India v England - Third Test

M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

India: *SM Gavaskar, MH Mankad, PR Umrigar, VS Hazare, GR Viswanath, M Azharuddin, +FM Engineer, Kapil Dev, J Srinath, EAS Prasanna, BS Bedi.
England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, JC Laker, GAR Lock, DL Underwood, AV Bedser.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: LH Barker (WI) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: India

After two Tests which were played on surfaces designed to break bowlers' hearts, the wicket produced at the Chinnaswamy Stadium seemed destined to provide a result, with the spinners expected to make hay as the pitch dried and the cracks got bigger. To that end, Tony Lock earned a recall for England at the expense of Brian Statham, whilst Mankad and Prasanna returned to the Indian ranks after long absences - Mankad played his only previous Tests in India's very first series - in place of the injured Shastri and the out of form Chandrasekhar.

A rain delayed start and a slightly damp wicket didn't prevent Sunil Gavaskar from electing to bat after he won the toss, but within three overs the new world record holder was back in the pavilion, bowled Bedser for 8, and it didn't get much better for India as their batting fell apart in alarming fashion. Only Umrigar, who batted three and a half hours for 53, showed anything like the application needed to bat on a surface that was aiding the bowlers, and by the end of the first day England were batting as India were shot out for 175, just days after posting the highest total ever recorded in ATG Tests. Laker ran through the lower order to finish with 5-52, a display that would help heal some of the trauma from the second Test, and had Ames shown sharper glovework behind the timbers, India's total could have been considerably lower.

Nonetheless, England now had an excellent opportunity to force the issue, and although Hobbs' lean trot continued as he was smartly caught in the cordon by Mankad for 19 to become Kapil Dev's 100th ATG victim, Hutton and Hammond piled on 144 for the second wicket in the best batting conditions of the match to put England firmly in control. Hammond eventually departed for 71, but Hutton completed a beautifully paced century before Bedi snared him for 106 and then, from a position of 282-6, Cowdrey (72) and Laker (59) added a priceless 102 for the seventh wicket to tighten England's grip on the game still further. Prasanna finished off proceedings on the third morning with a remarkable spell of 4-2 in 27 balls, but England's total of 390 had given them a lead of 215 and India now faced the prospect of a heavy defeat.

Gavaskar and Mankad added 52 for the first wicket before both falling to Underwood in the 20s, but a solid partnership of 80 for the fourth wicket between Hazare and Viswanath took the score to 163-3 shortly before stumps, and hope was renewed. Underwood was bowling superbly at this stage though, and in the space of two decisive overs he bowled Hazare with the top spinner for 61 and followed up by finding the faintest of edges through to Ames off one that moved away to dismiss Viswanath for 25.

India consequently began the fourth day still 49 behind on 166-5, and there was little further resistance as Underwood continued to cut a swathe through the card. The home fans were clearly dismayed at their team's inability to deal with the opposition spinners, and whereas the previous Test had seen joyous pitch invasions as batting records fell left, right and centre, there was stunned disbelief in Bangalore as the innings folded for the second time in the match. Underwood finished with figures of 8-74, the best analysis ever returned by an English bowler in ATG Tests, and India were bowled out for 204 half an hour before lunch, handing England an innings victory with over five sessions to spare.

Few people outside the England camp would have predicted such an outcome after the second Test, and Gavaskar's quest for personal glory in that game rather than trying to force a victory could well return to haunt him come the end of the series. India batted poorly in both innings here, and a banner prepared by some of the touring fans nicely summed up the situation by paraphrasing a saying from the world of darts: "Quadruples for show, wickets for dough." At one down with two Tests remaining, double top now has to be India's aim.

Scores
India 1st Inns 175 (Umrigar 53; Laker 5-52)
England 1st Inns 390 (Hutton 106, Cowdrey 72, Hammond 71, Laker 59; Prasanna 4-73)
India 2nd Inns 204 (Hazare 61; Underwood 8-74)

ENGLAND WON BY AN INNINGS & 11 RUNS


Man of the Match: DL Underwood