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India's performance has been littered with mistakes by captain Shubman Gill - this England series is an example of how five matches can grind you down, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
@Source: dailymail.co.uk
What we have seen from India in this match is an example of how a five-Test series grinds you down. Yes, they have had some things go against them but their performance has been littered with mistakes by their captain Shubman Gill.
Obviously, they were hampered by injuries to their bowling attack, forcing their hand in selection and Rishabh Pant appears to have fractured his foot.
But an unfortunate turn of events doesn't get away from the fact that they haven't helped themselves.
Their first innings of 358 - given that England made the ball do more than at any other stage in the series on a gloomy second morning - was a pretty good score.
Yes, it could have been better. They could have been ruthless, as they were at Edgbaston when Gill went on to get 269.
And while England have had the better of the conditions, enjoying blue skies aside from a period up until tea on day two, the hour's bowling when they were also out there under cloud cover could well cost India - that's Test match cricket.
It's been a feature of this series that they have played a lot of good cricket, only to be hurt by a bad little period.
There were other things too, of course. Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh have been out on the field bowling before play each morning, so I don't know whether one of them was fit enough to play.
Instead, they call in Anshul Kamboj, an interesting selection. Someone who stepped up from not being in the squad, to being in the team. That's a couple of big steps up.
Then, they gave him the new ball as well. Sure, he might be a new ball bowler in domestic cricket, but when you turn up in international cricket others are ahead of you in the queue.
As Stuart Broad found out when he began his career and Ryan Sidebottom and Jimmy Anderson took the new ball. You have to wait your turn. I was amazed that Mohammed Siraj didn't take the new ball.
Also, Ben Stokes got his five-for from the Brian Statham End, where there is extra bounce, yet Jasprit Bumrah did most of his bowling from the Sir Jimmy Anderson End.
Then, when the sun did come out after tea on day two and the pitch did get flatter, they completely overlooked bowling Washington Sundar, not turning to him until the 69th over when England were 305 for two.
It was astonishing. You could tell he was full of confidence by the way he spoke so boldly about winning at Lord's, after taking four wickets, and I haven't seen a spin bowler in England get such beautiful drift, even against the wind.
He made an impact, the moment he was introduced to the attack, getting Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in quick succession, leaving you wondering: where's he been?
The way India bowled to Joe Root was baffling too. Root is now intercepting the ball 27 centimetres closer to the bowler than he did when India were here in 2018, and yet on the quickest, bounciest pitch in the country historically, he received two bouncers up until lunch on day three.
They needed to bowl short to him, forcing him back in the crease and bringing LBW into the equation.
India started with a lot of energy and a lot of chat yesterday. Not aggressive, just excellent body language, encouragement and clapping.
But it didn't take long for England to clock that there were some tired bodies out there. The running of Pope and Root in the first session was spectacular, as it was between Root and Stokes later, pushing people in the field for singles.
India even had Bumrah and Siraj, both of whom appear to be carrying niggles, in positions in the off side where Ravindra Jadeja, India's best fielder, ought to have been.
Four Tests in, India are looking ragged and England pounced.
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