Patel leads India’s reply in 3rd England Test

“We stuck by our plans and got rewards”. When you go through this sort of a phase in your career you have just got to keep believing that the next day is going to be mine or the next afternoon is going to be mine and that is the way you come back.

The 28-year-old now has 16 scalps in the series, the leading wicket-taker on either side, while only two visiting leg-spinners – Pakistan’s Danish Kaneria and the late Richie Benaud of Australia – have taken more in India.

Parthiv was out for 42 though, one of three wickets to Adil Rashid, leaving Kohli and Pujara to battle forth. With Pujara on 51 and India 148-2, Woakes was eventually the man to produce that magical moment as he dived at full strength to catch the number three off the bowling of Rashid.

The pair have already been England’s nemesis during this series but having resisted any of the soft dismissals that typified England’s innings, Pujara suddenly got greedy in the first over after the break, when he tried to hit a long-hop from Adil Rashid for six. He looked set for a big score when he was adjudged leg-before off Rashid, a decision that would have caused an outrage in the pre-DRS era.

India, who rode on half-centuries from skipper Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ashwin, were reduced to 156-5 before bouncing back. Ashwin finally took the bait after a crucial 72, slashing out and spooning a catch to point and ending a 97-run seventh wicket stand.The momentum though had shifted decisively in India’s favour with the lead worth 18 at this stage.

Indias ‘Man Friday was Ashwin, who again played his part albeit with the willow reaching his 9th half-century in Test cricket. He couldn’t capitalise on the let-off however, perishing to an innocuouslooking ball outside off from Ben Stokes.

The ball, the worst Rashid had sent down all day, could have been hit just about anywhere for four. This was also the first time he had faced more than 100 deliveries in a Test innings in a display of self-restraint not always witnessed with his batting. “It’s not really something that plays on my mind”, said the ginger-haired wicketkeeper. Both of them can bat. “Our lower order has been contributing in all the Test matches, so we expect that to continue tomorrow”. The hosts lost three wickets in five overs, and added only nine runs to the team’s total. Today Rashid went through a phase in the second session of the game when he bowled outside the off-stump continuously along with Ben Stokes. We were not struggling (with the scoring rate). But, and I have to say that I felt this at the time, I think the key session of this match is proving to have been the first one, when England won the toss but managed to gift wickets.

India will hope, when England do come into bat, the wicket offers more to their bowlers, particularly the spinners, because they need Ashwin, Jadeja and Jayant to come into the game to stand a chance of giving their batsmen a makeable score to chase in the final innings of this 3 Test.