India vs England Live: Tea on Day 1!

What a session this has been for India! The hosts lost no wickets while playing 27 overs and scored 92 runs. Ravindra Jadeja was tested against the England pace in the attack at the start of the second session but eventually managed to race to his fifty. 

IND 185/3 (52)

India vs England Live: Rohit into 90s!

A wristy flick from Rohit Sharma for a four and with it he moves to 91. Coming to the shot, it was a fuller ball from Rehan Ahmed and Rohit flicked it through the gap between the mid-on and mid-wicket fielders.

IND 165/3 (47)

India vs England Live: SIX!

Joe Root bowls it fuller and Rohit Sharma smashed it out of the boundary rope for a six. This the second one from the bat of Rohit in this innings. He is looking really great today and should score a century from here. Rohit is currently batting on 86.

IND 158/3 (45.1)

India vs England Live: Fifty for Jadeja!

A single and there is the half-century for Ravindra Jadeja! What a knock this has been from the southpaw. India were struggling at 33 for 3 when he came to the crease. Now, he alongwith Rohit Sharma has put India right in control.

IND 148/3 (43.2)

India vs England Live: FOUR!

A short ball from Mark Wood. There was good width on offer and Ravindra Jadeja played a good shot off the back foot for four. Rehan Ahmed from deep point did put in a good dive but failed to stop the ball from touching the fence.

IND 137/3 (39.2)

India vs England Live: 100-run stand!

A couple from the bat of Rohit Sharma on the bowling of Tom Hartley. With it, the partnership between Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja now goes to 100. What a solid stand this has been from the duo. Both had their shares of nervy moments and some luck but once they got settled, they made sure the England bowlers toiled hard.

IND 133/3 (39)

India vs England Live: FOUR!

It was a length ball bowled around the leg stump from James Anderson and Rohit Sharma took full toll of it. The right-handed batter glanced it away for a four towards the fine leg fence. India are looking in great control at the moment.

IND 130/3 (37.3)

India vs England Live: Good running!

Rohit Sharma got an outside edge on the fuller delivery from Tom Hartley that was moving away from him. The ball ran through the slip region and the Rohit-Ravindra Jadeja duo did well to steal three runs. The partnership bteween them is now of 93 runs.

IND 126/3 (36.3)

India vs England Live: SIX!

First six of the innings and that comes off Rohit Sharma’s bat. It was a flighted delivery and Rohit danced down the track to launch it over the bowler’s head for a biggie. The Indian captain is looking extremely dangerous now, he is batting on 61 off 96 ballls.

IND 119/3 (32.5)

India vs England Live: Good test for Jadeja!

The duo of Mark Wood and James Anderson have made life tough for Ravindra Jadeja in the post-Lunch session so far. The reverse swing with a good length delivery is something that the pacers have found to trouble Jadeja. He has got hit on his pad with some sharp inswinging deliveries but the southpaw has managed to win teh battle of survival so far.

IND 111/3 (32)

India vs England Live: FOUR!

Ravindra Jadeja gets an outside edge and the ball flies away for a four. It was a fuller ball from Mark Wood that stayed a bit low. Jadeja got the edge past the second slip for the boundary.  

IND 105/3 (27.3)

India vs England Live: 100 up for India!

Ravindra Jadeja played cautiously yet managed to steal three couples in the over of Mark Wood. The last double saw India racing to the 100-run mark. The hosts are truly back in the game due to this partnership now. 

IND 100/3 (26)

India vs England Live: Action resumes!

Mark Wood set to bowl the first over post Lunch, Ravindra Jadeja will face the first delivery. Rohit Sharma is at the other end. Here we go!

India vs England Live: Lunch on Day 1!

It was a shared session between India and England, however, the guests will still be happy for the fact that they managed to scalp three wickets. India started the session well with both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal dealing in boundaries but Mark Wood stopped the juggernaut with wickets in consecutive overs. Tom Hartley then stuck to put India in deep trouble. What followed was a rescue act from Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja as the duo added 60 runs by the lunch break.

IND 93/3 (25)

India vs England Live: Fifty for Rohit Sharma!

Rohit Sharma races to his half-century in 71 balls. This is a superb knock so far from the India captain. He survived some tough moments at the starts and then paced his innings really well to race to his fifty.

IND 81/3 (22.5)

India vs England Live: FOUR!

Another four from Rohit Sharma’s bat on the bowling of Tom Hartley. This was slightly short and Rohit hit it over the mid-wicket fielder for the boundary. Brilliant batting this is from the India captain. He is slowly and gradually bringing his side back in the game. 

IND 71/3 (18.5)

India vs England Live: Rohit on fire!

Rohit Sharma dances down the track on the flighted delivery of Tom Hartley and slams the ball over the spinner’s head for a four. This is a super counter-attack from Rohit. He has not only held one end tight but he is now only also putting the pressure back on England bowlers. 

IND 67/3 (16.5)

India vs England Live: FOUR!

Wow! That is a beautiful punch from Rohit Sharma through the cover region for a four. This is a good battle underway between Rohit and James Anderson. So far, the India captain has fought well despite the veteran England pacer giving him some close scares.

IND 62/3 (15.4) 

India vs England Live: FOUR!

That is the first boundary for Ravindra Jadeja in this innings. Tom Hartley tossed it up and Jadeja drove it down the ground for a four. The silver lining in this Indian innings has been their good scoring rate despite losing three early wickets. 

IND 56/3 (15)

India vs England Live: Rohit survives!

Rohit Sharma was given out by ground umpire on an LBW appeal on the bowling of James Anderson. The Indian skipper went upstairs and replays revealed that the ball first edged the bat and then hit his front pad.

IND 50/3 (13.3)

India vs England Live: Rohit on the charge!

A short ball first from Tom Hartley and Rohit Sharma hit it away for a four on the off side. The next ball was fuller and Rohit lofted it through the deep mid-wicket region for another four.

IND 47/3 (12.4) 

India vs England Live: What a start from England!

England have managed to clinch three wickets in the first hour of play of the third Test match in Rajkot. India were off to a flying start with a flurry of boundaries from Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal before Mark Wood marred the joy. The pacer removed Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in his consecutive overs and then Tom Hartley got Rajat Patidar to put more pressure on India.

IND 39/3 (12) 

India vs England Live: WICKET!

Another India batter bites the dust and England are bossing this game now. Rajat Patidar is gone! Tom Hartley gets him. It is a soft dismissal as Patidar handed an easy catch to Ben Duckett at cover. India 33/3 in 8.5 overs vs England.

India vs England Live: Wood puts England on top!

Mark Wood’s twin strikes have put England right in control of this game. With a good length delivery, the right-arm pacer got better of Shubman Gill, who lacked proper footwork and edged the ball to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes on the fourth ball of 6th over.

IND 25/2 (7)

India vs England Live: WICKET!

An early wicket for England. Mark Wood has got Yashasvi Jaiswal! It was a back of length delivery, angling away from Jaiswal. The southpaw got an outside edge on it that directly flew to Joe Root at first slip.

India vs England Live: FOUR!

Another fuller delivery from James Anderson and Yashasvi Jaiswal has put it away for a four. England pacers are getting beaten for boundaries whenever they are bowling the half-volleys.

India vs England Live: FOUR!

A fuller delivery from Mark Wood and Rohit Sharma has driven it away for a four. The shot would also help Rohit open his account in the game.

India vs England Live: Action starts!

James Anderson is bowling the first over. Yashasvi Jaiswal plays the first ball. It is a fuller length delivery and Jaiswal is off the mark with a four. What a start for the young opener!

India vs England Live: Here are the playing XIs –

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson

India vs England Live: Here is what England skipper says –

“We would’ve batted first too. (On playing his 100th Test) Time flies when you’re having fun. The series has been a fair reflection of both teams, we’ve been very happy with the way we’ve gone about things in the first two Tests. We had a nice break, gave everyone a chance to relax. There was no cricket, we got the families out, it was great. Being here for so long is both physically and mentally demanding. Was a nice opportunity to put the feet up and get some time away from cricket. In Test matches there are only so many moments that you seize the game in and that’s what India did in the last one. Just one change for us,” said Ben Stokes.

India vs England Live: India opt to bat first!

India skipper Rohit Sharma has won the toss and opted to bat first. “Looks a good pitch, better than the last two we’ve played on. Rajkot is known to be a good pitch but it’ll deteriorate as it goes. The guys have stood up and done the job for the team when it was needed. The next three Test matches will be as exciting as the first two. Need to keep our focus here and see how we can do well,” said the India captain after winning the toss.

India vs England Live: Sarfaraz and Jurel make debut!

Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have been handed their Test caps. This is a big-big moment for both the players, especially Sarfaraz who had been knocking at the doors of the selectors for quite a long time by consistently scoring runs in the domestic format.

India vs England Live: Jurel could replace Bharat!

Wicketkeeper KS Bharat’s persistent failures with the bat has raised the possibility of India turning to Uttar Pradesh’s 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel, who is known for his aggressive batting. With an average of 46.47 in 15 First-Class matches, Jurel has given a fine account of himself. With the pitch at Rajkot not expected to be a rank turner, a debut at this venue would only help Jurel ease into the world of top flight cricket.

India vs England Live: Sarfaraz Khan in line to make debut!

Rahul’s unavailability for the third Test has put forth the possibility of Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan getting his long awaited debut in the longest format. The domestic run machine could be teaming up with one-Test old Rajat Patidar to occupy two of the most coveted batting spots in the middle order.

India vs England Live: Rohit the batter under scanner

Skipper Rohit Sharma’s form with the bat before the eight-day break only added to the growing concern surrounding the Indian batting, which will be without KL Rahul in this game and Virat Kohli for the entirety of the series. Over the last one year or so, Rohit’s aggressive approach with the bat has not yielded him big scores and the current situation demands the Indian skipper to perhaps contemplate changing gears.

India vs England Live: India’s middle-order a concern!

The brilliance of Yashasvi Jaiswal (321 runs) and Jasprit Bumrah (15) allowed India to make a comeback in the series but concerns remain over a misfiring middle-order, which will now be relying on the young talent to deliver the goods.

India vs England Live: England’s XI already announced!

England announced their playing XI for the third Test on the eve of the start of the game. Mark Wood replaced Shoaib Bashir in the team.

Here is England XI for Rajkot Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson

India vs England Live: A series perfectlly poised!

India will need to be ruthless and tactful in equal measure while dealing with an unpredictable England when the third chapter of a riveting Test series begins in Rajkot on Thursday. After England shocked India in the series opener at Hyderabad, the hosts came back strong in Vizag to get on level footing, leaving the five-match series perfectly poised. Now, both the sides will be eager to register their second win.

Welcome guys!

Hello folks, welcome to the live blog of the first day of the third Test between India and England. Stay connected for the live score updates and commentary.