India v England: first Test, day two – as it happened

Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes completed centuries as England racked up a first-innings total of 537, and India saw out the final session without loss

3.33pm GMT

Related: Ben Stokes shows other side to his talents with century of graft and craft | Ali Martin

12.07pm GMT

Here’s Vic Marks’ report from Rajkot.

Related: Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali score tons as England pile on the runs against India

11.19am GMT

So, the day is done, and though England would have dearly loved to make a late breakthrough they will nevertheless be extremely satisfied by their day’s work. They may not have taken any wickets, but they have been sufficiently encouraged to feel that they will soon enough. By tea tomorrow we should have a good idea of where this Test is heading. For now, though, it’s adieu. Bye!

11.12am GMT

Moeen Ali gives a quick interview on his way off the field:

It was encouraging for tomorrow. I think the slower ball spun a bit more than the rest of them. We’ve got to try to be patient as well. I slept well last night, so I wasn’t too fussed [about being on 99 overnight]. Before I went into bat I didn’t feel that good, I was a bit lethargic and I had to get myself going. I just batted to the occasion and the singles were there to take. There were times when I wanted to have a hack but you’ve got to rein it in sometimes. [On his dismissal] Maybe I got a bit defensive but I found him quite tough to face to be honest with you.

11.09am GMT

23rd over: India 63-0 (Vijay 25, Gambhir 28) Rashid bowls it, and there’s one lovely delivery in there, the googly, which Gambhir doesn’t spot and zips just past the edge of his bat. Very nice bowling. And that’s stumps.

11.04am GMT

22nd over: India 60-0 (Vijay 24, Gambhir 26) Another over, another run, and England have only six deliveries left if they’re to stop India ending what has been for them a largely disappointing day feeling really quite positive all things considered.

11.01am GMT

21st over: India 59-0 (Vijay 24, Gambhir 25) Rashid does his first bowling, and his second ball is hit by Gambhir to the long off boundary, evading not one but two diving fielders on its way for added dramatic effect.

10.58am GMT

20th over: India 54-0 (Vijay 24, Gambhir 20) Ansari continues, and Gambhir gets a single from the penultimate ball. In a pleasingly symmetrical twist, both batsmen have faced precisely 60 deliveries.

10.55am GMT

19th over: India 53-0 (Vijay 24, Gambhir 19) Four overs to go today, and how England would like something to celebrate before stumps. Meanwhile, I’ve just seen this tweet from late last night. Who calls their eatery Brilliant Restaurant? It’s good to aim high, I suppose.

Pleasure to serve you @kartikmurali thanks for visiting #brilliantrestaurant pic.twitter.com/J2gsv5GbnU

10.50am GMT

18th over: India 51-0 (Vijay 23, Gambhir 18) Ansari’s first over yields a single off the last, though Vijay was looking pretty angry with himself when he failed to punish, or indeed touch, an eminently hittable wide one that maybe stayed a bit low.

10.47am GMT

17th over: India 50-0 (Vijay 22, Gambhir 18) Decent bowling from Stokes, setting Gambhir up with a couple that carried straight on well wide of off stump, and then making the third angle in, though the wicket wasn’t seriously threatened. Still, the runs have stopped flowing: only one has been scored in the last three overs.

10.42am GMT

16th over: India 50-0 (Vijay 22, Gambhir 18) Moeen’s looking England’s most likely, though there hasn’t been much competition yet, and India reach a largely stress-free 50. Cook at silly point gets hit on the calf and decides pads might be in order, causing a short delay mid-over.

10.36am GMT

15th over: India 49-0 (Vijay 22, Gambhir 17) A bit of movement here for Woakes, with the ball biting a chunk out of the pitch on its way through. Maiden.

10.31am GMT

14th over: India 49-0 (Vijay 22, Gambhir 17) Moeen gets good spin again, and no reward for it. But my, it’s close! Vijay is totally befuddled, the ball finds a gap between bat and pad, and it passes perhaps two inches wide of off stump, and then rolls away for four byes. On Sky, Nasser Hussain says it turned “bigly”, which goes to show the effect Donald Trump is already having on our culture.

10.27am GMT

13th over: India 44-0 (Vijay 21, Gambhir 17) Woakes’ first ball is a wide full toss that Gambhir diverts to backward point for four. 64% of India’s runs so far have come from boundaries, as this wicket continues to bleed runs.

10.24am GMT

12th over: India 40-0 (Vijay 21, Gambhir 13) Hello again! So, little to encourage England so far but for one Moeen delivery that turned, climbed and went for four byes, which as encouragement goes is very much at the discouraging end of the spectrum. There’s no such drama from his fourth over of the day, featuring as it does a couple of singles and a leg bye, all pretty drama-free.

10.17am GMT

11th over: India 37-0 (Vijay 21, Gambhir 11) Broad off, Woakes on. I’d be tempted to get Rashid into the game early, especially given the time of day and consequent stick/twist dilemma. Woakes gets some discernible outswing, presumably reverse; that’s an excellent sign for England, particularly when Stokes is able to bowl. A decent over from Woakes: two from it, and that’s drinks. Simon Burnton will be with you until the close. Bye!

10.12am GMT

10th over: India 35-0 (Vijay 19, Gambhir 13) Gambhir is showing Moeen plenty of respect, apart from that one lunge in the previous over. Six defensive strokes mean six dot balls mean a maiden. Edit: it looks like Gambhir worked a couple to leg from the third ball. When did that happen?

“Save big on Matilda’s final months on Broadway!” writes BroadwayWorld Offers.

10.06am GMT

9th over: India 33-0 (Vijay 19, Gambhir 9) Stokes is limping off the field. It looks like cramp. Meanwhile, Vijay reaches outside off stump to elegantly wave a poor delivery from Broad through the covers for four. Then he times four more back past Broad, an even better shot, and edges a third boundary low to third man. Anyone out there?

10.04am GMT

8th over: India 21-0 (Vijay 7, Gambhir 9) This is good from Moeen, whose line and length to Gambhir have been excellent. After five dot balls, Gambhir throws everything at a full delivery that beats him and spits past Bairstow for four byes.

10.01am GMT

7th over: India 17-0 (Vijay 7, Gambhir 9) Broad is into his work now and produces a sharp delivery that Vijay inside-edges onto the thigh. There is also a hint of reverse swing, though it’s been a long day so my eyes may be telling lies. An excellent over from Broad, his best yet.

9.56am GMT

6th over: India 17-0 (Vijay 7, Gambhir 9) Moeen replaces Chris Woakes, who bowled a couple of innocuous overs. He had by far the best series of his Test career with the ball against India in 2014, when he took 19 wickets at 23. There’s negligible turn in his first over here, with Gambhir defending solidly. A maiden.

9.52am GMT

5th over: India 17-0 (Vijay 7, Gambhir 9) Cook has put a man on the drive for Vijay, the first twang of funk in the field. There should be plenty more as England try to prise out 20 wickets. You always ‘prise out’ wickets on the subcontinent, don’t you? Broad goes around the wicket to Gambhir, the angle from which he has so much success in the last 18 months. Gambhir works a single behind square on the leg side to get off strike.

9.47am GMT

4th over: India 15-0 (Vijay 6, Gambhir 8) Gambhir reaches to time a wide delivery from Woakes behind backward point for four. England have been unusually inaccurate so far.

“Word is that ITV wanted highlights but the BCCI set the price too high,” says Neil Harris. “So blank screens I’m afraid.” Surely they’ll be putting something on instead, even if it’s only repeat of Murder, She Wrote?

9.42am GMT

3rd over: India 10-0 (Vijay 6, Gambhir 4) Vijay drives Broad pleasantly through extra cover for a couple. There’s a bit of bounce to encourage England but no real movement. They will want to get it reversing as soon as possible.

“I assume this match is all over Sky, but do you know if any channels are giving the rest of us the chance to watch highlights at least?” says Ben Taylor. “’I can’t see anything on Channel 5 or ITV4.”

9.38am GMT

2nd over: India 8-0 (Vijay 4, Gambhir 4) Shikhar Dhawan’s injury has meant an unlikely return for Gautam Gambhir, 35. He gets off the mark by pinging a poor delivery from Woakes through square leg for four. Not a great start by England. Send them home!

“A 501 is surely a Levi hundred,” says Chris Drew. “Of course, had a previous England opener made that, it would have been a Levi Strauss hundred. Sorry for the whimsicality.”

9.34am GMT

1st over: India 4-0 (Vijay 4, Gambhir 0) If England get two wickets tonight they will sleep beautifully. Broad, in his 100th Test, opens to Murali Vijay with three slips, a gully and short leg. His line is too straight to start with, and Vijay works the second ball fine for four. He’s falling away again and it shows. He improves as the over progresses and almost sneaks a wide yorker under Vijay’s bat. The last ball ends up in the hands of Hameed at short leg; a couple of the slips appeal but Broad - and the umpire - aren’t interested.

“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Good that we have three centurions in the innings, but this is India, where large scores are not unknown. There were no daddy hundreds - stepfather hundreds, maybe. A score of 180+ ought to be a Grandad.” What do you call a 501 then?

9.08am GMT

The end of the innings means it’s time for the tea break. England have had a good day, with Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes making hundreds and Jonny Bairstow and Zafar Ansari contributing as well. There are only 21 overs remaining in the day, so England’s seamers can really charge in after tea.

9.06am GMT

Ansari tries to sweep Mishra and misses, and Kumar Dharmasena gives him out LBW. Ansari reviewed, primarily because he was the last man, but replays showed it straightened and would have hit leg stump.

9.04am GMT

159th over: England 537-9 (Ansari 32, Broad 6) Broad turns Ashwin just short of leg slip as this session continues to potter along. Ashwin has figures of two for 167.

9.02am GMT

158th over: England 534-9 (Ansari 31, Broad 4) Broad is dropped by Rahane, a diving chance at leg slip at Mishra, and then survives a run-out referral after dropping his bat.

“Hey, bud,” says Ian Copestake, “stop reporting on the cricket and tell us whether you think Trump will inspire May like Ronnie did Maggie.”

8.56am GMT

157th over: England 529-9 (Ansari 29, Broad 1) Ashwin returns, eyeing a cheap wicket with which to massage his figures. Instead Ansari swaggers down the track and lifts a classy boundary over mid-on. This has been an excellent innings from one of the better No10s in English cricket history.

8.52am GMT

156th over: England 522-9 (Ansari 23, Broad 0) Broad had his face redefined by a Varun Aaron bouncer in 2014, so it’s not surprised Shami attacks him with a couple of bouncers. Broad ignores them, and it’s a maiden.

8.49am GMT

155th over: England 522-9 (Ansari 23, Broad 0) Ansari pulls Yadav through midwicket for four, a high-class shot that verges on disdainful. Yadav beats him for his insolence, but only outside off stump.

Oh, it should be tea but because England are nine down, the session will be extended for half an hour or until Broad misses a straight one.

8.44am GMT

154th over: England 518-9 (Ansari 19, Broad 0) Shami bowls the penultimate over of a somnolent afternoon session, with Ansari pulling a single off the last ball. La la la.

8.39am GMT

153rd over: England 517-9 (Ansari 18, Broad 0) The No11 is the centurion Stuart Broad.

8.38am GMT

Stokes’s innings ends when he is caught down the leg side. He pushed wearily at an errant delivery from Yadav and got a thin edge that was well taken by the keeper Saha.

8.33am GMT

152nd over: England 517-8 (Stokes 128, Ansari 18) Stokes defends a few deliveries from Shami and then winces a sharp single to Kohli at mid-off. He is showing almost heroic restraint, given the match situation and his own tiredness.

“Agree with the 146-over guy,” says Paul Griffin. “Can you stop publishing facetious nonsense emailed in by eejits and stick to the cricket? Publicising these emails is never, ever, ever justifiable.”

8.28am GMT

151st over: England 516-8 (Stokes 127, Ansari 18) Stokes is struggling now, presumably with cramp. If I was a world-class allrounder I’d take no risks until tea (which is 15 minutes), then mainline Evian during the interval and swing like a beauty in the evening session. I suspect he might give it away before tea though. Either way, he should be beyond criticism as he has been quite brilliant.

“Does everyone who follows cricket have a whirring set of possible amazing scenarios going in their head that are ultimately so outlandish and unlikely they can’t even air them to their nearest and dearest?” says Pete Salmon. “At the moment I’m thinking Stokes top score 258 (136 more from here), Ansari, top first class score 116 (another 100) and Broad top score 169. That’s another 405 runs, meaning the 1000 is on! Do you think this will happen?” In 2016, I’d say it’s a near certainty.

8.24am GMT

150th over: England 513-8 (Stokes 125, Ansari 17) Stokes is shattered now and has a hack at Shami, dragging it through square leg for a single. England have plodded along in this session but I think that’s okay. What they didn’t want was to be bowled out for 480 and for India to end the day on 150 for one.

“Much better,” says Zaph Mann. “You have to learn to bed-in with banal descriptions, before gradually moving into speculative ideas then, if all’s going well, pretentious insights… while distinguishing the whole with an original spin which is brief or quickly cut and pasted… Did I say pasted?” I’d like to paste something.

8.19am GMT

149th over: England 510-8 (Stokes 123, Ansari 16) Freddie Flintoff famously broke his bat during a hundred in 2003. Now Stokes has broken the ball. He cracked it so hard back to Yadav that it made a big dent, and there’s a delay while the umpires choose a replacement.

The first delivery with the new ball hits Stokes amidships and plops just in front of his stumps. Stokes staggers backwards and fresh-airs a weary attempted kick at the ball. That was funnier than I made it sound. I’m new at this so bear with me.

8.13am GMT

148th over: England 509-8 (Stokes 122, Ansari 16) Shami comes into the attack. His first ball, a reverse outswinger, is edged just short of gully by Ansari. The extent to which England make the ball reverse might decide this game. Maybe this will be Stokes’s Jubilee Test, albeit without the 3am brandy chasers.

“Sod the White House, it’s shock and awe in Rajkot as England have gone from a thrashing in Dhaka to 500 here,” says Guy Hornsby. “I feel rather foolish now, having questioned whether Stokes was a bit of a flat-track bully when he failed in India last time round, but he’s been outstanding this winter. I keep forgetting he’s only 25. There’s a real potential core of this team for the next 5 or 6 years, when England never seemed that good at succession. I may have to replace my Bell-amour with some Stokes-ardour. What a man.”

8.07am GMT

147th over: England 509-8 (Stokes 122, Ansari 16) Stokes winces a little after playing a forward defensive off Yadav. He’ll be bowling 90mph in a couple of hours. Yadav continues to bowl very wide of off stump, hoping Stokes will go fishing. He doesn’t.

8.03am GMT

146th over: England 509-8 (Stokes 122, Ansari 16) Stokes hasn’t really gone for Mishra, apart from that one six down the ground, and there are just a couple of singles from that over. England are going fairly slowly but I don’t think that’s a problem; they are using up some of the good overs before this pitch hopefully deteriorates.

“While I appreciate the anecdotes and humour,” says Zaph Mann, “the 144th over has NO information about the cricket. Simon’s preceding commentary was the flip side - good information. Shape up man.” I’ll try bud. I’m new to this so bear with me.

7.59am GMT

145th over: England 507-8 (Stokes 121, Ansari 15) Umesh Yadav, who has had four catches dropped in this innings, returns in place of the subdued Ashwin. Stokes ignores some wider reverse-swinging deliveries and Donald Trump is the American president.

“To balance out the giggling sirens at Andy Bradshaw’s front door he needs to call up his friends Perspective and England Cricketing History of the 1990s,” says Lee Smith. “That should dampen his ardour.”

7.54am GMT

144th over: England 506-8 (Stokes 121, Ansari 14) “I am not watching any live coverage of Stokes alas as I have a new computer and all my porn, I mean cricket links are lost,” says Ian Copestake. “It’s a bit like missing out on watching Joy Division on Granada Reports because you insisted that Tony Wilson was too much of a prick to be worth your time.”

7.51am GMT

143rd over: England 504-8 (Stokes 120, Ansari 13) Stokes works Ashwin for a single to bring up the 500. England have gone from 5-0 to 500 in four-and-a-bit sessions. It’s the 10th time they have reached 500 in Asia. Their highest score was the 652-7 in India in 1984-85, the match of Foxy Fowler, Foxy Foster and Foxy Gatt. Ansari then gets his first boundary with a nice flick through midwicket off Ashwin.

7.48am GMT

142nd over: England 495-8 (Stokes 119, Ansari 9) A maiden from Mishra to Ansari. You know, Quasimodo predicted all this.

7.46am GMT

141st over: England 495-8 (Stokes 119, Ansari 9) It’s an odd thing to say about an innings of 8 not out from 31 balls, but Ansari has played perfectly so far, with no risk whatsoever in his strokeplay. He’s playing for Stokes.

7.40am GMT

140th over: England 495-8 (Stokes 117, Ansari 7) Mishra comes into the attack in place of Jadeja, which is a bit of a surprise. He was panelled by Stokes and Bairstow in the morning session, and Stokes hits another six in this over. He smacked the ball towards long on, where Vijay took the catch but had his foot on the rope. The next ball is slog-swept high in the air and again lands safely. The placement of Stokes’s mishits has been immaculate in this innings

“Morning Smyth,” says Andy Bradshaw. “There’s a lady called Hope at the door. Should I let her in? She just muttered something about inviting her friends Hubris & Crushing Disappointment to pop around later.” It’s 2016 mate, we don’t let ladies in.

7.35am GMT

139th over: England 485-8 (Stokes 108, Ansari 6) Stokes charges Ashwin and gets a thin inside-edge that goes wide of Saha for four. Technically that’s a missed stumping chance to go with his two dropped catches earlier in the day, though it was very tough because he was unsighted and there was that slight edge. I’m not sure that qualifies as a Wriddhiman Blues moment.

7.33am GMT

138th over: England 481-8 (Stokes 104, Ansari 6) Jadeja continues to wheel away at the middle of Ansari’s dead bat. A maiden.

“Morning felicitations from a wonderfully wet and windy Darlington,” says Lee Smith. “Darlington time allows for porridge and mahogany-coloured tea. Chris Drew is correct in noting, very quietly, that an Indian renaissance is building here.”

7.31am GMT

137th over: England 481-8 (Stokes 104, Ansari 6) Ansari is playing sensibly and with minimal risk. He has 6 from 21 balls; Stokes has 104 from 178.

“So David Acaster comes on here, boasting about his jet-setter lifestyle, and expecting us to be sympathetic because he wakes up in a crappy bed, knowing that in the lefty echo chamber of the Guardian he’s singing to the choir,” says Felix Wood. “What about the poor cleaner who has to deal with that? It’s no wonder The People Are Angry.” Yeah but who cleans the cleaner?

7.28am GMT

136th over: England 480-8 (Stokes 104, Ansari 5) Stokes rocks back to crash Jadeja through the covers for four and reach a fine century! There have been moments of luck, but there have been many more moments of brilliance. The comic-book hero of world cricket is getting better with every match. This ton is particularly sweet: it’s his first hundred on the subcontinent, and it comes after a desperate series against India in 2014 when he literally didn’t score a run. It’s only the second time England have had three centurions in a Test innings in Asia, and the first in 55 years.

7.24am GMT

135th over: England 474-8 (Stokes 99, Ansari 4) Stokes gets another with another yahoo. He charged Ashwin and sliced him high over the off side for a single. His only two attacking strokes in the non-nuclear nineties could have brought his dismissal. But now he is on 99, and you don’t need to be a Countdown Octochamp to know what that means.

7.22am GMT

134th over: England 471-8 (Stokes 97, Ansari 3) “Rob, could you try to be less entertaining please,” says Ian Copestake, mistaking me for Jimmy Carr. “I have just started on rum and cokes and it is 11pm with nothing but imaginary kids to take to school in the morning. So my 2pm wake up tomorrow is all on you, hombre.”

7.19am GMT

133rd over: England 469-8 (Stokes 97, Ansari 1) Ashwin replaces Shami, who bowled a good spell of reverse either side of lunch. Stokes gloves a reverse sweep onto his body, with the landing safely on the leg side. Ansari, meanwhile, has started his innings with some calm defensive stokes.

7.16am GMT

132nd over: England 467-8 (Stokes 96, Ansari 0) Stokes continues to crawl towards his hundred, one single at a time. It’s paradoxically thrilling to see him play so cautiously. Our boy is all growns up.

7.14am GMT

131st over: England 466-8 (Stokes 95, Ansari 0) Stokes has taken some risky singles since lunch, and there’s another to Ashwin at mid-off. It would have been really tight with a direct hit, despite Stokes’s shirt-filthening dive.

“Whisper it quietly, but there is quite a good comeback going on here from India,” says Chris Drew. “French time allows for coffee, croissants and pain au chocolat with the cricket. Very acceptable.” Yes, there is still a scenario whereby England could lose. Mind you, in a post-Adelaide world, there’s always a scenario whereby England could lose.

7.10am GMT

130th over: England 465-8 (Stokes 94, Ansari 0) That wasn’t a great piece of batting from Rashid in the circumstances. Ansari, hopefully, will play for Stokes because I can’t see the No11 Broad hanging round too long.

7.08am GMT

Rashid flicks Jadeja wristily, elegantly and straight to mid-on, where Yadav takes a good catch.

7.07am GMT

129th over: England 465-7 (Stokes 94, Rashid 5) Apart from that one loose heave, Stokes has been extremely judicious since the break. He is now six away from his hundred.

“Hi Rob,” says Richard Woods. “Subcontinental matches are perfect for Beijing time. Start midday, finish 7pm. Pretty much like being back home. Almost - but not quite - compensation for Saturday afternoon football kicking off at 11pm.”

7.01am GMT

128th over: England 461-7 (Stokes 91, Rashid 4) Stokes does go nuclear - and gets away with it. He slog-swept Jadeja high in the air, and leant over his bat in disgust. Kohli ran a long way towards deep mid-on but just couldn’t reach it as he dived forward. It was an easier chance for Vijay, coming in from long-on, but Kohli called for it and Vijay pulled up short to avoid a Gillespie/Waugh-style collision. Rashid then slices a boundary to third man to get off the mark.

6.59am GMT

127th over: England 456-7 (Stokes 90, Rashid 0) Another dodgy run between Stokes and Rashid, but they get away with it because of a misfield.

“Stokes,” says Ian Copestake, “Is about to go nuclear.” Never mind the nervous nineties, here’s the nuclear nineties. That said, I don’t think he will, at least not until he gets his hundred. After that he might decide to go berserk, especially with Rashid’s jittery start to his innings.

6.56am GMT

126th over: England 453-7 (Stokes 87, Rashid 0) Jadeja was surprisingly underused in the morning session, when England took the legspinner Mishra to the cleaners. He always looks a threat in home conditions, and in that over he gets one to bounce nastily past Rashid shouldered arms.

“I spend a bit of time in hotels,” says David Acaster. “Not much fun in my book. But I’ve found that Test series in different time zones at least give some compensation for waking up early in crappy beds. Thanks OBO and come on Stokesy.” Don’t you get sport jetlag? I always find it confusing when, say, England are playing a Test in the UAE at 9pm on Saturday night in Tokyo.

6.51am GMT

125th over: England 452-7 (Stokes 86, Rashid 0) Stokes shows his football skills when the ball bounces back towards the stumps after a defensive stroke off Shami. It wouldn’t have hit the stumps but Stokes didn’t want to take any chances. He does take a chance later in the over with a dodgy single. Rashid would have been out with a direct hit from Kohli, who did brilliantly to collect the ball on the slide and throw on the turn. There is decent reverse swing for Shami, which won’t disappoint England.

6.47am GMT

124th over: England 451-7 (Stokes 85, Rashid 0) It’s important that England’s talented lower order aren’t blown away here. The top order have scored at a match-winning pace, but it could also be a match-losing pace if India take a first-innings lead. England will want at least 500.

“Morning Rob!” says Tim Myles. “Do you remember all the worrying about moving Root up to No3? After 21 innings at each position: average at No3 - 49.21, average at No4 - 50.37. Don’t hear too much about it now....funny that!”

6.45am GMT

Ravindra Jadeja strikes with the fourth ball after lunch. Chris Woakes felt indecisively for a good delivery that straightened off the pitch and took a thin edge on its way through to Saha.

6.39am GMT

Breakfast statgasm

If Ben Stokes scores 16 more runs, England will have three centurions in a Test innings on the subcontinent for only the second time. Geoff Pullar, Ken Barrington and Ted Dexter all scored hundreds in the second innings at Kanpur in 1961-62.

6.34am GMT

An email! “I know you see India as Spurs and England as Arsenal, mate,” says Ian Copestake. “But try to wipe the prejudice juice off your hands and be a bit balanced yeah?”

6.21am GMT

Morning one, morning both of you. Rob here, and I bring good news and bad news. The bad news is that, yes, Biff Tannen really is heading to the White House. The good news is that England’s all-rounders, erm, biffed India all round Rajkot in the morning session. It was an audacious performance that produced 139 runs in 30 overs for the loss of Moeen Ali (117) and Jonny Bairstow (46)

Ben Stokes is still there on 84. He was dropped twice by the keeper Wriddhiman Saha, as good a reason as any to dust off the old ‘Wriddhiman Blues’ headline, but it has nonetheless been a superb innings – the kind he simply could not have played a year ago. He has done an indecent amount of work to develop his batting in these conditions.

6.07am GMT

An excellent session for England, and excellent entertainment for everyone. 139 runs were scored (from 30 overs, at 4.63 an over), two wickets were taken, a couple of chances were dropped, and it all ends with England on a pleasingly round number and with another batsman approaching a century.

6.04am GMT

123rd over: England 450-6 (Stokes 84, Woakes 4) Shami bowls the final over before lunch. There has been one maiden in the last 42 overs, and this wasn’t another.

5.59am GMT

122nd over: England 447-6 (Stokes 82, Woakes 4) Woakes flicks Yadav’s final delivery to fine leg for four, and is off the mark. It’s nearly four years since a touring side scored 450 in India, since England’s 523 on their way to victory in Kolkata in December 2012. Of the last five times a touring side reached 450, they’re the only ones who actually won the match. “Top of the early morning to you, Simon,” writes Ian Copestake. “Great to see England piling on the runs. We need to enjoy such moments in these uncertain times.”

5.54am GMT

121st over: England 442-6 (Stokes 80, Woakes 0) Another bowling change, as Shami returns, and his first delivery nips literally into Stokes, hitting him in the upper thigh (not a euphamism for his genltemanly area), while his third hits Bairstow in the upper thigh (a euphamism for his gentlemanly area). Two balls later he’s gone.

5.53am GMT

Saha catches a ball! Perhaps a whisper of away movement from Shami, but Bairstow was stretching anyway, and the ball nicked his bottom edge.

5.47am GMT

120th over: England 441-5 (Stokes 80, Bairstow 46) Jadeja comes into the attack, and Stokes tries to hit him back out of it again. He has a go at sending the first ball down the ground for six, doesn’t quite get hold of it but gets four for his troubles, the next is boshed to square leg for a couple, and the third nicked over his shoulder to the fine leg boundary.

5.44am GMT

119th over: England 430-5 (Stokes 69, Bairstow 46) Bairstow is nearly out twice in as many balls! The first would have been extraordinarily unlucky, as a decent shot hit the guy at short midwicket on the foot and dropped just short of a diving Kohli at short mid on, but the second was sliced into the air only to land just short of mid on.

5.39am GMT

118th over: England 425-5 (Stokes 68, Bairstow 42) Mishra bowls, Stokes skips down the track and hits just wide of midwicket for four, and then Bairstow chops the last square for four more. He’s scored 42 off 50 balls so far, blistering stuff.

5.36am GMT

117th over: England 416-5 (Stokes 63, Bairstow 38) Stokes wasn’t in fact dropped in over 116, that was just a copy-and-pasting error on my part. Sorry if I got you unnecessarily excited. Still, the drop in over 115 was bad enough to get excited about twice. (If you’re not reading this live, I’ve already deleted the rogue repeated drop-reporting, but sorry for spending the whole of over 117 wittering on about it.)

5.32am GMT

116th over: England 415-5 (Stokes 62, Bairstow 38) Mishra bowls, and Bairstow decorates his over with boundaries, sending the first ball high over cover, and the third low past midwicket, both for four.

5.30am GMT

115th over: England 407-5 (Stokes 62, Bairstow 30) Stokes is dropped again! And if letting the last chance go was excusable, as Saha had to go low and fast to even reach it, this one looked pretty easy. It was a poor shot, the ball flicked the top edge and flew behind, and Saha somehow let it go between his gloves.

Saha drops Stokes again! Similar shot, easier chance. That's five catches dropped now by India in this innings #INDvENG

5.24am GMT

114th over: England 404-5 (Stokes 61, Bairstow 29) Cripes, now that is significant spin! Mishra balls, and a ball heading vaguely towards off stump changes its mind, ends up going a foot wide of leg, surprising Saha and rolling away for four byes. “Much as I enjoy watching England play well and savour each success as much as anyone, I can’t help but think that the 2000 plus runs Root and Bairstow have contributed this year were possibly the difference between Yorkshire winning the Championship and falling just short,” moans Phil Withall. “Yes I am a miserable, self serving git but it still hurts.”

5.22am GMT

113th over: England 400-5 (Stokes 61, Bairstow 29) A change of pace as Ashwin is replaced, Yadav replacing him, and Stokes is dropped! The ball flies off his edge and Saha dives low to his left, gets his glove to it but the ball slips out again! To add insult to injury, or at least setback to setback, Bairstow sends the next ball to the rope.

5.16am GMT

112th over: England 395-5 (Stokes 60, Bairstow 25) Bairstow gets a second six from Mishra’s first ball, and England will be encouraged both by the fact that the pitch appears to be deteriorating, and by the fact that they appear to be coping.

Suddenly signs of sharp spin

Over no 109 (Ashwin) Balls turned between 4.3° and 11.5°

His AVERAGE turn before then less than 4°#IndvsEng

5.13am GMT

111th over: England 387-5 (Stokes 59, Bairstow 18) Boundaries for Stokes from the first and last balls of Ashwin’s over, the first an apparently premeditated stretching swish through midwicket, the last tickled to fine leg.

5.11am GMT

110th over: England 383-5 (Stokes 51, Bairstow 18) In all that 109th-over excitement I failed to adequately praise Stokes upon the completion of his half-century. It’s been another impressive innings, composed and clinical.

5.07am GMT

109th over: England 378-5 (Stokes 50, Bairstow 17) The players take drinks, and were it not for Moeen’s momentary loss of reason it would have been a fabulous first hour for England. As it was, though, it was only excellent. They’ve scored fluently and generally made themselves very much at home. Ashwin’s first delivery after drinks turns a bit, though, as for that matter does his fifth. Those are the only dots, though, and Bairstow hits the third ball wide of cover for four.

Jimmy Anderson bowling in the nets. Just taken out Gary Ballance's off stump with a beauty.

He probably got him again a couple of balls later. Nicking off.

5.00am GMT

108th over: England 371-5 (Stokes 47, Bairstow 13) Mishra’s first delivery hits Bairstow on the pads and prompts what I think is the first lbw appeal of the day - a half-hearted one, and rightly so with the ball heading comfortably down leg side. Bairstow, offended, sends the next ball high and straight down the ground for six, instantly doubling his score.

4.57am GMT

107th over: England 363-5 (Stokes 47, Bairstow 6) After four dots, Stokes sends Ashwin’s fifth delivery bouncing past cover for a couple.

4.55am GMT

106th over: England 361-5 (Stokes 45, Bairstow 6) Decent over from Mishra, with only one run attempted and only one scored.

4.52am GMT

105th over: England 360-5 (Stokes 44, Bairstow 6) With two spinners on, an OBOer can investigate a potential stat for a couple of minutes, essentially miss an entire over and still not have a stat. Which is disappointing.

4.49am GMT

104th over: England 358-5 (Stokes 43, Bairstow 5) Amit Mishra, the most expensive bowler yesterday, is given an 11th over of the innings, and Stokes sweeps hard, well and straight to a fielder for a single. Bairstow then pushes the ball to Jadeja at short extra cover, calls a single, and has to scurry as the fielder collects and sends the ball stumpwards. A moment of concern ends when a) he grounds his bat in time, and b) the ball misses the stumps by a distance.

4.45am GMT

103rd over: England 356-5 (Stokes 42, Bairstow 4) Ashwin continues, and Bairstow scores two with a nice shot to square leg, and two more with an awkward low edge.

It is hard to work out quite how Moeen Ali, who had played so well, was dismissed on the second morning #IndvsEng pic.twitter.com/cHglS9lFoM

4.42am GMT

102nd over: England 352-5 (Stokes 42, Bairstow 0) Stokes goes down the ground again for four runs, a fine shot that Bairstow had to be on his toes to get out of the way of, but then was not to be stopped.

4.39am GMT

101st over: England 346-5 (Stokes 36, Bairstow 0) Ashwin continues, and Stokes plays the over pretty conservatively.

Moeen played that ball with all the judgement of a US pollster #INDvENG @Simon_Burnton

4.35am GMT

100th over: England 343-5 (Stokes 33, Bairstow 0) An excellent first half-hour for England ends in disappointing style, with a centurion befuddled by the change in angle as Shami goes round the wicket and giving his wicket away.

4.31am GMT

Moeen Ali leaves a ball that thumps into his off stump! I mean, it didn’t knick it, flick it or skim it, it verily and lustily smashed it.

4.28am GMT

99th over: England 343-4 (Moeen 117, Stokes 33) A bowling change, then, as Yadav is dumped following a couple of loose overs and Ravi Ashwin comes on, with the new ball four overs old. Stokes sends it low down the ground for four.

4.25am GMT

98th over: England 339-4 (Moeen 117, Stokes 29) “On commentary yesterday Nasser pointed out that 21 of the 22 players in this match have scored first class centuries,” notes Ian Forth, as Moeen tickles the ball to fine leg for four. “Broad, England’s number 11, has a test score of 169, for flip’s sake. I seem to remember a match from over a century ago (not actually remember, but you know) where all the England team had scored 100 at some point. Wilfred Rhodes was number eleven, and he went on to open the batting for England. So three interesting statistics there. You’re very welcome.”

4.20am GMT

97th over: England 335-4 (Moeen 113, Stokes 29) Yadav isn’t so threatening, though he only concedes the one boundary this time, Stokes driving through the covers with some violence, though if the batsman had actually connected with the wild heave prompted by the final delivery the ball would still be flying.

4.16am GMT

96th over: England 330-4 (Moeen 112, Stokes 25) Shami’s second ball has Stokes all a-wibble, just flying past the edge, and his fifth is lovely, flummoxing the batsman and flying just past leg stump. His fourth, though, is clobbered for four.

4.11am GMT

95th over: England 326-4 (Moeen 112, Stokes 21) The day’s first boundary - little more than a flick from Moeen that rolls away (though Jadeja really should have stopped it a foot from the rope, but only helped it on its way) is immediately followed by the second, which zips underneath Gambhir at backward point, who might really have stopped it. The third boundary of the over, though, doesn’t go anywhere near anyone. Shot. Yadav is the bowler.

“Hi Simon,” writes Sam Mellor. Hi! “I have a problem. I’m in Cambodia (not the problem) and I want to listen to TMS (the problem). Do you or any of your army of early morning readers know any way that I can? I know you’re going to tell me to ask Aggers on That Twitter instead of you but I really, really despise That Twitter and am too stubborn to go on it even for TMS. Can you help me pretty please? Thanks!” Um, not really. Is it not on Tunein?

4.05am GMT

94th over: England 314-4 (Moeen 100, Stokes 21) There’s a new ball for the new start of the new day ... and I’m feelin’ good!

3.59am GMT

The players are out. This is about to actually happen.

3.58am GMT

Today’s weather forecast for Rajkot: hot. Chance of rain: no.

3.49am GMT

David Gower tells me that Moeen is the first England batsman to spend the night on 99 not out since Graham Hick, also in India, in February 1993, comfortably more than two decades ago. Two perhaps pertinent facts arising from this:

3.42am GMT

Morning/evening/afternoon world!

Well, this is exciting. Moeen Ali has spent a sleepless night* on 99 not out, one run from making this the first touring team to have two centurions in a single India-based innings - or even, for that matter, in a single India-based Test - since Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott’s second-innings draw-securers at Nagpur in December 2012, since when India have hosted 13 Tests, winning 12 and not losing any. So, that’s something.

The pitch at Rajkot before day 2... pic.twitter.com/KHwSIJR54n

8.47pm GMT

Simon will be here shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy Ali Martin’s analysis of the first day’s play and how the match might develop in Rajkot

Related: Fortune helps England gain first Test foothold but Kohli’s India can fire back | Ali Martin

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