Finally, we had a real contest between bat and ball in the series, and the enchanting final session of play means that we may well get to see a result in this match. Cricket fans don’t like it anymore when Test matches are drawn. Cricket is as much an entertainment as a sport, and so cricketers have to play for the TV audience watching at home as well, especially with Test cricket losing popularity so quickly with the advent of Twenty20. So there is a great pressure on all teams to keep the scoreboard moving and to push for a result.
As Gary Ballance and Sam Robson resumed their overnight innings, and batted through till lunch, it seemed almost certain that things would peter out to a draw, with neither the pitch offering any assistance and nor the Indian pacers having the zip and the pace to make a difference. Things changed dramatically after lunch as the long haired Ishant Sharma produced one of the best spells of his so far disappointing career. It was seven years ago in Sydney, when Ishant Sharma, then only 18-years old, announced his arrival at the international scene with a terrific spell of quick bowling which had the great Ricky Ponting, one of the best players of fast bowling, searching for answers. Since then, Ishant has promised much, but delivered little, and is often subjected to ridicule by Indian fans.
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But this was Ishant’s day. In a spell that lasted for 7 overs, he had both Robson and Ballance trapped leg before and had Bell nicking a terrific bouncer to the wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. It was display of fast bowling at its best and meanest. Indians came alive after that as Bhuneshvar Kumar started picking up wickets as well, and ended up with 4 of them by the end of the day’s play, including the wickets of Matt Prior – caught behind by Dhoni in a dodgy decision and that of Ben Stokes for a duck.
Stuart Broad walked in when England suddenly found themselves in a spot of bother. Joe Root was the other batsman at the crease. The English innings was tottering at 202 for 7, with England in danger of being forced to follow on. It is on such occasions that the batsman in Stuart Broad comes out, as he launched a fantastic counter attack against the Indian bowlers, who were on a high. Broad and Root put up a quick 78 runs for the eighth wicket, before Broad was trapped leg before wicket by Kumar. Broad walked back to a disappointed crowd. He had made a brilliant 47 off just 42 balls by then.
Plunkett didn’t last long, but Jimmy Anderson decided to fight it out, and give it back to the Indians, hitting 5 fours to huge cheers from the crowd. Root played a solid, responsible knock, protected Anderson when he needed to and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Anderson and Root put up 52 unbeaten runs for the last wicket, taking England to a respectable score of 352 for 9, setting up the stage for what promises to be an exciting day tomorrow. As of now, all three results are possible: Indian win – very likely, an England win – unlikely, but possible and a draw – pretty much on the cards. But a lot depends on the pace bowlers for both teams.
