It has been a strange phenomenon this Test series that as one team raises itself, the other sinks further below. England left India baffled in the first two Tests to take a 2-0 lead. But India is on the better side of it now, at least after the end of first day’s play in the fourth match at Ageas Bowl.
But amidst all these shuffling and transfers of fortune and form, one thing has remained constant – England’s top-order batting. And on Thursday it turned to be for the fifth time in six innings that England’s top-four batsmen have been dismissed inside 80 runs.
Spurred by their turnaround a week ago at Trent Bridge, the Indian pacers continued their new found consistency, swinging the ball and England batsmen out or leaving wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant wobbling behind the stumps. They dismissed England for 246 – most of which came from the returning duo of Sam Curran (78) and Moeen Ali (40) – before the opening batsmen ensured the day ended just the way it had started by playing out the four overs for 19 runs without the loss of any wicket.
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For wickets are what come to have mattered this series and while England not learning from their past collapse, once again folded too soon, India will do well to ensure the rampaging comeback is on.
All five of India’s bowlers chipped in with wickets, but Jasprit Bumrah was the chief wrecker accounting for three for 46 runs. Continuing his wonderful run since the return from injury in the last match, Bumrah needed an over and a ball to signal the beginning of England’s fall, nicely setting up Keaton Jennings with outside-off balls, before foxing him with one that moved straight into the pads. Keaton walked back for a duck having offered no shot and perhaps having seen his last hopes slump.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow then followed him, both with single digit scores – the former getting out twice before finally leaving. In a sort of spell where every ball seemed likely to fetch a wicket, Bumrah had Root plumb in-front but the old habit of no balls kept the England skipper alive before Ishant Sharma (2/26) ended the prolonged stay with an identical ball, which swung in and straight into the pads.
Then Bairstow promoted up the order but stripped off wicket-keeping duties failed to the pressure, nicking Bumrah’s moving ball into Pant’s hands. All this while, the non-striker had remained the same. Alastair Cook, in perhaps the worst form of his life, survived 54 balls, playing some of them with gracious touch but departed to a foolish shot. Attempting to cut Hardik Pandya’s (1/51) wide ball, Cook gave Virat Kohli a catching practice and in no time England was reduced to 36-4.
England’s only centurion Jos Buttler and playing as a pure batsman in this match Ben Stokes were then left to rebuild, just like they had at Trent Bridge albeit in a losing cause. But both departed in their twenties, falling to Mohammed Shami (2/51). And while Buttler edged in trying to play a cover drive too many, Stokes was caught right in front of middle stump.
The collapse looked evident. But the hosts found likely heroes in Curran and Ali. They combined for a healthy 81-run partnership to somehow bail their side out before Ali departed to a top-edge off Ravi Ashwin (2/40). Curran then added another 79 with the last three wickets, which included a handy 63 runs with Stuart Broad (17). Bumrah returned for another spell and got Broad, while Ashwin cleaned up Curran.