England is in complete control of the third Test thanks to another masterful century from their captain.
Having skittled India out for just 78 and with a lead of 42, England was looking to kick on and make the tourists pay for their dismal display on day one.
Boy did they do so, with the new opening duo of Burns and Hameed, who set the foundation in the morning session by blunting the new ball and not losing a wicket in the entire session?
The score was 135 by the time India took their first wicket, Rory Burns’s gritty innings of 61 came to an end when the Surrey left-hander was comprehensively bowled through the gate by Shami from round the wicket.
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When Dawid Malan came to the crease, all the hopes were with him to make that vacant spot his. Although Hameed was looking solid in the middle, he wasn’t really going anywhere in terms of his strike rate. After reaching his half-century on day one, the Indian’s managed to dot him up before Jadeja castled him with a beauty.
With the ball pitching on middle stump, spinning past his outside edge, and hitting off stump, The Notts opener was dismissed for 68 runs leaving the score on 159-2.
Joe Root – Captain In Sublime Touch
Every time the Joe Root walks out to bat, it seems as if he is batting on a different level to everyone else, and it was the same today.
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India just didn’t seem to find an answer to stop him. the way Joe Root rotated the strike and maneuvered the field really frustrated Kohli and the Indian bowlers. He really is in the form of his life.
Having said that, could India have maybe gone for the short ball tactic from around the wicket earlier on in his innings? Nevertheless, it was a perfect captain’s innings, which may have possibly taken the game away from India.
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Virat Kohli and his bowlers toiled hard in the field, especially when Malan and Root were dominating the second half of the afternoon session. However, on the stroke of tea, Malan appeared to have strangled one down the leg-side.
Pant was not sure if there was an edge, but out of desperation, Kohli sent it upstairs, and luckily DRS came to India’s rescue as ultra-edge revealed a spike when the ball passed Malan’s bat and the left-handed number three was dismissed for a gritty 70 runs.
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Jonny Bairstow carried the baton on from Malan and forged another partnership with his captain. The Yorkshire pair added another 52 runs with the captain going on to reach yet another fabulous century, his third of the series and his 23rd in Tests.
The score was 350-4 when Bairstow’s cameo of 29 off 42 came to an end. Mohammed Shami enticed a drive of Bairstow who got an outside edge, the Indian captain taking a sharp catch to his left and the Yorkshireman was gone for 29.
Jos Buttler followed soon after for one. The score was 360-5 when he clipped one straight to short mid-wicket off Shami. Then came the moment India was desperate for, It was 383-6 when Shami sneaked one through the gate to end another masterful knock by England’s captain. The end of an innings that may have taken away the game from India.
With England’s lead growing both Ali and Curran decided to play their shots and added cameos of 8 and 15. England finished the day on 423-8, it was a long hot day in the field for the Indians. England now has a lead of 345.
They are definitely now in the driving seat. Kohli and his men have a huge mountain to climb, can they somehow find a way back into this match? Can England push for victory and square the five-match series?
Tune in to Sky Sports Cricket of BBC Test Match Special to find out