Ashwin holds up England victory charge

England are on the verge of a victory in Kolkata that would put them 2-1 up in the series, with only a brave 83 not out from Ravi Ashwin taking the third Test into a final day following an astonishing India second innings batting collapse.

At the close India were 239 for 9, a lead of only 32 runs, as Ashwin - who has so far batted for three hours and 151 balls to shame his more illustrious teammates - was helped by tailenders Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha to deny England an innings win.

One of the best England performances in the field of recent years saw six Indian wickets fall for 36 runs in 17 overs in a remarkable passage of play immediately after lunch.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, batting with controlled aggression, had added 86 in 21 overs before the interval, following an England lower order collapse from their overnight 510 for 6 to 523 all out.

Suddenly, it seemed as if England's first innings lead of 207 could quickly be overhauled by India, which might then have led to them putting pressure on Alastair Cook's team on the final afternoon. The lunch break and the chance for England to regroup, however, changed everything.

Graeme Swann made the vital breakthrough with the very first ball of the afternoon session, bowling Sehwag through the gate for a 57-ball 49 with a perfectly-pitched off break, and soon England's bowling and fielding was hitting the heights as India's much-vaunted batting line-up folded with barely a whimper.

Gambhir called Cheteshwar Pujara for a single to Ian Bell at midwicket and saw his partner run out, after a fatal hesitation before he set off, by Bell's direct hit. That was 98 for 2, and Gambhir did not last much longer.

Steven Finn, coming around the wicket to the left-hander, had Gambhir caught behind the wicket by Matt Prior for 40 as the opener chased a full-pitched but widish delivery. And the 40,000 Eden Gardens crowd had hardly finished giving Sachin Tendulkar a hero's welcome in what might be his last Test in Kolkata when the Little Master was gone for 5, edging Swann's arm ball to Jonathan Trott at slip.

England could even afford to drop Virat Kohli at 111, Bell shelling the catch at a short square leg position from a firm clip off his pads off Finn, because Jimmy Anderson first went around the wicket to clean up Yuvraj Singh for 11 with one that kept horribly low and then had MS Dhoni edging to Cook at first slip for a third-ball duck.

At 122 for 6 there was no way back for India, but at least Kohli hung around with Ashwin until after tea, when he nibbled an outswinger from Finn to Prior on 20, and it was 159 for 8 when the impressive Finn pinned Zaheer Khan lbw for 0 with a rapid in-ducker.

Ashwin and Sharma initially held up England in a stand of 38 in 18 overs, but Monty Panesar made up for the frustration earlier of seeing Ashwin survive a stumping chance and Sharma being dropped by Prior by returning to clean bowl Sharma for 10.

Ojha, however, hung on for 21 balls as Ashwin mixed careful defence with some superb hitting as a further 42 were added before the close. England, despite their late frustration, will be delighted with their day's work and, barring miracles, will wrap up a deserved win early tomorrow.



Date: 08/12/2012 11:02:47 by TheCricketer
In: Today | England |