OTD: Down 2-0 in the series, Virat Kohli-led India bounced back strongly at The Oval against England

India bounced back in style after going down 2-0 in the Test series against England. On August 22, 2018, captained by Virat Kohli, India baffled England at The Oval.

Pritam Santra
Pritam Santra

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India bounced back in style after going down 2-0 in the Test series against England. On August 22, 2018, captained by Virat Kohli, India baffled England at The Oval. Virat scored a century, Jasprit Bumrah took 5, and a pure team game from the visiting side decided the result of the match. Jos Buttler tried hard and batted brilliantly, but it was not enough to compete with a counter-attacking India. 

The match could have ended in a draw if the England cricket team had somehow been able to protect their wickets on the last day of the match. The firing of Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian bowling lineup to let down all of England's hope to save the match.

In the second innings of the game, while the home team was chasing a target of 521 runs, Bumrah claimed 5 wickets, and Ishant Sharma claimed a brace. A partnership between Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler came as the only barrier for Indian bowlers to overcome. After the 80th over of the innings, when India started to deliver with the new ball, Buttler was unable to stand against Bumrah. He departed for a well-made 106 off 176. Stokes went to the dugout 3 overs after Butter's dismissal.

Read More: Shivam Dube vs Shreyas Iyer: T20i stats comparison and career analysis

India dominated in both innings 

During England's first innings, Hardik Pandya was in full flow. Before Bumrah took 5, it was Pandya who pushed the host behind by taking 5 wickets. Two other pacers, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, were also in effect at The Oval. Virat Kohli was selected as the best player of the match, as he batted brilliantly in both innings. In the first phase, he struck 97, and then in the second innings, the skipper of India scored 103 runs.

On their second innings, when the pitch looked slightly old, Indian batters performed more swiftly. Apart from Kohli's century, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hardik Pandya got their individual fifty-plus runs to help India set a target of 521, which was more than enough to outclass Joe Root-led England. 

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Out and out cricket lover. Following Indian cricket since the late 90s. Like to analyse games with facts and numbers. Still can remember the Natwest series. Some stickers of cricket legends still on the wall. Working as a sports content creator for more than 4 years.
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