JOS BUTTLER HITS 89 AGAINST LUCKLESS INDIA IN 5TH TEST
FIFTH TEST Jos carries out another rescue act before double strikes by Anderson, Stokes deflate India
LONDON:KL Rahul sprinted back from mid-on, eyes glued on the ball over his shoulder to complete Stuart Broad’s catch off Ravindra Jadeja. He then held up one finger of his left hand and three of his right to point out it was his 13th catch — the most taken in a Test series in England.
But the numbers that matter for an opener have been hard to get. Though Rahul tried to bat positively after falling to in-coming deliveries, he fell on 37 — one run better than his best in eight previous innings. Left-arm seamer Sam Curran, the Surrey all-rounder playing at The Oval, his home turf, got one to swing and seam to hit Rahul’s offstump.
It gradually opened up India’s innings. And once skipper Virat Kohli (49) edged a drive off Ben Stokes to second slip, soon after exchanging words with him — the all-rounder also got Rishabh Pant (5) in similar fashion. The visitors were 174/6 at close, still 158 behind England’s robust first innings 332 on Day 2 of the fifth Test on Saturday.
James Anderson complained about the original ball — it didn’t swing — and confronted umpire Kumar Dharmasena for turning down a close leg before appeal against Kohli, the one wicket he has sought all series. A review showed impact to be marginally in line with the off-stump, umpire’s call. Dharmasena got skipper Joe Root involved.
But Anderson, angling for Glenn McGrath’s 563 scalps — most Test wickets for a pacer — got the replacement ball to talk after tea. The in-form Cheteshwar Pujara (37), playing beautifully until then, was furious to be sucked into nicking one that moved away late. Ajinkya Rahane (0) gave a regulation slip catch. Kohli batted with debutant Hanuma Vihari (25 batting), who was first clueless, then got a leg before decision against Broad reversed, and top-edged Stokes for six and four. He was batting with Jadeja (8 no).
India bowlers have a history of letting tail-enders off the hook. But the series stands 3-1 in England’s favour because India’s lower order hasn’t fought back. Ben Stokes and Curran have contributed with bat and ball, or with gloves and bat in Jos Buttler’s case. Buttler, enjoying a Test revival post IPL 2018, hit another 89 — 10th fifty overall to go with a century and fifty in the series — to turn the innings around from 198/7. Ishant, Bumrah and Shami looked tired after long spells overnight and pitched the second new ball a bit short and didn’t cash in on early seam movement. Buttler’s 98-run ninth-wicket partnership with Broad (38) helped England score 106 runs in the morning.