Heading into day five at Lord’s, all anyone could talk about was India’s batsmen. What Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had done the pr...
Heading into day five at Lord’s, all anyone could talk about was India’s batsmen. What Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had done the previous day, and what Rishabh Pant could do on the final day. Had the middle order done enough? Could Pant bat India to safety?
However, in what turned out to be an unforgettable day in Indian cricket history, it was the bowlers in the team who owned the stage. First with the bat and then with the ball, it was Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma who came together to deliver a result that not many dared to consider at the start of day five – an Indian victory.
The spark for India’s extraordinary revival was ignited between the 92nd and 93rd overs of their second innings. The day began with India having four wickets in hand and a lead of 154 runs. An England win or a draw were the only realistic results on the table. And all eyes were on Pant to see if he could somehow swell India’s lead beyond 200.
In what was a body blow to India, though, Pant was removed by Ollie Robinson in the fourth over of the day. Four overs later, Ishant...
