AUGUST 22, 2018
James Anderson shakes hands with Virat Kohli after the match – Getty Images
Jasprit Bumrah’s second five-wicket haul helped India crush England by 203 runs to win the third Test at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. The teams had to return on the final day after England’s lower-order stubbornly kept India waiting for the final wicket. The five-match match series now stands 2-1 in favour of England.
This was India’s seventh Test victory in England and second at Trent Bridge.
On Monday, Virat Kohli’s 23rd Test hundred had helped India set England an improbable 521 runs to take an unassailable lead in the series. After playing out nine overs on Day 3, England openers Keaton Jennings and Alastair Cook fell to Ishant Sharma early on the fourth day.
Bumrah then removed skipper Joe Root before Mohammed Shami dismissed Ollie Pope. England were reeling at 62 for 4 when Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes got together.
Buttler got a lucky break and was dropped on 1 by debutant Rishabh Pant after Bumrah had induced an edge off his bat. Jos Buttler, out of form at Edgbaston and Lord’s, made the most of the dropped chance and scored his maiden Test hundred.
With Stokes at the other end, Buttler kept India waiting. The duo added 169 runs for the fifth wicket and there were spells of loose bowling from the Indians, who appeared desperate for wickets.
The breakthrough eventually came from Bumrah who was playing his first match on the England tour after recovering from an injury. He dismissed Buttler before running through the England lower order in a hurry.
It was another sensational collapse for England who had taken tea at a happy position. Buttler and Stokes had kept India at bay for the entire second session and frustration was creeping into the Indian bowling attack.
After a fine partnership between Buttler and Stokes, Bumrah ran through the England lower-order with the second new ball. He removed Buttler and Bairstow off successive deliveries in the 83rd over before dismissing Chris Woakes. Hardik Pandya removed Ben Stokes in the 86th over. Bumrah then had Adil Rashid caught at second slip by Virat Kohli but it turned out to be a no-ball.
Rashid and Stuart Broad added 50 for the ninth wicket before Bumrah returned to remove Broad. And then James Anderson played out 16 balls, forcing the match into the final day.
The final moments of the penultimate day did not pass without some drama – the Indians had a go at Broad over his send-off to Rishabh Pant in the second innings.
In the first innings, England had suffered a similar collapse when Hardik Pandya took his maiden five-wicket haul.
The tables have now turned in the series. If India’s batsmen had disappointed in the first two Tests, England should be worried about Cook and Jennings in particular. Root too has not done much since his 80 in the first innings of the first Test.
For India, it was a remarkable result after they had copped a lot of criticism for their attitude. Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Punara contributed handsomely as Virat Kohli once again led from the front.
Kohli scored 97 in the first innings before scoring a sublime 103 in the second. He now aggregates 440 runs from three Tests in the series.
India will next take on England in the fourth Test at Southampton on August 30.
Courtesy: India Today
