Test Match Special - Bess bowls England to strong position in Chennai

Episode Date: February 7, 2021

Jonathan Agnew is joined by Michael Vaughan and Prakash Wakankar to discuss an excellent day for England after Dom Bess took 4 wickets to leave India 257/6, trailing by 321. We hear from Bess and we also get the reaction from Fazeer Mohammed on a remarkable win for the West Indies in Bangladesh.

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I'm Jonathan Agnew. Welcome to the Test Match Special podcast, looking back on another excellent day for England in Chennai, this time the Bowler's starring. We'll get the thoughts of Michael Vaughn and Prakash Warkankar. We'll hear from Don Bess, and we'll also have news of an incredible win for the West Indies in Chittagong.

You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live. Close of play, the third day of the first test, between India and England in Chennai. sees England in a very strong position. India 257 for 6. So the 321 runs behind. Joffaraja set things up by dismissing the openers. Sharma for 6 and Shumann Gill for 29.

A brilliant catch that by Anderson, diving to his left at mid on. The big cricket, Virat Koli, snapped up at short leg off Bess. It's feeling for one slightly outside the off stump that turned and bounced 71 for 3, 73 for 4, when Rahani slammed a full toss from Bess, really hard out to cover.

and route diving full length to his left took a brilliant one-handed catch and Ingen really thought then they were in then this remarkable stand as effort from Risper Panty and he plays one way and he got stuck into Jack Leach hitting for five sixes in all he didn't like what was going on outside

his off stump in the rough so he just took him on and he had to say he did win that battle and his innings rather loosened up Pajara as well who was playing very steadily but he just slowly loosened up and they added 119 together before Pajara was out for 73 another rather strange dismissal a long hop this time from Bess

which was hit hard by Pajara into Pope it hit him on the back at short leg and then ballooned up and was taken by Burns at Midwicket so a little bit of luck there you have to say as well 192 for 5 pant well he got to 91 from 87 balls before he went after another one from Bess outside the Ostrum a little bit of a turn and Leach took a good catch out at wide long off in the deep pant out for 91 225 for 6 but that was the last of England successes they didn't take a wicket for 17 overs before the end there

with Washington Sunday on 33 and Ravi Ashwin on 8 not out it means that India are 321 behind then they still need to get to 3-7-9 to avoid the follow-on they're 257 for 6 quick look at the bowling figures if I can whip them up on here which I think I can James Anderson 11 overs of 34 Joffre Archibalds with a lot of pace early on but well

16 overs 2 for 52 Ben Stokes six overs for 16 Joe Rootballed an over for one. Dom Bess, the most successful. Four for 55, from 23 over's five maidens. A bit of a torrid day, frankly, for Jack Leach. He was got after, and it wasn't so much that he should feel bad about being got after. It was a threat that he was posing to the left-handed Pant.

But it was Pant who won the battle. 17 overs, two maidens, no wicket for 94 for Jack Leach. Michael Vaughn has been enjoying today. That had about everything in it, isn't it? Brilliant catches, horrible batting, lovely balls, terrible balls, I mean, had everything. Yeah, it's, I mean, from an England perspective, that's been pretty much three days of perfect test match cricket.

I don't think you can play any better than that. I mean, Joffre dropping a catch in that last session. That's one mistake, but I just, I mean, even Jack Litch, he's been hit around the park, but I don't think he bowled that badly. I just think he was got at. I think Rishab decided he had to take him on, did it brilliantly. You know, Joffra's spell in the morning session,

exactly what you want from Joffra Archer, hostile, steep bounce on a placid wicket. Donbess bowled a lot better today than he did in Sri Lanka and got a bit of fortune with a couple of dismissal, but I think you earned the right to get those bits of fortune when you do the right things, and he's improving all the time. I thought Joe Roots' captain's see was excellent, just maneuvering his bowling attack, maneuvering his field

into positions of asking question of all the players and all the batsmen. It's been a great three days, but there's still so much left in this game of cricket. I mean, if India bat a session and get another 100, another 80 or 100, well, the time's just eking out and then do England bat again just the rest of the bowlers up and then it might not give them enough time to get the last, obviously, 10 wickets to win the game. So we're in for two enthralling days of cricket. It's going to be a must watch.

We're talking yesterday, aren't we, about India and the way they have turned up for this game. And I remember saying overnight, well, look, they can't be caught napping here. They've been a bit sleepy so far the first couple of days, all those nests. no balls and terrible reviews and drop catches. That wasn't a very sharp performance again there and take pant out of it. But can you see them batting

that badly again? That's taking nothing away from England's bowling but I mean it wasn't a great performance was it? That absolutely right and I think you know you go back to 2016 where it felt like England caught India napping in that first test match. Very similar situation. England got a big score. Some say

they batted on too long and then all of a sudden in India six wickets down on the last day the draw of the game went on to win the series comfortably. India will get better in the series they're not going to as you say bat as badly as they've done today but when you've got some like Joffre Archer you know and he gets a couple of

steep deliveries and he got one in front of Virat's face that just balloon past short leg good rearing delivery to get rid of Roeich Sharma I do believe Shubman Gill is going to be the next big thing in world cricket he's a lovely player is he's going to be up there with the best within the next two or three years he's a wonderful player

you know Pajara is I believe the key to this Indian batting line because he just occupies the crease he's so consistent you know he knows his game inside out you look at Viracoli's dismissalag against offspin that was a poor stroke okay analyze it's common well the fact that you're defending a ball to square of extra cover so you're angling the ball the bat towards that kind of gap that's been created now all the ball has to do is bounce doesn't even have to spin from then

And, you know, you talked to Joe Root last week about playing spin. It's about showing the full face to the ball and to the ball that's coming at you. Well, he's made the most glaring mistake that you wouldn't expect a 15-year-old to do that, you know, you do not defend with an angle back towards the off-side when the ball potentially can be spinning. So he made a big mistake. I think, you know, we've looked at it against off-spin and moan alleys. I've had him out a couple of times doing a similar thing.

What's a bit harder for me, too. Indians generally play spin bowling with such soft hands. I don't we haven't played for a long time or so. But he just pushed that back out in front of the pad a bit too much for me. Yeah, I think, Ferrisi. So he's a wonderful player, but I think he's a better player when he's attacking. You know, when he's really looking to kind of get runs and get boundaries and be really busy between the wickets and active.

I thought he was just very placid today. And that's what I'd say about the Indian side for three days. It might be that Rishab Pants kind of injected life into them. because he injected life into Pajara because, you know, you mentioned in your summarising that, you know, he suddenly started dancing down Pajara and looking to score and looking to hit and looking to find the gaps for the boundary. I just wonder if that Rishab Pan innings is almost what the Indian team needed to kind of go, come on, this is the kind of cricket we play, we're more aggressive, we need to get into the opposing sides' faces a little bit more. I don't think India will bat as placidly again in this series.

I think there will be much more aggressive like we saw in the second half of the third. today. I first felt looking at Koli in the field as well he was quite subdued for him. Normally he strides around his arms who's pointing everywhere, isn't he? He's having a bit of a go, he looks full of aggression and so on. I just thought perhaps that was

missing a bit from him in the field over the last couple of days as well. Yeah I mean, Virat generally as you say, he's in the opposing team's faces. Yes. You know, and he gets that year. He's a bit similar to Sarah Ganguly when he was captain. He always feel with Verat, he's almost looking for a battle. You know, he wants to have a

bit of a confrontation. I just wonder whether, you know, the fact that Ajinko Rihani captained the side in such a nice way in Australia, but very tactically astute, obviously very good at managing the individuals and the younger players in the side. I just wonder whether Virat's thought, oh, I'd better try and be like Ajinka Rihanna rather than, and I advise any captain, just be you. Whatever you is, and if that you is the aggressive and you're at the players all the time, that's what you have to be. That's your style of leadership. Yeah, he's looked very nice.

I mean, the great picture of him helping Joe Root out with the cramp. Great picture, lovely, and I enjoy it. But you kind of think, I'm not sure I'd have seen Virat do that. No, it struck me exactly the same. It's interesting with Pant, isn't it? Because, I mean, he's,

okay, he is keeping wicket, so he's a wicketkeeper, but it's not a very good wicket keeper, and he's made some errors in this match already, a really bad stumping that he missed this morning to a left-hander with Ashton bowling around the wicket. I mean, he'd have seen that ball all away and yet he's still he's still fluffed it but if they don't have him keeping wicket how do

they have him in the side you can see this this dilemma building up for the indians can't you if they play sahar well he'll bat he'll bat at six so the only way to have pant in the side is to drop a bowler and they want to have the five bowlers if they can so you can see a bit of a dilemma building up there maybe yeah I mean he's just got to improve his keeping yeah you know he is quite quickly yeah absolutely he's just got to put the the hours of practicing to get better to it with the gloves because with the batting hand, you don't have to look at the way that he played in Australia. You know, in Sydney, he was the standout.

He went to the gabbert, the standout, and then here again today, he's just changed the course of today's play with an incredible innings, you know, risky. But risks to him are probably not that risky. You know, dancing down and launching it over wide, long gone. He just fancies that he can do that. He doesn't matter that there's a field or two on the boundary.

He just backs himself to hit it over the top. I would certainly be working hard with someone like Risch. of Pant because he's a match winner. Yes. And he's going to win many games for India in one day cricket, T20 cricket, test match cricket, but he's just got to put the yards in and become a better wicketkeeper. It's interesting, isn't it?

Such as the all-rounders, and wicketkeepers are all-rounders, really, those at bat, and you talk about bringing four more confidence in one form of your game to lift another part of it. And I just wonder, I think a lot of lesser mortals would have walked out to bat if you're a pant today at 73 for 4, knowing it had a bit of a nightmare behind the stump, thinking, oh, I've got to get, get in here play a bit steady

and I mean it just didn't it obviously didn't affect him at all did it? No no I don't I think he's got a mentality in a character that I don't think he gets affected by much I was talking on on the social about Ravi Shastris speech in the

in the series that finished in Australia he basically pointed at Rishab Pan at the end of the series when Rishab you just keep being Rishab he said we hide behind the sofas when you go to bat but you just keep being you. That's what we need you to be, and that's what he was today.

Now, what about England's bowling then? I think we've given Archer a 10 out of 10. That opening burst, you get the visitors 44 for two. You've got both openers out. I think the fast bowler you've done your bit, hasn't it? Anderson interested me, and they found some very early reverse swing. Yeah.

Yeah, I think Jimmy bowed nicely. He didn't get the rewards that he got in Gaul, but you know, he just know with Jimmy Anderson. He's going to lock up an end. He's not going to go for too many. He's going to probe away. you know, a little bit of in and out swing, the odd cutter. But I think the England team will be delighted with Joffar Archer.

When you think he's not played, he's not had any cricket to get that rhythm up, he's just been bowling in the net, it's probably bowling a few balls in the middle. You know, he bowled exactly like I want Jopper Archer to ball in test match cricket, short, sharp, intimidating, you know, those bounces, then real skillful, full balls, the odd cutter, the perfect kind of style and foil for the England teams attacking these conditions. You need a point of difference with your seamers, and he is that point of difference that you can bowl 90 miles an hour. And with that second new ball tomorrow, he's going to be crucial, and also in the second innings,

that opening burst to the likes of Roeich Sharma, Shubman Gill. We saw him get the odd ball rear up steeply. You know, so he's going to be an absolute key. I don't see him playing all four games in these conditions because England will have to rotate. But, you know, when he does play, and that's why England will manage it, you know, carefully to the likes of Mark Wood, Joffar Archer. that they're not playing four, five, six games on the trot. When they do play, they'll expect them to be bowling at 145, 150 and being that point of difference.

Just watching the replay in front of me of Pajara's dismissal. I'd go on to Dom Bess. I mean, if you're Don Bess at the moment, I mean, you go and put a few quid on the lottery, don't you? Because, I mean, again, taking nothing away from him. And funnily enough, the feisty characters like him, bats and do try and get off them a bit, don't they? Which perhaps explains partly why he picks up some of the wickets like he has,

done but you know massive full toss smashed to cover long hop smashed into Popat short leg and bouncing up that was what I just saw I was looking at Pajara's face actually as he just saw it loop up there to midwicker I mean it's a ghastly way to get out but crickie if you're

if you're Don Best at the moment you can't do any wrong well as tough as said on the social if you're you know tough none in his younger days he'd been saying to Don Best come on I'm going out with you tonight you're lucky I think you can bring me a bit of fortune

I'm hanging next to you in the bar. I thought he bowled really well today. I think there was times in those two test matches in Sri Lanka where he didn't bowl great, but he got wickets. Whereas today I thought he did bowl well, and he got a bit of fortune, which you actually deserve when you bowl nicely. You'd rather be lucky than unlucky.

You know, that's one of the keys. Look at Ian Botherth in throughout his career. They all talk about how Ian Botherham could bowl long hops and get many wickets. And, you know, if you can have that bit of fortune and that little bit of the golden arm, in you. You know, I'd rather have it than not. And Jack Leach today

didn't happen for Jack Leach. He had a drop catch. There was a few little kind of balls that didn't go his way. It all went the way of Don Best, but we know in cricket that can easily be reversed tomorrow, and it might be that it all goes the way of Jack Leach. Tomorrow, not Donbess, but the good thing for me, those two, I know Jack Leach's had a bad day,

but I enjoyed his last spell of a few overs where he just felt that he got his rhythm back. I could see that he had a bit more spring in his step, and that was good to see, because when you've taken a pummeling and you get the ball again. It's not easy, is it, to just kind of motivate yourself and be confident. Well, those last few overs just said to me that, wait a minute,

all right, he didn't get any wickets today, Jack, but there was something there that he's obviously kind of been able to kind of draw back on to get the confidence level again. So he's going to be crucial throughout the series, as is Don Besson. And from an England perspective, let's hope the look stays with Dominic Bess and he gets many more pejora dismissals caught at midwicket off short legs back. Thank you, Michael. We'll talk to you tomorrow.

A new ball available for England did six overs, by the way. 257 for six, so 321 behind is the Indian situation. They need 379 to avoid being asked to follow on. Andy Zoltz. We could talk about this remarkable game in Bangladesh in a moment in which West Indies won a huge run chase. Just statistically, first of all, Andy, anything about today that has tickled your fancy? Well, England's innings, 578 and 190.1 overs.

It's the longest a team has batted against India in India since 2009 when Sri Lanka passed 700 and batted more than 200 overs. It's the highest score against India in India since West Indies made 590 in Mumbai in 2011, a game that ended with a dramatic last ball runout with the scores level for a draw with Indian 9 wickets down. So, yeah, it's one of England's finest batting performances in Asia. So their third highest score in Asia, second highest in India and one of their longest innings in Asia in the last 50-odd years. For Dom Bess, he had a difficult summer in England, just eight wickets in six tests, 136 over the wicket every 102 balls. This winter now 16 wickets, average 19, and he's taking a wicket every 40 deliveries. And we saw you were talking about with Michael that huge difference. in the care with which England played, particularly on day one and the rash of wickets to attacking shots from an Indian team that, but most of whom have played very little red ball cricket in Asia in the last year or so.

So moving on to this extraordinary game, Agers, in Chatterground. You've been following your day, haven't you? You saw it coming, didn't you? Well, it was, Bangladesh had been, well, as England found four years ago, there are a pretty tough proposition. in home conditions and they made 430 in first innings had a big first innings lead West Indies made 259 and they were set 395 to win

when Bangladesh declared yesterday there were 59 for 3 when Kyle Mayers on debut joined and Krumabona also on debut in the second innings they proceeded to add 216 the second highest partnership in test history by two players on debut

only a opening stand between Billy Ibadullah and Abdul Qadir for Pakistan against Australia in 1964. It's hired on that by two debutant players. That was a tweak-c-info put up. Bonner made 86. Mayors finished 210 not out as India, as West Indies made 395 for 7, the fifth highest chase, successful chase in test history and the highest successful chase in Asia. Mayer's innings, and to put this in context, I guess, as we're saying, during the

to Social earlier on. He had a two-year break from first-class cricket after 2018, at which point he'd played over 20 games. He averaged 22 with the bat with the highest score of 76. He managed to work his way back into the West Indian first class setup in 2020, scored his first two first-class centuries. But he had two first-class centuries coming into this series and never played cricket, certainly test cricket in age, made his one day debut in the one days before this series. And he's made the sixth fourth innings double hundred in test history, the sixth debut double hundred in test history,

the highest second inning score on test debut in the entire history of test cricket, the first debutant to make a second innings double hundred, and the second highest individual score in a successful fourth innings chase. He made 210 not out, 7-6s and 24s from 310 balls. Only Gordon Greenwich, with that 240 not out against England when they chased down 344 to win by nine wickets in 1984 has had a higher individual score in a successful fourth innings chase. Andrew Sampson also tweeted that his 7-6 is the second most hit by a debutant

in a test innings. Tim Southey hit nine for New Zealand against England in the 2007-8 series. So statistically, one of the most remarkable individual performances, an incredible team performance by West Indies. They went into this game with a number of their leading players absent who'd elected not to tour for largely COVID reasons. So their numbers 3, 4 and 5 were all on debut, Mosley, Bonner and Mayers. and that's the first time since 1946 that any team has had three debutants at three, four and five excluding teams playing their first

test match and they've managed to pull off one of the most incredible victories in test cricket and Kyle Mayers I mean you can put that extremely high on the list of the most extraordinary innings ever played in the history of this sport you can thank you Andy for

putting it into such context and a man I'll be celebrating I know way over there in Port of Spain in Trinidad is her old friend Fasier Mohammed can you believe this Fasier Well Agas you know there are a lot of people who will probably be waking up at some point on this Sunday morning

probably thinking when someone tells them the news of what happened in Chetogrom probably telling themselves that maybe that they've had too much to drink last night because that can't be real there's no way that could have possibly happened but it's incredible I mean here I am for example

I'm across on the sister Isle of Tobago following the match as well and I'm telling myself later on Saturday night, there's nothing to stay up late for because this is going to end swiftly. Hopefully the West cities won't get close, so you won't have to agonize over it. And the next thing, you know, before Sunup, they've pulled off a stunning victory. I don't know how to make sense of it. Well, Dante, he followed it through the night.

But, I mean, I have to be honest with it, I'd never heard of Kyle Mayers. I think he was on, he was one of those sort of reserve players, wasn't he, last summer, who came over? Yes, he was. And I think this is really the fairy tale bit about it, because so much. many of these players would not have gotten the opportunity, but for those players opting out. It's as many as 12 of them who opted out, the most of them for reasons of concerns over COVID-19, a couple of because they had personal reasons.

Yet at the same time, you've got players involved in the T-10 in Abu Dhabi, which has been a bit of a talking point and so on. So, yeah, and the feeling was as unlikely as many would have thought here in the Caribbean, including myself, especially after they were brushed. side in those three one days, if one or two really stood up and did something truly spectacular as has now happened, what's going to happen next when the Westernis are at home next month for Sri Lanka, when those top-notch players are presumably available, it creates a dilemma that the Westerners would actually love for a change.

And if you've seen much of him bat, I mean, he hit a few sixes, as we heard there, the second most by anybody on a debut, but he'd score 200, but I mean, is he a naturally aggressive player. He is. We haven't seen a whole lot of him. And in fact, you look at his numbers, you understand why you wouldn't have seen a whole lot, because coming into this, he averaged 28 in first class cricket. It's gone up already to 33, which tells you how much of an impact he had. But even when you saw him in the first innings, you recognize that it was a positive player, someone who would not let a bad ball go by. And the Bangladeshis certainly missed Shakib al-Hassan because he went into the match.

carrying an injury, picked up another one, and that is going to be another talking point as well. But I think what worked in his favor was his confidence. The Bangladeshis didn't really take advantage of a pitch that aided their spinners. And all credit to him, all power to him, let's not overlook. And Kroma Bonner, who played his part as well in supporting Kyle Mayers through that outstanding partnership. And again, for two players on debut to respond in this manner on a last day in Bangladesh,

It's truly outstanding. Yeah, and is it going to, we keep talking about lighting, touch papers in the Caribbean, and don't we, you've had a few, you know, haven't you, let's be honest, but often in one-day cricket. But, I mean, is this something again that's going to get people talking?

They will get them talking, and it will get them talking about saying, well, remember what happened in Headingley, 2017? Remember what happened against England in the Caribbean, 2019? And I know you're going to tell me again, you all, you West Indians always say that. You guys are so negative. Are you correct?

And because it's because you've been burned for so many times. Glass is half empty, Fazia. Glass is half empty. Fill them up. Exactly. And I think people would love to fill them up. But I think more than anything else, Aga's, I think it's the delight in knowing that a team that was given absolutely no chance whatsoever, even less of a chance than they would normally have going to that part of the world where they lost the series in 2018, 2-0. And now they're won up and can't lose this test series. They'll be telling themselves all power to these young players who took up the chance. Bonner, of course, Kyle Mayers, Joshua DeSilver, who's trying to establish himself as a wicket-keeper batsman,

featured in a 99-run partnership in the first innings, a hundred-run partnership in the second innings. Kimmer Roach is still there as the veteran fast bowler. So it really creates that vibe. And credit to the team, credit to the coach, Phil Simmons, who has taken a lot of flack for all of the disappointments of the. the last few months after the wind in Southampton. So it creates a good feeling, but many, again, I know you, you always cringe about this. They'll be seeing the glass half empty. Let me put it that way.

Let me just talk to you, Fasia. You get a good, you can't have a sleep after being up all night. Thanks for talking to us. I'll try my best. Thank you. Yeah, I love it. Cheers. Thank you, Fasier very much.

There you go. Reaction to that extraordinary game. Remarkable performance by Carl Mears, who's become the first debited ever to score a double hundred in the second innings of a test. match, really quite something. So we're ticking along here. Let's get some Indian perspective, shall we, on the situation at Chennai after the third day. And we're also, as we greet Prakash,

thanks to joining us, Prakash. We're going to get your team, aren't me? Your best-ever Indian 11. I hate doing these things because they're impossible. But there is a vote on the cricket page, on BBC Sport, on the website there, where you can pick your best-ever Indian 11. You need two openers, three middle-order bats,

So one all-rounder, one wicket-keeper, two spinners and two fast bowlers. And Prakash has been involved in the selection of it. So we'll get your thoughts in a minute, Prakash on that. But, hey, this is interesting day is cricket, wasn't it? You mean in Bangladesh? Brilliant, absolutely. Don't deflect it away like that, thank you, Prakash. No, absolutely.

I think it's been a tremendous performance, isn't it? I mean, those early breakthroughs by Joffra Archer and then the big wicket of Virat Koli. And yes, a little bit of luck here and there, but you make your own luck often. And I think India backs to the wall really will have to pull out something special. It's almost as if nothing's changed. India has been in this position in two or the three test matches in Australia. This is a different situation. It's on their home turf.

And England, not just hold all the aces. I think it's up to England now, really, as I said last evening, Agnes, in terms of how they want to pace this game. And I was a little surprised. I don't know if you were, towards the end of the end of. of the day in the last half an hour, 40 minutes, whether England just had tired bowlers or why they weren't sort of going really for the jubular and wrapping up this innings. Yeah, no, I think a perfectly fair criticism, actually, it may be that they were just a bit a bit blown out having had six days sitting in the hotel and so on, but there's certainly

those 17 overs there at the end, I think, would have given India a bit of hope for tomorrow, but although that new ball, of course, is just around the corner. It is. The new ball is absolutely. around the corner. And I think it's a question now of how both teams play out the time, right? But 180 maybe a couple more rovers. That's what's left in this game. There's

enough time for England to win this. The general sort of consensus seems to be England will not impose the follow on. I can't see India avoiding it, which means England will have to come out and bat and get some runs quickly. And it will be kind of set up the way, if you remember,

the famous Rajko test match of the 2016 series was set up. It'll be a bit like that. This is going to be harder because the wicket's crumbling. Dom Bess is pulling brilliantly and I think India will have to pull a rabbit out of the bat out of the hat if they don't want to go one-nill down. Rishab Pant, let's just talk about this extraordinary young man who I think what anyone says had a bit of a shocker behind the stumps. But then he's not an absolutely front-line wicket-keeper. You're getting a bats and wicket-keeper, aren't you, with Rishab? but I just thought when he missed that stumping this morning,

which is such a bad stumping to miss, you think how long can India, especially in India, keep a we keeper going with his missing chances like that? That might have been Joe Root on 5 or whatever it may be. But then he comes out and plays like that, and you can see what the problem is for the selectors. It is indeed a problem,

and I suspect that if he continues in this vein, the time's not going to be too far off when he plays. plays as a specialist backspan, and let's be honest, he could well hold his place in the form of specialist batsman. And that's probably the future, unless, like Mahendra Singh Doniagar's Rishapant actually develops very quickly into a good, if not a great keeper. But if he can't, I don't see how on turning pitches he's going to be able to do justice. And you're right, it could be the top man in the opposition batting on nil, and then he gets a big double hundred. Who knows?

I mean, presumably, develop. up more as a talking point over there, should India lose this match? I mean, if, and they're going to look at to, look to changes and people will be shouting out here, there and everywhere, and the newspaper writers and everything else. But the wicketkeeper is such a key position. And yet, look, look what is capable of doing. Yeah. Yeah, it's a really tough call. And just judging and put sticking my neck out here, even if India lose this test match, I don't think India are going to get Saha back into the playing 11. It's just not the approach this team has taken in the past.

They've sort of almost been obstinate at times to say this is how we're going to play. Yes. And you could question the approach that the Indian batsman had to this massive 570-od run total that was facing them. They came out and batted as if, you know, they had a train to catch in many ways. It's funny enough. We were talking about it was yesterday, weren't we, that, you know, taking nothing away from England, but India haven't really looked at the races in this match in any aspect. They've dropped simple catches, the bowl, all those no balls,

they've burned off those reviews, there'd be some poor shots here today. They haven't looked quite on it. No, no, absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more. Harsh, as it may sound, except for Pujara. And then, as you saw with Washington, Sunder and Ashwin, there aren't any sort of, you know, vipers hidden in this pitch. Yes, the odd one is sort of spinning from the rough, etc.

that has to be expected in Indian conditions. And if you think about it, several of the strokes that the Indians played with the exception of Pujara's unfortunate dismissal were shots that you wouldn't expect from players of this calibre. Yeah, right. So there is a question mark.

Yeah, I want your Indian team now, then, Prakash, because I can, there's three selections that I'm going to be particularly interested in of yours. I think I'm going to get the all-rounder. I think probably, knowing your vintage, I'll probably guess your wicket-keeper, The spinners will be interesting. And the two-fast bowlers, probably modern ones.

But, I mean, I want to see your selection of three middle-order batsmen after your openers, one of which will pick himself. Yes. As I was looking at this, I guess just to take a second extra, the middle order is a real tough one. I mean, I know this will go out into the sort of universe one way or another. And therefore, there are some people that I have to have in the team for political reasons. Oh, yeah, you can't do that.

You can't do that. Yeah, I'm just kidding. A non-political selection. So here's my side. Here's my side. Look, Sunil Gavisker, and for me, as an ideal foil for him, Wyrindr Sevan. So that's my opening pair. Can you imagine those two betting together?

Wow. Wouldn't it be amazing just to see, I mean, it'll be the sort of multiplied to the power of N, the Srikant-Gavaska combination in some ways. Then at number three, of course, you know, my favorite Indian batsman of all time, Rahul Dravid. There's no question. Tendulkar has to come in at four. And this fifth one for me, believe it or not, was a real toss-up between Vijayhazare, who I never saw play live. But the stories I've heard of Vijayazare, I think he would run Virat Koli very, very close. Interesting. But because I've seen Virat Koli, obviously Koli is in at five.

Yes. The all-rounder for me has to be couple of Dave. I can't really argue. Yes. For me, again, thought about that long and hard. Sayyat Khrman. Did you? Kermani, yes. I'd gone Farooke engineer. Yes. The reason I didn't go with Faruq simply was because while he did keep to the great spinning quadrant, I just think that Sayat Kermani brought a lot more balance in both his batting

and his keeping. Faruq was more in the vein of a Sehwag, maybe an underrated version of Sehwag. That's why Seyat Kermani. Anil Kumbl has got to be in there for me just from the point of view. and Bishen Bedi was a close toss-up for me, but I've gone with Anil Kumbla. The best off-spinner India ever had, Arapoli Prasana, has to be in that squad for me

because of just... Imagine if these guys had bowled with DRS and what have you, I don't know how many wickets these blokes would have got, right? Unbelievable. And on the fast bowling department, Bumra picks himself, as far as I'm concerned, and then just to get some variety, and because he's been so good, Zaire Khan.

Oh, interesting shout. No, Abid Ali. No. From my vintage. No, Abidali. No, Abidali. Thank you very much. I've got lovely memories of Abidali

plodding in with the new ball. He used to get the shine off to get the spinners on. Yes, well, Gaviska used to bowl at one time, remember that? Yes, absolutely. Dennis Amos, didn't he? Well, that's a, I mean, that's a brilliant team, Prakash.

And people have their say and people, I'm sure, jumping up and down, as you know, all our armchair selectors will be having their say. Thank you for picking a team. Thanks for coming on this evening. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Indeed.

Take care. the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Fancy raucously raiding with an Irish pirate queen, ruling classical Rome with the political powerhouse, Agrippina the Younger, or taking a less than sober saunter through Prohibition era America. Discover what the past was really like with the Your Dead to Me podcast. She must have been a hell of a woman.

I'm Greg Jenner, and in each episode we aim for wisdom and wit by pairing up an expert historian with a top comedian. Nero, the 15-year-old boy, having to make a decision about this. Oh, yeah, sounds pretty bad. Do you want to hear a song? Subscribe on BBC Sounds. Follow England's Tour of India via the TMS podcast, with a new episode at the end of each day's play.

So you can get involved in that vote for the greatest India 11 of all time. Let's go to the cricket section of the BBC Sport website and the app. So before we go, let's get some reaction from Chennai. Dom Bess took four wickets, and he's been talking to Simon Mann. Don, the wicket of Coley, is that the wicket that's given you most satisfaction in your test career so far? I mean, it's certainly up there. It's certainly, I guess, obviously, the player, the calibre of who he is, I think is phenomenal. Obviously, he's a world-class player, one of the best.

Again, it's more the process. It's more what I'm learning, what I'm doing, that is getting me to that. that, if that makes sense. And like I said, I'm 23. I'm only going to keep growing here. And the journey is going to be up and down. But, yeah, it's obviously giving me a confidence. I think, like I said, we go back.

I don't want to think about it too much. We're in the middle of the game. Do I mean, we've got so much to work on. Like I said, we've got him as a team. We'll have to try and get him out next innings. and like I said it's a long series yeah is that the best you bowl in test cricket

yeah I think so I thought about again I thought I bowed really well at Cape Town when I actually came back on a pretty solid wicket again I thought about well in Port Elizabeth but I think

I guess coming from the lack of preparation I talk about obviously after the summer having quite a big break and obviously myself moving, moving away. I had to do a lot of things outside of cricket, obviously moving how, at times how stressful it is. I don't know, I've got to thank the girlfriend for doing most of it, but I think the preparation in terms of that, it was a very, it was very different and very new to me. So it was really important to make sure that I had real confidence in my mentality, that side of it, my process. I think that was a really important thing. I think it's really important to stick

with the process of that. And that's, I guess that's the most important thing. It's not about who you're getting out or what. It's the consistency of balls. And like I said, I thought evolved pretty well. It was a day of contrasting fortunes for the two spinners, for yourself and Jack Leach. What do you say to Jack after a day like he's had and a day like you've had? I thought No, I thought he bowled really well And that's not me just saying it You look at the way he bowled to Pant

And you look at the way he bowled to Sunder You get the spot map I reckon there's 20 balls Within a spot Pant's just a complete different player Pan played a phenomenal innings And again, if one goes straight up there It's a complete different game

They're five down And they are really in a big hole I think how he played was really courageous And actually really bold And we know he plays like that but how Leachie again came back and just kept smashing a link shows

the qualities that he has and again I know I know people will look at the outcome at one point I know he's going at 10s it doesn't matter I thought he was really well how he came back and again it's not about it's about a collective

it's about getting 10 wickets together and like I said he's so strong mentally he's been through a hell of a lot that's not going to phase him at all he had the catch dropped towards the end of the day's play as well but England's catching today was I mean was top class for most part

yeah and like I said that is I'll tell you what that sums up cricket and I know Leachie was laughing a little bit and I was laughing obviously it's gone straight up and you drop catches whatever and that probably some Lechie's day up just unlucky and then you go to my side and I bowled slightly full of while

and Rudy's taking an absolute blinder And again, that sums up to cricket. That is cricket. It's going to happen. So I think, like I said, going back to your original question, I think the way that our fielding has been, the amount of hard work that you see the lads do in around the bat, I know Popi's, we got Popi, Cruey, obviously, phenomenal in that short leg area,

close catching, obviously Rootie, Stokesy. I think there's no surprise that we're doing what we're doing. out there and you see those speckies. That's Simon Mann with Don Bess and you can get much more on the game via the cricket section of the BBC Sport website and app. We're back on air with a cricket social at 6.30 on Monday morning. It's also available worldwide.

Just go to BBC.co.com.uk slash cricket. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts