Now, let's talk about India's pace attack and the importance of its quieter players. Shardul Thakur had two balls to hold on. Not with the bat, but with the ball. It was the 79th over, England needed just 30, and any remaining flicker of India's hope rested on reaching the second new ball. If there was even the faintest crack in the chase, it could only be prized open by Jasprit Bumrah with a fresh Dukes in hand. Shubman Gill, wearing the strain of captaincy in his first Test in charge, offered Thakur a 7-2 off-side field - a clear message: shut one side down. Thakur ran up and bowled it full on middle-stump. Root glanced it fine, found the man in the deep, and walked through for a single after throwing up his head in disappointment. Anywhere else, that was four. Thakur too threw his head up. Perhaps he thought he could pull off the double bluff and surprise the No.1 ranked batter. One ball left. Gill walked up, added another ca...
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