Latest Updates: That brings us to the end of today’s coverage. We are as disappointed as you guys but hey this is 2018 and Test matches end in four days quite a few times. I do think that a result is still possible if the rain stays away - and that’s a big if. Remember, the follow-on from now on in this Test will be 150 and not 200. England lead the series 1-0. India would want to level it. Do join us tomorrow for all the coverage. Ta-ta. Preview: England will be without Ben Stokes while India could make changes too for the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday. Stokes played a starring role in England’s 31-run win in the first Test of a five-match series at Edgbaston last week, including taking the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli, who had been anchoring the tourists’ run-chase. But Stokes was omitted by England because he is in court this week on a criminal charge of affray. [caption id=“attachment_4867071” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] England captain Joe Root and India captain Virat Kohli. Agencies[/caption] Fellow pace-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes has been called up in his place to the England squad, with uncapped Surrey batsman Ollie Pope selected instead of Dawid Malan, dropped after a run of low scores. But in a dry English summer that has seen pitches more receptive to slow bowling than usual, England could recall off-spinner Moeen Ali to partner leg-break bowler Adil Rashid even though England captain Joe Root bowls occasional off-breaks. Root confirmed Wednesday that Pope would bat at number four but that England would delay a decision on whether to play Ali or Woakes instead of Stokes until the morning of the match, with the uncapped Jamie Porter released from the 13-man squad. “Ollie Pope will come in and bat at four,” said Root. That England won their 1,000th Test owed much to Pope’s fellow 20-year-old Surrey rising star Sam Curran. As well as taking five wickets in his main role as a left-arm swing bowler, Curran’s sparkling second-innings 63, his maiden Test fifty, enabled England to set India a tricky target of 194. It proved beyond the tourists, despite Kohli making 51 to follow his first-innings 149 – the star batsman’s maiden Test century on English soil. Neither side made 300 in the match, England posting 287 before India replied with 274 in the first innings. India struggled against the swinging ball, with England finding it difficult to combat Ravichandran Ashwin’s off-spin. In 17 Tests since Root became captain in July 2017, England have managed just nine hundreds between them and, even more concerningly for their fans, have been dismissed for under 300 in their first innings seven times and for under 250 in the second innings nine times. In Pope they have a batsman who has been in superb form for County Championship leaders Surrey so far this season with 684 runs at a huge average of 85.50, including three centuries and a top score of 158 not out. Root, frustratingly run out for 80 in England’s first innings at Edgbaston, said it was important to put the side’s batting struggles into perspective. “I think it’s sometimes easy to criticise the batting group but I thought the way both seaming groups in particular bowled was outstanding.” - ‘Tough choice’ - India too could make a top-order change with the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara waiting in the wings if struggling opener Shikhar Dhawan is omitted. They also have the option of playing a second-spinner, be it orthodox left-armer Ravindra Jadeja or left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya the man most likely to miss out if either slow bowler is selected. “It’s a good choice, a tough one too,” Bharat Arun, India’s bowling coach, told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday. “We really need to look at any change in strategy, depending on the wicket.” But Arun said Jasprit Bumrah was “out of contention”, the paceman still sidelined after missing the first Test with the broken thumb he suffered during a Twenty20 international against Ireland in June. As for India needing more runs from their batsmen, Arun said: “If you look at the (Edgbaston) scores, it’s only Virat Kohli and Joe Root who have been able to contend with the moving ball. “The conditions were trying. The challenge is there for us to adapt even better and we have our plans in place.” But he was wary of playing an extra batsman at Lord’s. “I would consider that as a conservative move,” Arun added. “Everything depends on the conditions – and if the conditions are not going to be as friendly as in the first Test, it makes more sense to play five bowlers.” With inputs from AFP
Highlights, India vs England, 2nd Test, Day 1 at Lord's, Full Cricket Score: Play called off due to rain
Catch Live score and updates from Day 1 of 2nd Test between England and India at Lord’s
 "Highlights, India vs England, 2nd Test, Day 1 at Lord's, Full Cricket Score: Play called off due to rain")
That brings us to the end of today’s coverage. We are as disappointed as you guys but hey this is 2018 and Test matches end in four days quite a few times. I do think that a result is still possible if the rain stays away – and that’s a big if. Remember, the follow-on from now on in this Test will be 150 and not 200.
England lead the series 1-0. India would want to level it. Do join us tomorrow for all the coverage. Ta-ta.
Bad news… The rain is back. KL Rahul heads to the indoor nets. But with his bat covered… It’s gone dark again. Hopes diminish of any play.
Tea has been taken
The rain has washed the second session as well. More frustration as we are hear the drizzle has returned.
Umpires out for a walk… Still with umbrellas in hand, mind you.
Meanwhile Jasprit Bumrah is off to the indoor nets. He isn’t playing this game.
Followed by Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings who are carrying their batting kit. They are playing, so are they expecting a start soon?
Mild improvement in the distance… Lot of activity now… But… Still raining. It needs to stop for anything concrete to happen.
*Lights in the picture are from press box which shows how dark it still is.
Some clearance in the deep. Still raining but forecast could clear later in the day… We could have an early tea in the meantime.
Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav now on their way back to the pavilion… they were also in the indoor nets.
Still raining… of course.
One of the officials on the ground… But it hasn’t stopped raining yet. At all…
Doesn’t look like he found any… well this could take some time now
👀 @CurranSM searching for some sunshine from the Home Dressing Room Balcony.#ENGvIND#LoveLords pic.twitter.com/b8PTOKxQOJ
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) August 9, 2018
And while lunch is served… Rain has picked up again. Heavier now…
You can also see the low hanging clouds about as well… This looks bad.
Official match update: Early lunch taken at Lord’s at 12.30pm local time. There is no change in conditions at the moment.
More low hanging clouds have flown in by the way… So again… No cricket any time soon.
Early Lunch taken
Not much change in the situation… A few puddles starting to form on the outfield… and you can see the covers are flooded with water already. But again not a major worry given the brilliant drainage here.
Spotted a plane flying in the distance… So the rainy clouds aren’t low hanging… Which means this isn’t clearing up anytime soon.
What would you pick?
Anyone feeling hungry? 😋
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) August 9, 2018
Well here's what the players will be eating while the rain falls ⬇️
What would you choose? 🤔#LoveLords#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/8s5qU0MAL1
It has been one hour past the scheduled time of start as the steady downpour continues.
Play at lords still delayed and you can see why. #EngvInd pic.twitter.com/4gs1beAMMb
— Stephen Killen (@_StephenKillen) August 9, 2018
Four groundsmen are out in the middle… but wait… It is still raining. They are just sweeping water off covers… They have been doing this periodically.
They have also set up some sort of pipe system to drain some water off the covers… Proper non-stop rain this!
Here’s an interesting nugget of information
@AdilRashid03 will be the first @englandcricket leg spinner to play against @BCCI at @homeofcricket since @robin_hobbs in 1967. Hobbs only bowled six overs in the match, hope Rashid is given a few more than that. #ENGvIND #India #Cricket pic.twitter.com/kZSbYSpMbw
— Rob Kelly (@Ribs72) August 9, 2018
Real dampner!
I looked at the weather forecast for the Test yesterday morning and it was showing nice sunshine for the whole test. And now we have rain forecast all day today... #ENGvIND
— Niall (@Crusty_Crouton) August 9, 2018
The toss has been delayed
Even as the crowd continues to come in… It’s raining a lot harder now… This will be a long, long wait.
Quite some crowd at Lord’s given the rain… in that stand alone though. And for good reason, it’s the brand new Warner Stand (not after David Warner but after Sir Plum Warner) opened last year by the Duke of Edinburgh in his last public engagement.
It doesn’t look good for the day actually… Intermittent rain throughout… and I am talking about St.John’s Wood or Marylebone area… where Lord’s is situated…
It is also supposed to be a relatively wet weekend… temperatures on Monday and Tuesday were as high as 31 degrees… and it all cooled down since Wednesday afternoon… rained all night as well… Probably the reason both captains decided to delay the decision on second spinner or extra pacer…
More rain is forecast for Friday, Saturday and Monday… that’s four days out of five for this second Test… good luck getting a result here…
Then again, don’t take my word for it. I will never stake a bet against English weather… ever!
That’s the current scenario… Nothing much happening… we are just waiting for something to happen actually…
Am told the drainage is quite excellent so we could be underway within 30 minutes as and when rain stops….
London looks different and more beautiful when there is a dash of rain about… The jackets come out and coffee gets back in vogue…
It threatens cricket but hey… the Dukes ball and cloud cover bring a smile to the pacers’ faces. There is a hell lot of cloud cover about and not a speck of blue in the sky…
Sadly, we are quite far away from the game at the moment… players not even out for warm-ups…
It’s the second Test… it’s Lord’s!
Our correspondent Gaurav Joshi previews the first day of the Lord’s Test with Sunandan Lele.
Well, not the sort of news you want to start the day with!
It's been a rainy morning here in London and looks like we'll have to play the waiting game for a bit.
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 9, 2018
Stay tuned for further updates.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/JVwBYeF7Bw
'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report
Jasprit Bumrah was rested for fifth Test against England at The Oval Workload management was believed to be the reason behind Bumrah's absence The pacer, however, reportedly has a knee injury, a BCCI official claimed in a report.
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