At stumps, India were precariously placed at 323 for eight, with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni waging a lone battle with a gritty half-century. Almost all the Indian batsmen got starts but failed to convert into a big score which is required while chasing a mammoth first innings score. India are still 246 runs behind England’s first innings score of 569 for seven.
At stumps Dhoni (50 batting) and Mohammed Shami (4 batting) were at the crease battling to keep India in this Test match with two full days to go. James Anderson (3/52) and Stuart Broad (3/65) hunted in pair while Moeen Ali (2/62) was a beneficiary of poor shotmaking by a couple of Indian players. It was terible shot selection that brought about the downfall of Rohit Sharma (28) and Ajinkya Rahane (54), both of whom looked set for long haul.
Rohit, after a 74-run stand with Rahane, was guilty of charging down to part-time off-spinner Ali failing to clear Stuart Broad at mid-off.
Rahane, who scored a gutsy half-century after a fine spell from Broad in the pre-lunch session, mishit a half-tracker from Ali to be caught by substitute fielder Sean Terry at mid-on. Rahane hit five boundaries in his 113 ball knock and his dismissal proved costly in the broader context of the Indian innings.
Anderson opened proceedings on the day but it was Chris Woakes (0-10) who was deployed alongside him from the other end. It was a clear ploy by England to keep attacking with either Anderson or Broad (2/23) from one end, with Woakes and Chris Jordan (0-23) playing second fiddle.
This tactic worked as Anderson first worked up the batsmen with his swing early on and then Broad charged in to create more trouble. There wasn’t too much in the pitch but the two bowlers still got the odd delivery to create doubts in the mind of the batsmen and that is how both the crucial wickets came about after the 50-run mark had come up in the 22nd over.
Pujara was the first to go, looking to leave a short delivery from Broad in the 24th over, as the ball followed him and kissed his glove on its way to the debutant keeper Jos Buttler who snared his first victim in Test cricket. He hit three boundaries in his 52-ball knock. Albeit unlucky, it was another start thrown away on tour by the prolific Saurashtra batsman. Kohli came out to bat thereafter, under pressure from his recent few failures, but got going despite some nervy moments at the crease.
He quickly added 32 runs for the third wicket with Vijay at the other end, but then Broad struck once again. He was troubling the opener outside his off stump and created enough doubts in his mind to make him play-and-leave at one delivery that took an edge and rattled back to his stumps.
Rahane then joined Kohli at the crease and they saw off the session, adding 20 runs for the fourth wicket and taking India past the 100-run mark in the 35th over. There was only a minor hiccup in the 37th over when Moeen Ali (0-13) almost had Rahane dismissed caught as the ball appeared to touch his gloves but umpire Rod Tucker failed to notice it.
BRIEFSCORES India 323 for 8 (Rahane 54, Dhoni 50*, Anderson 3-52, Broad 3-65) trail England 569 for 7 dec (Ian Bell 167, Gary Ballance 156, Alastair Cook 95, Buttler 85) by 246 runs.
At stumps Dhoni (50 batting) and Mohammed Shami (4 batting) were at the crease battling to keep India in this Test match with two full days to go. James Anderson (3/52) and Stuart Broad (3/65) hunted in pair while Moeen Ali (2/62) was a beneficiary of poor shotmaking by a couple of Indian players. It was terible shot selection that brought about the downfall of Rohit Sharma (28) and Ajinkya Rahane (54), both of whom looked set for long haul.
Rohit, after a 74-run stand with Rahane, was guilty of charging down to part-time off-spinner Ali failing to clear Stuart Broad at mid-off.
Rahane, who scored a gutsy half-century after a fine spell from Broad in the pre-lunch session, mishit a half-tracker from Ali to be caught by substitute fielder Sean Terry at mid-on. Rahane hit five boundaries in his 113 ball knock and his dismissal proved costly in the broader context of the Indian innings.
Anderson opened proceedings on the day but it was Chris Woakes (0-10) who was deployed alongside him from the other end. It was a clear ploy by England to keep attacking with either Anderson or Broad (2/23) from one end, with Woakes and Chris Jordan (0-23) playing second fiddle.
This tactic worked as Anderson first worked up the batsmen with his swing early on and then Broad charged in to create more trouble. There wasn’t too much in the pitch but the two bowlers still got the odd delivery to create doubts in the mind of the batsmen and that is how both the crucial wickets came about after the 50-run mark had come up in the 22nd over.
Pujara was the first to go, looking to leave a short delivery from Broad in the 24th over, as the ball followed him and kissed his glove on its way to the debutant keeper Jos Buttler who snared his first victim in Test cricket. He hit three boundaries in his 52-ball knock. Albeit unlucky, it was another start thrown away on tour by the prolific Saurashtra batsman. Kohli came out to bat thereafter, under pressure from his recent few failures, but got going despite some nervy moments at the crease.
He quickly added 32 runs for the third wicket with Vijay at the other end, but then Broad struck once again. He was troubling the opener outside his off stump and created enough doubts in his mind to make him play-and-leave at one delivery that took an edge and rattled back to his stumps.
Rahane then joined Kohli at the crease and they saw off the session, adding 20 runs for the fourth wicket and taking India past the 100-run mark in the 35th over. There was only a minor hiccup in the 37th over when Moeen Ali (0-13) almost had Rahane dismissed caught as the ball appeared to touch his gloves but umpire Rod Tucker failed to notice it.
BRIEFSCORES India 323 for 8 (Rahane 54, Dhoni 50*, Anderson 3-52, Broad 3-65) trail England 569 for 7 dec (Ian Bell 167, Gary Ballance 156, Alastair Cook 95, Buttler 85) by 246 runs.