An optimistic Jonny Bairstow admitted it will take a couple of special knocks to get something out of this game as India close day three on 98-3, a lead of 298.
Virat Kohli (56*) hoisted India back into the driving seat after Stuart Broad’s two quick wickets left India 40-3.
A defiant stand of 110 between Jonny Bairstow (53) and Ben Stokes (70) stopped the Indian charge briefly but the tourists did slide to 255 all out as Ravichandran Ashwin (5-67) claimed his 22nd five-wicket haul.
Resuming on 103-5, both Bairstow and Stokes countered the early India onslaught as they came close to enjoying a wicket-less session. However, nine minutes before the break, after posting his 12th fifty, Bairstow lost his left stump to Umesh Yadav.
Ben Stokes moved his overnight score to 70 before he was adjudged lbw to Ashwin. His review was unsuccessful and left England 225-7.
England lost their last four wickets for 30 runs as Adil Rashid (32*) was left stranded with the low order not offering any resistance.
Zafar Ansari fell to Ravindra Jadeja LBW as he wasted England’s final review as Ashwin swept up the England tail by removing Stuart Broad and James Anderson with successive deliveries.
Broad and Anderson continued their formidable bowling partnership which saw Murali Vijay (3) and KL Rahul (10) fall victim to the Nottinghamshire seamer before Cheteshwar Pujara (1) lost his stumps when an Anderson special tore him in half.
A partnership of 58* between Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane (22*) left India recovering from the early wickets heading towards a lead off 300 plus on day four, but England wicketkeeper Bairstow remained positive.
“Hopefully we can get something out of the pitch early on tomorrow morning and then you just don’t know,” he said.
“It’s going to take a couple of special knocks to get something out of this game but the way that Virat has played tonight shows that runs are there to be scored.”
Report by Bilal Asif
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