Day 4 completely went England’s way. They first got India out cheaply as India lost last 7 wickets in the first two sessions. Then they frustrated Indian bowlers as they gave nothing away. But the Indians had the last laugh as Ravindra Jadeja got England captain Alastair Cook out on the last ball of Day 4. Test cricket just can’t get better than this. England were 87 for 2 wickets at close of play. The stage is set for an awesome Day 5 where both the Indian and the England camps can really swing the match either way.
Great bowling
England were down but not out. They were trailing by 200 runs in the first innings. When India came out to bat on Day 3, their pacers applied pressure on Indian line up. They got three batsmen out to prove that they had not lost the hope to salvage the Test match. On the fourth day, they got seven Indian batsmen out to reduce the hosts for 204 runs. They needed 405 runs to win.
England’s determination
England openers Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook batted beautifully as they frustrated the Indian spinners. They were not looking to score much but were in firefighting mode. The spinners created many chances. But the two rock solid batsmen just refused to budge from their positions and kept fighting.
Gritty Hameed
This Test match will also be known for the way young Haseeb Hameed took body blows. He got hit on the body by Mohammed Shami’s several deliveries. But the youngster showed amazing courage as he kept on fighting.
India bounce back
England were cruising as the game neared its end on day 4. Even if the chips are down, Ashwin cannot be written off. He bounced back when he got Haseeb out, who made 25 runs in 144 balls. Later, Ravindra Jadeja got Captain Cook out on the last ball of day 4 for 54 runs. He played 189 balls to reach that score.
Match poised
If England play the way they played today, Indian bowlers will have to do something magical to win the Test match. As of now, the match is evenly poised.
