4th Test, Day 2 highlights: Buttler and Ball frustrate India as England near 400
Jos Buttler showed Test match maturity and the ability to play spin, scoring what could prove to be a match-winning half-century for England on day two of the fourth Test match against India. With the Mumbai crowd expecting the India spinners to finish off the England innings quickly, Buttler and lower order, led by Jake Ball, showed great resolve to frustrate the home team and take England towards a big-under-the-circumstances first innings score.
The day began with Ben Stokes looking to get out of his blocking rut and take the attack to the India spinners, and it worked once, when he smashed Ravindra Jadeja for a boundary, although the left-hander was also lucky earlier, having top-edged R Ashwin, with the ball falling short of the man in the deep.
Ashwin, though, would get his man, with Stokes (31, 92b, 3×4) given out caught after a review from India went the home team’s way in controversial circumstances.
The ball went near the outside edge of Stokes’ bat, and India went up in appeal. After it was given not out, Virat Kohli went for the review, which umpire C Shamsuddin, after a lot of deliberation, gave out, despite there being some doubt over the Ultraedge, considering the bat seemed to hit the ground at around the same time the ball went past the outside edge of the bat. On replays, it did look like there was an edge, however.
Stokes wasn’t happy, but the England smiles returned as Buttler took over quite wonderfully, mixing attack and defence with perfection to move that scoreboard past the 350-mark the away side would have been looking for at the start of the second day.
With runs like liquid gold on this turning Mumbai wicket, Buttler added 14 runs with Adil Rashid (4, 16b, 1×4), before another crucial, unbeaten 51 runs came in the company of Ball, who batted, if anything, as well as Buttler on day two.
The India spinners were a little at fault for trying too hard with the innings end in sight, and England took full advantage, with Buttler playing quite well with the lower order. Buttler and Ball’s partnership is what really gave England the score they were looking for, with the fast bowler batting quite brilliantly with his more accomplished batsman.
Kohli took the new ball in the 122<sup>nd over, in the hope of breaking the partnership, but it made little difference, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav also struggled to contain the run flow.
Scores: First innings: England: 385/8 in 125 overs at lunch.
Batting: Jos Buttler (64, 122b, 6×4) and Jake Ball (29, 48b, 4×4).
Overnight score: England: 288/5 in 94 overs.
Bowling: First innings: India: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 13-0-49-0; Umesh Yadav 11-2-38-0; R Ashwin 41-4-102-5; Jayant Yadav 25-3-89-0; Ravindra Jadeja 35-5-105-3.
Fall of wickets: First innings: England: 99/1, Alastair Cook (25.3 overs); 136/2, Joe Root (38.2 overs); 230/3, Moeen Ali (70.2 overs); 230/4, Keaton Jennings (70.4 overs); 249/5, Jonny Bairstow (80.2 overs); 297/6, Ben Stokes (97 overs); 320/7, Chris Woakes (107.3 overs); 334/8, Adil Rashid (112 overs).
