At last the Cricket

[diggedy derek]

Hehe. And with that, Root is run out.

[Duncan Gardner]

Ha ha This is doable

(it isn't really)

[longeared]

England also needed 74 to win at Colombo in 2001, and they managed to lose six wickets in reaching that.

[Ray de Galles]

Is there really more demand for American football over the India series? I popped on 5 live extra last night and got one of the playoff games.

I found an online stream of ABC in the end and fell asleep to it, not helped by their jingles.

R5LSX was carrying ABC's commentary (as it has all series) by the time I stopped watching it on TV and headed to bed to doze off to the radio, around 1:30am I think.

Maybe all the gridiron had finished by then though or there was a gap between games, I'd been watching Packers v Rams before the cricket started.

I know Australia v India gets shunted off R5LSX to the BBC Sports website when the coverage of England v Sri Lanka starts so presume they have it there for the full day's play too.

[Satchmo Distel]

Hopefully the last couple of days will give SL confidence for the Second Test.

[ad hoc]

This Australia India series is brilliant. Down to the last day of the last match with any outcome possible (well assuming the rain doesn't stop now and there is a dramatic end to today's play). Australia must be strong favourites still, but this India team, without Kohli and without all the injured players, have performed spectacularly well. A tie would seem the perfect outcome, but I'd take a draw.

[ursus arctos]

No more play today

On Day Five, Australia need ten wickets, India need 324 runs and retain the trophy in the event of a draw.

[ad hoc]

Forecast appears to be for scattered thunderstorms.

[diggedy derek]

Well said ad hoc. It's made all the more thrilling as, in terms of trophies, it's only Australia who need to win.

[Duncan Gardner]

Congratulations to England. Is it just me or did the TMS team rather overstate the likelihood of England not winning? That was never realistic at any point after Day 2

Meanwhile Down Under tonight could be lively

So, what's the difference between Qantas and Tim Paine?

Qantas stops whining when they cut the Engines at Mascot...

[Satchmo Distel]

I don't think India will chase the runs, for the reasons given above.

[Fearful Symmetry]

Forecast appears to be for scattered thunderstorms.

If it's a 'standard' Brisbane thunderstorm, one will be enough to cause sufficient delay in play for India to escape with the draw.

[ad hoc]

I had the same thought. When it rains in Brisbane it really rains. But at the same time, the drainage is set up for that and the systems seem to be in place for the outfield to dry out remarkably quickly. If there was just one storm come through fairly quickly I can see them getting play back on in an hour

[ursus arctos]

That's what they thought when the heavens opened on Day Three, but it didn't turn out that way (the storm was bad even by QLD standards).

[Ray de Galles]

I was shocked to see Warner doing an on-pitch interview during the drinks break in the play overnight. I've never seen that before, has it come in via the Big Bash?

It seemed a peculiar thing to do as it was directly after Harris lost his wicket and the questionable wisdom in breaking one's concentration in such a way was illustrated when Warner himself was out two or three balls after resuming

[ursus arctos]

I think it was part of the latest television contract with Seven (who are desperately trying to create "buzz" so as to recoup more of the ridiculous amount they paid for the rights).

[San Bernardhinault]

4 runs an over needed for India. 9 wickets for Australia. 56 overs left in the day. Forecast suggests not much rain. I don't know if India are going to go for it or not, but if they get halfway through this session with still only one down, I think they might give the Australians a scare.

[ursus arctos]

You will go to the grave with that on your conscience

[tee rex]

But wait ... it looks like India really are going for it. Wonderful madness.

[Uncle Ethan]

74 from 96 needed. While Pant's in they'll try.

[tee rex]

Now it's time for those Washington headlines again.

[ad hoc]

Still see Australia as favourites here. Ball is still new, and we're into the tail of very inexperienced players.

[Uncle Ethan]

Even if Australia does win it is an incredible effort by India - eight players out of what would probably have been their first XI.

[ad hoc]

Saw a comment somewhere (either in the Guardian OBO or Cricinfo's commentary) wondering about Paine's captaincy and whether he will survive after this series, whatever the result. Australia would probably supply 5 players to a current World XI, and yet they're struggling to beat the Indian third XI (that latter comment may be a but exaggerated, but I can kind of see what is meant)

[ad hoc]

50 needed off 8 overs, with 5 wickets left. In an ODI you'd favour the batting side there (but obviously in an ODI the draw is not an option).

Think the draw is now just about favourite for me, with Australia winning the next most likely outcome