Curran wages lone battle against India
Visiting pacers make most of lively pitch to dismiss England for 246
Sam Curran once again waged a lone battle against an inspired Indian bowling attack to pull England out of trouble on the opening day of the fourth Test at Southampton yesterday.
England’s innings folded up at competitive 246 all out. India in reply were 19 for no loss after getting through the final four overs of the day unscathed, but will rue not taking fuller control of a match they need to win to level the five-match series at 2-2.
England was 86-6 at one stage at Southampton, but Curran and Moeen Ali (40) put on 81 for the seventh wicket to lead a recovery. Curran, a 20-year-old rising star of the English game, swept a six to bring up the second half-century in his three-Test career and was the last wicket to fall.
Paceman Jasprit Bumrah was the best of India’s bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-46 off 20 overs and fellow paceman Shami, Ishant Sharma and off-spinner claimed two wickets on a wicket that offered sharp movement off a lightly grassed pitch.
The 24-year-old Bumrah enjoyed a second-innings haul of five for 85 during India’s 203-run win in the third Test at Nottingham that cut England’s lead in this five-match series to 2-1. He was quickly into the wickets again after England captain Joe Root decided to bat first after winning the toss on a sunny morning.
Bumrah struck with just his seventh delivery when, from over the wicket he had the struggling Keaton Jennings lbw for a duck.