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Zaheer Khan’s inspired spells all day long has put India on the brink of a historic victory at Trent Bridge. Victory now seems to be just a formality with India requiring 63 more runs to win on the final day’s play with all its wickets intact. The Test Match could be wrapped up in an hour’s play tomorrow morning. If at all anything can stop India from going 1-0 up then it has to be only a thunderstorm.
Looking at the way the England openers batted yesterday, it looked that the Indian bowling had plenty of hard work to take 10 wickets. And it was like that but eventually the hard work paid dividends. England looked safe through a great partnership between Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood. But once the wicket of Vaughan fell, then England’s fort also fell and collapsed in no time with the last seven wickets falling for 68 runs in a little over 21 overs. Zaheer Khan destroyed England with a fifth five-wicket haul. Zaheer failed in taking his maiden ten-wicket haul by just a wicket! Nevertheless his bowling spell has got India to face an easy target of 73.
The weather has stayed very well ever since the Test Match got kicking on Day 1. Batting looked quite good as far as the pitch was concerned, but there was always the swing in the air that would put the element of doubt in the batsmen’s minds. India didn’t have to wait too long for its breakthrough this morning as Alastair Cook (23 from 50 balls) for the fourth time in four innings was leg before the wicket playing along the wrong line. This wicket was taken by Zaheer Khan in the third over of the day’s play. The rest of the session was taken care by Strauss and Michael Vaughan as the ball started to lose its shine. At lunch, England were fighting well at 129 for 1 after 43 overs with Strauss working his way to a half century.
The lunch break did a lot of harm to Andrew Strauss’ concentration as he played a nothing shot to a nothing delivery to lose his wicket. That was only the second over of a new session and Strauss just didn’t have his focus, not moving his feet and going after a wide delivery to nick it behind. Zaheer got his second wicket that got the energy levels back in his team mates. Now was the real contest, two of the best batsmen in Test Cricket – Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen facing a challenge, but they had the potential to win it. A Sreesanth beamer had KP falling down and perhaps the awkward moment also saw him lose his concentration. In the next over from RP Singh, Pietersen got a bottom edge to the keeper, who appealed unconvincingly and the Umpire had to give the benefit of doubt. Slow motion replays confirmed that there was a nick of that RP Singh delivery but it just didn’t matter at all. The very next ball was a sharp incoming delivery from RP and KP had hardly anytime and all he did was take it on his pads outside off and that was it. A straightforward lbw decision for Simon Taufel to make as England slipped to 175 for 3. Pietersen had a brief stay of getting 19 from 35 balls.
More than an hour went by after Pietersen’s dismissal without any more wickets for the Indians. Michael Vaughan was batting with the best ever technique and Collingwood was playing the support role well. England at Tea looked promising at 221 for 3 with its Skipper approaching a hundred. In the final session, the partnership between Vaughan, who had completed his 17th century and Collingwood kept the bowlers at bay. India availed the opportunity of taking the second new ball which changed the fortune of the game. It started off badly, the second new ball with Zaheer getting thrashed for three boundaries with the first over. England soon got into the lead, but the twist came in the third over with the brand new cherry as Michael Vaughan’s attempted flick struck his thigh pad and ever so gently rolled back onto his stumps. Zaheer got pumped up with that and so did the Indian team reducing England effectively to 4 for 4 considering the 283-run deficit. It was a brilliant innings from Vaughan, a Captain’s knock of 124 from 193 balls with 18 fours.
It was just too easy for the Indians after removing Michael Vaughan. Ian Bell fell in the same over, beaten by pace and movement from Zaheer to get a second ball duck and once again lbw to the same bowler. After about half an hour, Prior got a beauty from RP Singh that swung back late to disturb his furniture and then Collingwood too fell. Collingwood got 63 from 133 with 7 fours, but didn’t look convincing with his weak technique against the moving ball. He drove one desperately to be caught by Dinesh Karthik at first slip off Zaheer. Tremlett and Panesar fancied their chances against Kumble only to be caught. India had to work a bit to take the last wicket with Sidebottom batting well yet again. As expected Kumble did the finishing act, cleaning up Anderson’s off stump with a skidder that denied Zaheer Khan a 10th wicket in the match. England were bowled out for 355 in 104 overs. Sidebottom remained unbeaten on 25 with 4 fours. Zaheer’s figures were 5 for 75 from 27 overs with 10 maidens. RP Singh was the second best bowler for India coming up with two magic deliveries and Kumble had a struggle although his figures aren’t bad at 3 for 104 in 25 overs. Sreesanth was the only main bowler not to take any wicket. The Indian openers played out three overs before close in which they got 10 on the board. The day ended with Dinesh Karthik slashing one over the slips for a four off Anderson as England brought in an umbrella field.