India take 134-run lead over England

India reached 271-6 in 84 overs at stumps on day two of the third test against England in Mohali.

While Ashwin and Jadeja’s contributions helped India fightback from a precarious situation, Jayant Yadav’s fifty helped India establish a 134-run lead and put them on top.

“I thought we bowled exceptionally well there as a team”.

With Ashwin batting solidly at the other end, the batsmen that follow, get the boost to not throw away their wickets.

The game is evenly poised going into day three and it could prove to be a pivotal day in deciding the outcome of this Test and also the series. India lost a spate of wickets in the post-tea session and Ashwin was at the wicket much earlier than expected.

Patel had walked a long way down the pitch and was initially ruled not-out but England opted to review the decision, which turned out to be an excellent move. The ball was there to be hit but a thick outside edge was safely pouched by Jos Buttler at point. So on balance was Kohli happier to receive his first over from a spinner who was familiar, or from one of England’s pace bowlers, like Stokes, who would have been truly stoked at the prospect of revenge, or James Anderson, who has dismissed Kohli five times, more than anyone else in Test cricket? He reached his 14th test half-century off 111 deliveries. He couldn’t capitalise on the let-off however, perishing to an innocuouslooking ball outside off from Ben Stokes. His innings was studded with eight fours off 81 balls.

Jadeja cut loose with four boundaries in a Chris Woakes over before being held on the long-on boundary off Rashid 10 short of a maiden Test hundred.

The brilliant Ashwin, a master of accuracy and sleight of hand, had Stokes lbw on review in the final over of the day. Thanks to their partnership, India were able to almost draw abreast of England’s score.

“But as I said, we recovered well from that”. They failed to snuff out the India lower order, which piled on the runs to set up their match-winning position.

Yet Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli soon put the hosts in control as they made their way to half centuries.

“It was a crucial partnership”. The 122nd over saw Jadeja walking across to sixth stump first and smashing a ball past mid on for the boundary.

India had done remarkably well through the first two sessions of the second day in Mohali. We were not struggling (with the scoring rate).

“The lines they were bowling, I thought it was a little negative”.

“Parthiv has been a good batsman and the kind of runs he has scored in first-class cricket, it could be seen in his confidence in this game”.

Both Patel and Murali Vijay looked to take the attack to both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid when both were introduced early on and largely succeeded.

James Anderson (0-36) had made a freakish appeal for obstruction of throw against the batsman, who stood his ground, but the umpires turned it down. He then wrapped it up by getting an in-cutter to trap Gareth Batty (1) leg before.