By Ian Botham
It took England more than 500 balls to get a wicket and the credit for that must go to the youngster Virat Kohli and the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Kohli has had a phenomenal year in one-day cricket and is a naturally aggressive batsman. What impressed me was the way he applied himself for the team’s sake and curbed his style accordingly.
In the last couple of innings we saw him play a few loose shots and get out, so this innings was a stand out.
Dhoni too hadn’t been in a great form with the bat. He is a dangerous one-day batsman, but this innings will make him proud. As a captain you need to take more responsibility, especially when your team isn’t doing well and Dhoni just did that.
He came in to bat at number six and played a fine innings. It was a very disciplined effort by both batsmen and it brought India back into the game.
What baffled me was the run out. Was there a need for that run? Test hundreds do matter a lot and Dhoni missed out on one and, more importantly, it would have been great for India’s sake had he carried on batting.
The English bowlers denied him easy runs and he was kept in the 90s for a long time, so the pressure was building and maybe that led to the attempt of that extra run but that was needless.
That sort of a partnership can have a demoralising effect on the opposing team.
England looked sloppy on the field and their fitness was tested.
They needed to raise the bar and, post tea, they just did that, and were rewarded.
Graeme Swann picked up a couple of important wickets, Monty Panesar kept it really tight and it shows in his economy rate of 1.45, while James Anderson just keeps going and going.
The difference between both teams has been the fitness, which I believe played a major role for England in winning the Kolkata Test.
The Dhoni run out was a prime example.
Nearing the end of a day’s play, the fielders tend to slow down but Alastair Cook was alert and that ensured the run out.
England are still in the better position. They lead by 33 runs and need two wickets. Being 2-1 up, they should now look to bat India out of this Test match.
They have already ensured that India will have to bat last and now they will look to bat the whole of fourth day and some part of the fifth as well.
There seem to be no demons in the wicket and it looks good for them.
England are in a position from where they can lose this Test match only by themselves.
