leicsmac

Against an England attack that have had two of the greatest seamers of all time just retire and with half a dozen of their currently playing better-choice seamers out crocked. Carse and Tongue are not high level Test standard, but they're the best available near the bottom of the barrel right now. Goodness knows what the ECB is doing to them to have that many out at the same time, but that's a different discussion.

I'd actually have Bethell open. Would there be much difference between that and being a 3 for him?

The idea that England can chase 500+ is rather silly, yes, but I do seem to remember rather a few more silly posts around halfway through the first Test underrating this England team and their style - and look how that turned out. NB. This is good India team in terms of their seam attack, but I've seen nothing to suggest their batting is anything better than sides that have toured England in the past. Of course, such things are subjective.

Bethell for Crawley, Rehan for Bashir next Test, please.

Yeah, and England are missing about a half dozen of their best seamers. I think they have it in their locker to defend, I guess we'll find out either way soon enough.

If/when England draw this, Gill is going to look rather like a mug.

His Test average is 42 (37 before this series started) over a five year career so far. I think "reasonably talented but by no means great" applies.

It's a testament to how ineffective this England bowling attack is that it's making the average of a reasonably talented but by no means great batsman like Gill look like Bradman.

I think around 520 with about 20 overs left in the day.

That drop by Crawley has likely cost the chance of winning this.

Yeah, England aren't chasing 500. If India get to that kind of lead there won't be the time to chase it and even this England team will accept that discretion is the better part of valour there. The only way England are winning this is if they bowl them out for 420-odd target maximum.

Excellent, always good to see progress being made on fusion. It would be a massive leap ahead of anything we have now.

In the meantime... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyelx3x5k0o A major search and rescue operation is continuing through the night in Texas after flash floods killed at least 24 people and left many girls missing from a Christian summer camp. There was little warning as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (7.9m) in less than an hour and flooding that followed swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the 4 July weekend. Rescue crews are still searching for up to 25 children who were among the 750 girls attending the Camp Mystic just outside the town of Kerrville 104km (64.0 miles) north-west of San Antonio. A state of emergency has been declared in several counties where several roads have been washed away and phone lines are down. US President Donald Trump called the tragedy "shocking" and "terrible" as the White House pledged additional assistance. That's pretty damn awful.

In your own time then, ser.

With a couple of laudable exceptions, yes.

This one will go down as a very brave try, then.

Ha, yes. I do think Murray actually gets less recognition among some fans than Henman does, despite achieving far, far more, which doesn't seem right.

Yeah, either way this will have been a performance she can be proud of. Yeah, that's understandable as a reason for naming it that at the time. I'm just unsure as to why it would remain so now.

Also, minor gripe: why the Beeb and other associated entities insist on naming the place where people hang out at Wimbledon after a well-meaning and mannered guy that didn't make it to the top (or even close) is beyond me. GB does seem to have a thing about graceful losers rather than efficient winners.

Just something I can't quite put my finger on tbh. Perhaps if she does win here, the post match interview might change my mind on that - open to the idea. On this occasion it's bloody awesome to be wrong. But there's a long way to go.

I fear the second set will also be the final one and it won't be that close. There's a reason she's the world number one. But yes, she doesn't seem all that likeable.

Bloody hell, how long will this game last?

Yep, but that's where the whole set of rubbish about such things came from, sadly. Knife edge stuff now.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/ But on topic, Radacanu needs to dig deep now.

That sounds about right. though as you say, the weather might have the final say.