Bumrah and Brook shine to leave England-India opener in balance

Harry Brook fell for 99 on his home ground while the brilliant Jasprit Bumrah took five wickets on Sunday to leave the first Test between England and India at Headingley finely poised.

England were dismissed for 465 on the third day in reply to India’s first-innings 471.

India stretched their lead by stumps to 96 at 90-2 thanks to KL Rahul’s 47 not out, with Shubman Gill fresh from a century in his first innings as India captain, unbeaten on six.

But with England having achieved their all-time fourth innings record chase to win a Test of 378 against a Bumrah led India attack at Edgbaston three years ago — when Joe Root, still in the side, made a commanding 142 not out — this match remains up for grabs.

“The game is in the balance,” Bumrah told BBC Radio. “We have to bat well. The wicket is a little bit two-paced so it will be an interesting game to come.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal, another of India’s three first-innings century-makers at Headingley fell for just four on Sunday when the opener was caught behind off an exceptional Brydon Carse delivery that cut away sharply off the pitch.

New batsman Sai Sudharsan avoided the embarrassment of ‘a pair’ on Test debut, after his first-innings nought, with 30.

But England captain Ben Stokes, who took 4-66 in India’s first innings, ended a partnership of 66 when Sudharsan chipped an inswinger to Zak Crawley, stationed at short midwicket for such a dismissal.

Earlier, when Brook was dismissed just one run shy of three figures, England were still 73 behind at 398-7. But new-ball bowler Chris Woakes, in place of the injured Gus Atkinson, almost got England on level terms with a handy 38 before he was bowled by Bumrah, who knocked over Tongue’s stumps to end the innings as he finished with excellent figures of 5-83 in 24.4 overs.

Drops prove costly for India: Brook’s aggression, in an innings in which he had three reprieves, eventually proved his downfall.

One run shy of what would have been a first Test century at Headingley -- and ninth in 26 matches -- he mishooked a Krishna bouncer to Shardul Thakur at fine leg.

The Yorkshireman threw his head back in agony following the end of a typically dashing 112-ball innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes.

He had been caught off a Bumrah no-ball while still on nought in Saturday’s last over and on Sunday he was dropped on 46 and 82 -- with both those chances ones India should have taken.

England resumed on 209-3, 262 runs behind, with Ollie Pope exactly 100 not out after coming in with the hosts in trouble at 4-1.

Pope, having added just six runs off as many balls, edged behind as he tried to cut a wide ball from Krishna.

“It was annoying to not kick on today,” said Pope. As for the state of the game, the England vice-captain added: “That late wicket at the end puts us in an even position.

“We know we have runs to chase, but if we can keep playing as we are, we know we can put together a good score.

“I know what this pitch is like. It’s a quick outfield with nice consistent bounce, it can swing a bit too, so playing nice and square play with the swing too.

“I take every innings as separately as I can, take confidence from this innings, hopefully get some in the second as we chase and then draw a line under it.

“I think the way Rahul played tonight, getting him out tomorrow is going to be crucial. We back ourselves to chase a steady score.”

Brook treated Bumrah, widely regarded as the world’s leading bowler, with disdain with a charging drive through the covers for four.

But he should have been out on 46 when he pushed forward to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja only for wicketkeeper Pant to drop the thin nick.

Brook was missed again on 82 when fourth slip Jaiswal grassed a two-handed catch off a deliberate steer off Bumrah.

At that stage, England were still more than a hundred runs behind.

And when Brook went into the 90s with a superb lofted drive for six off Siraj it looked as if he would make India pay dearly for shoddy fielding.

But Bumrah mopped up the tail to leave the first of this five-Test series on a knife edge.

Agence France-Presse