Live Report: India vs England, 5th Test, Dharamsala - Duckett falls ...

1m ago

Three wickets, no runs. Three reviews burned in the process. And Kuldeep Yadav has five wickets on the first day of the match! Ben Stokes has no answer to a massive wrong'un, ripping into his pads as he plays once again from deep in his crease. It's missing nothing, despite his optimistic appeal for a second opinion. For England, this contest is going south at a rate of knots now.

13m ago

Amid all the drama at the other end, we've barely mentioned Joe Root's innings... which in ordinary circumstances tends to be a sign that he's ticking along very nicely, thank you. But this time, his stealthy advance to 26 from 56 balls comes to an abrupt end, courtesy of a classic two-card trick from Ravindra Jadeja. A big ripper beats his outside edge, then in comes the slider, skidding into the knee-roll as Root thrusts down the line of the ball. He reviews, just in the nick of time, but might wish he hadn't. This is as plumb as Rod Tucker's initial verdict had implied. And England are in some strife all of a sudden at 175 for 5, and with two men on 0.

Incidentally, they were playing "Freefallin'" over the PA system earlier ... part of a banging 1980s school-disco style set of tunes from the stadium DJ. Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir were nodding along very happily at that stage, oblivious of what was looming...

23m ago

Is he here for a long time or a good time? Jonny Bairstow has come out blazing in his 100th Test appearance, and already it's getting rowdy. Kuldeep Yadav could in theory have had his fourth of the innings at the end of his 13th over, but Bairstow's smashed drive back through the line arrived so hard and fast he barely had time to wrap his fingers round the chance. In the same over, Bairstow popped a leading edge back down the pitch then slammed a flat straight six through the line before rocking back for a cut to the edge of the point boundary.

Another six over deep midwicket in Kuldeep's next over takes him past 6000 Test runs, and it's clear that his method today is to double down on length balls in his slot. Buckle up!

EDIT: We have our answer... he was here for a good time. In the same over, Bairstow lashes into another drive, this time outside his eyeline, and there's a palpable nick to the keeper. For some reason he reviews, with conviction rather than out of hope, perhaps thinking he's scuffed the ground. But nope, that's Kuldeep's fourth, and his 50th in Tests too.

46m ago

It's been a fine innings from Crawley, but there's no way to pretend it's been chanceless. Another opportunity goes begging for India, this time with Crawley on 78 and facing up to Ravindra Jadeja's second delivery. It's in the slot for a drive, but the chance scuffs back down the pitch at a tough but catchable height, only for the bowler to parry it with one hand above his head.

But, it doesn't matter in the end. Because one over and one run later, back comes Kuldeep with another magnificent dismissal. Oodles of air from over the wicket, dipping on a teasing length outside off, and ripping back through the gate as Crawley climbs through another drive. He's lived by that stroke today, and ultimately he dies by it. Still no hundred in a fine but unfulfilled series - instead it's his third 70, after scores of 76 and 73 in Visag, and his fourth fifty overall. And out comes Jonny Bairstow, for his 100th Test, and with England in need of a good stand to make this start count.

1h ago

402 runs in the series for Crawley

Crawley keeps pushing for the runs as Jasprit Bumrah returns to the attack, not coincidentally with Joe Root at the crease and in his sights. Crawley opens the face to guide Bumrah down through deep third for his 12th boundary of the innings, to pass 400 for the series - second only to the out-of-sight Jaiswal on 655.

There's a minor moment of comedy in the same over, as Dhruv Jurel appeals vociferously for a strangle down the leg-side, but Sarfaraz - recently denied a catch at short leg - gives a very animated shrug of ambivalence when asked for his opinion. It's an entirely appropriate response too. Replays show that the noise that Jurel heard was a flick off Crawley's pad.

1h ago

A potentially huge moment from the second delivery after lunch. Kuldeep Yadav, with Ollie Pope's wicket already in the over, fires another left-arm legbreak into Zak Crawley's hip. The ball deflects off Dhruv Jurel's gloves down the legside and pops up into Sarfaraz Khan's hands at short leg, and he is absolutely convinced he's heard an inside-edge! Rohit Sharma can't be persuaded to review it, though, and Jurel seems to have the casting vote. The big screen soon confirms the tickle of bat, however, and it could have been 101 for 3, with Crawley gone for 61...

Kuldeep is settling into a magnificent spell either way, and soon afterwards he rips a huge turner through Joe Root's defences, and over his stumps. Dicey times for England, who surely have to make this start count for them.

2h ago

Lunch England 100 for 2 (Crawley 61*) vs India

Kuldeep has his second of the session, and once again, Ollie Pope's skittishness is his downfall! On 11, he rushes out of the crease to clip one through the leg-side, but is playing for the ball that turns into his pads. This one is the googly, skidding straight on and into Dhruv Jurel's gloves. That will be lunch, and India go to the break with a huge fillip!

Zak Crawley, however, is unmoved at the break, on 61 not out, having launched the first six of the match clean down the ground off Ashwin in the penultimate over of the session. That late breakthrough aside, England will be satisfied with their morning's work, having survived a torrid examination in swinging conditions. They were 112 for 5 at the same stage in Ranchi, and it could have been very similar here had Bumrah got stuck in.

That dismissal, incidentally, puts Pope at the top of a very eclectic list ... Sampath has crunched the numbers for us.

2h ago

381 at 47.62 in nine innings. Four fifties. Crawley's stats for this India tour

Another languid drive down the ground for four off Kuldeep Yadav, and Zak Crawley eases through to his fourth half-century of the series. This latest effort has come from a perfectly brisk 64 balls, with nine fours, the majority of them caressed through the off-side as he continues to use his long reach to superb effect. He's close to Joe Root's feat in 2016-17 of five fifty-plus scores on a tour of India. Is today the day for that elusive century?

India's decision to back Kuldeep over Akash Deep's third-seamer option looks like being the correct one, all the same. His wiles, allied to Ashwin's probing at the other end, has kept India in the hunt for wickets even as the runs keep flowing in England's preferred style. Crawley had to endure another review for lbw as Kuldeep ripped one into his pads... HawkEye suggested the ball was missing leg by a distance, but Kuldeep's reaction suggested it had been somewhat tighter than that.

2h ago

R Ashwin, in his 100th Test, is the first of India's spinners to enter the attack, shortly after drinks in the 15th over. Almost immediately, Ben Duckett ducks into a scoop for four over his shoulder, as he makes it plain he won't be dying wondering against the slow bowlers, as had been the case with his tentative departure against Ashwin in Ranchi.

Unfortunately for Duckett and England, that approach proves to be his undoing when Kuldeep enters the attack three overs later. After a firm punch down the ground for four, Duckett climbs through the googly with a swipe over the leg-side, but gets a steepling leading edge for Shubman Gill to cling on to a fabulous catch, running back from cover. The opening stand falls shortly after the fifty mark is reached once again, and India are on the board.

2h ago

Ben Stokes' successful call at the toss has perhaps helped to spare England's coaching staff from an unlikely return to playing duties, after both Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood were named as substitute fielders for the fifth Test.

The two assistant coaches were included in the official list submitted to the ICC, following the illness that caused Ollie Robinson to remain back at the team hotel for the first day's play. Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach have already flown home, reducing the available players to 14, and with Shoaib Bashir also under the weather despite being selected, that bench strength could have been tested had England been asked to field first.

Trescothick and Collingwood were among the finest fielders of their generation during their playing careers. Collingwood took 96 catches in 68 Test appearances, and Trescothick 95 in 76, placing them 12th and 13th respectively among non-wicketkeepers in England's Test history. They had been put through their paces during a staff versus players catching competitionon the eve of the match.

3h ago

He's had some tight ones in this series, and here's another marginal call, but on this occasion it goes in England's favour. Once again the ball is zeroing in on Zak Crawley's leg bail as Mohammad Siraj shapes the ball back into his pads. But umpire Joel Wilson says no, and HawkEye shows that the ball would indeed have been clipping leg. There were two sounds which might have influenced the decision, but it was front pad onto back.

Crawley was on 29 at the time, having just laced yet another sumptuous drive through the covers, as England reach 47 for 0 at drinks, the seventh time in the sereies they've reached 45 or more. They've only once gone past 55 though, and haven't yet reached three figures. So clearly room to build on this start.

3h ago

Jasprit Bumrah's fourth over of the morning contains once of the deliveries of the year, an absolute seed to Zak Crawley that shapes in at his pads to lure a clip across the line, before jagging and climbing wickedly off the seam to skim over the top of the off bail. Crawley and the slips are dumbfounded by what they've just witnessed. The pitch is just beginning to warm up as the lacquer comes off the new ball, and there's more bounce on evidence one ball later, as Crawley stabs a somewhat chancy boundary down through the gully to keep England moving.

At the other end, Ben Duckett is enduring a tricky morning against the swinging ball, with his renowned desire to play at every delivery keeping the bowlers very interested. Siraj in particular has a phalanx of close catchers in front of square on the leg side, for those pokes in the air when he tightens his line into the pads. So far they haven't paid off, but one or two deliveries have flown close to hand.

Nevertheless, England's openers keep chalking up the runs, albeit with sizeable slices of luck including two leading edges in consecutive balls for Crawley off Bumrah, as he and Duckett look to keep attacking through the danger.

The average swing in the first 10 overs today: 2.4 degrees. In the first 10 overs of all other Tests: under one degree.

4h ago

Early impressions after three overs... there's an abundance of swing on offer, as was anticipated in the cloudy, chilly conditions, but the bounce in the surface is, so far, less pronounced than was promised... though having said that, Jasprit Bumrah jags an absolute jaffa past Ben Duckett's splice in his second over, so there's life in there somewhere.

So far this morning, the running has been made by Zak Crawley, with a flick for three off his pads against Bumrah, and a crunching cover-drive for four as Mohammad Siraj over-pitches. There are no beanies in evidence in the slip cordon (where Jadeja is making a rare appearance, with Shubman Gill nursing a sore finger), so it's not quite County Championship vibes out there, but it's not far off. Puffa jackets to the fore in the England dressing-room.

4h ago

First blood to England as Ben Stokes calls correctly and chooses to bat first on a chilly morning, on a pitch that Nick Knight, on the commentary feed, has described as a "belter".

"Looking at the wicket, if you were in England on a morning like this, you'd have a bat," Stokes says. "If you look at the results of the last few months you could not come away with what you want, we'd like to be in a better position. But this is another opportunity to represent your country."

Prior to the toss, Jonny Bairstow was handed a commemorative cap for his 100th Test appearance. Joe Root did the presentation honours, with Bairstow's mother Janet, sister Becky, partner Megan and son all alongside him.

"Jonny is one of our best-ever all-format players. Great to share the moment with his family," Stokes says.

Rohit Sharma admits he too would have batted first. "Another opportunity to finish the series on a high. It looks a good pitch, a bit hard so some good bounce that we've not yet seen in this series."

On R Ashwin's 100th Test, he adds: "Ash has been a real stalwart of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and the family. We will be rooting for him to do the magic."

Devdutt Padikkal has been handed his cap, so will be making his Test debut in place of the under-performing Rajat Patidar, who was actually not available for selection after being struck on his left ankle during India's practice session on the eve of the game. Meanwhile Bumrah returns for Akash Deep. Three spinners it is.

R Ashwin has also received a cap to commemorate his 100th Test. His ceremony took place after the toss, with Rahul Dravid - a team-mate on debut, and now his coach - doing the honours. Ashwin's wife and his daughters were present for the moment, but his parents sadly were not - as we know, his mother fell ill during the third Test so was not well enough to travel.

England Z Crawley, BM Duckett, OJ Pope, JE Root, JM Bairstow, BA Stokes (capt), BT Foakes (wk), TW Hartley, MA Wood, Shoaib Bashir, JM Anderson

India YBK Jaiswal, RG Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, D Padikkal, RA Jadeja, SN Khan, DC Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, JJ Bumrah

5h ago

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live blog from the fifth Test between India and England in Dharamsala. It could have been the setting for the ultimate series showdown, and for two days in Ranchi, we seemed odds-on to be looking at a 2-2 series scoreline. But India stretched their legs in the closing stages of the contest, through the peerless spin wiles of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav on the one hand, and through the nerveless rookie knowhow of Dhruv Jurel on the other, whose first-innings 90 dragged his side out of a major hole, before sealing the contest with a superbly composed 39 not out on the final afternoon.

And so, what should we expect at the fifth time of asking? Are England a broken team after three consecutive defeats, each of which seemed more dispiriting than the last, even as the margins between the sides became all the tighter? Or can England's uncompromisingly laissez-faire attitude to pressure and punishment drills allow them to regroup with clear minds and carte blanche to go again? For six of the squad, albeit just three of the starting XI, a visit to the Dalai Lama will doubtless have enhanced that zen-like approach.

For India, however, there’s no reason for any let-up. For starters, there’s the occasion of Ashwin’s 100th Test to inspire them (a landmark he’ll be sharing with England’s Jonny Bairstow), then there’s the incentive for Yashasvi Jaiswal to turn a monumental series into an all-time-great, Gavaskar-in-the-West-Indies-style leviathan. He’s already level with Virat Kohli's haul of 655 runs in 2016-17, the most in a series against England… what, realistically, is his limit now?

Then there’s the return of Jasprit Bumrah, a man who produced an all-timer of a performance to square the series in Visakhapatnam and whose hold over Joe Root has been a fundamental reason for India’s 3-1 lead. And, quite frankly, there’s the chance to rub England’s noses in it a bit, a notion that Rohit Sharma didn’t shy away from on the eve of the Test, with his latest digs about the B-word, and well, what is it exactly? Perhaps, over the next five days, England can serve up a reminder of just why they got the world talking so much in the first place.

The toss will be coming up at 9am IST, with play set to begin at 9.30am. In the meantime, here's some required reading to keep you busy, starting with the match preview by yours truly.

Here's Karthik Krishnaswamy with the dilemma that India, presumably, have worked out by now... three spinners or three seamers, which will it be?

And here's Ashwin in his own words as he prepares to play his own 100th Test. Sidharth Monga sat down with him on the eve of the occasion.