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68th over: India 183-2 (Rahul 89, Gill 85) Stokes has one more \u2013 wisely or not, I wouldn\u2019t dare say. This time he seems to be clutching at his right hamstring as he bowls, and massaging his right shoulder as he walks back to his mark. Still causing all sorts of problems though, until the last, when Gill nudges him behind for the first boundary of the day.<\/p>\n
Hello Dan! \u201cLess a hunch than a dream maybe, because I could happily watch Gill and KL driving in the arc all day long, so I\u2019ll go for a draw at the expense of my allegiance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agreed, they are fabulous to watch.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68th over: India 180-2 (Rahul 89, Gill 85) Another careful, probing, twisting over from Dawson.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 66th over: India 180-2 (Rahul 89, Gill 82) Ooooof! A drop! It would have been an amazing catch \u2013 Ollie Pope at cover leaps, seemingly six foot off the ground, gets two hands to a rich Gill drive, but parries it to the ground. Stokes, tips his head to the sky. And at the end of his over massages, massages his shoulder.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 66th over: India 179-2 (Rahul 89, Gill 81) Rahul patiently plays through a Dawson over.<\/p>\n \u201dIs it a bit (or lot) of schadenfreude that SKY have Ponting on their team and keep asking him about 2005 Ashes?\u201d asks Anand.<\/p>\n \u201cI know this because, come every world cup, Kapil catching Viv in \u201883 runs non- stop and the Great Viv is asked about that one shot!\u201d<\/p>\n Ha! I guess he knows what he has coming! But also, Old Trafford was, he says, his greatest innings. So bitter-sweet I suppose.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 65th over: India 177-2 (Rahul 87, Gill 81) In he runs from the Jimmy Anderson end \u2013 looking outrageously fit and bowling up at 86mph. He\u2019s following through a long way, points out my companion on the sofa, so he\u2019s being careful. And there, with a two, Gill goes past 700 runs for the series, averaging a perfectly formed 100.00. Then a huge lbw shout against Gill, looks tasty, jags back quickly, keeping horribly low – but going down leg. Immediately, Stokes is a threat.<\/p>\n Ben Stokes gets ready to bowl again. Photograph: Lee Smith\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.20 EDT<\/p>\n 64th over: India 175-2 (Rahul 87, Gill 79) With a puff of dust, Gill pushes Dawson away into the leg side. We get a close view of the crease, dotted like day old stubble. Just a single from the over, and then ginger haired man with a mullet hands his jumper and his cap to the umpire\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As the players skip out, there\u2019s a decent enough crowd but still spaces if you\u2019ve got a spare day and \u00a326 in your pocket (\u00a36 for juniors).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.09 EDT<\/p>\n As the punters settle into their seats, climb the skeleton steps to the party stand, what is your OBO hunch? I love these final days.<\/p>\n \u201cThe anticipation is such a buzz,\u201d writes Dean Kinsella, \u201cI love the photo of OT in the sunshine but the sky looks like some kind of AI intervention. Perhaps AI is what it might take to separate the two fine batters at the crease.\u201d<\/p>\n An AI Ben Stokes is a terrifying prospect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Last question: \u201cwho is going to be England\u2019s principle spinner for the the first Test of the Ashes\u201d? asks Athers. Shoaib Bashir, says Ali.<\/p>\n Can Liam Dawson change that narrative today?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hello there, Andrew Goudie.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s the 20th anniversary of that Ashes series, but I\u2019ve had enough of Sky telling me how popular cricket was with everyone back in 2005. I wonder why people didn\u2019t watch so much live cricket on TV after that?\u201d<\/p>\n ouch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Enjoying watching our Ali Martin discussing the papers on Sky in a maroon carpeted conference room at OT. Very interesting on Stokes and his captaincy \u2013 no croissants though, like there used to be on Cricket<\/a> writers on TV.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGood morning Tanya,\u201d Lovely to hear from you Ram!<\/p>\n \u201cWe are on the way to OT. Quite a murky morning . Don\u2019t think there\u2019s any mercy or miracle in store for India. Could be a walk in the park for the bowlers. However India anything better than\/= 3-1 scoreline is a better result for this inexperienced\/injury prone India.\u201d<\/p>\n Hope you have a lovely time. And I reckon it might be closer than you think, this Old Trafford pitch has been a tricky old beast for bowlers in the Championship. And there is rain possible at lunchtime\u2026plus I do think that Rahul and Gill could bat on and on.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sky play through some highlights of Gill\u2019s innings yesterday \u2013 he strikes the ball like beams of sunshine on a lake.<\/p>\n The latest pitch report: \u201cIt looks like day one,\u201d says Mel, \u201cif a little bit lighter and with general wear and tear. The pitch will get a little slower. Ravi says Dawson has to occasionally bowl slower and wider, and then hope to get the Indian left handers in.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Ben Stokes bowls!<\/p>\n News! Ben Stokes has been spotted bowling this morning in his maroon warm-up top: \u201dgentle, but moving more freely than yesterday\u201d in the words of Ian Ward.<\/p>\n And a lovely piece on England\u2019s captain fantastic by Taha:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Something to mull over\u2026<\/p>\n No team, including England, has managed to bat 100 overs in the 3rd innings at Old Trafford in the last 23 years…<\/p>\n \u2014 Abhishek AB (@ABsay_ek) July 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n