After an amazing day three in Birmingham, Mohammed Siraj’s took six wickets, keeping India ahead in the second Test against England. Hundreds from Jamie Smith and Harry Brook had seemed about to win the game for the home side.
Siraj’s two wickets early in the day put England in trouble at 84 for five. But Brook (158 off 234) and Smith (184 not out off 207) fought back, putting on a 303-run partnership off 368 balls. England were eventually all out for 407, after India’s large 578 all out.
At the end of the day, India were 64 for one in 13 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for 28 off 22, leaving India with a lead of 244 runs. K L Rahul (28 not out off 38) looked good, and was joined by Karun Nair (7 not out off 18) after Jaiswal was out to Josh Tongue.
England scored 172 runs in the morning, even after losing half their team. They then added another 106 runs in the afternoon without losing a wicket.
With the pitch not helping the fast bowlers or the spinners, India hoped the second new ball would work for them. It did, as Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) took England’s last five wickets for 20 runs, giving India a 180-run lead after the first innings.
Both fast bowlers got the new ball to move around, and the tail enders were soon out after Akash Deep bowled Brook.
While Brook and Smith both played well, Smith’s aggressive batting shifted the momentum in the morning. Smith also scored the highest score by an England wicket-keeper, passing Alec Stewart.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s spin bowling was not as good as they would have liked on an easy pitch. Prasidh Krishna was expensive, giving away 5.50 runs per over.
In the afternoon, Brook scored his ninth hundred in 27 Tests. The Indian bowlers slowed down the scoring rate, but couldn’t break the long partnership between Brook and Smith.
The short ball plan did not work in the morning, so the Indian fast bowlers bowled wider, especially to Brook. India’s only chance after lunch was when Rishabh Pant dropped a difficult catch off Smith.
India’s captain, Shubhman Gill, also dropped Brook, though it was a tough chance off Jadeja’s bowling.
Brook reached his hundred shortly after lunch, guiding a shot off Krishna. In the over before tea, Brook got two fours from a reverse sweep and another from the back of the bat.
In the morning, Siraj took two wickets quickly, but Smith’s aggressive hundred swung things back in England’s favor, as the home side reached 249 for five at lunch.
England had started the day at 77 for three, and lost half their team in the second over when Siraj had Joe Root (22) and Ben Stokes (0) caught behind.
Root was out easily, while Stokes was surprised by a ball that rose sharply.
England were in trouble at 84 for five, but Smith and Brook attacked and put pressure back on India.
Krishna was brought in to bowl short balls with six fielders on the leg side, but Smith played well against him in the 12th over, which cost 23 runs.
Smith outscored Brook, attacking the Indian bowlers.
Smith also stopped Jadeja and Sundar from settling into a rhythm. Smith hit Sundar for two fours in his first two balls, before hitting a six and a four off Jadeja in the next over.
Smith reached his second Test hundred off 80 balls, the third fastest by an Englishman, with two fours off Jadeja in the last over before lunch.