Dom Bess delighted by 'special dismissal' of India's Virat Kohli
After a performance of courage, skill and a little luck brought him four wickets including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli and left England in apparent control of the first Test in Chennai, with India 257 for six and still 321 behind, it was perhaps no surprise that Dom Bess declared this his finest day’s work in international cricket.
Jofra Archer, returning to the side after missing the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, accounted for India’s openers before Bess had Kohli smartly caught at short leg off the inside edge shortly after lunch. Ajinkya Rahane followed soon after, Joe Root continuing his recent impression of complete faultlessness by making a brilliant lefthanded diving grab at cover.
Bess said: “I think I’m bowling really well at the moment but more important than anything it’s about the collective. We’ve taken six today and I think it’s set up the game nicely. We’ve seen it start to spin and it’s only going to do more. We’re pretty close to a new ball and I think we’re in a great place at the moment.”
Kohli’s wicket was more precious still because of the planning that went into it, with Bess filmed leaving the field at lunch in discussion with Rory Burns, miming precisely the stroke into which he would later fatefully tempt India’s captain.
“It was a special dismissal I think more for what my process was,” he said. “It’s not about bowling that magic ball, it’s about smashing in 10, 15 balls in a good area and then something will happen.
“It’s special because of who he is, and I think he’s phenomenal, a worldclass player. But it’s more what I’m learning, what I’m doing, that is getting me to that point. But I don’t want to think about it too much, we’re in the middle of a game and we’ve got so much to work on. We got him as a team, and we’ll have to try to get him out next innings.”
With India at one stage 73 for four, England’s position could have been better still had Rishabh Pant not hit a barnstorming 91 off 88 balls before skying a shot to deep cover, while Cheteshwar Pujara was providing excellent support before his freak dismissal, when the ball clipped the shoulder of Ollie Pope at short leg and looped gently to Rory Burns at midwicket.
“You know what, it’s out. I’m not bothered about how it comes,” Bess said. “So many times you bowl good balls and you don’t get any luck. It happens, that’s cricket.”