England hammer India by an innings and 76 runs

Ollie Robinson completed a five-wicket haul as England thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to win the third Test at Headingley on Saturday with more than a day to spare.

The hosts levelled the five-match series at 1-1 after India’s 151-run win in the second Test at Lord’s.

The tourists, 215-2 overnight, collapsed against the new ball as they lost eight wickets for 63 runs in 19.3 overs on Saturday, with Robinson taking 5-65 for a match haul of 7-81.

India’s 278 all out, however, was 200 runs more than their woeful first innings of 78 – made after captain Virat Kohli won the toss – which saw England great James Anderson rip through the top order with 3-6.

The visitors resumed on Saturday on 215-2 but, with 80 overs bowled, England took the new ball straight from the start of Saturday’s play.

From the moment Cheteshwar Pujara was lbw to Robinson without adding to his overnight 91, lbw playing no shot to Robinson, England were in complete command on Saturday, with Kohli falling soon afterwards for 55 – his first fifty of the series.

England started the day with three maidens India before Pujara – without a Test hundred since a superb 193 against Australia at Sydney in January 2019 – inexplicably played no shot to Robinson as he pushed forward outside off stump.

He was initially ruled not out but Robinson had little trouble in convincing England captain Joe Root to call for a review that duly led to the end of Pujara’s 189-ball innings.

Anderson thought he had Kohli, 45 not out overnight, caught behind on Saturday for 46 off the last ball of a superb over to the star batsman.

But vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane urged his skipper, who was walking off the field, to review the decision, with replays revealing Kohli’s bat had hit his pad, not the ball.

But there was no doubt soon afterwards when Kohli edged a good length ball from Robinson to Root at first slip.

Rahane (10) fell in similar fashion, edging Anderson to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler before Rishabh Pant (one), reaching for a wide delivery, nicked Robinson to Craig Overton at third slip.

Now the only question was whether India could keep the match going beyond the lunch interval. They could not, the tail managing little better than the top order, for all Ravindra Jadeja made a quickfire 30.

All-rounder Jadeja fell to Craig Overton and the paceman (3-47) ended the match by having Mohammed Siraj caught in the slips for a duck.

The fourth Test at the Oval starts on Thursday. (AFP)