That game is terrible. The Kiwis seem lost.
Might need more than just God to defend New Zealand with Williamson now gone.
That pitch must be far more difficult than I can see- or New Zealand have been extremely lucky to get this far.
This game has devolved into 2 v 11, I reckon. Boult and Ferguson v India. If Boult can take 3-15 in his first 5 overs and get Rohit and Kohli, then it’s game back on. Otherwise, they’re going to get pasted.
Conditions are difficult but Chahal and Pandya have gone at north of 5 an over, so runs can be scored off bowlers who aren’t up to snuff (if I had been India, faced with the conditions today, I would have retained Shami and not played Chahal). You would assume that India will chase this, unless the two key Kiwi bowlers blow the doors off.
Edit: And now it’s raining.
Wonder if the rain will be just enough of a leveller to improve NZ’s chances here?
Honours shared on the first session I’d say. Wouldn’t want to bat in the fourth innings on this pitch. Will be interesting to see how day 2 goes. And it was nice to see such an animated crowd for a first day.
Oh bravo, beautifully played Sir! 
Dreadfully hard watch last night. I went to bed when the covers came out yet the commentators said it wouldn’t last long. Looked pretty well set in to me.
Anyway, at times it looked rather easy to score yet 75% it was made to look extremely difficult. I have a lot of time for Kane Williamson but even he struggled.
Something else to waste time on tonight as well as the Rugby League State of Origin.
Game on chaps. A billion people just cursed the DRS system.
India chasing 240 and Sharma and Kolhi back in the hutch for nothing much between them. Game on
Cumbrian, can I borrow your crystal ball from post #302?
And another!!!
AB (Herbaceous) Border
Debut: 29-Dec-78 v England at the MCG
Last: 25 Mar 1994 v South Africa at Durban
Played 156 Tests, most of them when Australia were shite and Windies peerless.
Scored 11,174 runs @ 50.56
During that time Australia played 157 Tests scoring 80,469 runs.
50 wins, 1 tie, 59 draws & 47 losses
AB scored 13.88% of all runs including sundries.
AB scored over 25% of Australia’s match total in 23 Tests and over 40% in three.
v England Lord’s 1985 - 196 and 41* out of 552
v New Zealand Christchurch 1986 - 140 and 114* out of 583
v New Zealand Adelaide 1987 - 205 out of 496
Most typical AB performance
v West Indies Port of Spain 1984 98* and 100* out of 554
Got the bowler wrong. Henry has obviously done some serious damage already. Be interesting to see what Ferguson can do when he comes on. Might be 3 v 11.
As noted on the Guardian OBO, Henry took 75 wickets at 15 in the County Championship last year. Alright, it’s red ball, but it will have been largely in conditions like this (the heatwave we had last year was, helpfully, during the part of the season given over to limited overs, not CC cricket - which was mostly played, as ever, in seaming conditions).
[evil] Reckon India would take the Kiwi’s 1-27 at the end of the 10 over PowerPlay now? [/evil]
Thank you PU. And what a catch from Neesham!
24/4. Super catch to get Karthik.
With Jadeja to come in at 8, there is still some batting there. Get Dhoni and one of Pandya/Pant before the score ticks over 100 and NZ are going to romp this. I imagine Dhoni is going to go into the bunker when he comes out.
I reckon any two wickets will make NZ half way to Lord’s
And one goes down!
Cumbrian that Pant seems a really impressive player. It is a strange situation- as an Australian supporter if Australia beat England I would sooner face the Kiwis than NZ in the final and I guess the same goes for England supporters- they would prefer to play NZ than India. However I doubt that Australia can beat England after the last game.
Neesham, having taken a worldy, drops Pant off Ferguson’s first ball. Hopefully he won’t regret this.
I think it fair to say that everyone would prefer to face NZ in a final than India.