Cheteshwar Pujara has drawn attention to India’s last Test in England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in July 2022. In that rescheduled fifth Test, India set England a target of 378 but still lost by seven wickets after Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow hit unbeaten hundreds. Pujara himself scored 13 runs in the first innings and 66 in the second but could not prevent the collapse.
Talking about that painful defeat on BBC TMS commentary, Pujara said, “It does (play a part in the mind), am sure India will be thinking about it [the 2022 drubbing when Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow smashed hundreds]. At the same time, it’sa different pitch and different conditions. Also, there is not much time left in this game.”
At that time, India’s bowling fell apart. The stand-in captain, Jasprit Bumrah, took two wickets for 74 runs. Mohammed Shami gave away 64 runs in just 15 overs, Mohammed Siraj conceded a whopping 98 runs in his 15 overs, while Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur gave away 65 runs in 11 overs each. None could break the Root-Bairstow partnership that anchored England’s record chase.
England need 350 runs on Day Five with all 10 wickets in hand
On day four of the ongoing Leeds Test, India were in a strong position at one stage with 333/4, especially after centuries from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. However, they then suffered a collapse, losing their last six wickets for just 31 runs. As a result, they set a 371-run target for the home side.
England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, successfully negotiated the six overs before stumps, reaching 21/0. They will begin day five needing 350 more runs with all 10 wickets in hand.
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz