India pulled off a sensational 157-run win in the fourth Test against England, only their second-ever at The Oval and first at the venue after 1971, to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series. This is also only the second time in history - after 1986 - that India have won two Tests on one tour of England.
They had beaten England by 151 runs in the second Test at Lord’s last month. England had resumed the fifth and final day strongly placed at 77 without loss and even though they lost a couple of wickets in the first session, they had moved to 131/2 and looked good to draw the Test.
However, within 35 balls, between overs 61.3 and 67.2, pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2/27) and spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/50) turned the game in India’s favour, sharing four wickets to spear the heart of England batting. Jadeja removed opener Haseeb Hameed (63 off 193) through one that turned from the rough and clipped his off-stump.
Bumrah then hit England with a double whammy as he breached the defences of Ollie Pope (2) and Jonny Bairstow (0) in his successive overs. Jadeja then picked Moeen Ali caught bat-pad. England went from 141/2 to 147/6.
Jasprit Bumrah became the 23rd Indian bowler and ninth pacer from the country to get to 100 wickets in Test matches. The right-arm pace bowler, who took two early wickets in England’s first innings on Day 1 of the ongoing fourth Test to get to 99 scalps, had to wait till the fifth day to reach the milestone in his 24th Test match.
He removed Ollie Pope for two with England’s score then at 146/4. He followed it up immediately with the wicket of Jonny Bairstow. He has played only two of the 24 Tests in India, picking six wickets in those home Tests. The remainder of his Test scalps have come overseas.
