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Team India’s lower order came to the rescue once again, guiding the hosts out of a precarious situation on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England in Ahmedabad.
Rishabh Pant’s third Test century and Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 60 meant India ended the day on the ascendancy at 294/7. A lead of 89 runs is like gold dust on this track, as batting has got trickier by the hour.
England dominated the first session and asked questions in the second one too. Ben Stokes and James Anderson bowled their hearts out to keep up the pressure, while Jack Leach bowled metronomically. But a late onslaught by Rishabh Pant, especially off the second new ball, saw India carve out a significant lead in the third session of the day.
On that note, here are the top three talking points from an action-packed day of Test cricket in Ahmedabad.
#1 Ben Stokes steps up for England
It has been a quiet series for Ben Stokes. Except for the first innings of the first Test, the mercurial all-rounder has failed to live up to his potential.
Cut to day two of the series decider, Ben Stokes showcased why he is such an asset for England. He had bowled just 15 overs in the series before, with concerns about his ability to bowl long spells. However, sharing the new ball for the first time in his Test career, Stokes rose to the fore, especially on the second day of the ongoing Test.
He was accurate with his line and length and ran in hard throughout the day despite the sweltering conditions. Ben Stokes more than doubled his bowling tally for the series, bowling 20 overs on Day 2.
Stokes managed to extract disconcerting bounce off the wicket. His perseverance got duly rewarded with the priceless wickets of Indian captain Virat Kohli (0) and Rohit Sharma (49). His dismissal of Virat Kohli for a duck was a particular highlight.
As if that wasn’t enough, Ben Stokes was later seen flying around in the slips, taking a sharp catch to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane that reduced India to 80-4 at the stroke of Lunch. Although exertion got to Ben Stokes by the end of the day’s play, the 29-year-old proved once again why he is such an asset for England.
#2 India’s lower order saves the blushes once again
Rohit Sharma is India’s leading run-scorer in the series with 345 runs. The next best top-order batsman (batting position five or above) for India is Virat Kohli, who has less than half of that tally (172 runs).
Simply put, India’s top order has failed to get going in this series. Cheteshwar Pujara has averaged a dismal 22.16; Ajinkya Rahane has scored just 112 runs, and Shubman Gill has gone past 30 just once this series.
On a day when the Indian top order should have stepped up and taken responsibility, especially on home turf, they were found woefully wanting. That put undue pressure on the lower order.
When Rishabh Pant walked in at 80-4, the prospect of a first-innings lead looked dim for India, more so after Rohit Sharma got out for 49. But Washington Sundar and Pant put together a 113-run partnership to take India into the lead before Axar Patel joined his fellow left-hander to extend the agony of the beleaguered visitors.
With a well-set Sundar (60) and Patel resuming proceedings on the third day, India look good for a significant first-innings lead. Considering how the visitors fared in their first essay when the pitch was the best for batting, England face a tall task of saving the Test.
Barring a miracle from the visitors, Team India seem to have a foot in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Lord's later this year. However, the frailties of the top order are disconcerting, to say the least.
#3 Dominic Bess proves to be a liability for England
Eyebrows were raised when England decided to go with just three frontline bowlers for the fourth Test. The astonishment increased manifold, as one of the bowlers was Dominic Bess, who got dropped following the first Test.
The off-spinner started the tour with a four wicket-haul but lost the plot with his inconsistency and tendency to bowl full tosses, missing the next two Tests in the process. When Dominic Bess was picked in the playing eleven for the fourth Test, his ability to support Jack Leach as the second spinner was questioned.
Those concerns proved prophetic on day two, as Dominic Bess was easily the worst England bowler on the field. The off-spinner was a liability for Joe Root and was guilty of being wayward with his line and lengths.
His lacklustre showing inhibited England’s disciplined bowling effort, with Bess guilty of allowing India easy runs throughout the day. Too many times, India targeted Dominic Bess, and the bowler relieved the pressure built up diligently by James Anderson and co.
Dominic Bess looked low on confidence and visibly struggled for rhythm on a hot day in Ahmedabad. On a pitch where spinners have taken 58% of the wickets, Dominic Bess failed to pick up even one. He also proved to be expensive, conceding 3.7 runs per over.
The 23-year-old has a long way to go and could become a useful player for England in the future. But at the moment, he seems to be woefully inadequate to bowl on turning Indian pitches.
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