England seize the Mo-ment
SUCH A thrilling series deserved a gripping, edge-of-the-seat final act but the Oval next week will instead host an encore after England wrapped up proceedings with one Test to spare on the south coast.
A final day in which India tried manfully to chase a target of 245 in glorious sunshine ended in failure with them falling 60 runs short, spun out by a resurgent and irresistible Moeen Ali.
Yet the numbers do not do justice to a contest which stubbornly refused to reveal its outcome for all but its last 10 overs on a fabulous fourth day.
England’s 3-1 series victory was confirmed when breakout star Sam Curran pinned Ravi Ashwin lbw at 5.20pm, India’s effort grinding to a halt at 184 all out.
Yet when this series’ undoubted supernova, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane were unbroken for the fourth wicket in a 101-run partnership from before lunch until just before tea, India were favourites to win.
If the wicket of Kohli has been the ‘king’ wicket in this series, England always knew that while he remained they were in danger. After the newball pairing of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson had reduced India to 22-3 inside nine overs, England threw the kitchen sink at Kohli.
They thought they had him on nine only for a not-out lbw decision from Kumar Dharmasena, off Moeen, being confirmed by third umpire Joel Wilson after he controversially decided Kohli had got bat on ball. Root disagreed and could not contain his fury, particularly when the ball-tracking showed the it would have hit leg stump which would have overturned the original decision. Shortly after lunch England were to burn their second and final review on Kohli when he had 15, Moeen again hitting his pad only for the impact to be fractionally outside the line. It was tense. It was frustrating. But with the deficit reduced to 122, Moeen finally got one to spit out of the dust, clip the glove and loop up to Alastair Cook at short leg.
The opener had missed a difficult low chance the ball before but this time made no mistake and even a review could not save Kohli.
Rahane stuck around while losing Hardik Pandya for nothing and Rishabh Pant for a counter-attacking (perhaps counter
intuitive?) 18 from 12 balls intended to try to bully Moeen out of the attack. When Rahane was prised out, India’s charge slowed to nothing.
The off-spinner’s 26 overs, interrupted only once by three from Adil Rashid, showcased the best of his sometimes fragile confidence. It has been some Test for him with his 40 in the first innings launching the fightback.
Only his surprise elevation to No3 in the second proved a backward step and even that showed his positivity. Vitally, though, it was with the ball that he delivered. Moeen took the man-of-the-match award for his figures of 9-134 (behind only his 10-112 at Lord’s against South Africa).
Yet Curran must have pushed him mighty close.
At 20 he may have more such displays ahead but the chances are this will remain high in his personal favourites with 78 in the first innings and a punchy 46 yesterday. His scores in this series (he was dropped for Trent Bridge) are now 63, 24, 40, 78 and 46, he has picked up eight wickets and he remains unbeaten in four Tests.
For all the euphoria of a series victory over the world No1s, this summer has posed as many questions as it has answered. England’s opening partnership is failing, its wicketkeeping situation muddled and its batting unbalanced with no No3 and too many middle-order hitters.
The impact of Rashid, too, has been limited to seven wickets as much by his captain’s reluctance as anything. He has bowled 62 overs in four Tests. Moeen sent down 42 in one.
Victories can paper over a multitude of cracks, though, and the likelihood is the same faces will be in London to pick up the bouquets next week.
The contest stubbornly refused to reveal its outcome on fabulous day