LONDON: England thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to win the third Test at Headingley on Saturday with more than a day to spare.
Victory saw England level the five-match series at 1-1 after India’s 151-run win in the second Test at Lord’s.
India, 215-2 overnight in their second innings, collapsed against the new ball, losing eight wickets for 63 runs in 19.3 overs on Saturday with Ollie Robinson taking 5-65.
India’s 278 all out, however, was 200 runs more than their woeful first innings of 78 – made after captain Virat Kohli won the toss – which saw England great James Anderson rip through the top order with 3-6.
The tourists resumed Saturday on 215-2 but, with 80 overs bowled, England took the new ball straight from the start of Saturday’s play.
From the moment Cheteshwar Pujara was lbw to Robinson without adding to his overnight 91, lbw playing no shot to Robinson, England were in complete command Saturday, with Kohli falling soon afterwards for 55 – his first fifty of the series.
The match was a personal triumph for England captain Joe Root, who top-scored with 121 out of a total on 432 on his Headingley home ground.
It was Root’s third century of the series and sixth of the calendar year.
Meanwhile, the rest of England’s often fallible top order all posted fifties, with Dawid Malan compiling 70 on his Test recall after Dom Sibley was dropped from the team.
Root said, “It was fantastic and clinical performance. The two big lads were exceptional. They built pressure early on. Three maidens this morning, and we felt we were in a good place to take wickets. When chances came we took them. [Comeback after Lord’s] Look at the talent in the dressing room we know we’re capable, just have to be more consistent. Brilliant with the ball but the opening partnership with the bat was fantastic. And yesterday, to hold the rate and build pressure, when it wasn’t going for us – we knew with the second new ball we always had an opportunity today.”
The fourth Test at the Oval starts on Thursday.
BRIEF SCORES:
India 1st Innings 78 (J Anderson 3-6, C Overton 3-14)
England 1st Innings 432 (J Root 121, D Malan 70, H Hameed 68, R Burns 61; Mohammed Shami 4-95)
India 2nd Innings 278 (C Pujara 91, R Sharma 59, V Kohli 55; O Robinson 5-65, C Overton 3-47)
RESULT:
England won by an innings and 76 runs
