ZCZC
BSP-19
CRICKET-ENG-IND LEAD
Ton-up Kohli piles on the agony for England in 3rd Test
NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom, Aug 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – India captain Virat
Kohli succeeded where he had narrowly failed in the first innings by scoring
a century to underline his side’s dominant position on the third day of the
third Test against England at Trent Bridge on Monday.
Kohli, who made 97 in India’s first-innings 329, was still on his tea
score of 93 not out when his edged drive off an outswinger from James
Anderson, armed with the new ball, burst through Keaton Jennings’s hands in
the gully.
It was the latest dropped catch in the cordon by England this match and
Anderson, whose duels with star batsman Kohli have been a feature of this
series, put his head to his hands in evident despair after the ball went for
four.
Next ball, Kohli edged Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-
taker, just short of Alastair Cook at first slip.
There was to be no denying Kohli his century and an edged boundary off
Chris Woakes, his 10th four from 191 balls faced in nearly five hours at the
crease, saw him to a 23rd Test hundred.
It was also his second in three matches after making 149 — his maiden
Test century in England — in the series-opener at Edgbaston.
But having got to the landmark, Kohli was out shortly afterwards when he
missed a legside flick against all-rounder Woakes and was lbw for 103.
His exit left India 261 for four in their second innings, with a colossal
lead of 449 runs as they sought a victory that would reduce England’s lead in
the five-match contest to 2-1.
England needed to set a new all-time record if they were to achieve an
improbable triumph as the most any side have made in the fourth innings to
win a Test is West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s,
Antigua, in 2003.
India resumed Monday on 124 for two, already 292 runs in front, with
Cheteshwar Pujara 33 not out and Kohli unbeaten on eight.
With three days still left to play, India could dictate the course of the
game after skittling England out for 161, with Hardik Pandya taking a
stunning five for 28 in six overs on Sunday.
While conditions offered a degree of assistance to swing bowlers on
Sunday, they could not explain England’s latest in a long line of batting
collapses.
Having been 54 for none, they lost nine wickets for 74 runs and only
avoided the follow-on thanks to Jos Buttler’s 39.
England lost all 10 of their wickets inside a session — the third time
that had happened since 2016.
And a score of 86 for four meant that in their past 61 Test innings,
England had lost their fourth wicket having scored 100 runs or fewer on 30
occasions.
Another longstanding problem for England has been their slip catching and
they floored their fifth chance in the cordon this match when Buttler, a
wicket-keeper by trade, moved late at second slip before grassing a low,
left-handed chance after Pujara, on 40, edged Anderson.
– Bairstow injury –
To make matters worse for England, wicket-keeper and leading batsman Jonny
Bairstow suffered a finger injury after failing to gather a swinging Anderson
delivery.
He writhed in agony and then walked off, with an x-ray later revealing a
small fracture to his left middle finger.
Bairstow was, however, expected to be able to bat if required.
England one-day gloveman Buttler, who was a wicket-keeper early in his
Test career, took over behind the stumps.
India got through the morning session without losing a wicket to be 194
for two at lunch.
It wasn’t until Monday’s 41st over that England had their first success of
the day, with the recalled Ben Stokes getting Pujara to edge a routine chance
to Cook.
Pujara faced 208 balls, with 19 fours and helped Kohli add 113 for the
third wicket.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 2226 hrs