Anderson double leaves India reeling

SOUTHAMPTON: James Anderson closed in on Glenn McGrath’s record for the most Test wickets taken by a fast bowler as England eyed a series-clinching win over India at Southampton yesterday.

India, 2-1 down in this fivematch contest, were 46 for three in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth Test.

That left them needing a further 199 runs to reach their victory target of 245.

Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, had lunch figures of two for 15 in six overs.

He was now on a career tally of 559 Test wickets, just four behind retired Australia great McGrath’s mark of 563.

India, bidding to become just the second team in history to win a fivematch Test series from 2-0 down, were looking to captain Virat Kohli for another major innings.

The star batsman, who has already scored two hundreds this series, was 10 not out with Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 13.

England thought they had Kohli lbw for nine to off-spinner Moeen Ali.

But after England’s review of an original not out decision from Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena, third umpire Joel Wilson ruled there had been an inside edge.

It was a tight call but there was no debate when Rahane, on 12, was reprieved after falling lbw to Sam Curran, with replays revealing the ball had struck him outside off stump.

The scale of India’s task was evident from the fact they had only three times before scored 200 or more in the fourth innings to win a Test match outside of Asia.