Root ton, Bumrah five-for as Nottingham Test heads for tantalizing finish

Tags: India tour of England, 2021, India, England, England vs India, 1st Test at Nottingham, Aug 04-08, 2021, Joseph Edward Root, Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah

Published on: Aug 08, 2021

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England skipper Joe Root scored a brilliant hundred on Day 4 of the Nottingham Test against India. Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah however claimed five wickets to keep India ahead in the game. Root’s ton led England to 303, giving them a lead of 208. Needing 209 for victory, India finished Day 4 on 52 for 1. Stuart Broad dismissed India’s first-innings hero KL Rahul for 26. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

Earlier, Root brought up his 21st Test hundred, before falling for a brilliant 109 from 172 balls. England ended up scoring 303 in 85.5 overs. Root counter-attacked and hit 14 boundaries before Bumrah forced him to edge one to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. India now need another 157 runs with nine wickets in hand on Day 5.

The chase won’t be an easy one for India with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson making the ball do things on a responsive surface. There is also Sam Curran, who is a handy customer with the ball and enjoys performing against India.

Root, who scored a defiant half-century in the first-innings, once again stood up to the quality Indian pace attack. The England captain came out to bat with the team having lost two wickets for under 50. Root and Dom Sibley (28 off 133 balls) added 89 runs to keep India at bay. Later, Jonny Bairtsow and Sam Curran also chipped in with 30s but the innings was primarily about Root versus Indian bowlers.

Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj (2/84 ) and Shardul Thakur (2/37) also chipped in with wickets. Thakur, in fact, dismissed Jos Buttler after the stroke-maker shouldered arms for 17. Mohammed Shami's (1/72) had an off-day and picked up the last wicket to fall.

After the lows of the WTC final, where he went wicketless, Bumrah has made a strong comeback with nine wickets in the first Test. He also scored a vital 28 with the willow. He will hope he is not needed to bat in the second innings though.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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