OVER 3: ENG 3/0 (Cook 0* Compton 3*) Compton is beaten on the outside edge by Sharma, who goes on to complete his second maiden. I reckon Compo is a good man for this situation. Happy for him just to drop anchor, eat up time, and for men at the other end to score some runs. OVER 2: ENG 3/0 (Cook 0* Compton 3*) It's Ojha to open from the other end. Compton tucks his second ball away neatly for three, the first runs of the innings, and the most productive scoring shot of the day, in fact. OVER 1: ENG 0/0 (Cook 0* Compton 0*) Ishant starts with a maiden. Most of it slants across Cook, but there is one ball that is straighter and hits the inside half of the bat. Not disimilar to the one that got him out (incorrectly) in the first dig. 05.12 Here come Cook and Compton. The concern is that the odd, negative hour we have just had will scramble English brains and make them bat too defensively, get bogged down and then do something silly. Peter Rowntree writes: " Unfortunately, Dave Tickner is correct, there is too much at stake for Engalnd in this match to take the risks required to try and get a win. So yes the Engalnd batting will all be about crease occupation. If they are eventually in a position to declare it will only be a token declaration sometime between lunch and tea tomorrow, if then. At least there will be a couple of interesting things to look for - Compton and Bell need to put in compelling performances or their future places could well be in jeopardy. 05.02 So India used up 62 minutes this morning and added 29 runs. I don't understand those tactics, but there you go. England lead by four on first innings. In a way, though, India are no worse than they were before the close of play. They still basically have to shoot England out for 150 or so. If they can skittle England, they probably will have enough time to get the runs. OVER 143: IND 326/9 (Ashwin 24* Sharma 1*) A sudden flurry of activity from Ashwin. Going for a big shot, doesn't connect but gets two. Then a sweep for a couple. Reverse sweeps but turns down the single. Now two more singles and, what do you know, Dhoni calls them in. India have declared on 326/9 Brian Lee on explaining cricket: "Excitedly I explain to my aunt how some come-of-age cricketer is saving his country on a bumping pitch in a blinding light ten to make and the match to win, and all that. She looks at me in bland bewilderment, and asks "Is that good?'" Nitin Palkar: "The rate at which they are feeding fluids to Ashwin, we soon expect the super sopper to come into play." Arni: "England either want a draw or a win. If they assume, because the pitch is getting easier for the batsmen, that a draw is more likely, then they will play to ensure it, by keeping these batsmen in as long as possible, but restricting their run making. If they think a result is possible, it will be a bit of a lottery, as England will have to bat fast and safe, so as to have enough time to bowl India out whilst having a sufficient total to defend. I have to say, I think England have settled for a draw. India, on the other hand, are behaving very illogically. At this stage they should be swinging at everything, get runs or get out so they can start bowling at England and hope for an England collapse. OVER 142: IND 320/9 (Ashwin 24* Sharma 1*) James Anderson keeps plugging away. There is one run off the over. This is like anti-cricket. A man comes on with a drink/message from the dressing room. The following tweet sums it up nicely I think. OVER 141: IND 319/9 (Ashwin 23* Sharma 1*) Sharma drives the ball to cover for no run. But he gets a single off the fifth ball of the over, and Ashwin takes one off the sixth. India trail by 11. Ojha b Panesar 3 Disaster for England! They have taken a wicket. Ojha pokes at a delivery from Monty that slides off the face of his defensive bat and onto the stumps. Bit unlucky. For Ojha. And England, come to that. A truly pointless 32-ball three from Ojha and it is FOW 317/9 OVER 140: IND 317/8 (Ashwin 22* Ojha 3*) I should have said. Jonathan Liew is also here and is doing a live blog of the Amir Khan fight. He reckons that these tactics from India are fine, that they still have plenty of time to bowl England out. Three off the Anderson over. Peter Tobin writes: "Hi Jonathan and Alan, I am probably not your only reader to spot that "Run gap" is an anagram of Nagpur? Could that last missing run for Dhoni's century set the tone for today? Could it be that "India's series goose has been Cooked"? - pardon the obvious pun. Looking forward to your OBO coverage from a cloudy cool morning in the Eastern Free State. Yours in cricket Peter Tobin. OVER 139: IND 313/8 (Ashwin 20* Ojha 2*) Glory be, India have run a two. Nice shot into the legside by Ashwin, and then a single. Three off the Monty over. OVER 138: IND 310/8 (Ashwin 17* Ojha 2*) England sit back and India manage two singles and a leg bye from the Anderson over. On the Indian TV poll, 30% of respondents think these are the right tactics. Maybe it's me. OVER 137: IND 307/8 (Ashwin 14* Ojha 2*) Monty. Just one off this over as well. This is absolutely barmy from India. Just had to check - they are 2-1 BEHIND in the series, right? Or do they think there's one more Test to play, maybe? Or that this the first leg of a football tie? Dhoni: "We'll try to nick a draw here and then we'll get them back to our place and have a right good go at them in the second leg." OVER 136: IND 306/8 (Ashwin 14* Ojha 2*) So after four runs in the first 25 minutes or so, India finally get going, a bit, when they manage five singles off Anderson. OVER 135: IND 301/8 (Ashwin 11* Ojha 0*) Anyhoo, the plan has obviously changed, becuase Ashwin strides forward and chips the ball down the ground in a display of aggression. But it only goes for one. And only one off the over, because the shot-less Ojha now blocks out the rest. Ah, India. This is truly dismal cricket. OVER 134: IND 300/8 (Ashwin 10* Ojha 0*) Another Jimmy over. This time, Ashwin takes his single off the fourth ball. Ojha ducks a bouncer and then survives an LBW appeal off the sixth ball. Steady on, Jim. We don't want a wicket. After this over (one off it) a drink comes out for the batsmen. The batsmen didn't even know they were thirsty. At least try to look like you called for water. So after 18 minutes of blocking and doing nowt, they are going to a plan B, I guess. You have to ask, what has changed in the 18 minutes? OVER 133: IND 299/8 (Ashwin 9* Ojha 0*) It's Monty on for Swann, and it is another very quiet over, with Ashin facing four balls, and then taking a single off the fifth. That management of the tail was something he did splendidly in the last Test, but I am not at all sure it is the right way to go here. Ojha survives his one ball. Houlty doesn't like it. OVER 132: IND 298/8 (Ashwin 8* Ojha 0*) Solid, tidy start from Anderson. He's got some men out in the deep. Ashwin twice turns down singles. Now what's the thinking behind that, I wonder? In the end, he gets one off the over. Very tricky match situation for the admirable Ashwin; he needs to score quickly, but also protect the tail. OVER 131: IND 297/8 (Ashwin 7* Ojha 0*) Dogged defence from Ojha to those straight, full balls from Swann. A maiden it be. A wicket maiden, no less. It will be James Anderson to bowl from the other end. 03.55 The players are out, and Graeme Swann will get the day's play underway by finishing the over he began last night. The first ball of it, the last ball of the day, had removed PP Chawla in fine style. Pragyan Ojha will face up to it. 03.50 It looks a bit hazy and misty at Nagpur. Here is Scyld Berry's report of the action from yesterday. I cannot seem to find the little picture of Scyld so you will just have to imagine what he looks like. Alastair Cook is 6ft 3in tall, and by the end of this series, irrespective of the result, he can claim that in every one of his 75 inches he is a leader. Already he gives the appearance of having been England's Test captain for several years rather than two months. 03.40 Morning all. It's day four. It could be very exciting. India resume on 297/8 in reply to England's 330. I was thinking, on the cab in (other than marvelling at how many people were outside McDonald's in Charing Cross at 3am) about how I would explain the current match situation to a non-cricket fan. A baseball fan, say. So after I'd got over the whole "each team has two innings, ten outs each" bit, and about how we also have swing and catchers and snacks and the game, like baseball, is about the tectonic build up of pressure over time so that even though the moments of propel-ball-hit-ball action are apparently interchangeable where nothing seems to be happening are actually vital scenes in a huge escalating drama.. so after that, if would say: So India have eight men out in their first innings. And the baseball fan would probably say: "So England want to get these last two Indians out as soon as possible..." "Not necessarily," would be my reply. And that is because England, if they want to win the series, would be better off keeping the last couple of Indian men out there for as long as possible, thus reducing the time England have to bat. On the other hand, they could try to polish these last couple off sharpish, and go for a win, which would make losing more likely than if they settled for a draw, which would mean a win overall. What a strange and wonderful sport it is.