India on the brink of resounding victory as England's tail take third Test to final day
Third Test scoreboard from Trent Bridge
There are defeats - and defeats. Had England been routed, as it looked as though they would be when they fell to 62 for four wickets, India would have gone to Southampton for the fourth Test with all the psychological advantage. But an historic partnership between Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes for the fifth wicket converted the rout into a strategic withdrawal which will not be completed until day five.
England’s batting has become so brittle that it seems able to summon up only one partnership per Test match, but this was a splendid one, spanning 169 runs and four hours. In terms of runs, though not time, Stokes and Buttler surpassed the epic defiance of Willie Watson and Trevor Bailey in the Lord’s Test of 1953 as the highest stand for England’s fifth wicket in the fourth innings, although they accomplished it on the final day to draw the match when everything involved in an Ashes series was at stake.
Had this been a four-day Test, the final hour would have been a heart-stopper as England collapsed against the second new ball, propelled with ferocity by Jasprit Bumrah of the unique action and rare angle, before their tailenders indulged in some slap-stick then buckled down to bat out the extra half-hour of eight overs. But the minor feat was ultimately achieved, by taking this game into a fifth day and partially stemming the Indian ocean which had been overwhelming England.
Buttler’s growth as a red-ball batsman has substantially strengthened England’s middle order for the rest of this five-Test series and beyond, even if their top order continues to wobble precariously. Buttler had his alarms against Bumrah, and would have been caught for only a single by a more experienced wicketkeeper than Rishabh Pant, but it was still an object lesson in the basics: on how to play yourself in, and put away bad balls, and not go fishing in between.
No Test century has contained more than 21 fours, which Buttler hit in equalling the world record. His shot-playing began when he was no older than two or three and his mother took him to her tennis club in Wedmore. While she played, the infant was given a tiny racket with which to hit tennis balls against a wall; yet all that skill would have gone for nothing without his keen judgment in shot-selection.
Other England righthanders, like Joe Root and Ollie Pope, had been tempted into playing away from their body. For Root it has been a wretched red-ball summer, his worst since his debut season of 2010, distinguished solely by his 80 at Edgbaston. Pope, at Surrey, had never been so exposed to the new ball as he has been since coming in at number four for England, and has either to be dropped down the order or else replaced by Moeen Ali.
Overall England’s new selectors have had a good summer - or rather they did until Trent Bridge. If Buttler’s recall to Test cricket has been their wisest selection, Adil Rashid has performed well in his limited opportunities with the red ball and he put his head down - after being dismissed cheaply off a Bumrah no-ball - to protect James Anderson and take this game into the final day. But for all the admirable composure and defence in Stokes’s 62, his recall was unwise, because it set in motion the train of events that will result in England’s defeat.
England’s selectors should not have left to Root the final decision on whether Stokes should play. Stokes was the lion who won the first Test for England on the final day; but having been caged for more than a week, in Bristol Crown Court, he was so pent up he was bound to rock the boat, and he should have been sent - after squad practice - to play for Durham against Glamorgan, to be made ready for Southampton.
Stokes’s first throw-in, fired from 20 yards, landed in front of Jonny Bairstow, and his first spell of seven overs began the process - in conditions so helpful to pace bowlers that Root had sent India in - of letting the tourists off the hook. It was not that Stokes did not try enough, but that he tried far too hard. Besides, Sam Curran had done nothing whatsoever to justify being dropped and would have pitched a much fuller length on day one,
Still, Stokes fought the rearguard with Buttler to the utmost of his ability, slower and safer than his partner. They had to contend with some reverse-swing, for the first time in this game, on the fourth afternoon, but together they had three advantages denied England’s top order: one was that sun replaced morning cloud, the second that the ball aged, and a third in that Ishant Sharma had shot most of his bolt in his opening spell when dismissing Alastair Cook, for the 11th time, and Keaton Jennings. The two occasions in life when it is most inconvenient to be lefthanded are when using scissors and facing Ishant.
Had he a sense of history, Stokes would be inspired by the challenge of becoming England’s finest lefthanded batsman, at least since the war - and he fought as doggedly as Graham Thorpe, without the occasional high-risk stroke which David Gower could not resist.
Buttler padded up after reaching his landmark, the injured Bairstow was bowled by a corker next ball, Chris Woakes was bounced out again - this time a snorter - and Stuart Broad gave KL Rahul his seventh slip catch of this game. Broad by then had reached 3000 Test runs, to go with his 400 wickets, making him only the fifth to the feat - some distinction, not entirely offset by his ICC penalty.
7:11pm - Close of play
So England end the day on 311/9. The home side need 210 runs to win tomorrow, while India require just the one wicket. It has all been an exercise in delaying the inevitable, but there was some intriguing stuff in there today. Stokes and Butter batted brilliantly, Bumrah was superb with the ball, and the England tail wagged just enough to deny the Indians an extra day off. The less said about England's top order, the better. We know which side will win this match, but everyone will have to return in the morning for proceedings to play out.
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