England vs India: Three quick wickets dent India’s progress; but Kohli-Rahane recover

A great beginning gave away to three quick wickets, but the sight of watching the Indian batsmen finally showing some resilience was a relief that had disappeared after an abject surrender at Lord’s. But Indian batting line-up bounced back with their gritty approach and suddenly everything looked in order.

After coming into England as the World No.1 team, India has failed to field the same openers in consecutive Tests. But after Murali Vijay failed to impress and Shikhar Dhawan had returned from sitting out in the second match, the visitors found a new pair that oversaw James Anderson’s fearful opening spell and became just the fifth opening pair since 2000 to survive 127 or overs outside Asia.

KL Rahul and Dhawan added 60-run for the first wicket making it only the second instance in five Test innings so far in England that the openers have stitched a half-century stand. Dhawan, in particular, was at his destructive best, scoring 35 off 65 balls that had seven boundaries and came at a strike rate of 53.85.

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But with both Anderson and Stuart Broad proving ineffective, England captain Joe Root brought on Chris Woakes and he once again delivered cleaning up the top-order with some fine bowling. Dhawan was the first one to go edging to slips. The ball moved late and the left-hander who was looking to defend it, couldn’t help but poke a nose with Jos Buttler cupping a high catch.

13 balls and five runs later Rahul followed suit, once again falling to a ball that moved back into him. And it was Woakes once again, probing the right-hander with three consecutive deliveries outside the off-stump before sending one that trapped Rahul plumb in-front of the wicket.

Cheteshwar Pujara then made things more difficult for the visitors pulling a short-pitched ball straight to Adil Rashid to leave India from comfortably cruising at 60 for no loss to reeling at 82/3. He had already put himself into trouble by forcing Rahul into wasting a review earlier and drowned himself further into destitution going for a needless pull in the final ball before lunch.

Woakes with three wickets was England’s most successful bowler but Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane ensured no further hiccups with a 107-run partnership. Both completed their half-centuries, Rahane becoming only the second Indian after skipper Kohli to reach the 50-run mark in this series.

Kohli finished on 51, while Rahane complemented him with 53 as India finished at 189/3 at the end of the second session.