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Having lost the World Test Championship (WTC) final to New Zealand in Southampton, Team India will be keen to put up a better show in the five-match Test series against England.
Team India got a much-deserved break from the bio-bubble following the loss to the Kiwis in the WTC final. They recently regathered and featured in a three-day practice game against County XI in Durham.
The match gave some much-needed practice to Team India ahead of the Tests against England. Despite England’s obvious weaknesses in the batting department, Team India are likely to have a tough time in the UK during the Test series. They have won only seven and lost 34 of the Test matches that they have played in England.
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When Team India pacers shone in England
In the few Tests that Team India have won in England, the pace bowlers have had a major role to play. In this feature, we look back at some fine spells by Team India’s pace bowlers in England.
#5 Hardik Pandya - 5/28 (2018 Nottingham Test)
Hardik Pandya is unfortunately not in the scheme of things for Team India in Test cricket at present. However, during the 2018 tour of England, Pandya proved to be a useful asset to the team as he played the role of an all-rounder.
The Baroda cricketer had a big role to play in Team India’s famous win in the Nottingham Test when India last visited England for a Test series. The visitors posted a decent 329 batting first after which Pandya put India on top by claiming 5 for 28 in six overs.
Pandya sent back England captain Joe Root (16) with a short of a length delivery that straightened after pitching. He also dismissed Jonny Bairstow (15) with one that angled in and seamed away late to catch the edge. The medium-pacer had Chris Woakes (8) and Adil Rashid (5) caught behind and completed a five-for by trapping Stuart Broad (0) lbw with a full and straight delivery.
Pandya’s brilliance saw Team India roll over England for 161. Virat Kohli followed up his first-innings 97 with 103 in the second as India set England a massive 521-run target for victory. Jasprit Bumrah claimed 5 for 85 in Team India’s second innings as the visitors cleaned up England for 317 and won the Test by 203 runs.
#4 Ishant Sharma - 7/74 (2014 Lord's Test)
Team India pacer Ishant Sharma claimed 7 for 74 in the fourth innings of the Lord’s Test in 2014 as the visitors stunned England by 95 runs. First innings hundreds by Ajinkya Rahane and Gary Ballance meant India and England were on equal terms going into the second innings.
Team India opener Murali Vijay’s 95 and good contributions lower down the order saw the Indians post 342 in the second innings, setting England 319 to win the Test. Ishant then bowled Team India to an unforgettable win.
The pacer kept pitching it short and England batsmen kept falling into the trap, hooking and pulling him straight into the fielders’ hands. Before that, Ishant began by castling Ian Bell (1) with one that crashed through the batsman’s defense. He also got the big wicket of Alastair Cook (22), having him caught behind with a clever delivery that held its line after pitching.
Moeen Ali (39) ducked under a short ball and gloved one to short leg while Matt Prior (12) pulled one to deep midwicket. Ishant completed a five-for by sending Ben Stokes back for a duck with another rising delivery. Joe Root (66) and Stuart Broad (8) also perished on short balls as Ishant completed a seven-for with a lot of help from England’s batsmen.
#3 Chetan Sharma - 5/64 (1986 Lord’s Test)
Current chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma played a massive role in Team India’s famous triumph at Lord’s in 1986. Kapil Dev sent England into bat and, despite Graham Gooch’s 114, the visitors were able to restrict England to 294 due to Sharma’s bowling exploits.
Sharma had England captain David Gower (18) caught behind and cleaned up Mike Gatting for a duck soon after. Allan Lamb also perished to Sharma for 8 and it was the in-form medium-pacer who ended Gooch’s resistance, getting him clean bowled. Sharma had a much-deserved five-for when he trapped Paul Downton lbw for 5.
A hundred by Dilip Vengsarkar (126) on his favorite ground saw Team India respond with 341. Kapil Dev (4/52) and Maninder Singh (3/9) then restricted England to 180 in their second innings as India were set 134 for victory.
The chasing side lost a couple of early wickets but Vengsarkar (33), Ravi Shastri (20 not out) and skipper Kapil Dev (23 not out off 10) lifted Team India to a morale-boosting five-wicket victory.
#2 Roger Binny - 5/40 (1986 Leeds Test)
If Chetan Sharma shone for Team India at Lord’s, it was time for Roger Binny’s heroics at Leeds. The visitors only managed 272 after winning the toss and batting first as Vengsarkar top-scored with 61. Binny, however, put Team India on top with a superb bowling effort.
After Madan Lal and Kapil combined to take out England’s top three, Binny ran through the opposition’s middle and lower-order. He had the English captain Gatting caught behind for 18 and Allan Lamb caught on the off side for 10 on either side of lunch.
Binny had his third when Derek Pringle (8) flicked one straight to Kris Srikkanth. John Emburey perished first-ball as he tentatively edged one to second slip. The Team India pacer completed a wonderful five-for by breaching Bruce French’s (8) defence.
England rolled over for 102 in their first innings. Vengsarkar’s unbeaten 102 in the second innings saw Team India set the hosts a mammoth 408 for victory. Maninder ran through England with 4 for 26 as they were cleaned up for 128. Team India won the Test by 279 runs and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
#1 Zaheer Khan - 5/75 (2007 Nottingham Test)
Former Team India pacer Zaheer Khan was outstanding in the 2007 Test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham as the visitors, under the captaincy of Rahul David, sealed a famous win. Zaheer followed up his 4/59 in the first innings with 5 for 75 in the second as Team India won the Test by seven wickets.
Electing to field first, India dismissed England for 198 in the first innings as Zaheer and Anil Kumble (3/32) restricted the hosts to a total below 200. Team India then responded with an impressive 481 courtesy half-centuries from five of the top six. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored with 91 while Sourav Ganguly and Dinesh Karthik contributed 70s.
The stage was now set for Zaheer to take over. He gave Team India a massive breakthrough in the second innings, trapping Cook (23) lbw with one that swung back in. Andrew Strauss batted well for his 55 before Zaheer forced him to nick one behind the stumps.
The shrewd Team India pacer was lucky to end Michael Vaughan’s resistance on 124 as the England skipper deflected a ball onto his stumps. Ian Bell was trapped lbw without troubling the scorers while Paul Collingwood (63) became Zaheer’s fifth victim when he outside edged a drive to slip.
England were all out for 355 in their second innings. Set 73 for victory, Team India got home by seven wickets. India went on to clinch the series 1-0. This was the last time India won a series on English soil.
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