The lanky Delhi seamer scalped a career-best 7/74 to bowl out England for 223, 95 short of the 319-run victory target. Ishant wasn’t even born when Kapil Dev-led India beat England by five wickets to script its first Test win at Lord’s in June 1986.
For long, and quite rightfully also, Indian batsmen have been criticised for their inability to handle short balls on bouncy tracks. But on Monday, Ishant gave England a taste of their own medicine as the home team, requiring 214 runs on the last day with six wickets in hand, failed to withstand the onslaught of bouncers bowled at good pace by Ishant. Of the six batsmen dismissed on Monday, five fell to the short staff, all bowled by Ishant, while last man Jimmy Anderson was run out.
In the morning session, the two overnight batsmen Joe Root (66) and Moeen Ali (39) showed great resoluteness to thwart India bowlers, adding 101 precious runs for the fifth wicket to take England closer to a memorable win. But just at the stroke of lunch, Ishant got one ball to rear up sharply which Ali awkwardly fended off to Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg.
That wicket opened the floodgates as India came out all guns blazing after lunch to polish off the remaining England line-up 50 minutes before the tea-break. It was shocking to see every England batsmen taking the bait of pulling Ishant and were holed out in the process.