Longstops I have known

England 477 all out
v India 759-7 declared
England 12-0
close on Day 4

Monday 19 December 2016

Played at Chennai

Twitter @ball_sup

31 Indian Beer Ticks

Dry day.

Nothing. There was nothing to like there as an English cricket fan. They just couldn't get anything going. Eventually, the odd Indian batsman had a lapse. Or got out to an aggressive shot as they realised they could plunder at will. But, let's call it nothing.

Kohli, sat on his much admired arse, could do whatever he wanted. 477 came & went. The one fifty lead came & went. An hour to have a dart at Cook & Jennings came & went. England knew all that. And just played as if they were waiting for the Great Man to rule.

Umbrella fields. But, on the boundary. Incredibly fine third man (nee Longstop) to save four off the ramp. Two back for the mishit hook. Two bouncers an over. Diving in the outfield a thing of the past. Jennings bowling. Nothing.

I went out to the walkway as Karun Nair approached his three hundred. I was going to clap, long & loud. And, in the Box, he wouldn't have heard me. Kohli finally called 'em in after that.

One fella gets out on 199. Another is unbeaten on 303. Man alive. You're gonna be up against it. But, he only got 5 overs at England. And Cook & Jennings rode those out. Easy equation now. Bat until half three & you'll get summat.

Men round the bat. Appeals aplenty. That's the game.

420/860