India stormed to a historic Test win over England at The Oval

HIGHLIGHTS

• India beat England by 157 runs at The Oval to take unbeatable 2-1 series lead
• India had last won a Test match at The Oval under Ajit Wadekar in 1971
• Jadeja, Bumrah, Umesh, Shardul starred with the ball on final day of Oval Test

Jasprit Bumrah inspired India to put on a spirited performance and reclaim the series lead with a convincing 157-run win over England on the final day of the Oval Test.

England were bowled out for 210 in pursuit of a target of 368 on the final day, succumbing to the steady pressure built up by the Indian bowlers. The visitors registered only their second Test win at the Oval and first after the historic 1971 triumph under Ajit Wadekar.

Chasing a daunting victory target of 368, the hosts made a strong start with a century-opening partnership before India made inroads and restricted England’s scoring rate with some disciplined bowling. Shardul Thakur provided India’s first breakthrough to remove Rory Burns (50), one ball after he reached his half-century and brought up the 100-run partnership for the first wicket.

The momentum of a match swung India’s way when Dawid Malan was run out for 5 with about 30 minutes left in the morning session, attempting a quick single with Haseeb Hameed. Hameed (63) who got a reprieve on 56 when Mohammed Siraj dropped him, was the next batsman to depart after Jadeja exploited the rough patch as the ball spun past his bat to hit the off-stump.

Jasprit Bumrah removed Ollie Pope (2) and Jonny Bairstow (0) in back-to-back overs to turn the tide in India’s favour. Bumrah came up with an inswinging delivery to breach Pope’s defense and become the 23rd Indian bowler to reach the 100 Test wickets landmark.

In his very next over, Bumrah produced a reverse-swinging yorker at 142 kph that hit into the base of Bairstow’s stumps. Jadeja dismissed Moeen Ali (0) as the ball pitched on the rough and took the shoulder of the bat for an easy catch at short-leg.

Joe Root and Chris Woakes, the final English batting pair, played some shots during a 35-run seventh-wicket stand to delay India’s win before the England captain dragged an innocuous Thakur delivery onto his stumps to depart for 36 and end his team’s faint hopes of an unlikely win.

Umesh Yadav also chipped in to remove Woakes (18), Craig Overton (10) and James Anderson (2) to seal India’s emphatic win in Kennington Oval. For India, Yadav claimed 3 for 60, while spinner Jadeja and seamers Bumrah and Thakur took two wickets apiece.

With India taking a 2-1 series lead over England at the Oval, the series now moves to Manchester’s Old Trafford for the fifth and final Test which will begin on September 10.