England’s top order crumble once again as India take a firm grip on fourth Test
England’s top order crumbled once again as India moved into a dominant position on the third day of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.
India ended their first innings 160 ahead, 365 all out with Washington Sundar stranded on 96 not out, and left their punchdrunk opponents 30 for four early in the afternoon session.
Ravichandra Ashwin had Zak Crawley caught at slip for five and made it two in two balls when Jonny Bairstow turned him round the corner to leg slip for a third duck in four innings.
Dom Sibley then fell to an outrageous slice of bad fortune, smashing a sweep shot off Axar Patel into Shubman Gill’s leg guards at short leg to leave Rishabh Pant a simple catch. That left a huge burden on captain Joe Root and his deputy, Ben Stokes, but the latter joined the procession in the 13th over of the innings.
Having top-scored with 55 on day one and bowled himself into the ground for figures of four 89 in the response, his inspiration finally ran dry as he swept straight into Virat Kohli’s hands at leg-slip.
India resumed their innings in buoyant spirits, riding high after Pant’s game-changing 101 on the second evening.
England’s weary attack would have been hoping to bring a quick end to the innings but soon found themselves in a familiar conundrum. While James Anderson was able to hold down one end for five overs at a cost of just four runs, Root’s decision to throw his support behind the struggling Dom Bess did not come off.
His two overs leaked 15 runs, including two boundaries and a six from Sundar. Root’s attempts at bolstering the off-spinner’s confidence had taken a swift turn for the worse and he was promptly removed with his self-belief suffering again.
Sundar and Patel had no intention of making life easy for England, scoring 50 in the first hour and batting with the kind of freedom only a healthy scoreboard can provide.
Jack Leach was tighter than Bess but worryingly docile, generating no real chances as the game drifted ever further away.
After more than 100 overs of work in sweltering 38-degree heat, England were understandably flagging, with Root filling in for Bess with the ball and Stokes flogging his body for the cause.
It took a run out to end the eighth-wicket stand at 106, Patel setting off ambitiously before Bairstow and Root combined to raise the bails at the bowler’s end. By then, Sundar had moved within a boundary of a special landmark but he did not face another ball.
Gratefully accepting the opportunity to cash in on his hard work, Stokes had Ishant Sharma lbw first ball with a big in-swinger then rushed one through Mohammed Siraj to finish with hard-earned figures of four for 89.
Latest
-
Women's Cricket
It’s a lot of fun – Heather Knight still enjoying captaining England
Knight succeeded Charlotte Edwards, who had a decade-long stint in the position, in June 2016.
-
England
On this day in 2018: Kevin Pietersen retires from professional cricket
The latter years of the Pietermaritzburg-born maverick’s career were spent on the T20 circuit.
-
England
Jofra Archer snaps off stump on impressive return from injury in India
The 28-year-old took two for 22 in seven overs.
-
County Cricket
Darren Gough steps down as managing director of cricket at Yorkshire
Gough said it was the “right time” to move on having been in the post since December 2021.
-
England
On this day in 2004: Steve Harmison takes seven for 12 against West Indies
The pace bowler produced a devastating spell at Sabina Park 20 years ago.
-
England
Jos Buttler feels refreshed and ready to enjoy ‘best years’ of his career
England’s white-ball team endured a poor 2023 which culminated in the disastrous defence of their World Cup crown in India.
-
England
Jos Buttler confident ‘special cricketer’ Jofra Archer will be fit for World Cup
Archer has not represented his country since last March when he featured in a T20 match in Bangladesh.
-
Indian Premier League
England batter Harry Brook withdraws from IPL following death of his grandmother
Brook pulled out of England’s five-Test tour to India before the squad flew out from their training camp in the United Arab Emirates.