Jadeja's hard-fought fifty, resistance by tailenders keeps alive India's hopes in Third Test

India Gazette

a day ago

London [UK], July 14 (ANI): Stubborn resistance from Indian tailenders and a fighting half-century from Ravindra Jadeja has kept India's hopes alive third Test against England at Lord's with the visitors needing 30 runs to win but with only one wicket in hand.
At Tea, India was 163/9, with Mohammed Siraj (2*) and Jadeja (56*) unbeaten with an interesting struggle on between the bat and the ball.
India started the first session at 58/4, with KL Rahul (33*) joined by Rishabh Pant.
Rishabh did start with two boundaries against Jofra Archer, but the fired up pacer cleaned up Pant's stumps for just nine runs in a game-changing moment. India was reduced to 71/5 and needed 122 to win with half their side gone.
Skipper Ben Stokes arrived with a ball in hand during the 24th over and produced another miracle. He managed to take down KL Rahul, trapping him leg-before-wicket with a massive nip-backer. Rahul wanted to block, but his bat got stuck in the pad and could not come across the line of the ball. Stokes took a review, and it proved to be a success, sending back KL for 39 in 58 balls, with six fours. India was 81/6, with Stokes having his second scalp.
India continued to crumble, as Washington Sundar's stay at the crease lasted just four balls and yielded no runs. Archer's superb reflexes came in clutch as he stretched out his right hand to take a brilliant catch to get his third wicket. India was 82/7.
The all-rounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy fought hard, taking the team to 100-run mark in 32 overs.
The partnership of hope between Jadeja and Nitish lasted for just 30 runs, as Woakes cleaned up Nitish for 13 runs, with the batter edging the delivery to Jamie. India was 112/8, and lunch was taken.
As the session resumed, Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah continued their grind, with Bumrah even pulling out a surprise pull shot for a crisp four. Jadeja also cut the deficit further with a slog over midwicket for six runs, pushing their partnership into the 20s.
The deficit went below 50 runs, to 48, courtesy of four runs off byes delivered by spinner Shoaib Bashir. The resilient partnership crossed the 30-run mark as well.
Their partnership ended, with Bumrah skying one in the air, being removed by skipper Stokes for five in 54 balls. Substitute Sam Cook took the catch. India was nine down for 147 runs, ending a 35-run stand.
India reached the 150-run mark in 64.4 overs. Jadeja continued the fight for India, with a four greeted by a huge roar from the crowd as the deficit was reduced to 39 runs. An outside edge went straight to the boundary, bringing up Jadeja his fourth-successive fifty, this one in 150 balls, with four boundaries and a six. However, no sword celebration came out this time around, with the enormity of the task at hand known to him.
Siraj and Jadeja took India through the session without any loss.
Earlier, India ended the fourth day at 58/4, with Rahul unscathed at 33*.
The fourth day started with England at 2/0 during their second innings, with both their openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, present.
Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah were breathing fire on the pitch that had unpredictable, bounce, with Siraj getting Duckett (12) and Ollie Pope (4) for poor scores, reducing England to 42/2. Crawley's struggle-filled 22 in 49 balls was finally ended by Nitish, who produced a brilliant ball to get him caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully. England were tottering at 50/3.
Joe Root and Harry Brook tried to form a partnership that could serve as a foundation for something big, but Brook was cleaned up behind his legs for a quickfire 23 in 19 balls, with four boundaries and a six. England was 87/4.
Skipper Stokes and Root took their team beyond the 100 and 150 run marks, stitching a partnership that could have helped them easily give a target of 200 or more to India. However, skipper Shubman Gill's tactic of introducing Sundar to the attack paid off, as he quickly removed Root (40 in 96 balls, with one four), ending a 67-run fifth wicket stand and cleaned up Jamie Smith (8), and Stokes (33 in 96 balls, with three fours), pushing England to 181/7.
Bumrah got the fruits of his perseverance as he got wickets of Brydon Carse (1) and Chris Woakes (10) quickly. It was only fitting that Sundar, who turned the tides in India's favour got the final wicket of Archer, bundling down England for just 192 runs. India needed 193 runs to win, with very little separating these two ultra-competitive sides.
Sundar (4/22) was the pick of the bowlers for India, while Bumrah (2/38) and Siraj (2/31) also impressed. Akash and Nitish Kumar's one-wicket also made it to the charts.
Chasing 193 runs, India was off to a poor start as an uncontrolled pull attempt by Yashasvi Jaiswal removed him for a seven--ball duck, with Archer getting better of him for the second time in the match. India was 5/1.
KL was joined by Karun Nair. While Rahul looked in fluent touch with some boundaries to his name, a poor leave by Karun got him removed by Carse for just 14, reducing India to 41/2. Carse continued to torment Indian batters, removing skipper Gill (6) after troubling him with his line and length for a while, while the nightwatchman Akash Deep's stumps were sent out for a toss by Stokes, ending India's day at a psychological disadvantage for the hosts.
Brief Scores: England: 387 and 192 (Joe Root 40, Ben Stokes 33, Washington Sundar 4/22) and India: 387 and 163/9 (Ravindra Jadeja 56*, KL Rahul 39, Ben Stokes 3/48). (ANI)