India strike twice after century opening stand

On Sep 6, 2021

India’s bowlers kept coming at England in the opening session of the final day of the fourth Test, chipping away with a pair of wickets to keep the pressure on their hosts in the run chase at The Oval yesterday.

Left-handers Rory Burns and Dawid Malan were the batsmen dismissed as England managed just 54 runs from the 27 overs.

The rather sedate beginning means England need 237 from a possible 63 overs at a rate of 3.76 to get that special win.

Batting continued to be fairly easy in the opening half hour of this final day even though Jasprit Bumrah produced a tight spell.

Umesh Yadav couldn’t quite string deliveries at one batsman while trying to bowl straight with runs coming through the legside when he drifted onto the pads.

The early feeling of control though dissipated in the first Shardul Thakur over. After conceding a boundary that gave Burns his half-century as well as put 100 on England’s board, Thakur produced a special delivery from round the stumps that angled into the left-hander and straightened after pitching to get the edge.

Chief scores

India: 191 and 466

England: 290 and 131/2 at lunch (Haseeb Hameed 62 n.o, Rory Burns 50). (Agencies)