Wednesday 22 August 2018 12:41, UK
India's thumping 203-run win at Trent Brudge trimmed England's lead in the five-match series to 2-1.
The action now moves on to The Ageas Bowl for the fourth Test, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday, August 30.
But before then let's reflect on the top moments from the third match, including a pop star launching a takeover, a wicketkeeping demo, runs for Virat Kohi - again - and a maiden Test century...
Kohli mustered just 134 runs in five Tests in England in 2014 - but he now has 440 in three in 2018 after scores of 97 and 103 at Trent Bridge. "He has put any doubts well and truly to bed. It's been an outstanding performance from a great, great player," said Nasser Hussain after the India skipper completed his 23rd Test century and second of the series. "I believe he is the greatest player on the planet right now," added Nas, and it's almost impossible to disagree, even though the ICC rankings, at the time of writing, have banned Australia batsman Steve Smith at the summit.
Kohli has now scored over 200 runs in a Test as captain on 10 occasions, while his runs tally in this series is the most by an Indian skipper in England, toppling Mohammad Azharrudin's 426 in 1990. Rahul Dravid's 602 runs in 2002, the most by any Indian batsman in a Test series on these shores, must also be under threat. Yet it's Kohli's watchful leaving and blocking of the ball that has been a staple of his success, with CricViz reporting that he attacked just 14 per cent of the deliveries he faced in his Trent Bridge ton - only once has he scored a Test century while playing fewer shots.
Kohli would still have 22 Test tons if Keaton Jennings had held on to a slip catch when the India skipper was on 93, the look of distress on James Anderson's face summing up England's frustration. Jos Buttler also spilled Cheteshwar Pujara on 40 before he was forced to replace the crocked Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps as England's catching woes worsened, they have now shelled 15 in the series. Spilled chances are nothing new, though, with Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes rated the worst slippers in world cricket since 2015, with a success rate of 70 and 74 per cent respectively.
England's batting line-up also remains faulty, with the day-two collapse in Nottingham the second time this year they have lost all 10 wickets in a session, after their capitulation to 58 all out against New Zealand in March. There could be a forced alteration to the batting unit in Southampton if Bairstow's cracked finger is worse than hoped, with Hampshire skipper James Vince and Moeen Ali, the latter off the back of a Championship double ton for Worcestershire, the prime candidates. Vince is also a decent catcher, something that wouldn't go amiss.
"Our players should be watching the way he has played," said England assistant coach Paul Farbrace after Kohli's masterful century in Nottingham. Buttler seemed to take heed, showing tremendous application - after being dropped on one - to score his maiden Test ton as his 169-run stand with Ben Stokes, plus some dashing from Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad, took the game into a fifth day. Seventeen balls into the fifth day. Buttler left the ball 24 per cent of the time - none of England's last 30 centuries have featured more leaves.
Buttler, who displayed his dynamism in England's first innings with a brisk 39, holds the record for the fastest ODI century by an Englishman, with his 46-ball ton against Pakistan in the UAE in 2015, but classed his Test ton at Trent Bridge as his "proudest moment" in an international shirt. "It was really satisfying. It has been a long time coming, and a few months ago it was a million miles away. I was never sure if I'd ever play Test cricket again. I never thought this would happen. Definitely, there were times when I thought that race was run."
England could do worse than pick McFly drummer Harry Judd, if his stint in The Zone with Michael Atherton and Kumar Sangakkara is anything to go by! The cricket enthusiast played some tasty drives during his day taking over Sky Sports Cricket's digital and social platforms - and we certainly worked him hard! Besides his drills in the nets, Harry interviewed Bumble live on Facebook; spoke to Buttler before play about batting with the tail; picked his nostalgic England XI; spent some time in the commentary chair; and discussed his experience on the latest Sky Cricket Podcast.
Sangakkara, meanwhile, was in the Zone a day earlier to give a fascinating wicketkeeping demo. The Sri Lanka legend explained how footwork and exaggerated movements are crucial for all glovemen, while he also showed how he would keep differently against seam and spin. Kumar's demo certainly proved a winner with another member of the wicketkeeping fraternity, with England Women and Surrey Stars player Sarah Taylor tweeting how much she enjoyed it.
Plus, Nasser Hussain donned the blindfold during a masterclass with members of England's visually-impaired squad. He didn't find hitting the ball that easy but thoroughly enjoyed the experience: "Our masterclasses are for everyone and to hear how their version of cricket has helped those men and lads find form and overcome the challenges they have encountered perhaps makes that masterclass better than any other ones we have done. I have the utmost respect for what they do and it shows how their other senses must have heightened. It was incredible to see."
The cricket in this series has been absorbing and the fun doesn't stop come the intervals as we bring you episodes of our summer features. Nasser wrapped up his Cricket in Mumbai documentary by looking at the effect the IPL has had on cricket in the area, investigating whether young players still view Test matches as the pinnacle or whether they are more seduced by the riches of T20. Bowling in the shortest form can be tough if batsmen are pinging boundaries over your head and the mind-set of seamers and spinners was the focus in part three of Mind Games.
Anderson and Broad explained how they visualise scenarios before a Test, with the former also revealing how working with a sports psychologist helped him quell his anger, while we found out from Graeme Swann how he dealt with the pressure of being expected to spin England to wins. You wouldn't think Sir Vivian Richards would suffer from nerves but he revealed to Mark Butcher how overwhelmed he was ahead of his Test debut in India in the latest chapter of our programme on the Master Blaster. Catch more of our features during the fourth Test at The Ageas Bowl.
India will head to Southampton in buoyant mood, confident that they can now pull off a stunning comeback and become just the second side in Test history to win a five-match series from two down, after Don Bradman's Australia against Gubby Allen's England in the 1930s. Virat Kohli's tourists put their innings defeat at Lord's behind them, with tighter batting techniques and a speedy seam attack snapping a five-match losing streak in Tests in England.
India's batting was so reliant on Kohli before this game but Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya all passed fifty in Nottingham to support their skipper after openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul had laid foundations with fifty partnerships in both innings. The pace unit, boosted by fit-again Jasprit Bumrah, topped England's on the speed gun - and they could feel even brisker next week with The Ageas Bowl pitch reportedly one of the quickest in the country.
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