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By Tom Fordyce
I read in this morning's papers that the human brain has reached the limit of its evolutional intelligence. Walking past a succession of tattooed ladies smoking cigarettes on the way back from the newsagents at 0700, I found this a little depressing.
Cricket Analyst Simon Hughes: "Will all be about the roller this morning deadening the bounce. England need a lead of 250. Think they might get it."
Then I thought back to Stuart Broad's five wickets for 0 runs in 16 balls. Is that what they meant - that no English bowler will ever better that? If so, I have no argument.
Our match situation: England are 43 runs behind with nine second innings wickets in hand. Jonathan Trott had a brief net this morning but looked in pain throughout, so we as yet don't know if he will bat. Oh - and it's another delightful summer morning - blue skies, warm sun, a soft breeze tickling the fancy.
"It wasn't a great day for Graeme Swann yesterday. He gave away 76 runs in 12 overs with the ball and later earned a slap on the wrist (though hopefully not his sore one) from the ICC for a show of petulance during India's innings. Swann was reprimanded for kicking the stumps and dislodging the bails during the 80th over of India's innings."
Breaking news from the England camp. Jonathan Trott will bat, but probably down the order. Hero.
From monkeyhead78: "Great to hear Trott will bat. Typical of his nonfussy attitude. Even if in pain and thinking of the greater good. Come on England."
From David in Melbourne, TMS inbox: "With regard to the first picture on the front page of your website, did Jonathan Trott steal a crafty smoke from one of the tattooed ladies on his way in to Trent Bridge today?"
There goes the bell, clanging away in the pavilion - players, your time is now. Spot of Jerusalem over the Tannoy - beg your pardon, public address system. "Builded here?" Sloppy, Blake, sloppy.
From Happy Harry, TMS inbox: "Sunday morning fry up, 2 eggs, both double yolkers. Now I know how Broad must have felt yesterday."
"It’s not the most handsome looking pitch but it will do something off the seam all day. It should be a good day for batting but it’s one of those pitches you never really feel ‘in’ on. You’ve got to know where your off stump is and hope you don’t get a ripper. England can’t just hang around, they need runs."
Et voila - Sreesanth to come in from the Pavilion End. Three slips, gully, point, mid off, mid on, midwicket. Bell leaves four alone outside off, defends another back up the pitch and then dabs down to gully. A group of chaps over there in the new stand dressed as trawlermen - yellow oilskins, hats of the same colour. They'll cook in those. Hello - there's the stag, dressed both confusingly and with perfect symmetry as a mackerel.
Just been pointed out to me by a numerically nimble colleague that England began the day on exactly the same score as India began Saturday. Praveen Kumar to open out from the Radcliffe Road End, and he bends that into Andrew Strauss's pads to be clipped away for three. Short outside off, popped away off the face by Bell for four more to the vacant third man slot.
From Theophilus, TMS inbox: "Re: your opening comment. Perhaps they were thinking in terms of class prejudice; some people will never manage to transcend it, as the latent implication of your comment suggests. (Or does being a lady, or being tattooed, or being a smoker, or being all of the above necessarily denote inferior intelligence?)"
Clips and dabs fine as the England pair look to stay positive. Short from Sreesanth, creamed away off the back foot through the covers for a purist-tickling four. To be fair, Thoephilers (below) the tattooed ladies were reading well-thumbed copies of Confederacy of Dunces while solving Rubik's Cubes in the other hand. So you may have a point.
From Paul in Lancs, TMS inbox: "I haven't read the newspaper article of which you speak, but it seems unlikely that we have reached the limits of evolutionary intelligence. One of the basic tenets of 'entelligence' theory, as I half understand it, is that mental capacity is developed as much by cultural interpretation of collective evolution patterns as by genetic adaptation, with evolutionary progress developed through the spread of behavioural rules, imitation and learning by the agents. How else would the Dilscoop have been developed, for example, and are we really saying this will be the last ever cricket shot?"
Full from Kumar, driven with clunky authority back fdown the ground by Strauss for his first four of the day. No sign of the lads in green t-shirts who filled a few rows in the Fox Road Stand on Saturday. On closer tea-time inspection they turned out to be paying tribute to Mark Cavendish. Fine sporting cross-referencing.
From Joe: "Lower order batting the difference between the teams? Series Runs from 7th position down England 386/7 average 55, India 81/13 average 6.5."
Singles pushed and scampered, the stands slowly filling after queues outside delayed the entry of some patrons. The sun slides behind a thin cloud heading away to the west, a contended murmur filling the morning air.
From Edward, TMS inbox: "Re: Theophilus. With the obvious put to one side (tattoo - knowingly inflicting pain on yourself for no practical purpose/smoking - knowingly risking death) it was the fact that they were up at 7am on a Sunday which alerted me to their barbarism."
Bell's 34th innings at number three for England, and you know what? He's never scored a century there. Best is his 92 in Lahore, 2005. Maiden from Kumar to Strauss, Skip watchful under his polished blue lid.
From Christopher in Bristol, TMS inbox: "Re Paul in Lancs: Has the last cricket really been shot? This confirms the theory that human intelligence has reached its limit. Crickets are a protected species, particularly the mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa), and for all we know may be the single thread binding the entire cosmos together."
Belly, what a shot that is... It was angled in towards middle, and he just timed it away past a helpless midwicket for four of the sweetest runs a man could wish to make. Drive back past Sharma's trailing left hand, Yuvraj tumbling to half-stop the ball, Bell and Strauss dashing through for a cheeky uno.
From BBC Sport's Phil Jones: "That's like the Victorian scientists who in 1900 confidently declared the human race now knew everything there ever was to know."
No third man, and Bell will steer another away in the gap between third slip and gully for four more.
Nooo... Little fence at one angled across the bows, and Skipper couldn't help himself - had to chase, had to nibble...
“That was very well bowled by Sreesanth, he’s been swinging the ball back into Strauss 9 out of 10 times and that one just went straight on and hit the outside edge. That’s a big breakthrough for India as England were starting to get on top. I think Pietersen has to be positive here – a quick 50 would be better than grinding out an innings.”
From Ollie in Dubai, TMS inbox: "KP has tattoos and continues to invent 'cutting edge' cricket shots - clearly this proves that not only is the Dilscoop not the final cricket shot, but that tattooed 'English' cricketers have a significantly more evolved human brain than us mere numb skulls."
So Strauss fails again - we'll dig out some stats about his runs and average since that ton in Brisbane back in November. Kevin Pietersen the new man - anyone else see his Tweet last night about "fighting two little guys named perspiration"? Even at the top of the pile you still have the same worries and troubles as the man at the bottom. Bell, stepping into a full one from Sreesanth and creaming back past the bowler for four more.
“Strauss will be very disappointed because he was looking good this morning. He just had a momentary loss of concentration. You would have expected Strauss to do well in this game, with no Zaheer Khan playing, and with Zaheer coming back at Edgbaston he will be hoping England can go on and win this game. The heavy roller is playing a big part in this game, and England delayed it until as late as possible. As the day goes on it wears off and there will be a lot more uneven bounce.”
Tight from Sreesanth, and Bell will defend out a maiden. KP blinking his eyes, twirling his bat handle like a silver-topped cane, desperate for a perambulation into the spotlight.
Ishant Sharma into the attack for the first time today. Short leg in for KP, who has been playing on the walk and across his front pad a little this morning, and - my goodness - it almost pays off, the inside edge cannoning onto the thigh pad and just a little too straight for the man under the lid to snaffle.
"It's not turning into a great series for England's openers. While Alastair Cook appears to have lost mislaid his mojo and is averaging just five from four knocks, Andrew Strauss keeps getting in and getting out. Since the start of the Sri Lanka series, he has 129 runs in eight innings at an average of 16.1."
Flick off the pads by Bell for a single to fine leg, and England are ahead. KP then flicks down to Harbhajan at deep square leg for two more. The lead is now three, but with Trott only likely to bat Paul Terry-style if required, England are in effect 3-3. Or at least 3-2.7. Drinks.
From Bruce Fordyce in Geneva: "In 1944 whilst living in Bletchley for tax reasons, I often passed a group of tattooed ladies stood outside the Costermongers, gulping down the Park drive fumes with rare abandon.They had of course been up all night cracking the Enigma code,thereby shortening the war by 23 years. There's a lesson to be learned there young Tom."
Nice to hear from Bruce Fordyce. Was it the Bruce Fordyce? Ask a South African. The man is a hero, which may not be entirely unconnected to the fact that he is no relation to me whatsoever. Yuvraj on to monkey with KP's mind, but first he'll have to deal with Bell - mmm, a shot timed away between mid-on and midwicket with fabulous ease.
From John, TMS inbox: "Bruce, the Enigma Code was cracked by guys from Poznan, Poland, though I suppose if they were crickets fans they may have been in drag."
Sharma straying, and Bell is filling his classy boots. He flicks one very fine for four, and then drills a slightly straighter one through deep square leg for four more. Half-century dripping with class. 72 balls, 10 fours, a pleasure to watch from the very start.
Short and accelerating up into Pietersen's rib-cage - ooof, he didn't enjoy that one little bit. Wincing stroll past square leg, followed by a crouch on haunches with hands clasping the rubbery top of his yellow bat handle. On TMS, Lord Boycott of Boycottshire admits that he can only use two buttons on his mobile phone: "the red one and the green one".
From the BBC's Tim Franks: "Lead of eight? Presumably time to declare and hand Hawaii 5-0 Broad the new ball."
Kumar with that shuffling approach of his, a man stuck in at short straightish midwicket for the uppish bottom-handed drive from KP. Inside edge onto the pad and away to point as the two slips scream. Btw - if you missed Broad's hat-trick on Saturday afternoon, Test Match Special will be replaying Henry Blofeld's commentary of it in the early part of today's lunchtime interval.
As well as reliving Broad's heroics, you can get involved in Ask the Umpire on TMS this lunchtime. Former ump John Holder will be in the chair so get your questions in to tms@bbc.co.uk
Short again from Sharma, and KP uses his full height to get on top of the ball and pull it down to Kumar at long leg for a single that felt worth a boundary. Two more singles nudged and sprinted, every run vital in this thrillingly poised contest.
Kumar to Bellers, short and wide, lovely square cut for four. Then a thick outside edge spears through the mits of gully fieldsman Suresh Raina and they run three. You get the feeling you are never really in on this pitch.
“If England had 200 to bowl at we could bowl India out, but making enough runs to have a lead of 200 is going to be tough. Two down and with Trott injured, I just think we might not make enough runs.”
Bell is in the groove here as he smacks successive fours of Sharma. The first a nurdle round the corner and the second a trademark late cut through the ever-vacant third man area. Henry Blofeld says he has eaten so many cakes he looks pregnant - now there's an image. Single to KP, fifty partnership, just 11 of them to Pietersen. Two more to Bell - he's on 72.
"The momentum is all with England and Ian Bell is playing a gem of an innings. I just wonder whether India lack a bit of pace in the seam department and that might be a decisive factor in the match."
We'll have some Harbhajan from the Radcliffe Road End, 20 minutes to go until lunch. Thick inside edge from KP past a diving short leg for one, and then Bell tickle-sweeps fine for another aesthetic delight of a four. 77 now to the stand-in number three off just 96 balls, the full range of shots on display, the timing a wonder of coordination.
From Sam_Catty_Jones: "The enigma code was cracked but new codes were constantly created. Like bowling out Dravid and seeing Tendulkar walk out."
From Bertie in Putney, TMS inbox: "Surely if we actually have reached the pinnacle of our development in human intelligence we would've been able to think up better nicknames for the current England team than just adding the suffixes -ers and -y."
KP's calling to the dressing-room for something here - they'll bring him a towel and some new gloves. "I CAN'T BAT IN THESE - WHO AM I, JACQUES COUSTEAU?"
Bell steps away to spank Harbhajan off the back foot to the cover boundary for four more. 83 now, England's lead to 55, and that it the point where Phil Tufnell turns to those of us within earshot to declare that he is now favouring England for the win. "We bat deeper, our seamers are better," is the Cat gist. Benaudesque score.
Time for two more Bell has scored 75 runs this morning, 56 of them in boundaries. KP dinking Harbhers away for four fine and following it up with a crisp drive back down the ground. Relaxed atmosphere around Trent Bridge, remarkable considering the match scenario.
From murraymackinlay: "Bertie in Putney is obviously forgetting the sophisticated monikers of Chef, KP and Swannage. Not an -er or -y in sight."
"Two two two!" shouts Ian Bell as he glides Kumar away to third man. MS Dhoni now standing up the seamer, in large part because England's batsmen have been standing well out of their crease when facing him to negate the movement. Lunch, and absoutely England's session. 106 runs for the loss of just one wicket, and the vast majority from the crisp willow of Ian Bell. He has batted quite beautifully - I was fearful of saying it before, but what the hell - let us stand tall and shout it from the Nottingham rooftops.
We're back - early Sunday lunch for anyone? Three veggie sausages myself. It was like eating tubes of painted sawdust. Bell to face the first ball since the interval, Ishant Sharma gliding in from the Radcliffe Road End. Full, big drive... vooosh, straight through the gate and past the exposed woodwork. Two slips, gully, deep point, short extra cover, deep midwicket, deep backward square leg. Defensive. Still no third man, and Bell will drive off an open face for his 16th four of his breezy innings.
“India have lacked intensity, I just felt it was too easy for the England batsmen this morning. These two are major batsmen but the next one is not in great nick. You’ve got to start thinking positively – this is the partnership you have to get out and then you can get into them.”
From dujek: "Cooking dinner, blasting Maiden at full volume and keeping up to date with the cricket through @tomfordyce on the BBC website. Sunday."
Kumar from the Pavilion End, Dhoni still standing up to the timbers. Ooof - trampoline bounce from just short of a length, the ball flying past the shoulder of KP's bat and past Dhoni's bright blue gloves for four byes. Just 22 runs off 67 balls from KP, and he's once again looking far from fluent.
From Carol in Portugal, TMS inbox: "Bertie in Putney has a point, even the Indian team have Sharmer, Kumer, and Dhony."
Even in that double century at Lord's KP looked perversely out of sorts until his fourth 50. I know that sounds contradictory, and that we'd all love to look out of sorts when scoring a Test match 150, but if you saw the way he batted you'd know what I mean. Single off an inside edge, and Pietersen has ben reduced to supporting role.
A ceiling of light cloud has come across Trent Bridge. KP edges and mishits the trundling Kumar - just hang in there, sir, and trust that the good times will follow. Strike-stealing single out to midwicket; on TMS, Field-Marshall Boycott describes batting this afternoon as "easy".
From roberthudson: "Pietersen's first two years, he started really slowly. All those one-day tons were 30 off 55 and then 80 off 40."
Crasheroo - right on time, KP krunches Sharma back down the ground for his first authentic four of the day. Aghh - far less certain thrusts, the Indian close fielders salivating at the prospect of a big fat juicy edge.
Shart from Shorma - I do beg your pardon, short from Sharma, we can't be having any sharting going on, not in cricket whites - and KP will flick that off the hip for four to the finest of legs. Short again, big mowing pull, misses by a mile. Not this time - same ball, battered through midwicket for a dismissive four. Hazy sunshine, warm breeze, the queue for ice-creams almost as long as that for lager. Full - my life, if that ball had a voicebox it would now be sobbing. Smashed down the park, KP shoving my foolish words back down my throat.
A stroll around the boundary at lunchtime revealed a solitary Roman gladiator - not sure where the rest of the legion had got to - a human banana and a half-man half-ice cream cone. You know those trawlermen and the mackerel? The former are balancing their pints on the rigid jaw of the latter. Three singles, the partnership to 109, every run feeling critical.
From Andrew in Kazakhstan, TMS inbox: "Without wanting to tempt the seemingly all-powerful Gods of the Mockers, KP only seems to score massively when he's playing not at his best. Look at the Oval 2005, he was dropped three or four times before he reached a score, and then his recent double ton! Another century on the cards today, methinks."
Kumar from the Pavilion End, and Pietersen will cover drive him on the up to the boundary rope in front of a cavorting new stand. Mexican waves breaking out, a tangible sense that England are gaining the upper hand. Dab to midwicket, and that's KP's 50 - 98 balls, his 24th in Tests, the partnership to 118. Make that 122 - Bell drills a half-volley away for four more, Sreesanth diving on the rope and letting the ball bounce over his arms. Delight from the punters still ribbing the fielder for his "yeah I caught it" nonsense on Day One. Bell to 98, never scored a Test ton at three...
From Darrell, TMS inbox: "Field-Marshall Boycott - love it! Full title: Field-Marshall the Lord Boycott of Great Runouts (a small village near Barnsley). Principal exports: Specially hardened sticks of rhubarb and celery. Battle honours: Everywhere. Family motto: I told you I was right."
“At the moment England are looking to dominate and they can see India’s body language is a bit down and jaded – they desperately need a wicket. Harbhajan looks a bit flat and, with the seamers wilting, he's got to start tossing a few up and getting it to turn.”
Thing about watching KP in this mood - and also Bell, when in such sublime form - is that the pleasure in their deeds is marred by the dread fear that it might all come to an inglorious error-led end. Let's stiffen upper lips. Actually quite difficult to do, stiffen the lip - any tips?
Kumar, down leg, clipped away by Bell - they're on their feet all around, he's going to turn for two, here he comes... and there it is! 15th Test ton, his third of the summer, fourth this calendar year, 17 fours, 129 balls and his first at number three. Has he scored a better one? It's been a joy to watch, an absolute living definition of timing and class.
"Ian Bell has now scored a century against all eight current Test-playing nations. Only four players have scored one against nine, when Zimbabwe were still in the fold: Gary Kirsten, Sachin Tedulkar, Rahul Dravid and Marvan Atapattu."
From Doug, TMS inbox: "On Glasgow to Euston train. Hanging, after 17 'one for the roads' with my brother. On way home this morning (03.17), my good lady phoned and I said I'd call her back in 5. At 9am she called and said she was still waiting. Hope KP has the same patience."
That is ropey old nonsense from Harbhajan. Long hop, battered through the leg-side for a four that would embarrass a village pie-chucker. 167 runs already today off the 40 overs so far for the loss of just one wicket. England's day, you say? Touch some wood or hop on one foot, but who could disagree?
From davemckendal: "Can you stiffen lips with Vaseline?"
Peachy again from Bell, angling Sreesanth away through the always-vacant third man area for four more. And again! He's raced to 118 already. 118? Had to double-check that. 21 fours now, the partnership to 143, KP with just 51 of them. The lead is racing away, the runs coming apace, the pressure easing with each muscular boundary.
Wish I had a graphic to signify "wheels coming off". Anyone care to cut one for me? Harbhajan waddling in to bowl and then stopping to lie down on the track and prostrate himself, complaining about back issues. Short, smashed away, and Sreesanth lets another four roll straight between his legs. Joy unconfined in the stands...
“It’s been a clinical dismantling by England, they’ve taken the Indian engine apart bit by bit, but about this time yesterday we were saying exactly the same thing about the England bowling and then the new ball was taken, and a certain Mr Broad took over.”
Bizarre scenes right at the start of the over as KP steps away just as Sreesanth delivers the ball, which whistles past the stumps. He's not happy is Pietersen, and it's a guy behind the bowler's arm who is the subject of his ire. Four runs off the over, two to Kev, one to Ian. Cruise control.
Yuvraj into the attack, and he's coming in to bowl like a man fighting his way through a spider's web. Short, filthy, boffed away into the deep for a single to the man sprinting round from deep midwicket. Down leg, swept away for two more, and when a single is taken to Sreesanth the crowd roar with mocking applause as he successfully stops a ball rolling at 2mph.
Waste, what a waste... Airy drive, feet not moving, skinny edge behind the timbers. Real shame, that - the Indian attack had been almost totally devoid of menace since lunch. KP stalks back to the hutch, shaking his sweat-drenched mane.
Eoin Morgan bouncing to the crease. Big innings for him now too. That last partnership? 162 runs at four and a half an over. Game-changer.
“I think this has been Bell's best Test hundred, because of the situation when he came in last night. He has timed the ball and scored on both sides of the wicket and he looks set for a huge score. India look like a rabble. Their fielding has been awful.”
Morgan on the thrash, blasting Sreesanth along the deck to cover after getting off the pair with a brush away to leg. The atmosphere almost soporific after those post-lunch thrills and spills, but that should help - Morgan with a brace of fours as he opens the face to glide Kumar down to third man off successive fours.
From Timothy, TMS inbox: "The steward who KP was berating in the stands was my old headmaster Peter Scott at Bancroft's School, small world. Not meaning to name and shame naturally."
Lovely from Bell, leg-glancing in timeless fashion as Sharma searches for the yorker. Four to the fine leg fence to move to 130. Remember the old criticism of Bell - the "can't bat under pressure" line, the "won't score a ton unless someone else has" chat? Even if his deeds Down Under last winter failed to convince you, it has surely put to bed once and for all with this knock.
Still 20 overs to go until the new ball. With the sun bright and the earlier dangers in the track now neutered, England should contiinue to make happy hay. Sleepy maiden from Kumar to Morgan.
From Dave in Newbury, TMS inbox: "Yesterday I was dragged kicking and screaming to an important wedding but was determined not to miss a stroke. I sat towards the back and occasionally listened to my phone on earbuds to glares from my wife. At the crucial point in the Rite of marriage (does anyone know any impediment...) I thrust a short fist in my own world with a quiet but positive ‘yes’ as Broad hit his hat-trick. Two or three aisles turned to look and glared at me at which point my precious phone was confiscated by my wife."
Morgan nudges again off the face to take three more off the labouring Sharma. Harbhajan has been off the field for a while, but he may be coming back on here - but not before Suresh Raina has a little twirl.
From Richard in Lyme Regis, TMS inbox: "Ian Bell's career average has now gone past that of Geoffrey Boycott (47.76 compared with 47.72). Might be a bit of ammunition to get him going."
Slip and short point in for Morgan as Raina trots in. Runs available all round the ground - singles pushed and driven, twos punched and pulled. Stroll in the Sunday sunshine at the moment; for the number one team in the world, India have been awfully low on vim and vigour in the field throughout the series.
Ian Bell has never made a Test double-century, of course, his best that 199 at Lord's against South Africa three summers ago. Got himself caught and bowled by Plodder Harris, didn't he? Morgan steals a single as Yuvraj labours in from lid on.
From Dick in Basingstoke, TMS inbox: "Dave's acknowledgement of Broad's achievement reminds me of my attendance at a wedding on the day England won the World Cup in 1966. All the male guests found a TV upstairs and missed the reception. The bride's mother was not amused and the happy couple were divorced within two years. I blamed it on Geoff Hurst."
If England are still batting at the close - as they should be - the lead should be close to 300. And that would put them in a very strong position indeed. Happy applause as a single to Bell brings up the 250. One more before tea?
Flicked down to Sreesanth at fine leg by Bell to move to 137. Almost no energy in the field at all from India; Morgan pushes to leg and Kumar makes a right old mess of the fielding on the rope. He half-stops it and then gives it up as if it went for four - but it didn't. Bell and Morgan were walking back to the pavilion - the ball finally comes back in, the bails are taken off almost by stealth, and with the England pair almost at the pavilion steps the Indian team are appealing for the most remarkable run-out you will ever see...
“It’s been the best day for batting, partly because Bell has made it look like that, but if we thought 250 would be a good lead, now you’re thinking they will need a bit more than that.”
Outrage at Trent Bridge, absolute uproar - the umpires had to review it once they were asked, and because four was not called then technically India could take the bails off. But in the spirit of the law? Incredibly poor at best - at the very best...
"That is a disgraceful decision. It is wrong because the game in the players' minds had obviously come to an end. Technically it is out but it is just not in the spirit of the game."
They're booing in the stands, they're incandescent on the England balcony. Ian Bell cannot quite believe this - Kumar had given it up, and lingered over the ropes for a good three or four seconds without bothering to pick the ball up. When he finally did it was with all the body language of a man who has just let it go for four. None of the Indian fielders around the wicket were bothering to ask for the ball back, and so Bell began to walk off having punched gloves with Morgan.
“Bell is culpable as he should not have just walked off the pitch on the assumption that the ball had gone for four, you play safe and have to get in your ground. However, you’ve got to have some sympathy for Bell. He must have assumed the ball had gone for four.”
Ian Bell is apparently claiming that he heard "over" called by Umpire Rauf before he began to walk off. I can see Andrew Strauss looking puce with rage on the England balcony. Rauf had handed bowler Sharma back his jumper; Bell had tapped his bat down in exaggerated fashion in the crease before walking off...
From Frank, TMS inbox: "Disgusting! Strauss should refuse to continue until an appeal is heard. Yes we may lose the match but this will send a clear message about their unsporting behaviour."
From Sachin in Bangalore, TMS inbox: "What spirit of the law are you talking about? That was stupidity from Ian Bell, and absolutely disgraceful & unsporting reaction from the English."
Let's look at this again. Bell says "four" to Morgan as they met to punch gloves. I think Kumar actually thought it had gone for four too. It was the laziest throw back in; even when Dhoni gathered he was nowhere near the stumps. He just underarmed it to Abhinav Mukund, who had strolled over to the stumps. Mukund then casually flicked the bails off; there was no shouted appeal even at that stage. It almost happened when Umpire Erasmus walked over from square leg to ask if they were appealing.
Michael Vaughan is saying that Bell was at fault for being dozy. He's also saying that he might have done the same as MS Dhoni. This one will run, and run, and run...
“It’s hard to be sure but I’ve got a feeling that Ian Bell has been dozy, and Dhoni was within his rights to appeal. You could understand why because of the way Kumar acted on the boundary but Bell thought it had gone for four.”
The players should be back on - the tea interval ended four minutes ago. But there is no sign of either team, not umpires. Something is going on in those corridors...
From Steve, Southampton, TMS inbox: "If I was Ian Bell I would pad up after tea and get out there."
At last the umpires walk out - to the most remarkable chorus of boos from the furious spectators all around Trent Bridge. Awful atmosphere out there, catcalls and abuse filling the air. It's like the Oval v Pakistan 2006...
From Charlie_Latto: "More importantly is what we should call this incident... wicketgate? overgate? fourgate?"
Here come India - ear-splitting boos. And what's this? IAN BELL IS COMING BACK OUT!
"I think the right decision has been made. If I put myself in the same position as Mahendra Singh Dhoni I would have done the same. Ian Bell went to Eoin Morgan and said four and Kumar on the boundary gave all the body language that it was four. And if over was called then it has to be the right decision."
India must have changed their mind - Ian Bell is coming back out to bat. As the crowd realise what has happened the boos turn to shocked applause and then delighted cheers. Someone has had a word with someone, and thank goodness they did - we might just have been pulled back from the brink of something very, very nasty...
The India team had formed a huddle on the outfield as the boos rang out. The first indication that something might have changed was that the England team appeared on their balcony applauding. We're back playing again, by the way, and what has Morgan done to the first ball? Smashed it for four...
My Twitter feed is in danger of crashing under the weight of anger, fury, disbelief and then delight. Almost everyone now agreeing that MS Dhoni deserves enormous credit for retracting that appeal during the interval. That incident could have derailed the series and, beyond that, poisoned the atmosphere between the two countries for months to come.
From anonymous: "Fair play MS Dhoni. Excellent for cricket. Masses of respect to you."
From anonymous: "Wrong decision in my opinion. Bell was out, whether it is in the spirit of the game it doesn't matter. He made a stupid mistake and was run out. He should be gone. No doubt England would have done exactly the same, probably not rescinded the appeal either."
Fascinating snippet here: I'm now hearing that England coach Andy Flower and skipper Andrew Strauss went to the Indian dressing-room at tea and asked MS Dhoni and India coach Duncan Fletcher if they would reconsider the appeal. Fletcher and Dhoni said they would talk to the rest of the team. The decision was then made to offer Ian Bell a reprieve. In the meantime, Bell has moved on to 140 and Morgan to 37. The ground still throbbing with intrigue, excitement and giddy gossip.
From Bob, TMS inbox: "No matter what happens in the match now, the Indian captain is Man of the Match."
From Neil Pountney, Michigan, TMS inbox: "After all that Tom it would have been nice to see Ian Bell shake hands with MS Dhoni when he walked out after tea."
After that stunning hour of drama it's too easy to let the match situation slip away from us. Morgan marches down the track to Harbhajan to blast the first six of the match into the Radcliffe Road stand to go to his 50 off just 66 balls, and England - after all that - remain absolutely in the driver's seat.
A growing consensus around the ground that Dhoni not only deserves great credit but that he's lanced a boil that was in danger of despoiling the entire series - and when it's been a series as good as this, and as important to Test cricket, that would have been a dreadful shame. Biffing drive from Bell to move to his 150. Wonder how fast his heart was beating there?
Yuvraj and Raina in spinning tandem now for India. A side-effect of what I might call Bellgate - no, Reprievegate, no, perhaps IsHeOutYesHeIsNoHeIsntGate - is that any remaining fight seems to have gone from the Indian ranks. Morgan batters Raina away between mid-on and midwicket for the four that takes him to 65, and England are taking the match away from India here.
Sheringham for Fordyce for a couple of overs here, as TV pictures capture the great image of the man dressed as a fish, resting his weary head on the shoulders of two trawlerman. Four more to Bell, sweeping Yuvraj past Dhoni. Hang on ... Bell's out!! An edge, clips the hip of stumper Dhoni and rebounds into the palms of Laxman at first slip. What an innings.
Bell took 206 balls and hit 24 fours in that knock, which has been labelled by many as his best in Tests. Morgan is playing a little gem of an innings himself, lest we forget, as a single off Raina takes him to 69.
Prior rocks back and plays one of his favourite strokes, cutting in front of square to a couple. England's lead building very tidily here. Some Test match this. All it needs is Sachin Tendulkar to score a match-winning hundred to win the game. Only joshing.
We have a new ball. Morgan, slight nick, gone... Second ball with the fresh cherry. Moving away a touch, Morgan pushing forward and pouched. Another twist in the tale? Here comes Jonathan Trott.
Fordyce back after a few kind Sheringham overs. Needed to dunk the fingertips in ice there. Jonathan Trott then, because we've been short of drama this afternoon, haven't we? Kumar kantering in, Trott trapped on the crease, and that looked absolutely plumb. Umpire Erasmus... he's not given it! What was he thinking, perhaps that it pitched outside off stump? Let's examine the replays... dear oh dear, hit his front pad in line with middle and leg, went on to hit his back leg in line with off stump. Stumps would have gone everywhere. Shocker of a decision.
Matt Prior lances Sreesanth through cover for a four greeted like Tendulkar's wicket. Extraordinary atmosphere on an extraordinary day. And now the match announcer is explaining to the crowd over the PA system what happened with the Bell reprieve. Complete silence, followed by a standing ovation. I love cricket.
Horrible bounce, off the glove, snaffled at first slip. This match...
“Withdrawing the appeal against Bell reflects very well on the Indian camp because I’ve bumped into one or two England captains here who said, ‘I’m not sure I would have withdrawn the appeal.’”
The first sign we've had for a while of the uneven bounce that was so in evidence on Saturday. Trott reared away from it but the ball followed him like an angry wasp. Bresnan the new man, surviving a big lbw shout first up - Erasmus says no again, and there's enough doubt about that one to back up his judgement - and then Prior sashays down the track to flick fine for four.
Sreesanth keeps Bresnan housed with an over of don't risk its. What lead do you think England need to feel confident of victory here? India are yet to make 300 in the series, the pitch should deterioate a little more and the new ball should take wickets. Then again, this Indian line-up at its best can chase the most intimidating of totals. Me? 350-plus and Skipper Strauss will rest easy overnight.
14 overs left in the day. On TMS, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is delighted with MS Dhoni's response to IsHeOutYesHeIsNoHeIsntGate. "Cricket is better for it," he says. "And it was wonderful to see the ovation he received after the PA announcement."
Prior on the attack now as he loves to do. Hoisting hoick over square leg for a dismissive four after Bresnan crashes a slashing cut over the slips for another boundary. In the crowd, the bloke dressed as a giant mackerel and surrounded by a gaggle of pals dressed as fishermen is wriggling a saucy dance, as if caught on a hook and line and rather enjoying it.
Bresnan with a wafty drive at Sreesanth down to third man, and England lead by 300. If we take out the Bell dismissal and reprieve, it has been a first-class fight-back from Strauss's men; they began the day 43 runs in arrears, and have scored at a rate and style to drag the match away from their tiring opponents.
Prior to 38 with a sumptuous on-drive that races to the fence with the crack off the bat still echoing in the early evening air. Single placed away before Bresnan smashes Sharma away off the back foot like a chunky Yorkie Lara.
Brilliant running from Matt Prior. He is working this field beautifully, pushing towards deep point and then sprinting a two that ten years ago would have been a run-out and 20 years ago a walked single. Bouncer from Sreesanth, top-edged for a monstrous six by Prior. Brilliant batting, and India are absorbing some heinous blows in the final few overs of the day.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: "Absolute credit must go to Team India, the England team and the match officials for the superb way that they all handled a tricky situation. To see players and officials uphold the Great Spirit of cricket, which has underpinned the game for more than a century, is very special."
Bresnan loving his cameo, standing tall to biff a disconsolate Ishant Sharma away behind point. Single, and then Prior launches in to the buffet bowling again, battering through cover to go to a splendid half-century - 38 balls, one six, seven fours, and we've had 150 runs in the session. With eight overs still left in the day. England accelerating away. Four more! creamed through midwicket, every boundary draining the life still further from this shellshocked Indian team.
From Steve, TMS inbox: "Arrived in Greece for first day of holidays today and been glued to BBC live text - mrs not happy, haven't said a word to her and she says I'm making a show of us in front of our cultured continental european friends by jumping up and shouting at the cricket the whole time."
“England have scored at such a rate and have a lead of over 340 – I reckon that’s too much already. It will be a body blow for India, who will troop off feeling a bit down in the dumps I would think. It all started with that knock from Broad in the first innings and then his five for none. It’s all about momentum in cricket.”
Yuvraj with some left-arm net bowling, Bresnan stepping back and away to cream through extra cover to move to 29 off 44 balls. 391 runs scored in the day so far, and England are far from finished.
Dabbed cut from Prior for two. The mackerel has escaped! A fisherman pursues it as it runs the length of the new stand to bawdy cheers from the galleries. Is this the first recorded incident in history of a fish needing a bicycle?
This partnership between Prior and Bresnan has reached 88 at a run a ball. Make that 92 - smeared away off his own nose by Brezucio for four in front of square. Dominant batting from England today - they've scored more than 400 in the day, and when was the last time that happened?
"England are a proper team," says Dick Mowbray on Twitter - "a team for all occasions. Cometh any hour, cometh any man." Brezza puts Kumar to the sword again, dinking another four to fine leg. England have scored close to 200 runs in this session alone. One more over before a dramatic day finally comes to an end.
Huzzah! Bresnan going ballistic, smashing Sharma through cover on the up to bring up the 100 partnership off jusy 107 balls. England have been utterly dominant today, and the final ball of the day is being cheered like the the first of an Ashes contest. 417 runs scored in the day, Prior unbeaten on 64 from 55 balls, Brezucio 47 from 66.
Roll these numbers round your palate: England scored 106 runs in the first session, 124 in the second and 187 in the third. This is a side which is currently capable of responding to any difficult situation they find themselves in, whether it is being 124-8 in the first innings, having India 267-4 and cruising, and then being two wickets down and with a third injured while still in arrears today. From here they will surely go on to win the match and take a 2-0 lead in the series. No?
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