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| Virat Kohli after being dismissed on 4th day of the third test. |
The hosts did everything right on the fourth day in Southampton. James Anderson cleaned up the last two wickets of India in 4.1 overs; their batsmen scored at five excess area provide a statement; and then their part-time spinners demolished by top Indian and left England needing just six wickets on the fifth day to win a test they have mastered during its entirety.
India were right shoddy through this game and never more than in the last session today, when they began their chase of 445 impossible and improbable 132-over battle for survival. There was so much swing or seam movement for players new ball for England and M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan survived opening spells Anderson and Stuart Broad without too many surprises.
The hard work was done, but in the next over from Chris Woakes a major flaw in the game of Vijay - sometimes relaxed their approach - cost the window. Dhawan had dropped the ball near the side of the leg and run. Wide ran from midwicket, insufficiently armed the throw at the end of the front, and reached stumps. Vijay not pack. Do not stretch. He extended his bat while fully grounded. He did not dive. Vijay thought it was safe. It was, by an inch. Given the difficulty in India were in the lack of commitment that one of Vijay was shocking.
Moeen Ali had taken two wickets in the first innings to boost his credentials as more than a part-time spinner. Today, he struck with his second ball, as Cheteshwar Pujara overestimated the shift in offbreak and surpassed slip when Chris Jordan, who had a mediocre game with the ball, rushed low to his right to have a one-handed catch that would have been the envy of careless cordon of India.
Moeen was much better roulette bowling Ravindra Jadeja of India had. With a bit of flight and drift, he fizzed balls crude and natural variations in the degree of turn caused serious problems. I should have had 20 Dhawan BPN, but the batter was pardoned and went on to add 51 for the third wicket with Virat Kohli. As ever did in the first innings of India, England broke the alliance before it grew in significant proportions. Joe Root made, getting Dhawan on board to Jordan in slip. Bowling weak link in England was over strong support of India. Moeen returned for a second stage and in his second forward and drew Kohli Jos Buttler caught the thin edge. India were 89, 4.
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| English all-rounder Moeen Ali took 2 wickets to take England near victory. |
England reached 132 overs to have the bowling India out was a clinical performance in the first two sessions. India had started the fourth morning on 323 for 8, losing by 246, with captain MS Dhoni at the crease 50. Frustrating Any hope of England, however, was extinguished by two guards Anderson. Dhoni tried to hook, while Mohammed Shami tried to influence away. Both gloved Buttler give Anderson his 16th within five wicket on his 32nd birthday, and in England a lead of 239 runs in the first half hour.
England were delayed while not hitting well. Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored freely, and while Pankaj Singh was tight in the first stage, it was also unfortunate. His analysis of matches 0-179 was the most expensive for a wicketless debutante. No they deserved
Gary Ballance started slowly, scoring 3 of his first 18 balls, but went from first gear into overdrive in a blink. He scored Bhuvneshwar straight for a couple, threw for four and walked past the bowler for another boundary, off successive deliveries. His best chance was a powerful punch that shot last Shami and leapt on board outline. England was pushing one in four.
When Dhoni turned to part-time offspinner Rohit Sharma, Ballance promptly hit him over his head for six, and blasted one through the covers. When Jadeja was on, slapped him in reverse limits point. Ballance was sawed off, once again, however. In the race meal, threw the ball to the short leg of his pad and thigh, but the ref Marais Erasmus confirmed Jadeja's appeal.
Ian Bell, Alastair Cook made Root and swelling in lead quickly after eating, and it became increasingly clear that England would not have to bat after tea. While Cook turns strike, Bell scored 23 in a race over a ball. Jadeja finally rolled him around his legs, but the wound of India was about to get much worse.
Root and Cook added 99 in 14.2 overs. Cook swept Jadeja to open his fifty - his second Test and more convincing than the first - and then swept back to take the lead at 400 Root was almost run a ball without hitting the boundaries, but the wound. soon and brought to his half-century of 38 deliveries. He arrived there on digging Bhuvneshwar archer and her blunt twice on the ground for four.
When the root was shot 25 minutes before scheduled Sleep tea, with England on 205 for 4 at 41 over, Cook decided it was time to let his players start the final game.