After 4 days of high class competitive cricket between India and England, all that remained on Day 5 was the outcome of the match. With the equation of 381 runs and 9 wickets, there was highly any doubt who were the more confident team going on to the pitch.
India faced a huge score in front of them. The way the pitch had started to behave from Day 3 onwards was always going to be difficult for any team to bat a full 90 overs on Day 5.
Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara came out to bat. Gill as expected played offensively while Pujara backed him with defensive shorts. However unlike Australia in the 4th Test,England had other ideas and that was to win.
Jack Leach got the massive wicket of Pujara in the opening half and hour to break down the resolve of India. With Pujara's departure the pressure was handed down on the shoulders of Indian Captain Virat Kohli.
India were now playing for the draw. After Gill Completed his 50, he was bowled out by Jimmy (James) Anderson. In the very same over he would dismiss Vice Captain Ajinkya Rahane for a duck after the ball found a way through between Rahane's bat and pad and uprooted the stumps. Suddenly India were down to 92/4.
Wickets kept on tumbling for India from one end as nobody was able to give Virat Kohli, the much needed supported he would have hoped for. 1st innings heroes Rishabh Pant was caughted out by James Anderson as he picked up a third,while Washington Sundar was dismissed for a duck by Dom Bess.
Virat Kohli was the eighth one to fall as he was bowled out by Ben Stokes. His knock of 72 runs had helped India to a slight respectable score. England would soon wrap up the game with bowling out India for a mere 192 in 58.1 overs as they won the match by 227 runs and took a 1-0 series lead.
Truth be told,England were just too good in all departments compared to India in this test. They have now climbed up to the top of Offical Test ranking and of they win the series 3-0,3-1,4-0 then they will qualify for the World Test Championship against New Zealand.
0 Comments