After getting an upper hand on the third day of the Nottingham Test by sending nine English batsmen to the pavilion for only 298 runs in the first innings, Team India would have never imagined in their wildest of dreams that they would lose the grip on the Test due to a tenth wicket partnership. Indian bowlers did everything well in the first innings except for the fact that they looked missing on their plans when bowling to Joe Root and James Anderson, who got 198 runs for the last wicket – a Test Record. I think Indian bowlers got slightly complacent when bowling to Root and Anderson, who always looked under control and had an attacking approach towards the Indian bowling attack. India certainly missed a frontline spinner in this Test and I won’t be surprised if Indian skipper MS Dhoni recalls R Ashwin in the next match.
The English duo of Root and Anderson has already damaged India’s hope of victory in this Test match and the visiting team will take it with a pinch of salt.
Moreover, there would have been more disappointment in the Indian dressing room after wickets of Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara fell in quick succession. Team India would now adapt a defensive approach in this Test as a victory from here is inconceivable for them and all they would look now is a respectable draw to this game.
This Test match has already provided some interesting game of cricket and it will be interesting to see how the first session of the last day turns up. Few more wickets from English bowlers in the first session will spice up things in this Test match !
