As the two sides left Trent Bridge at the end of a lively third day bookended by rain, India were the happier. The tourists had scrapped hard with the bat, chiselling out a 95-run first-innings lead, and, though England closed on 25 for no loss, it is the hosts who are under the greater amount of pressure heading into the fourth morning.
England’s batsmen will at least draw heart from Dom Sibley and Rory Burns surviving 11.1 overs before the heavens once again opened over Nottingham. And while their 183 all out on day one gave India an early foothold in the series, this 40-minute passage of play suggested it need not necessarily result in a 1-0 deficit. It may well be that this was a significant day for Joe Root’s team in the long run, too. Ollie Robinson secured a maiden five-wicket haul that not only underlined why his attributes are so highly rated but also proved that the events which marred his debut at Lord’s back in June – the emergence of offensive social media posts by his younger self – have not wrecked a promising international career in its infancy.
Robinson mopped up the tail to finish with five for 85 and bowl India out for 278 but, along with Jimmy Anderson, who finished with four for 54, this tall, bounding seamer was a go-to for Root throughout. The support cast of Stuart Broad and Sam Curran meanwhile went wicketless, and on the six-year anniversary of the former’s eight for 15 against Australia on this ground, some will wonder if this was a baton being passed.
Broad is not a cricketer to write off, however, and in the short term it is India who are in charge. Their lead was built on KL Rahul’s 84 from opener, a lively 56 from Ravindra Jadeja that saw his bat-twirling celebration come out upon reaching his half-century, and Jasprit Bumrah thrashing a career-best 28 from No 10. In contrast to their 4-1 defeat in 2018 India’s last three wickets returned 73 precious runs.
There was niggle out in the middle all day and at one stage, when Anderson and Mohammed Siraj brushed shoulders during a change of ends, the umpires stepped in for a quiet word. Usually such tension grows over the course of the series but then this is Trent Bridge, scene of the infamous Anderson-Jadeja spat back in 2011.
Having pegged back India to 125 for four on the second day, England started to fray in the field on the third. Three run-out chances were squandered – Jadeja on four, when Dan Lawrence had plenty of time, proved most costly – while two grassed catches made it three for the innings after Sibley handed Rahul’s life on 52 the previous day.
Drops are becoming a troubling feature for England, with this the fifth innings in 2021 where they have put down at least three. Still, it contributed to a helter-skelter day for the crowd in Nottingham, who had waited patiently after the first eight balls – enough time for Rishabh Pant to thrash Anderson for four – were followed by an hour of rain. India then dominated until lunch, progressing to an eight-run lead and losing only Pant along the way when, after flashing a four past gully and top-edging a six, he plopped a catch to short-cover on 25 to give Robinson his second. Root also burned his final review, Broad convinced he had Rahul caught behind on 70 and the captain swiftly sending it upstairs before Jos Buttler, who knew best, could interject.
This was a frustrating outing for Broad, who lost his run-up a couple of times due to the strong crosswinds, and he will sense the pecking order starting to shift a touch. Root once again began the afternoon session with Anderson and Robinson but was soon apologising to the former when putting down Rahul on 77 at slip after the restart.
Anderson, who had turned the second day with the removals of Chesteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, ensured it was not costly at least when finally ending Rahul’s diligent work in his next over, caught behind. A 620th Test victim meant Anderson moving to third outright in the all-time charts, with Shardul Thakur becoming No 621 soon afterwards.
By this stage India were 205 for seven and just 22 runs ahead but the dangerous Jadeja was set on 32, his earlier punched drives making way for some ambitious swordsmanship, perhaps mindful India’s tail is rarely up to much. Indeed one six flicked off Anderson prompted a change of ball, the previous one sailing somewhere towards the Larwood & Voce pub, and his 50 came via a sumptuous guided cut for four.
Eventually Jadeja got carried away, attempting to launch Robinson over the Radcliffe Road End and into the River Trent but instead picking out Broad at mid-off, and with the lead sitting at 49 English minds were turning to their second innings.
Instead Mohammad Shami, Bumrah and Siraj all enjoyed their licence to swing in a rather slapstick passage of play that saw the ball spend plenty of time in the air, only to drop between fielders when it did. Robinson eventually snuffed them out when handed the second new ball, bowling Shami and ending Bumrah’s cameo with a top edge.
It was a drop from Broad that cost Robinson his maiden five-wicket haul during that horribly overshadowed debut, but here the 35-year-old delivered for his new team-mate by holding a fine swirling effort at long-leg.
Robinson simply stood there arms aloft and the sense already is that this will not be the last time he enjoys the sensation.
