Bumrah's brilliance sparks India's last-day Test win

LONDON, England (AP):

JASPRIT BUMRAH knew it was his time; and India captain Virat Kohli was not going to stand in his way.

England's brittle batting line-up was beginning to creak soon after lunch on day five of a riveting fourth Test at the Oval, so Bumrah seized the opportunity.

"Jasprit just said, 'give me the ball'," Kohli said. "And he bowled that six-over spell ... which completely shifted the momentum to our side."

Bowling at speeds of 90 mph (144 kph) and often taking a docile pitch out of the equation with his yorkers, Bumrah produced one of the spells of his blossoming Test career to spark another English collapse — from 100-0 to 210 all out — and a 157-run win for India in south London yesterday.

India took a 2-1 lead with one Test left in a riveting series that will be decided at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting on Friday. All the momentum is with the tourists again as they seek to win a Test series in England for just the fourth time.

"We have everything that we need to win — the belief, the team," Kohli said.

And, in Bumrah, a pace bowler who is shaping up to be an India great.

Figures of 2-27 off 22 overs, which saw him reach 100 Test wickets quicker than any previous India pacer, seemed unfathomable on a pitch that offered little to the seamers in the opening four days of the Test.

Certainly Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow did not know what had hit them after being bowled in successive overs by Bumrah. That contributed to England, which had been set a record 368 to win, plunging from 141-2 to 147-6 in a game-changing 36-ball span.

"It was a brilliant spell of bowling from Bumrah," England captain Joe Root said. "That really was the turning point in the game.

"That was world-class bowling. He saw an opportunity in the game and performed really well."

A match that appeared to be heading for a draw suddenly turned into an inevitable win for the Indians.

It was clinched 40 minutes after tea when Umesh Jadav (3-60) got an edge behind off Jimmy Anderson (two) and Kohli sprinted to the middle, roaring in delight. The celebrations were held up by a desperate review from Anderson, but when a spike showed on UltraEdge, Kohli and his players really could jump for joy.