India v England: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live

20th over: India 73-3 (Rohit 44, Rahul 16) Rahul drives Wood hard, earning one to deep backward point, then Rohit twizzles another to deep square. At some point, he’s going to go at someone, but he’ll be conscious that, after Yadav and Jadeja, his side don’t have much batting so he needs to stick around. In comms, Nasser points out that Wood is bowling from wide because he doesn’t like crumbly footholds, but another single means three off the over, and he’ll take that.
“Just two other things on subject of Adge,” returns Kim Thonger. “The Somerset pronunciation of Joie De Vivre, is of course Joyder Veever, and might have been a perfect title for a Bazball anthem penned by Cutler. And in case anyone cares to know more about Adge, my school chum Kelvin MacDonald Fraser, now a respected solicitor in Weston-super-Mare, is the worlds leading authority on the man, and also has a side gig as the leader of the (peace-loving) Somerset separatist movement, going by the nom de plume Al Cyder.”
What are we calling this new land?
19th over: India 70-3 (Rohit 43, Rahul 14) A better over for England yielding three singles into the deep, and Buttler will be thinking about how best to husband his resources here. He needs some overs out of Livingstone and Moeen; might soon, while these two rebuild, be the best time for that? Or does he hope for another wicket first?
“In case any followers of our cult need an international listening link, “offers Ian Copestake, this works lovely.”
18th over: India 67-3 (Rohit 42, Rahul 12) Wood beats Rahul outside off then gets edged for four. A single to square leg follows and India are upping the rate a little here; this partnership is now 27 off 36 and England could use a breakthrough before it gathers further momentum.
17th over: India 62-3 (Rohit 42, Rahul 7) Back we go, Rahul easing Rahid to cover for one … then Rohit stands up on tippy-toes, waiting for the ball before caressing it through extra for four. Two singles follow.
“I know that English cricket is prone to introspection and hyperbole,” says Sam McCormack, but seriously, calling Adil Rashid a great of the game is just nonsense. His stats show that he’s been fine.”
I didn’t call him a great of the game, I called him a great of English cricket, and I don’t really see how that’s even a debate. He’s a double world champion having played 131 ODIs and 99 T20Is; without him, his country win neither pot.
16th over: India 55-3 (Rohit 37, Rahul 5) Ahahahaha! Wood finishes his over with a wide one and Rohit unloads the suitcase, clobbering four through backward point! That’s drinks, at the end of a seriously enjoyable first passage.
The ball wasn’t just avoiding leg, it was missing it by a way!
I think this is out because Rohit didn’t get very far down, but it did hit him in front of leg…
Now then! Rohit presses forward but can’t get bat around pad; was the ball going down?
16th over: India 51-3 (Rohit 33, Rahul 4) Wood into the attack at the end of a fantastic spell from Woakes. Rahul takes one to cover, then wears one that cramps him on the pads; in comms, Nasser notes this isn’t a day for pace because the batters will be hoping for it … but what’s this?
“This game reminds me of an old school one-day international from about 1990,” writes Rob Durbin. “Half-expecting Eddie Hemmings come on from one to end keep it tight whilst they bring on Derek Pringle from the other. Also, if it was 1990 I’d be 15 and it would be perfectly OK to sit around all day, watching the cricket rather than going out and doing stuff like the adult I am. Sometimes I think childhood was better!”
It’s always OK.
15th over: India 50-3 (Rohit 33, Rahul 4) Another good and quick Rashid over, a single from it – to Rahul, to cover.
“There was a lot of talk during yesterday’s game about Pink Floyd,” writes Kim Thonger. “Their LPs were quite good but nothing in their repertoire can really compete with Adge Cutler & The Wurzels ‘All Over Mendip’ live at The Webbington. I have never understood why they have not headlined Glastonbury or won the Mercury Prize … and Adge himself, regardless of his actual cricketing ability, would I think have instinctively understood the core philosophy of Bazball and written a perfect theme tune for this era.”
I actually played me nine-year-old Shine On You Crazy Diamond part one the other day – not many songs have blown my mind in the way that did. Naturally, my nipper wasn’t having it then, as the solo kicked in at the end, my wife came down and turned the stereo off because Ocado had arrived and I’d not heard the door. All in all, an extremely edifying episode.
14th over: India 49-3 (Rohit 33, Rahul 3) Rahul gets down the other end at the first time of asking, nudging to leg for one. I’m sure the prospect of six balls at him, bowling an English-style Test-length, helped persuade Buttler not to make a change, but that’s soon out of the window then, after two further singles, Rohit’s seen enough, tippy-toeing down the track to muscle a one-bounce four down the ground and finish Woakes’ over, probably spell, with a boundary. India need that.
“Although England’s failure is more extreme than I would have expected,” says David Murray, “|I think there has been some serious overhyping of their abilities going into this tournament. Yes, they have some players who can bat very well at times. But so do all the other top teams. You say, ‘all it takes is one knock from one of their many ludicrous matchwinners’ – but that also requires the opposition matchwinners not produce an equal or better knock. Did we really think even before the tournament that Bairstow, Butler, Brook etc were better players than Rohit, Gill, Kohli etc or Warner, Head, Smith, Maxwell etc. or the South Africans, or New Zealand, or even Pakistan’s batters. I’m not sure I would have picked a single England player in a world XI even before the tournament started. There is very little between the top players other than their ability to produce the goods on the day and with greater or lesser consistency. Every time England lost a warm-up match we’d see Butler or whoever saying that they failed to ‘execute their skills’! But being able to execute your skills consistently is what it’s all about – anyone can hit a six now and then, look at how often bowlers do it. England have never really been consistent winners and need to realise that being able to produce the occasional remarkable innings does not make you world beaters. I can’t help thinking they believed their own hype far too readily.”
But they literally are world beaters?
13th over: India 42-3 (Rohit 28, Rahul 1) India haven’t been tested much recently, so this match will be good for them even if they lose it. But in the meantime they need to rebuild even if this innings has Rohit ton and Jadeja violence written all over it. Two singles from this latest Rashid over, and Woakes will indeed go again; I get it, but I’d have liked Wood against Rahul while he’s settling in.
12th over: India 40-3 (Rohit 27, Rahul 0) Woakes finds his Test-match line and length to greet Rahul, and now has 2-16 off six. Does Buttler keep him going given his foot is on the throat?
Pressure tells! Woakes has been all over Iyer this over and he induces a top-edged pull that soars into the air before being snaffled by Wood! Are England back?
12th over: India 40-2 (Rohit 27, Iyer 4) Woakes continues and Rohit takes one to backward square, then Iyer sees one nipping off the seam and just past his off peg. This is very fine work and next ball, an edge that doesn’t carry, immediately, Root is brought up…
“Pitch looks a bit two-paced,” says John Jones. “250 will be a good score here.”
I’d think a few more than that, but yes, it doesn’t look like England will be chasing a brute.
11st over: India 39-2 (Rohit 26, Iyer 4) Rashid replaces Willey and cedes four singles in a decent first over. On which point, given we’re reflecting on the work done by this side, he is a genuine great of the English game. I’ll always think he could’ve done more in Tests but still, an absolutely terrific cricketer.
“Kudos to you for getting through your maths exam despite coughing up dates,” chortles Ian Copestake. I got 60% and Mr Economides was every it as bothered as you’d expect a man frequently seen sleeping in the staff room, copy of the Mirror over his head, to be.
10th over: India 35-2 (Rohit 24, Iyer 2) Rohit cuts a short one and though he doesn’t get all of it, his bravery in hiurling hands means it flies over Root at slip and to the fence for four – the only runs off the over, The first powerplay is over and England are doing nicely.
“I feel like these words could only have written by an Englishman,” says Scott Probst. ‘These players have changed the game, in the process upending everything everyone thought about English cricket and Test cricket’. England have played some great cricket, but the team’s trumpeting of their own towering insight into the games has been at times comical. My favourite moment: England making a horrendous racket about ‘the spirit of the game’TM while simultaneously ignoring the Spirit of The Game.”
I dunno, you could say the same about earlier India, Pakistan, West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka teams and it’d be true. England have moved the game on and it’s not about “towering insight” but what we’ve seen out in the middle over the last few years. They’ve left this thing of our different to how they found it.
9th over: India 31-2 (Rohit 20, Iyer 2) Willey goes again and, after three dots, Iyer shoves and Stokes shies; he hits, but the batter was home by a metre or so. England, though, are creating pressure, and if they can just find a way through Rohit, they’ll seriously fancy this. And of course, there’s a long way to go, but watching them this tournament, it’s seemed more like they’re having a run of bad calls and luck rather than these players we know to be brilliant have suddenly all hit the wall together.
“I know the scorecard will only show Kohli caught Stokes bowled Willey,” says Brian Withington, “but (to borrow from the football vernacular) might Malan’s magnificent stop in the covers earlier in the over qualify as an ‘assist’? (I think someone on commentary even presciently made the observation at the time that fielding like that can earn a wicket.)”
And beyond that, it just gets good vibes going; bowlers know they’re be helped, other fielders know the level expected of them, the batters get nothing for free.
8th over: India 31-2 (Rohit 20, Iyer 2) Woakes catches Iyer, who can’t decide how to play a length ball, waving a bat at it and directing a leading edge just shy of cover; they run one. This is excellent from England and India, if not rattled, are certainly pensive, Rohit advancing to smear a mishit pull to midwicket for two. The way the pitch is, it looks a good call by Buttler to let India investigate what constitutes a good score on it.
7th over: India 28-2 (Rohit 18, Iyer 1) Iyer gets away to cover, and I daresay we see Mark Wood soon.
Buttler will want some fiddled overs … but he’s got shot of Virat Kohli! And it’s a wicket created by that marvellous Malan stop because it keeps yerman on strike, he’s faced two further dots making it eight balls without scoring, and comes down the track to mishit a frustrated drive over the top that plops into the hands of Stokes at mid off. Have England have remembered how to play cricket?
7th over: India 27-1 (Rohit 18, Kohli 0) Buttler will want Willey to fiddle through a few more overs as Kohli settles; they’re quickly helped by Malan who, after Kohli plays down into the off side, dives to pull off a fine stop.
6th over: India 27-1 (Rohit 18, Kohli 0) Woakes is enjoying this now, four dots before squaring up Rohit who, hands and bat out in front of his front pad, goes hard and edges … but the ball still drops just in front of Root at slip! The pitch is two-paced and might just suit the England bowlers who’ve struggled to find much hitherto. And, as I type that, the final delivery of the over tails in; Rohit does well to leave it alone on length and it zips fibres over the stumps. Maiden.
“As you say, England can win this game – in theory,” writes Brian Withington. “Back at the ground I rather fear that they are about to be handed a shellacking for the ages by a magnificent Indian team in peak form. Of course I have been known to make the occasional prognostic error…”
5th over: India 27-1 (Rohit 18, Kohli 0) That’s the thing, isn’t it? Kill Gill, get Virat. Be careful what you wish for, eh? But this is a good start from Willey, who cedes just one and persuades another to first lift then jag past the shoulder of the bat. There’s something in this track – we see the wicket, and that Gill played down the right line – had the ball not nipped back. Interesting…
‘Maybe not a favourite moment watching this team,” says Tom Atkins, “but certainly the most memorable one for me was during the 2019 semi final against Australia when I was at a conference with my whole department. A lot of us had more than half an eye on the score but only one of us tried to watch the highlights of a wicket when the CFO was giving a presentation, forgetting that the sound was still on his laptop. It was laughed off, but I can still hear the sound of mental notes being made about me to this day.”
Ha! Tkes me back to the 1992 World Cup final, during which I had an end of term maths test, so I had the old Game Boy earphones down the blazer sleeve, face resting on hand, coughing updates to the roughly 0 people in the class who cared.
Woakes woakeses! A full ball that hips back, Gill tries another flowing drive, lacing fresh air through cover as behind him, he hears the rattle, top of middle and gone. England, and Woakes in particular, needed that.
4th over: India 26-0 (Rohit 17, Gill 9) Gill pokes two to midwicket, then Woakes thinks he’s heard an edge as the batter comes down – but hearing anything in this row can’t be easy. England decide not to review – rightly so, a replay suggests ball flicked pad – then squirts two around the corner.
3rd over: India 22-0 (Rohit 17, Gill 5) Off we go! Rohit twinkles down and clobbers a toe-ender over long on, so Willey drops shorter – that one was full – and of course he’s monstered over deep square for six! Eat that! Two singles follow, then Rohit again barrels down, thrashing Willey back over his head for six again, and it now feels like that early madien was just a tease. Eighteen off the over.
“Having personally sat through the torture that wss England’s capitulation to Sri Lanka in Bangalore’s steaming (but wonderfully vibrant) stadium,” brags Harry Lang, “I fear your 30-over skittlng is significantly more likely than a 320 chase. I’ve been wrong before, plenty of times. Let’s hope this is one of them.”
I can’t lie, nothing gives me greater joy than narrating an England batting collapse, and I’m certain Tanya, who’s on second dig, will deliver you the perfect rendition.
2nd over: India 4-0 (Rohit 0, Gill 4) Two dots, then Gill eases the first runs of the day through point and to the fence; he does not wait to be asked, that lad. So Woakes offers width next up and he’s fractions from seeing an airy drive dragged on; this is a good contest so far.
“Is there anyone more emblematic of this campaign than Woakes?” wonders Felix Wood. “His skillset which makes him a shoo-in elsewhere so obviously unsuited to this tournament, yet the powers that be just keep rolling the dice hoping for something to happen. Like winning the toss repeatedly and choosing the wrong option on gut feel. Madness.”
In general, the phrase “gut feel” is a misnomer and really – in mine of course – means “thinking”. On top of which, no cricketer has ever made me look stupid more often than Woakes, most recently last summer. I totally understand why Buttler has been loyal to him because he’s usually so reliable – what we’ve seen these last few matches can’t possibly continue. Can it?
1st over: India 0-0 (Rohit 0, Gill 0) Willey starts nicely, finding decent wobble-seam movement and offering neither width nor length and beating the edge with a beauty to finish the over. Maiden.
“I fear this could get very ugly indeed,” begins Guy Hornsby. “And I’m trying to figure out if we’re sticking with the mostly 2019 gunslingers because we’re stubborn or because we’re out of ideas. Flogging Wood and Woakes one more time when this is as good as a dead rubber feels strange but I guess they want to all go down fighting one last time. I guess Carse will play at some point. My fave moment? Smashing Australia in the 2019 semi final. Peak Morgan.”
I know what you mean. I guess the old stagers have earned this go, but as a fan I’d also like to see it moved forward with at least one pick for the future.
And play!
Housekeeping: please send emails to [email protected].
The locals reckon it skids on here once the lights are in play, but Nasser notes that when SA bowled second, it nibbled for their quicks. But as Athers reminds us, it’s not really about the toss, rather whether England have a performance in them. Rohit takes guard and Willey has the ball in his hand.
Athers thought England would bat first, and I hope Buttler’s decision is dictated by conditions, not by mental state of a team who just need to get into the game and hope that during it, they find themselves. Anthem time.
What’s your favourite moment watching this England side? I think mine is when I was stood in the toilet on holiday in Ghana and someone tweeted the bit in the World Cup doc where England are waiting to be handed the trophy and Jos Buttler tells Jonny Bairstow “Your dad would be proud”. Elite mateship, as Justin Langer would say.
Thing is, England are plenty good enough to win this – in theory. All it takes is one knock from one of their many ludicrous matchwinners and they’re right there, but if they get a going-over when bowling, that’ll feel even less unlikely than it seems now. If they can keep India to 320ish, they’ll fancy it, but if they need to do something silly just to stick in the match, I’d not be shocked if they were skittled in 30 overs.
I look at that England attack and I’m concerned. If Stokes could bowl, the balance would be pretty good, but without him it looks a little light, and another pace option would be helpful.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj.
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt/wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.
Eoin Morgan would’ve batted to get into the game, but thinks Buttler hopes the dew will bring the ball onto the bat late doors. I totally see why he wants to chase, but I do worry about England’s attack without the benefit of scoreboard pressure.
Rohit would’ve batted, the surface looks quite good. His team have had a week off which has given them time to see what’s going well and less well after a hectic start. India, too, are unchanged.
“More of a gut decision” says Jos Buttler and I imagine he just wants his team to chase, because that’s why they’re more comfy doing. The longer a bad spell goes on, the closer you are to getting out of it; England are unchanged.
India aren’t through with a win today, but they’re near. And it’s time for the toss…
India v England in the World Cup, though. Oooh yeah.
Of course, England can qualify if they win today; they can still qualify if they lose today, the permutations too numerous to list. More or less, if they win all their remaining fixtures – so beat India, Australia, Netherlands and Pakistan – they’ll have 10 points. SA and India are on that already with NZ and Australia on eight and a better net run-rate, so the chances any of those finish below the defending champs are exceedingly low.
I’ll level with you, people: when I was allocated this game, I did not expect to be performing a post-mortem on a still-convulsing body. But here we are.
This World Cup has been a humiliation to rank with some of England’s finest – and it’s a stratospheric bar – except for one thing: England are world champions in 50 overs and world champions in T20.
We could still sit here and enumerate reasons for the failure, or ruminate on sadness of watching a lovable, epochal team of hard, sensitive men put over the knee in front of us – but we’d be foolish to. These players have changed the game, in the process upending everything everyone thought about English cricket and Test cricket, so regardless of the mess we’ve seen unfold over the last few weeks, they remain in eternal credit.
In sport, there’s little more enjoyable than watching a big dog ravaged, even if it’s by an even bigger dog. And India are everything England once were, a power-packed team in glorious form that’s been building to this point, inspired by the pressure and power of home advantage.
Thing is, England are still good – they’ve just made a lot of uncharacteristic errors, one after the other after the other – so they’re more than capable of finding a performance to give them and us the lap of honour we all deserve. But more likely, the might of everything IndIa bring to this means we spend the day balancing the amusing brutality of sport and our gratefulness to those who suffer it for our delectation.
Play: 2pm local, 8.30pm GMT