Pujara, Vijay help India give strong reply to England

He was dismissed in the seventh ball of the day.

Vijay, who hit nine fours and four sixes, reached his century with two boundaries off Broad and put on 41 with Kohli for the third wicket.

With first Woakes and then Broad, who bowled a spell of 5-4-1-0, strangling the scoring rate at the other end, the 32-year-old Vijay added just 7 runs in 49 balls at one stage. It was a remarkable mess that Gambhir got himself into, with his feet ending up in “starting position three” that will be familiar to any ballet enthusiasts. He had scored 206 not out and 135 against the same opponents on their visit to India four years ago.

# Vijay’s 126 off 301 balls is his lowest score while recording a century in Tests – the previous lowest being 139 vs Australia at Bangalore in October 2010.

Nothing, not even the exacting exercise of chasing a total of tall order or the three blows he took on his shoulder and helmet off the bowling of Chris Woakes, flustered the local native, Pujara. “Whether you bat or bowl first, you need to make the first session count”.

And although the wicketkeeper edged behind his rapid 46 helped England go into lunch on 450-6 having plundered 139 runs in the session.

“Obviously, we want to build partnerships together as bowlers, but from a personal point of view I want to bowl them and take more wickets”.

Gambhir, playing his second Test on the trot after his recall from hibernation, struck four fours in his 68-ball knock as they batted out the shortened last session of play. This was a better period from all of them than any time during the Bangladesh series. This is the Rashid that England have hoped would emerge this winter.

Five sessions later, he was able to reflect on his third Test century in the past six months – as well as one each too from Root and Ben Stokes – in England’s 537 all out.

Pujara survived a scare while on 86 when the umpire adjudged him leg before off Ansari’s bowling.

“The breakthroughs show the importance of keeping going all day, holding in there for as long as you can on a flat pitch”.

The Rajkot-born batsman clipped Broad off his pads and then drove Moeen Ali off the firing line by striking him for two fours a square cut followed by a twinkle-toed dance down the wicket for an on-drive. World cricket needs DRS, and for that to happen India need to embrace it. After Gambhir’s departure, the Indian team changed gears.

With a flurry of strokes made with patience and technique, the batsmen kept the Indian score board rotating. They were in ridiculously good form against New Zealand though, so it must be anticipated that with England’s lack of spinners and no wickets with the new ball that is going to continue on.

England are using Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad in tandem.