Dean Elgar will be South Africa's third Test captain in as many seasons but his task is the same as the pair that have gone before him: to rebuild the South African team.

Faf du Plessis had to do it in 2016, when AB de Villiers went on sabbatical, and injuries kept Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel out of significant parts of the season. Quinton de Kock had to do it in 2020-21, amid administrative turmoil, a pandemic and a team for whom losing had become a habit. They both had some impact - du Plessis won home and away series against Australia and de Kock oversaw South Africa's first series win in two years - but they also both had enough of leading.

du Plessis gave up the role after a dip in form during a period of racial tension last season while de Kock has been relieved of the job after a tough Test series, personally and collectively, in Pakistan. In both cases, it was obvious that captaining had become a had-to-do, not a want-to-do, often prefaced by the word reluctant. Elgar, new to the job which is doubtless informing his early perspective, is the opposite. "It's going to be tough, and something that you have to be willing to do. Otherwise I don't think you should be put in this position," he said. "I am fortunate to be put in this position and that the hard work I have put in behind the scenes has been noticed."

The desire to lead seems to be at least part of the secret of what makes a good captain. For du Plessis, initially, it made him a better batsman but when results went south, retirements mounted up, and rhetoric in the country was polarised, he stood down. For de Kock, the extra responsibility coupled with the restrictions of living in biosecure environments, always appeared too much. His form suffered, his on-field decisions were iffy, and he appeared out of his depth in interactions with the media.

Even for Elgar, his first dalliance, as a stand-in for du Plessis at Lord's in 2017, did not go well and he was only too happy to hand an imaginary armband back when du Plessis returned from paternity leave. But things have changed. "I've played a few more games since then and learnt a lot more about what Test cricket and how a team operates behind the scenes," Elgar said. "I have been part of the leadership group for a couple of seasons now. Then, I was a young guy just sitting there. Deer in the headlights. I'd like to think I have established experience since then."

Not just any experience. Elgar's 67 Tests make him the most experienced player in the current group, now that du Plessis has retired and taken with him the last link to the class of 2012, that won the Test mace. Though du Plessis was not a playing member of the team that won in England, he travelled with the squad and made his debut in the next series in Australia, where Elgar was also given his first opportunity. They were both rookies in a team that was top of the rankings, where they stayed for another three years, it's Elgar's task to get them back there.

"I'm still going to be the same guy. I'm still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media"

- Dean Elgar

"It's going to be a serious challenge, but it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to. I feel if we get a few things in place we can definitely take the Proteas brand back to where we were a few years ago. That will be my biggest goal," he said. "We owe it to the game to carry on moving it forward. We've got a long line of young, exciting players who've been breaking down doors in domestic cricket to try and get a foot in this squad. It's good to have fresh blood around. We aren't at the level of experience we were a couple of years ago, but we do have a couple of experienced players in the squad. I'm going to rely on them to help me through this journey."

Temba Bavuma, Elgar's vice-captain and new white-ball captain, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and de Kock are all part of the new senior core and that there are only five names in that mix says a lot about the amount of work South Africa's Test team needs to do. There are places up for grabs and roles to be secured and Elgar hopes the installation of a permanent Test captain can begin the process of settling on a squad. "The players and potential players deserve someone to come in and give them more clarity and more reassurance and stability. That's going to be on my agenda box-ticking as a leader, to try and get a bit of stability to the squad and try and establish an easier process coming in," he said.

Although he wouldn't be drawn into which areas he thinks needs solidifying because South Africa have no confirmed Test fixtures in the foreseeable future. "I don't want to rush into anything now and give a headline saying, 'Elgar thinks the batting is poor.' I think there are areas for us to work on but I am not going to clarify anything now because we have time," he said.

And as that time passes, the South African Test team can be guaranteed of one thing, that in Elgar they will always have a leader who speaks his mind, even when he tells them things they don't want to hear. "I'm still going to be the same guy. I'm still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media," he said.

India faced a first-innings deficit in the fourth Test, slumping to 146 for 6 in reply to England's 205, but Rishabh Pant powered them to a sizeable lead with his maiden century at home, saying he wanted to play his shots "after assessing the pitch".

Pant walked in at 80 for 4 before Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin fell within the space of nine overs to leave the home side in a precarious position, still 59 adrift of England's total with only four wickets in hand. Pant salvaged the situation with two contrasting half-centuries: a watchful fifty off 82 balls followed by an attacking 33-ball half-century to race to his hundred. The boundaries began to flow as the second new ball approached, and continued until he reached three figures with a massive six over square leg.

"I like to play according to the situation and I just see the ball and react to it, that's the USP of my cricket," Pant told the host broadcaster Star Sports after the second day's play. "I thought after assessing the pitch I'm going to play my shots. Sometimes when the bowler is bowling well, like the other day, you have to give credit to the bowler also, and respect the ball. [If] you get a good ball, just look for a single or defend it."

Pant was on 55 off 91 with just three overs left for the second new ball, when he switched gears by collecting two fours in an over against both Ben Stokes and Joe Root. On 75 and on strike against the new ball, he then hammered James Anderson for consecutive fours before unleashing an audacious reverse-lap two overs later against the same bowler that powered him into the 90s.

"The team plan was to get to 206 and then get as much of a lead as we can as a batting unit," Pant said. "That was the only thing I had in my mind and everything went to the team plan."

When asked if the reverse-lap against Anderson over the slips was premeditated, Pant said: "Yes, if you're playing a reverse-sweep, you have to premeditate that, but when everything is going your way you can try your luck."

Pant also said his game plan was not just to go out and attack, but to assess the match situation and adapt his game accordingly. "Yes, most of the time I get the licence [to go for my shots], but I've to assess the situation and then take the game on."

It led to a century stand between him and No. 8 Washington Sundar, who remained unbeaten on 60 even as Pant fell for 101, as India wrested control of the match with a sizeable lead of 89 at stumps, with three wickets still in hand.

The Washington Football Team on Friday released quarterback Alex Smith, who won the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in helping the franchise win the NFC East.  

Washington, which went 7-9 in 2020, wants to upgrade at quarterback this offseason and, with Smith turning 37 years old in May and due to count $24.4 million against the salary cap, a release became inevitable.

The move will save Washington $14.9 million against the cap. Because of his injury and an insurance policy it held on Smith, Washington was able to recoup $1.1 million in prorated bonus money in each of the final three years of his contract.

Smith had two years left on a contract he signed after Washington traded for him in 2018. He made it clear to Washington he wanted to continue playing. 

But his tenure in Washington will be defined by the broken right fibula and tibia he suffered in November 2018 and subsequent comeback with his first game action on Oct. 11. In between, Smith underwent 17 surgeries to fight an infection and opted not to have his leg amputated.  

Washington kept him on the roster in part because he was too expensive to release. But it also wasn't sure he was done playing. Though many doubted he could pull it off -- both inside and outside the organization -- a number of people with the franchise would often say, "if anyone can do it, Alex can." 

Still, after an ESPN documentary aired last spring, some members of the organization wondered if a doctor would even clear Smith to play, but he passed all tests and was cleared. With each milestone, Smith had to prove he could take the next step -- being on the field for 11-on-11 work; making the roster; playing; starting. 

He did all of that and, after starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins was benched and Kyle Allen was injured, Smith started six games in 2020. Washington went 5-1 in those starts. During his three years here, Washington went 11-5 in games Smith started and 6-27 with anyone else at quarterback.

Smith, however, told GQ Magazine that his comeback threw a "wrench" into the team's plans and that he didn't feel wanted by the organization this past summer.

They didn't see it, didn't want me there, didn't want me to be a part of it, didn't want me to be on the team, the roster, didn't want to give me a chance," Smith told the magazine. "Mind you, it was a whole new regime, they came in; I'm like the leftovers and I'm hurt and I'm this liability.

"Heck no, they didn't want me there. At that point, as you can imagine, everything I'd been through, I couldn't have cared less about all that. Whether you like it or not, I'm giving this a go at this point."

Smith has not said for certain that he's going to return for the 2021 season, but sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that he wanted to continue playing. 

Smith's value went beyond his stats this past season -- he threw six touchdowns to eight interceptions. His calming manner, experience and leadership proved valuable to his young teammates. Washington started rookie Antonio Gibson at running back and of its top five wide receivers, only one entered last season with more than 58 career receptions -- journeyman Dontrelle Inman. If Washington wasn't going to get a lot of production, it at least needed someone who could manage the game like Smith. 

Smith suffered a bone bruise in his calf during the first half of a Dec. 13 win against the San Francisco 49ers, preventing him from playing in the second half. He missed the next two games -- both losses -- and struggled in the season finale in part because of the injury. Smith lobbied to play in Washington's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he wasn't mobile enough for the coaches' liking and was inactive. 

Smith, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft by the 49ers, has started 167 career games. His team's record in those games is 99-67-1. He spent seven years with the 49ers, who traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith spent five years with the Chiefs -- they were 1-4 in the playoffs with him. Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes in the first round in 2017 and, after that season, traded Smith to Washington in exchange for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick.  

Washington recently extended quarterback Taylor Heinicke to a two-year deal with incentives that make it worth up to $8.75 million. Kyle Allen is an exclusive rights free agent and expected to return. It also has Steven Montez, who as signed last offseason as an undrafted free agent. 

Olympic champion leads combined events contest on day two in Toruń, while athletes scrambled to qualify on a busy morning of heats and rounds

It took a while for Nafi Thiam to get into her stride in the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, but the Olympic gold medallist soon began to stamp her superiority on the contest.

In the absence of reigning world and European indoor champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Thiam built up a 157 points lead over fellow Belgian Noor Vidts at the end of the morning session on Friday (March 5).

Thiam was only fifth best in the 60m hurdles as Holly Mills, making her senior GB debut for Britain, clocked the fastest time with 8.22. But Thiam began to show her class with 1.89m in the high jump and then 15.16m in the shot put – both performances being the best in the competition.

Mills, meanwhile, fell back to eighth overall after a 1.74m high jump PB and 13.22m shot put.

Another Holly from the British team, this time the 1500m runner Archer, ran an outright 1500m PB of 4:09.77 to win a strong heat ahead of Gesa Krause of Germany and Elise Vanderelst of Belgium. Hanna Klein of Germany was quickest of all, though, with 4:09.35 to win a final heat that included Britain’s Katie Snowden finishing third in a time of 4:10.70 that was good enough to take her through to the final.

“When I looked at the startlist, I though “that’s a tough heat”, but here I am in the final,” said Archer. “I’m really confident going into the final now, like I never felt before. I’m going to give everything tomorrow and see how it goes.”

Tony van Diepen of the Netherlands was the quickest qualifier in the men’s 400m with 46.54 but three-time world indoor champion Pavel Maslak also looked good as he won his heat in 46.88. “I am not sure if I am in perfect shape but definitelly I will do everything possible to fight for a medal,” the Czech athlete said.

With only the first two in each race guaranteed to qualify, Britain’s Joe Brier went out after coming third in Maslak’s heat. But his GB team-mates James Williams (46.85 behind Carl Bengtstrom in his heat) and Lee Thompson (runner-up with 46.69 in Van Diepen’s heat) both progressed.

Femke Bol was only 16^th fastest out of the women’s 400m runners in round one but the Dutch rising star jogged over the line to win her heat in 52.77. Phil Healy of Ireland was quickest with 52.00 to win her race.

All three Brits qualified too with GB team captain Jodie Williams cruising to victory in her heat in 52.35, Jessie Knight clocking 52.17 as runner-up behind Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic in their heat, whereas Ama Pipi won her heat in 52.63.

Brits impressed in the women’s 800m heats too with Keely Hodgkinson (2:05.63) and Ellie Baker (2:06.15) winning their heats while Isabelle Boffey clocked 2:04.08 as runner-up to Elena Bello of Italy (2:03.80) in her heat.

Hodgkinson, who turned 19 this week, said: “I controlled the race, the track is fast, the pace was all right so I felt very comfortable. I really want medals so I cannot wait to get to the final.”

Many of the track events featured cut-throat qualifying but it was no easier in the field. The women’s long jump was particularly competitive with Khaddia Sagnia of Sweden leading the way with 6.78m as the Britons, Jazmin Sawyers (6.48m) and Abi Irozuru (6.44m), finished 13^th and 15^th respectively.

Watch out in the final for Malaika Mihambo, the reigning world champion from Germany who qualified with 6.58m after taking off about 30cm behind the board. Italian teenage talent Larissa Iapichino, meanwhile, the daughter of British-born two-time world champion Fiona May, qualified with the second-best mark of 6.70m.

“Coming here as No.1 in Europe this year feels really weird,” said Iapichino. “It’s strange coming into my first major championships and competing against all these jumpers I’ve watched in the past. My mother and I don’t even talk much about athletics. She just wants me to have my own experience in the sport, but she also tells me I need to have fun with it.”

Elsewhere, Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Portugal led the men’s triple jump qualifiers with 17.03m.

Another Portuguese athlete, Franciso Belo, was the best of the men’s shot putters in qualification too with 21.04m ahead of host nation favourite Michal Haratyk’s 21.02m.

Britain struck gold 22 times in the 12 years and 9 championships between 1986 and 1998 in what was a golden era for British athletics

In the third part of our feature on British European Indoor successes we cover the successful period from 1986 to 1998.

For 1966-1975, CLICK HERE

For 1976-1985, CLICK HERE

1986 Madrid, February 22-23 (GB: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

Gold: Linford Christie 200m 21.10
The previous year Christie, failed to get through his heat and even here, still with no real international form of note, he probably would have been happy with a place in the final on the tight 164m track.

He was well beaten in his heat by the favourite and two-time champion Aleksandr Yevgenyev 21.23 to 21.42 and only got through to the semi finals as a fastest loser. There he was beaten by another Soviet athlete Nicolay Razgonov (21.29 to 21.33).

In the final he was drawn in lane four and Yevgeniy swept past inside him on the final turn but the Soviet began to tighten in the straight and Christie powered past him on the outside to snatch a shock gold in 21.10 to the Russian’s 21.18.

In the summer Christie would go on to win the European 100m title but this time here was an overall electrical timing PB as his best outdoor times were a mere 10.42/21.38 at this stage of his career despite being 25 years-old.

Other medallists:
Geoff Parsons High jump bronze 2.28m (D Mogenburg 2.34m)
Yvonne Murray 3000m silver 9:01.31 (Ines Bibernell-Obst 8:54.52)

1987 Lievin, February 21-22 (GB: 2, 1, 3)

Gold: Todd Bennett 400m 46.81
Bennett regained the title he had won in 1985 but not without a few hiccups. He did not run at his best in the morning heat and his third place in 47.36 only advanced him as a fastest loser. He was more awake in his semi which he won in 47.09.

In the final he tried to control the race and went through in a far too fast 21.43 – quicker than two of the 200m finalists ran! He was overtaken by the other semi final winner Arjem Visserman, who had beaten him in his heat, along the back-straight but was able to kick past in the finishing straight as the Dutchman paid for the pace. Bennett just about held on at the line to repel Momtchil Harizanov (46.89) and a fast-finishing Paul Harmsworth (46.92).

Gold: Yvonne Murray 3000m 8:46.06
After a third in 1985 and second in 1986, the Scot naturally progressed to first. The first kilometre was a slow 3:02.43 but then Murray blasted a vicious 66-second 400m between 1200m and 1600m. She completed the kilometre in 2:51:38 and carried on at a pace quicker than world record tempo to run the last in 2:52.25 to win by 35 metres and her time moved her to fifth all-time.

Future triple champion Elly van Hulst was second (8:51.40) and the 1984 champion (and a previous double 1500m winner) Brigid Kraus was third (8:53.01).

Other medallists:
John Regis 200m bronze 20.54 (B Marie-Rose 20.36)
Paul Harmsworth 400m bronze 46.92 (Bennett)
Colin Jackson 60mH silver 7.63 (A Bryggare 7.59)
Nigel Walker 60mH bronze 7.65 (Bryggare)

1988 Budapest, March 5-6 (2, 2, 2)

Gold: Linford Christie 60m 6.57
Christie underlined his position as favourite by winning his semi final in a British record 6.55 when no one else broke 6.60. It moved him to eighth all-time in the world.

He was not quite as fast in the final, not helped by a terrible start but his mid-race acceleration was astonishing as he won by a fairly narrow margin from Ronald Desruelles, Valentin Atanasov and Sven Matthes, who all ran 6.60.

Christie later finished third in the 200m not helped by a poor lane draw.

Gold: David Sharpe 800m 1:49.17
Three Britons made the final but it was the world junior champion Sharpe who proved the strongest at the finish and he won clearly from 1987 champion Rob Druppers (1:49.45) who had been second in the 1983 World Championships.

Sharpe had only finished fourth in the AAA Championships and was fortunate to be selected.
In the final he got to the front and slowed the race down and led through 400m in a pedestrian 57.51 before Druppers took off with 300m to go and the Dutch runner was five metres clear at the bell.

The Briton closed to two metres going into the final bend and completing a 51.66 last 400m, he won going away.

Tony Morrell was fourth and Ikem Billy was sixth.

Other medallists:
Christie 200m bronze 20.83 (N Razgonov 20.62)
Brian Whittle 400m silver 45.98 (J Carlowitz 45.63)
Jon Ridgeon 60mH silver 7.57 (A Hoffer 7.56)
Wendy Sly 3000m bronze 8:51.04 (E van Hulst 8:44.50)

1989 The Hague, February 18-19 (GB: 4, 4, 1)

Gold: Ade Mafe 200m 20.92
This proved an all British battle for gold with Mafe narrowly beating John Regis (21.00) after favourite Christie was a late withdrawal from the team.

Mafe, who made the Olympic final at the age of 17, gained his biggest ever win as a senior after some lean spells due to injury, using the camber in lane five to build momentum for a strong finish to propel himself past his rivals.

Third place was Bruno Marie-Rose who had set a world record 20.37 at Lievin.

Regis, who was drawn in an unhelpful lane three here, went on to win the world title in this event a few weeks later from Mafe (20.54 to 20.87).

Gold: Steve Heard 800m 1:48.84
Again Druppers missed out on gold (this time in front of an expectant home crowd) to a British athlete even though defending champion Sharpe failed to finish having been balked and pushed on a rough first lap.

The powerful Heard, not the shape you would normally expect of an indoor specialist, beat the Dutch athlete by a metre (1:48.96) in just his second final ever indoors having lost the AAA final to Sharpe.

The first lap was a fast 52.41 despite the pushing and Druppers moved four metres clear at 600m with Heard third but the Briton gradually closed and edged by in almost his last stride in an exciting finish.

Gold: Colin Jackson 60m hurdles 7.59
Jackson won his semi final by two metres in 7.53 to miss the British record by a hundredth of a second. He wasn’t as dominant in the final as he got an average start and clipped the first hurdle but he produced a strong finish only going ahead after the last hurdle and with a spectacular dip that went below the photo finish beam. That finish gave him a surprisingly large margin of around half a metre from Holger Pohland (7.65).

Gold: Sally Gunnell 400m 52.04
The Olympic 400m hurdles silver medallist (and future multi hurdles champion) was only fourth in 1987 in an UK record 51.77, but she went three places higher with a slightly slower time as she won by three metres from the Soviet Marina Shmonina (52.36).

She dominated the first lap leading through 200m in a PB 200m of 24.12 and though slowing nearly four seconds on the second lap, always held a clear advantage.

Tatana Slaninova (formerly Kocembova) the second fastest runner in history with a 49.76 PB could only manage 54.16.

Other medallists:
Michael Rosswess 60m bronze 6.59 (A Berger 6.56)
John Regis 200m silver 21.00 (Mafe)
Brian Whittle 400m silver 46.49 (C Cornet 46.21)
Dalton Grant High jump silver 2.33m (D Mogenburg 2.33m)
Nicky Morris 3000m silver 9:12.37 (E van Hulst 9:10.01)

1990 Glasgow, March 3-4 (2, 1, 2)

Gold: Linford Christie 60m 6.56
In the first ever Championship held in Britain, Christie defended his title but not by a huge margin as he defeated Pierfrancesco Pavoni (6.59).

The Italian had actually ran the faster time in the heat and semi but Christie now a proven big-time competitor and Olympic medallist, proved the best under pressure. However, he got another poor start and only took the gold medal and maintained his European dominance with a typically strong finish to run down the Italian.

Christie almost did not compete and it was only pressure from top promoter Andy Norman that made him change his mind in a Championships that was claimed in AW to be very poorly organised.

Gold: Tom McKean 800m 1:46.22
In front of his home crowd, McKean proved a class apart from the opposition winning by exactly a second from Tomas de Teresa (1:47.22).

He looked unconvincing in the heats and constantly got boxed and in bad positions but he ran a faultless race when it mattered.

In the final he went straight to the front and led through 200m in 25.6 and 400m in 53.35 before accelerating through a 26.5 third 200m to stretch the field out and then a 26.3 final 200m to pull away and as a bonus he broke Seb Coe’s championships record from 1977.

Other medallists:
Tony Morrell 1500m bronze 3:44.83 (JP Herold 3:44.39)
Tony Jarrett 60mH silver 7.58 (I Kazanov 7.52)
Lorraine Baker 800m bronze 2:02.42 (L Gurina 2:01.63)

1992 Geneva, February 28-March 1 (GB: 2, 1, 2)

Gold: Jason Livingston 60m 6.53
Livingston had been a poor sixth and last two years earlier in 6.75 and did not convince in his heat when he got left at the start and barely qualified with a 6.72.

Looking a totally different athlete he won his semi final in 6.59 and then went even quicker in the final but needed to as Vitaliy Savin pushed him all the way with a time of 6.54 with Michael Rosswess finishing third.

Livingston, who had equalled Christie’s European record of 6.51 in the build-up to the Championships, also impressed in the early summer but failed a drugs test and was sent home in disgrace from the British team before the 1992 Olympics had begun.

Gold: Matt Yates 1500m 3:42.32
The Briton had looked good in winning his heat when a last 200m of 26.1 gave him a 3:42.10 indoor PB.
After watching the 3000m and in viewing of the tactics used by Italian runners there to intimidate other competitors he decided to go earlier than planned.

After a very slow first 400m of 64.92, his next two laps were 30.61 and 29.72 and then after passing 800m in 2:05.25, he blasted the next 400m in a vicious 54.76 to pull well clear of the field. His last 300m of 42.31 was not as convincing as the pack closed but he held on to win by a metre from Soviet Sergey Melnikov (3:42,.44) and Branko Zorko (3:42.85) who won the newly affiliated Croatia’s first ever medal.

This was Britain’s first win at the distance since John Whetton’s in 1968.

Other medallists:
Michael Rosswess 60m bronze 6.62 (Livingston)
David Grindley 400m bronze 46.60 (S Brankovic 46.33)
John Mayock 3000m silver 7:48.47 (G Di Napoli 7:47.24)

1994 Paris March 11-13 (5, 0, 2)

Gold: Colin Jackson 60m 6.49
He may have been the world record-holder and world champion at 110m hurdles but he showed he could sprint as well in one of his brief forays into non hurdling action.

Jackson ran the fastest heat time of 6.57 and then equalled his PB of 6.55 in the semi finals and then went faster again in the final which he won in a championships record as he kept the title in British hands.

Despite the speed it was not that clear a victory though as despite Jackson’s bullet start, Greece’s Alexandros Terzian (6.51) was only 0.02 behind with Michael Rosswess third again in 6.54.

It would have been a European record had Christie, absent here, not run 6.48 10 days earlier.

Gold: Colin Jackson 60m hurdles 7.41
Looking unbeatable after his 60m flat win, he won his heat in 7.48 to equal the championships record and then went even faster in his semi, blazing to a 7.39 three metre victory with 7.58 the next best time in the three semis.

The six hour wait for the final did not help the Briton though but he still won by two metres in what would have been a championship record earlier in the day from George Boroi’s 7.57.

Gold: Du’aine Ladejo 400m 46.53
Ladejo looked sharp when he won the semi final in 46.26 but the final was a much closer affair.
He passed 200m in 21.47 and then held on to win by about a foot as as Mikhail Vdovin (46.56) pushed him all the way. Fellow Briton Jamie Baulch failed to finish after being balked and top-ranked Mark Richardson exited in the semis.

Gold: David Strang 1500m 3:44.57
The American-based Scot with the big kick, kept the title in Great Britain but only by a small margin as Zorko (3:44..64) and Abdelkader Chekhemani (3:44.65) fell victim to his powerful last 50 metres and 26.5 last lap.

Gold: Dalton Grant High Jump 2.37m
This was a good quality competition with five over 2.31m and it proved to be the best win of his career for an athlete with a big-time temperament who did not always get the results he deserves.

Grant was the only athlete able to clear 2.37m as an inspired home athlete Jean-Charles Gicquel (2.35m) and Wolf Hendrik Beyer (2.33m) won the other medals as the better-known Stefan Holm could only finish fourth.

The Briton failed his first two attempts at 2.31m and then had to clear 2.33m with the next attempt just to win a medal but when Gicquel cleared 2.35m, a height Grant failed at his first attempt, he needed a final clearance at 2.37m to win the gold.

Other medallists:
Michael Rosswess 60m bronze 6.54 (Jackson)
Rod Finch 3000m bronze 7:53.99 (K Bauermeister 7:52.34)

1996 Stockholm, March 8-10 (GB: 1, 3, 0)

Gold: Du’aine Ladejo 400m 46.12
Ladejo defended his title with far more style than he did in 1994 and he was a very clear winner from Pierre-Marie Hilaire (46.82). Since his first title, the confident Briton who celebrated his 50th birthday a few weeks ago, had won the European outdoor title.

In 1998 he finished a remarkable seventh in the Commonwealth Games decathlon with 7633 points and he ran exactly the same time in the Decathlon 400m as he did in Stockholm!

Other medallists:
Jason John 60m silver 6.64 (M Blume 6.62)
Anthony Whiteman 1500m silver 3:44.78 (M Canellas 3:44.50)
Francis Agyepong Triple jump silver 16.93m (M Bruziks 16.97m)

1998 Valencia, February 27-March 1 (GB: 3, 1, 2)

Gold: John Mayock 3000m 7:55.09
This was the Briton’s finest ever moment as he took on three top quality Spaniards who had fervent home supporters and won.

The home nation though pushed him hard (literally) as in a very rough race, European record-holder Manuel Pancorbo (7:55.23), Alberto Garcia (7:55.24) and Isaac Viciosa (7:55.45) all finished within a few metres.

While Mayock was only propelled into the lead on the last lap due to a push, it was the Spanish who protested about the Briton with the runner-up claiming. “If Mayock had chisels on his elbows, my chest would have been full of holes.”

Gold: Jonathan Edwards Triple jump 17.43m
The 1995 world outdoor champion and world record-holder contested this Championships for the only time here after a disappointing 1997 outdoor season and he won easily from Charles Friedek (17.15m). The Briton sealed victory with his opening jump but also had a back up jump of 17.40m in the final round way in excess of his rivals.
The German though would go on to win both the world indoor and outdoor title in 1999.

Gold: Ashia Hansen Triple jump 15.16m (world indoor record)
The Briton headed qualifying with 14.48m but she was much better in they final as she bounded out to a top class 15-metre jump to win by a huge 40 centimetres from world champion Sarka Kasparkova.

She started with a 14.48m but later in the round Kasparkova jumped 14.64m to take the lead.
The Czech athlete improved to 14.67m in the second round though Hansen closed the leading margin with a 14.56m. The Briton though edged ahead in the third round with a 14.69m though Kasparkova response of 14.63m just fell short.

In the fourth round it was now the Czech athlete to jump first and she put the pressure on with a fine 14.76m. The Briton’s response though was magnificent adding 13 centimetres to Yolanda Chen’s world record and it killed the competition with no one jumping further than 14.43m in the last two rounds.

READ MORE: Ashia Hansen’s world record remembered

Other medallists:
Jason Gardener 60m silver 6.59 (A Pavlakakis 6.55)
Allyn Condon 200m bronze 20.68 (S Osovich 20.40)
Diane Allahgreen 60mH bronze 8.02 (P Girard 7.89)

There was no wrongdoing by the France squad before a coronavirus outbreak caused the postponement of their Six Nations match against Scotland, says French federation boss Bernard Laporte.

"When they go out with a mask on, to me, there was no wrongdoing, but from now on, it's forbidden," Laporte said.

"Now you can't leave the hotel."

Six Nations organisers have not yet announced when Les Bleus' game against Scotland will be played, but Galthie's side will play England at Twickenham on 13 March.

Galthie provided the squad's first positive test after the 15-13 victory over Ireland in Dublin on 14 February.

Eleven players, including captain Charles Ollivon, have since been diagnosed with Covid-19.

Galthie left the training camp to attend his son's rugby game in Paris on 7 February - the day after the Italy game.

An internal investigation by the France Rugby Federation found that no rules had been broken but Laporte said protocols would become stricter after meeting with French Education, Youth and Sports Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer.

France - who are second in the Six Nations table after winning both their opening games - will gather at their training facility on Sunday before travelling to London.

Jeff Carter doesn't need to sugar coat it. The last two seasons were hard on the Los Angeles Kings, especially around the trade deadline. A team that won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 suddenly found itself in rebuild mode, and began moving players who were critical to those championships.

"I mean it sucks, to be completely honest with you," Carter said. "Those are guys we had won with, have great relationships with still to this day. It's not easy to see guys move. It's definitely not easy for a team that has won before, seeing the direction that it's going."

GM Rob Blake knew it was taking a toll on the roster. But it was an essential part of the plan.

"[The players] are not expected to understand two or three years out. They want to play, and they want to win the next game," Blake said. "When you remove a [Tyler] Toffoli, a [Alec] Martinez, a [Jake] Muzzin, these are real good players who helped them win Stanley Cups. When they're moved out of the dressing room to help another team, our guys need to understand what is going on. And a lot of times they don't want to accept it right away, and don't see it, but that's what they're supposed to do. They're supposed to want to win every night."

The carnage, it seems, is over. After two taxing seasons -- between 2018-19 and 2019-20, the Kings posted a .444 points percentage, trailing only the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators for worst in the league -- the dust has settled. Los Angeles has amassed the league's best prospect pool, according to Chris Peters' preseason rankings, And many of those young players have stepped into big roles. Elite Prospects lists the Kings as having the league's third-youngest roster this season. What's more, the Kings' championship core (which is down to Carter, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick) is all playing at a high level.

All of this leads to Blake singing a different tune heading into next month's trade deadline.

"I think we're in a spot where we want to try to improve our team the best we can in any situation," Blake said. "And maybe not the look that we've had in the past -- where we were improving, but we were improving five years down the road, which wasn't much improvement to the players in the room. So I'm hoping we're competitive here for the next month and a half, stay in [the playoff hung], and have a look at improving the team for the players. They will put themselves in that position."

So it begs two questions: Have the Kings turned the corner? And could they be a playoff team as soon as this season?

---

Twenty one games into the season, the Kings have 22 points, which is just seven points back from the West Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights, and just three points shy of the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, who hold the third and fourth place spots.

"It's pretty wild, actually," Carter said. "The start of the year, you looked at our division, you figured Colorado, Vegas, St. Louis were shoo-ins and there was one spot left open. But there's a group of teams that have pushed a little bit, so I feel like it's going to be tight the whole way through."

The integration of the young and old has been the story of the Kings' season:

• As impressive as it is that 21-year-old Gabe Vilardi has put up six goals through his first 21 games in his first campaign as a regular NHL center, 36-year-old Dustin Brown has 11 goals, which is tied for the division lead

• In net, Quick is splitting starts with 26-year-old Cal Peterson, who has a .928 save percentage

• Drew Doughty is having a renaissance, but his defensive partner is 21-year-old Mikey Anderson, who is keeping up logging big (though not nearly as big) minutes

• Teenager Tobias Bjornfot has also turned heads, on a steady second pairing with Matt Roy (with a 54% expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick)

Blake also singled out 21-year-old center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who began on the taxi squad, got an opportunity, then put up three goals in his first six games.

"Anderson-Dolan, Vilardi, Anderson, they're all 2017 draft picks," Blake said. "That's four years ago. That's what it really takes before you can really establish yourself in the NHL. For us, that's the blueprint. A lot of the draft picks and players we've acquired over the years have taken place since 2017. It takes time for these kids to mature, play in the American league and get in that experience. And then when they do step in, they're ready to help you win."

It also helps that those players are really good.

"Believe me, older players are the first to realize if a guy can play in the NHL or not," Blake said. "There are times we are going to try players, and they're not NHL players, and they're going to get a game or two because we're not deep enough yet. But when you actually bring in legitimate young players, the veterans are the first to see it. They know he's a real good player at 20, 21. And that gives them that extra excitement."

As for the newcomers? They want to uphold the tradition.

"They're all obviously accomplished veterans in the league, but they still want to win," Vilardi said. "So yeah, there is added pressure on the young guys to help them out."

Since the Kings were one of seven teams not to play in the 2020 postseason bubble, they went nine months without games. Blake believes that helped the veterans -- both "giving them time to reflect" and renewing the competitive spark, but also giving them time to heal. Carter, for example, had core muscle surgery in June.

"That time off definitely didn't hurt us," Carter said. "The whole group of us, as older guys, were able to take our time working back from things, rest up, and rest the mind a little bit."

Carter says he's also been re-invigorated by taking on a mentorship role. His linemate is Vilardi, who grew up a Flyers fan, and cited Daniel Briere and Carter as his favorite players as a kid.

"It's a respect thing," Vilardi said. "He's done so much in his career, I respect the s--- out of him. He's still super fast, he makes a lot of little plays out there that most people don't see. But he also does such a good job communicating, and if he says something to me, I'm listening."

Kopitar, the captain, is once again a Selke contender. ("Every night, every every night," Carter says. "It's pretty amazing to watch, especially for a guy of his size. Literally every night you know what you're getting with Kopi, controlling the game, he's always on.")

But perhaps the biggest glow up has been with Doughty. After a mediocre 2019-20 -- especially by his standards -- Doughty is starting to look like himself again.

"You know, Drew is the biggest competitor I've ever played with," Carter said. "He hates losing, and I think it wears on people differently. He really took that to heart the last couple years. He made a big effort this summer to use the extra time wisely. If you ask him, he has a lot of people who doubt his game now. And he's proving a lot of people wrong now."

Which leads to Doughty himself. When asked this week if the Kings could be a playoff team, the 31-year-old responded with his usual candor.

"I wouldn't say we're 100% going to make it or anything like that, we've got a lot of work to do. But I definitely could see us hopefully getting in the third or fourth slot there, that's our goal," Doughty said. "And if anyone doesn't think that we can potentially make the playoffs, what's the point of coming here every day? That's what we're playing for.

"Yeah, we need to rebuild and get the team better and stuff like that. But if you're not playing to win every game, and trying to make the playoffs, I don't know what the hell the point of coming to the rink is."

The Montreal Canadiens started the 2021 season with a 7-1-2 record. Their big-ticket offseason acquisitions meshed well with a returning core of talents. It appeared that coach Claude Julien had a North Division juggernaut on his hands.

Three weeks later, Julien was handed his pink slip.

In the pressure cooker of a 56-game sprint to the playoffs, the fortunes of teams shift dramatically. The Calgary Flames had won five of their last seven games on Feb. 11. Three weeks later, head coach Geoff Ward was fired from a .500 team, replaced with Darryl Sutter.

These are the only two head coaches fired this season thus far. One wonders how many others there would be if not for the COVID-19-related factors including travel restrictions at the border and the economic catastrophe teams are facing after a year without ticket revenue.

Just because they haven't been dismissed doesn't mean many NHL coaches aren't squirming as their seats get hotter. Here's a temperature check for all 31 teams, from the coaches sitting on mounds of snow to the ones who might want to consider wearing a hazmat suit. This is informed speculation after conversing with sources. Shout out to the indispensable Cap Friendly for some of the contract info.

Manchester City face Manchester United in the 185th Manchester derby on Sunday in a game that, less than two months ago, was shaping up to be a potential Premier League title decider.

United climbed to the top of the table with a 1-0 win at Burnley on Jan. 12, moving seven points clear of City (who had two games in hand) to raise hopes of a first title at Old Trafford since 2013. But when United travel to the Etihad on Sunday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team will find themselves 14 points behind Pep Guardiola's men following a 21-point swing in just seven weeks.

Heading into the weekend, City and United are the top two -- Leicester can climb into second with a win at Brighton on Saturday -- so how close are the two teams in terms of quality?

ESPN tests the strength of the squads by selecting a combined XI from the two teams.

GK: Ederson

There is no contest when it comes to deciding Manchester's best goalkeeper. City No. 1 Ederson beats United's David De Gea and Dean Henderson hands down in terms of his reliability and importance. The Brazilian is winning the race for the Golden Glove having amassed 15 clean sheets so far this season -- De Gea has 9 from 24 games / Henderson has 1 from 4 -- and his distribution has also led to goals for City this season.

De Gea has made a series of costly mistakes this season, but Ederson has been flawless.

DF: Joao Cancelo

The Portuguese defender struggled to make an impact in his debut campaign at City last season following his arrival from Juventus, but he has been a key figure for Pep Guardiola in year two. Cancelo has been played in both full-back positions, but his performances at right-back have improved City defensively and moved him ahead of Kyle Walker in the pecking order.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka's tenacity and tackling make him a regular at United, but his distribution is poor and means he can't compete with either Cancelo or Walker.

DF: John Stones

Having seen his career hit the doldrums over the past two seasons, Stones looked likely to be heading for the exit door at the Etihad. But an early season injury to Aymeric Laporte opened the door for the England man to return to the team and he has since built a formidable partnership with summer signing Ruben Dias.

City have posted 12 clean sheets in 16 games when Stones has played this season and his ability on the ball places him ahead of all of United's centre-half options.

DF: Ruben Dias

City spent last season struggling to overcome the loss of former captain Vincent Kompany, who left to take a coaching role at Anderlecht, but Dias has ended the search for a successor to the Belgian defender.

The Portugal international has been a rock at the heart of City's defence and, at £64.3m, was cheaper than Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and United's Harry Maguire. Guardiola's first-choice centre-half since the day he arrived, Dias gives City the composure and reliability that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still searching for among his central defenders at United.

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DF: Luke Shaw

It has taken almost seven years, since his £28m arrival from Southampton as the world's most expensive teenager in 2014, but Luke Shaw has finally found his best form in a United shirt this season. The 25-year-old has vastly improved his fitness over the past 18 months and it is now enabling him to give United quality, both defensively and in attacking positions down the left flank.

Shaw's renaissance makes him Manchester's best left-back this season, placing him ahead of City's Oleksandr Zinchenko and Benjamin Mendy.

MF: Rodri

The battle for the defensive midfield spots is a close one, with Scott McTominay's energy and goals and Nemanja Matic's calming experience giving United an extra level of solidity this season. But neither can match City midfielder Rodri when it comes to consistency, with the Spaniard missing just two of City's 27 Premier League games so far this season.

Rodri is happy to provide a defensive shield in front of the back four and give licence for City's attacking players to focus purely on breaking forward.

MF: Ilkay Gundogan

The German midfielder has been a revelation for City this season, scoring 11 goals in 21 appearances and helping drive their surge up the table to the top spot. Although he has been used in an advanced role by Guardiola during Kevin De Bruyne's recent injury layoff, Gundogan is most comfortable in a deep-lying midfield position.

His versatility is crucial for Guardiola, and Gundogan has really stepped up when City needed a match-winning contribution during their 21-game winning streak.

MF: Kevin De Bruyne

Injury has restricted De Bruyne to 21 Premier League appearances so far this season, but he has still scored three goals and registered 11 assists. When fit, the Belgian is the outstanding midfielder in the league and remains a model of consistency for Guardiola's team.

De Bruyne would be one of the first picks in a Premier League All-Star XI, so he certainly makes this all-Manchester team.

MF: Bruno Fernandes

The United midfielder is in his poorest patch of form since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020, but nonetheless, he has still scored 15 goals and registered 10 assists this season. Fernandes has been a game-changing signing for United and you only have to look at the stats to realise where the team would be without him.

Despite the abundance of quality that City have in their squad, Fernandes still walks into an all-Manchester team because he is one of the few United players that could make City better.

FW: Phil Foden

The 20-year-old has long been billed as the next big thing in English football and he is now justifying the hype at City. Foden scores goals, makes them, and also possesses an incredible burst of pace to take him past defenders, as showcased during last month's 4-1 win at Liverpool.

Born in Stockport, just outside of Manchester, Foden is the lone homegrown player to make this combined City-United XI.

FW: Raheem Sterling

Marcus Rashford has scored nine league goals and delivered six assists this season, but his inconsistency means he misses out on a place in this team to Raheem Sterling. Sterling has scored nine goals and created one fewer assist than Rashford, but the former Liverpool forward is comfortable in any position in the attacking third of the pitch and has a proven track record of delivering when it matters most.

Rashford is still developing and is not as close to being the finished article as Sterling, but the United forward needs to add a ruthless streak to become the top-class goal scorer many believe he can be.

Welcome to day two of our live report of the fourth India-England Test from Ahmedabad. Join us for updates, analysis and colour. You can find our traditional ball-by-ball commentary here

*Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local

India 294 for 7 (Pant 101, Sundar 60*, Anderson 3-40) lead England 205 by 89 runs

A day of two halves in Ahmedabad saw India seize control of the fourth Test, as an innings of two halves from Rishabh Pant cut England down to size. Pant's maiden hundred on home soil was a masterpiece of adapting his game to the demands of conditions and match situation, and by the time he had flamed out, English hopes of hanging in the game had largely gone up in smoke.

Seeking the sort of first-innings runs that would define the contest, India had stuttered and stumbled to 146 for 6 during the afternoon session, as England succeeded in their attempts to control the run rate while making regular incisions. Ben Stokes, who hurled himself through 20 overs in the day for the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and James Anderson set the tone from the outset as Joe Root shuffled his hand adroitly in defence of his side's mediocre efforts with the bat.

But the struggles of Dom Bess left England's four-man attack stretched, as a century stand between Pant and Washington Sundar wrested back control. Initially, runs came in circumspect fashion as India sought to rebuild, and had Bess been granted an lbw decision when Pant had 35 - Nitin Menon's call was upheld by the narrowest of margins on DRS - things could have taken a wholly different course. As it was, Pant took the game into his own hands.

A watchful half-century from 82 balls provided the kindling for Pant to ignite against a toiling opposition late in the day. Sparks flew and runs flowed, England's plans to bowl dry blown clean out of the water on a parched late Gujarati afternoon, as Pant raced on to his hundred in the space of another 33 deliveries. He fell moments later, but Sundar carried on the good work to the close to leave India in sight of 300 and a potentially decisive lead.

4.55pm: Bess' drought continues

It's not been Dom Bess' day, and he still can't buy a wicket for love nor money. He thought he had trapped Sundar lbw, but Ultra-Edge revealed a thick spike on review and the on-field decision was overturned. His struggles will doubtless be a talking point overnight after a difficult return to the side. 141 runs and just one wicket in the final session, and that chink of light for England has quickly turned back into darkness.

4.35pm: Washington marches on

He was slipstreaming Pant for much of the afternoon, but this has been a fine knock from Washington Sundar, too. Anyone who took notice of his Test debut in Australia earlier this year would know he can bat; but his second Test fifty, reached via a brace of back-foot off-side carves that have been a feature of his innings, has further bolstered India's position in this Test. Stokes is back as Root shuffles his options but England look to be running on empty.

4.21pm: Anderson strikes back

And like a typhoon sweeping through, almost as soon as the winds have whipped up then they are gone! Anderson scrags the young punk, though it was more a case of living and dying by the sword: Pant swung hard but picked out midwicket on the pull, Root holding on to a stinger to end a 113-run stand. But Pant takes the ovation as he walks off, he has forged a position of some strength for his side.

4.15pm: Pant soars!

Goes to his hundred with a slog-swept six! A touch of the Sehwags, a hint of the Gilchristian, but you suspect Rishabh Pant is a complete one-off. Having anchored the innings for an 82-ball half-century, he's only needed another 33 to get his century. Incendiary batting and it has turned the heat up on England, to the delight of a vocal crowd at Motera.

4.05pm: New ball, same Pant

England take the second new ball, the venerable James Anderson trooping to the top of his mark. Anderson smiles about as often as Morissey in at a meat market, and standing in the mid-afternoon heat, you can imagine he's had his fill of hard yakka. But the hard, new sphere in his hands could unlock the game for England again, so in he runs, lands the ball on a 'kerchief outside off... and here comes Rishabh Pant, destroyer of worlds, slapping his first delivery on the up through mid-off. Next ball, he's crouching and flat-batting a cut for four more. Anderson has only conceded 19 runs from his previous 102 balls, now Pant is tucking in. A zippy bouncer sits him back, but the momentum has shifted in this innings.

Next over he whips Stokes to the right of midwicket, before Washington Sundar throws the bat for a couple more boundaries. Then comes the coup de grace, a reverse-scooped four over the cordon to bring up the hundred stand for India's seventh wicket! The impudence of youth, and Anderson actually allows himself a wry semi-smile now. What can you do?

3.42pm: India in front

Speaking of England beginning to flag, Pant senses the moment and decides to buckle his swash against Stokes, before the arrival of the new nut. First he slashes a fat top edge over the cordon, then wallops a pull in front of deep midwicket, to draw the scores level. A couple more poked through the covers takes India into a first-innings lead, and Stokes looks spent, losing the ball in his delivery stride, then delivering a beamer to Sundar. Wheels ever-so-slightly coming off.

3.35pm: Stretched

England have turned back to Ben Stokes, with the new ball five overs away. The longer this partnership stretches on, the more it puts into focus the struggles of Dom Bess, as well as the decision to go in with only two other frontline bowlers. James Anderson will be readying himself for another burst, and given Stokes' mentality, he could just bowl on through. But with India approaching a lead, and still four wickets standing, for the first time today the tourists are looking a bit flat.

3.15pm: Pant salute

Skips out and nudges through mid-on, that's a half-century for Rishabh Pant - from 82 balls, his second-slowest in Tests (after a certain knock at the Gabba). The Ahmedabad crowd get their gratification, after Rohit missed out on his landmark earlier in the day, as India continue to steadily erode the deficit through this seventh-wicket pair.

3pm: Narrowing the gap

England go back to Jack Leach in search of control after Bess' four-over spell costs 19. In a low-scoring game, it can take just a partnership or two to tip the scales one way or another - Pant and Sundar have now added more than 30 together, bringing first-innings parity within sight for India.

2.45pm: Pant's on fire (or going nicely, at least)

This could be a pivotal hour or so, with India aiming to whittle down that lead with wickets in hand. They won't mind seeing Dom Bess resume his spell after tea, even more so when he starts with a full toss that Washington Sundar carts through midwicket for four. He's then slapped hard for four more by Rishabh Pant after dropping short, as ten runs come off the over. Pant might have been a tad lucky to survive a tight lbw before the break, but you can be sure he'll be keen to cash in.

Meanwhile, here's the tea discussion from our experts on Match Day.

2.15pm: Tea

India 153 for 6 (Pant 36*, Sundar 1*) trail England 205 by 52 runs
England chipped out two more wickets during the afternoon session, including the key scalp of Rohit Sharma, as they kept alive hopes of parlaying an unexpected first-innings lead in Ahmedabad. With Rishabh Pant reining himself him to score an unbeaten 36 from 62, India went to tea precariously poised six down.

Rohit and Pant had eased along to a 41-run stand after lunch when Ben Stokes struck as the drinks break approached. Rohit fell one run short of his third 50-plus score of the series, lbw to a nip-backer that went with umpire's call on DRS. Jack Leach then had R Ashwin caught at short midwicket, and England's afternoon could have been even better if Nitin Menon had raised his finger to a Dom Bess appeal against Pant that was deemed to be clipping the bails in the last over before the interval.

2.05pm: Stoking the flames

He has now been given a breather, but Stokes has really pulled a shift as England's second seamer in this match. This is the most number of overs he has bowled in an innings since the 2020 New Year's Test in Cape Town - when he helped batter down the door on the final evening at Newlands. He had only delivered 15 overs in the series to this point, but has sent down 17 over the course of days one and two in Ahmedabad, claiming the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma while going at less than two an over. Whether it's Chattogram, Colombo or Headingley, he does like to get his hands dirty with the ball.

1.55pm: Another one gone

Ashwin survived a peppering from Stokes, but he isn't able to hang around for long as England bag their sixth wicket. Jack Leach gets his second of the day, well held at short midwicket as Ashwin attempted to work to leg. Still a bit of batting to come in the shape of Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, but a lot on Pant's shoulders now, as India seek to better England's 205.

1.45pm: Ding! Ding!

1.35pm: Ashwin survives

Having sung his praises, umpire Menon has now got one wrong, R Ashwin successfully reviewing after a Stokes bumper flicked his shoulder on the way through. The next ball was edged through the cordon for four. Getting lively out there!

1.08pm: Hitman shot down!

Fifty up for Rohit Sharma, from 144 balls. Third time he's done so in the series - and each one in the first innings of low-scoring Tests Stokes has done it again, ripping out the big wicket of Rohit! I won't pretend I hadn't been writing about how he was the man keeping England at bay, "mixing stalwart defence with only the occasional flourish"; but after a double change in the bowling, Root and Stokes replacing Bess (8-0-30-0) and Anderson, Rohit got stuck on 49 and then pinned at the end of the over, a marginal call as Stokes brought one back in, umpire's call on line and impact... but Nitin Menon raised his shooter skyward, and India are five down, still 84 runs adrift.

12.40pm: Making the Bess of it

Time to hear from our England correspondent, George Dobell, on how the tourists might approach the afternoon session, and in particular the question of managing Dom Bess...

England have a balancing act here, with control the priority for their four-man attack (five if you include Joe Root). Which brings us to Bess. How should Root be using him today?
He had a major decision to make at lunch. He could either persist with two of the three bowlers who did so well in the morning and risk bowling them into the ground, he could bring himself on or he could give Bess a chance to get into the game. I think he's made the right decision in bowling Bess. That's because, if he doesn't bowl him now, he risks damaging his confidence even further. And you would think he is going to have to bowl a fair bit later in the match. Basically, having picked him, they have to make it work. And the best way to make it work is for him to settle into the game with a spell now. He has a left-hander to target and some help from the surface. It has to be now.

We've already seen stray full tosses and signs that India will look to attack him. Are England going to just have to suck that up for a bit?
Well, it's come to something when you have to ask that about a Test bowler. And a Test offspinner at that. It does remind me a bit of the Ian Salisbury situation. But I'm not sure Bess has the potential upside of a leggie like Salisbury. Really, you need your offspinner to provide control. Not be a risk. As to how India play him... do they need to attack him? If he bowls a four-ball every over, they just need to bat in as risk-free a way as they can and they will pick up runs without drama. I'd think that was the way to go. Looking further ahead... the next few days define Bess' immediate future as a Test player. Right now, it feels as if he has quite a lot to do to prove himself at this level. But he's probably going to be bowling in the fourth innings yet and could still bowl England to a memorable victory. So yes, a lot to unfold in the next couple of days.

It's simply the Bess situation England find themselves in (honk!) - but at least the control and consistency, from Anderson and Stokes in particular, have given Root some breathing room
Yes, they've bowled England back into the match. And this is not Bess' fault: he's been massively over-promoted to fill the chasm that exists in English cricket where a bunch of spinners should be. Just consider this one stat: Bess averages 47 - yes, 47 - in the Second XI Championship. He's pretty much never been first choice for his county and he is being asked to learn his trade in a huge series against the best team in the world. So yes, he's really struggling. But an awful lot has been asked of him. Too much, in my view.

12.15pm: We go again

Hold on to your titfers, Rishabh Pant is out in the middle. England have resumed with Dom Bess and Anderson bowling in tandem, looking to maintain the squeeze they applied in the field this morning. Though between the habitual, seat-of-the-Pant(s) approach of India's No. 6, and Bess' proclivity for drag downs and full tosses, austerity may be hard to maintain.

11.30am: Lunch

India 80 for 4 (Rohit 32*) trail England 205 by 125 runs
Three wickets fell during an attritional morning session as India sought the kind of first-innings runs that would define the contest in this fourth Test. Successes for Jack Leach, Ben Stokes and James Anderson - who removed Ajinkya Rahane with the last ball before lunch - buoyed England as they battled to stay in the game.

For the third Test in a row, Rohit Sharma led the way with the bat for the home side, taking a more circumspect approach to be unbeaten on 32 from 106 balls. Virat Kohli made his second duck of the series, bounced out by Stokes, and England could take heart from the way they controlled the run rate - only 56 runs came in 25.5 overs - and then produced vital incisions as the session wore on.

After a tight opening from Anderson and Stokes, Leach separated India's second-wicket pair, sliding a straight delivery into Cheteshwar Pujara's pad fractionally before his bat came through to defend. Kohli was then surprised by a Stokes effort ball to feather an edge, and although Rahane counterattacked effectively, he steered to second slip with the interval looming.

11.20am: Rohit the key man (again)

An intriguing battle is taking shape, with Rohit Sharma tempering his game and Ajinkya Rahane looking to break England's hold with some calculated aggression. Here's Karthik Krishnaswamy on the challenge for batting so far this morning:

"I think this pitch is a bit two-paced, so Rohit has not been able to drive through the line so easily. Before this innings, he had a strike rate of 80-something against the fast bowlers in this series. Here he's not been able to play that sort of game. Even the bouncer that hit his head stopped on him, and he was early on the hook. Even that last ball from Leach that Rahane tried to drive.

"The question is how long England can keep Bess out of the attack. And what happens when he comes on. It feels like India might try to go after him, and that could go both ways."

Sure enough, Dom Bess' introduction sees Rohit bring out the slog-sweep - although he doesn't quite get it all the way, landing between two fielders on the leg-side boundary.

"So far this game has been a little like Bangalore 2017. India got bowled out cheaply on day one, with Nathan Lyon taking an 8-fer, then came back with a bowling performance that was similar to how England have bowled so far."

11am: Kohli catches cold

It's now 12 innings and almost 18 months since Kohli's last Test hundred - in fact, it's currently a long wait across all formats - and the India captain may not get another chance in this series. As my stats-corps colleague Gaurav Sundararaman points out, this is only the second time Kohl has made two ducks in a series - and we all know how difficult the 2014 tour of England was for him. Our Mute Me panel discussed his current output before the Test, with Dustin Silgardo almost getting through his 60 seconds intact (and after Nitin Menon's contribution this morning, props also to Gaurav for mentioning the standard of on-field umpiring).

By the way, I may have been muted, but my pre-series prediction is looking pretty safe now, eh?

10.40am: The sound of silence...

Now Stokes has bounced out Kohli for his second duck of the series! Up goes Virender Sharma's finger, and although Kohli glares suspiciously at the pitch, he doesn't linger long over thoughts of a review... Huge moment. After their tight start, England have gone bang-bang. Are you watching Australia?!

10.25am: Leach makes one stick!

England get their reward just before the hour mark. Having shackled the scoring, Jack Leach then dispatched Pujara for the fourth time in the series - courtesy of an eagle-eyed bit of umpiring from Nitin Menon. Just 16 runs had come in 12 overs of watchful batting, and Leach then settled nicely into a groove: the wicket-taking ball was flighted enough to draw Pujara forward and then skipped on to hit pad fractionally ahead of defensive bat prod. Pujara immediately reviewed but DRS couldn't save him from what Menon already knew. Sadly for Che Pu, the crowd won't mind, because his wicket brings VIrat Kohli to the crease.

10.20am: Steady start

Jack Leach into the attack for the first time today, from the Reliance End, and he's found some turn and a nice line to the two right-handers - both of whom he's had success against this series. Pujara got away with a genuine edge from the final ball of the over, the ball flicking the tips of Ben Foakes' gloves on its way through and diverting down, just short of Stokes at slip.

There's been a change of ends for Stokes, too, after Anderson delivered a searching spell of 5-3-3-0. Rohit, in contrast to his approach this series, has buckled down with the intention of seeing out the newish-ball threat, currently 19 off 74 balls.

9.55am: Motera running

Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara, India's second-wicket pair, have made a wary start so far, with just four runs coming from the opening five overs - although Stokes then serves up back-to-back full tosses to Rohit, who slugs the second of them for a boundary. There's been good pace and carry for the seamers, but nothing untoward from the surface.

Anyway, while we get settled in, why not have a gander at what George Dobell thoughts on England's first-innings batting effort:

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the pitches in the previous couple of Tests - really, let's not get bogged down with that here - there could be no reasonable complaints about this surface. Indeed, offering something to bowlers of all types and a fair opportunity to score for batsmen, you might well argue it has been an excellent pitch to this point. And if a team wins the toss on such a surface, they surely need to be compiling a first-innings total in excess of 300 and batting into the second day.

9.35am: Let's get it on

England start up with James Anderson, beginning a new spell from the Adani Pavilion End, and Ben Stokes. Anderson has conceded his first runs, but also rapped Rohit Sharma on the pads a couple of times. Time to find out which side of bed this Motera deck has woken up on...

9.15am: Morning call

Hello and welcome back to the action. India did a sterling job with the ball on day one - even if England's rummage down the back of the sofa did bring them 200 for the first time in a while - and can take purposeful strides towards the WTC final with a solid showing from their batsmen. The tourists are in need of a cascade of wickets, but probably won't get quite so much help from the pitch. Either way, let's hope it's a good, honest scrap between professionals who care about the sport they love. Shall we?