Captain Bumrah got India back in the game by taking wickets on either side of the lunch break after the England openers alex lees (56 out of 65) and Zak Crowley (46 off 76) eventually found form and shared a 107-run partnership chasing a record 378 runs.
as it happened , Achievement:
It was soon reduced to 109 for three before the dangerous pair of Root (76 off 112) and Bairstow (72 off 87) made 107 for the loss, and the Indians got 150 off just 197 balls. Disappointed with a great partnership of runs.
England were 259 for three at stumps on the fourth day, needing 119 for a series-level win.
Though the wicket did not help much, the Indian bowlers were unable to keep the pressure on the England batsmen, who played with the aggression that became the hallmark of Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum’s cricket school.
These are the stumps on the fourth day of the Edgbaston Test! England reached 259/3 before the end of the game. See you tomorrow… https://t.co/5YrcyPzJ6h
—BCCI (@BCCI) 16569566310000
It also helped that India deployed a very defensive spread, allowing England’s batsmen to swing the strike with great enthusiasm.
Bairstow, who is in the form of his life, was dropped by Hanuma Vihari for 14 and he made India pay dearly for it.
With the arrival of Ben Stokes and Sam Billing, India will need something special to win from here. India’s bowling performance in the second innings is reminiscent of their struggle in South Africa, where they failed to defend the target twice after winning the first match of the series.
India could have chased down the 400-plus target to England on the fifth day if it weren’t for some poor shot selection. After starting the day at 125 for three, India were all out for 245 in the second innings.
Barring the first two overs, India had very little going for themselves in the final session. Ollie Pope was caught behind by Bumrah before Lees was run out when Root took a single which was not the pick.
After that, it was a show for Root and Bairstow as they scored runs of their own free will.
England openers Lees and Crowley also showed very positive intent to take England to 107 for tea.
India managed to clinch the breakthrough towards the end of the session, when Bumrah was clean bowled by Zak Crawley (46 off 76), who mishandled a delivery when a delivery went off length.
India could eat only 8.5 overs after lunch. The tail didn’t move as compared to the first innings but specialist batsmen gifted their wickets to prevent India from taking a 400-plus lead.
Chasing a record target, England went all guns blazing at 53 for no loss in nine overs and Lee conceded two fours off Ravindra Jadeja in his very first over. He stepped out of the crease and hit the first near mid-off while the second came from a reverse sweep.
Crowley takes a flick towards square leg off Jasprit Bumrah and a crisp straight drive off Mohammed Shami.
Lies completed his second Test fifty in the next over with a back foot punch off Mohammad Siraj.
Siraj resorted to bowling with a fast seam, but even this did not cause any trouble for the openers.
Earlier, India had gifted England easy wickets but Rishabh PantHis half-century allowed him to extend his lead to 361 runs by the lunch session.
overnight batter Cheteshwar Pujara (66 off 168) and Pant (57 off 86) made a confident start.
Pujara was going through a back-foot punch and James Anderson’s delivery for four consecutive boundaries.
Pujara, who reached the 50-run mark on Sunday, was hardly bothered by the English pacers. Pant and Pujara’s job got easier as Ben Stokes conceded three overs to part-timer Joe Root after the start of the game.
The Saurashtra batsman, however, contributed to his own downfall by cutting a short and wide delivery from Stuart Broad straight to backward point. It’s his pet shot but couldn’t put it down for a change.
Shreyas Iyer (19 off 26) joined Pant in the middle and after playing a few shots again fell to the short ball. England set a net for Iyer and he pulled a short ball straight over mid-wicket and fell into it.
Pant completed his half-century with a tickle on the pads, becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century and a half-century in an overseas Test.
After sweeping Jack Leach for a boundary, Pant went for a reverse pull in the next over but Joe Root left India at 198 for six at first slip.