England collapse has India on brink of victory

Author Photo
Ian Bell

REACTION: Vijay: Anderson rift inspiring Jadeja

India had set England a daunting chase of 319 after being bowled out for 342 in their second innings.

The visitors then took three wickets in a spell of just two runs on their way to restricting the hosts to 105-4 at stumps, still 214 runs adrift of their target with six wickets remaining.

England appeared comfortable enough at 70-1 but Mohammed Shami (1-20) ended Gary Ballance's knock (27), before Ishant Sharma quickly added the crucial wickets of Ian Bell (1) and captain Alastair Cook (22).

Cook's failure with the bat has become an all-too-familiar theme and the 29-year-old is sure to face fresh scrutiny over his captaincy should England lose the Test. 

Earlier, Murali Vijay (95) - who had helped India escape from a precarious position of 123-4 on Saturday - fell narrowly short of a century, before Ravindra Jadeja hit a swashbuckling 68 from 57 deliveries - his highest score in Test cricket.

India resumed with Vijay and captain MS Dhoni (19) at the crease and the duo took their fifth-wicket stand to 79 before the latter edged Liam Plunkett's bouncer to Bell at slip.

Stuart Binny (0) soon followed and Vijay's superb knock came to an end before lunch when he edged James Anderson behind, shortly after the hosts had taken the new ball.

However, Jadeja - the man at the centre of a now infamous spat with Anderson that the ICC continue to investigate - then took centre stage, finding the boundary nine times in a dazzling innings.

He was able assisted by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52) and together the duo put on 99 for the eighth wicket, before Jadeja eventually top-edged to Cook.

England swept up the rest of the tail but lost an early wicket as they began the difficult chase when Sam Robson (7) was trapped lbw by Jadeja before tea.

Cook and Ballance restored calm and combined for 58 for the second wicket until the latter edged Shami's delivery just outside off stump to wicketkeeper Dhoni.

Things soon worsened as Sharma bowled Bell and in his next over he tempted Cook into a faint nick that found the safe hands of Dhoni, as England slumped from 70-1 to 72-4. 

Moeen Ali (15 not out) survived a late lbw appeal and he and Joe Root (14 not out) will resume on day five with England needing to bat out to avoid falling behind in the best-of-five series.

Author(s)