Series Swings as England pile on the runs

When Virat Kohli confirmed an unchanged side and elected to bat on Day 1 of the Third Test, surely no one could have predicted that they’d survive barely 40 overs and be bowled out for 78, their third lowest score against England and ninth lowest overall. Still, after the relative success of their bowling unit, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, absolutely no one would have assumed England would be sitting at 423/8 at the end of Day 2. But here we are. 

Joe Root made his sixth hundred of the calendar year, Rory Burns, Haseeb Hammed and the recalled Dawid Malan all hit vital 50+ scores, with the three of them along with Root being the first England top 4 to all score 50 or more in a Test innings since 2013. India forged something of a comeback yesterday, led by Mohammed Shami who took three wickets to stifle England’s lower order. India’s batting will have a chance to fight some of the way back into the match on Day 3, but their first day capitulation may lead to some changes in future Tests as veterans Pujara and Rahane continue to struggle. Virat Kohli won’t be going anywhere, but after being dismissed caught behind for the fourth time this series, and once again by James Anderson, the team require more from their talismanic leader. 

England’s bowling in the first innings deserves commendation as they were once again led by Anderson in their rout of the Indian top six. Ollie Robinson has looked ready-made for Test cricket since debuting, and the success of Craig Overton, who has had a terrific County summer for Somerset, should impress any doubters of their fast-bowling depth. 

On the back of this their batting order, which has been the most debated topic of the tour, showed more confidence and application as India’s bowling faltered early. Ishant Sharma has struggled to find his rhythm from either end at Headingley, which will be a source of concern for Kohli, who must manage Bumrah, Shami and Siraj’s workloads carefully considering they have played in every match. With three full days still to go it is a long road back for the tourists, with the hosts swerving the momentum of the series as they look to level things up on the back of their dominant perform the two days of the Test.