Sharma lifts India’s hopes

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 40

Sharma lifts India’s hopes

NZPA-Reuter Birmingham The paceman, Chetan Sharma, given added responsibility because Kapil Dev was unfit to. bowl, rose to the occasion with a five-wicket haul that lifted India’s hopes of a clean sweep in the test cricket series against England yesterday. Sharma captured five for 56 to reduce England to 231 for nine at the close of the fourth day of the third and final test at Edgbaston. Both teams were dismissed for 390 in their first innings.

India, which won the first two tests at Lord’s and Headingley, tilted the balance midway through the second session when Sharma’s lively fastmedium bowling undermined England and they slumped from 152 for two to 190 for seven.

Sharma, who took four for 130 in the first innings, found he had to shoulder the burden of the pace attack when his captain, Kapil, suffered back trouble and could bowl only five overs in the morning.

Sharma struck the first blow by having Graham Gooch l.b.w.

He broke a third-wicket stand of 50 between Bill Athey and David Gower when he had the former England captain caught for 26 by Sunil Gavaskar at first slip. It was Gavaskar’s 100th test catch in his worldrecord 115th test appearance. He is the first Indian to reach the landmark and is now seventh in a list headed by Australia’s Greg Chappell. INDIA First innings 390 ENGLAND First innings 390 Second innings G. A. Gooch lbw b Sharma. 40 M. R. Benson b Shastri . . 30 C. W. J. Athey c More b Sharma 38 D. I. Gower c Gavaskar b Sharma 26 M. W. Gattlng lbw b Sharma 26 D. R. Pringle c More b Maninder 7 J. E. Emburey not out. . . 24 N. A. Foster run out... . 0 P. H. Edmonds c Binny b Maninder 10 B. N. French c More b

Sharma 1 N. V. Radford not out. . . 1 Extras (blO lb 6 wl nbll). 28 Total (for 9 wkts). ..... 231

Fall: 49, 102, 152, 163, 190, 190, 190, 217, 229. Bowling: Kapil Dev 7,1, 38, 0; Binny 16, 1, 41, 0; Sharma 22, 3, 56, 5; Amarnath 2,1, 2,0; Maninder 22, 5, 41, 2; Shastri 21, 7, 37, 1.