ENGLAND CAN’T STOP THE ROT
Curran to the rescue after another woeful top-order collapse
Every run, every class shot and even the perfect way he balanced attack and defence yesterday showed what a rare talent Sam Curran is — and exposed the folly of leaving him out at Trent Bridge. A star is well and truly born.
What a performance this was at the Ageas Bowl from Curran and how england needed it after the latest collapse by the top order in the face of sustained excellence from what must be the best pace attack in India’s history.
Curran’s 78, ended when he attempted to slog ravichandran Ashwin with only Jimmy Ander- son for company, was not enough to give england the score of 300plus they desperately wanted when Joe root won the toss.
But how abject this would have been without the 20- year- old who england dropped from the third Test in ill-judged fashion once they had decided Ben Stokes had to be rushed back against all moral and cricketing sense.
Thank goodness Curran was not damaged by that and thank heavens england saw sense and reintroduced the all-rounder who has been on the winning side in all his three previous Tests.
It seems Curran would have played here even if Chris Woakes had not been ruled out by injury — Stuart Broad may well have made way — and how he justified that in what is probably the last Test to be held in Southampton.
england wanted the variation of Curran’s left-arm swing in this fourth Test more than anything but it was with the bat that the younger of Surrey’s gifted brothers rescued his side from the depths of 86 for six.
At that stage, it already looked certain India would win here and take this series to an Oval decider next week but at least Curran kept england in the hunt by brilliantly lifting them to 246 all out.
Only Curran played positively but not recklessly — the mantra Trevor Bayliss has tried to impose from his first day as coach. And only Curran prospered against a ball that swung prodigiously.
He did receive support from Moeen Ali — also recalled once it was clear Stokes was not fit enough for an all-round role — in a stand of 81 for the seventh wicket and then from Broad in a partnership of 63 for the ninth.
But it was Curran who showed the way, reaching his 50 with a slog-swept six off Ashwin, just as he had done in his man-ofthe-match first-Test display at edgbaston with a six off Ishant Sharma.
In truth, Curran was following in the footsteps of the lower middle- order batsmen who have consistently had to bail england out of trouble in the last couple of years because of the continued fragility of the top four.
It has reached crisis point because it is happening time and again. Indeed, it is now conceivable that england are not only looking for yet another partner for Alastair Cook, but perhaps a replacement for the great man himself.
Surely, Keaton Jennings has now reached the stage where only a second-innings century will save him from a sad end to his second coming as a Test batsman. And that probably means for good.
It was impossible not to feel for Jennings when he was made to look a mug by a quite brilliant inswinger from Jasprit Bumrah that trapped him lbw. But Jennings averages only 17 since he came back into the side for the second Test against Pakistan and does not seem to have worked out how to cope against top quality bowling.
There is still hope for Cook, not least because of the dearth of alternatives, but soon he must decide whether he should end his distinguished career. He is still more likely to jump before he is pushed by an england set-up who continue to believe in him.
Here, Cook looked to be coping well with the pace and swing of Bumrah and his tormentor Ishant Sharma but the end came from a really poor attempted dab outside off stump off Hardik Pandya and a brilliant catch from virat Kohli.
What a difference Bumrah has made since returning from injury in Nottingham and how he deserved the wickets of Jennings and Jonny Bairstow, who was unable to provide top- order solidity on his promotion to No 4.
Sharma, too, was threatening while Mohammed Shami was a willing accomplice as India again relished the Dukes ball and again showed england how to make the most of english conditions.
Not that there was anything wrong with this Ageas Bowl pitch, nor root’s decision to bat. The damage was done to england — not least the out-of-form captain, undone by Sharma — by the skill of the Indian attack.
Sadly, england’s big two of Anderson and Broad were then unable to trouble India’s openers in the four overs left to them — scandalously, seven overs were lost to desultory over rates — when they pitched too short and wide.
They must bowl much better today if england are to stay in this Test.
Otherwise, root will have to quickly throw the ball to Curran to see if he can get them out of another fine mess once again.