India vs England : 2nd Test Match at Edgbaston ; Day Three :

 

India vs England : 2nd  Test Match at Edgbaston

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

 

 Day Three :

“The Moving Day”

It is well said that the 3^rd day of a test match provides the momentum in the game to switch gears and pushing the match forward…….for this test match it has really pushed open the match at a rapid pace, with India in the driver’s seat.

It was a roller coaster ride for England losing two quick wickets in the morning session with Siraj providing the most vita breakthrough of World test number One Root and the Captain Stokes in consecutive deliveries at the score of 84 runs and Smith arriving to defend the hat trick ball.

Once the morning advantage had gone and the Sun doing its part to make the pitch tighter with ball also losing its shine, Brook and Smith started with fresh guard and made their intentions clear. It was Smith who opened up and played some extra ordinary shots all around the wicket and produced some entertainment for the home team supporters thereby leaving the Indian bowling unit baffled. Brook also looking aggressive belted the bowlers at ease.

Even Shubman Gill trying to shuffle his bowlers lost the rhythm of attacking the batters and went into defensive mode, with even one slip fielder against pace attack. The first session saw some amazing shots by Smith who was harsher on all bowlers and in particularly on Prasidh who with his short balls had given him the opportunity to blast all across. Prasidh ultimately had given away 72 runs in his 13 overs though post lunch he had improved his average but the damage was done. This calls for scrutiny as to why he was considered in the first place after not very impressive performance in the 1^st test match. On the other hand Arshdeep Singh the able pacer is seen carrying drinks during the break.

Smith completed his century before lunch in 80 balls, real display of England Bazz Ball spirit. Scoring over 6 runs an over home team were taking away the advantage from team India who had to swallow the score of 249 for 5 at the end of 47 overs. Post Lunch both the batters played a bit more cautiously and completed their respective hundreds. India still searching for a breakthrough couldn’t stop the run flow and all bowlers including the spinners Washington Sundar, Jadeja were still searching for that wicket. The spinners couldn’t extract any positivity from the tract nor did they could control the run flow. It is still being debated what the best of the Indian spinner is doing in the dressing room. Kuldeep Yadav could have produced the required variability in the bowling section. Runs came at ease and both the batters reached a new mile stone of scoring 150 runs with Smith completing before tea off 144 balls and Brook post tea.

The partnership was going strong when the new ball did its trick. Akaash Deep with a beauty dismissed Brook who had scored 158 runs. Much needed breakthrough definitely had made things lighter for the visitors. The sixth wicket partnership of 303 runs is another record and England was much more comfortable at 387 for 6. Akaash Deep provided another breakthrough with Woakes out in slips.

Then came the magic spell from Siraj who was on fire with the new ball. In quick succession he finished of the English tail and had an impressive figure of 6 wickets for 70 runs. The bowling figures for Akash Deep were 4 wicket for 88 runs. The pacers duo took all the ten wickets in a lifeless wicket by using the new ball effectively yesterday evening and again today evening which turned the tide in favour of India, It seems both have shared the responsibility in absence of India's main attacking bowler Bumrah.

With England all out on 407 runs the lead of 180 runs definitely can be counted as a match winning lead. England losing 5 wickets for 20 runs reminds us of Indian debacle in 1st Test.

The English tail also were at the receiving end today. This is Cricket, the game of glorious uncertainties'.

The story of England with six ducks ( another record for England), two batters             

contributing 342 runs out of 407  runs, contribution of only 20 runs post departure of Brook will definitely haunt Stokes and the team, who were confident of few more runs on the board.

It is getting proved that Bazz ball strategy cannot work in entirety. 

               The silver lining amongst these entire debacles is a mammoth individual score of 184 not out highest by England wicket keeper in Test Cricket and 158 runs by Brook.

Fourth day will be crucial for India as they have lost one wicket of confident and aggressive looking Jaiswal (28 runs of 22 balls) and have now a lead of 244 runs with inform batter KL Rahul at the crease with Karun Nair who has to prove himself in this innings. The onus now is on Indian batters to score a winning total and that too keeping in mind the right time for declaration.

Whether India will declare at 450 runs or 500 runs is to be seen, but definitely for the bowlers to go for a kill, four sessions on 2^nd Innings is what India may be looking for England to chase.

Lot is to be discussed with the performance of bowlers who couldn’t produce any support and also the Captain needs to introspect for the 2^nd innings with an aggressive and strategic mind set to win the game.

Test Match at its best again with chances of results 90% unless the weather which is keeping dry doesn’t plays spoilsports’ or England changes their strategy to play for a draw.

Though honours were shared session by session but It is India with all advantage as on 3^rd day close.