England were bang on course to end their long winless run as India stumbled in pursuit of a record run chase at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Day 4 of the third Test.
Alastair Cook’s team have failed to win a Test since clinching the Ashes at Durham almost a year ago, but here they have so far achieved an almost perfect template, which leaves them needing just six wickets on the final day.
England bowling coach David Saker reserved special praise for his bowlers as England took control.
Having needed only 14 balls to bring India’s first innings to an end on 330, England then declared at tea having made 205 for four in their second innings to set India what would be a highest fourth innings run chase of 445 runs to win the third Test.
Their quest for a first victory in 11 Tests became all the more probable as India then stuttered to stumps on day four on 112 for four in their second innings and, given that the visitors still require 333 runs to win with their top four batsman back in the pavilion thanks to some fine work by England’s attack, Saker paid tribute to his charges.
He told Sky Sports 2: “The impressive thing has been their attitude. They’ve got stuck in and just gone and done their work and the results have come with that and that’s testament to this group.
“We’ve got a young group, pretty much other than Jimmy (Anderson) and Stuart (Broad), who have been really good in the way they have led us in this Test.”
The only disappointment, as Cook (70no) confirmed his much-needed return to form with a second half-century of the match and James Anderson marked his 32nd birthday with a five-wicket haul in India’s first-innings, was that barely a third of this ground’s 17,500 capacity was occupied.
A Sunday start, and therefore midweek finish, in this middle instalment of a hectic five-match series, has seen to it that, if England are to prevail today, they are likely to do so in front of another sparse crowd.
Cook unsurprisingly chose not to enforce the follow-on after Anderson (five for 53) had taken the two wickets needed in the space of six balls.
Then after the captain, Sam Robson (13), Gary Balance (38), Ian Bell (23) and Joe Root (56) batted through 40.4 overs to set India’s task, spin came into play on a wearing surface and the visitors faltered.
Cook had calculated that a minimum 132 overs insured adequately against the improbable and gave England significant prospect of levelling up the series at 1-1, with two Tests to play.
His confidence grew with the inexplicable run out of a casual Murali Vijay in the 12th over and continued to rise as Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli all came and went to leave India at stumps with a task that was looking more Himalayan with each ball.
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Aggro%20Dr1ft
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Harmony%20Korine%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jordi%20Molla%2C%20Travis%20Scott%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dooda%20Solutions%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lebanon%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENada%20Ghanem%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AgriTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24300%2C000%20in%20equity-free%20funding%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2011%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
