INDvsENG: Key takeaways from India's 157-run victory over England in 4th Test at The Oval

India overwhelmed England by 157 runs to win the fourth Test at the Oval on Monday and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. 

India overwhelmed England by 157 runs to win the fourth Test at the Oval on Monday and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

England set 368 to win, were bowled out for 210, although they made a promising start (Rory Burns (50) & Haseeb Hameed (63)) but suffered a spectacular batting collapse after the lunch break on the final day. 

Indian skipper Virat Kohli praised the team as he rated his team's bowling performance in the fourth Test among top-three in his captaincy stint. 

"This is among the top three bowling performances I have witnessed as India captain," Kohli said with a big smile on his face during the presentation ceremony.

"I think the best thing about both the games has been the character the team has showed. We are not looking to survive in this game, we are here to win. Really proud of the character the team has showed," he added.  

Indian opener Rohit Sharma made 127, his first overseas Test hundred. It was a vital contribution as the tourists piled up 466 in their second innings, having conceded a first-innings lead of 99. 

For his superb knock, he got the Player Of The Match award. 

"That hundred was special. We know how important was the second innings. It's my first overseas hundred. Really glad that I could get the team into an important position," said Rohit.

England had earlier resumed on 77-0 and history was against the home team as the most they have made to win in the fourth innings of a Test is 362-9, requiring 359, against Australia at Headingley in 2019. 

England skipper, who could not hide his disappointment after tha match as he said, "It is frustrating not to be able to get anything from the game today."

"We turned up this morning and we really feel like we had an opportunity to win the Test match, especially with that opening partnership, which I thought was outstanding."

Crediting the Indian bowlers, Root said, "It's frustrating, thought we'll get something from the game today, we had an opportunity of winning a Test match. The opening partnership was outstanding, credit to India, they got the ball to reverse."

The Oval track did not offer much assistance to the fast bowlers but Jasprit Bumrah Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur shared seven wickets to bundle out England for 210, scripting India's comprehensive 157-run win.

Bumrah made a huge impact on the game with his spell in the second session of the day when he dismissed Ollie Pope (2) and Jonny Bairstow (0).

Kohli said it was Bumrah who wanted to have a go at the England bowlers at that time and delivered.

"As soon as the ball started reversing, Bumrah said give me the ball. He bowled that spell and swung the game in our favour with those two huge wickets," he said.

 

For Kohli, the all-round performance of Shardul Thakur was also key in his side's emphatic win.

"What Shardul has done in this game stands out. His two fifties deflated the opposition. He batted well in both the innings," he said.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, again preferred to star off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, was eventually rewarded for a probing spell on a wearing pitch. 

He took two crucial wickets of Haseeb Hameedand Moeen Ali in the second innings. 

With that, Jadeja reached a significant milestone, as he became the first Indian to take 50 Test wickets against England.

He became the sixth Indian spinner to do so, joining BS Chandrasekhar, Anil Kumble, R Ashwin, Bishan Bedi, and Vinoo Mankad. 

With 95 wickets versus England, Chandrasekhar is in first place, followed by Kumble (92), Ashwin (88), Bedi (85) and Mankad (85). 

India's victory came 50 years on from their first Test -- and series -- win in England at the Oval in 1971.