ZCZC
BSP-24
CRICKET-ENG-IND
Record-breaker Anderson seals England’s fifth Test win over India
LONDON, Sept 11, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – James Anderson became the most
successful fast bowler in Test history when he sealed England’s 118-run win
over India at the Oval on Tuesday.
With just one wicket to fall, and Anderson needing one more to break the
record of 563 he had shared with retired Australia great Glenn McGrath, the
36-year-old Lancashire paceman bowled Mohammed Shami to give England victory
in the fifth Test and a 4-1 series win.
India, set a mammoth 464 to win, collapsed to two for three on Monday, with
Anderson striking twice.
But a sixth-wicket partnership of 204 between KL Rahul (149) and Rishabh
Pant (114) on Tuesday gave them hope of an unlikely victory.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, however, removed both century-makers in a burst of
two wickets for three runs in two overs after tea to leave India struggling
at 328 for seven.
The scale of India’s task could be seen from the fact that no side have
made more in the fourth innings to win a Test than the West Indies’ 418 for
seven against Australia at St John’s, Antigua in 2002/03.
India resumed Tuesday on 58 for three. Rahul was 46 not out and Ajinkya
Rahane unbeaten on 10.
All eyes were on Anderson as he bowled Tuesday’s first over, with the
overcast conditions seemingly in his favour.
– Rahul, Pant turn on the style –
Rahul though clipped his sixth delivery of the day legside for four to
complete a fifty — the first by an India opening batsman this series.
But a stand of 118 ended when Rahane (37) miscued a sweep off Moeen Ali to
Keaton Jennings at midwicket.
India’s 120 for four was soon transformed into 121 for five when Ben Stokes
had Test debutant Hanuma Vihari, who made 56 in India’s first innings, caught
behind for a duck.
But Rahul slapped Stokes over extra-cover for six to go into the 90s in
extraordinary fashion before his top-edged pull for four off the all-rounder
took him to 97.
The 26-year-old Rahul then pulled the paceman through mid-off, another
remarkable boundary, to complete his fifth hundred in 29 Tests off 118 balls
including 16 fours and a six.
At lunch he was 108 not out in a total of 167 for five.
Left-hander Pant, who had hit off-spinner Ali for a one-handed six before
lunch, gave Rahul superb support on an increasingly flat pitch as runs flowed
freely.
Anderson came back on for a second spell but could not break through, with
England captain Joe Root’s occasional off-spin also failing to yield a
wicket.
Wicket-keeper Pant, who hoisted Rashid for six to go into the 90s, went to
his maiden Test hundred in just his third match at this level when he
repeated the shot off the Yorkshireman, the ball soaring high over long-on.
The 20-year-old had then faced a mere 117 balls, including 14 fours and
three sixes.
At tea, India were 298 for five, needing 166 more runs to win.
But Rashid, a peripheral figure for much of the series, then took centre
stage.
He turned one sharply out of the rough outside Rahul’s leg-stump to clip
the top of the right-hander’s off-stump.
And his next over saw Pant, going for another big hit, hole out to Ali at
long-off.
Anderson was denied the wicket he craved when diving wicket-keeper Jonny
Bairstow dropped a low left-handed chance to reprieve Ravindra Jadeja.
But Sam Curran struck twice with the new ball when the left-arm paceman had
both Ishant Sharma and Jadeja caught behind to leave India on the brink of
defeat at 345 for nine.
Anderson then gave England the finish they wanted, bowling Shami middle
stump.
England started Tuesday in a commanding position after Alastair Cook, their
all-time leading run-scorer, had marked his last Test before international
retirement with 147 in a total of 423 for eight declared on Monday that also
included Root’s 125.
BSS/AFP/MRI/2330 HRS