England Crush Abysmal India

England 367 (Root 77, Buttler 70) beat
India 152 & 166 by an innings & 54 runs
Fourth Test, Emirates Old Trafford
Scorecard

England took nine wickets after tea on day three of the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford to hand India an innings-and-54-run defeat and go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

After Joe Root (77) and Jos Buttler (70) enabled England to reach 367 before being bowled out, India progressed comfortably enough to 33 for one at tea.

With Stuart Broad unavailable to bowl after he was hit when batting, India lost five wickets for 13 runs in a 29-ball spell that turned the match decisively in England's favour.

Moeen Ali (4-39), James Anderson (2-20), Chris Jordan (2-65) and Chris Woakes (1-35) finished things off quickly to dismiss India for just 166 in their second innings.

With the forecast for day four suggesting little, if any play, would be possible, England resumed the day on 237 for six and looked to push on quickly in the morning.

And with Root and Buttler, two players with plenty of limited overs experience behind them, at the crease, they had the right men to do the job.

They also had luck on the side. Virat Kohli dropped Buttler early on and MS Dhoni later fumbled a run out opportunity and England made India pay.

Root made 77 in 161 balls and Buttler 70 in 130 before both men fell to Pankaj Singh, the former gloving one down the leg-side and the latter caught by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Having bowled well at The Ageas Bowl for no reward, the brace of wickets brought some cheer for India but it wouldn't last as after reaching lunch on 325 for eight, the runs continued to flow for England.

Chris Woakes hit 26 not out before Broad's cameo saw him twice hit Varun Aaron for leg-side sixes only to get into trouble trying to repeat the shot again as the ball crashed through the gap between peak and grille of his helmet.

He left the field and it was later confirmed that he had broken his nose and his involvement in the game was over, retired hurt with 12 off six balls.

An under-the-weather James Anderson then made nine and when he was trapped in front by Ravindra Jadeja, England had secured a lead of 215 and left themselves 61 overs in the day to try to force the game to its conclusion.

By tea, they had only managed to remove Murali Vijay, who was trapped in front by Woakes for 18, and there was little sign of the carnage to follow.

After the break, India went from 53 for one to 66 for six and the game was as good as lost. Despite Broad's absence, Anderson struggling through illness, Woakes and Jordan bowling poorly, India collapsed for the second time in the match.

Anderson had Gambhir caught behind by Buttler, gloving through to the wicket-keeper before Ali struck to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara (17), Ajinkya Rahane (1) and Jadeja (4) while Anderson removed Kohli for seven.

Pujara was trapped in front - replays suggested that he may have been unlucky - while Rahane was caught and bowled and Jadeja was well caught by Jordan at slip.

Just as they had in the first innings, Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin helped India recover, and took them past the 100-run mark before Dhoni looked to thrash Ali through the onside only to be superbly caught by a diving Gary Ballance at mid-wicket for 27.

Ashwin stuck around and ended unbeaten on 46 in 56 balls as wickets tumbled at the other end. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar was reprieved as Jordan dismissed him with a no ball, he was run out by Ali and Buttler for 10 while Aaron (9) and Singh (0) offered little resistance.

Both fell to Jordan, Aaron caught behind and Singh bowled, as England needed just 43 overs to end India's second innings and move ahead in the series for the first time.

The fifth and final Test begins at The Kia Oval on 15th August.

© Cricket World 2014