Friday 11 July 2014
England v India, 1st Investec Test, Trent Bridge, 3rd day
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| The script changed dramatically after lunch as Ishant Sharma trapped Robson and Ballance lbw in quick time |
It was like the second day in reverse. England's batsmen dominated the first session, India's bowlers took a clump of wickets in the second session, and England's lower order frustrated the bowlers after tea. India were on the verge of taking a massive lead and possibly bowling England out short of the follow-on mark before Joe Root averted the danger along with the lower order to end the day batting on 78. Root put on 78 with Stuart Broad, and an unbroken 54 with last man James Anderson as England ended the day trailing by 105.
The pitch remained slow and unresponsive through the third day, but India's seamers got more out of it by bowling a much straighter line than their English counterparts. Where India's batsmen defended 288 balls from England's seamers and left 257 balls alone, England's batsmen, by stumps, had defended 175 balls and only left 87 alone. But it took until the 33rd over of the day, and the second over of the post-lunch session, for India to taste any success.
It came from Ishant Sharma, who got the ball to duck back in from a good length to make Robson pay for staying stuck in his crease. The ball hit his front pad before cannoning onto his back pad, and both of these happened in front of middle-and-off. Umpire Bruce Oxenford had little hesitation in giving Robson out, even if Hotspot picked up what might have been a faint inside edge.
The umpires changed the ball two overs later, after it looked to have gone out of shape, and the replacement, much to India's delight, showed itself far more responsive to the clouds that had gathered overhead, after two clear days. Ishant immediately got it to curl late into the left-handed Gary Ballance and ping him on the front pad right in front - this time, there was absolutely no doubt about the decision. Only two Indian batsmen had been dismissed bowled or lbw. All of England's top three had been dismissed with no help from fielders.
via: www.cricinfo.com
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