India’s poor run with batting continued even in the fourth Test against England as they were bowled out for just 191. Aside from Shardul Thakur’s quickfire fifty and skipper Virat Kohli’s measured 50, no other Indian batsmen were able to impress with the bat. Thakur scored the fastest fifty ever scored by anyone in England as the Indian bowler took just 31 balls to complete his half-century.
Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson were India’s tormentors-in-chief as they shared seven wickets between them. Woakes picked up four wickets while Robinson ended with a spell off 3-38.
Woakes later told BBC, “I’d have snapped your hands off for 4-55 at the start of the day. Fair play to Shardul – he got after us a bit and played some good shots – but to bowl a team out for 190 on day one is a really good effort.”
In response, England were reduced to 53-3 with the danger man, Joe Root, out for 21 just before the stumps. Dawid Malan was unbeaten at 26, while the night watchman Craig Overton was batting at 1.
Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets, while Umesh Yadav dismissed the England skipper Joe Root, who has been in an extraordinary form in the last 12 months.
England had defeated India by more than an innings in the third Test, leaving the series tied 1-1.