Batter comes good as hosts set England hefty target
VISHAKHAPATNAM: The second Test is headed for an interesting finish after India and England went toe-totoe on the third day.
The hosts, though, will fancy their chances after Shubman Gill’s third Test century (104, 107b, 11x4, 2x6) helped them post 255 and set the visiting team a target of 399. R Ashwin gave India something to cheer in his first over as he got rid of opener Ben Duckett with wicketkeeper KS Bharat taking a great catch, diving full length to where short leg would have been.
England finished the day at 67 for one, needing 332 more runs with Zak Crawley unbeaten on 29 on a pitch that has witnessed the teams score 973 runs and lose 31 wickets in three days of intense action.
India had a lot riding on their openers when play started, but James Anderson showed why he’s still one of the best purveyors of swing bowling even at 41. The lead when India began at 28/0 was measly and the Lancastrian threatened to scuttle India’s plans, much to the disappointment of a large Sunday crowd at the ACA-VDCA Stadium.
Skipper Rohit Sharma was befuddled by an Anderson delivery that swung in and seamed away just enough to knock back the off stump. It was not the start India wanted and when first innings double centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal edged to Joe Root at slip, the hosts were clearly on the backfoot as Anderson looked menacing in his morning spell of 4-1-6-2.
It could have been worse if England had had success with two decisions that were reviewed. First, Tom Hartley (4/77) trapped Gill in front with an arm ball, but the batter reviewed and technology revealed a faint edge. Second, when England reviewed a LBW verdict off Anderson, the umpire’s call sparing India of further embarrassment.
Anderson’s spell which troubled the Indian top four was so effective that it completely dried up the runs and it wasn’t until after the first drinks break that Gill set about salvaging the situation. By then, the hosts had lost two wickets for the addition of 47 runs in the first hour.
Pre-match, there was a lot of talk revolving around Gill and Shreyas Iyer following their string of poor scores and the former picked up the gauntlet. Two boundaries off leggie Rehan Ahmed (3/88) set the tone as the No. 3 revelled in the company of Iyer. Stately when he danced down the pitch to employ the lofted shot, Gill was a picture of confidence as he showed a positive mindset in scoring at a fast clip.
It needed a piece of brilliance to end the 81-run stand (112b) for the third wicket between Gill and Iyer, and Ben Stokes provided the moment of the day. Iyer danced down the wicket, failed to get hold of Hartley and the England skipper took a fantastic diving catch running backwards at long off.
By lunch, taken at 130 for four, India had swelled their lead to 273 as Gill found in Axar Patel (45; 84b, 6x4) a partner willing to play second fiddle. Rajat Patidar had come and gone, and it helped the duo that Root, who suffered an injury to his right little finger trying to take a thick edge off Gill’s blade, had to leave the field.
India had 211 on the board when Gill’s dismissal terminated the 89- run stand for the fifth wicket, but they lost their last five wickets for 44 runs. England cashed in on KS Bharat’s needless show of aggression and seven boundary riders made Ashwin’s task difficult as he tried to shield Nos. 10 and 11.
England started the chase confidently. Jasprit Bumrah troubled Crawley but the opener, whose dismissal triggered the slide on the second day, survived to fight another day.
