19th over: England 111-4 (Buttler 16, Bethell 0). A steady restorative stand is rudely ended when Jadeja snares Root lbw. It brings Bethell to the crease so England, in theory, have two explosive talents out in the middle. But in India, against world-class spinners, it’s much harder to ignite.

Wicket! Root lbw b Jadeja 19, England 111-4

18th over: England 110-3 (Root 19, Buttler 15). Root reverse sweeps again, taking one off Kuldeep. Buttler drives to long-off for another. Root cuts for one more, which is as much as England are able to do, until Root nudges two to fine leg.

17th over: England 104-3 (Root 15, Buttler 13). Jadeja finds some hitherto unseen turn, jagging one sharply away from Buttler. In the face of that the batters aren’t taking risks, pushing and nudging instead. This is very good bowling. India on top at the moment overall.

16th over: England 102-3 (Root 14, Buttler 12). The steady accumulative mood music continues against the spin of Kuldeep. And England could do with a bit of old-school middle overs meandering before going big again.

15th over: England 99-3 (Root 13, Buttler 10). Now it’s Ravindra Jadeja, a nice option to have 15 overs in. England opt wisely to work him around for ones and twos – there’s a lot of years of nous and experience in the middle now. Five from the over.

“My perennial cricket dream,” begins Brian Withington, “is the one where, with increasing frustration/panic, you simply cannot get ready in time to go out to bat, as various bits of kit are misplaced or can’t be donned efficiently. Aside from any tedious psychological implications it clearly disqualifies me from batting 5 or 6 for England. Oh well.” If any psychologists are reading, do feel free to send in your analysis. The OBO can double up as a clinic. We’re here to help.

14th over: England 94-3 (Root 10, Buttler 8). Spin returns as Kuldeep, who I love watching, comes into the attack. Buttler deftly sweeps him for one before Root masterfully reverse sweeps his first boundary. There’s yer subcontinental master of spin. A well threaded push for three ensues. There’s strike rotation too in England’s most satisfying over for a while.

And there’s drinks.

13th over: England 85-3 (Root 3, Buttler 6). The parsimony continues from Hardik, yielding four singles. Good solid line and length stuff from the bowler, who’s conceded only eight runs from his three overs.

12th over: England 81-3 (Root 1, Buttler 4). There’s a contended burble in the crowd now as that flurry of wickets is followed by disciplined dot-bowling. Buttler too is unable or disinclined to work Harshit away until he pulls the final ball of the over to the square leg boundary for four, ending a run of 12 consecutive dot balls.

11th over: England 77-3 (Root 1, Buttler 0). Root and Buttler now need to draw on all their experience to rebuild this innings. They have the time, they need the momentum switch again. But they’re taking no chances against Pandya who sends down a tight and disciplined over, which is the innings’ third maiden. Quite the feast or famine, this.

“Morning Tom (well, afternoon where I’m sat, on a sun-dappled veranda outside Pondicherry, sorry about that).” Morning Martin Wright. “Many years go I dreamt I’d taken the wrong turning while heading off to bat in the nets at Lord’s indoor cricket school, and ended up bizarrely on the pavilion steps, being urged to hurry up and get out to the middle – realising to my horror that I was about to face Ambrose and Walsh. As I passed the outgoing batter, he said “You’ll be fine, just get down the track to them”… Mercifully I then woke up…” That was your subconscious predicting Bazball, ahead of its time, I reckon.

10th over: England 77-3 (Root 1, Buttler 0). Harshit swiftly returns to the attack. England eke out a couple of singles, the returning Root getting off the mark. Then a definite sense of momentum shift as Duckett is brilliantly caught by Jaiswal. Euphoric scenes in the crowd get more joyful as Brook also goes.

Wicket! Brook c Rahul b Harshit 0, England 77-3

Wicket! Duckett c Jaiswal b Harshit 32, England 77-2

9th over: England 75-1 (Duckett 31, Root 0). Hardik Pandya replaces Shami and gets Duckett thrashing and missing outside off. Some economy and control returns to India’s bowling, and is rewarded with a run out after a horrible mix-up ends Salt’s promising free-hitting innings. What a catastrophic shame for England.

“Morning Tom, morning everyone.” Morning Guy Hornsby. “I’ve actually been looking forward to the ODIs more than the T20s this month in India. Perhaps it’s the likely demise of 50 over cricket that’s drawing me in, but it’s much more of a narrative to me. I didn’t expect us to compete in the shorter format but I think this series could be fascinating, especially with the Champions Trophy looming. It still feels like we’re pretty short of spin options, (hi Liam Dawson) and we need a bit of variation on the pace battery, but really the batters need to fire or we’ll be toast on these pitches. It’s been good to see these two not feel the need to go nuts from ball one. But that Salt over was pretty enjoyable. As a Lancs member, I still hold out hope he’ll make it in the 50-over game. And I’m sure Jos Buttler is smiling to himself somewhere too.”

Wicket! Salt run out 43, England 75-1

8th over: England 71-0 (Salt 40, Duckett 30). A change of tone now, as Axar Patel’s left-arm spin is introduced – and Salt greets him with an emphatic straight drive for four. A single brings Duckett on strike. Then Duckett plays an absolute dream of a sweep, with the spin, for four along the ground. It’s followed by a dream of a reverse-sweep to the opposite boundary for four more

Talking of dreams, I dreamt last night I was at the Adelaide Oval in a lengthy beer queue at an Ashes Test at which England were getting drubbed. Next thing I knew, I was out in the middle, fielding at midwicket. No wonder England were getting drubbed. Hit me with your cricketing dreams.

7th over: England 56-0 (Salt 34, Duckett 21). For the first time on this tour, England are asking proper questions of India’s bowlers in a manner that must make McCullum and Buttler purr. Duckett picks up four more when he hacks beyond backward point and the spin on the ball befuddles Kuldeep on the boundary and eludes his scrambling attempt to retrieve. But it’s a better, tighter over.

5th over: England 52-0 (Salt 34, Duckett 17). Salt is on the charge. The first SIX of the innings come from a wild Salt top edge – England eh – that soars over the keeper, the backtracking fielders and the ropes. The next is a rather better shot, cracked through the off for four more. Then it’s SIX more as Salt advances to almost sweep a slower cutter from Harshit over backward square leg. Then four more with a thump on the onside. A brief dot ball respite is followed by another magnificently brutal SIX over long-on. England have scored 34 off their last eight balls.

5th over: England 26-0 (Salt 8, Duckett 17). A wide down legside starts Shami’s third over as Shami comes round the wicket to tuck Duckett up. It works, Duckett unable to find room against this line and length, until Duckett advances and hammers one through the covers, splitting the field, for four. Another four ensues but it was a chance as Duckett miscues one just over mid-on. It goes for four but it was a fine over.

4th over: England 17-0 (Salt 8, Duckett 9). A maiden. Harshit finds a better length against Salt and is rewarded with a few dots and then sends an awkward one into Salt’s mirdriff as the batter attempts to pull. That’ll smart a little. A really good comeback over from Harshit after going for 11 in his first. We’ve had two maidens in the first four overs

3rd over: England 17-0 (Salt 8, Duckett 9). England are up and running now. The first runs off Shami come from a beautiful orthodox cover drive all along the ground from Duckett for four. Two more to deep square leg follow. Then just as we were musing on what a nice true surface this is, one keeps low and befuddles Duckett, as does the subsequent ball, a jaffa off the seam that beats the batter all ends up.

2nd over: England 11-0 (Salt 8, Duckett 3). A new ball spell on debut for Harshit Rana, who starts with a lifting ripper that beats Duckett outside off. He showed enough in that contentious T20 spell for England to be wary. Duckett gets England under way with a square cut for three and Salt goes one better next ball, lashing a back of a length ball outside off to the cover boundary for four. Four more ensure when Salt goes high over midwicket. He doesn’t quite time it but it still goes to the boundary.

1st over: England 0-0 (Salt 0, Duckett 0). Mohammad Shami gets the new ball, two slips in, and finds some agreeable early swing. He has Salt playing and missing inside the line twice in succession in an ominously tight maiden, to which Salt was rightly circumspect.

The teams emerge into the afternoon sun in Nagpur for the anthems …

The teams

England win the toss and bat

And down in Sri Lanka, the hosts have made a steadier start than in the first Test against Australia, currently 94 for 2 after winning the toss. The Stakhanovite James Wallace, who’ll be along here later, is describing it now:

Some news, reflecting these times here:

And a slice of pre-match reading as Jonathan Liew tries to make sense of what the Hundred sell-off means:

Preamble