The fourth Test match is being played at Rose Bowl, Southampton. Joe Root’s side is leading the five-match Test series 2-1.
India's Cheteshwar Pujara. (Photo: AFP)
The second day of the fourth Test match was balanced for both India and England. While Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team were able to gain a lead of 27 runs, England bowled out the visitors for 273 runs in the second innings.
The fourth Test match is being played at Rose Bowl, Southampton. Joe Root’s side is leading the five-match Test series 2-1.
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Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara shone with the bat for India. He scored a splendid 132 runs and single-handedly dragged India to 273. From the English camp, star all-rounder Moeen Ali took a fifer to dismantle India’s batting line-up. In the third innings, England openers survive four overs without any casualties.
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India’s number third batsman Cheteshwar Pujara shone with the bat on Friday and helped the team take the 27-run lead in the second innings of the fourth Test match.
Pujara had been dropped for the first Test match. In the second Test, he was unlucky to get run-out in the first innings. In the third Test match, Pujara scored a gritty fifty and displayed why he should not be ignored. However, Cheteshwar Pujara’s best innings came when India needed it the most
.On Friday, while the Indian batters were falling at the regular interval, Pujara took the centre stage and scored his 14th Test century. During his 132-run knock, Pujara smashed 16 boundaries.
Was Ajinkya Rahane out? Or the ball on which he was declared out by the umpires was a ‘no ball’ bowled by Ben Stokes? This is the question that Indian fans kept asking even after the conclusion the second day’s game.
The incident took place in the 47th over when Ben Stokes was bowling. On his fifth delivery, he managed to trap the Indian vice-captain in front of the wickets. And when on-field umpire declared Rahane out, he went for a review. In the replay, there was a confusion whether Ben Stokes had overstepped the line or not.
However, the third umpire gave the decision in favour of England and Rahane went back to pavilion.
This was not given as a no-ball after watching it on replays, umpire colour blind.#ENGvIND pic.x.com/uCsHMj9xsT
— cricket freak (@cricloverakku) August 31, 2018
Earlier, in the third Test match, a similar incident had happened when KL Rahul took a low catch to send Joe Root back.
The Joe #Root dismissal.
How can that be out? The ball has hit the ground. #INDvsENG pic.x.com/nwVwAnBhlB
— Andrew Castle (@AndrewCastle63) August 19, 2018
Moeen Ali shines
Moeen Ali was finally included in England’s squad for the fourth Test in place of young batsman Olli Pope. Though Joe Root had been criticised for picking Ali ahead of Pope, Moeen rewarded his captain’s faith with his brilliant bowling display.
Moeen Ali bagged five wickets in 16 overs and conceded 63 runs.
Though Indian skipper Virat Kohli fell four runs short of his 19th half-century on Friday, he achieved yet another milestone in his carrier by becoming the second-fastest Indian batsman to reach 6000 Test runs.
The 29-year-old Indian captain reached the milestone in 119 innings, only two more than former batting great Sunil Gavaskar, who got there in 117 innings.
India’s upper order batsman KL Rahul’s poor form continued even in the second innings of the fourth Test match. On Friday, Indian fans were expecting KL Rahul will reward his captain’s trust by playing an important knock for visitors but he was once again disappointed with the bat. In the initial overs, Rahul looked confident and played a few nice shots before gifting his wicket to Stuart Broad.
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