India won the fourth Test against England by 157 runs at the Oval, taking a 2-1 series lead. India also have climbed to the top of the ICC Test Championship points table. The match was evenly poised till the final day. India eventually came out as a winner thanks to a tight bowling performance by the bowlers. Opener Rohit Sharma was the actual difference-maker in the contest. His magnificent century in the second innings helped India put up a huge total to defend. The fourth match report of the ENG vs. IND 2021 series has been discussed in this article.
ENG vs. IND 2021 Series: Fourth Test Match Report
India’s First Innings
England pacers took full advantage of the pitch after Captain Joe Root decided to bowl first at the Oval. England bowled India out for 191 runs in the third session of day 1.
Captain Virat Kohli scored 50 runs to help India pass the 100-run barrier. Shardul Thakur made 57 runs after his departure, assisting India in scoring close to 200 runs in their first innings. Chris Woakes got the most wickets with four, while Ollie Robinson took three.
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England’s First Innings
England batsmen responded with 290 runs after doing well in the bowling department. As a result, England took a crucial 99-run lead in the first innings. After England's dismal start to the game (62/5), Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow put on a crucial 89-run stand for the sixth wicket. Chris Woakes (50) batted aggressively in the late middle order, helping England to a total of around 300.
Ollie Pope made the most runs for England with 81, while Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, and Dawid Malan all contributed significantly to the team. Fast bowler Umesh Yadav was India's most successful bowler. He got three wickets, while Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja both taking two.
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India’s Second innings
India walked out to bat in the third session of day 2 with plenty of time on their hands to construct a massive score in their second innings. India batted for near six sessions and scored 466 runs in their innings.
Someone from the top order needed to bat for a long time in order to propel India's innings forward. Thankfully, India's opener Rohit Sharma came to the rescue with a patient 127-run knock.
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Rohit stayed in the middle for 80 overs, forming two important partnerships with KL Rahul (46) and Cheteshwar Pujara (61). When India lost their top-order batsmen, they had 237 runs on the board. Later, Virat Kohli (44), Rishab Pant (50), and Shardul Thakur (60) contributed well with the bat, giving England a big target to chase on day 5.
Chris Woakes was England's most successful bowler, with three wickets. Moeen Ali and Ollie Robinson both had two wickets.
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England’s Chase
England got off to a great start in pursuit of a huge 368-run target. The openers put up a century partnership before England lost their first wicket in the first hour of session 1 on day 5. Rory Burns (50) and Haseeb Hameed (63) each scored fifty.
After their departures, England struggled to build partnerships and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Captain Joe Root (36) tried to rebuild the innings, but he was unable to find an ideal partner to carry the innings forward. England finally lost the match after being bowled out for 210 runs.
All of the Indian bowlers did a fantastic job of keeping the English batsmen under strain. Umesh Yadav got three wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shardul Thakur each claimed two wickets for India.
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Player of the Match
Rohit Sharma produced one of his finest Test innings in this match. India's position in the contest was reaffirmed thanks to his superb hundred. Rohit Sharma was named player of the match for this reason.
Verdict
India currently have the upper hand after winning the crucial fourth match in the ENG vs. IND Test series. India will not lose the series if England win the fifth Test, which begins on Friday (September 10).
Apart from winning the contest, Rohit Sharma's stunning century in the second innings was India's biggest outcome in the match. If Rohit Sharma had not delivered an exceptional innings, the outcome of the match could have been different.
England will need to win the final Test in order to level the series. Therefore, England will surely go all out against India right from the start in an attempt to seize control of the fifth match.
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