The Indian batting line-up crumbled and just couldn’t offer any resistance as the England bowlers just ran through and shot them out for a mere 78. The four England pacers shared 10 wickets between them before Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed shared an unbeaten 120-run opening stand.
There was a gap of nine days between the second and the third Test. After this gap, the world seemed to have turned upside down. The elation of Lord’s quickly faded away for India as they had a mighty fall to 78 all out while England, who had all the troubles and worries, couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was as abysmal it could get for India and as perfect it could get for England.
Virat Kohli won his first-ever toss in Test cricket on English soil. That was the only thing that went India’s way on the first day of the third Test at Headingley, Leeds.
James Anderson set up the game for England with a magnificent opening spell and ran through the Indian top-order. India had been getting solid opening stands so far in the series, but that didn’t happen. KL Rahul fell in the first over as Anderson enticed him into driving a full delivery which Rahul eventually nicked to the keeper.
Anderson got Cheteshwar Pujara with an outswinger as the latter just hung his bat and poked at the away-going delivery. Kohli walked into bat at 4/2, and he didn’t last long either. He once again fell in that channel outside the off-stump as he nicked one trying to drive a full ball from Anderson.
India were reduced to 21/3 in the 11th over, and Rohit Sharma watched the drama unfold from the other end. He was battling it out but couldn’t really get a move on. Ajinkya Rahane joined him in the middle and the duo shared a 35-run stand which was the highest of the innings for India.
Ollie Robinson joined the act as he got Rahane on the stroke of lunch as the Indian vice-captain fell to a tame poke once again. Rishabh Pant walked in and walked back not too long after lunch as Robinson dismissed the Indian stumper for the third time in the series. Rohit was leaving and defending well, but the runs didn’t flow, and eventually, he fell to the pull shot once again.
When he got out for 19, India’s score was 67, and then they lost three more wickets on the same score as Craig Overton and Sam Curran ran through the Indian lower order. Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj added 11 runs for the 10th wicket before Overton had Siraj caught in the slips.
India were bowled out for 78, their third-lowest score in England and ninth-lowest in the history of in Test cricket. Anderson didn’t need to bowl after that opening spell of 8-5-6-3. Robinson and Curran took two wickets each while Overton picked up three as Rohit finished as India’s highest scorer (19).
In reply, England got a splendid start. Both Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed batted really well and wiped out the deficit without too much fuss. They have taken England to 120/0 and both batters have helped themselves to their respective half-centuries.
The England openers looked really solid. They respected the good deliveries and cashed in on the loose ones. They kept the scoreboard ticking as the Indian bowlers weren’t incisive enough.
In fact, the Indian fast bowlers couldn’t get the movement that Anderson and co-generated earlier in the day. Not only did they lack movement, but the discipline was also missing. Sharma looked off-colour and completely devoid of rhythm. Jasprit Bumrah bowled decently but couldn’t get the breakthrough. Mohammed Shami and Siraj threatened the edge on a few occasions.
A couple of edges didn’t carry to slips, and one that carries low and fast to Sharma was slipped. There were Ravindra Jadeja got a couple to turn and even beat Burns on the inside edge. But apart from that, it was quite clinical from the England openers.
With a lead of 42 runs already, England is commanding and calling the shots. India will desperately be hoping to turn things around on the second morning.
Brief scores
India 78 (Rohit 19, Anderson 3/6, Craig Overton 3/14) vs England 120/0 (Haseeb Hameed 60*, Rory Burns 52*)
