MANCHESTER, England // England grabbed control of the series after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s risky decision to bat first in the fourth Test backfired spectacularly at Old Trafford.
Dhoni gambled by going in under leaden Manchester skies and saw his side blown away for 152 as Stuart Broad and James Anderson – the man the tourists wanted banned for his altercation with Ravindra Jadeja at Trent Bridge – seized the momentum.
Six Indian batsmen were dismissed for ducks, equalling the Test record, as Broad claimed six for 25 and Anderson three for 46.
The hosts closed on 113 for three, with Gary Ballance falling just before the close after a 77-run stand with Ian Bell (45 not out).
But the plaudits must lie with England’s new ball pair, who were irresistible at times and have set up a big chance to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
“A brilliant day, we’re in an extremely strong position,” Broad told Sky Sports later.
“I was a bit disappointed when we lost the toss, but we got lucky with the overheads which made a big difference in the first hour – every ball was nickable.”
Broad and Anderson have now taken more than 500 Test wickets between them and Broad added: “I wanted to challenge the front foot without giving away easy drives, that’s how the partnership with Jimmy works as we can bowl different lengths.”
Broad was the model of precision on a pitch that offered the kind of pace and carry he thrives upon, conceding less than two an over as well as picking off regular victims.
Anderson’s figures were less spectacular, but his mastery of the swinging ball was impressive, and a stark reminder of why India wanted to see him suspended from his home Test.
India’s innings, wrapped up just under 47 overs, equated to little more than the sum of two partnerships. Dhoni was at the heart of both, making partial amends with a knock that was part bloody-minded counter-attack and part hack and hope.
Dhoni put on 54 with Ajinkya Rahane and 66 with Ravichandran Ashwin, the first stand stemming England’s new-ball charge and the second a boundary-strewn interlude just after lunch. Aside from those fifth- and seventh-wicket rallies, India were routed.
The trouble started when Gautam Gambhir, recalled for his first cap since December 2012, was squared up by Broad and fed a simple catch to Joe Root at gully.
Anderson, revelling in conditions that encouraged movement through the air, upped the ante with a double-wicket maiden.
Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli fell for nought to the same brilliant two-card trick, a full inswinger to line them up and a perfectly pitched outswinger to follow. Both obliged with the nick and captain Alastair Cook snaffled two catches.
In doing so, the Anderson-Cook axis reached 24 dismissals, overtaking Bob Willis and Sir Ian Botham as England’s most productive bowler-fielder combination.
Cheteshwar Pujara became the third member of India’s top four to leave without score, edging Broad to third slip for a fourth wicket in 13 deliveries.
With Dhoni and Rahane each beaten on the outside edge early in their innings, it was briefly hard to see how India would reach 50.
But gradually, the siege began to lift as Dhoni took advantage of attacking fields to get his side going.
Rahane let his concentration slip in the penultimate over before lunch, flashing Chris Jordan to second slip.
Hometown boy Anderson needed just three balls after the break to pin his rival lbw with a hooping inswinger. Anderson has now dismissed Jadeja three times in the series.
The lively cameo between Ashwin and Dhoni offered respite for the batting side, with their 64 runs coming at 4.77 an over.
But the moment Ashwin top-edged Broad to Sam Robson at mid-wicket for 40, the resistance was up. Broad bowled Bhuvneshwar Kumar middle stump shouldering, spearing Pankaj Singh’s ragged defences and seeing Dhoni shovel a catch to fine leg.
For England, Robson was unconvincing even before he offered no stroke to a Kumar delivery that ducked in and clattered the stumps, leaving him with 128 runs in six innings against India.
Cook, back in form at the Ageas Bowl last week, was tighter on his way to 17 only to balloon Varun Aaron’s short ball to fine leg.
At 36 for two, England needed to stabilise, with Ballance and Bell obliging in style.
The duo left anything dangerous, but were ruthless with anything loose.
* Press Association
