Sam Curran and Moeen Ali made the difference in the 3rd Test, feels Mohammad Kaif

Reactions came pouring in as soon as India lost the Southampton Test to England by 60 runs and with that, the five-match series. The visitors were bowled out for 184 in their second innings in pursuit of a target of 245 on Day 4 of the match after letting the hosts off the hook. Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif said Sam Curran and Moeen Ali made the differences between the two sides.

India had cornered England on Day 1 of the match by reducing them to 86 for 6 when Curran came out to bat and scored 78. He took the team to a competitive score of 246. In the second innings too, Curran’s 37 at a key juncture of the game saw England get to a 250-plus total and put the pressure back on India. Curran had produced an identical performance in the second innings of the first Test at Edgbaston, making 63 at No. 8 after England were left reeling at 87 for 7.

Curran though did not take a lot of wickets in Southampton, as he did in the first Test, but that was more than made up by spinner Moeen Ali who took nine wickets, including a fifer in the first innings, to floor India.

Moeen the difference

“Again, what could have been. Sam Curran made the difference with the bat both in the first test as well as here, but Moeen Ali was the difference between the two sides,” Kaif said in a tweet.

India had a horrible beginning to the chase

India had a disastrous beginning to their chase at Ageas Bowl, losing 3 wickets for 22, including their first innings centurion Cheteshwar Pujara. It was then captain Virat Kohli (58) and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (51) who added 101 runs for the fourth wicket to resurrect the innings. But once Kohli was taken by Ali, India were exposed and could add only 61 runs for the last six wickets. Earlier in the day, England resumed their innings from the overnight score of 260 for 8 and lost the last two wickets for 11.

India had a similar experience in the first Test when despite remaining in a strong position, eventually lost the match by 31 runs. They have now lost three Test series in England on the trot – after 2011 and 2014. The final match begins at the Oval that starts on September 7 though it remains only of academic interest.

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