Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Birmingham: Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, the future batting stars of England cricket, unleashed the total brutality of ‘Bazball’ on a placid pitch, but gun performances from India pacers Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep ensured the damage was negated effectively on a rousing third day of the second Test.
Under the pump from the hacksaw-like willows of Brook (158, 234b) and Smith (184, 207b) — the duo forging a brilliant 303-run partnership for the sixth wicket that bailed out England from deep trouble at 84/5. Siraj (6/70) and Akash (4/88) created magic out of nowhere with the second new ball late in the day to swing the fortunes back in India’s favour at a raucous Edgbaston. Their deadly late heroics saw India bowl out England for 407 and the visitors swelled their lead to 244 after taking stumps at 64/1.
Barring the opening spell where Siraj knocked out Joe Root and Ben Stokes off successive deliveries, it was pretty much a day of hard toil without much reward on a lifeless track that hardly had anything for the Indian bowlers. The 26-year-old Brook and 24-year-old Smith made the utmost use of the conditions, first counter-attacking with some electrifying shots to knock the stuffing out of the charged-up Indians and then motoring along smoothly with a perfect blend of aggression and caution.
India threw whatever they could at the duo, first challenging them with the short-ball stuff and then stifling them with the wide off-side line. Both Smith and Brooks, two of the most exciting young batters in international cricket, however, had a response for all of them. They looked perfectly on course to defy India and make it England’s day. Akash and Siraj, who were in a league of their own as compared to other bowlers in this game, however, had other plans, turning it around with a devastating spell late in the day.
Aware this was possibly their last opportunity considering the only help they were getting was when the ball was new, both Siraj and Akash breathed fire, just like the second evening where they had the English batters in all sorts of trouble. Similar to the second evening, Akash laid the platform with a double strike. He first dismissed Brook with a peach of a delivery, the ball swinging in sharply and crashing through his defences. It was the breakthrough India were searching for all day and they just gatecrashed through that opening. Akash taking out local lad Chris Woakes, a dangerous all-rounder, four overs later, had the Indians all charged up.
Siraj then took over. Leading the attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, he looked as good as he ever was. His red-hot pace was just too much for the England tail to counter. It was the good old-fashioned strategy, bowl full, fast and straight, and force the tail-enders to make the error. First, Brydon Carse did, missing a length ball to be trapped on the pads. Next, Josh Tongue erred, unable to put bat to ball for a full length one. Siraj was ecstatic, having got his fourth five-wicket haul in his 38th Test.
By now Siraj was in unplayable territory. He terrified last man Shoaib Bashir with a bouncer that struck his helmet. The spinner took a long time for treatment, but by then the damage had been done. Bashir just wanted to move away from the ball and it rattled his stumps, and England lost their last five wickets for 20 runs in 44 balls. India, who seemed flat for much of the day when Brooks and Smith were hammering the ball to all parts of the ground, found their mojo and they signed off in a strong position to push for a victory and level the series.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA (I Innings): 587
ENGLAND (I Innings, O/n: 77/3):
Crawley c Nair b Siraj 19
(30b, 3x4)
Duckett c Gill b Akash 0
(5b)
Pope c Rahul b Akash 0
(1b)
Root c Pant b Siraj 22
(46b, 1x4)
Brook b Akash 158
(234b, 17x4, 1x6)
Stokes c Pant b Siraj 0
(1b)
Smith (not out) 184
(207b, 21x4, 4x6)
Woakes c Nair b Akash 5
(17b)
Carse lbw Siraj 0
(4b)
Tongue b Siraj 0
(2b)
Bashir b Siraj 0
(2b)
Extras (LB-5, NB-11, W-1) 17
TOTAL (all out, 89.3 overs) 407
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Duckett), 2-13 (Pope), 3-25 (Crawley), 4-84 (Root), 5-84 (Stokes), 6-387 (Brooks), 7-395 (Woakes), 8-396 (Carse), 9-407 (Tongue).
Bowling: Akash 20–2-88-4 (w-1, nb-6), Siraj 19.3-3-70-6 (nb-4), Prasidh 13-1-72-0 (w-1), Nitish 6-0-29-0, Jadeja 17-2-70-0 (nb-2), Sundar 14-0-73-0.
INDIA (II Innings):
Jaiswal lbw Tongue 28
(22b, 6x4)
Rahul (batting) 28
(38b, 6x4)
Nair (batting) 7
(18b, 1x4)
Extras (LB-1) 1
TOTAL (for 1 wkt, 13 overs) 64
Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Jaiswal).
Bowling: Woakes 5-0-28-0, Carse 4-0-22-0, Tongue 3-1-12-1.