India have taken a 2-1 lead in the four-match series with a 157-run win over England in the fourth Test at The Oval.
England resumed Day 5 on 77/0. They needed another 291 to complete a record chase on home soil. It was a flat wicket, but the Indian bowlers produced an excellent show altogether to complete turnaround.
Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns had seen off 32 overs of the new ball on Day 4. That gave England some hope. Their previous highest successful chase, 362, had come against Australia in the 2019 Ashes, at Headingley, where Ben Stokes played a once-in-a-lifetime knock. Unfortunately, he was not here this time.
Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah targeted the stumps from the very beginning on Day 5, but Hameed and Burns were equal to it. Virat Kohli made the first bowling change of the session in the 41st over, bringing in Shardul Thakur to replace Umesh. The move paid off immediately, as Burns nicked Shardul to Rishabh Pant after bringing up his fifty.
Dawid Malan and Hameed were in all sorts of trouble against Ravindra Jadeja. Malan survived on umpire’s call after the on-field umpire gave him not out when he left one that landed on the rough and was hit on the pad. An amateurish mix-up an excellent throw by substitute fielder Mayank Agarwal from cover sent Malan back. England added 54 and lost two wickets before lunch.
The belief of winning it from there was still alive among English fans. They needed 237 in a maximum of 63 overs, which meant the asking rate was 3.76.
The first ball after lunch saw Joe Root play a reverse sweep off Jadeja’s full toss for four. It was perhaps the only moment in the entire session in the England camp to cherish. Jadeja then triggered a collapse, by cleaning up Hameed, who lasted 193 balls for his 63.
Jasprit Bumrah then joined hands with Jadeja, and deposed Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow in successive overs to shatter English fans’ hopes. Jadeja got Moeen Ali in the next over to put an Indian defeat out of the equation as England slipped from 141/2 to 147/6 in no time.
The match was still not over, as Root was still in the middle. But India took complete control right after the 80th over of England’s innings. Kohli did not opt for the second new ball immediately, and asked Shardul Thakur to have a go instead. Root dragged on Shardul’s first ball, a loosener, to the stumps: the Indian fans at The Oval leapt in joy.
Inspired? Fortunate? Perhaps. But whatever Kohli touched on Day 5 seemed to turn to gold.
The taste of the tea for England worsened after the departure of Chris Woakes to the last ball of the session. Kohli set him up well, with two catchers close on the leg side. Woakes clipped Umesh off the legs, and Ajinkya Rahane took a sharp, low catch at short mid wicket.
It was a disastrous session for England, who lost six wickets for 62 during this period.
Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson did well after the break, forcing India to take the second new ball. Umesh provided the damage instantly, first dismissing Overton, then James Anderson, to seal their second victory in the Test cricket at this venue.
The two teams will now move to Manchester for the fifth and the final Test of the series, starting 10 September.
Brief Scores: India 191 (Shardul Thakur 50; Chris Woakes 4-45) and 476 (Rohit Sharma 127; Chris Woakes 3-83) beat England 290 (Ollie Pope 81; Umesh Yadav 3-76) and 210 (Haseeb Hameed 63; Umesh Yadav 3-60). Player of the Match: Rohit Sharma.