Sharma sparks England collapse as India eye win in third Test

By AFP

August 22, 2018

NOTTINGHAM: Ishant Sharma sparked England’s latest collapse as India eyed a crushing victory in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

England had slumped to 84 for four at lunch on the fourth day, still 437 runs shy of a mammoth target of 521.It left India poised for a win that would cut England’s lead in a five-match series to 2-1.

Given the most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s Antigua, in 2003, there was little prospect of an England victory.

But having been skittled out for just 161 in a first innings lasting 38.2 overs, with unheralded medium-pacer Hardik Pandya taking five for 28, England might have been stung into greater top-order resistance this innings.

Instead England slumped to 66 for four after resuming on 23 without loss — the 31st occasion in their past 62 Test innings since 2016 that they had lost their fourth wicket having scored 100 or fewer runs.

England had been shown the way by India captain Virat Kohli.He was far from his fluent best but still made 103 on Monday, after his first-innings 97, and Cheteshwar Pujara who demonstrated a patient application in grinding out 72 off 208 balls in more than four hours at the crease to help consolidate the tourists’ already strong position.

Instead England lost their first wicket just five balls into Tuesday’s play when fast bowler Sharma, testing the left-handed openers from round the wicket, got one to straighten away from the flat-footed Keaton Jennings (13), whose thin outside edge was held safely by debutant wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.

England’s 27 for one soon became 32 for two when Sharma, again from round the wicket, had Alastair Cook (17) edging one that straightened late to second-slip KL Rahul.England then lost their next two wickets on 64, with captain Joe Root (13) and Ollie Pope (16) both caught in the cordon.

Root tried to force a Jasprit Bumrah delivery he could have left and Rahul, still at second slip, held the sharp chance — his fifth catch of the matchAs if to emphasise just how superior India’s slip-fielding had been in comparison to England’s this Test, Kohli then leapt high to his left at third slip to hold a superb catch that dismissed Pope, playing in just his second Test.

But it was a poor shot by the 20-year-old Surrey batsman, especially given England’s dire position, with Pope throwing his hands at a ball well-wide of off stump.An outside edge was always the likeliest result and so it proved.To make matters worse for England, a finger injury suffered by Jonny Bairstow while keeping wicket on Monday meant he did not come into bat in his usual number five position.At lunch recalled all-rounder Ben Stokes was three not out and Jos Buttler, dropped by Pant on one — a rare India miss — unbeaten on 19.

England won toss

India 1st Innings 329 (V Kohli 97; J Anderson 3-64)

England 1st Innings 161 (H Pandya 5-28)

India 2nd Innings 352-7 dec (V Kohli 103; A Rashid 3-101)

England 2nd Innings

A Cook c Rahul b I Sharma 17

K Jennings c Pant b I Sharma 13

*J Root c Rahul b Bumrah 13

O Pope c Kohli b Shami 16

B Stokes not out 3

J Buttler not out 19

Extras (lb2, nb1) 3