Day 5: Time to try and stay afloat for India

It was yet another dismal day for Indian fans as India played woefully throughout the day, slumping to 112/4 chasing a mammoth 445 to win the 3rd Investec Test.

After a poor show with the ball, the performance with the bat was not very impressive either. Root and Cook added 99 in 14.2 overs. Cook swept Jadeja to bring up his fifty – his second of the Test and much more convincing than his first – and then swept him again to take the lead to 400. Root was going at nearly a run a ball without hitting boundaries, but he wound up soon enough and brought up his half-century off 38 deliveries. He got there by scooping Bhuvneshwar over the keeper and bludgeoning him twice down the ground for four. When Root was bowled 25 minutes before the scheduled tea break, with England on 205 for 4 in the 41st over, Cook decided it was time to let his bowlers begin the endgame.

Surprisingly, the Indian openers negotiated the new ball successfully. But their stay at the crease was short lived as Vijay pulled a shocker by refusing a clear single and got run out on 12. His dismissal was followed by Dhawan’s as he skied a ball from Joe Root. As if this wasn’t humiliating enough, the next two wickets were taken by part timer Moeen Ali who got rid of the tentative Cheteshwar Pujara and the out-of-form Virat Kohli. India closed at 112/4 at Stumps on Day 4 as Anderson showed no respite till the last delivery of the day as he exchanged irate words with Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane following the final delivery  of the day.

With another 90 overs to negotiate with a win almost out of the cards, India must look to bat through and maintain a 1-0 lead. With the pitch being a flat one, we do not expect it to deteriorate much and with the minimal swing available, there is still some hope for the Indian batsmen but England seem to be the clear favorites as of now.