After losing the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s, Virat Kohli and co finally managed to win the Trent Bridge Test with a comfortable margin of 203 runs.
Coming into the third Test, the Indian side were under heavy scrutiny for their all-round flop show at the Lord’s. India had failed to go past the score of 150 in both the innings and had no answer to England’s supremacy on the field.
But at Trent Bridge, India made sure all their deficiencies were well covered. Starting with the opening pair, the middle-order, everyone chipped in. Dhawan and Rahul did their job at the top of the order. If Rahane shone in the first innings, Pujara took over that mantle in the second. Debutant Rishabh Pant justified his selection behind the stump and finally the fielders ably supported the bowlers. The bowlers too responded well after the Lord’s debacle, especially Hardik Pandya, who shared honours with Jasprit Bumrah in the bowling department.
Coming to Virat Kohli. The skipper is making sure that his 2014 tour to England will soon be a thing of past. After a century at Edgbaston, Kohli followed it up with another one at Trent Bridge which was preceded by a 97 in the first innings.
India now trail the series 1-2.
Here are the five big moments for India at Trent Bridge:
Dhawan-Rahul Pair Clicking at the Top
It looks like third time was the charm for the Indian opening batting combination. Coming into the Third Test, India had already tried two different batting combinations with all three openers – Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul – getting an opportunity at least once at the top.
In the first Test, Dhawan and Vijay put India off to good start but fizzled out in the second innings. Dhawan, courtesy his first innings dampener, was dropped in the second Test but things just went from bad to worse with Murali Vijay and KL Rahul failing in both the innings of Lord’s Test.
Vijay, who managed a pair at Lord’s, was dropped for the Third Test and Dhawan replaced him.
Both Dhawan and Rahul looked solid with the bat in both the innings. After scoring 60 in the first innings, the duo again added 60 runs for the first wicket. In fact, this was the third time that India had managed 50-plus opening partnerships in both innings of a Test match in England. The last time it happened was 32 years back at Edgbaston when Srikanth and Gavaskar scored 53 and 58.
Dhawan, who was not among the runs previously, scored 35 and 44, while Rahul scored 23 and 36 with the latter one coming in 33 balls. Both stands gave a platform to rest of the batting line-up to flourish and play freely.
Kohli & Rahane’s Stand of 159
After Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul got out in the first innings after giving India a better start, it was up to the middle-order to make sure they don’t undo the good work. But soon the visitors found themselves in a familiar position. From 60/0 India were 82/3, courtesy a Chris Woakes spell which brought the hosts back in the game.
Pujara had failed for the fifth time. With Kohli at the crease and Rahane walking in, it was up to this pair if India wanted to keep the series alive. Rahane was also due for a big innings.
But 40.2 overs later, Rahane silenced all his critics with a 159-run stand along with Kohli. Vintage Rahane and typical Kohli were at display all throughout the partnership and made sure that they put India in the driver’s seat.
Rahane went onto score 81 while Virat was unlucky to get out at 97.
Hardik Pandya’s Maiden Five-Wicket Haul
After cleaning up the Indian tail in the first innings on Day 2, England were off to a great start. They were 46 for no loss at lunch. It was after lunch when the Indian bowlers came out all guns blazing. Usual suspects Ishant and Shami struck at regular intervals but it was Hardik Pandya who came back with vengeance.
After being criticised for his lack of involvement in the first two Tests, Pandya silenced his critics with the ball.
The Baroda all-rounder broke the back of the English batting line-up with his 5/28, his maiden 5-wicket haul in Test cricket. It is also his best bowling figures in First-Class cricket.
Pandya’s victims included English captain Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Stuart Board.
Pandya's figure of 5/28 was also the best innings figures for India at a Test in Nottingham.
Rishabh Pant’s Dream Debut
After waiting in the wings for the first two Test matches, Rishabh Pant made his debut at Trent Bridge and he literally grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Rishabh Pant took five catches to become the fourth Indian wicket-keeper to take five catches on Test debut on the second day of the third cricket Test against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Sunday.
He also became the first Indian wicket-keeper and the 5th wicket-keeper in Test history to take five catches in an innings on Test debut. The young wicket-keeper claimed the feat by taking the catches of Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid in England's first innings.
With the bat too, Pant marked his Test debut in style by slamming a six off leg-spinner Adil Rashid on the second ball of his innings to become the first Indian to open his account in Test cricket with a six.
Not only Pant, the slip catching also improved vastly in the match with KL Rahul alone accounting for seven catches in the slip – the first person to do so in a Test in England.
Bumrah & the Second New Ball
It was just after tea. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes had survived the early onslaught from India. After losing four early wickets on Day 4, England were looking down the barrel and India were well on their way to a win. The pair had already played for 57.2 overs, scoring 169 runs and surviving the entire post lunch session.
Failing to dismiss either Buttler or Stokes, the Indian skipper cut a sorry picture till the second new ball was taken. Once the new cherry arrived, it took only 14 balls before Bumrah removed Buttler. The very next ball Bumrah removed Bairstow with a peach of a delivery. Injured Bairstow thought he got it covered but the pacy length ball that angled in and crashed into his off-stump.
A fourth-day finish was again looking very much possible. Bumrah continued his volleys of bouncers and suddenly the cricket ball was again looking unplayable. His next victim was Chris Woakes, who failed to duck a bouncer and ended up giving a catch to Pant.
Bumrah ended with a figures of 5/85, his second five-wicket haul in as many matches.
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