Joe Root’s magnificent century gave England a glimmer of hope, but India will be the happier side as they head into the fifth day needing 157 runs with nine wickets in hand.
The fourth day of the Nottingham Test was all about the genius of Joe Root. The team trailing by 95 runs, arguably the best bowling attack in the world, the absence of gun players and a truckload of pressure. For ages, Root overcame all of it to produce a batting masterclass and did everything he could to drag England back into the game.
India, however, made a comeback at the end with Jasprit Bumrah taking a five-wicket haul to restrict England’s lead to a chaseable limit. India’s batters then crossed fifty at a very brisk rate to put India in a position where they should win the first Test with ease.
The fourth day was expected to be a washout, but the weather changed dramatically, and the day’s play happened without any interruptions. England started the day on 25 runs for no loss, but Mohammad Siraj drew the first blood in the third over of the day as Rory Burns (18) edged a scrambled seam delivery to the wicket-keeper. Zak Crawley (6), who has had a horrible run since his double century last year, could not stick around. Jasprit Bumrah bowled a back of the length delivery, angling in and straightening up to induce an edge.
In came the England skipper Root. He joined Dom Sibley in the middle and what we saw was two contrasting batting styles working together perfectly. Sibley was beaten several times, looked ugly, looked stuck but occupied the crease, and in England’s vulnerable batting unit, that is extremely valuable.
It also gave Root the freedom to play his natural game, and he quickly started off the blocks. He brought up his half-century in just 68 deliveries. The duo put on an 89-run partnership for the third wicket before Sibley played a rare loose shot off Bumrah to edge it to the keeper. Pant plucked it out superbly with a full-length dive to send Sibley back on 28.
Sibley’s wicket turned out to be counterproductive for India as now the runs were flowing from both ends. Jonny Bairstow and Root scored a flurry of boundaries to add 42 runs for the fourth wicket. Bairstow looked set for a big score but smacked a short delivery by Siraj straight to Jadeja at deep square leg to end his knock of 30. Dan Lawrence, the next man in, started off quickly too, scoring four boundaries in no time. But soon, he was plumbed in front of Shardul Thakur’s fuller length delivery on 25 off 32 balls.
Jos Buttler, who was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, played some delightful strokes against Bumrah to get a brilliant start of 17 off 21. However, he misjudged a delivery by Thakur, offering no shot only to see the ball hitting top of the off stump. This was his fifth dismissal in Test career with no shot offered.
Meanwhile, Root brought up his 21st Test century with a drive through straight mid-on. This was his first hundred at home since 2018, which was also against India. Root played some sumptuous drives, his backfoot punches, his glides through the backward point region, his cuts, his flicks were all mesmerising to watch.
Just when it looked like England were running away with the game, Bumrah returned into the attack with the new ball and struck for the visitors immediately. Root’s sensational knock ended on 109 as he poked at a length delivery outside off, with the scoreboard reading 179-run lead.
Sam Curran and Ollie Robinson added some important runs before Bumrah bowled an excellent short of length delivery that cramped Curran (32) to pop a catch at mid-on. He then rattled the stumps the next delivery to remove Stuart Broad on a golden duck and register his sixth five-wicket haul. Robinson (15) slashed a Shami delivery to a deep third man in the next over which saw England’s second innings end on 303.
Chasing a tricky target of 209, India needed a solid start and the openers obliged. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma played out 10 overs and put on 34 runs on the board. But Rahul, who was magnificent in the Test, fell to an unplayable delivery by Broad on 26. Cheteshwar Pujara then smashed three boundaries to make a statement and finish India’s day on 52/1.
Although India are strong favourites going into the final day, the match could go either way. A fascinating day of cricket is lined up on a super Sunday.
Brief Scores
England 1st innings – 183 in 65.4 overs (Root 64, Bairstow 29; Bumrah 4/46, Shami 3/28)
India 1st innings – 278 in 84.5 overs (Rahul 84, Jadeja 56; Robinson 5/85, Anderson 4/54)
England 2nd innings – 303 in 85.5 overs (Root 109, Curran 32; Bumrah 5/64, Thakur 2/37)
India 2nd innings – 52/1 in 14 overs (Rahul 26, Pujara 12*; Broad 1/18) need 157 runs.
