Mohammed Shami uproots Jonny Bairstow's leg-stump with a corker

The fourth Test match between England and India is interestingly poised. Both the teams are not ready to give an inch to each other. The first session of the fourth day’s play was all about a cat and mouse race as the visitors had the last laugh with a timely wicket of Keaton Jennings at the stroke of lunch. However, the real boost was the next delivery which was bowled after the lunch which saw Mohammed Shami castling Jonny Bairstow for a golden duck.

After the first session, England were 92/3 and the game was tantalisingly balanced. They needed a partnership of some sorts to bat India out of the game and with Joe Root looking good in the middle, there was a hope that Bairstow will lend a proper support to him.

Shami’s peach destroys the stumps

But what transpired later was expected by a very few. Mohammed Shami ran in with the same intensity to complete his over and straightaway found a way through Bairstow’s defence. The ball was pitched on the middle stump and got a hint of a wobble. Meanwhile, the batsman pushed forward lazily in defence but his front leg was nowhere near the ball and in a split second saw his leg stump uprooted.

It was a corker of a delivery from Shami which left Bairstow in disbelief and India couldn’t have asked for a better start to the second session. He bagged his second golden duck in three innings and serious questions will be raised over his batting form now.

As far as the action in the middle is concerned, Root and Ben Stokes are fighting it out in the middle and though runs haven’t come at a fair clip, they have denied the fired-up visitors. The lead has been stretched to 90 runs now and it remains to be seen which way the game tilts in this session.

Here’s the video:

JAFFA! First ball after lunch, @MdShami11 sent the leg stump cartwheeling with this scorcher of a delivery! 🔥#KyaHogaIssBaar #ENGvIND LIVE on SONY SIX and SONY TEN 3. #SPNSports pic.twitter.com/LON4zLHp24

— SPN- Sports (@SPNSportsIndia) September 1, 2018

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