Mohammed Siraj produced a scintillating burst on Friday at Edgbaston, striking twice in as many deliveries, including the prized scalp of England skipper Ben Stokes for a golden duck, to tighten India’s stranglehold on the second Test. Resuming the third day on a precarious 77 for 3, England still trailed India’s imposing first-innings total of 567 by a daunting 510 runs, a score underpinned by captain Shubman Gill’s majestic 269.
England’s hopes of reducing the vast deficit rested squarely on the shoulders of their premier batsmen, Joe Root and Harry Brook, ranked first and second in the world Test standings. Root resumed on 18, with Brook unbeaten on 30, and the pair carried England’s slender ambitions into the morning session. However, those aspirations suffered a grievous blow in just the second over of the day. Root, having moved cautiously to 22, flicked a delivery from Siraj down the leg side, only to feather an edge through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who completed a sharp catch to his left.
Worse was to come for England off the very next ball. Siraj, operating with superb rhythm and hostility, delivered a searing rising delivery that squared up Stokes, drawing an edge that Pant safely pouched. Stokes trudged off for a first-ball duck, leaving England tottering at 84 for 5 and Siraj on a hat-trick.
The possibility of two hat-tricks in two days tantalized Indian fans after Akash Deep had narrowly missed out late on Thursday, when after sending back Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for successive ducks, his hat-trick ball was driven away. Likewise, Siraj was denied immediate history as Jamie Smith, making his Test debut, coolly off-drove his first ball to the boundary, alleviating some pressure.
India’s dominance was even more commendable given the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler. The management opted to rest their spearhead pacer for this encounter, mindful of preserving his fitness to feature in only three of the five matches in this rigorous series. Despite Bumrah’s omission, India’s seamers maintained relentless pressure, ably supporting their imposing first-innings total.
England, buoyed by their five-wicket win in the series opener at Headingley, now face an uphill battle merely to extend the contest into a fourth day. Their fragile batting, exposed ruthlessly by India’s disciplined attack, underlined the chasm between the sides on a surface still offering enough for the bowlers. With Root and Stokes back in the pavilion, the onus shifted to Brook and the lower order to stage an improbable rearguard.
