Fruit of Curran’s labours salvages day for England
Sam Curran salvaged England after their top order failed again on the first day of the fourth Test against India in Southampton.
Some fine India bowling coupled with woeful England batting left the hosts 86-6 after they won the toss.
But 20-year-old Curran, recalled to play only his fourth Test, made a spirited 78 to drag them to 246.
He shared stands of 81 with the returning Moeen Ali, who battled to 40, and 63 with Stuart Broad.
Curran was the last man to be dismissed, leaving India to survive four overs and close on 19-0, 227 behind.
Although the tourists are in the stronger position, England would have been in much deeper trouble had it not been for efforts of Curran, who kept them afloat on a day when the ball moved throughout.
Despite England not being at their best with the new ball, England still have a chance of fighting back into the contest if their bowlers can find similar assistance to that enjoyed by India.
England, who lead 2-1, will seal the five-match series with victory on the south coast.
Even though he is still new to international cricket, Curran is no stranger to rescuing England. His 63 in the second innings of the 31-run win in the first Test dragged them from 87-7 and helped earn him the man-of-the-match award.
Still, he was left out of the third Test at Trent Bridge in favour of Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, the latter after he been cleared of affray.
Restored to the team in Southampton because of an injury to Woakes, Curran played an innings full of the qualities that have characterised his short career: determination, sound judgement and no little flair. With England struggling, Curran showed the confidence and solidity lacked by some of his teammates, rebuilding with Moeen, who himself showed patience in his first Test since March.
Initially strong square of the wicket, Curran opened his shoulders after Moeen fell, delighting the crowd by fetching off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin over mid-wicket for six and hitting the pace bowlers down the ground.
Only the danger of running out of partners made his batting more agricultural and by the time he was bowled by Ashwin, he was England’s second-highest run-scorer of the series. That England have a lead in this series is little to do with their top order - since the first innings of the first Test, where they slipped from 216-3 to 287 all out, they have found themselves 87-7, 89-4, 161 all out, 62-4 and now 86-6.
Joe Root’s decision to bat first on pitch that had its grass removed seemed a sound one, but his batsmen once again floundered. Keaton Jennings was lbw in bizarre fashion, befuddled into playing no shot to a Jasprit Bumrah inswinger that would have hit middle and leg.
Root was lbw playing across an Ishant Sharma inswinger while Jonny Bairstow, promoted to number four despite a broken finger, poked at Bumrah to be caught behind.
Alastair Cook played nicely before guiding Hardik Pandya to third slip, while Jos Buttler played a loose drive to be caught at third slip off Mohammed Shami.
Ben Stokes played with organisation and a straight bat until he was lbw by one that Shami nipped back.
Even Moeen, who showed restraint, undid his good work with a wild sweep that resulted in a top edge off Ashwin.