PANT AND DECKED
Rishabh rips the series away from England... despite Stokes’ heroics
ENGLAND’S chickens came home to roost as their heroic attempts to snatch a final Test win were left in tatters by their own mistakes and the brilliance of Rishabh Pant.
Even though Ben Stokes ran through a metaphorical brick wall for the side in a new role as an opening bowler...
Even though James Anderson claimed three scalps, including his 900th international wicket, in another masterful display...
And even though Virat Kohli was dismissed for an eight-ball duck and India were reduced to 146-6, England still found themselves way behind for the third game in a row.
Spooked by the pitch in the third Test, their team selection here has gone the other way and left them horribly exposed.
With Dom Bess struggling badly, and Joe
Root showing why he is a part-time spin bowler, they are effectively trying to take 20 wickets with a hard-working, three-man attack.
And they simply didn’t put enough runs on the board in their own first innings to make things even tougher for an Indian side who are rather good to watch.
At least this game will go into a third day, but as it does England will have had time to sleep on a second day in which they threw their very best at India, and for the most part it was exceptional, only to have something even better come back at them in the shape of Pant.
Pant’s third Test hundred was captivating and absorbing and was crafted in a not too dissimilar way to Stokes’ Ashes Headingley opus.
Patient and cautious to begin with, trying to dig his side out of a bit of bother at 80-4, before expanding his attacking game as the opposition grew weary, before finishing with a flurry of more and more outrageous strokeplay.
His reverse sweep shot over the slips off Anderson with the second new ball was bravado of the best kind.
Stokes the batsman could surely have appreciated the skill and entertainment provided by the 23-year-old, even if Stokes the bowler was sick of it.
Of course Stokes (left) had actually been sick over the previous few days so England couldn’t be sure that he would be able to bowl the 20 overs he managed in the searing heat that topped 41 degrees.
The vice-captain loves a challenge though, and after two relatively quiet games by his standards, he roared into life by getting Kohli with a short ball that he followed and edged behind.
Rohit Sharma was trapped lbw by Stokes for 49 with a big inswinger and the muscular all-rounder just kept on coming, prompting former team-mate Graeme Swann to say on commentary: “Stokes has put in a gargantuan effort for his side.
“He was on his haunches at times, being given electrolytes and all sorts to keep him going a bit longer.
“He’s been up against it with illness and yet he keeps going.
“He’s been pushed to his limits, he’s put in a massive effort for his team and he’s playing the superman role once again in this Test match.”