Late wickets put India in charge by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

England in India 2008/09

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DateLine: 21st December 2008

 

Test cricket is all about momentum and maintaining pressure and today’s game once again showed Test cricket in favourable light. India began the day by winking out two wickets before England had scored anything substantially, before Pietersen and Cook staged a remarkable counter attack, then when Pietersen in the company of Flintoff again put a partnership hurting India’s chances, two late strikes put India back in command.

 

No team can claim any of the three sessions as their own as both shared the honours equally in all the three sessions. When India began to get a vice like grip over the game, England counter attacked and when England took the game away, Indian struck the decisive blows.

 

India strikes, England counterattacks

 

In the opening over of the day India jolted England out of their sleep, with Zaheer Khan taking out Strauss plumb before the wicket with no score on the board and before they could take stock of what struck them, the panic bells began to ring in the dressing room when Bell returned back with the score reading 2/2 after 1.2 overs. Pietersen was however unflustered as he counterattacked. He took the attack to the bowlers and scored at a fairly quick clip.

 

Dhoni introduced Yuvraj as Pietersen had struggled against him but Pietersen this time held on. Cook meanwhile began to essay some delicate shots on both side of the wicket and in the shortened morning session of 12 overs they scored 53 runs losing two wickets with Cook and Pietersen both looking comfortable.

 

India claims two wickets but England march on

 

Kevin Pietersen kept England afloat with a vital unbeaten 106 and with Alastair Cook who scored a well-paced 50 of 67 balls to provide England momentum. India hit back with the wickets of Cook and Collingwood to leave England 131 for 4. Then Flintoff walked in and batted with such confidence that thoughts of a collapse were soon swept away.

 

With Harbhajan Singh again ineffective - Pietersen put him off his rhythm with premeditated sweeps - Mahendra Singh Dhoni had to call on Amit Mishra 30 overs into the innings. He needed just three deliveries to draw Paul Collingwood with a classic leg spinner’s dismissal, luring him forward and taking the edge with sharp turn. But Pietersen and Flintoff - England's two match winners weren't about to surrender. A flurry of shots began to flow from their bats.

 

Flintoff started with a bristly clip for four off Mishra, and then drive past mid-on. The runs started to flow and words were exchanged between Pietersen and Yuvraj Singh, prompting the umpire to step in and have a word. Pietersen welcomed Harbhajan with a switch-hit six over midwicket as Pietersen refused to let Harbhajan settle and raised a splendid century, his 15th in Tests, from 126 balls.

 

Through their 80-run association England have gained ground on a track likely to aid batting for at least another day.

 

The trend continues

 

After tea, Dhoni resorted to his now famous Plan B, which had the experts stunned. Packing the off side field and strangulating the batsman and runs to near death. Zaheer and Mishra were summoned to carry out this plan and this prompted Pietersen to bring out his weapon to counter this plan: switch-hit.

 

With Mishra bowling around the wicket and into the legs, forced Pietersen to unfurl his switch-hit and succeeded once in sending the ball to the fence but after tea the scoring rate dropped drastically. Zaheer and Mishra acted to Dhoni’s plan with Ishant Sharma when brought on got involved in a fascinating duel with Flintoff. In meanwhile, Flintoff quietly completed his 25th half century. Things though not out of India’s control were looking slightly dangerous as these two were laying a perfect platform for latter assault which both was capable of.

 

Just when it looked that the duo would end the session in England’s favour, Harbhajan at last struck. Coming round the stumps he trapped Pietersen in front of the stumps and then in the last over of the day Flintoff was dismissed with Gambhir taking an excellent low catch in consecutive overs to dent England’s day.

 

At the end of the day, India can claim to be in front as England has only Prior and Broad to come as the last recognized batsman and then the tail to follow. India will hope to clean up the last few batsmen and then bat to get a sizeable lead.