Contrary to popular expectation, the end came swiftly for India on Day 4 of the third Test against England at Headingley on Saturday. The visitors, dismissed for 278 15 minutes before lunch, lost eight wickets for 63 runs to lose by an innings and 76 runs with more than a day to spare. The five-match series now stands at 1-1 with two more Tests to go.
India’s fate rested in the hands of their three most experienced batsmen — Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane — who collectively have an experience of 261 Tests between them. But then vagaries of cricket never cease to amaze.
On a bright and sunny day, ideal for batting, England pacer Ollie Robinson dismantled the famed Indian middle order, piece by piece.
The morning belonged to the 27-year-old seamer, who finished with figures of 5-65, his second fifer of the series, overshadowing his senior partner James Anderson.
The 6ft 5in quick has put behind a tumultuous start to his international career by delivering when most of the regulars are unavailable due to different reasons. Robinson was barred for eight matches by the ECB earlier in the season for his ‘racist and sexist’ tweets posted back in 2012 and 2013.
For India, a lot depended on the kind of start Kohli and Pujara — the two overnight batsmen — would have provided against the second new ball.
The England bowlers, however, set the tone with three scoreless overs, to begin with. The first to go was Pujara, who was deceived in length by Robinson. The Saurashtra batsman had left most of the balls prior to that, and as he looked to let another go by, but the nip-backer thudded onto his front pad.
The bowler quickly convinced captain Joe Root to go upstairs when on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough ruled it not out.
But with no shot offered, the decision went against Pujara who missed out on his first Test century since 2019. Incidentally, this was the sixth time Pujara (91) was dismissed without adding to his overnight score.
Kohli survived a few anxious moments against Anderson to reach his 26th Test half-century with the help of a couple of fours off Robinson. But then again, he poked at a Robinson delivery outside the off-stump to his counterpart Root at first slip.
The writing was well and truly on the wall for India.
Ajinkya Rahane gave Anderson his first second innings wicket in a long time when he pushed at a wide ball to Jos Buttler and Rishabh Pant, not for the first time, nicked Robinson to Craig Overton at third slip.
Pant has scored 87 runs from five innings and the nature of his dismissals in this series have raised serious doubts over his ability to bat at No 6 while facing the Dukes ball.
Ravindra Jadeja did try to muscle way his through with a 25-ball 30 before edging one to Buttler off Robinson.
“To bounce back in the fashion, we have done is the most impressive thing. The bowling on the first day was amazing, then the way the openers played and the substantial partnerships we had,” said a beaming Root in the postmatch presentation.
It was a special moment for the England skipper who led from the front with a fluent 121 to set up England’s win. This was his 27th win as captain and he has bettered his mentor Michael Vaughan’s record of 26 Test victories.
Asked if England’s revival had been a surprise, Root replied: “It might be for you but it’s not for me because I know the talent we’ve got and what we’re capable of.”