India v England, third Test LIVE – India skittle England to earn big first-innings lead

India lead by 126 runs on first innings

James Anderson bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 1 (3b)

It’s all over as Siraj blasts out Anderson with another yorker that cleans up the number eleven.

It’s been an outstanding day for India and they have a big first-innings lead for the third match in succession.

England were outstanding with the bat yesterday, but haven’t been able to live up to those heights today, although some credit must go to India’s bowlers, who have been excellent.

England trail India (445 all out) by 126 runs

Tom Hartley stumped by Dhruv Jurel bowled Ravindra Jadeja for 9 (17b)

What’s going to be the approach from England now? Wood can hit a long ball, but he’s not likely to stick around for long.

It doesn’t take long to find out as Hartley charges down to Jadeja, doesn’t get to the pitch of the ball and swings past it, with Jurel whipping off the bails.

Anderson and Wood are out in the middle, which was certainly not the plan for England at the start of play.

Wickets have fallen in clusters today, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is a wasted opportunity for England, who have lost too many set batters to poor shots.

England trail India (445 all out) by 131 runs

Rehan Ahmed bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 6 (13b)

Rehan picks out the gap in the covers to send Siraj to the rope.

But the bowler has the ultimate comeback as he fires down a superb yorker that pings the base of off stump and the bail drops.

It’s another wicket for India and they’re in a really dominant position in this match.

England trail India (445 all out) by 135 runs

One thing you’re not going to see from Rehan is a lack of confidence in this daunting scenario. It’s fair to say he’s a young cricketer who doesn’t seem troubled by self-doubt.

He plays Jadeja calmly and sensibly, rotating the strike.

And Hartley uses his feet before driving straight back past the bowler for four.

England trail India (445 all out) by 140 runs

Rehan scampers through for a single after inside-edging Siraj to backward square.

England trail India (445 all out) by 141 runs

Hartley and Rehan can bat so there’s still reason for positivity for England with these two out there.

A wonderfully driven four from Hartley off Jadeja gives the Barmy Army something to cheer.

England trail India (445 all out) by 145 runs

Ben Foakes caught by Rohit Sharma bowled Mohammed Siraj for 13 (37b)

It’s two in two balls for India as Siraj strikes with the first ball of his over, fooling Foakes with a slower ball that he can only chip to mid-on. He goes for 13 and England are in serious trouble now.

Today has been a reminder of just how hard it is to score runs against India in India. Yes there have been some poor shots, but the bowling has been really good from India and they are well on top in this game now.

On a surface that will get better for bowling as the match progress, you’d expect a 100-run first-innings lead to be a winning position for the home side, even without Ashwin in the attack.

A single for the new batter Tom Hartley brings up the 300 for England.

England trail India (445 all out) by 146 runs

Ben Stokes caught by Jasprit Bumrah bowled by Ravindra Jadea for 41 (89b)

Stokes will be furious with himself. He’s played sensibly to try and rebuild things for England, but goes big against Jadeja looking for the hit over the top and shanks a catch to Bumrah in the deep.

Rehan Ahmed is the new batter and England need the tail to wag in this afternoon session.

England trail India (445 all out) by 148 runs

Beautiful from Foakes who slots a drive through the covers and away for four.

He’s a classically organised sort of batter, not the explosive talent you get from the rest of this top order in the Bazball era, but he’s got plenty about him. His first-class average is 39 and he has two centuries to his name in his 22-Test career, so he’s a lot more than just a specialist keeper.

He picks up another couple from the over as six come off it.

England trail India (445 all out) by 154 runs

Jadeja takes the ball after lunch. Does that mean his lack of involvement in this innings so far has been tactical rather than a fitness thing?

He missed the second Test of course due to injury, and this just his sixth over of the innings.

But he bowls pretty nicely and his over goes for the one single off Foakes.

England trail India (445 all out) by 155 runs

The players are back out there for the session that could define this Test. If England can play well and avoid a big first-innings deficit then they’ll be confident going into the back-half of the match. But this is going to be a tricky surface to chase anything big in the fourth innings, and India will be looking to cement their dominant position in the match.

Siraj bowls the first over after lunch and Stokes blocks it out for a maiden.

TNT Sports have the rights to broadcast this full series in the UK, so tune in to TNT Sports and discovery+ right now to see the third day’s action unfold.

It’s been India’s morning, no doubt about that, as they picked up three wickets with a bowling attack shorn of the services of Ashwin, who is expected to miss the remainder of the Test due to personal reasons.

Root’s wicket is the big talking point of the day, with his poor series continuing thanks to a remarkable dismissal as he reverse scooped Bumrah straight to second slip early in the day.

It was a good catch off a shot that has brought Root plenty of runs in the past, but given his own lack of form and the match situation as a whole, it was a questionable way to get out.

Bairstow didn’t hang around for long either, as his own struggles in the series continued with a fourth-ball duck – his eighth duck in Tests against India, the most by any player in history.

The England number five extended his stay in the middle with one of the worst batter reviews ever seen as he went upstairs to an lbw against Kuldeep that could hardly have been more out.

It wasn’t all bad news for England in the morning session, with Duckett going on to bring up his 150.

But the opener fell trying to put away a rank ball from Kuldeep that he miscued straight to Gill in the field, giving India their third wicket of the session and leaving them in a dominant position.

Kuldeep Yadav was the bowler of the morning, with Jadeja’s solitary over before lunch being the only reason the wrist spinner didn’t bowl through the entire session.

And credit should also go to the two India quicks, who each put in monster spells at the other end, with Bumrah’s first hour showcasing his ability to threaten even with a soft old ball.

Stokes and Foakes will resume after lunch with England on 290-5, still 155 behind.

TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.

TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.

• England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
• TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
• TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

England trail India (445 all out) by 155 runs

Jadeja takes the final over before lunch – his first of the day.

One keeps low on Foakes to have him concerned for a split-second, but the Stokes-Foakes pairing make it through to the interval.

England trail India (445 all out) by 156 runs

Siraj’s latest over goes for one run as England try and get through to lunch without losing another.

An excellent take from Jurel down the leg side is a reminder that the replacement keeper is no mug with the gloves, despite plenty of byes in this first session.

England trail India (445 all out) by 157 runs

Foakes has been circumspect since coming in, but he picks up a first boundary with a lovely flick through midwicket.

England trail India (445 all out) by 161 runs

That’s more like it from Stokes, who pulls Siraj away to the rope. It wasn’t the best ball and it got the treatment it deserved.

The bowler almost burgles a wicket later in the over though as one keeps low on Stokes and he is millimetres away from chopping on.

England trail India (445 all out) by 167 runs

Kuldeep is bowling some magical stuff and beats the edge of Stokes’ bat with a ripsnorter.

The quality of the deliveries is extremely high, but it’s made even more dramatic by some pretty patchy keeping from Jurel, who was preferred to Bharat primarily because of his batting rather than talent with the gloves.

A big top edge temporarily has India interested, but Stokes is relieved to see it drop safe over the keeper’s head.

Relief for the England skipper to get off strike, although he drops his bat while trotting through for a single, which sums up how he’s faring against the wrist spinner right now.

England trail India (445 all out) by 170 runs

Stokes turns Siraj away for a single to keep the strike.

He’s dominated this partnership so far, taking the leading role in England’s rescue job after those three wickets.

England trail India (445 all out) by 171 runs

Kuldeep has bowled right through the morning so far, with no sign of Jadeja in the attack today and Ashwin absent for family reasons.

He’s bowling beautifully though, and really should pick up another in an over that sees Foakes beaten by a stunner that narrowly misses off stump, with Stokes playing all around a snorter later in the over which beats everything to run away for four byes.

England trail India (445 all out) by 177 runs

It’s another relatively cheap over for Siraj, who pings Stokes on the body with a bumper to end it.

England trail India (445 all out) by 179 runs

Stokes tucks into Kuldeep with a slog-sweep to the midwicket boundary.

England trail India (445 all out) by 184 runs

Not to spell out the obvious, but it’s rebuild time for England.

Siraj gets through an over that goes for one run.

The chatter about Root’s shot that contributed to the first wicket of the day grows louder by the minute.

It’s a conversation worth having for sure, although Bairstow will be grateful to have escaped attention for what was one of the worst batter reviews of all time after he was completely done up by Kuldeep.

England trail India (445 all out) by 185 runs

Ben Duckett caught by Shubman Gill bowled Kuldeep Yadav for 153 (151b)

Oh Duckett. It’s a sickener for the England man as Kuldeep sends down a rank one that’s short and wide, but Duckett shanks it as he tries to put it away and loops a catch straight to Gill in the ring.

He literally holds his head in his hands, that’s such a disappointing way to get out, but when you live by the sword you can die by it too.

But as he heads back to the dugout let’s take a moment to celebrate a truly phenomenal knock from the opener.

That’s the third wicket of the morning and brings Ben Foakes to the crease, with England still a long way behind. It’s been India’s day so far for sure.

England trail India (445 all out) by 185 runs

It’s time for a first bowling change of the day, over an hour into play. Siraj replaces Bumrah after that lengthy spell from the strike bowler, and Stokes tucks into the second seamer.

He flicks one away to long-on for four and then bags another boundary with a fizzing driver that flies away through the covers in the blink of an eye.

England trail India (445 all out) by 193 runs

Stokes was very watchful before drinks, but he’s given himself time and reckons now is the best time for a change of approach.

He lays into Kuldeep, smashing him back over the top for a one-bounce four.

Remember that India are without Ashwin for the rest of this Test. They still have a very good bowling attack even without the services of the 500-wicket man, with two contrasting left arm spinners and a pace duo who are among the best in the world.

They will have 11 players on the pitch all day of course, with a substitute fielder allowed to replace Ashwin. But the additional player won’t be allowed to bat or bowl in the match.

England trail India (445 all out) by 198 runs

Bumrah has bowled straight through this first hour and he ends the mammoth spell with a maiden. That signals time for drinks, with India enjoying the better of the early action on this third day.

If England don’t get up towards parity in this innings then there’s going to be a lot of chat about the shot Joe Root played earlier to get out, reverse scooping Bumrah straight to second slip. In fact, there’s going to be a lot of chat about it regardless.

It did seem to be a big risk given the scenario, but then the batter will say that he’s scored plenty of runs with that shot, and it was execution rather than intent that was the problem.

You can’t expect chanceless cricket from a team scoring as fast as England currently do, but should Root be the exception to England’s overall approach?

Root averages 14 from five knocks in this series, which is nowhere near what you’d expect from a player of his quality.

And Bairstow, the other batter to go today, averages 19.6 across his five innings.

Those two are at the heart of England’s batting order, and the team will need at least one of them to deliver in the remainder of the series.

England trail India (445 all out) by 198 runs

The lead slips below 200 for the first time, but that feels a long way off for England right now.

They’re on the ropes in the face of some excellent bowling from Bumrah and Kuldeep. The spinner almost gets Duckett, beating him in the flight.

England trail India (445 all out) by 201 runs

Bumrah is performing miracles with an old ball that is offering him very little, going through all of his clever variations.

A cutter takes a leading edge from Duckett but it drops safe, and Stokes edges down, well-short of the cordon to end another extremely dangerous over.

England trail India (445 all out) by 202 runs

One ball after giving the toughest of chances to Rohit at slip, a reverse sweep that takes an under-edge gives Duckett his 150. It’s not the best shot of his knock that’s for sure, but this has been a brilliant innings from the opener.

Stokes almost goes next ball as Kuldeep gets one to turn and bounce and it catches the elbow of the batter and beats everything to run away for four leg byes.

India are in the game here, it’s a dangerous spell for the two batters out there.

England trail India (445 all out) by 207 runs

Two fours come from Bumrah’s over, but both are edges.

Duckett tries to flick one away and it takes a leading edge over the head of gully.

And Stokes edges with a prod forward and it fizzes away through the cordon all along the ground.

England trail India (445 all out) by 216 runs

Three runs come off the over as Kuldeep’s spell continues.

England still trail by more than 200 and Foakes is the only recognised batter to come. There’s some talent amongst the bowlers, with Rehan and Hartley particularly capable, but this partnership feels crucial.

England trail India (445 all out) by 219 runs

Bumrah almost has Stokes with a beauty that is a whisker away from off stump.

One run comes from the over and it’s time for England to regroup after that double setback.

Bairstow was done by a decent delivery as his relatively disappointing campaign continues, but Root has himself to blame after attempting an unusual shot against Bumrah.

This feels like the sort of day where England’s most talented batter could have made hay, and he’s thrown that away – although there’s an interesting debate on commentary about whether or not Root’s approach under Bazball is acceptable or not.

While the accepted wisdom is that Root hasn’t found a settled approach in England’s aggressive set-up, it’s worth noting that he averaged 65.58 in eight Tests across 2023 – his best yearly return since 2014.

England trail India (445 all out) by 220 runs

Jonny Bairstow lbw to Kuldeep Yadav for 0 (4b)

One wicket brings two as Kuldeep traps Bairstow straight in-front and the finger eventually goes up.

After a long discussion the new batter reviews but I’m not entirely sure why. He was nowhere near connecting with a ball that turned a long back into him and caught him flush in front.

DRS says it’s hitting middle of middle and Bairstow doesn’t even wait for the confirmation after seeing the initial replay. He’s not troubled the scorers and has burned a review in frankly embarrassing fashion.

Ben Stokes is the new batter and India have a chance to get into England’s lower order this morning and give themselves a first-innings lead.

England trail India (445 all out) by 221 runs

Joe Root caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal bowled Jasprit Bumrah for 18 (31b)

It’s a gift for India as Root attempts to play a sort of reverse scoop off Bumrah, but he doesn’t connect and guides it to Jaiswal at second slip, who holds on to a catch that came at him very fast.

Root is furious with himself and it’s a big breakthrough for India, who really needed an early wicket to set themselves up in this first session today.

England trail India (445 all out) by 222 runs

Duckett tucks in to Kuldeep off the first ball of the spinner’s second over, aggressively sweeping him away through midwicket for four runs.

There’s a scare for the centurion later in the over though, as he hesitates when called through for a quick single and is fortunate that the throw from a scrambling Jurel isn’t better. The keeper had to move quite a bit to get to the ball, but Duckett would have been in trouble with a direct hit.

England trail India (445 all out) by 229 runs

Bumrah continues and Root takes advantage of one that’s a bit short, playing it very late to dab it away for the first boundary of the day. Six runs come from the over.

India are wearing black armbands today, although the official word is that it’s not related to Ashwin’s absence, but is in memory of Dattajirao Gaekwad, former India captain, who passed away earlier this week.

England trail India (445 all out) by 235 runs

It’s Kuldeep rather than Siraj at the other end to start the day, and he’s operating with a rather defensive field.

Root makes a watchful start against the spinner, picking up just a single.

England trail India (445 all out) by 236 runs

Bumrah bowls the first over of the day. The first hour was pretty lively for the quicks on the opening two days, although on both occasions England had a new ball to go along with the slightly hazy conditions.

It’s a bashed up 35-year-old ball for Bumrah and it’ll be interesting to see what he can extract from the pitch before any overnight moisture completely burns away.

England have been relatively wary against the quick all innings as a rule, and two singles come from his over. He’s still going at more than 4s, but that’s far less than any other bowler in the attack.

Ravichandran Ashwin will not be involved in the play today and has withdrawn from the remainder of the Test just a day after becoming the ninth player in history to take 500 Test wickets, with the off-spinner pulling out of the match due to a family emergency.

It’s sad and concerning news and our thoughts are with Ashwin and his family.

It might be exceptionally early on this Saturday morning, but if you’re tuning in to TNT Sports then you’ve made an excellent decision.

This third Test is fascinatingly poised after a second day that saw the momentum swing in England’s favour thanks to Ben Duckett’s remarkable century.

India still have a substantial lead though, and will remain hopeful of securing a big first-innings advantage for the third time in the series.

• England reach 207-2 at six-an-over but still trail by 238
• Ben Duckett scores brilliant 133* from 118 balls
• Ravichandran Ashwin reaches 500-wicket landmark

Bazball has truly arrived in this series, with England ending day two of the third Test on 207-2, and with Ben Duckett set to resume on 133* after hitting a brilliant century.

Duckett’s 133 runs have come off just 118 balls, featuring 21 fours and two sixes, with England rattling along at almost six runs an over and give a high-quality India attack all sorts of problems.

Zak Crawley (15) and Ollie Pope (39) were the two wickets to fall for England, with Ravichandran getting Crawley to make history with his 500th wicket in Test cricket, becoming only the ninth bowler to do so.

Ashwin also played a decent part with the bat earlier in the day as India got up to 445 in their first innings, meaning that they still lead by 238 despite being put to the sword by England in the evening session.

England started the day with a bang, taking two early wickets to give hope of wrapping up India’s innings quickly

James Anderson had the nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav caught behind for the first dismissal of the day.

And centurion Ravindra Jadeja was unable to start again as he chipped a catch straight back to Joe Root.

But India ground out the runs in the remainder of an attritional morning session, as Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel ensured India went beyond 400.

Two bad drops after lunch didn’t prove hugely expensive for England, but a late flurry from Jasprit Bumrah (26 from 28 balls) lifted India up to 445 all out – a decent total, especially having been 33-3 early on.

All five England bowlers took wickets in the innings, with Mark Wood ending with figures of 4-114 and Rehan Ahmed bagging 2-85. Tom Hartley bowled tidily and racked up 40 overs in the innings, while there was plenty of work for Wood and Anderson, who got through 27.5 and 25 overs respectively.

There was also a moment of slight controversy as India were hit with five penalty runs as Ashwin was warned for running down the wicket, meaning that England started their innings on 5-0 without facing a ball.

Duckett’s stunning century saw England counter-attack in their innings, which started with a mini-spell before tea and continued with a flurry of runs in the evening session.

But India still hold a significant lead with three days of this Test remaining, and England will need to bat well on the third day to take advantage of their strong start.

TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.

TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.

• England’s five-Test tour of India will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+
• TNT Sports will broadcast England’s white ball tour (3 x ODIs and 5 x T20s) of India in January-February 2025
• TNT Sports will broadcast England’s tour of India, currently scheduled for January-February 2028.

You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.