Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who was the saviour with the bat, has once again stepped up, this time with the ball. Shardul provided the much-needed breakthrough, the visitors were looking in the first session of the final day at the Oval.
With 291 runs required, England openers looked confident and kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos while the odd boundaries kept coming. With nothing happening in their favour, India captain Virat Kohli handed over the ball to Shardul Thakur, who removed Rory Burns with an absolute peach, the next ball after the English opener reached his fifty.
The ball pitched just outside the off-stump and the scribbled seam took the ball to the slip region and in the way, found Burns edge on the way to Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. The Indian camp was certainly pumped up and looked in sheer joy.
Watch the clip here:
Burns hits a deserved half-century but edges Shardul to Pant a ball later.
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India now need nine more wickets to go 2-1 up in the series while England require another 265 runs to seal the tie in their favour.
Shardul Thakur’s timely fifty help India set up a target of 368 runs
First with bat in both innings when India needed him most and now big breakthrough. #INDvENG #Shardulthakur ka jawab nahi! pic.twitter.com/FtUIPtE2Ph
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) September 6, 2021
India’s tail once wagged well to put their side to a good total in the 3rd innings. The last four wickets have added 154 runs for India with Shardul Thakur leading the charge with a 60-run knock. Overnight batters Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli couldn’t add much before Ajinkya Rahane getting out for a duck.
England have the momentum with them having India at 312/6 and fancying their chances to bowl out Virat Kohli & Co for a cheap total. But Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur added 100+ runs for the seventh wicket before Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah added another 36 runs to set a 368-run target.
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