England v India: Cricket World Cup 2019 – live!

7th over: England 37-0 (Roy 11, Bairstow 24) Bumrah has changed ends to replace Shami, whose figures of 3-0-21-0 are a travesty. Bairstow, whose running has been superb, calls Roy through for a sharp leg-bye. HE’S ALREADY HAD HIS FITNESS TEST, JONNY. England are struggling to time Bumrah, if they can lay a bit on him at all. He is a sensational bowler, and his third over yields only a couple of runs. There’s a great stat on Sky from Mike Atherton – India’s economy rate in the Powerplay at this World Cup is 3.72, which is more than a run per over better than anyone else.

“One thing I love about the Indian supporters’ dominance of Edgbaston,” says Ian Copestake, “is how unhappy it must be making Katie Hopkins.”

6th over: England 35-0 (Roy 10, Bairstow 23) Well now. After five overs, the legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack. That’s a fine, attacking move from Virat Kohli, a careful placement of cat among pigeons. Bairstow shows considerable moxie to launch the third ball over mid-on for a one-bounce four. That’s a fine shot. Chahal’s next ball is a beautiful legbreak that beats Bairstow’s defensive stroke. This is compelling stuff. One thing to keep an eye on – Roy has faced only three deliveries in the last five overs. I hope that won’t be costly.

5th over: England 28-0 (Roy 9, Bairstow 18) Roy is beaten by a gorgeous delivery from Shami that straightens off the seam and then wobbles through Dhoni’s gloves for a bye. India’s seamers have started superbly, with precisely no luck: two balls later Bairstow again inside-edges just past leg stump for four, and the over ends with a thick outside edge for two. It was well wide of slip, in fairness to Bairstow, and he hared back for the second run. This is exquisitely tense, simultaenously a privilege and a misery to describe.

“Good morning and a fine one it is too,” says John Starbuck. “Don’t know if it was deliberate or not (sarcasm?) but England are playing at home, not away to India. You can’t describe everything just from the Indian supporters’ angle.”

Indeed, but you can describe everything from the WE’RE DOOMED, WHY WHY WHY angle.

3rd over: England 14-0 (Roy 8, Bairstow 5) Bairstow is a bag of nerves. An inside-edge saves him when Shami goes up for LBW, before another inside-edge flashes this far wide of leg stump for four. A fraught over ends when he is beaten on the inside by a grubber that just misses the off stump.

“As an ardent England fan living in India, I’m sweating and breathing heavily as my Indian friends laugh and crack jokes,” says Saad Sheikh. “I know this is optimistic, but with Roy and Archer in and the pitch excellent for batting, I’ve got my money on England. This is after all, the ‘new’ England, so maybe they won’t bottle it under pressure like the old one.”

I’m not sure the old one ever played under this pressure, not in ODIs anyway.

2nd over: England 10-0 (Roy 8, Bairstow 1) Jonny Bairstow’s first challenge is the unique threat of Jasprit Bumrah. He is beaten third ball, feeling for a delivery that nips away from wide on the crease. Beautifully bowled. Indeed the whole over is superb, with just a thick edge for a single off the last delivery.

“May I inside edge one to fine leg by suggesting that what is really needed to juice this tournament up is a tied game today,” says professional SICKO Brian Withington. “Potential then for lots of teams to finish on eleven points and much scurrying for tournament rules and contemplation of the forbidden topic of Net Run Rate. Nervous, moi?”

Does anyone have a link to listen to Test Match Special overseas? Ta.

1st over: England 9-0 (Roy 8, Bairstow 0) A perfect start for England: they didn’t screw up once! Mohammad Shami started the innings with a wide, and then bowled a short ball outside off stump that was scythed for four by Roy. They are trying to bowl very straight to Roy, who is so good if you give him any width. When Shami offers just a fraction, Roy times a delicious drive between extra cover and mid-off for four. An eventful over ends with an absent-minded dab outside off stump from Roy; for a miserable split-second I thought he’d edged it Dhoni.

“I will be on a flight back home in three hours, so the OBO will have to be my eyes and ears for this match,” says Avitaj Mitra. We can be your nervous breakdown as well if you like. “First question: What sort of a total are England going to be comfortable with? Anything above 275.. 300? No total is safe obviously when Virat Kohli is in the opposition team but what score would the bowlers be comfortable defending?”

It’s really hard to say until we see a few overs. If the pitch is as good people say, I think they need at least 320.

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow stroll into the middle. It’s a gorgeous day in Birmingham, and about 90 per cent of the crowd are Indian fans.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s pre-match message to the England team (warning: clip contains Anglo-Saxon language)

“Good news for Anand,” says Matt Dony. “He thought he was going to squeeze a quick single wide of mid-on, but as I chased the ball, I stumbled clumsily and allowed it to trickle to the boundary rope. The bowler is glaring at me. Nuts. Anyway, it’s going to be a long day. Can’t say I’m hopeful, can’t say I’m positive, can’t say I’m happy. How have the last few years come to this?”

Jason Roy and Liam Plunkett come in for James Vince and Moeen Ali. Eoin Morgan says Roy “is not a big risk”.

India bring in the potentially devastating Rishabh Pant for Vijay Shankar, who has a toe niggle (sic). Virat Kohli says he would have batted first but that it’s “never a problem chasing … I love chasing”. Yes, sir, yes you do.

England Roy, Bairstow, Root, Morgan (c), Stokes, Buttler (wk), Woakes, Rashid, Plunkett, Archer, Wood.

India Rohit, Rahul, Kohli (c), Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pant, Pandya, Shami, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah.

That should be a good toss to win.

Always with the Smiths

“Last night I watched Johnny Marr play This Charming Man at Glastonbury,” says Phil Smith. “This morning all I have on my mind is Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.”

“Good morning!” says Anand. “As I failed to score at yesterday’s OBOs, I thought I would open my account with a quick single wide of mid-on. I hope we have a great game today. I would like India to chase a tough total to see how the team performs. I am also rooting for our local boy Vijay Shankar (we went to the same school, years apart though).”

I don’t think he’ll play – the word is that Rishabh Pant is going to be unleashed.

Boy, that escalated quickly. Nine days ago, England were cruising into the World Cup semi-finals. Now, one and a half games later, they are fighting for their lives. They’ve been blindsided by Pakistan, who are now the favourites to take the last semi-final spot. The good thing for England is that they will definitely qualify if they win their last two games. The bad news is that the first of those is away to the best team in the world.

If England were meeting India in a semi-final or a final, the primary emotion would be excitement. Today it is fear – not of failure, which is bad enough, but of a traumatic humiliation. That’s a unique psychological burden, and as an England fan it’s hard not to fear the worst.

It’s even harder not to hope for the best. If England win today, and against New Zealand on Wednesday, they will go into the semi-finals with Maurice Mentum as their 12th man, and all this torment will be forgotten. But that – duh – is an Orca-sized if.

There are suggestions the Edgbaston pitch will be a belter for batting, although we’ve heard that before. Given the pressure, the toss feels absolutely crucial: bat first, get a competitive score and field like you’ve never fielded before. And to hell with your hamstrings.

The currency in which elite sportspeople take most pride is not talent, trophies, money or even Instagram disciples. It’s their fight-or-flight response. The way England play today will help to shape how they are remembered. This really is it. Godspeed, gentlemen.

The match starts at 10.30am.