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    England vs India, second Test, day three live: Score and updates from Edgbaston – The Telegraph

     
     
    Here’s Jadeja for his first post lunch spell. Dinesh Karthik says India try to control games with Jadeja rattling through overs at the cost of roughly three per. But he bowled too quickly earlier and was going at 4.8 runs per over. 
    His comeback over is better and yields only a single when Brook drives between point and cover. 
    Brook works a single with a stir of the bottom hand to cuff an off-stump delivery through midwicket. Siraj keeps plugging away on off stump and Smith defends one then claws a single to mid-on off the inside half of the toe. Brook ends the over with a sharp single to midwicket with a meaty clip.
    India’s seamers have done a reasonable job of slowing England’s charge down this afternoon, but haven’t really looked like taking a wicket due to some mature batting. Surely, though, India’s two spinners should be wheeling away at the moment. We are only 15 overs from the new ball, and it’s the hottest part of the day with an old (albeit changed) ball.
    With one eye on what’s happening in Cardiff tonight, the Hollies sing Wonderwall. Deep’s movement in to the right-handers again twice finds Smith’s inside-edge. He strolls a leg-bye when the ball misses the inside edge and Brook fillets a cut for a single.
    This is really one of England’s greatest ever Test innings. Jamie Smith arrived on a hat-trick at 84-5, with England 503 runs behind. Under four hours later he’s on 150, scored at better than a-run-a-ball. It’s been chanceless, with Smith’s regal pulling standing out.
    India turn back to their best bowler, Mohammed Siraj. Brook cuts the first for a single, chopping it on to the fake grass cover of the stump mic hole on the next pitch across, dislodging it, which tickles Brook and Ian Ward as well. “I’ve never sin that before,” says Ward, a hint of pure Devon in his pronunciation. Jam first or cream first, Wardy?
    Brook almost drags on when driving but diverts the ball into his pad and then past the stumps. Brook drives a single to cover and Smith reaches 150 with a cut for a single. Good over from Siraj nonetheless. Full of pace and spice.
    1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ and counting for Jamie Smith 🪄 pic.twitter.com/l285vmmvnx
    Now Deep errs too short and Smith leans back to cart it through midwicket for four with a pleasing combination of golden syrup timing and brute force. Akash pitches the next two up and Smith flicks the first for a single in front of square leg, Brook clips a single behind square leg. 
    England are benefiting more from the ball change than India, finding this harder pill easier to inflict violence upon than the sponge that preceded it. Smith creams a cover drive off Nitish for four and clobbers a pull for another next ball. With Nitish’s pace on this pitch, banging it in is a plainly silly tactic. 
    Whatever happens in the rest of this match it has become clear we are seeing the future of English batting. Jamie Smith and Harry Brook are 24 and 26. I would bet too that Brook will be the next Test captain, Smith his vice-captain.
    India have a replacement ball – the umpires called drinks on to kill two birds with one, erm, [cherry] stone. Ian Ward reckons this ball will swing having seen Akash Deep having a couple of practice deliveries to mid-on. 
    Indeed it does a bit, shaping away from Brook who leaves it alone then cuffs the shorter one to deep backward square. Smith on-drives ano-ball for a single. England bowled eight no-balls in 151 overs. India have bowled 11 in 61. 
    Until India’s pacers started bowling wide of the wicket and slowed the scoring rate down, this partnership between Harry Brook and Jamie Smith was on a par with the Root-Bairstow stand which saw England home here four years ago. And that was as dazzling as they come…
    India have picked two spinners but it seems less likely by the minute that they can be a force in the first innings. They may have impact later if this featherbed of a pitch wears at all but for now it’s still seam at both ends and it’s effective. Brook scythes a cut off Nitish for a single, Smith brings up England’s 300 after surviving a big leg-before appeal by virtue of a thick inside edge and Brook gleans a third single with a tip and run approach to midwicket.
    Drinks. 
    Akash replaces Prasidh and he continues the dry spell, going for only a single from the ball that deviated from the corridor, trying to surprise him with the inducker. An inside-edge into the pads brought him the run into the legside. 
    It’s 2.30 on a Friday afternoon, so the Hollies Stand is starting to liven up. There’s 40-odd blokes dressed as the Flintstones, including hard hats. Which is necessary given England’s approach with the bat.
    Anyway,  they’ve noticed that England have knocked off half of India’s India’s target, so Livin On A Prayer is getting an airing. 
    That’s a thumping stroke from Brook, pasting an off drive for four, mullering the ball past the fielder who was too square, flirting with extra-cover. Nitish’s next ball is too straight and Brook whisks it into the onside for a single while Smith does the same but for double the dividend.
    England need another 91 to avoid the follow-on, not that India would enforce it any circumstances today. 
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