England vs New Zealand Live Score , Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, 2026

Sunday's plans? Aha. You can still have your Sashas. You might still want to watch your Hamiltons or Russells. Who knows, even before these legends begin their respective sport, this Test match might be done and dusted. But we are having a Sunday at Lord's as its 150th Test enters into its fourth day. England would be pumped up to finish the game off quickly, lest they are forced to wait once again by the weather, but the forecast looks much better, even though I have been denied a certificate in reading it. From New Zealand's point of view, this would be a perfect time for them to reassess the grit they famously possess. Can they make a fist of this target and give the crowd a much-needed spectacle? Day 4's first ball on Sunday, 7th June, 2026, is scheduled to be bowled at 10 am GMT (weather permitting) but our updates will begin well in advance. So do tune in early to catch all the news beforehand. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

10 balls of pain - Saturday had only 58 balls of action in store. Not even an innings of T10 cricket. But that is not quite the problem. The first session was wiped off and due to unfavourable ground conditions, the players were forced indoors for lunch amidst bright sunshine. Rain then kept playing hide and seek but even amidst that game of musical chairs, the Kiwis did fairly well, not losing any wickets for around 6 overs. Then, the real fun began. Ollie Robinson got through the defenses of Rachin Ravindra and in his next over, got Daryl Mitchell trapped in his crease. Ironically, 2 overs after the Mitchell dismissal, the players were taken off the field, never to return. Without a doubt, 254 is a massive ask in testing conditions. But given the amount of play that we had on Day 3, if the Kiwis had not lost those two quick wickets, they would have entered Sunday with a bit more hope.

Stumps on Day 3! Our misery comes to an end. We waited and waited and waited for some play to happen only to keep longing for more. And what we got instead is a prolonged wait for play. The umpires have officially drawn Stumps on Day 3 and that ends a very damp, damp Saturday at Lord's.

Rain's back again - 4.30 pm GMT update - Forget the inspection. The weather is forcing the inspectors to take a holiday. The umpires came out for the inspection as scheduled, but no sooner did they enter the ground than the drizzle returned. That started to get heavier and eventually, the discussion between them and the groundstaff started to look pointless. They are off the ground and one suspects that the final word might be around the corner.

Hope rising higher - 4.10 pm GMT update - Of course, Shai Hope has already risen a lot through his ranks but this is not the proper noun. This is the verb hope that we are talking about. The work being talked about in the previous para has quickly speedened up, with an official inspection scheduled for 4.15 pm GMT. That's not too far away!

08 pm GMT update - Hope peeks through! Just when it felt like the rain had settled in for a permanent residency, there is a bit of activity. We are hearing that the rain has eased and the groundstaff are hard at work clearing water off the covers. The umpires can also be seen. Now, before anyone gets too excited, the rain has teased us before, only to return a few minutes later with renewed enthusiasm. Still, the sight of people actually doing something other than staring at the weather radar can be counted as progress. Yawn.

A left-handed Joe Root - With no cricket to watch, I did what any desperate cricket lover would do and went scrolling through social media. There, hidden among the rain updates, was a little clip from the England dressing room featuring Joe Root. Front and centre was Joe Root, no longer in his whites and comfortably settled into his training kit. And what was he up to? Doing left-handed shadow batting. Root mimicked a stylish drive, then immediately set off as if stealing a quick single. Even during a rain break, the cricket brain never quite switches off. The mood inside the camp seemed pretty laid back. Given what the weather radar is showing, this Test match, in all likelihood, will stretch into a fourth day.

3.39 pm GMT update -  Don't be too excited about the prospect of a fresh update coming. Yes, this is a fresh para, but it's the same old update. It's like selling the old product in a new package. If it interests you, I can share that one of my colleagues is off for his dinner break. He has officially waved the white flag.  Meanwhile, I am still here, staring at the covers and wondering, what to update next? The rain is falling, the ground is covered, and the most intense contest at the moment is between patience and boredom. At this rate, my next update might be a review of the dinner menu rather than the cricket.

Raining again - 3.10 pm GMT update - Whatever little optimism was being generated in the previous rain stopping update has been crushed as the rain returns. A sequel no cricket fan is interested in viewing. Chances look extremely bleak of any further play happening tonight, but let's hope the glass is half filled.

Tea done. Now? The wait resumes. If any, the conditions seem to have gotten a bit better at Lord's, with the rain taking a break as well. But it is very heavily overcast. The groundstaff keep trying its best to get the conditions fit for playing.

Ruthless? Or practical? March 2026 - Suryakumar Yadav helps India become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles and claim their third crown in this format. June 2026 - After a fairly quiet World Cup by his standards and a quieter IPL, the 2026 World Cup winning captain finds himself relinquished of captaincy and even out of the squad. Unfair? Not giving the captain a longer run to find his mojo back? Maybe, in some views. But in other views, it is the best way to utilize form and talent in your country. Just have a look at the depth of talent in the Indian camp and you would find at least 10-15 players deserving a place in the squad. So, if they come in, some have to go out, right? It may sound harsh or surprising to Indian fans as they are not used to this kind of treatment to Indian players in the past. But for those who have been following global cricket, this is more or less a norm in other countries. Legends have famously quoted, 'You are as good as your latest match.'  Even someone like a Steve Waugh was politely (debatable) asked to step down, to welcome a more aggressive Ricky Ponting. That led to another era of Australian dominance. Some talents like Brad Hodge did not even get much chances to play for their country. Maybe, this is the start of long-term dominance for Indian cricket. Selection or removal is not a problem, as long as it is consistent. Welcome to the world of dominance, India.

Tea at 2.40 pm GMT - This was coming. With the rain unrelenting, the umpires have been forced to call for Tea at the original time, which is at 3.40 pm local. There is nothing much anyone can do, apart from waiting for this rain to stop. England will feel miffed, as they are in pole position in this match, but given the vagaries of this pitch, they will back themselves to finish the job as and when they get the chance. The Kiwis, on the other hand, will welcome this break and focus on how can they try and make a match out of this.

No effect on WC warmups - London has not been spared by the rain gods but it is not the same story elsewhere. The warmup matches for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup have kicked off and barring a couple of showers in the opening two games, we have largely had uninterrupted action over there.

Rain and more rain - 2 pm GMT update - There has been no positive change in the conditions from the previous update. If any, the conditions have gotten gloomier. Proper rain seems to be in the offing now, with the forecast staying true.

Imperfect pitch? That's more or less the joint opinion of two of English cricket's greatest ever captains in Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan. Neither is happy with the way the pitch has played so far. Irrespective of the overhead conditions, it is the indifferent bounce that has caught everyone's attention, with no batter seemingly confident in the middle for too long. As per the current situation, as many as 147 overs have been completed in this match and 35 wickets have gone down. Doing the math, on an average, a wicket is falling roughly every 25 balls. That's not even 5 overs. Not surprisingly, only two batters have managed to touch the 50-mark across 3-and-a-half innings. It is not a problem to see batters struggle. Neither is it to see not a single over of spin being bowled across 2-and-a-half days. The problem is the batters are forced to guess the bounce in a pitch, which should never be the case in any format.

Keep working - 1.30 pm GMT update - The groundstaff is doing all it possibly can to try and keep the covers less soaked. But the weather gods are just not kind enough. The rain has intensified and the people in the stands are moving to protected places for cover. As per the updates by the ECB which now seems eons ago, Tea was scheduled to be taken at 3.10 pm GMT, which is still roughly 90 minutes away. I am sure we will have another revised itinerary if and when we get a chance to get back on the field. Hoping for the best. Oh yes and by the way, plenty of covers are on the ground now.

Up and close - That's what England's coach Brendon McCullum seems to have been suggesting to his bowlers since Day 2. He has been animatedly gesturing to his players to have more players in catching positions and it has had a remarkable effect. The latest example is that of Daryl Mitchell playing from his crease, to a ball which he would have otherwise been forward to, simply because Jamie Smith was standing upto the stumps. Going further, there have been 22 dismissals of bowled and LBW combined in this match, with as many as 10 LBWs. A couple more, and which seems highly likely, going by this match so far, and we would end up creating a new record for the most number of dismissals as bowled and LBW in a Test match at Lord's.

Time for another visit to the dressing rooms - 1.10 pm GMT - It is not as bad as the previous rain, but it is still an interruption. The rain droplets are getting bigger and the umpires are taking the players off the field again. The good thing is that only the hover cover is on, with the rest of the outfield uncovered, meaning that we can resume quickly, as, if and when the light gets better. The bad thing is now, the umpires will have to deal with both, rain and bad light before coming back onto the field. Additionally, the poor forecast for the evening is already lingering. Fingers crossed.

Game stopped due to Rain StoppageGame stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

Game stopped due to Rain StoppageGame stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

Ollie Robinson to Tom Blundell, No run.Serves it on a length, on off, Blundell gets forward and defends it to the off side.

Ollie Robinson to Tom Blundell, No run.Excellent accuracy from Ollie Robinson. He lands it on a testing length in the line of the stumps, and the ball keeps a little low after pitching. Blundell is quick to adjust, crouching into his defense and getting his bat down in time to smother it.

Oh dear. The light meters are out. It has gone dark again and there are rain drops in the air. The umpires get together, take the reading, observe it, have a chat but deem light fine to continue playing.

Ollie Robinson to Tom Blundell, No run.Shaping into the batter, from a good length around off, Tom Blundell defends from the back foot with Jamie Smith standing up to the stumps.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Tongue targets the pads but gets it too straight. Devon looks to flick but falls over a touch and misses, getting hit on the pads. Going down the leg side.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Better line and length. Fuller and closer to the off stump, 140 kph, Conway shoulders arms.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.A bouncer, but misdirected. Down the leg side, from around the wicket, Devon Conway ducks comfortably.

Josh Tongue to Tom Blundell, 1 run.This time, Tom gets the run. Back of a length, outside off, the batter stays back and dabs it towards gully with soft hands. Calls for the single and Conway's immediate response makes the single comfortable. For the numbers, New Zealand now require under 200 runs to win.

Josh Tongue to Tom Blundell, No run.On a good length this time, outside off, Blundell pushes it towards the slip cordon, with an open bat face. Ben Duckett dives to his right from third slip and makes a half stop. Blundell looks for the run but gully comes across quickly.

Josh Tongue to Tom Blundell, No run.Full and outside off, 140 kph, zoning in threateningly, Tom Blundell watches it closely all the way and blocks it off his front foot towards point.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, No run.Fuller and on off, shaping in, Conway is not looking convincing as he defends it from the inner portion of his bat.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, No run.In the zone outside off, skidding away, Conway pushes at it and misses.

Ollie Robinson to Tom Blundell, 1 run.Identical to the wicket delivery, but Tom Blundell is lucky to get some bat on it as he clips it behind square leg for a single.

And just like that, two batters have come and gone. 53/3 has quickly become 53/5 in the span of 10 balls. Tom Blundell walks in at number 7 now, replacing Daryl Mitchell. These are perfect bowling conditions and England have New Zealand under the cosh. Maybe, the best way now is to play Bazball against Baz' team?

Ollie Robinson to Daryl Mitchell, OUT! lbw b Ollie Robinson.OUT! GIVEN LBW! The moment the keeper came up to the stumps, it added another layer of pressure on the batter. Mitchell could no longer freely leave his crease to counter the movement, and Robinson makes full use of it. He slips in an inswinger from a probing length around off, beating the inside edge of the defensive push. Mitchell's footwork leaves him stranded, neither fully forward nor comfortably back. The ball thuds into the pads, the appeal goes up, and the finger follows almost immediately. Mitchell reviews, hoping for a reprieve, but the replay only confirms England's celebrations. Impact is in line, and Ball Tracking shows it is clipping the leg stump. Umpire's call stays. New Zealand are now five down, with another 201 runs still required. England, meanwhile, are halfway to the ten wickets they need.

Ollie Robinson to Daryl Mitchell, No run.Ollie Robinson bowls it on a length and close to off, angling in, Daryl Mitchell stays on the back foot and defends it down.

Ollie Robinson to Daryl Mitchell, No run.Robinson bowls it on a length and outside off, Daryl defends it off his front foot.

Seeing the stumps rattled is a wonderful sight for a bowler. But it is death rattle for a batter. Of the 12 bowled dismissals in this match, 7 have been that of the Kiwi batters. They seem to have found it more difficult to adapt to the seaming conditions. It is more of the movement off the deck than the air which has been catching the batters off guard.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Sliding down the leg side, Conway tries to clip it late but misses. It goes off his pads to leg gully. End of a testing over.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Extra bounce again, around off, DC defends it to the leg side with a loose bottom hand.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Around off on a length, defended from the back foot.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Ouch, that would have hurt! A lively delivery once again. Back of a good length around off and shaping in, Conway presses forward to defend, but the ball kicks up unexpectedly after pitching. It climbs sharply and strikes him high on the gloves, forcing him to take his bottom hand off the bat immediately. The surface has certainly come to life, and batting is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable task.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.Shortish and on off, dabbed down in front of the slip cordon.

Josh Tongue to Devon Conway, No run.What was that! That one reared up like a spitting cobra. Pitched in the corridor outside off, it explodes off the surface and climbs sharply at Conway. Caught by surprise, he attempts to sway out of the way while also half-thinking about playing at it, but ends up doing neither convincingly. The ball flies past him, leaving the batter beaten by both the bounce and the pace off the pitch.

So Ollie Robinson keeps one of his traditions intact - of never going wicketless at Lord's. Now, for the other tradition, from England's point of view - to at least take 2 wickets in every innings at this venue. Daryl Mitchell walks in next, at number 6, replacing Rachin Ravindra. By the way, that was the 12th bowled dismissal of this match!

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, OUT! b Ollie Robinson.OUT! SOUND OF TIMBER! Robinson had beaten Ravindra on a couple of occasions in this over and this time he has found the top of the off stump. Not the first bowled dismissal of this Test match and believe us, not the last either. A beauty from the bowler, and Ravindra is left rooted to the spot. Angled across from a probing length just outside off, the ball straightens enough after pitching to find a way through. Ravindra's footwork is caught in between, neither fully forward nor properly back, and he ends up hanging on the crease. He pushes tentatively inside the line, only for the ball to whistle past the outside edge and crash into the stumps. The timber is disturbed, and New Zealand lose their fourth wicket at a crucial stage. Ravindra departs after being drawn into indecision, and England tighten their grip on the contest. The visitors still need another 201 runs, while England are now just six wickets away from taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, 2 runs.Fuller and on off, angling in, Ravindra wrists it towards short leg and the fielder there fails to stop. The ball goes in the wet outfield and they take two.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Shortish and on off, angling in, this time Rachin Ravindra goes on the back foot and blocks it down.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Beaten again! This one is quite wide outside, and could have been left alone without any threat. But Rachin Ravindra gets on the front foot, tries to push at it and misses.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Nearly takes the outside edge. Robinson serves it on a length and around off, angling in and staying low as well. Ravindra pushes inside the line and is beaten around the toe end of his bat.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, 2 runs.Gentle hands at work. Length delivery outside off, Ravindra brings an angled bat into play and pushes it softly through the gap between gully and backward point. Two taken. 203 needed more.

Back on! The game of musical chairs continues. The players are back on the field and we are ready to resume. Ollie Robinson gets a change of ends. 7-1-13-0 so far.

Not a lengthy delay (hopefully) - Well, Shai is busy captaining the West Indies against the Sri Lankans at home but England would need a lot of hope right now. And not just England, any cricket fan would hope the same. Michael Atherton on air informs that when the rain began, things looked pretty bleak but as quickly as the gust came, it seems to have gone as well. The rain has already reduced to a drizzle. Not far from resumption, one would say.

Off we go again - 12.37 pm GMT - The wind has picked up in intensity and the flags have started to sway around a bit. In fact, it has become pretty gusty. This could be a good as well as a bad sign. The immediate assumption would mean that rain is around the corner. In fact, the rain is sweeping in now and off go the players again. The good sign could be that, given that this is a gust, this might just be a passing shower and some rain clouds might get blown away. So we wait again.

Game stopped due to Rain StoppageGame stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, Bye.That was nearly costly. Josh serves it on a good length outside off, the ball jags and wobbles a touch after Ravindra shoulders arms. Smith cannot gather it cleanly behind the stumps, and it trickles away behind him. For a moment, it threatens to run into the unattended helmet on the ground, placed behind the keeper, but it misses by a whisker. A bye is taken, and England escape without the five-run penalty. The replays show that Root had reacted to his right to stop the ball with a dive and on closer look, it appears that the ball anyway was heading wide of the head gear.

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, No run.This one is fired in at 88 mph with a bit of extra pace behind it, but the line is well outside off stump. Ravindra watches it closely all the way and is happy to let it pass. An easy leave and nothing to trouble the batter there.

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Shortish and outside off, left alone.

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Back of a length, on off, defended off the back foot.

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, Four!FOUR! That's a lovely way to get off the pair. Full and around off, angling into the batter, and Ravindra is quickly into position. He leans forward, presents the full face of the bat and drives beautifully through mid off. The timing is exquisite, and the ball races away to the fence. A classy stroke to open his account, and one that will ease any nerves.

Josh Tongue to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Tongue begins with a gentle loosener, full and outside off at 84 mph, it curls away a bit as well. Ravindra looks at it after pressing forward and then leaves it for the keeper.

The mystery of zero - Zero is such a intriguing digit. Place it after a number and the former's value increases magnificently. But place it without any number and 0 has no value. That's exactly how Rachin Ravindra would be feeling at the moment. He has faced just 9 balls in this innings, but given that he got a first-baller in the first innings, he will be eager to get that first run of this match. Here's Josh Tongue to make things harder. 3-1-10-1 so far.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Atkinson hurls across an 85 mph delivery, in the corridor outside off, Devon Conway has nothing to do with it.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Targets the off stump with a length ball, around off, Conway is forward and defends it near his front pad.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Skiddy delivery, full and outside off, angling in, Devon Conway is doing a good job in judging these deliveries and leaving. We have already seen plenty of left alone and bowled in this Test, so judgment is paramount.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.85 mph in pace but not much life in this delivery. Back of a length, outside off, it's left alone once more. It dies down as it reaches the keeper.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Gus serves it on a length and just around off, Conway strides forward to cover the line and leaves this time.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.At 86 mph, this is pitched on a good length around off and kicks on sharply after striking the seam. Conway is drawn into a tentative push, feeling for the ball outside his body line, but it zips past the bat. A lively delivery that carries through nicely to the keeper.

4 months adrift - Eagerly awaiting October 1. Among the newly proposed rules by the ICC, one of them is to swap to pink balls in Test matches, if the conditions become overcast and floodlights need to be switched on. The lights are on in full effect at the Home Of Cricket and the last thing we need now is for players to walk off the field for bad light.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Bowled on a length and outside off, an easy leave for Ravindra again.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Robinson delivers it on a good length, close to off, and there is some extra bounce as Rachin Ravindra leaves it alone. Jamie Smith collects the ball near his face. We have seen plenty of uneven bounce in this game already.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Inviting length, there to be driven outside off, Ravindra watches closely, makes sure that it's not nipping in to target his pads and then leaves it alone.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Identical to the last delivery and once again Rachin Ravindra offers the same treatment. He is calm on the back foot and blocks it safely towards point.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.This is on a testing length just outside off, Ravindra presses forward and plays with soft hands, presenting a slightly angled bat face. He guides the ball towards point.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, 1 run.On and around off, shaping away a touch, Devon Conway plays late and dabs it towards point. They take a quick run.

Gus Atkinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.In the zone outside off, Rachin leaves it to complete the over.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, 1 run.Taps a length ball down to covers and takes a single.

Tom and Jerry show begins - One runs, the other tries to catch. One of our most celebrated cartoons in our childhood. Or even now. The weather is doing the same to us. We are trying to have some action but the weather is trying to drive us out of the ground. Let's hope we stay for a bit longer this time.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No ball and Four!NO BALL AND FOUR! That's aerial but safe. Full and outside off, Conway slices his attempted drive and his bottom hand comes off the handle. The ball flies over gully-point and finds the fence.

12.22 pm GMT resumption time! Covers coming off? Well, that's what we are hearing! Nasser Hussain mentioned that we might have missed the best weather window, which was during the time Lunch was being taken. But it seems like the weather is showing some kindness to all of us. It just seems like play might resume soon, but this is England. Before we can type resume, the job might get cancelled. As of now, the resumption time is 12.22 pm GMT.

Bizarre decision? Well, that's what Nasser Hussain feels on air, regarding the umpires' decision to call for an early Lunch, when the conditions were bright and sunny. But let's not forget, there are always multiple angles to one story. It is easy to say that play should have started at around, say 11.30 am GMT and carried on, with Lunch being scrapped. Logical thinking. But what we don't know is, what was the exact talk between the groundstaff and the umpires. From what we can assume, we feel that the groundstaff might have requested for around 30-40 minutes of time to clear the outfield. Remember, it has been raining since morning today. And looking at that, the umpires might have felt it best to take the Lunch break, since play would not have been possible any which ways. Till we get the full story, unwise to comment on anything. For now, we can just request these unwanted visitors to leave.

Going in again - 12.07 pm update - 'Rain coming in now, from the southwest', another update from Nasser Hussain. The umpires have a look at the heavens, but play goes on. In fact, it does not, as the umpires have called for the covers. So after just 11 balls of play, we are back to waiting. The score has moved by a smidgeon, with a run added to the tally and now, the brollies have started to open up in the stands. The rain is getting heavier by the minute.

Game stopped due to Rain StoppageGame stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Hurls a length ball outside off, Conway guards his stumps and shoulders arms.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Lands it on a good length around off, shaping in a touch. Conway gets forward and presents the full face of the bat, easing it towards cover. There is a brief thought of a single, but a quick 'wait, wait' sends Rachin Ravindra back as the fielder moves smartly around the ball.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Pulls his length back a bit, around off, Devon Conway goes on the back foot and defends it to the off side.

Gus Atkinson to Devon Conway, No run.Atkinson goes full and angles it around off, Devon is on the front foot as he drives firmly. It goes back to the bowler, and Gus Atkinson collects it nicely.

'The rain has stopped', quips Mel Jones on air. Helpful. There is a bit of blue overhead. Helpful again. But three-fourths of the sky is engulfed with grey skies. Not helpful.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.On middle and leg, Ravindra works it towards mid-wicket.

Ollie Robinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Got him, gone! Nope. My ears are twitching. Full and just outside off, Rachin Ravindra pushes at it and there is a noise as the ball shoots past the outside edge. But that did not possibly hit the bat as no one appealed.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, 1 run.The first run of the day. Slightly full outside off, DC pushes it towards cover point and the two batters scamper across.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, No run.On a good length, decent bounce outside off, Devon shoulders arms.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, No run.This one nips back in a long way. Conway lunges again but misses his tick, to get hit on the stomach.

Ollie Robinson to Devon Conway, No run.Full and around off, Devon Conway leans and pushes it towards cover.

Ollie time? Without a doubt. Ollie Robinson will bowl from the other end, hunting for his first wicket in this innings.

Gus Atkinson to Rachin Ravindra, No run.Ohoy! We have a ball in play! On a length, around off, Ravindra, who is on a pair, bunts it out.

All set to play? We certainly hope so. The clock is about to tick past 1 pm local and the players are on the field for the first time today. However, some unwanted dark clouds have come in to spoil the fun. As long as they don't burst open, we can have some sort of action happening. Nothing is worse than sitting and just waiting for something to happen, but seeing nothing happen. Rachin Ravindra has come in at number 5, replacing the night watchman, Will O'Rourke, to join Devon Conway. Gus Atkinson will complete his over, but even before we can start, Nasser Hussain murmurs, 'It has started to rain.' Here we go again...

Ollie's London love - We are not too far from resumption (hopefully) and one bowler who would be eager to get things rolling is Ollie Robinson. Making a Test comeback after 2 years and picking up his first wicket after nearly 3 years would have given him immense pleasure. Add to it, of his 81 wickets in Tests, 33 have come in London (Lord's and Oval), which makes it a shade less than 50 percent. Delving further, 21 of those 33 have come at Lord's alone, with his lowest tally in an innings being 2 wickets! He would want to make use of the momentum and try and wrap this match tonight itself, hoping that we get at least 40 overs of play.

Runs galore in Mullanpur - 100 for KL Rahul. 103 for Shubman Gill and ongoing. 81 for Sai Sudharsan. 50 for Rishabh Pant and ongoing. Not unexpected, but Afghanistan would be happy with a bit of respite from the schooling that they have been given on the opening day of the only Test against India. After electing to bat, the hosts have piled on a mammoth 368/3 in 85 overs, with their only disappointment being Yashasvi Jaiswal missing out. Of course, critics will point at Rahul and Sudharsan not carrying on and getting bigger scores but as a team, India would be relatively pleased. A 600-plus score seems to be on the cards, with the second aim being to pick a couple of Afghan wickets before close on Sunday. Azmatullah Omarzai was the only bowler who seemed to keep the hosts under some sort of a leash while the rest of the inexperienced attack got put to the sword.

Lunch time! Technically, the first session has not been entirely washed out but the scorecards will not say so. As mentioned earlier, the groundstaff has had a discussion with the umpires and convinced the latter to call for an early Lunch, with the second session scheduled to start at Noon GMT. Of course, when this decision was being made, the conditions were bright and sunny and hopes were not shied of expecting a clear day for the remaining two sessions. If one of the peers in our group is to be believed, Saturday is forecast to have the worst weather of all the five days and looking at the radar, it seems like a massive wet band is approaching the ground, which puts the rest of the day in jeopardy. But since we don't play for the weather, the ECB has released the revised timings for today (In GMT) - Session 2 - Noon-1510. Tea - 1510-1530. Session 3 - 1530-1800. Buffer - Additional 30 minutes to make up for pending overs. As many as 86 overs are scheduled for the day! Wow. Bangladesh would willingly accept this challenge of bowling so many overs in a shorter stipulated time. All the best!