Another India lower-order collapse left England with a realistic chance of a spectacular victory in the first Test at Headingley on Monday, day four handing the hosts 21-0 in their second innings at the close, 371 to win.
Then on seeing off the licking Indian tail Josh Tongue stood up as he did in the very first innings, with three wickets in four balls to make sure that the tourists went from 236-4 to 267 all out, losing their last six second-innings wickets for 31 runs.
India went all out for 364 in the collapse and gave the host Jasprit Bumrah the opportunity to send a few England batters back before the first break, but neither opener, Zak Crawley neither Ben Duckett, appeared to be in trouble as they stayed put against the Indian attack till the close of play.
371 would be England’s second-highest successful Test chase against India, and one of the highest at Headingley, above the Ben Stokes-inspired heroics on the same ground against Australia in 2019.
Well done Ducky and Zak to get them all out and not lose a wicket in the last half hour, noteasy to do.
I thought we batted well the first session, unlucky. The message was to take the field very aggressively. In the second session, that went flat. We just had to stay patient.”
India captain Shubman Gill had made his highest Test score in the first innings but went for eight when he chopped onto his stumps to give Brydon Carse a second wicket as the hosts resumed on day four on 90-2 in their second innings but 96 runs ahead.
After fighting their way back into the test on Sunday, England seized an opportunity but momentum soon swung back India’s way through Rishabh Pant’s 195-run stand with KL Rahul.
Pant, who is ordinarily box-office, started his innings in a very measured manner, content to sit back and watch at the other end as Rahul eased his way to three figures — his ninth in Tests, eight away from home.
But after lunch, Pant sped up and unleashed his usual flamboyant shots to all corners of the ground, and his hundred meant there were five India centurions in a single test for the first time.
Highlights
However, Pant finally went for one shot too many, after being caught trying to hit another six down the boundary off Crawley for 118, before Rahul fell shortly after the tea break for 137, again chopping onto his stumps off the bowling of Carse.
This was followed by the collapse inspired by Tongue, who took three scalps, and the catch that ushered in the end of India’s innings, with the tourists falling apart once more, and losing their last six first-innings wickets for 24 runs.
Bumrah, the world’s number one Test bowler who claimed five wickets in the first innings, was swiftly into the attack but found much less joy, Crawley unbeaten on 12 as Duckett fell for nine in a tantalising Tuesday for the scoreboard.
On the final day, England’s chances are all uphill and there is only a glimmer of hope. India have lost only one out of 59 tests in which they have defended totals of over 350 However, that was in 2022 against England.
Rahul said: “Someone has to win tomorrow and whatever it is going to be, it is going to be interesting.
“It is not the same wicket as the first innings, they won’t have it so easy hitting the ball on the rise. They’re not going to run away with it, [and] if we take couple of wickets I reckon we’re right in the game.”