Just as Joe Root looked set to continue the dominance that has kept England in this tumultuous series and taken him back to the top of the world batting tree, Umesh Yadav produced the moment of magic that could swing this fourth Test and the series India’s way.
Root had looked every inch a batsman who has made six centuries this year and three in the last three Tests against India as he glided to 21 in company with Dawid Malan to lead England’s recovery from the early loss of both openers in a Jasprit Bumrah over.
But, with the close of a day that had seen England justify their captain’s decision to bowl first by dismissing India for 191 just five minutes away, came the pearler of a delivery from an unheralded member of India’s potent attack.
Joe Root fell to give India a massive boost on a day their opponents had edged
India’s Umesh Yadav celebrates after taking the wicket of England’s captain
Yadav, a surprise selection in an India side who, against all expectations and logic, had again left out Ravichandran Ashwin, nipped one back late through the gate to hit the top of the bails with a disbelieving Root fractionally late on the shot.
It left England, at 53 for three, 138 behind and with someone other than their captain needed to lift them to the lead that looked guaranteed once Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson had sent India crashing to another below par score.
We asked what could possibly happen next in this topsy-turvy series and the answer was another action-packed day that ended with 13 wickets falling and honours just about even.
It started with Root seeming to have gambled, perhaps with the first day at Headingley in mind when India were bulldozed to 78 all out, by deciding to bowl on a ground where it is usually an automatic choice to bat.
Burns lost his wicket early on in England’s reply as Jasprit Bumrah had the better of him
And perhaps that extra expectation which comes from bowling first, albeit on a greener than usual Oval surface, weighed heavily even on the shoulders of Jimmy Anderson, both out of sorts and grumpy while conceding 20 in his opening four-over spell.
But the mood of the day changed as soon as Woakes was thrown the ball for his first bowl in Test cricket after a 12 month absence full of mishaps, some self-inflicted and others merely unfortunate.
It was as if Woakes, who had bowled just 38 competitive overs this season and had seen his spell in exile extended by a freak heel injury suffered slipping on stairs at home, had never been away.
Chris Woakes (centre), on his Test cricket return, celebrates taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma
Robinson roars with delight after trapping KL Rahul lbw to leave India 28-2 at the Kia Oval
Once Woakes, England’s Test player of 2020, had found swing and extra bounce to have Rohit Sharma caught behind by Jonny Bairstow, it was a different game, India having almost as much trouble against the moving ball as on that first day at Leeds.
At the centre of that was a returning stalwart of this England side in Woakes and a newcomer who already looks destined to become a staple of the Test attack for many years to come in Robinson.
What a first full summer of Test cricket Robinson is having and how impressive he was again here in taking another three wickets to take his tally to 26 in just his fifth Test and dismissing India captain Virat Kohli for the third time this series.
It had seemed as though England would regret the first of four missed chances when Kohli, on 22, was dropped by Root to his right at first slip off Woakes, with the ball swinging late after it had left the India captain’s bat.
But just after Kohli had reached his second successive 50 and had looked more comfortable than at any time this series, Robinson bowled a little shorter and saw an inswinger take the edge as the India captain attempted to turn the ball to leg.
The evergreen James Anderson was again among the wickets, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara
This time, though, it was not Robinson nor even Anderson, who recovered from his poor opening spell to find late movement to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara, who was to prove the pick of England’s attack.
That honour fell to Woakes even though he was again the unlucky bowler when Craig Overton dropped Rishabh Pant on nine diving at third slip when, just as with the chance missed by Root, the ball appeared to be heading to Rory Burns at second.
Woakes was perhaps fortunate that Pant appeared determined to give his wicket away with reckless slogging in demanding conditions, eventually holing out to Moeen Ali at long off. It is not good enough for Pant to say this is the way he plays. It was simply irresponsible.
Virat Kohli (R) reached a half-century but was then dismissed off the bowling of Robinson
But Woakes richly deserved his four for 55 that included the wicket of the man who kept India in the hunt with the type of controlled counter-attack that proved beyond Pant.
Shardul Thakur was another returning member of this India side after hamstring trouble but showed why he is known as ‘Beefy’ in the india dressing room by usurping the great man by smashing the fastest Test half-century ever made in England.
Thakur hit 57 off 36 balls in all despite being dropped by Bairstow off Robinson on 43, reaching his 50 by pulling Robinson mightily for the last of his three sixes.
Once Thakur had gone India quickly collapsed, the last three wickets falling in four balls, Overton completing England’s poor fielding display by dropping Yadev but then seeing Burns make up for the misfield by immediately running out Bumrah.
India finished the day well and the game is finely poised ahead of Friday’s morning session
When India collapsed at Leeds England’s new opening pair responded with a stand of 135 but this time both were gone by the end of the fourth over.
Burns was bowled trying to defend Bumrah but, more worryingly, Haseeb Hameed was out to a truly awful shot trying to cut a delivery four balls later that was far too close to him and had gained that bit of extra bounce.
While Root and Malan were together in a stand of 46 England looked to be ending the day on top but thanks to Yadev’s beauty everything is back in the balance. Which is what we have come to expect from this unpredictable, compelling series.
