India v England 4th Test, Day 3 - 5 Talking Points

England’s first innings score of 400 looked good and with the wicket turning the visitors would have fancied their chances of even managing a lead but that was not to be as India batted with a lot of intent. The day started on a positive note for England as Cheteshwar Pujara shoulder armed a Jake Ball delivery to let it strike into his off-stump. Thereafter for a major part of the day nothing quite went their way.

Like it had happened in the England inning, one wicket leads to two more in a quick time India lost a few quick wickets while still in deficit but with Virat Kohli still holding one end, he got together another key partnership, this time with Jayant Yadav and the duo took the team home at the end of the day with 451/7 and a lead of 51 runs.

1. Murali Vijay’s 8th Test ton

Vijay had started the series on a great note hitting a century in the very first inning of the series but drifted off for a while and couldn’t get past the fifty-run mark in five consecutive innings. As the pressure of a big score was building up he responded with a brilliant century that proved to be the anchor knock of the Indian innings. He had a crucial 116-run partnership with Virat Kohli. Vijay got to his 8th Test century in 233 balls. He scored most of his runs in the V and around the ground against the spinners. 98 off his 136 runs came against Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.

2. Partnerships

A key aspect of the Indian innings and why they managed to take a lead in the first inning had a lot to do with the partnerships the Indian batsmen got together. Vijay and Kohli put together 116 runs, after a bit of a slip in the middle-order with Karun Nair, Parthiv Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin getting out in quick succession. There was another crucial partnership for the 7th wicket between the skipper and Ravindra Jadeja, having lost wickets in a hurry they opted to counterattack and the strategy helped as they not only managed to add 57 runs together but that also eased a lot of pressure.

Jayant Yadav who has batted really well in his young Test career was once again up for it. He supported skipper Kohli well and they consumed the deficit and also got the team into a leading position to end the day unbeaten and with a lead of 51 runs. They have already scored 87 runs together for the 8th wicket.

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3. Adil Rashid drops Virat

In the 106th over of the day, Adil Rashid probably missed out the biggest opportunity that has definitely cost them great deal. On the third ball, Virat trying to play the ball down the ground hit it back the ball hard. Rashid got his hands in place but may be the shot was too hard as Kohli had really muscled it, he couldn’t hold on to it. He got this life while on 68 and has already scored more than doubled of it. Having added another 79 runs he is unbeaten on 147 and has ensured his team has taken a handy first innings lead.

4. Joe Root’s surprise strikes

After bowling for most of the afternoon without any success England finally had the big wicket of Vijay who gave Rashid a return catch, they were now eager at grabbing a few quick wickets and changing the momentum of the game. Moeen Ali made life difficult for the newcomer Karun Nair and managed to scalp him lbw. It was then that Joe Root decided to bring himself in the attack. Parthiv Patel the new man in had done well in the last game but Root was extracting a lot of turn and bounce off the Wankhede surface that troubled the left-hander.

He invited Parthiv forward with a delivery that was tossed up, the ball turned, bounced and took the outside edge of his bat, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow wasn’t able to grab it clean at first but it bumped into his chest and was an easy rebound catch for him to complete. In his very next overs Root struck again Ravi Ashwin who has batted so well in this series thus far tried to flick the ball towards short-leg Keaton Jennings standing at forward short-leg took a hit on his body but managed to keep the ball attached to his body and Ashwin was on his way back.

5. Virat Kohli’s 15th century

He has been the man at his prime, the 28-year-old is batting like a dream. 2016 has been a year where he has not put a single foot wrong. He has got the runs whenever the team needed and like he loves to do, has led the team from the front. Today, he had to walk out to bat in the very first over and England had their eyes on him right through the day but they couldn’t dismiss the Indian skipper.

Virat had a very precise approach in this inning, he got the runs quickly when they were coming and wasn’t bothered when there was a silent pace. With the form he is in, despite assistance from the surface the English spinners couldn’t really trouble him. He was awarded a life and played a flawless knock before and after that. Virat got to yet another century in this series, his 15th Test ton and was absolutely pumped on becoming the first Indian skipper to score a ton in Mumbai. He remained unbeaten at the end of day’s play on 147 and would certainly want to extend the lead to a substantial one tomorrow.