After a heart-breaking defeat at Edgbaston followed by the horrendous batting-display at Lord’s which resulted in an inning and 159-run loss, India finally was able to take a stride forward with their batsmen finally showing the resolve and resilience that went missing in the first two matches.
The openers put up a solid partnership to give the middle order some momentum and Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane ensured that they made most out of it with a wonderful 159 runs stand, which put India in a comfortable position at the end of day 1.
India finished the day at 307/6 with debutant Rishabh Pant batting on 22.
India’s batting finally show some resilience
After successive failures at Edgbaston and Lord’s one thing every cricket fan wanted from India’s mighty batting line-up was to show some resilience and grit to stay in the crease. While at Edgbaston skipper Virat Kohli was omnipresent to save India the blushes, almost steering them home despite no other contributions from the batting order. At Lord’s he failed and with him felled an entire team as the visitors were bundled for scores of 107 and 130 and under 82 overs. They eventually suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 159 runs.
But at Trent Bridge, it was a different India that one saw. Starting right from the returning Shikhar Dhawan to Ajinkya Rahane, most of the batsmen scored runs. Both Dhawan (35) and KL Rahul (23) added 60 runs for the opening wicket – their highest opening stand in this series – before Kohli (97) and Rahane (81) put up a magnificent 159-run partnership to help India finish at 307/6 at the end of day 1 at Trent Bridge.
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The players looked confident and tackled the England pace-threat well, intelligent in leaving out good balls while also punishing the bad balls for a boundary.
Chris Woakes and not Ben Stokes is England’s X-factor
For long Ben Stokes has been England’s trump card, always the one to shoulder a bigger responsibility in all three formats of the game. And every time he has missed a game, England have been always found to be missing that cutting edge. But while Stokes has consistently delivered for the team, his off the field actions have hampered his career on it.
Trapped in a court case for allegedly knocking two-men unconscious and verbally abusing a gay-couple outside a nightclub at Bristol, the 27-year-old was still England saviour in the opening Test. His match-winning spell in the second innings of the first Test steered England to victory from the jaws of defeat. But he missed the second Test owing to a court hearing and was replaced by Chris Woakes.
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Returning from an injury, Woakes was at his devastating best not just taking two crucial wickets, hat included the scalp of Kohli. He then returned to express himself with the bat and scored a wonderful 128-run match-winning performance.
It was nothing different at Trent Bridge, with Woakes showing once again as to why he was England’s prime X-factor. When the Andersons and Broads failed to get a wicket, Woakes at lunch had three beside his name, that included both the openers and Che Pujara. He had delivered at a crucial juncture of the series and remains England’s trump card.
The modern generation doesn’t care about blocking.
Just two balls into his debut Test match, Rishabh Pant stepped out and clattered Adil Rashid for a monstrous six over his heads. In the process, he became the first Indian and 12th batsmen overall to open their run-scoring account with a six.
It was a sight to cherish yet, it was so unconventional. Most debutee batsmen will look to defend and set themselves up, but 20-year-old Pant was ready ever since he stepped into the field. He is also the fifth-youngest wicket-keeper to represent India in a Test match. Parthiv Patel at 17 years and 152 days remain the youngest Indian wicket-keeper to play a Test match.
Virat Kohli is no longer James Anderson’s bunny
To say a similar thing exactly four years ago would be a joke but fast forward four years and Virat Kohli is not just this series’ highest-run accumulator but also has three 50+ scores.
While the England pacer troubled him with a fourth-stump ball in 2014, dismissing Kohli as many as four times in five Test matches, this time the number is zero.
Initially at Edgbaston Kohli failed to read Anderson’s swing and missed and edged a couple of times but ever since getting settled there enroute to his magnificent 149, the Indian skipper has looked immovable against the world’s top-ranked Test bowler.
In five innings in this series Anderson has bowled many spells to Kohli bur failed to get him out. The Indian captain scored another wonderful 97 in the third Test falling just three runs short of what would have been his 23rd Test century and second in the series.
Ajinkya Rahane hits form
When Indian came to England, Ajinkya Rahane along with Cheteshwar Pujara was expected to carry India’s run-scoring burden alongside Kohli. But had abysmally failed in the last two matches. Rahane though stepped up on the occasion in this match.
After Dhawan-Rahul had put up an opening 60-run partnership to give India a solid start, Pujara once again perished in trying things he usually doesn’t do and that brought Rahane to the crease alongside Kohli. They both showed great temperament scoring from plenty singles and doubles while also finding the occasional boundaries.
Rahane especially looked in complete control playing some beautiful cover drives on his way to 81. It was also his first half-century ever since he had made 132 against Sri Lanka last year on August 3.
He will hope to carry on the form into the next set of matches.