Buttler's maiden Test ton delays India's push for victory
After a poor morning with the bat, Buttler and Stokes withstood a session and a half of probing Indian bowling to keep their side in the hunt, but a late collapse helped India regain superiority, going into the final day of the Test requiring just a wicket to win with a 210 run lead to play with.
The visitors had the better of the morning session as Ishant Sharma’s angle and length proved immediately too tricky for England’s left-handed opening pair, who after a stoic showing to reach day four unscathed, both fell to the towering paceman early on. Keaton Jennings (13) was caught behind and Alistair Cook (17) at second slip, as conditions looked to be hugely in favour of the bowlers.
A brief period of relative calm was provided by young Ollie Pope and Joe Root, but it ended abruptly as the lively Bumrah (5/85) dismissed the England skipper for 13. An unnecessary push away from his body yielded an edge that was snaffled expertly by KL Rahul in the cordon.
Pope fell in the following over to an excellent Virat Kohli catch, chasing after a full, wide Mohammad Shami delivery and snicking off in the direction of the India captain who took it brilliantly high to his left. At 62/4, the hosts were staring down the barrel of a huge defeat, and the tourists had further emphasised to England the importance of taking your chances in the slips.
Buttler, promoted to number six following Jonny Bairstow’s finger fracture from day three, was dropped shortly after arriving at the crease by Rishabh Pant, who would have done well to take the catch diving low to the ground with one hand.
Buttler and Stokes worked patiently, benefitting from a lack of swing as batting conditions improved into the afternoon. The former brought up his fifty from 93 deliveries with a sumptuous cover drive off Bumrah, and having passed 150, England were beginning to find some rhythm despite the high-pressure circumstances. The 100-run stand between the two elapsed shortly after, and although there were a few close calls, India had failed to penetrate a gritty defence from two of England’s more notoriously offensive batsmen.
Buttler in particular had a few fly fortunately through temporarily vacant slip positions and Bumrah looked potent throughout, but England showed the kind of dogged tenacity that every Test team craves from their middle-order. Stokes' shot selection was excellent, refraining from driving too frequently when teased by Ravichandran Ashwin, and sweeping well on occasion in a bid to keep the scoreboard ticking.
The tourists had executed their plans well with four wickets in the morning, but no scalps in the afternoon session had frustrated Kohli's bowlers as the hosts reached the tea break on 173/4. That being said, England were still 348 runs short and just six dismissals away from defeat.
Following the interval, Stokes continued to showcase an impressively resolute defence, while Buttler proceeded to accumulate runs with a positive but highly-concentrated approach. They crept over the 200-mark, and Stokes brought up his slowest ever Test half-century in doing so, from 147 balls.
As the day wore on things looked a lot more comfortable for England, and Buttler recorded his maiden Test century in style, dispatching Shami for three boundaries in an over as he brought up the milestone on his 22nd Test appearance from 152 balls.
India had toiled for almost two whole sessions to no avail, and Kohli opted to take the new ball with just over an hour to play as his side searched for the illusive breakthrough. The new cherry proved the catalyst for another turnaround, and it was Bumrah who did the damage, trapping Buttler lbw with one that came in slightly off the seam and rapped him on his front pad. Buttler reviewed unsuccessfully, and India began to smell blood.
Bairstow might have wished that he had waited it out and rested his finger for another day, as he was sent packing first ball, playing down the wrong line and being forced to depart as Bumrah clattered his off-peg. Chris Woakes fell shortly after as Bumrah picked up his third of the evening and fourth of the innings, bamboozling the England all-rounder with a wicked and somewhat unplayable bounder that was edged through to Pant.
With three quick wickets India had restored their position of dominance that they had held throughout this Test match, and England were once again on the ropes.
The home side were forced to all-but concede any hope of avoiding defeat when Stokes fell after constructing an excellent 62; Hardik Pandya (1/22) getting a bit of extra bounce to force a leading edge that ballooned into the safe paws of Rahul in second slip, taking his seventh catch of the Test.
Stuart Broad then fell for 20 after swishing his way to a few boundaries, and his wicket marked Bumrah's five-for. The 24-year old's evening spell proved the difference between the two sides, and his use of the new ball will be incredibly pleasing for Kohli, who will be delighted to see the young seamer back in the line-up after he was forced to sit out of the opening two tests with injury.
Adil Rashid (30*) and James Anderson (8*) fought admirably to see England into the fifth day on 311/9 as India took the extra half an hour in an attempt to skittle the hosts. The tourists require one wicket to bring the series back to 2-1, with England 210 runs behind.