England win 5th Test by 118 runs despite Rahul, Pant’s brilliant centuries

James Anderson became the most successful fast bowler in Test history when he sealed England’s 118-run win over India at the Oval on Tuesday.

With just one wicket to fall, and Anderson needing one more to break the record of 563 he had shared with retired Australia great Glenn McGrath, the 36-year-old Lancashire pacer bowled Mohammed Shami to give England victory in the fifth Test and a 4-1 series win over the world’s top-ranked side.

India, set a mammoth 464 to win, collapsed to two for three on Monday, with Anderson striking twice. But a sixth-wicket partnership of 204 between KL Rahul (149) and Rishabh Pant (114) on Tuesday gave them hope of an unlikely victory.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, however, removed both century-makers in a burst of two wickets for three runs in two overs after tea to leave India struggling at 328 for seven.

The scale of India’s task could be seen from the fact that no side have made more in the fourth innings to win a Test than the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s, Antigua in 2003.

‘Brilliant’ Cook

Alastair Cook was named Player-of-the-match after England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer made 147 in his final innings before international retirement. “I’m happy Cookie was on the field to see that wicket,” an emotional Anderson told Sky Sports. “He is my best mate and he’s been brilliant – there for me all the time.”

As for his record-breaking strike, Anderson added: “Thankfully Joe (Root, the England captain) let me take the new ball eventually which gave me a chance to get that wicket.”

Meanwhile Cook, who also made a hundred on Test debut against India in Nagpur, said: “It’s been an amazing week, one you couldn’t script. To see Jimmy pass Glenn McGrath today was (great).”

India captain Virat Kohli, who tried to lead from the front with 593 runs this series, praised the fight shown by Tuesday’s century-makers. “Credit must go to Pant and Rahul for standing up,” he said. “They showed the character we have in the team and the kind of cricket we played in the series.”

India resumed Tuesday on 58 for three. Rahul was 46 not out and Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 10. All eyes were on Anderson as he bowled Tuesday’s first over, with the overcast conditions seemingly in his favour. Rahul though clipped his sixth delivery of the day legside for four to complete a fifty – the first by an India opening batsman this series. But a stand of 118 ended when Rahane (37) miscued a sweep off Moeen Ali to mid-wicket.

Rahul, Pant turn on the style

Rahul, however, slapped Stokes over extra-cover for six to go into the 90s in extraordinary fashion before his top-edged pull for four off the all-rounder took him to 97.

The 26-year-old Rahul then pulled the paceman through mid-off, another remarkable boundary, to complete his fifth hundred in 29 Tests off 118 balls including 16 fours and a six.

Left-hander Pant, who had hit off-spinner Moeen Ali for a one-handed six before lunch, gave Rahul superb support on an increasingly flat pitch.

The wicket-keeper Pant, who hoisted Rashid for six to go into the 90s, went to his maiden Test hundred in just his third match at this level when he repeated the shot off the Yorkshireman, the ball soaring high over long-on.

The 20-year-old had then faced a mere 117 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes. At tea, India were 298 for five, needing 166 more runs to win. But Rashid, a peripheral figure for much of the series, now took centre stage.

He turned one sharply out of the rough outside Rahul’s leg-stump to clip the top of the right-hander’s off-stump. And his next over saw Pant, going for another big hit, hole out to Ali at long-off. Anderson was denied the wicket he craved when diving wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow dropped a low left-handed chance to reprieve Ravindra Jadeja.

Sam Curran struck twice with the new ball when the left-arm paceman had both Ishant Sharma and Jadeja caught behind to leave India 345 for nine. Anderson then gave England the finish they wanted, bowling Shami middle stump.

England started Tuesday in a commanding position after hundreds from Cook and Root (125) took them to 423 for eight declared in their second innings.

Brief scores

England 332 (J Buttler 89, A Cook 71, M Ali 50; R Jadeja 4-79, I Sharma 3-62, J Bumrah 3-89) & England 2nd Innings 423-8 dec (A Cook 147, J Root 125; H Vihari 3-37, R Jadeja 3-179) beat India 292 (R Jadeja 86 no, H Vihari 56) & India India 345 (KL Rahul 149, R Pant 114; J Anderson 3-45) by 118 runs.