BUTTLER’S BIRTHDAY BASH AT THE OVAL PUTS INDIA IN A BIND
▶ Tourists limp to 174-6 on Day 2 of dead rubber after England batsman helps hosts to recover from 198-7 to 332
Test debutant Hanuman Vihari has been left with the arduous task of dragging India out of the doldrums against England when play resumes at The Oval.
The tourists were left reeling on 174-6 at stumps on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test yesterday in response to England’s 332, with Vihari batting on 25 and Ravindra Jadeja on eight.
The stakes are not that high as England, 158 runs ahead, have an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. But India will be desperate to win in London to end the tour on a relative high.
It was a day of struggle for the visiting batsmen, however, with no one able to kick on after getting good starts.
Captain Virat Kohli, the only consistent batsman in this line-up, top-scored before nicking one to slips off the bowling of Ben Stokes for 49. Opener Lokesh Rahul and one-down Cheteshwar Pujara were both dismissed for 37.
With the other opener Shikhar Dhawan (3), vice captain Ajinkya Rahane (0) and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant (5) getting out cheaply, it was left to Vihari, the 24-year-old middle-order batsman from the southern Indian city of Kakinada, to save the visitors the blushes.
His has been a 50-ball knock thus far, one laced with a six and three fours.
Earlier in the day, Jos Buttler celebrated his 28th birthday with an innings of 89.
The hosts started Day 2 on 198-7 and in real danger of being dismissed for less than 200. But Buttler and Stuart Broad (38) frustrated India with a ninth-wicket stand of 98 as, yet again this series, the side bounced back with the bat after a top-order collapse.
This was the fourth time in five innings that Buttler, recalled to Test duty this season, had been England’s top-scorer.
Alastair Cook, in his final Test appearance before international retirement, made 71 on Friday. But his dismissal sparked a slump that saw England lose six wickets for 48 runs.
Buttler, who had been given out lbw to Mohammed Shami on eight on Friday only for a review to reveal an inside edge, was 11 not out overnight, with Adil Rashid unbeaten on four.
Despite overcast conditions that promised to assist India’s fast bowlers, Rashid was quickly into his stride with two fours off Jasprit Bumrah. But on 15 he fell lbw to Bumrah, with England on 214-8.
New batsman Broad was peppered with short-pitched deliveries but hung in long enough to on-drive Shami down the ground for a textbook four.
Buttler then clipped Ishant Sharma behind square for four to raise a fifty stand with Broad. And Buttler then completed his own fifty in 84 balls, including five fours.
The back-up wicketkeeper followed up by driving Ishant through extra cover for four before Broad’s two off the same bowler brought up the 300.
England scored 106 runs in yesterday’s morning session, with Buttler 63 not out at lunch and Broad 36 not out.
Broad’s innings ended when a soaring mistimed drive off left-arm spinner Jadeja was well caught over his shoulder by a diving Rahul, running back from mid-on. Buttler was last man out when he guided Jadeja to Rahane at slip.
Jadeja, playing his first match of the series after off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was sidelined through injury, had fine figures of 4-79 in 30 overs.
This was the fourth time in five innings that Buttler, recalled to Test duty this season, had been England’s top-scorer