England v India First Test, Day Three Report Card

Featuring Brook v Bumrah, foiling Bumrah, Harry Brook Nonsense™ and trust

Analystumps - England v India, First Test, Day Three

Brook v Bumrah
Grade: D

Before the third day began, I watched the highlights of the second day, most of which I missed, and don’t let the almost 500 words I wrote on the day’s play convince you otherwise.

Lots of good nonsense in those highlights - I particularly enjoyed Ben Duckett throwing the ball into Harry Brook for no immediately obvious reason and Rishabh Pant surviving a stumping despite (or because of??) throwing his bat away with a wild hoick.

But easily the best part of the highlights was the final over, in which Brook was worked over by a scything Jasprit Bumrah. (Should Bumrah be allowed to bowl with a scythe? Discuss.)

Brook ultimately survived the onslaught by dint of a no ball. Which, to be clear, is something I never consider to be a missed chance. A dropped catch is a missed chance, as about half a dozen India fielders would make (or had already made) clear. (What, by the way, would Bumrah average in a team that contained functioning fielders? Nobody knows. Numbers don’t go that low.)

But a no ball? Of course not - you got a wicket because you had an illegal advantage. If I managed to stump a batter because I had the short leg fielder sucker-punch them and drag them out of the crease so that Alex Carey could cruelly whip the bails off, and then the umpires said ‘wait a moment, that’s not really on’ and called the batter back, then that’s not a missed chance. I consider wickets from no balls to be exactly the same kind of thing.

My point, though, is this: Brook and Bumrah are two of my favourite cricketers, and I was very much looking forward to an ongoing contest between the two as similar as possible in vibes to that final over.

Fortunately, they delivered, with Brook, in this instance, winning the day.

Well, kind of.

Foiling Bumrah
Grade: B+

But it wasn’t just Brook who’d decided to defy Bumrah on the third day. Almost all of the England batters (in conjunction with, as discussed, several of the India fielders) had decided not to be dismissed by the India wizard quick.

Leading the charge was Ollie Pope, who successfully defied Bumrah by instead having a wild waft at Prasidh Krishna, caught behind for 106. Advantage England.

(Having said that, would Jacob Bethell have kicked on from his overnight score? Something for the England brains trust to consider.)