Earlier in the day, India lost the wickets of set Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara against the run of play as Ollie Robinson picked up their wickets soon after England took the second new ball in the third session on day three of the fourth Test at The Oval on Saturday (September 4).
Rohit (127) and Pujara (61) departed in the 81st over and the visitors lost the set batsmen and gave English players a chance for a comeback.
England captain Joe Root took the second new ball soon after 80th over and brought Robinson into the attack and Rohit went for the pull on the very first delivery from the pacer. The batsman was never in control of the shot as he couldn’t time it well and an alert Chris Woakes took a good catch at deep mid-wicket to end the massive 153-run partnership for the second wicket.
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Four balls later, Robinson bowled a brilliant delivery to Pujara and induced an edge from the set batsman. The ball brushed past Pujara’s bat before hitting his thigh pad and sailing towards Moeen Ali at second slip.
Captain Root went upstairs after the umpire turned down the confident appeal and were rewarded as the ultra-edged confirmed there was an edge before the ball hit Pujara’s body. Pujara thus departed for 61 and left India with two new batsmen with a new ball.
Prior to that eventful over, a determined Rohit Sharma showed exceptional temperament to score a fine hundred as India took a sizeable lead.
The first two sessions of day three were engrossing as Indian batters frustrated English bowlers and helped the team dominate them. With Pujara again showed his attacking instincts in his stay at the crease and things weren’t certainly looking bright for the visitors despite a gloomy London skyline.
One of the more elegant among modern-day batsmen, Rohit (127 off 256 balls) during the series curbed all his ego to present a solid defence but brought his ‘Hit-Man’ instincts to the fore with a straight six off Moeen Ali that hit the second tier of the Oval stands en route his hundred.
An ecstatic captain Virat Kohli punching his fists and a serene smile that refused to leave head coach Ravi Shastri’s lips said it all. It took eight years and 43 Test matches to get an overseas hundred and that too in England in tough conditions, there won’t be any second guess about where this knock of Rohit will rank among his eight hundreds.
There was a lot of restraint at the start when KL Rahul (46) was attacking the bowlers but in between a straight drive at the onset and the first cover drive was brought out of the closet only at the end of the second hour when Anderson over-pitched one.
He did offer a couple of streaky chances that Rory Burns at slip failed to capitalise or that uppish on-drive that caught Chris Woakes stationed at mid-on on the wrong foot. But those were minor blemishes en route his hundred off 204 balls which had 12 fours and a six.
However, Pujara should not be denied his share of credit as his counter-attacking batting did help Rohit to play his shots. The square cut that had gone extinct from his game of late was back on the day as he looked at vintage Pujara, who would rock back and play those regal shots including a late cut and a ramp shot which brought thunderous applause from the majority of spectators.
In all, he hit seven fours and the pull-shot off Moeen Ali that got India the lead was a statement for one and all. Earlier, Rahul, for good measure, cover drove Robinson for a boundary and then hooked him for a six. But there were some anxious moments as Robinson got one to angle in and the on-field umpire ruled him leg before only to be successfully reviewed by the batsman.
Once Rahul was out, Anderson provided Rohit with an over-pitched delivery that was dispatched through the cover region and also pulled Craig Overton for another four. On either side of that boundary, Pujara hit an off-drive and square-cut off Robinson and Overton respectively. In the second session which went wicket-less for England, Rohit and Pujara added insult to the injury with their performances.
(With PTI inputs)
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