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SPORTS SEPTEMBER 03, 2021 | The Indian Eye 44

indiA in engLAnd series

how precision bowling by english pacers

caused india batting collapse

The fourth Test is very important for India as they lost the third one last week. That loss was

a big setback to the Indian team’s campaign. It was a total collapse

Our Bureau

Kennington Oval

ngland dominated the opening ses-
sion of the fourth Test of the five-
Ematch series at the Kennington Oval
on Thursday as India lost the wickets of Ro-
hit Sharma, KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pu-
jara in quick succession. But India skipper
Virat Kohli on Thursday became the fastest
batsman in the history of the game to regis-
ter 23,000 international runs.
Kohli achieved the feat in the opening
session of the opening day of the fourth Test
against England here at the Oval on Thurs-
day. The Indian skipper took just 490 innings
to register the feat while Sachin Tendulkar
had taken 522 innings to achieve the same
milestone. Former Australia captain Ricky
Ponting had taken 544 innings to score
23,000 international runs. Kohli has been
going through a lean patch of late as he has England's teammates celebrate a wicket during the 4th day of the Third Test Match between England
not registered a single ton in international and India at Emerald Headingley Stadium, in Leeds on Saturday. (ANI Photo)
cricket for 51 innings. He last scored a cen-
tury way back in 2019 against Bangladesh at misjudgement from the Indian batsman as England against India as hosts registered
the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Robinson went very full and Pujara assumed an innings and 76-run win at Headingly and
The fourth Test is very important for In- it’s going to go away from him. England took thereby levelling the five-match series 1-1
dia as they lost the third one last week. That a smart review after a huge appeal and Puja- with two games to go. “It was a very clini-
loss was a big setback to the Indian team’s ra (91) was sent back packing to the pavilion. cal performance. We took advantage of the
campaign. It was a total collapse. Notably, this was for the sixth time in his conditions on day one, thought we bowled
With the score reading 215/2 at the start career, Pujara was dismissed without adding exceptionally well,” Joe Root said in a post-
of the fourth morning, India would have to his overnight score -- the most for India match press conference on Saturday.
hoped to continue the remarkable come- surpassing Rahul Dravid, who had five such “It was almost the perfect storm, every-
back they had started scripting on the third dismissals. thing seemed to fall our way. Perfect little nicks
day of the third Test at Leeds on Friday. But All hopes were now pinned on skipper to the keeper got us off to a great start, it was
it wasn’t to be as the England bowlers came Virat Kohli as he worked his way towards a brilliant bowling performance. We found
out all guns blazing and wrapped the game a fifty. But just when one thought he would our lengths, exploited the wicket really well.
up in the opening session itself to register an build it up into a match-winning knock, he And that opening partnership [Rory Burns
innings and 76-run win and thereby level the edged one to the slip cordon. Robinson was and Haseeb Hameed] to set things up was
five-match series 1-1 with two games to go. the bowler again for England and Joe Root almost a turning point in the game for me.”
The Indian innings folded up for 278 as made no mistakes as Kohli walked back af- “A substantial first-wicket partnership
Ollie Robinson (5/65) was on fire from the ter making 55. was exceptional and credit to those two lads.
word go on Saturday. Craig Overton also This started the beginning of the end for Under the pump off the back of last week,
pitched in with figures of 3/47 and James An- the visitors as Andreson joined the party to come out and perform like that and get
derson picked one to make it 400 wickets on to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane (10). And with us 135-0 was brilliant. Really set the game up
home soil. But the star of the show was Rob- Rishabh Pant (1) once again failing to rise to and gave the rest of us the opportunity to go
inson as he put the hosts off to just the start the challenge against the new Dukes ball, it and make that big first inning score that me
they would have dreamt of as he trapped was all about waiting for the inevitable. and Silvers harp on to you guys about all the
Pujara in front of wickets. It was a complete Joe Root hailed the clinical display of Continued on next page... >>

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