Thursday, 28 Mar, 2024

Sports

Indian Princess in English Safari Sprinted Till the Last

17 |
Update: 2018-09-12 09:32:04
Indian Princess in English Safari Sprinted Till the Last Photo: collected

England Vs India Test Series 5th Test Played at Oval, London 

England 332 (Jos Buttler 89, Alastair Cook 71, Moeen Ali 50, R Jadeja 4/29) and 423/8 declared (Alastair Cook 147, Joe Root 125, Vihari 3/37) beat India 292 (Jadeja 86*, Vihari 56, Moeen 2/50) and 345 (K Rahul 149, R Pant 114, Anderson 3/45) by 118 runs

England won the series 4-1

A very strong and well balanced Indian team came to England with high hopes of tormenting England for the first time ever in a test series. They possessed without doubt the best batting combination with the Virat Kohli leading from the front. But it was their batting which let them down losing the first two tests in bizarre fashion. Off course on the teasing and testing condition (overcast condition and green top wickets) against the best bowling combination of Anderson and Broad no contemporary team could perform better. But the Indians brilliantly fought back winning the third test and going very close of winning the fourth. But English team prevailed. 

The last test at Oval started with England already wrapping up the series 3-1. After three innings India was up against a huge 464 runs target chasing on the final innings of the last test. India went about chasing the improbable milestone achievement. Till last session on the last day they were in the contest with Rahul and Pant playing brilliantly with two top quality hundreds. But once they got separated English pacers wrapped up the Indian Innings. India lost the series 4-1 .But the margin would never tell the true story of the fascinating contest the series witnessed. 

One of the great batsmen of the modern era Alastair Cook left the scene playing two wonderful innings in the test and most importantly a brilliant hundred in his last innings. Great English swing master Jimmy Anderson went past another all time great Glen McGrath with the last ball of the series. England remained unbeaten in the bilateral test series in England since 2014. I am sure such contest will keep test cricket alive and admirers would support test cricket with the presence for cheering. 

The series was the swansong of one of the great cricketer of the modern day cricket. Alistair Cook signed off with a brilliant century in his very last innings. The great swing king Jimmy Anderson stormed past another great Glen McGrath with the very last ball of the series.  

The world cricket will never see again Cook cooking curries in the slip cordon with two greats Anderson and Broad hunting in pairs. Cook dropped a few as well. When test is played with two top dogs producing high quality cricket on very testing surfaces it becomes a viewers delight. While looking at the end result people would get dodged not knowing about the quality of the contest.

Great bowlers of modern day cricket were up against great batsmen. England were better equipped with quality batsmen and horses for the courses .India had lesser number of quality batsmen adapting to conditions on swinging surfaces against very potent English attack .Otherwise it was precious little to choose between the sides .

The manner in which England pulverized India in the first two tests it seemed that India would get white washed in a lopsided one way traffic. But determined Kohli squad brilliantly bounced back with vengeance in the third test and for a greater part of the fourth test looked like winning and squaring the series. But Moeen Ali the English spinner out had shown Indian spinners paying back on their own coin. We have seen how fascinating the contest was on the last day of the last test. Test cricket will definitely get back its glorious crowd pulling attraction if such series are played with either team having possibilities of win every test.

England had already wrapped up the series before England met India for the last test of the fascinating English summer at Oval. Batting first England had to bat to the best of their skills against quality pace and spin combination of Indian attack. J Buttler produced an excellent fighting innings of 89 while Cook playing his last test of his illustrious career was looking fresh as ever played the anchor role with a patient 71. Bumrah (3/83), Sharma 3/62 kept English batsmen honest. 

However Jadeja with his left arm spin was the peak of the Indian bowling with 4/79. India in response was in great trouble while encountering a very balanced English attack. They were looking like conceding a huge first innings lead till Jadeja and Vihari combined to a brave partnership inching India close to English first Innings. Jadeja remained unbeaten with well compiled 86 while Vihari growing in confidence with every innings produced 56. India went as far as 292 all out conceding a lead of 40. 

However, excellent batting of Alastair Cook in his last test innings (147) and Root 125 led England declaring at 423/8 setting an improbable target of 464 on a wearing wicket. Many teams while trailing 3-1 already in the series would have put their hands up and surrender. Especially after a long tiring English summer it was very difficult to concentrate. 

England made early inroads with Dhawan, Pujara, Kohli Rahane and Vihari going back with only 121 on board. Rahul was seen ploughing in the sand when young wicket keeper batsman Rishabh Pant walked in. These two walked on a purple path and at tea it looked like a nail biting photo finish was to be staged. The pair produced an excellent 204 sixth wicket partnership. 

At tea all four results were possible. But English bowlers struck. As soon as the epic partnership got broken and new ball was taken one of the greatest pace bowlers of all times Jimmy Anderson wrecked the Indian innings. His wicket of Sami with the last ball of the last test took him past the other great Glenn McGrath. Now only Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan are in front. Anderson has two to three years cricket still ahead of him to add to his tally. McGrath has already declared it won’t be possible for any modern day fast bowler eclipse the milestone that Jimmy set given the amount of work loads modern day cricketers shoulder.

It was a great series win by England. But India also produced great cricket. Indian bowlers Bumrah, Sharma, Sami bowled much better in England than ever before. Kohli, Pujara, Rahul, Pant, Vihari batted well. But against a very lethal English attack on their condition no other visiting team could reach the height that was only possible once the great great team of Sir Donald Bradman achieved. 

BDST: 0930 HRS, SEPT 12, 2018
SI

All rights reserved. Sale, redistribution or reproduction of information/photos/illustrations/video/audio contents on this website in any form without prior permission from banglanews24.com are strictly prohibited and liable to legal action.