Highlights, India vs Essex, warm-up match, Day 2 in Chelmsford: Foster, Walter guide hosts to 237/5 at Stumps, trail by 158

Day 2, Stumps – Essex 237/5 after 58 Overs, trail by 158 runs
 

Stumps then at Chelmsford. Essex had finished day two at 237/5. Umesh Yadav the pick of the bowlers with 2-23 from 14 overs. Mohammed Shami started off well but was expensive in his short last spell. Ishant Sharma did the same, but controlled it towards the end to finish with 2-38. Hardik Pandya was easily the second best bowler, inducing the batsmen forward and should have got a wicket or two. 

Shardul Thakur had a good outing as well, though it is difficult to see him get in. Ravindra Jadeja bowled only 2 out of 58 overs so it was a hectic work out for the pacers. He went for quite a few runs and it will be interesting to see if he bowls on day three.

In case you’re wondering why Ravichandran Ashwin hasn’t bowled yet, here’s why:

So apparently, the news is that Ashwin was hit on his finger in the morning practice. He did bowl in the lunch break and word is that it is only a minor bother. He should be fine, but that is the reason why he hasn’t taken the field.

Essex 200/5

Foster and Walter have frustrated India as they look to avoid lose a wicket towards the end of Day 2. No signs of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Essex loses half side- Essex 186/5. 
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OUT! Umesh Yadav gets some swing late in the day to get rid of Rishi Patel. He is bowling into the wind, just hint of movement and takes the outside edge.. He has bowled really well, been the pick of the bowlers. Want to talk about selection?  He should play the first Test after missing out the entire South African tour.

After 41 overs, Essex 169/4

Breakthrough for India. Finally Pepper falls for 68 with a strike-rate of 90-plus. Ishant Sharma with a lucky second wicket gets inside edge on to his stumps and bowled.

Essex 150/3, after 38 overs

Boundary off the last ball, but Thakur is bowling a nice spell. Shami at the other end and these two started off proceedings after tea. Pepper got to his half-century. Solid effort against a Test quality attack.

Day 2, Tea  – Essex 130/3  after 34 Overs, trail by 265 runs

Last ball of the session and through the slip cordon for four.Thakur has been good in his short spell and India will be happy with their pacers in this session. Hard work under the sun but it’s gone well.

Essex 113/3

OUT! Wicket for Thakur. Jadeja takes the catch at backward point. Miscued shot from Westley. He lived by the sword and died by it. The pull shot was not really there as Thakur got some extra pace to take his first wicket.

Spin for the first time in the 31st over as Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack

28th over- Still no spin

Shardul Thakur comes into the attack.Induces the inside edge that falls before DK and runs for four. Unlucky for Thakur

After 26 overs, Essex 92/2

Pandya really working the batsmen over. One of the better spells I have seen him bowl. You don’t get to see too much of this international cricket where he hits on the money immediately, but this is good pace and mix of deliveries. Easily outshining Shami and Ishant, which says a lot.

No spin yet, but Umesh Yadav is back into the attack

Start of second spell for Yadav. Change of ends for him as he is bowling into the wind. Surprising.

Some attacking field in place by India

Four slips in position for Pandya in that last over… you would think it is a bit of over reaction of that missed catch. But he is getting the ball to move away and Westley is taking chances in driving.

After 24 overs, Essex 84/2

Through the slip cordon..third slip would have caught it. Pandya inducing that edge… Ishant straying a bit… Perhaps the ball is starting to reverse.

After 20, Essex 70/2 Michael-Kyle Pepper 13(11), Tom Westley 28(45)

Good bowling from Pandya, he has been asking the batsmen to come forth and attempt to drive. Plenty plays and misses. 

While, Ishant erred in his line in the previous over and was punished for three consecutive boundaries. Overall a good spell.

Essex 45/2 

OUT! Wicket… Ishant the bowler… incoming into Chopra… thought there was an inside edge but definitely a loud thud on the bat… the change has worked well… Chopra’s vigil at the wicket is over.

Hardik Pandya comes into the bowling

Double bowling change for India… Ishant followed by Pandya… excellent spells from Umesh and Shami…

Essex 40/1, after 15 overs

First change: Ishant Sharma gets the ball. Tidy start. Gives three runs off his first over.

After 12 overs, Essex 30/1, trail by 365
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Shami getting some lovely movement in this spell as well… some good fast bowling from both ends… beaten batsmen 4 times already in four overs after lunch…

After 11 overs, Essex 25/0

Shami and Umesh continue their spells post lunch and look for another breakthrough.  Essex’s Varun Chopra and Tom Westley are staving off the challenge at the moment.

Essex 18/1 after 8 overs, trail India’s 1st innings score by 377 runs.

Join us for the afternoon session of Day 2 after the break.

Lunch, Day 2

Essex 18/1 at lunch. Shami has looked to get in rhythm… but boy Umesh is on fire. That was some first spell, worthy of Test cricket.

Umesh bowling some absolute thunderbolts
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Ohhh whattay ball from Umesh… lifting and extra bounce… movement away from off stump… Umesh is on the money here. Brilliant ball!

OUT! Nick Brown lbw U Yadav for 11 Essex 13/1
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Umesh generating good pace and swing…a lovely away shape from the right hander… but he has got the left hander Browne out… ball coming in, loud appeal and that’s out lbw… it is too dry to get that sort of movement but he is generating good pace which is perhaps aiding him.

Umesh Yadav starts off with couple of maidens

Umesh Yadav with back to back maidens… settling in on a nice off-stump line… induced an edge but fell short of second slip….

Essex get their innings underway
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Shami started off proceedings for India… just a boundary there… imperative for Shami to work up his pace and fitness in this game, and prove it to the team management. He was off colour throughout the South Africa tour and needs to play the part of India’s lead Test pacer on this tour.

Almost all Essex bowlers tasting success. Indian batting line up was hot and cold. While Kohli, Karthik, Vijay, Pandya, Rahul got runs. Dhawan, Pujara and Rahane missed out, perhaps a second go in the third innings of the match

Watch how Karun Nair’s stay at the crease came to an end

India all out for 395 in 100.1 overs

So Jadeja falls to a sharp catch and is out for 15. India have been bowled out for 395 after recovering from a poor start. Risabh Pant made an attacking 34 not out off 26 balls and played some scintillating shots. Surprisingly, R Ashwin didn’t bat at all. Maybe in the second innings, even though the top order will have some work to do.

More on Adil Rashid’s return to Test side

England’s squad for the first Test

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes

No place for Chris Woakes and Mark Wood as they are speculated to be still recovering from their injuries.

England announce 13-member Test squad for the first Test

Big news as drinks are taken.. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali back in England’s Test squad.

After 96 overs, India 379/9 (R Pant 23, R Jadeja 11)
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Rishabh Pant lighting up Chelmsford… brilliant strokeplay so far… motoring along with a few boundaries….

Only net sessions for R Ashwin – the batsman. He will have to wait for India’s second innings to get a bat in the middle.

Interestingly, the score manager puts Ashwin’s name whenever a wicket falls… apparently because it is in alphabetical order. But ironically, he won’t be batting at all here. He did have a couple outings in the nets though.

OUT! Pandya falling to a loose shot. No R Ashwin as Pant walks in at number 11.

Fifty for Pandya off 81 balls… vital playing time for Pandya… but immediately out next ball… lobbed to cover… and out straight away… Pant is in at number 11.

Edgy start for Ravindra Jadeja

Some plays and misses from Jadeja… but he is trying to settle down at the wicket and get some balls in. Pandya continues to attack as and when the opportunity… and as I type again… back to back fours for him.

After 90 overs, India 337/8 (H Pandya 38, R Jadeja 8)

Surprisingly, it is not R Ashwin who has come out to bat. But Ravi Jadeja ahead of him. You would think it should be the other way round.

IND 328/8

OUT! Karun Nair b Aaron Beard 4 (12) 

Not the best outing for Karun Nair. Didn’t look too comfortable at the crease. Plays on, and the ball bumps onto the leg stump. Almost like he didn’t know where the leg stump was. Gone for 4. Surely not a case for inclusion in the first Test. But will he get a chance in the second innings.

Needless shot to start with, especially when commencing the second Day’s play. However it was good knock.

OUT! Dinesh Karthik out on the first ball of Day 2

Drama drama drama first ball… not sure what came into DK’s head first up… wide delivery from Walter… too wide actually that he decided to cut it over third man… full blooded shot and caught at third man… Matt Dixon took a diving catch… the outfield isn’t too green there. But he did well.. DK out caught first ball to an awful delivery.

Karun Nair is in at number nine.

No ovetrnight declaration, India will continue to bat on Day 2

No official confirmation yet, but there is no declaration… nobody knows really… so I guess India will continue batting… 

And yes, just as I type that, Essex team have walked onto the field.

In the match wicket nets… Virat has been squared up twice by Umesh and Ishant in quick succession… on the off stump… they are obviously better bowlers than Essex’s second string you would think.

At the far end, there is slip catching practice going on, another indicator that India will bowl shortly if they don’t declare overnight. 

Earlier, it was a four-slip cordon earlier, with Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul and Nair standing, and then Rahane at gully. Now, Nair has gone out, probably to pad up, and Rahane is in fourth slip.

It is unclear as to what India want to first up on day 2 here. There is a lot of batting going on in one of the nets adjacent to the match wicket, as can be seen in the previous picture. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are batting in tandem against pacers. Spinners Ashwin and Jadeja are nowhere to be seen, so it can be assumed that they will bat. 

India will bowl at some point surely though. Ishant, Umesh and Shardul marked their run-ups a few minutes ago.

Hellos from day two at Chelmsford… the sun is shining bright and hard but there is prediction of a thundershower later in the afternoon here. It is long over due as well given that it hasn’t rained in Chelmsford since May end. 

And… there is a stiff breeze blowing across the ground today. 

Hellos from day two at Chelmsford… the sun is shining bright and hard but there is prediction of a thundershower later in the afternoon here. It is long over due as well given that it hasn’t rained in Chelmsford since May end. 

And… there is a stiff breeze blowing across the ground today. 

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of the second day of the three-day practice match between India and Essex.