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M Vijay has an idiosyncratic rhythm to his batting. The closest parallel is Misbah-ul-Haq. They both block, block, block, leave, leave, leave with intense concentration, then suddenly, for no rhyme or reason apparent to outsiders, loft a spinner to find release. This was evident in how Vijay hit four sixes during his hundred in Rajkot, even though his strike rate was under 42. Only two India openers have hit more sixes than M Vijays 28: Virender Sehwag and Navjot Sidhu. Twenty-seven of Vijays 28 sixes have been hit off spinners, and mostly to find himself release after intense concentration doing a rare job in Test cricket today, that of a defensive batsman.Vijays 27th six, though, was not as out of the blue as most of his other hits over the fence. You could sense there was a plan to what Vijay was doing. This was part of a fascinating spell of play in the Mumbai Test. This was finally a pitch that turned early, and turned fast, a pitch where the odd one with a batsmans name on it was sure to arrive. England recognised that. They were certainly not coy about introducing spin: Moeen Ali came on in the eighth over, Adil Rashid in the ninth. They had 400 on the board, and were now going to test India.The way KL Rahul and Vijay started against spin, you knew they were going to take early risks to unsettle them. This was the first Test of the series that England were playing with just two spinners. India knew if they could hit even one of them out of his rhythm or out of the attack they would make big strides towards cancelling the disadvantage of losing the toss on this pitch. Vijay charged out at the second ball he faced from Moeen, Rahul went over mid-off to welcome Rashid. Surely these runs shouldnt rattle you when you have 400 in the bank?They didnt. England and their spinners stuck to their guns. This was a strategy fraught with risk, but India didnt mind it. Even if it meant Rahul was bowled through the gate when driving Moeen against the turn. It didnt stop Vijay from taking uncharacteristic risks against spin.Two balls after Rahul had been bowled, Vijay tried to hit Rashid over mid-off. The ball was full, but there was a puff of dust, and the miscue barely cleared the fielder running back. This was Rashids fourth over, and he had settled into a rhythm now. The ball was drifting, and there was turn. He beat Vijay with one that ripped across him in the same over. The pace was right, and the batsman was edgy. This was a high-strung spell of play. A pull here or there, and it could break. On the surface, the batsman had so much more to lose - but did England have enough confidence in their spinners?Rashid came back for his fifth over with Vijay on 18 off 50. Cheteshwar Pujara had just come in to bat. Vijay again tried to unsettle Rashid. It was clear Vijay was now playing on length. He certainly didnt want to fall to a ball with his name on it. Anything in his driving arc was going to go. The second ball of this over was full. Mid-off was slightly deeper than mid-on. Vijay went. Mishit again. Alastair Cook ran back from mid-on, but was lobbed.How would Cook react? Would mid-on go back? The mid-on stayed. The temptation was not taken away. Perhaps this was the result of 400 runs on the board. In Rajkot, Rashid had taken Vijay with a wrongun. Through the series, Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane had been playing the wrongun off the pitch. Even here, Rashid tried the googly first up, and Vijay again read it off the pitch. With the fourth ball of this over, Rashid tried the wrongun. This was also full.This was a big moment. Vijay seemed to have sorted that weakness out or perhaps he just swung hard because it was full and went over mid-on because that fielder was closer. Whatever might have happened, this ball went for a flat six into the sight screen. The gauntlet had been thrown. The leading wicket-taker of the series before the start of this match had just been hit away emphatically, albeit after a few overs of uncertain batting. The tea break was 20 minutes away, Rashids figures read 5-0-24-0 but six off them were off edges. The last two overs had gone for 12. Vijay had scored 13 off 20 Rashid deliveries, and had possibly started picking the wrongun.India were still 345 behind. The pitch had plenty in it. Cooks response was going to be fascinating. There were two options. One, give Rashid more bowling, at least until tea, and see if he can make the progression from mishits to a wicket. The other option was more orthodox, and more Cook-like: ask the quicks to hold one end up in four-over spells, and attack with spin from the other end.Cook did what Cook does. As a spectator you felt cheated at being denied an extended contest between a spinner who had just started to find himself and an opening batsman coming back from a mid-series slump. Most of cricket, though, is played not for spectators but to win. Cook felt this was the way to victory. He is fixated with control, and he possibly felt Rashid - 5-0-24-0, remember? - could lose him that control. Off went Rashid and for close to two hours after that England operated with pace at one end.By the end of the day, England had endured the first wicketless session in a Test being played on a turner. England are not yet out of the Test - they are still 254 ahead and there can be collapses on this pitch - but you could see from Parthiv Patels interview at the end of the day that India were now feeling confident. Rashid never found that rhythm again, especially with a change of ends. 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ARLINGTON, Texas -- While an unorthodox move, Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin figured the best chance to extend the game was to make sure Adrian Beltre didnt end it.Melvin never really anticipated what happened right after intentionally walking Beltre with one out in the 10th inning to reload the bases after Carlos Beltrans tying two-run single for Texas.After the four intended wide pitches to Beltre, reliever Marc Rzepczynski hit Rougned Odor on the shoulder with his next pitch, forcing home the winning run to give the AL-best Rangers a 5-4 victory Tuesday night.I threw one and it ran instead of sank. And it ran right into his shoulder, Rzepczynski said. That sums it up right there.John Axford (4-4) had walked the bases loaded before Beltrans single up the middle. Next was Beltre, who had a game-deciding grand slam in the series opener Monday night.With two lefties coming up, I figured my best shot was to get a ground ball and force a double play, Melvin said.Oakland had tied the game in the ninth off closer Sam Dyson, then took a 4-2 lead in the 10th when Yonder Alonso had an RBI double and scored on Ryon Healys single as five of its first six batters reached against Keone Kela (4-1).Dyson struck out the side, but also gave up three hits and a run for his fourth blown save in 31 chances. The As had been 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position before Danny Valencias two-out RBI single tied the game at 2.Kela, the sixth Texas pitcher, got all three of his outs on strikeouts, between three hits and a walk.The As lost their fourth straight, dropping a season-high 16 games under .500. At 52-68, they are 18 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West after their 19th loss this season in which they led the game by multiple runs.Axford struck out rookie Nomar Mazara to start the 10th, but walked Robinson Chirinos, pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy and All-Star center fielder Ian Desmond in order to set up Beltran.I felt strong. I felt good. Everything was coming out nice. I felt like I had my electric stuff todayy, Axford said.dddddddddddd But I wasnt finding the zone and some of the borderline ones, Im not going to get. Im all over the place, Im not going to get something close.TERRIFIC TRIGGSOakland rookie starter Andrew Triggs limited the Rangers to two hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings in his third career start. The right-hander is in his eighth stint this season with the As, and made his 21st appearance. He struck out two and walked none, but hit Chirinos to start the sixth before he scored on a double by Beltran against reliever Ryan Dull.SHORT HOPSTexas (71-50) has won nine of 13 after its first game-ending hit by pitch with the bases loaded since Sept. 11, 2010, against the New York Yankees. ... Beltran matched his career high with four hits. ... Texas went ahead 2-1 in the seventh when Odor led off with a rare walk, only his 12th coming in his 476th plate appearance this season. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Elvis Andrus.EARLY EXITRangers starter Lucas Harrell left after two innings because of a right groin strain. He faced only 12 batters, allowing three hits and four walks. But Oakland managed only one run against him, when Valencia drew a bases-loaded walk.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: 2B Jed Lowrie will have season-ending surgery after being on the DL since Aug. 5 with lingering left foot issues. Lowrie will have a bunion removed from his big toe, but Melvin said there is also ligament damage.Rangers: RF Shin-Soo Choo is scheduled to have surgery Wednesday to have a plate inserted near his left wrist and forearm where he was hit by a pitch.UP NEXTAthletics: Rookie LHP Sean Manaea (4-7, 4.57 ERA) is 2/3 with a 3.27 ERA in nine games since coming off the DL on June 29.Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish, pitching one day after his 30th birthday, will try to beat the As for the first time since he first faced them in 2012. He is 0-8 in his last 10 starts against the AL West rival. ' ' '