In fact it’s Bumrah who is looking the easier to play but then he is bowling from the ‘wrong’ end. Root opens the face to smear a boundary behind point, the shot that has become synonymous with him. After Root whisks a single fine off his toes, Duckett is bounced by Bunmrah and leans towards the offside to pull for four off his ear, rolling his wrists.
It has started to rain again.
The ball is swinging around now and, after swerving one away from Root, bends one through the gate, missing off stump by a whisker. The next ball is another inswinger though on a tighter line and hits Root amidships. They run a leg-bye and when mid-on misfields Duckett sets off for a second but Root sends him back. The run-out chance is ruined by slack throw once mid-on had recovered the ball.
Prasidh ends the over with another ripper, angled across the left-hander on to middle and off and nipping past the edge as it climbs and the centurion gropes after it.
If India lose this match at least they know Prasidh will be a threat for them henceforth now he has found an English length.
Prasidh Krishna is a strange bowler isn’t he? His raw attributes mean England would pick him, I reckon. He’s gone at six an over in this game, and yet picked up key wickets.
Cometh the man, cometh Bumrah from the Football Ground End for the first time in the match, hoping to bag Root for the 11th time in Tests. Root squirts a single off the inside edge to fine leg and defends the rest after Duckett gives him the strike back with a steer down to third man.
Duckett starts by climbing into Prasidh’s short ball and munching it through midwicket for four. Pope falls after a leg-bye and with Prasidh, crucially, pitching it up.
Root chisels out the yorker for a single. Duckett, whose eye has been in for four hours, gorges on width to carve it wide of gully for four. Don’t let him play shots with a horizontal bat!
Pope b Prasidh 8 The commentators thought Prasidh would be a threat to India but he bags his second wicket of this spell with another peach that nips back to knock back leg stump via an inside edge as it almost sawed him in half. FOW 206/2
Prasidh Krishna bowls Ollie Pope with a beauty! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/8eZpECpWeQ
Duckett reverse sweeps Jadeja and collars him through point for four. There’s a sweeper down there bit he hit it so hard to his left that he could not get there. The left-hander whips another single off his pads and Pope ends the over with an elegant square cut. Jadeja is bowling a touch too quickly at times, not trusting that the rough will help, still skidding too many through rather than giving them some flight and a chance to turn.
Seemed like danger time for India as Gill goes with Prasidh instead of sticking with Bumrah and Siraj from the Kirkstall Lane End and he starts with a bouncer that comes out as a long hop to the totem pole Crawley. The right-hander pulls hard for four. But Prasidh makes the breakthrough next ball.
Ollie Pope leaves the first ball down the corridor but is treated to one sprayed on to his legs and whisks it for four.
Crawley c Rahul b Prasidh 65 Well held at slip as Crawley drives one that swung away and flew off the edge. FOW 188/1
Zak Crawley nicks one behind and India have their first wicket! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZxEOoq51MB
Jadeja was turning it before the rain break. Crawley works a single off his toes to square leg, Duckett reverses his bat but then almost bumps the ball down to third man for a single without sweeping his bat through the line. Jadeja stays round the wicket to Crawley who steals a single to cover. India have not been sharp enough in the field.
Duckett defends Siraj’s last ball as he completes his over.
Tea has been moved to 4.30pm.
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