4 magical Coincidences from the 3rd Test between England and India

It was a surge from the visitors to win the Third Test match and eventually save the Test series to stay alive in the five-match affair. It was a do-or-die game for them as they went about their business smoothly to see the hosts in the pressure for the very first time in the series.

The batters played with intent and bowlers responded superbly well to aid the batsmen. It was more about playing the waiting game and attack when the opposition is down and out.

Virat Kohli and his boys did exactly the same as they conquered England in their own territory. The series is now well set up with still two matches still to go with any of the sides equally capable of taking away the series.

The Test match has so far gone well for the visitors as we take a look at some of the co-incidents to have occurred from the past in this game:

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#1 India get the opening partnership of 60 runs in both the innings

After a dismal performance in the first two Test matches, Indian batters were

under a lot of pressure before the third Test at Trent Bridge. The bowlers did them every bit to pull the team back into winning positions but it was the batters who disappointed to score as low as 194 in the final innings of the first Test match. Virat once again changed the opening duo as Dhawan was roped in place of Vijay.

But this time, batters showed better application as they stood tall to counter English bowlers. Openers saw the first spell from the likes of Anderson and Broad in both the innings, making it a lot easier for the batters to follow. Co-incidentally, in both the innings, India’s first wicket fell with the scoreboard reading sixty runs. It was pleasing to see India in such a commanding position in a Test match overseas.

#2 Both Kapil Dev and Hardik Pandya got their 500 Test runs in a 10th Test match

There is always a tendency of drawing comparisons between eras. Whenever we witness a rare commodity, cricket pundits and the followers are always intended to compare it with people who possessed a similar potential in the past. On the same lines, there always has been a temptation of finding a Kapil Dev sort of player ever since his retirement.

And now when we see Hardik Pandya, we tend to draw comparisons merely through numbers between the two individuals separated over more than 20 years. Though there is a similarity between the two in their 10th Test match in their career.

Hardik is playing his 10th Test match currently against England at Trent Bridge as he got to his 500 Test runs and so did Kapil Dev in the 10th Test match of his career. It is better to let Pandya play his own game instead of asking him to be someone which he won’t even think of any time in his career.

#3 Virat Kohli once again scores 200 runs in a Test match

Amidst the talks of Virat Kohli being a flat track bully, the Indian skipper was once again amongst the runs after a spectacular 100 in the first Test match at Edgbaston. He has smashed aside all the critics in style by scoring his second century of the series. He now stands at the top of the leading run-getters in this series with more than 400 runs.

This was for the 2nd time in the series that he got to 200 runs in the same game. He scored exactly 200 runs at Edgbaston with 149 and 51 in the two innings respectively. And even in the third match at Trent Bridge, he mustered 200 runs with 97 and 103 in the two innings respectively. India would look to not let their skipper’s efforts go in vain and win the third Test match as they would still trail by 2-1 in the series.

#4 Sachin and Kohli get to their 58th Test century against England

Virat Kohli has always idolized Sachin Tendulkar and has dreamt of pursuing a career on the similar lines. And so far, he has been much successful courtesy his exploits on the field with the bat. In due course, we have drawn lines of comparison between the two masters of their skills. As one of Kohli’s most recent achievement, he scored his 58th century against England at Trent Bridge.

This was also co-incidentally Tendulkar’s 58th century that he achieved against England in 2001 with the same score of 103 runs and the same number of balls. Kohli is currently batting on a different planet leaving behind all the batters of his present generation. If there’s one man who can reach anyway near to Sachin’s records, it is India’s skipper Virat Kohli. He is well on course with just 42 centuries behind the great man.