A day that began with England and their supporters daring to dream ended at 4.38pm with India the side celebrating a stirring victory. The Oval witnessed their first series win on English soil 50 years ago and, now 2-1 up with one to play, Virat Kohli’s class of 2021 have taken a significant step towards their own slice of history.
The moment came in familiar fashion, Jimmy Anderson having trudged out to the middle with hopes of securing a record run chase of 368 long since evaporated. Umesh Yadav persuaded the second new ball to rear off the supposedly dead surface for a regulation caught behind, something swiftly confirmed by Snicko.
It meant England had been bowled out for 210 in 92.2 overs and India, roared on by a good number of their own among the sell-out crowd and bouncing in the huddle as the replay shared the news, had won by 157 runs.
Having been skittled for 191 on the opening day, and then conceded a 99-run first-innings lead, the tourists had become only the second team to overcome such a sizable deficit in SE11.
That the first came back in 1902 – Jessop’s match…
