Indian opener KL Rahul was out for 199 in a moment of madness at the end of third day of the Chennai Test.
Rahul sank to his knees after chasing a wide & looping delivery from leg-spinner Adil Rashid and lobbing it gently in the air to Jos Buttler at short cover.
It was a rare success for the England bowlers who had toiled in vain for much of the day.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, England legend Sir Ian Botham said: “We are not seeing anything evil with this pitch, it hasn’t changed, there is nothing that is going to sound any alarm bells. It is one of the flattest and deadest pitches I have ever seen.”
Commenting on Rahul’s dismissal, Botham added: “He was a bit unlucky, England had just brought Buttler in to save the single and Rahul’s eyes lit up. It was out there and he thought ‘here I go that’s my 200’, but it wasn’t to be.
“It will be very difficult for either side to now win on this surface. If England have a great morning who knows, they might be able to turn it around?”
Commencing the day at 60-, India batted positively during the morning session in reply to England’s first innings 477. The tourists had to work hard with the ball as Rahul and his opening partner Parthiv Patel picked up where they left off the previous evening.
Rahul set the tone for the second day when he danced down the wicket to debutant Liam Dawson and thumped a maximum. He repeated the dose shortly afterwards with an equally full-blooded shot over deep long on.
In an aggressive first session, Rahul completed his 50 off 96 balls. Patel, the other half of the dynamic pair, joined in, playing an elegant leg glance to bring up his fifty from 84 deliveries.
Moeen Ali finally broke through with the wicket of Patel to a leading edge which flew to the safe hands of Buttler at cover.
It was the end of a well built 71 off 112 balls, the wicketkeeper/batsman’s highest Test score, beating his previous best of 69 against Pakistan way back in 2004.
The partnership of 152 between Rahul and Patel, meanwhile, had been the highest opening stand for India against England on home soil, breaking a 43-year-old record.
India were 173-1 at lunch with Rahul on (89*) and new batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara (11*).
A fired up Ben Stokes came out after lunch as he looked to target Pujara and unsettle him with the short ball.
On the back of several bouncers, Stokes pitched one up and, with a hint of away movement, found a thick outside edge which was snaffled at slip by captain Alastair Cook; Pujara out for 16 off 29 balls.
Rahul was unflustered and brought up his 100 off 171 balls, his fourth century in Test cricket and his first in India.
Stuart Broad was introduced and the Nottinghamshire paceman restricted India’s superstar skipper Virat Kohli with tight lines and an intelligent sprinkling of slower-ball cutters, before dismissing him for 15 caught by Keaton Jennings and short-cover.
Broad’s five over spell cost just seven runs, as India took tea on 258-3, still trailing by 221 runs.
Rahul ensured that India’s progress was far more sprightly after the interval; his 150 coming off 253 balls, closely followed by Nair’s half-century off 98 deliveries.
Then came Rahul’s late lapse of concentration when Rashid tempted him with a wider delivery, creating the easy chance for Buttler that sends England into the penultimate day with fresh optimism.
Rahul’s score of 199 off 311 balls, however, was the highest ever by an Indian opener against England.
India closed day three on 391-4, trailing England by 86 runs. Nair (71*) and Murali Vijay (17*) will return to the crease tomorrow looking to overtake England’s first innings total and push for a 4-0 series win.
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