England take on India at Edgbaston today as their protracted Test series finally comes to a conclusion.
The two sides went head to head last year in a five-match series which saw India take charge, leading 2-1 with one Test to play. But a Covid outbreak in the Indian camp scuppered the final match at Old Trafford, and the series is only now being resolved. England come into the match in much better shape than last year and full of confidence after dispatching New Zealand 3-0 under the stewardship of new captain Ben Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum.
England make two changes with Sam Billings taking over from the unwell Ben Foakes and James Anderson back to lead the bowling attack. Foakes missed the last couple of days of the victory over New Zealand at Headingley after testing positive for Covid-19, with Billings stepping in as an emergency replacementy. With 39-year-old Anderson fit again after a niggling ankle injury, England made the difficult decision to drop Jamie Overton. The Surrey seamer, who made 97 on debut and took two wickets, has been unable to edge ahead of a first-choice trio comprising Anderson, Stuart Broad and Matthew Potts.
Follow the latest score and Test updates below:
Jos Buttler Q&A: Is new England captain the right man for the job?
Jos Buttler has been entrusted with carrying England’s white-ball sides to greater heights after succeeding World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan.
Here, we take a look at the outstanding issues as Buttler steps up from his position as deputy to take permanent control for the first time in a Twenty20 series against India next week.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 13:45
Ben Stokes determined to ‘reshape the way Test cricket is played’
England captain Ben Stokes admits he deliberately pushed his bowlers to the limit at Headingley last week as he continues his quest to “reshape the way Test cricket is played”.
A whirlwind approach to batting has been the most obvious aspect of England’s brave new world under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, with an average run-rate of 4.54 throughout their 3-0 series win over New Zealand.
But Stokes is eager to keep challenging conventions, including when it comes to the workloads of his bowlers.
Having selected 36-year-old Stuart Broad and 23-year-old rookie Matthew Potts to face India at Edgbaston on Friday – a fourth Test in a little over four weeks – the captain revealed he was eager to see how far he could stretch his seamers.
Stokes took a back seat in Leeds last time out, not bowling at all in the first innings and sending down just four overs in the second. That left Potts to pick up 51 overs in the match, while Broad’s share of 47 was his highest for five years.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 13:35
No play – next inspection at 1.45pm
The umpires have looked at the pitch and there’s still too much standing water and dangerous areas to resume play. The next inspection will now be at 1.45pm
Luke Baker1 July 2022 13:22
Harry Brook named in England’s squads for Twenty20 and ODI series against India
Some news away from the Test side – where England have named their T20 and ODI squad for the upcoming series against India, where Jos Buttler starts his role as full-time captain.
In-form Yorkshire batter Harry Brook has been included, while Matt Parkinson has also been drafted in as fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid will miss both series after being given permission by the England and Wales Cricket Board to make The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Uncapped seamer Richard Gleeson is included for the T20 series, while Test stars Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root are part of the ODI group.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:59
Inspection at 1.15pm
The next inspection is scheduled for around 1.15pm, so hopefully that will shed some more light on a resumption time.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:55
Resumption delayed
Sadly we won’t be resuming at 12.48pm, it’s still raining at Edgbaston – albeit not as heavily as before. We’ll keep you updated for a potential start time.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:51
Potential resumption at 12.48pm
Lunch was officially taken at 12.08pm, so if the rain subsides then 12.48pm will be the time we’re back underway.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:33
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:27
Early lunch taken
As suspected, they’ve taken an early lunch at Headingley. Hopefully the rain clears and we can resume in 40 minutes’ time.
Looks like there’s just showers in the local area rather than a sustained downpour, so fingers crossed.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:18
VIDEO: Anderson takes second wicket of the morning
Here’s Jimmy Anderson’s second wicket, again caught by Zak Crawley in the slips. A jaffa from Jimmy.
Luke Baker1 July 2022 12:15