N ANANTHANARAYANAN

SOUTHAMPTON: India’s pace bowlers have extended England’s batting crisis in this Test series, and another sensational start provided by them in the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl could propel the visitors to an improbable series win from 0-2 down.

The stadium is outside Southampton, ringed by trees and open like most England venues where there are no concrete structures. The conditions thus provide plenty for seamers. The pitch played beautifully in the last three hours, as the ball got older.

But India’s pace pack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, had by then done the damage to leave England feeling grateful that young all-rounder Sam Curran (78), recalled into the side, played positively to take the hosts to 246.

India were 19 for no loss at stumps with Shikhar Dhawan (3) and KL Rahul (11) seeing off four overs before play was called off. It gives India a chance to bat England out of the match.

For the first time as India captain, Virat Kohli retained the same eleven. He lost the toss for the fourth time in the series, and when Joe Root elected to bat, it looked like advantage England. But the visitors drove home the momentum they had gained with the big win at Trent Bridge.

India’s pacers had reduced England to 86/6 in less than 35 overs, exploiting swing and seam movement, although it was sometimes far too much for Rishabh Pant, who agonised over the 23 byes he conceded.

Bumrah perhaps delivered the ball of the series, one that nipped back into Keaton Jennings to trap him in front for nought in the first ball of the third over. Fellow opener Alastair Cook battled to 17 (55 balls) but Kohli shut the scoring routes on the off-side, forced him into a half-hearted cut off Hardik Pandya and caught brilliantly at third slip. England were 36/4 in the 18th over.

Root, forced to face the new ball, escaped after India’s review for leg before showed Bumrah