Day 1...

The first of four days for me at the Oval for the final test match between England and India. Sadly, the pattern of recent years repeated itself with the weather taking out large chunks of the day - where has this rain come from all of a sudden?

As I continue to struggle with the effects of long covid I cut short my stay and left at 4.00pm with the rain still falling, but I was home in time to watch the resumption of play on Sky.

A rather mixed performance from England in what should have been ideal bowling conditions, with India reaching 204 for six at the close. Surrey's Gus Atkinson, shown in the photo, was playing his first match since injuring a hamstring in May, yet he was the pick of the bowlers, claiming two wickets and effecting an excellent run out to remove Indian captain Shubman Gill.

Worryingly for England, our other most effective bowler, Chris Woakes, looks set to miss the rest of the match after dislocating a shoulder whilst diving to save a boundary.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow, when the weather is due to be slightly better