Fourth Hurdle
As the test series continues , the more interesting and enticing to watch it becomes . India and England have been at loggerheads since the start of this series . Rain spoilt the first , while India convincingly won the second , to which England replied with a brilliant counter . The fourth game was no exception . India started with a sub par score of 191 , with Chris Woakes and Robinson showing off their prowess in pace . Despite a strng burst of wickets in the first half of England’s batting , the lower order still managed to claw their way back into the game and eventually even drag it further with a lead of 99 runs . While it was a good effort from the Indian bowlers , England exemplified what it meant for the middle order batsmen to carry the team after their top order faltered . Ollie Pope scored 80 runs in what certainly put the game in heavily in England’s favour . Adding to that were the next 3 batsmen who all scored over 30 , with Chris Woakes even crossing 50 . Needless to say England was in the driver’s seat for the game .
But what happened next was truly an innings to remember . While Rohit Sharma looked consistent and the only one to seem comfortable batting this series , this was the innings that he showed his growth as a player over the years . He scored 127 runs , with almost the whole team chipping in or scoring runs to add upto a mammoth 466 runs , setting England a target of 367 runs , a tall order on any pitch . And a tall order it proved to be as the Indian bowlers collectively ran through the batting order of England , hardly any of whom who showed the same tenacity as that of the previous innings itself .
Barring the fact that India cannot lose the series ( on the virtue of them being 2–1 and only 1 match left to play for ) , this victory was important for three reasons . First that it was Rohit Sharma’s first test century away from home , showing that he has improved miles beyond his former self since the time he was slotted as India’s opener . Second that Bumrah became the quickest Indian pace bowler to reach a 100 test wickets ( in 24 matches ) averaging at leat 2 wickets every innings . Third was the fact that India finally registered a win at The Oval in the Test format .
Such a confidence booster before the end of the series is always a godsend for the team , especially since the victory was not completely brought by one player , but rather multiple players playing their part to perfection ( and even beyond ) for team . If there were any signs of a possible resurgence in the Indian cricket test team , it all lies in this match .
But as there are multiple points to rave about , there also chinks in the armour . The fact that Ravichanran Ashwin , while being fit and available , was not picked is and will be a point of concern for many arm chair experts ( such as myself ) . Even though the game was won , the fact remains is that our most successful player is being benched and npt being utilised to his full potential . Another player who is going through a lean patch is Ajinkya Rahane , who was the only one to score less than 10 , in fact he got out for a 0 , in the second innings ( barring Siraj , but he remained not out ) where everyone scored to their heart’s content . The irony is plain to see and painful to watch as viewers . If Rahane does not perform upto his usual calibre in the last test , he might be even dropped from the main team to the A team .
Overall it was a complete game of cricket to watch , spanning over 5 days and being a thorough roller coaster ride for the viewers , and that is what I feel a good game of cricket should be . A match where 2 teams collide with the best of their abilities , and after much turmoil the better one edges out . See you next week !