BATTERED, BRUISED... BROKEN?
The sight of a loose drive from Virat Kohli not only evading Keaton Jennings’ hands at gully but flying through his legs to the dismay of Jimmy Anderson just about summed it all up. This was a day of total misery for england.
It was miserable because India batted without fuss and with very few alarms for all but the last nine overs of this third day of the third Test to grind england into the Trent Bridge dust and take their lead to a monumental 520.
And it was made even more miserable when wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow fractured the middle finger of his left hand to make him a doubt for what are now crucial Tests at Southampton and the Oval.
What a transformation we have seen here in Nottingham after england were utterly dominant at Lord’s and what a contrast this stupefying day was to the helter-skelter world of modern Test cricket.
Not that India can be blamed for that. here was their opportunity to ensure there was no possible escape for england with two days left, but also to increase their chances of pulling off one of the great comebacks in Test history.
At the centre of it, of course, was the imperious figure of Kohli making sure he would not only reach his 23rd century but put as many miles as he could into the legs of england’s bowlers to leave them fatigued for the battles ahead.
how england cursed their inability to dismiss ‘King Kohli’ in the 90s for a second time in this match when Jennings made a total mess of a comfortable chance with the India captain on 93. Anderson could not believe it as england registered their 14th — and surely most symbolic — dropped catch of the series.
Remember, Anderson had Kohli dropped on 21 by Dawid malan on his way to 149 in the first Test at edgbaston and Jennings’ drop means england’s record wicket-taker has still not claimed his old rival once in this series.
Compare that to the four times Anderson dismissed Kohli for just 19 runs here four years ago and you can pinpoint one of the reasons India will surely win here. From the very next over, Kohli went to three figures and the whole of Trent Bridge, commendably full on a monday and deserving of more entertainment than this, rose to give the great batsman the acclaim he deserved.
Kohli, with 200 runs in the Test, has been at the forefront of the display of application, discipline and good oldfashioned solid batting here that england seem unable to muster in the white-ball dominated era.
It may not have been pretty but there is still room for days like this in Test cricket, when a match and possibly a series need to be set up. And, to be fair, the crowd at this truly great ground seemed to appreciate what they were watching.
england were completely deflated, unable to come up with any answers to India’s obduracy and butterfingered again when chances came their way. Jos Buttler started the day by dropping Cheteshwar Pujara at second slip off Anderson on 40 and then took the gloves when Bairstow was struck a painful blow by a late swinging delivery from the same unfortunate bowler.
It was immediately clear it was serious as Bairstow covered the damaged digit with his cap and looked distraught as he left the field.
england say Bairstow might bat again here — he surely won’t if all is lost — and may play as a batsman in the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl next week, but the gloves will now be back, temporarily at least, with white-ball keeper Buttler.
If Bairstow cannot play, then moeen Ali is the most likely replacement, while other candidates include James Vince, Rory Burns — the most prolific runscorer in county cricket this summer — and Joe Clarke. And with ed Smith prepared to select outside the box, how about an improbable comeback for Ian Bell?
england looked battered, bruised and all but broken by the time Kohli called his side in at 352 for seven, with Ben Stokes hobbling around to put the seal on his ill-judged comeback. And that was surely the India captain’s intention when he batted on so long at less than three an over.
At least Cook and Jennings, both now under considerable pressure, were able to survive nine testing overs and reduced england’s ‘target’ to 498, even though there was movement again for India’s seamers and spin for Ravichandran Ashwin.
And there was the consolation of Adil Rashid quietly going some way to justify his controversial inclusion in this series with three wickets in highly difficult circumstances.
But this has been a truly awful match for england.
Now they simply have to follow India’s example and at least make their opponents work hard for the victory which would set up the thrilling series we all expected when these teams fought out such an exciting first Test at edgbaston.
If england are to go down, as they surely will, then they cannot collapse like dominoes again. They have to show the fight they will need if they are not going to let their 2-0 lead in this series slip through their fingers.