Shardul Thakur, Rohit Sharma stun England, India win by 157 runs: The best of India in England Part 5

India’s euphoria at having opened up a 1-0 lead at Lord’s evaporated rapidly when they were shot out for 78 in the first innings of the next game in Leeds, on the opening day of the third Test. There was no coming back from that epic collapse; England drew abreast with a commanding innings victory, holding the momentum when the action returned to the capital and The Oval. Shardul Thakur celebrates(AP)

One of the main reasons for India’s sub-par batting efforts at Headingley was the lack of opening alliances. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul had been excellent in the first two Tests, but managed only stands of 1 and 34 in Leeds. The lack of a meaningful start extended to the first innings at The Oval too. Both fell at the score of 28 and India were rolled over for 191, and even that only thanks to a counter-attacking half-century from Shardul Thakur, batting at No. 8.

All ten wickets had fallen to the England pacers; India responded in kind through Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, who left the hosts reeling at 62 for five. England, though, batted deep with Ollie Robinson, who boasts a highest Test score of 58, slotted in at No. 10. Ollie Pope, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes weighed in with superb knocks to ensure that when half-centurion Woakes was finally run out, England enjoyed a healthy lead of 99.

For India to make a fist of it, they needed Rohit and Rahul to rediscover their mojo. Since opening the batting in Tests in October 2019, Rohit had slipped beautifully into that role, backing his natural aggression to work its magic. But in England, he tailored his game to suit the conditions, determined to end his quest for a maiden overseas Test hundred. He had come close at Lord’s; he finally shed the monkey off his back a few kilometres away from the iconic venue.

The old firm was back in business, Rohit and Rahul adding 83 to nearly wipe out the deficit, after which Rohit found another obdurate ally in Cheteshwar Pujara, the master of playing time. Gradually, India worked their way into a position of strength, embellished by Rohit reaching his first away Test ton with a six off Moeen’s off-spin. Handily placed at 236 for one, India were primed to take the game by the scruff of the neck when Joe Root summoned the second new ball.

Rohit fell to the first ball with the new cherry, caught in the deep pulling Robinson. It was a stroke that had served him superbly throughout the innings but this one sat in the pitch and didn’t climb as much as the right-hander expected, eliciting a top-edge that flew to long-leg. The cheers – as much for Rohit’s 127 as the Robinson breakthrough -- had hardly settled down when Pujara fell in the same over, caught off bat and thigh in the slip cordon.

Skipper Virat Kohli held things together in Ravindra Jadeja’s company but a mini collapse of three for 16 brought England back into the contest. At 312 for six, India’s lead was 213 – useful, but hardly decisive.

For the second time in the game, Thakur rode to India’s rescue, this time with Rishabh Pant for company. Remarkably, Pant played second fiddle while his partner flayed the bowling, scoring 60% of the runs in a seventh-wicket stand of 100. The tail wagged furiously and when India were finally bowled out some 20 minutes after tea on day four, they had amassed 466.

England had their work cut out. At Lord’s, they couldn’t survive even 60 overs. Here, they faced the prospect of negotiating twice as many overs while being confronted with a target of 368. For three hours, Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed mixed pluck with luck to keep India at bay while adding 100. Some 40 minutes into play on the final morning, Thakur’s golden arm accounted for Burns and that, really, was that.

One of the more notable features of India’s approach during that period was their immense self-belief and the desire and skills to seize key moments. Burns’ exit had thrown them a lifeline and suddenly, they were all over England like a bad rash. Jadeja, the lone spinner around a four-pronged pace attack, packed off Hameed, while Dawid Malan ran himself out as England’s panic began to manifest itself visibly.

Umesh and Bumrah were again relentless, but it was Thakur who netted the big fish, forcing Root to somehow chop a wide, innocuous ball outside off on to his sticks. It was all over some 45 minutes after tea when Anderson feathered Umesh through to Pant. England were bowled out for 210, India victorious by a commanding 157-run margin to go 2-1 ahead with one to play.

Brief scores: India: 191 all out in 61.3 overs (Virat Kohli 50, Shardul Thakur 57; Ollie Robinson 3-38, Chris Woakes 4-55) and 466 all out in 148.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 127, KL Rahul 46, Cheteshwar Pujara 61, Kohli 44, Rishabh Pant 50, Thakur 60, Umesh Yadav 25; Robinson 2-105, Woakes 3-83, Moeen Ali 2-118) beat England: 290 all out in 84 overs (Dawid Malan 31, Ollie Pope 81, Jonny Bairstow 37, Moeen 35, Woakes 50; Umesh 3-76, Jasprit Bumrah 2-67, Ravindra Jadeja 2-36) and 210 all out in 92.2 overs (Rory Burns 50, Haseeb Hameed 63, Joe Root 36; Umesh 3-60, Bumrah 2-27, Jadeja 2-50, Thakur 2-22) by 157 runs. Player of the Match: Rohit

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