Stunning Kohli century saves India as match hangs in balance
The tourists were bowled out for 274 after some stunning spells from the English bowling attack, but Virat Kohli's phenomenal innings saved India from embarrassment. Ravichandran Ashwin then notched the huge scalp of Alistair Cook before close of play to give India the edge heading into an exciting third day at Edgbaston.
England began day two on 285/9, but were swiftly brushed aside in the second over when Curran (24) edged behind to the impressive Mohammed Shami (3/63).
India’s reply began well, and despite some probing, full bowling from James Anderson (2/41) and Stuart Broad (0/40), Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan guided their side past the 50 mark unscathed in the 12th over. The signs for England’s bowlers were promising and despite not making the breakthrough, Anderson, in particular, was getting the ball to do all sorts.
England’s fortunes changed when Broad was withdrawn from the attack to be replaced by 20-year old Curran, who immediately wreaked havoc. The left-armer struck in his second over, the third umpire overturning an lbw on review to send Vijay back for 20. It was a beautiful, hooping delivery that cramped up the opener as it honed in on leg stump.
KL Rahul came out to the middle and edged a ball through the slips first up, and then followed up his lucky boundary by dragging the ball on to his stumps attempting an expansive off-side drive. India were in a solid position having accumulated runs in sound fashion to reach 50/0, but Curran’s devastating over then had them under serious pressure at 54/2.
India skipper Kohli came out to the middle and was yet to trouble the scorers before Curran struck again, Dhawan going after an out-swinging delivery with his feet planted in his crease and edging to a grateful Dawid Malan at second slip. India reached the lunch break on 76/3 with Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane both on single figures, Curran’s magnificent six overs having left a big dent in the Indian top order.
Rahane added just seven runs to his tally after the lunch interval before being forced to depart for 15, wafting tentatively at a seaming Ben Stokes delivery on a good length outside off stump and edging to Keaton Jennings who took a smart catch high to his right at gully. India then lost Dinesh Karthik for a duck as Stokes began to find his groove, taking out middle stump courtesy of some mean, late in-swing.
It looked as though Stokes (2/73) had struck thrice without India having recorded a run when Hardik Pandya was given out for nought having been trapped in front, but his review proved successful; the ball had done too much and was missing leg stump. India were rocked though, England having punished the tourists through two blistering spells from Curran and then Stokes
It could have been much worse for the visitors as England dropped chances offered by both Kohli and Pandya in consecutive balls. Malan should have held a fairly simple, low chance as Anderson got one to shape away to the Indian skipper, and then Cook shelled an even easier one at first slip to let off Pandya as Stokes chased his third wicket.
Pandya and Kohli put on 48 before Curran grabbed his fourth scalp of the day in the third over before tea, stubbing Pandya’s toe in front of his stumps with a fierce, swinging yorker that was subject of an unsuccessful Indian review and saw him depart, lbw for 22.
Kohli brought up his half-century before being dropped again by Malan diving to his right in the slips, albeit a much harder chance than the first.
Ashwin was soon back in the pavilion courtesy of an Anderson snorter, a good-length ball just straightening off the seam and taking out off stump, before the MRF Tyres No.1 ranked Test bowler also sent Shami packing, Malan finally holding onto one at second slip. Kohli was running out of partners in the evening session as England’s bowlers kept their foot on the throat, but he proceeded to hog strike in the latter hours of the day in a showcase of stunning batsmanship.
Ishant Sharma shared a useful stand of 35 with his captain in which he contributed just five, before being duped by a googly and trapped lbw by Adil Rashid who was only into his second over of the day at this point, such had been the success of the English seamers.
Kohli brought up his century, his first in Tests on English soil, shortly after Sharma’s dismissal, reaching the milestone in 173 deliveries having being dropped twice. It was a monumental and vitally important knock, providing the only notable performance in an Indian innings that otherwise never got going.
India’s final batter, Umesh Yadav, spent the majority of his innings at the non-striker’s end as his skipper expertly navigated the English bowling to keep himself in the firing line. A stunning one-man display from Kohli ensued, and his dominance was outlined when the 50-run partnership for the 11th wicket was brought up, Yadav having remarkably chipped in with just one of those runs as England began to get increasingly frustrated.
Boundaries began to flow from the middle of the Indian skipper’s bat before Rashid had him caught at point, attempting a cut, for a magnificent 149 as India were bowled out for 274, just 13 short of England’s 287.
India had precious little time to attack England's opening batsmen late in the evening, but Ashwin managed to deliver the crucial breakthrough, bowling Cook for a duck in a manner almost identical to his first innings dismissal, leaving England 9/1 and 22 runs ahead going into day three.
After an even couple of days consisting of glimpses of brilliance and unpredictable drama, this Test is finely balanced and could swing either way as the match progresses.