Buttler and bowlers put England on top at The Oval

OWEN RILEY AT THE OVAL: Ben Stokes struck twice late on day two to remove Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant and swing the fifth Test firmly in England’s favour

Kia Oval (second day of five): England 332 all out; India 174-6

Ben Stokes struck twice late on day two to remove Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant and swing the fifth Test firmly in England’s favour.

The wicket of Kohli was one of those rare moments when the captain appears to be something towards human. An unnecessary drive which sent the red leather tearing into his opposite number’s palms with a handful of overs left in the day.

England turned 181 for 7 into 332 all out earlier in the day before the bowlers chipped away at India’s batsmen, with the Durham allrounder’s late show sending the hosts into day three in a commanding position.

Not for the first time this summer, England’s resurgence with the bat was thanks to Jos Buttler, who struck 89 as the hosts frustrated India’s attack and turned a below-par score into a competitive total.

The glossy image of Buttler’s presence in the Test side is that of a Gilchrist-style finisher, turning 300 into 500, not 100 into 300. 

But the wicketkeeper-batsman has shown he can do the lot and England will be thankful for it. Of course they don’t want to see the Lancashire man coming in at 150 for 5, but when he does, they are safe in the knowledge that he knows how to play in different situations.

^{James Anderson celebrates his first wicket}

He has scored 510 runs in 11 Test innings since making his return to the five-day format against Pakistan at Lord’s back in May.

There he made 14 in the first innings before 67 in the second, adding 126 alongside Dom Bess. A dashing rear-guard effort that has become a familiar theme over the course of the summer.

In the series-winning victory at the Ageas Bowl, he shared half-century stands with first Ben Stokes, then Sam Curran when England were wobbling at 122 for 5.

He has scored five Test fifties this summer and is England’s leading run-scorer in the series with 349, behind only Kohli, which is a bit like saying he is only cooler than the sun.

Here he was ably supported by Stuart Broad, who produced his highest Test score of the calendar year (38), in a 98-run stand. The bowler was on the receiving end of the usual short stuff, with Bumrah hitting him with a nasty blow to the ribs, but he battled through impressively.

He finally fell hitting out at Ravindra Jadeja after lunch, with KL Rahul running back from mid-on to take an excellent catch with the Dukes re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere over his right shoulder.

^{Jos Buttler hit his second-highest Test score}

Before him, Adil Rashid stuck around with Buttler long enough for the pair to put on 33, before being trapped lbw by Jasprit Bumrah, and Anderson - who finished unbeaten without scoring - saw off five balls which allowed Jos to add another 20.

When Buttler edged Jadeja to Ajinkya Rahane at slip, England had added 134 to their overnight total. Once again, India had failed to kill England off when in a position of strength.

After a morning of strife, India’s reply got off to a poor start when Broad trapped Shikhar Dhawan leg before with his first ball. That strike signalled Broad’s 432nd Test wicket, surpassing Sir Richard Hadlee’s tally of 431.

With KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara rebuilding, and India 70 for 1, England needed something to shift the momentum and they got it from Sam Curran. 

On his home ground, hurtling in like a Jack Russell after a tennis ball, the 20-year-old - who has been exhilarating with both bat and ball - cleaned up Rahul with a beauty which beat the right-hander and caressed the top of off stump.

When Anderson was brought back into the attack, he thought he had his man for the first time in the series.

^{Sam Curran strikes on his home ground}

Anderson was unusually wayward in his opening spell but with key wicket in front of him, it was as though the sights realigned. The Dukes hooped into Kohli’s pads but despite a vociferous appeal, umpire Kumar Dharmasena was unmoved. England reviewed with replays showing the ball to be hitting a whisker outside the line, much to the bowler’s visible displeasure.

Anderson went on to strike twice in the space of seven balls to remove Pujara and Rahane - moving within two of Glenn McGrath’s record - which brought debutant Hanuma Vihari to the crease.

Gloomy, under floodlights, Anderson with steam billowing from his nostrils, smoke filtering across the pitch from somewhere beyond the stand. Good luck, son.

A fifth-ball duck should have been the story when Broad angled one into the pads, but there was a lifeline when England decided against a review. Replays showed the ball to be on course for the top of leg stump.

Two balls later he was given out lbw only to review and have it overturned on height. From there it was mainly slap dash, with two miscued pulls in one Stokes over. The first sailing for six, the second falling just short of Rashid running in from fine leg.

If Vihari’s total continues to multiply, England will rue that decision not to review when the debutant was on nought, but Stokes’ late brace has his team well on top.