Bumrah sizzles as ruthless India demolishes England, goes 2-1 up

England was bowled out for 210 on Day Five as India beat England by 157 in the fourth Test at the Oval.

Published : Sep 06, 2021 22:01 IST

Memorable win: Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane celebrate India's win at the Oval. - AP
Memorable win: Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane celebrate India's win at the Oval. - AP
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Memorable win: Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane celebrate India's win at the Oval. - AP

Standing in a circle with the rest of his team, Virat Kohli jumped for joy when England’s latest batting collapse was sealed by a video review and another remarkable day-five victory for India was clinched.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

India took a 2-1 lead with one Test left in a riveting series, beating England by 157 runs on Monday after the home side collapsed to 210 all out at the Oval.

Set a record 368 to win, England went from 100 for 0 midway through the first session to getting bowled out 40 minutes after tea, sparking wild celebrations among India's players — particularly Kohli — and fans inside the south London venue.

Avoiding defeat in the final Test at Old Trafford starting on Friday would see India win a Test series in England for just the fourth time, after 1971, 1986 and 2007.

HIGHLIGHTS - ENG v IND, 4th TEST, DAY 5

On a day when almost everything went right for Kohli, who was hyperactive in the field, always in the ear of the umpires, and taunted England supporters at times, Jasprit Bumrah proved the star turn for the tourists. Bumrah's inspired spell of pace bowling (2 for 6 off six overs) brought about the middle-order meltdown from 141 for 2 to 147 for 6 in a game-changing 36-ball span.

Bumrah bowled Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow in that spell, generating swing on a flat, docile pitch that no other fast bowler in the Test match could do.

ALSO READ - India registers first Test win at Oval after 50 years

“It was a brilliant spell of bowling from Bumrah,” England captain Joe Root said. "That really was the turning point in the game.

“That was world-class bowling,” Root added. “He saw an opportunity in the game and performed really well.”

 

Bumrah finished with figures of 2 for 27 off 22 overs, that spell after lunch turning a match that appeared to be heading for a draw into an inevitable win for the Indians. It was clinched when Umesh Jadav got an edge behind off Jimmy Anderson (2). Kohli sprinted to the middle and roared in delight. Anderson asked for a review, and when a spike showed on UltraEdge, Kohli and his players really could celebrate.

India's other victory in the series — in the second Test at Lord's — was also sealed in the final session on day five after an English batting collapse and Root's side is going to have to pick itself up for another Test starting in just four days.

bairstow
Jonny Bairstow is dismissed bowled by Bumrah. - GETTY IMAGES
 

There will have been some tired bodies in England's dressing room, not least Anderson and Ollie Robinson who have played in all four Tests in a depleted attack shorn of Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Olly Stone and allrounder Ben Stokes.

Stokes' 135 not out inspired England's previous highest run chase in Test cricket, knocking over 359 to beat Australia at Headingley in 2019.

Even more was needed on Monday, but India's bowling was just too good.

 

“It is definitely among the top three bowling performances I have witnessed as a captain,” Kohli said.

“It's absolutely a great momentum-booster, because we have been here for a long time,” he added. “It gives us more motivation to go out there and try to win the next one as well. We have everything that we need to win — the belief, the team.”

England started the day under a bright sky and on 77 for 0, requiring 291 more runs to set a new national record. All three results were open but it was clear from the reduced rate of scoring by lunch that a rearguard effort was going to be required.

Rory Burns (50) was the first batsman to depart, one ball after both reaching his half-century and bringing up the 100-run partnership for the first wicket, when he edged behind Shardul Thakur.

And Dawid Malan's run-out for 5, misguidedly attempting a quick single with Haseeb Hameed, stalled any England ambitions before that half-hour period when the game went away from them.

The departure of Hameed started the collapse — the opener was bowled by offspinner Ravindra Jadeja for 63 — and then Bumrah took over.

Bowling at speeds of 90 mph (144 kph) and often taking the pitch out of the equation with his yorkers, he sent one through the gate of Pope (2) before his best yorker of the lot splattered Bairstow's stumps.

Moeen Ali joined Bairstow in getting a duck and then came the big wicket of Root (36), who played on from a loosener outside off stump by Thakur.

That made it 182 for 7 and the end was nigh for England.

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