England plays cricket like poker. It believes it has a solid understanding of what constitutes a good hand, a fair hand and a bad hand, and then bets accordingly.
At the end of day two of the fourth Test against India at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, it was dealt a really good hand — 134 runs in the green with seven Indian batters back in the hut.
Yet, on Sunday, it couldn’t keep itself fully off tilt, allowing the deficit to be trimmed to 46 and then making only 145 second-essay runs. Left to chase 192 for a series win, India — on a deteriorating pitch — raced to 40 for no loss by close.
But it was not near-total self-destruction by England, for that would be a disservice to the excellence of Dhruv Jurel (90, 149b, 6x4, 4x6), R. Ashwin (5/51) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/22).
On a dusty strip, and with a hard new cherry in hand, Ashwin proved deadly. He bowled with a square seam and the turf spewed venom. Ben Duckett was caught at short-leg and Ollie Pope completed a pair by getting out leg-before first ball as England was reduced to 19 for two.
The prized wicket of Joe Root also went his way when the ball landed on the seam and turned instead of skidding through, hitting the batter low on his front foot as he was falling over. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena wasn’t convinced but technology forced his hand.
However, at the other end, the tall Zak Crawley of stately presence was unmoved. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were also guilty of bowling pressure-releasing half-volleys that the 26-year-old creamed for multiple boundaries.
But Kuldeep triggered another collapse, castling Crawley (60, 91b, 7x4) with a ball that turned big. It brought to the crease skipper Ben Stokes, the beating heart of this side. But the wrist-spinner ensured he wouldn’t tick for long.
And when Jonny Bairstow (30, 42b, 3x4) spooned a catch to short-cover first ball after tea, chaos had fully engulfed England. Only 25 runs were added from that stage.
Earlier in the morning, under overcast skies and cold weather, Jurel and Kuldeep negotiated the first hour well. They were also helped by an opponent that displayed neither the energy nor the drive to make things happen. Jurel was allowed easy singles and the underrated defensive blade of Kuldeep swallowed 131 balls for 28 runs.
Jurel brought up his fifty off 96 deliveries, but with just two wickets remaining, the 23-year-old broke out of the cocoon for some dynamic batting.
Ollie Robinson reprieved him on 59, grassing one at short-midwicket off Shoaib Bashir. Not one to miss out, Jurel smashed the off-spinner over the umpire’s head for a six and a four, and then wide of long-on for another maximum. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley was then despatched into the stands as he moved from 50 to 90 in just 53 balls.
However, Hartley killed his dream of a maiden Test hundred by turning one past his outside edge and rattling the stumps.
But a satisfied man Jurel will be, for the innings kept India in the game and can potentially turn match-winning.
