IND vs ENG 5th Test: In Birmingham, on Friday, India’s game resembled some similar dominance in terms of batting strategy that England exerted during their last test match series against New Zealand.
The game changers, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja steered the visitors to a solid position by adding 222-run together on the scoreboard during the rescheduled fifth test match at Edgbaston.
The heroic performance from the Indian wicketkeeper has not only led his teammates to overjoy the occasion but also India’s coach, Rahul Dravid. He was seen jumping up with his hands aloft when the southpaw achieved his fifth test century and second against England.
The bowlers of team England took a dominant start with India losing many early wickets. The opener, Shubham Gill, took the pavilion route just by scoring 17 runs in the seventh over where he was caught up in the slip.
It didn’t take much time for Pujara to follow Gill when England’s legend, Anderson, made him to nick a delivery bowled outside off following a catch back the wickets area.
Another pacer from the English team, Potts, plucked two wickets one being that of the former Indian skipper. Hanuma Vihari scored 20 runs and he left the crease after he was trapped leg-before with a seaming delivery.
Potts was overwhelmed after he became successful in taking Kohli’s wicket when the latter tried to leave an outside off ball but unfortunately led to an inside edge dislodging the stumps.
Anderson caught Shreyas Iyer (15) behind the stumps in one of the spectacular catches taken by Sam Billings, who jumped to his left and reached the ball right up in the air.
Anderson (3/52) and Potts (2/85) made the Indian team face a great setback. However, it was Rishabh Pant’s 146-run knock that made the visitors keep a challenging game before the hosts. He was joined by his fellow southpaw, Ravindra Jadeja, who remains 83 not out at stumps.
Pant was removed by Joe Root back in the slip. Thakur (1), who came after Pant, returned to the pavilion within no time in 68th over with India losing seven wickets by scoring 323 runs.
At the time of stumps, the visitors scored 338 runs for the loss of seven wickets with Jadeja and Mohammad Shami, who is yet to open an account, remaining at the crease.
