HEADINGLEY: England thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to win the third Test at Headingley today (Saturday) with more than a day to spare.
Victory saw England level the five-match series at 1-1 after India’s 151-run win in the second Test at Lord’s. Resuming on an overnight score of 215-2, the visitors crashed to 278 all out before lunch, with the Indian middle-order once again failing miserably against the England pace.
India’s 278 all out, however, was 200 runs more than their woeful first innings of 78 — made after captain Virat Kohli won the toss — which saw England great James Anderson rip through the top order with 3-6.
Cheteshwar Pujara (91) was the first to be dismissed, before Virat Kohli (55) edged one to Joe Root soon after completing his half-century. Ajinkya Rahane’s ended India’s hopes of overhauling the England lead. Robinson finished with figures of 5-65, while Craig Overton chipped in with three wickets.
The match was a personal triumph for England captain Joe Root, who top-scored with 121 out of a total on 432 on his Headingley home ground. It was Root’s third century of the series and sixth of the calendar year.
Meanwhile, the rest of England’s often fallible top order all posted fifties, with Dawid Malan compiling 70 on his Test recall after Dom Sibley was dropped from the team. The fourth Test starts at The Oval on Thursday with the series tied 1-1.
