India vs England: Heartbreak for India, Virat Kohli; England win Edgbaston Test by 31 runs

India skipper Virat Kohli’s batting heroics went in vain as England produced a sensational fightback to seal a 31-run victory in the first Test at Edgbaston on Saturday with over five sessions to spare. (IND v ENG Day 4 - As it happened)

Kohli followed upon his first innings 149 with a solid 51 and had joined all-rounder Hardik Pandya to get India within 53 runs of the target of 194 when all-rounder Ben Stokes struck twice in one over to turn the rivetting Test on its head and pull it the home team’s way.

Stokes, brought in place of Jimmy Anderson as the ball was not moving under the sun, trapped Kohli leg before with seam movement with his third delivery, which was confirmed after a desperate review, leaving the batsman gutted as he walked away with the team in a precarious position.

India slumped from 141/6 to 162 all out as Stokes ran through the late order, returning four for 40. England clinched victory when Hardik Pandya edged to Alastair Cook in the slip cordon, for a 61-ball 31.

Though Pandya had looked solid at the other end, Stokes got Mohammed Shami in the same over after removing Kohli, caught behind three balls later, reducing India to 141/8.

Leg spinner Adil Rashid then trapped Ishant Sharma leg before for 11, leaving India still needing 40 runs with only the final wicket in hand. He was given not out but a review ensured the spinner got the batsman for the second time in the game.

Indian supporters chanted ‘Kohli, Kohli’ as he reached his 16th Test fifty and India looked like they would pull off a famous victory. However, they fell silent and the Barmy Army took over the singing as a large crowd turned up to watch the final act of the dramatic Test.

The Birmingham genie those went in favour of England, who registered their 28th victory at their most favourite venue, where they have not lost since 2008. Heartbroken India were left to rue their sixth defeat in seven matches at Edgbaston, though this was the closest they had come to winning.

India would be left wondering what would have been as conditions and a ball growing older favoured the batting side, until Joe Root threw the ball to his all-rounder in the 11th over of the day.

Kohli, who had faced only 17 balls in his 48 minutes in the morning, saw off a Stokes delivery pitched into his body only to be beaten by the next one, pitched well up and straight.

Anderson, frustrated by not getting the big wicket, rushed to embrace Stokes mid-pitch as England knew the tide had firmly turned. The England pace spearhead had predicted the match would sway to Kohli’s fortunes, and it did.

FIRST STRIKE

Anderson, who opened the bowling in sunshine that had reduced swing and seam to the minimum, started against Dinesh Karthik and got him in the day’s first over, reducing India to 112 for six.

The India wicketkeeper stood well outside the crease, like skipper Kohli, to negate the effect of late swing. Anderson still found some movement and proved too hot to handle for Karthik, who had resumed on 18.

He pitched one well up and saw a confident leg before shout turned down, but had his man next delivery, last of the over. He pitched it just short of length and got a thick edge to Dawid Malan at second slip. The fielder, who had put down three in the match, including two off Kohli in the first innings, held on at almost ground level this time.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s seven-wicket match haul and Ishant’s Sharma’s five-for in the England second innings had left India chasing 194, but England pacers tore through the shaky top-order to leave the match balanced evenly at the end of the third day.

India, aiming to win their first series in England for 11 years, move on to London with the Lord’s Test starting on August 9.

First Published: Aug 04, 2018 17:20 IST