Gaurav Joshi
Birmingham, July 3
Jasprit Bumrah ran over to Shardul Thakur and put his arm around him. Thakur had dropped a straightforward catch off Ben Stokes. Thakur appreciated the comfort of his skipper and immediately smiled. A few moments later, Rishabh Pant ran over and patted him on his back. Bumrah had a great day on the field in the lead role, despite a couple of missed chances and a brilliant counterattacking century by Jonny Bairstow. Bumrah captained diligently and his fellow bowlers stuck to their plans to bowl out England for 284.
Mohammad Siraj finished with 4/66 as India gained a first-innings lead of 132 on Day 3 of the rescheduled fifth Test against England at Edgbaston today. The damage could have been greater for the home side if it were not for a brilliant attacking century by Bairstow. The English No. 5 was involved in banter with Virat Kohli when he was on just 16 from 65 balls. The heated debate only seemed to motivate Bairstow as he went from 16 to 100 in just 54 deliveries.
Despite losing Stokes for 25, Bairstow added 92 with Sam Billings as England went from 83/5 to 241/6. It felt like England were gaining momentum but Bumrah replaced himself with Mohammad Shami and immediately got the reward. Bairstow flashed one to first slip and the tide turned once again. Siraj was introduced into the attack and the pacer picked up three wickets to ensure India gained a comprehensive advantage.
Leader Bumrah
Bumrah the leader had passed the test. Standing at mid-on for a majority of the opening session, Bumrah ensured Shami never got frustrated despite beating the bat on close to 15 occasions. He changed the field with guidance from Pant and Kohli. He persisted with Shami for a long spell from one end, knowing a wicket was just around the corner.
Even when Kohli demanded a change in the field, he stuck to his gut instinct. He didn’t get overly defensive and remained calm in making all the decisions.
India in their second innings lost Shubman Gill and Hanuma Vihari early. It meant the patriotic ‘Indian’ crowd at Edgbaston could witness the intriguing battle between Kohli and James Anderson on a gloomy evening. The former Indian skipper struck two imperious cover drives but fell for 20 when he was beaten by extra bounce from Stokes, and at 75/3, first-innings hero Pant walked in. By stumps, Pant had made an unbeaten 30 off 46 balls and added 50 off 15.1 overs with Pujara (50 not out off 139), putting India in command with an overall lead of 257.
Rohit out of isolation after testing negative
Birmingham: Indian captain Rohit Sharma is finally out of isolation after having tested negative for Covid-19 and will now be available for the opening game of the white-ball series against England in Southampton on July 7. The 35-year-old missed out on playing the rescheduled fifth Test against England as he tested positive on the second day of the four-day warm-up game against Leicestershire. “He is not playing today’s T20 warm-up game against Northamptonshire as he will need some recovery time and training ahead of first T20I,” a senior BCCI official said. As per the medical protocol, any player who comes out of quarantine needs to undergo mandatory cardiovascular tests. PTI
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