India Vs England – 3rd Test Match – Day 2

Fine innings. Umesh Yadav is the new man in. “Talking about Adil, he’s been bowling well”.

IST: India 339/7, lead England (283) runs.

Jayant, in so many ways a younger model of Ashwin, from his role in the team to punching deliveries through the off side, and who made important runs in Visakhapatnam, collected two sweetly-timed boundaries off James Anderson.

Yet so relentless was the bowling that the leading edge was found.

It had nine fours and the partnership of 75 with Cheteshwar Pujara (51 off 104 balls) is the highest in the innings so far. While batting, at least.

Nevertheless, maintaining their plans for so long – well over an hour – began taking its toll on the visitors. Pujara smashed his 11th Test fifty before the break.

India went to tea at 1482, nearly playing themselves into a sound position, although England, credit to their bowlers, didn’t quite allow the hosts to dominate. But Pujara fancied two more runs for his troubles and tried to clear mid-wicket boundary, which at Mohali happens to be one of the biggest in India. The need to switch on from the off is overwhelming; Pujara’s concentration wavered for an instant even as his eyes lit up at an Adil Rashid long-hop that ought to have sailed over the deep midwicket fence. In all, he hit six boundaries in 85 balls.

Then Kohli drove square of the wicket and scented a run; at cover point Jos Buttler dived to his right and grabbed the ball. Equally so was England’s discipline.

Kohli then along with Ashwin put Indian innings back on the track with a 48-run partnership.

This time Stokes opted against a verbal volley, celebrating by covering his mouth to emphasise he had not spoken a word to the departing Kohli.

“Parthiv has been a good batsman”. Jadeja, on the other hand, has had a quiet series with the bat. But with India’s captain ever impetuous, Alastair Cook had been preying on his patience by setting a seven to two off-side field, and having his pace bowlers hang the ball outside Kohli’s off-stump. It was the substance that he lacked, until this year.

After Ashwin on Day 2, it was Jadeja’s turn to frustrate England.

The value of lower-order can never be overstated. He had to dive to steal a run and in the process he rubbed himself on the ground.

The 57 not out Ashwin made in Mohali was his third fifty of the series.

Rashid continues to make great strides in Test cricket and has now surpassed the great Shane Warne’s best series haul in India. India had moved to 39-0 when a diving Buttler at mid-wicket dropped a tough chance offered by Vijay. We were leaving balls outside off stump. “The lines they were bowl ing, I felt, were a little negative”, Pujara said. The eventful third session has thrown the match wide open and the team that grabs the initiative on the crucial Day three, would have significantly bolstered their chances in the match. Ashwin then continued his rich vein of form with the bat to ensure a positive end to the day for the hosts. We have an advantage as both our all-rounders are still batting. When play was called off Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were the two unbeaten batsmen. “But we will come back tomorrow and come over”, the leg-spinner added.