India pile pressure on England after Ashwin’s triple strike

India were finally bowled out for 417 at tea after lower-order batsmen Ravichandran Ashwin (72), Ravindra Jadeja (90) and Jayant Yadav (55) all hit half centuries; and then the hosts reduced England to 78-4 by stumps. Forced into the opener’s role following Hameed’s finger injury, Root waged a grim battle during his 179-ball stay before England’s batting mainstay fell to a rather soft dismissal.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the only bowler to claim five wickets in an innings while leg-spinner Adil Rashid claimed five victims in the match.

Nothing could save the captain, though, when Ashwin (3-19) bowled him through the gate for 12.

Ashwin kept up the pressure from his end as he bamboozled Moeen Ali (5) with a flighted delivery, causing the batsman to give away a catch to mid-on.

Stokes had Umesh Yadav dropped by Alastair Cook at slip and Jayant spilled by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

Numbers seven, eight and nine all passed 50 for the first time in India’s history, as England’s prospects of squaring the series here receded dramatically – and avoiding a 2-0 deficit with two to play was going to be far from easy either.

Ashwin then returned to take the wicket of danger-man Ben Stokes, who found himself squared up by a delivery pitched on the off and middle stump.

The Ashwin-Jadeja stand was worth a match-high 97 runs and Jadeja went on to complete his third test fifty, celebrating with his trademark swirling of the bat, before accelerating and smacking four boundaries in one Chris Woakes over. “They shared experience with me that might help me”. “So there’s a lot of batting left”, said Jonny Bairstow after the day’s play. The last time it happened was 52 years ago, back in 1964 when Bob Simpson’s Australia won after conceding a 65-run first innings lead.

“We ve lost a few wickets this evening, which was not ideal, that was not the plan”, Bairstow told reporters. “He really runs in and gives his 100 per cent and gets rewards”.

Primarily selected for their prowess with the ball on turning pitches, Ashwin, who has scored four Test centuries, has hit a fifty in each of the three Tests against England while Jadeja and Jayant have also proved they are no dud with the bat. For Stoksey (Stokes) to get (Kohli), there has been bit of a friction between the two (referring to their exchanges).

England leads by only 22 runs with three wickets remaining. Luckily in that over, I got four boundaries.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli continued their Test Cricket genius as both accumulated 75 runs for the third wicket before Pujara was dismissed for a well made 51.