Steady Binny ensures draw for India

Ineffective thus far in the first Test, Stuart Binny and Ravindra Jadeja chose a crunch moment to make their presence felt.

India seemed to be spiralling into a deep abyss when they lost three wickets for 16 runs in the morning session. India were 184 for six at that juncture, and overall lead a vastly insufficient 145. But Binny (78) and Jadeja ensured safety through their seventh-wicket alliance worth 65 runs off 129 balls.

Their alliance was the foundation on which India built 391 for nine declared in their second innings. Once the play entered the final hour on Sunday both the teams agreed for a draw at Trent Bridge with part-time trundlers Alistair Cook, who dismissed Ishant Sharma for his first Test wicket, and Garry Balance offering wholesome entertainment.

Even amidst the general tediousness, this Test had managed to offer slivers of excitement like the two hundred-run alliances for the last wicket or Indian bowlers’ tenacious effort on third day that put England under considerable duress.

The fifth day too offered a few edge-of-the-seat moments. England bowlers created a final episode of drama in this Test, exploiting a wet and windy morning. They dismissed overnight batsmen Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the space of nearly 10 overs without conceding too many runs. Those quick departures allowed England to have an early peek into India’s late order.

They might have been expecting a bit of nervousness, but instead, were met with stone-cold determination of Binny and Jadeja. Jadeja was bit tentative in the early moments of his innings, playing and missing a couple of deliveries. But Binny never really looked in any trouble, and, in fact, was more at ease in the middle than some of his more accomplished colleagues.

The move to select Binny ahead of R Ashwin had been a much-criticised one, and the Karnataka man himself might have been under a bit of pressure as well after not getting enough overs to bowl to vindicate his selection. However, Binny locked himself away from those external factors and guided India towards safe shores, first in the company of Jadeja and then with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made his second fifty of the match.

Jadeja took 38 balls to open his account. Eventually, a four over the head of pacer James Anderson fetched him the first runs, and from that point the Saurasthra man looked quite composed. That he had a confident partner in Binny too helped his cause as the two warded off the persistent English bowlers diligently. But their partnership was not just about stonewalling as Binny played some excellent shots all round the park, none better than an on-the-knees cover drive off right-arm paceman Liam Plunkett.

Binny reached his maiden Test fifty with a nudge to mid-wicket off the same bowler, and the relief on his face was quite palpable. Jadeja departed minutes into the post-lunch session, snicking Anderson to Matt Prior behind the wicket. India were 210 runs ahead at that stage, and they needed another partnership to take the match irrevocably away from England.

Binny did just that in the company of Bhuvneshwar, adding 91 runs for a fluent eighth wicket stand in 120 balls before Binny was adjudged leg before to part-time spinner Moeen Ali. Their positive approach took the edge away from the English bowlers, but before that they had their own moments in the first session.

When Kohli plonked his front foot forward and pushed away Anderson, India might have thought a draw was a mere formality. But Broad found enough movement from the pitch under overcast skies and the lanky pacer first trapped Kohli in front the wicket, and in his next over elicited an edge from Rahane, putting Prior into business.

A little later, Plunkett castled Dhoni, who went for a cross-batted swipe and missed the ball altogether. India were in a dangerous territory then, but found timely saviours in Binny and Jadeja.