LONDON: Shardul Thakur hit a record-breaking fifty that helped India fight back on the first day of the fourth Test England at the Oval on Thursday.
Thakur made 57, including a fifty in just 31 balls — the fastest in terms of balls faced in a Test in England — as he revived India from 117-6 to a total of 191 all out after they had lost the toss in overcast, bowler-friendly conditions.
Jasprit Bumrah then removed both openers in the same over before Umesh Yadav captured the prize wicket of England captain Joe Root for 21 after the star batsman, now top of the world rankings, had made hundreds in the first three Tests of a five-match series all square at 1-1.
At stumps, England were 53-3, a deficit of 138 runs.
Earlier Thakur’s blistering innings surpassed England great Ian Botham’s 32-ball fifty against New Zealand, also at the Oval, in 1986 as the quickest in a Test in England.
India captain Virat Kohli, who made exactly 50, was the only other India batsman to pass 17.
When the often dynamic Rishabh Pant fell cheaply for nine, India were in trouble at 127-7.
