling – the new ball often moving off the surface, which tends to be green-tinged. The weather in Christchurch is forecast to be partly cloudy, but dry.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won each of the six ODIs they have played at Hagley Oval.
• Jason Holder needs 29 runs to complete 1000 in ODIs.
• Although the team has prospered, Tom Latham has been modest with the bat in home ODIs, averaging only 21.78 across 25 innings. His average outside New Zealand is close to 45.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Stokes requested permission to leave the court via a back door in the hope of avoiding an anticipated media scrum

George Dobell07-Feb-20181:09

ECB’s Lord Patel happy for Stokes to make his England return

Ben Stokes’ hopes of avoiding the spotlight when he attends court next week appear to have been dashed.ESPNcricinfo understands that Stokes, who is set to appear in Bristol Magistrates Court on February 13 to answer charges of affray, requested permission to leave the court via a back door in the hope of avoiding an anticipated media scrum. That permission has been denied, however, meaning Stokes will have to enter and leave the court through the front door.Stokes was arrested following an incident outside a bar in the city on September 25. Two other men, Ryan Hale and Ryan Ali, have also been called to attend court on the same day in connection to the incident. Stokes has intimated that he will plead not guilty.Stokes missed the Ashes after the ECB decided he would not be considered for selection until a decision had been made over whether he was to be charged. They have subsequently cleared him for selection and he is expected to depart for New Zealand shortly after his appearance in Bristol Magistrates Court.It had initially been hoped that Stokes would link up with the squad for the start of the T20 leg of the tour in New Zealand, but a day after he was made available the court date was confirmed for February 13 which is when England play in Wellington.He will face the ECB’s disciplinary committee following the culmination of criminal proceedings. It is entirely possible that date could be anything up to 12 months away.

Abahani cruise to sixth successive win; Reza, Mahmud star in Doleshawar’s win over Dhanmondi

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2018Abahani Limited romped to their sixth consecutive win in the Dhaka Premier League after crushing Mohammedan Sporting Club by 112 runs.Mashrafe Mortaza and Mehidy Hasan took three wickets each as Mohammedan, who won their last three league matches, were bowled out for 147 runs in 30.4 overs in chase of 260. Earlier, Nasir Hossain (67) and Anamul Haque (63) made match-winning half-centuries.Mohammad Sharif’s six-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, helped fire Legends of Rupganj to a five-wicket win over Gazi Group Cricketers.Batting first, Gazi Group were bowled out for 190 in 32.4 overs after the match was reduced to 33-overs per side due to a delayed start owing to a wet outfield. Sharif removed Imrul Kayes and India international Manoj Tiwary in his first spell.Off the second ball of his second spell, Mahedi Hasan fell for five before Sharif nipped out Rajibul Islam, Nadif Chowdhury and Ruhel Ahmed off consecutive balls in the following over. It was Sharif’s first six-wicket haul and second hat-trick in List-A cricket.Parvez Rasool and Tushar Imran rescued Rupganj’s chase by adding 102 runs for the fifth wicket after they had slipped to 86 for four in the 15th over. Rasool remained unbeaten on 61 off 57 balls with five fours and two sixes.A century by Fazle Mahmud and Farhad Reza’s four-wicket haul helped Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to a 56-run win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in Fatullah.Batting first, Doleshwar were propelled to 293 for 6 on the back of Mahmud’s unbeaten 120. He added 82 runs for the second wicket with Liton Das and another 71 runs for the fourth wicket with Zohaib Khan.Nurul Hasan later struck an 86-ball century too but Dhanmondi Club were bowled out for 237 runs in 45 overs. Nurul, who earned a call-up to Bangladesh’s T20 squad on the same day, struck seven fours and a six. He added 99 runs for the seventh wicket with Elias Sunny. Farhad took four for 56 while Arafat Sunny took two wickets.

While Scotland’s captain rued his team’s bad luck with lbw decisions, West Indies’ Jason Holder pointed out that the availability, or otherwise, of the DRS was not under his control

Liam Brickhill in Harare21-Mar-2018As has been pointed out, the margin between success and failure for Associate nations is incredibly small. On a rainy afternoon in Harare, the margin of difference between West Indies and Scotland was a mere five runs. One hit, if you will. But those five runs booked West Indies’ place in next year’s World Cup, while Scotland’s next opportunity on the world stage is not quite so clear-cut. Chasing 199, the rain arrived with Scotland 125 for 5 in the 36th over to divide the fate of the two teams.”We feel pretty rough right now,” said Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer after his team’s narrow DLS defeat. “There’s a bit of emotion going around. The guys are absolutely gutted. They’re sat upstairs right now, and finding it pretty tough at the moment. It’s not the way we wanted to end the tournament but we look back and it’s five runs… it’s just five runs. And it’s something pretty important that could have happened there.”Scotland have been one of the most watchable teams of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, going undefeated through the group stage. But their last two matches have seen crucial umpiring decisions go against them. Against Ireland, Andy Balbirnie was given a reprieve on an lbw shout that looked adjacent, and he went on to hold Ireland’s innings together with a century. Against West Indies, Richie Berrington was controversially given out lbw to a delivery from Ashley Nurse that appeared to be heading down the leg side, setting Scotland back just before the rain arrived.”Clearly that lbw decision is not sitting very well with us right now,” said Coetzer. “It’s not the first one in this tournament. In a competition like this, it comes down to a big game like that. Two critical moments in two critical games have potentially cost us. So we’re not feeling too flash right now.”With no Decision Review System in place for this tournament, Scotland were unable to challenge either decision. While the lack of DRS in today’s match ultimately ended up benefiting West Indies, their captain Jason Holder pointed out, quite rightly, that the availability, or otherwise, of reviews was not under his control.”That’s beyond my control,” Holder said of the lack of DRS. “I think it’s a question for the ICC. At the beginning of the tournament, they set up the rules, and those are the rules we played with. It’s cricket. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you.”A lot of the games weren’t televised. So if you’re being consistent, if it wasn’t there at the beginning, you stick by it.”Despite his obvious disappointment, Coetzer insisted he was proud of his team’s performance through the tournament. Fast bowler Safyaan Sharif currently tops the wicket-taking charts, with 17 dismissals at 13.94, and their only defeats came against Ireland and West Indies.”I couldn’t say any more for our guys,” said Coetzer. “They have been absolutely outstanding. There’s obviously been a lot of pressure on them. There was extreme pressure today, with pretty much the whole world barring the West Indies wanting us to turn them over, for what we feel is for the good of the game. Try and make a scene and get us into that World Cup. But it wasn’t to be today.”Coetzer’s disappointment stood in stark contrast to Holder’s relief at having secured West Indies’ passage to England next year. Holder said that a collective effort had been key to West Indies’ success.”Definitely relieved,” said Holder. “Coming into this tournament, being here for the first time in a qualifier, we knew what was at stake. And I was really pleased with how the guys responded. We really came together as a squad and everyone put their heads together and tried to do what’s best for West Indies cricket and what’s best for ourselves. I can’t see two or three individuals dominating. It was a strong collective effort in every game. That’s a strong sign of a good side. I’m really relieved and pleased.”Scotland will leave this tournament having won over many new fans, and impressed even more with their development as an exciting and dangerous limited-overs side. With the World Cup in England and Wales limited to 10 teams, and only two qualifying spots available, several teams were always going to leave Zimbabwe with their hopes dashed.”We had the full backing of every Associate nation behind us today,” said Coetzer. “Everyone was wanting us to turn over the West Indies. But it was not to be. It’s hard to comprehend that there’s only going to be a 10-team World Cup. After all the hard work we’ve done, it’s a rough one to take. It’s a tough pill to swallow right now.”

Bismah Maroof helped Pakistan bowl out Sri Lanka for 181 with figures of 3 for 17, completing a 69-run win in Dambulla

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2018
ScorecardJaveria Khan celebrates her century•Getty Images

Batsman Javeria Khan struck her second ODI century to help Pakistan go 1-0 up in their three-match series, part of the ICC Women’s Championship, against Sri Lanka in Dambulla.Javeria helped Pakistan recover from the early loss of the openers, and then rallied with the middle order to haul them to 250 for 6. In reply, Sri Lanka crumbled to 181 all out, with Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof ripping through the middle order with three wickets in five overs.Maroof had also partnered Javeria in a third-wicket stand of 49 that stabilised Pakistan after they had slipped to 19 for 2. Then, Nida Dar (34), Sana Mir (27) and Natalia Pervaiz (21 not out) played handy cameos to lift Pakistan to a decent score. Shashikala Siriwardene, the offspinning allrounder, was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with 2 for 40 in 10 overs.Siriwardene was also handy with the bat, one of only two noteworthy Sri Lankan performances in the chase. Chamari Atapattu was the other, dominating the scoring early with a 57-ball 46. Siriwardene struck a fighting 44 lower down, before becoming the last batsman dismissed.Six of the seven bowlers used by Pakistan picked up at least a wicket each. While Maroof led the column with three, Sana Mir took two wickets, and Diana Baig, Pervaiz, Nashra Sandhu and Nida Dar took one each.

Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera were also among the first group of World XI players confirmed for the side that will be captained by Eoin Morgan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2018Shahid Afridi will return to the scene of his 2009 World T20 starring role in a brief comeback to international cricket after being confirmed among the first group of players in the World XI to face West Indies at Lord’s next month.The match on May 31 has been arranged to raise money for the rebuilding of stadiums in the Caribbean that were badly damaged Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year.Afridi, Man of the Match as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to win the 2009 tournament, played the last of his 98 T20Is in March 2016 and will be joined by former Pakistan team-mate Shoaib Malik, who also played in the final, and Sri Lanka allrounder Thisara Perera.

The five major venues

• Ronald Webster Park, Anguilla – damaged in Irma

• Sir Viv Richards Stadium, Antigua – temporarily converted to host refugees from Barbuda following Irma

• Windsor Park Stadium, Dominica – damaged in Maria

• A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground, BVI – damaged in Irma

• Carib Lumber Ball Park, St Maarten – damaged in Irma

“I am humbled to have been selected for such a noble cause,” Afridi said. “Cricket is one big family and no matter how hard and tough we play against each other, there is tremendous camaraderie within the group. As such, it is our moral and professional obligation to stand up and support whenever and wherever we can, to assist our members, colleagues and cricket fans.”Malik said: “As much as the chance of figuring in such a select group, I also see this as an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful cause. We have all heard of the damage caused by the two hurricanes in the West Indies last year and it is really good to see so many cricketers come together for the objective of raising funds to repair the damage to cricket venues.”That the match is being played at Lord’s makes this event extra special for me. Lord’s obviously is one of the most revered cricket venues but I also have some very delightful memories there. One that really stands out is anchoring the chase along with Shahid Afridi when we beat Sri Lanka in the final to win the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009.”West Indies, who will be led by Carlos Brathwaite, recently confirmed their squad for the match, with Andre Russell set to make his international return following his doping-code violation.The World XI will be captained by Eoin Morgan with the remainder of the squad to be named in the coming weeks.

The Essex captain’s latest Level 1 breach has pushed him to the nine penalty-point mark for an automatic suspension

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2018Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate has been suspended for the Royal London Cup play-off against Yorkshire and will also miss the semi-final should the county qualify after amassing further penalty points.The ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) handed ten Doeschate a three-point penalty after he was reported for a Level 1 breach during the County Championship match against Lancashire.Level 1 covers willfully mistreating any part of the cricket ground, equipment or implements used in the match, and using language that in the circumstances, is obscene, offensive or insulting.Ten Doeschate had previously been sanctioned by the CDC over the past 24 months and the further three points handed down for the latest breach pushes him to the nine-point threshold for an automatic suspension.If Essex are knocked out of the Royal London Cup by Yorkshire then ten Doeschate will miss the County Championship match against Nottinghamshire from June 20 instead.He has not had a prolific Royal London campaign with 112 runs in seven innings and three wickets.

Surrey and Yorkshire are locked in an enthralling contest as Scarborough’s attempts to rival Barbados for sunshine last only a day

Paul Edwards at North Marine Road26-Jun-20181:34

Surrey hit with five-run penalty

ScorecardMist. Mist everywhere. Mist wreathing the sightscreens and the umpires’ coats. Mist masking the terraces around the ground and the refreshment stalls inside it. Mist crippling Surrey’s batsmen as they crept to 219 for 7 in reply to Yorkshire’s 342. Mist halting play nine times and for 25 minutes in all during the evening session as the umpires stood with the players and waited for it to clear. Mist turning Ollie Pope into a young ghost as he battled away for 34 plucky and unbeaten runs in conditions as alien as he can have known. Mist finally stopping play 14.5 overs before the close when more or less everyone gave it best and went home.Rarely can the weather have determined the nature of a day’s cricket as much as it did at North Marine Road this extraordinary Tuesday. The foghorn had sounded at six o’clock in the morning and even two hours later the cars were inching along Queens Parade past fret-gauzed hotels and pedestrians already armed with their copies of the The mist cleared and then swirled in again, invading every crevice and seeming to make an early start unlikely.But the lexis of religious observance is not forced at Scarborough. The faithful still make their pilgrimages on days of obligation and hotels are booked before the second Sunday in Advent. Those who have been coming here since the 1960s have seen it all and remember most of it. They were not dissuaded by the mist. Instead, they talked of these being ideal conditions for seamers like Tony Nicholson who used to rumble in and create havoc in the years when Yorkshire were winning the last three of their seven titles in a decade.This summer is not comparable to those and Steve Patterson’s seamers were made to battle for almost every breakthrough on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. After a morning session in which the mist lifted and 127 runs were scored, 38 of them by the home side’s tailenders, Surrey’s batsmen ground out the runs in a fashion which Yorkshiremen like Doug Padgett or Phil Sharpe might have admired. While Rory Burns profited from the attacking fields to hit 11 boundaries in a 46-ball fifty, the Surrey skipper’s colleagues were more restrained, especially after the mist returned soon after lunch.Before the break Mark Stoneman was caught at the wicket off Ben Coad for 9 and Scott Borthwick also taken by Jonny Tattersall when he skied a pull off Tim Bresnan. If those blows were not bad enough, the session brought disciplinary problems for Surrey. Following a Level One offence being committed by Jade Dernbach (not officially identified) when Jack Brooks and Patterson were extending their ninth-wicket stand to 61, Stoneman dissenting when given out. The two offences in the same game led to five runs being added to the home side’s total. The Scarborough crowd, ever vociferous, rather enjoyed that.The afternoon offered ideal bowling conditions and Yorkshire’s seamers made the most of them. Burns was caught behind off Coad for 59 after adding only five to his lunchtime score. Ryan Patel took nearly two hours over his 32 runs before he was fourth out, caught at slip by Harry Brook off Bresnan; 40 minutes later Theunis de Bruyn, after playing well for his 38, nicked Steve Patterson to TattersallThe murk increased in the evening session and play was stopped. Each hold up attracted barracking; each resumption brought applause. Will Jacks was leg before to Patterson for seven and Rikki Clarke caught and bowled by Bresnan for a duck. By the close Surrey could look back on a day in which they could have crumpled but did not do so. Pope’s innings was a magnificent demonstration of character and resolve in one so young. Yorkshire have the advantage but this match has a long road ahead of it. Let us hope we do not need fog lamps.

India had their collective best day of the Test series despite the rare instance of Virat Kohli failing to convert a half-century and Ajinkya Rahane falling in the 80s

The Report by Sidharth Monga18-Aug-2018India had their collective best day of the Test series despite the rare instance of Virat Kohli failing to convert a half-century and Ajinkya Rahane falling in the 80s. Asked to bat in the most even bat-ball contest of the series, India showed all-round improvement: the openers added 60, India rediscovered some of their back-foot batting, and then Kohli and Rahane put on India’s highest partnership in the country since the 2002 tour, debutant Rishabh Pant got off to a bright start, and India ended up with a comfortable 307 on the board with four wickets in hand.England were left debating the wisdom of two decisions: picking Adil Rashid over Sam Curran, and then deciding to bowl. There can be two reasons for the latter decision. Either England feel the only life in this pitch was to be had in the first session or they got ahead of themselves and expected India to roll over. The second seemed likelier given the second new ball zipped around towards the end of the day’s play, but India had scored plenty by then. England’s fielding continued to let them down, taking their drops count this series to 10.That India were not going to roll over was evident from how well the openers had lifted their game. This was the third opening combination in three Tests, but KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan had done some work on their batting. It helped them that England bowled shorter than they did in the first two Tests, which meant the ones that moved actually beat the bat as opposed to taking the edge. India also left alone more balls in the first 15 overs – 38 – than in any of their previous innings. They also used the crease more, happy to cut and work the ball of the back foot. Dhawan provided the impetus, punishing every small error, hitting seven fours in his 35.By the time Chris Woakes got rid of the openers in quick succession, they had added more than any Indian opening partnership outside Asia and the West Indies since December 2013. Cheteshwar Pujara then put India in a further spot of bother with an extremely uncharacteristic dismissal: a hook in the last over before lunch after having sworn off that shot six years previously. Good bowling and tough conditions perhaps force you to look for other scoring options.At 82 for 3, it seemed it was all down to Kohli again to rescue India’s day, but this time he had company. Rahane was finding form. Kohli started watchfully, respecting Stuart Broad who had got him out last. Rahane took the responsibility to do the early running, benefiting from the lack of extravagant movement. The sun came out, the movement began to die, a rusty Ben Stokes bowled too short, and for the first time since the first day of the series, batting seemed like an occupation where you needed to make big mistakes to fail.Kohli and Rahane did make mistakes early on, but small ones. Kohli nearly got out first ball, playing a defensive push to a wide ball. Rahane edged a couple of short-of-a-length deliveries, but they didn’t go to hand. Once the movement died, and when England went to Rashid, these two were set: Rahane 27 off 38, and Kohli 23 off 47. Rashid put on an absolute buffet of five overs for 29 runs, failing to help James Anderson, who was bowling well at the other end, and by the time he was done India were 170 for 3.Both soon brought up their fifties, and now was Anderson’s turn to make a mistake. On 57, Rahane unleashed a full-blooded cut shot off Woakes, high over point, where Anderson went airborne and spilled a tough chance. Dropped catch No. 9. This heralded a period where Kohli and Rahane matched each other shot for shot, putting on an exhibition of drives and cuts. This was a period where India wanted to dominate, and Rahane took the lead. Before he edged a drive on the up, he had played attacking shots to each of the previous six deliveries. This was a time to attack: the pitch had settled down, the new ball was 13 overs away, just that this ball seamed a touch to take the fatal edge.This wicket just reinforced Kohli’s resolve. It was almost unthinkable Kohli would repeat the mistake. Forget Johannesburg, and six of his last first-innings half-centuries ended between 149 and 243. Rashid redeemed himself with Kohli’s wicket only for the second time in his 90s. Kohli saw a full ball, bowled with a scrambled seam as usual, went for the big drive, but got an edge to slip.Pant then announced himself with a six second ball, having picked Rashid’s wrong’un and lofting it back over his head. The first recorded Indian to get off the mark in Tests with a six, Pant showed composure after that, clipping nicely off his pads after a string of plays and misses outside off. He ended the day unbeaten on 22 off 32.At the other end, England were left frustrated by their fielding again. It was about six overs before the eventual end of day’s play when Broad produced an edge from Hardik Pandya. The lob was dropped at third slip by Keaton Jennings. Even though Anderson got Pandya with the last ball of the day’s play – Pandya added only four after the drop – England had lost an opportunity to cause damage with the new ball in the dying moments of the day.