Sports

Ruthless India demolish England

India players celebrate after winning the test match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Fourth Test - England v India - The Oval, London, Britain - September 6, 2021
 
India players celebrate after winning the test match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge Fourth Test - England v India - The Oval, London, Britain - September 6, 2021
I'm really proud of the character the team has shown, especially this morning. It's definitely among the top three bowling performances I have witnessed as India captain

Virat Kohli

India captain

LONDON: India beat England by 157 runs to win the fourth Test at the Oval on Monday and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The hosts, set 368 to win, were dismissed for 210 after tea on the last day as India triumphed in a match taking place just over fifty years on from their first Test -- and series -- win in England at the Oval in 1971.

England were relatively well-placed at 141-2 after lunch before left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah both struck twice in a spectacular collapse that saw the hosts lose four wickets for six runs in 36 balls.

Recalled paceman Umesh Yadav, who took 3-60, cleaned up the tail and ended the match when James Anderson was caught behind.

Earlier in the match, opener Rohit Sharma made 127 -- after being missed twice in the slips -- for his first Test hundred outside of India as the tourists piled up 466 in their second innings, having conceded a first-innings lead of 99.

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, recalled after suffering a hamstring injury in the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge, hit half-centuries in both innings and the paceman also captured the key wicket of England captain Joe Root on Monday.

India captain Virat Kohli hailed his team's final-day exploits.

'I'm really proud of the character the team has shown, especially this morning,' he told Sky Sports.

'It's definitely among the top three bowling performances I have witnessed as India captain.'

Root credited India's bowlers for the skillful use of reverse swing but rued his team's inability to make their first-innings lead of 99 runs.

'They got the ball to reverse and made good use of that. It was a brilliant spell of bowling from Bumrah and that really was the turning point,' Root said.

The series concludes with the fifth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting on Friday. -- AFP

Brief scores

India 1st Innings 191 (S Thakur 57, V Kohli 50; C Woakes 4-55, O Robinson 3-38)

England 1st innings 290 (O Pope 81, C Woakes 50; U Yadav 3-76)

India 2nd Innings 466 (R Sharma 127, C Pujara 61, S Thakur 60, R Pant 50; C Woakes 3-83)

England 2nd Innings (H Hameed 63, R Burns 50; U Yadav 3-60)

Result: India won by 157 runs

Series: India lead five-match series 2-1