5th Test, Day 2: England in complete command in final Test by Andy Jalil

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Scorecard:	England v India
Event:	India in England 2014

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DateLine: 16th August 2014

 

By Andy Jalil at Kia Oval In association with INVESTEC

 

Andy Jalil at Kia Oval In association with INVESTEC cricketarchive.com, pcboard.com.pk © Andy Jalil

 

London – A brilliant unbeaten innings of 92 in the latter part of the day by Joe Root saw England to a daunting first innings lead 237 having reached 385 for 7 at stumps. Along with Chris Jordan he put on 67 in an unbroken eighth wicket stand. It will put enormous pressure on India in their second innings to build a large enough total to make England bat again. With their recent inept batting it will now be a major task for India to save the match. It is a matter of time, depending on the weather, for England to wrap it up and take the series 3-1.

 

After failing to break the England opening stand during the hour-and-a-half on the previous evening, it took India less than two overs on the second morning to remove Sam Robson for an addition of four runs. That was to be the only wicket that India bowlers were to get until halfway through the second session. During that period, Alastair Cook who was 24 overnight and Gary Ballance took complete charge.

 

Having got into form eventually after a prolonged lean period of low scores during which his captaincy too was heavily criticised with England suffering defeats, Cook has put together three big scores in his last four innings. Following 95 and 70 not out in the third Test and 17 in the fourth, he hit 79, his 38th Test half century, albeit with some luck towards the end of his innings.

 

Resuming on the overnight score of 62 without loss, England would have hoped for a big enough total which would suffice with batting just once after India’s first innings was wound up for a paltry 148. With a view to building the innings Cook became watchful as he gradually picked up runs. At one stage he faced 40 balls without scoring until he pulled Ishant Sharma for four to take his score to 42. The fifty of his stand with Ballance followed and his fifty then came from 125 balls.

 

At lunch England were level with India’s total and with nine wickets still standing. Ballance had moved on to 40 having scored more rapidly, from 66 balls, while Cook was on 56 from 140. The hundred runs of their partnership followed and Ballance brought up his third Test half century with an upper cut over the slips off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

 

Soon after that Cook enjoyed a bit of luck. He was dropped by Murali Vijay at first slip two balls after he had cut him for four to take his score to 65, Varun Aaran was the suffering bowler. He escaped a second time on 71 when a thick edge off the back foot went to Ajinkya Rahane who, also at slip, dropped the catch. This time Ravichandaran Ashwin was the bowler.

 

Cook’s luck finally ran out on 79 which was patiently compiled in over four hours. Aaron got the wicket with Vijay at first slip not making a mistake the second time as he ended the 125-run stand. Ten runs later England were 201 for three with Ballance, on 64 from 117 balls, playing forward to Ashwin and giving a catch off the face of the bat into the hands of silly mid-off.

 

With Ian Bell edging behind a ball that bounced a little and moved away, off Sharma, England were 204 for four. Ashwin then picked up Moeen Ali’s wicket and with that England had lost four wickets for 38 in eleven overs and their hopes of a big first innings total appeared to be fading but Root and Jos Buttler had other ideas.

 

They put on 80 with Buttler hitting 45 before being held off Sharma. Nine runs later the seventh wicket fell with England on 318. Root kept the scoreboard moving and lifted Kumar for six over backward square leg before reaching his eighth Test half century and then kept piling on the runs.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2014 Andy Jalil)