England beat India by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test at Emerald Headingley to level the series at 1-1; Ollie Robinson claimed Test-best figures of 5-65 as India slumped from 215-2 at the start of play to 278 all out before lunch
Saturday 28 August 2021 20:08, UK
Ollie Robinson led the charge as England tore through India on the fourth morning at Emerald Headingley to clinch a comprehensive innings and 76-run win in the third Test.
The England seamer dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara (91) and Virat Kohli (55) in the first hour to start the charge and finished with Test-best figures of 5-65 as the tourists crumbled.
India had started the morning with hopes of salvaging something from the match but lost 8-63 in the session in a collapse to rival their 78 all out in the first innings.
Craig Overton claimed two wickets in three balls to finish the job for England, who draw level at 1-1 in the series with two Tests to play.
The win was also the 27th of Joe Root's captaincy, the most of any England skipper in the history of Test cricket.
England were able to take the second new ball at the start of play and with India resuming on 215-2 and Pujara and Kohli having played so well on day three, how that used it was always going to be key to how the game panned out.
James Anderson and Robinson did not disappoint and India were still to add to their overnight total when Pujara made a costly misjudgement midway through the fourth over of the morning.
The India No 3 shouldered arms to Robinson and was rapped on the front pad, England's appeal for lbw was turned down but their review proved successful as ball-tracking showed it was thumping into off stump.
Pujara was left nine short of a century and with the unwanted record, shared with Chris Cairns and Jacques Kallis, of most dismissals - six - without adding to his overnight score.
Anderson thought he had Kohli caught behind soon after, the India skipper even appeared to be walking before changing his mind and calling for a review which showed he had hit his pad rather than the ball.
Kohli did make it to his first half-century of the series with the first of two boundaries off Robinson in the 90th over of the innings but the seamer had the final word as he found the outside edge later in the over and Joe Root clung on to the catch at first slip.
Ajinkya Rahane (10) followed at the end of the next over, Anderson (1-63) claiming his first wicket after drawing the India vice-captain into playing and locating the edge.
It rounded off a dream first hour for England and it only got better from there, Robinson had Rishabh Pant (1) caught at third slip in the first over after drinks before Moeen Ali (1-40) produced a beautiful off break that turned sharply through the gate to bowl a helpless Mohammed Shami (6).
Robinson completed his five-for in the next over, hitting a probing line for the umpteenth time in the session, finding a bit of nip off the seam and Ishant Sharma (2) feathered through to Jos Buttler.
Ravindra Jadeja was at least able to give the India fans in the ground something to cheer when he hit Ali back over his head for six and then taking three boundaries off Overton.
The Somerset all-rounder did not have to wait long to respond though, having Jadeja (30) caught behind from the first ball of his next over - giving Buttler his eighth catch of the match - and wrapped India's innings two balls later when Mohammed Siraj (0) nicked to Jonny Bairstow at second slip.
India 278 all out and well beaten but the series is set up perfectly, all square with Tests at the Kia Oval and Emirates Old Trafford to come.
Watch day one of the fourth Test between England and India at the Kia Oval from 10am, Thursday on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event.
