England reeling as Kohli century drives India ahead
The morning queues stretched three blocks from the Wankhede Stadium to Churchgate Station as Mumbaikars turned out in the hope of a special performance from Virat Kohli.
It was a sense of anticipation in India not seen since the days of Sachin Tendulkar and many will later say “I was there” as Kohli, like all great players, seized the moment and delivered a brilliant century of calculated risk and reward that left England crumbling more alarmingly than the Wankhede pitch. Mumbai is the Maximum City, where life is lived fast, but this was a classically paced Test match innings from Kohli, whose unbeaten 147 pushed India to 451 for seven, a lead of 51 over a weary England.
By the end of the day England looked beaten and Kohli was having the last laugh. When Alastair Cook tried to review a catch off Jayant Yadav down the leg side, it was a gleeful Kohli who, standing next to the umpire, told him his team were out of referrals. Just to add to England’s pain, snicko proved Yadav was out. It was the final slap in the face. Kohli has now scored two centuries and 552 runs in the series at an average of 138. He averaged only 20.12 against England before this tour but his drive and ambition have dominated this team and scrambled English minds.
Cook’s team are lopsided — as vicecaptain Joe Root admitted afterwards — with too many seamers, after England misread the pitch again. This is Cook’s third Test in Mumbai, and his two previous matches were won by spinners (Swann and Panesar in 2012 and Shaun Udal in 2006) so you would think he would know better. But it is doubtful whether Gareth Batty or Liam Dawson would have made any difference. England just do not have the spinbowling resources to pick three good enough to play against batsmen like Kohli.
Instead it left Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali to twirl away almost constantly on a stinking hot Mumbai Saturday.
England’s four seamers bowled just 24 overs in the day, basically the work of two men, with Chris Woakes and James Anderson passengers for most of the play.
Instead Rashid and Moeen have bowled 89 overs in the innings. They cannot be faulted for effort or commitment but, on a slow-turning pitch, they simply do not possess the skills to better batsmen such as Kohli and Murali Vijay, whose second hundred of the series was just as accomplished as his captain’s. In fact, Root, with his parttime off-spin, looked more threatening than Moeen.
Rashid also dropped Kohli on 68, when he drove back a low return catch to the leg-spinner’s left. It was a halfchance but crucial. India were 315 for six and what could have been a first innings lead was lost. This has been a tour of missed opportunities.
Rashid bowled one 28-over spell and Moeen, too, operated for long stints but they conceded runs at 3.2 an over with too many loose balls and without really threatening wickets. Kohli’s footwork and judgment of length were perfect, while Vijay was the more aggressive, and happy to take the attack to the spinners.
On Friday evening, Parthiv Patel had a dig at England’s spin attack and, while he fell to Root, his assessment was right. India just have to sit in and wait for the bad balls. They have the patience to match their skill.
England left the new ball until the 128th over, with Cook reluctant to take it once India looked like nosing ahead. He probably feared the flurry of runs a harder ball could bring and then, of course, when he finally took the option Anderson found the edge with the fourth delivery but Root dropped a regulation chance off Yadav to his left at second slip.
Now with plenty of rough created for Ravi Ashwin and India’s three spinners to explore outside the off stump of England’s left-hand-dominated batting line-up, the challenge for England is immense. India’s series victory is within touching distance.
Many fans had not taken their seats when Jake Ball bowled Cheteshwar Pujara with the second ball of the day. Pujara has been a immovable in this series but he misjudged a ball that nipped back and hit his off stump.
That brought Kohli to the crease and set up the perfect day for those who had streamed through Churchgate Station from the Mumbai suburbs. Kohli and Vijay added 116, and 101 runs in total were put on before lunch for the loss of the one wicket.
“Vijay, Vijay,” the crowd chanted when he reached 99. His eighth Test hundred came with a prod into the off side and was soon followed by lofting Anderson straight down the ground for four.
He was given out leg before on 116 off Rashid but overturned the decision, with replays proving he feathered an inside edge on to his pad. Rashid had to wait until after lunch for his wicket when Vijay drove a dipping full toss straight to the bowler.
This was England’s opening. Rashid bowled beautifully to Karun Nair, beating him with three consecutive leg breaks. A googly nearly had him lbw but for a faint inside edge before Moeen at the other end persuaded Cook into a review. After lengthy replays, Nair was on his way, out leg before.
Patel had talked his way into a battle the night before with his comments about the quality of England’s spinners. He was referring to Rashid and Moeen but it was Root who had the last laugh. With Cook off the field and chatting to the management team on the balcony, perhaps about taking the new ball, Root brought himself on to bowl and struck twice. Patel edged behind trying to drive and Ashwin thumped a catch straight into the belly of Keaton Jennings at short leg.
Ravindra Jadeja attacked but lofted a catch to Jos Buttler running around from mid-off, but Kohli moved serenely to his hundred punching the air and saluting the crowd with a wave of the bat to each section of the ground.
His previous hundred had been celebrated in a more understated fashion but he knew the importance and timing of this performance.