32nd over: India 110-4 (Kohli 17, Pant 11). Target 420. Shot, Rishabh. The southpaw waits for the right ball to advance at Leach, crashing him through cover for four. He sure loves taking on finger spinners.

“Morning all.” Hello, James Fielding. “Recovering from a case of Brazilian covid in Lisbon. Most definitely over the worst of it but those two from the master have just had me up out of bed running around the room! Jimmy hey, bloody hell!”

I can see the headlines now, the solution to Long Covid? A James Anderson highlights compilation. Beautiful stuff. Stay well!

31st over: India 104-4 (Kohli 16, Pant 6). Target 420. Oooh, some reverse away from Pant from around the wicket – he plays it well, with soft hands. Pujara-esque. Eek, now that I’ve typed that, he goes hard at the next ball that moves, ever so close to edging behind.

“How in the world did Anderson do that?” asks Sohid Ahmed, capturing the tone of my inbox right now. “Please, we need this to be fair contest. We can’t have the best test batsmen earth has to offer
facing bowlers from another planet.”

A lot of people out there have invested a lot of time and energy suggesting that Anderson isn’t any good outside of England, etc etc etc. This is going to be a tough time for them. Let’s go easy.

30th over: India 104-4 (Kohli 16, Pant 6). Target 420. Six taken from Leach’s over, Kohli flicking three of those through midwicket – his preferred scoring option so far. Pant finishes with another well-struck drive, albeit straight to cover – he gets himself a single and the right to take on Jimmy Anderson for the start of his fresh set.

“Thanks for the OBO from sunny Australia.” Thanks for reading along, Richard Stant. “This Test cricket lark is pretty easy. Win the toss, bat for two days or so and then bowl the oppo out for nothing and a bit a couple of times.”

Or as my colleague Dan Brettig from Cricinfo puts it:

29th over: India 98-4 (Kohli 12, Pant 4). Target 420. Fine work from Kohli, defending from under his eyes then easing a single with the swing. Pant’s turn and he does as he must, throwing his hands at a wide one and getting four past point for it. As my colleague Bharat Sundaresan observed of the Indian wicketkeeper on Sunday, it’s not risky of the batsman in the middle doesn’t think of it that way.

28th over: India 93-4 (Kohli 11, Pant 0). Target 420. Jack, race through this one quickly and get Kohli on strike for Jimmy, will you? Perfect – a single from the final ball, that’ll do just nicely. Buckle up.

27th over: India 92-4 (Kohli 10, Pant 0). Target 420. Dare I say it, this could be over in a hurry. Pant keeps Jimmy out. A double wicket maiden to start the champion’s morning, if you don’t mind. Once again, I’m sorry not to be able to share clips with you of the two wickets – blame the truly bonkers digital rights arrangements.

DRINKS! Anderson has bowled five balls, castled two of India’s top five and had an lbw go against him despite hitting middle halfway up.

Nothing can save Rahane here… Jimmy Anderson is ON FIRE! It’s a carbon copy of the ball that did Gill, reversing a mile and taking his off-stump out of the ground too. Goodness me, this is perfection.

NOT OUT! Outside the line of off-stump but that has really shot through and kept low, with the added menace of reverse swing.

WHAT A DELIVERY! Jimmy goes through Gill with the perfect inswinger – just his second delivery of the morning. Reverse swing at its very best, taking the off-stump out of the ground. Superstar.

26th over: India 92-2 (Gill 50, Kohli 10). Target 420. The young gun has reached a half-century in three of his four Tests, this the second time he’s managed it in the fourth innings. What a player he is going to be, reaching the milestone, in 81 deliveries, with a steer behind point for one. Earlier in the over, he timed him beautifully off the front foot through midwicket – his seventh four to go with one six.

“Wow, Adam, two emails from Winnipeg on one blog,” reports John Corp. “Kumar is wrong. It’s -38c with the windchill and I’m watching The Investigation with one eye on the blog. I’m afraid the two English spinners are two trundlers who are great at Taunton but who may not be able to do the job tonight. Graeme Swann in his prime would finish things by lunch.”

To be fair to Leach, he just picked up Pujara with a beauty! I’d back these two in. They did a fine job in the Second Test at Galle.

25th over: India 87-2 (Gill 45, Kohli 10). Target 420. Five runs through the off-side from Leach, now four on the on-side against Bess. No risks required, working him off the pads without a bother.

“Hello Adam!” Hi, Kanishk Srinivasan. “I’ve been loving the OBO coverage over the last few months from Bengaluru, and have dutifully been sidestepping some of my work responsibilities to watch the matches and follow the OBO coverage. About your point from the 15th over, I was wondering what the general logic is of having four-test series’, when surely having an odd number of tests makes it easier to have a definitive victor? I know draws are a more likely outcome, but isn’t it even more important now to have series winners, given the WTC and the fine margins of points and whatnot?”

I don’t have a strong view about this – I do about two-Test series. For mine, WTC affairs should be a minimum of three. If that means reducing some Tests to four days, well, I’d (reluctantly) take it.

24th over: India 83-2 (Gill 43, Kohli 8). Target 420. Kohli is busy now, taking two from Leach through cover to start the over then another in the same direction. Gill employs the same approach and Kohli finishes there too, taking on Anderson at mid-off. Five solid runs.

“Hello Adam, how are you?” Very well, Paul on the email. “Loving your work as ever – thank you! Locked into the OBO here in New York, and reliant on radio coverage. A lot of enthusiasm but precious little actual commentary. I’ve been listening since the first ball and still idea of the field set for Leach. Can you have a word?”

On this, a point many people have made on twitter recently is that in video games, you get to see the field set in the corner of the screen. Why is that a feature of computer cricket but not real broadcasts? I know we aren’t talking about TV here, but just thought it was worth popping it out there.

23rd over: India 78-2 (Gill 42, Kohli 4). Target 420. What a talent Gill is, dancing and launching Bess over long-on for SIX of the best. There’s no way the opening batsman is going to let the off-spinner work his way into a rhythm, much as there was no way Pant was going to permit Leach to settle on Sunday. He pulls the shorter ball that follows, albeit into Ollie Pope at short leg – ouch. Kohli now, who picks up a single around the corner, easing into his work.

“Hi Adam,” Hello Tim in Calgary. “It’s -29 degrees here so the heat in India would be welcome.” There’s the happy medium, the day here in Melbourne, but that’s rubbing it in. I should remind you all that I’m returning to London in a fortnight – back to plague/lockdown.

22nd over: India 69-2 (Gill 35, Kohli 2). Target 420. Leach to Kohli. He defends, drives, cuts then prods – getting a quick single for his trouble. Gill’s turn, who is back in defence then leaving well alone.

21st over: India 68-2 (Gill 35, Kohli 1). Target 420. He’s Simply Dom Bess, he’s better than all the rest (of the right-arm finger spinners in county cricket at the moment). Gill isn’t waiting to go at his fellow youngster, dancing and driving straight past him to record a boundary first up – crisp. And he goes again later in the over from a full toss, smacked out towards midwicket… just clearing Sibley. Kohli’s turn to finish, batting in a cap, and he’s off the mark.

What I do have is a clip of Nick Knight before play. All that’s missing in his wrestling entrance music. There’s a link with that and cricket, don’t you know, and how the practice relates to Jerusalem.

20th over: India 58-2 (Gill 26, Kohli 0). Target 420. Kohli has three balls to negotiate in this successful Leach over and defends them all, getting both well forward and a long way back. I wish I could post the Pujara dismissal – a fine bit of bowling. Sadly, as far as I can tell, there are no (legal) digital snippets available from this series.

Super stuff from Leach, bringing Pujara forward and turning just enough to kiss the shoulder of his bat and land with Stokes at slip.

19th over: India 57-1 (Gill 25, Pujara 15). Target 420. The main game is Leach and Gill, but Archer and Pujara are keeping each other honest, the latter getting under a bouncer and defending the rest.

“Morning Adam.” Brian Withington, my man, great to see your name in my inbox. “Feeling a bit nervous here in the freezing West Midlands, but somewhat encouraged to hear that the wicket is looking like a day 3/4 track at Chelmsfordabab, so that all augurs well. Now where’s Simon Harmer lurking when you need him?”

I’m sorry to report that Harmer is a long, long way from England qualification. He needs a passport and doesn’t have a claim on one via family. Then he needs to do his three years. And he’s 31.

18th over: India 57-1 (Gill 25, Pujara 15). Target 420. Ooooh, there it is from Leach to Gill, big turn and bigger bounce, beyond both the blade of the batsman and the gloves of Buttler – four byes. That’s a beautifully pitched delivery with loads of dip and spin on it.

“Good afternoon from a very hot and humid Kuala Lumpur,” Richard Rodwell begins. “Settling in for what I’m sure is going to prove a very enjoyable afternoon’s cricket. Nearly a year to the day my father retired to the great pavilion in the sky having completed a great knock of 81 – he would have reveled in the Test cricket we have seen over the past few months, been delighted with terrestrial coverage and had plenty of armchair advice for the English spinning duo. A win today would additionally have cheered him after the dismal outing a Twickenham.” Nice one. Here’s to your old man.

17th over: India 53-1 (Gill 25, Pujara 15). Target 420. Oi, Archer gets one to leap at Pujara but, as usual, he greets it with his bottom hand off the bat so not to bring any close catcher into the equation. Earlier in the over, Gill showed intent again – on the balls of his feet pushing two through the gap at cover before clipping one to square leg.

“Hi Adam.” Hi, John Bray. “Having watched England be brilliant from various locations and time zones, my current vigil is beginning before midnight in Boston, trying to persuade flat mates that this is more exciting than any Super Bowl and worth staying up for!
As a teacher, my only concern is whether Mr Leech gets us some early wickets.. if he does I’ll likely stay up longer… the learning of the next generation is in his hands!”

Either way, you’ll have a story to tell them in the morning. What more could they ask for? To that end, I say stay up all night.

16th over: India 50-1 (Gill 22, Pujara 15). Target 420. That’s where Leach needs to be at Gill, attacking his stumps from around the wicket with the occasional ball shooting through, as one did here. The opener is up to the task of shoving his bat down, but only just.

15th over: India 48-1 (Gill 21, Pujara 14). Target 420. Throughout the Test, Murali Karthik, on TV, has continued to call John Lewis, ‘Jonny Liew’ – amusingly so for friends of this paper’s gun sportswriter. It’s in the context of Lewis taking Archer through his paces before play today, the England quick starting off here. Pujara plays him with those famous soft hands from the get go, steering one to cover when the opportunity arises to do so. Gill then ducks and leaves.

“Good afternoon Adam!” Hello, Kumar in Winnipeg. “This is Kumar from Winnipeg. It is cold out here, like -33 with windchill. So, I am just sitting next to a heater, hoping India pulls off a miracle draw. Do you reckon if India lose this match, which seems most possible, what chances do you give England winning the series.”

I’m getting out of the prediction business for a while (after writing before the series that Australia would thrash India) but I’d be surprised this doesn’t have many twists and turns. The beauty of a four-Test series rather than those infuriating two-match affairs.

14th over: India 47-1 (Gill 21, Pujara 13). Target 420. Second ball of the day, Leach drags one down and Gill smokes it away through square leg for four. Fast feet from the young man with the blank bat – surely the sponsors will be lining up to get a piece of him very soon. He gets a couple more forward of square next up, finding the gap, and it is retrospectively called a no-ball by the man upstairs. Quite extraordinary how many we have seen this week, especially from the spinners. Of course, Leach has been here before.

The players are on the field. India’s batsmen are out there before England’s fielders join them. The TV commentator decides that this means the home side are going to chase the runs from the get-go. Okay, let’s see. Jack Leach to begin, in at Shubman Gill. PLAY!

“Welly welly welly welly welly well!” Well indeed, Keith in Westchester, New York. “Here we are on Day Five, and I wonder, you, as our humble narrator, how will cataloging a day five today differ from those in Oz, with respect to fielding positions? Do you get the same viddy feed we get, sometimes fielding positions, sometimes, meh? Careful with the old moloko as you craft your craft my dear boy!”

On fielding positions, I take note (and pay attention) to what Stuart Broad said last night in response to the Vaughan/Warne critique.

We have an OBO correspondent ready to roll in southern India, see Guy Perry’s picture below. And another, Abhijato Sensarma, has written a fun new piece on The Full Toss blog.

Andrew Benton, hello to you. “I’ve just sent off a piece of work that was due last night! Hoorah! But now, do I sleep now and hope to catch the action near the end of the day’s play, or stay up and hope the bowlers do the biz pronto. What do you reckon? Could it all be over in an hour or two?”

I’d be staying up. The most likely scenario – the central case, as a public servant might frame it – is a comfortable England win. On that basis, you have to push on. But don’t be surprised if you’re still hanging on in six hours from now with nine men around the bat.

“Morning Adam.” And to you, Shaunak Kakade. I’m still in Melbourne, as it happens, but let’s play pretend. “Dinner’s all done and cozying up on couch from California. Looking forward to how Gill approaches the innings. His batting holds the key for India win and Pujara’s batting holds they key to draw today.”

Much as it did in Brisbane when they applied contrasting approaches in the first session of the fifth day to perfection. While the youngster was bashing Mitch Starc for 20 off an over, Pujara was making his way to his slowest half-century – a bruised and bloodied one at that. But as I said before, it’s a different task at Chennai.

“I write from Taiwan,” begins Mark Bainbridge, to get us off the mark on the emails for day five. “You do not know me from Adam, but please allow me to explain why I so very much enjoy the OBO and the fine work you, and the all the other hosts, do. In the main, internet forums are vile smelling swamps populated by creatures whose most endearing character attribute is a complete lack of manners. By contrast, everyone who contributes to the OBO, from whichever part of the world, is supremely courteous, inspiringly knowledgeable across a wide range of subjects and either possesses, or is appreciative of, an intelligent (and often wondrously dry) sense of humour. Thank you.”

What a lovely note to start on. On behalf the OBO team, our thanks.

16-5-28-2. They are Jack Leach’s figures in this Test since Rishabh Pant was dismissed in the first innings – thanks to Matt Roller for that. England’s bowling coach, John Lewis, spoke about the resilience of their left-arm tweaker after play last night.