Series Isn’t Dead And Buried Despite Hosts Bowlers’ Praiseworthy Show In England’s Win In The 3rd Test: Dominic Cork

Aug 29, 2021 at 3:32 PM

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Series Isn’t Dead And Buried Despite Hosts Bowlers’ Praiseworthy Show In England’s Win In The 3rd Test: Dominic Cork

Dominic Cork, a former England seamer has shared his thoughts on the England victory against India on day four at Headingley. England levelled the five-match series by sealing a win by an innings and 76 runs. Seamer Ollie Robinson earned the man of the match award with a fifer in the second innings.

India seemed set to stage a comeback after England bowled them out for 78 and going ahead by 354 runs at the end of the first innings. Though the tourists trailed by only 140 with eight wickets in hand on day four, things changed quickly. India lost their remaining wickets for 63 runs to concede the game.

England’s Ollie Robinson Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters
England’s Ollie Robinson- Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters

Dominic Cork: The Conditions On The 4th Day Of The 3rd Test Helped England

Speaking on air after the game, Dominic Cork hailed England for maintaining the pressure consistently without leaking runs. The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the conditions hugely helped the hosts in building pressure and taking wickets.

“Test cricket is hard enough when you are trying to get a total but when the opposition are not giving away easy runs… I think it was the pressure, the conditions helped England in the morning, they swung the ball put India under pressure took the wickets.,”

Dominic Cork Photo : AFP
Dominic Cork Photo: AFP

Dominic Cork was also delighted to see England’s batting line-up shaping up well sans Joe Root. However, Dominic Cork warned as the series remains alive and it could go either way.

“And if you look at the way England batted, this is the first time the top-4 have got fifties since 2013. So that shows the improvement in England’s top-4 and also Joe Root is in the form of his life, put that all together and I think ultimately England outplayed India.

“But this series is not dead and buried. We go to The Oval, flatter pitch, 2 matches to go… I don’t think anybody can predict the results,” Dominic Cork said.

England, yet again, produced a brilliant spell of fast bowling to dismantle the Indian batting line-up, taking eight wickets in the first session on Day 4 to bowl out the visitors for 278 in the second innings and win the 3rd Test by an innings and 76 runs.

The emphatic win at Headingley in Leeds helped the hosts level the five-match series at 1-1. Ollie Robinson was the star of the show on Day 4 for England, taking his 2nd five-wicket haul in Tests. James Anderson, Craig Overton, and Moeen Ali were also amongst the wickets as the Indian batsmen crumbled under pressure.

Dominic Cork: England Bowlers Constantly Swung The Ball Unlike Indian Bowlers

Dominic Cork felt England bowlers had full knowledge of the conditions and knew how to create wicket-taking angles and bowl the right lengths.

“England bowlers know these conditions, know this ground and understand that 4th-5th stump line that makes batsmen play at times. They also bowl slightly wide of the crease and create an angle. They make it look like you have got to play at the balls and they were also a little bit fuller,” Dominic Cork  added.

Virat Kohli, Image Source : AP IMAGE
Virat Kohli, Image Source: AP IMAGE

In contrast, he thought the Indian bowlers weren’t on point. Dominic Cork further pointed to Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s words about the England bowlers not allowing any easy runs.

“The Indian bowlers, their lengths were not the same as their English counterparts. England constantly swung the ball… Virat Kohli said at the presentation that England bowlers didn’t let them off the hook at any stage, they put them under pressure and didn’t allow easy runs,” Dominic maintained.

The two sides will meet at the Oval on the 2nd of September. India has only won twice at the venue, the last of which came in 1971. Hence, the hosts hold the upper hand going into the game.

Resuming at an overnight score of 215 for 2, India’s second innings folded in 99.3 overs with England pacer Ollie Robinson claiming five wickets. India was bundled out for a paltry 78 in their first innings on an opening day. England then posted 432 in their first innings to take a mammoth lead of 354 runs. India lost their last eight wickets for 63 runs in the morning session on Day 4 to hand England a convincing win.

England 432 (Root 121, Malan 70, Hameed 68, Burns 61, Shami 4-95) beat India 78 (Sharma 19, Anderson 3-6, Overton 3-14) and 278 (Pujara 91, Sharma 59, Kohli 55, Robinson 5-65) by an innings and 76 runs

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