India suffer humiliation, lose series 1-3
London, Aug 17 (IANS) The Indian cricket team underwent a dramatic collapse to be bowled out for merely 94 runs in their second innings, suffering a humiliating consecutive innings defeat in only three days and lose the five-match Test series 1-3 to England at The Oval here Sunday.
The hosts put on 101 runs in the morning to take their total to 486 runs with a first innings lead of 338. In reply, the Indian batting order collapsed like a pack of cards for 94 runs to lose the match by an innings and 244 runs, their third heaviest loss in history.
Only three Indian batsmen reached double figures -- Cheteshwar Pujara (11), Virat Kohli (20) and Stuart Binny (25 not out). English medium pacer Chris Jordan, playing in only his fourth Test, achieved career-best figures of 4/18 in 4.2 overs while Man of the Series James Anderson took 2/16 from his eight. Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes chipped in with a wicket each.
India's woes continued in the morning as they failed to bowl out the hosts, who resumed at 385/7. The English lower order came out with the intent of scoring as many runs in the quickest time to plunder the ineffective Indian bowlers, who got hammered all over the ground.
Man of the match Joe Root (149 not out) started the day at 92 not out and brought up his fifth Test century. Post achieving his second hundred of the series, Root started accelerating and while doing so dragged an Ishant Sharma delivery to the stumps while batting on 110.
He was on his way to the pavilion when replays showed that Ishant's left foot was over the line, making the delivery illegal and Root was lucky to return to the crease.
The 23-year-old Yorkshireman took advantage of the situation and increased the scoring rate, suddenly raising his strike rate to a staggering 90.3. In total, he hammered 18 boundaries and a six in his 165-ball knock to bring up his third highest Test score.
He was given good support by left hander Stuart Broad who also played a quick cameo of 37 off just 21 balls to propel England to a strong total.
Night watchman Chris Jordan put on only one run on the board Sunday before getting out for 20 and last man in James Anderson also scored only one more run before being found leg before wicket by Ravichandran Ashwin.
England were bowled out shortly after an hour's play but not before taking a massive first innings lead.
Pacer Ishant was the pick of the Indian bowlers clinching 4/96 including two wickets Sunday while offie Ashwin wrapped up the England innings to end with figures of 3/72.
After having been bowled out for a dismal 148 on Day 1 in their first outing, India started their second innings in disastrous fashion losing both openers Murali Vijay (2) and Gautam Gambhir (3) at the stroke of lunch.
After a brief rain delay and lunch, Pujara and Kohli then put together the Indian innings highest partnership of only 21 runs for the third wicket before Pujara was caught behind. Thereon, English pacers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals and it looked like the Indian batsmen had no resistance to offer.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been India's second highest run-getter of the series, also got out for a duck after which it was only a matter of time before the hosts embarrassed the visitors even more.