India v England: third Test, day three – live

Oooooh, we’re halfway theee-ere! At least, at some point in the second session today, we’ll be halfway through this five-Test series and, whisper it quietly, it’s shaping up to be an epic.

England arrived in India with a question hanging over them. Could they Bazball in the meanest backyard in cricket? Ben Duckett’s staggering Test ton, the fastest by an Englishman in India, has firmly answered that query.

It was unreal batting. The sheer chutzpah of the approach was worthy of praise. That it counted for 133 unbeaten runs off a mere 118 balls places it firmly in contention for the best knock by a tourist in India (and we’ve already had one of those in the series).

Duckett will have Joe Root – nine off 13 – for company but won’t have to face Ravichandran Aswhin. India’s premier spinner became the ninth player to reach 500 Test wickets but has had to pull out of the match after a family medical emergency.

It’s a cruel blow for India and possibly places England in the driver’s seat despite the 238-run deficit. If Duckett and Root can build a partnership, and if the aggressive middle order can crank into gear, and if the tail can contribute with some handy runs, then England might have a sizeable lead.

That’s a lot of ifs and a maybe. But this is a team that has challenged what we thought we knew about this sport. Love or hate England cricket, there is no denying the bravery of this latest iteration that is setting a new standard with the bat.

Play resumes at 4am UK time/9:30am in Rajkot.