England vs India: Cheteshwar Pujara scores century to keep India on track

With India struggling and a match that just the other day seemed at hand now getting out of sight, Pujara struck form, racing to his 15^th Test century, but only second outside Asia. It was not similar to the fighting 72 he had made at Trent Bridge, where he dodged and drilled until England offered bunnies. But here the Indian No.3 was confident in his shots and assured in running between the wickets.

Pujara made an unbeaten 132, with 16 hits to the fence and which included a 78-run partnership with the last two wickets. And by the time it ended – when Bumrah offered a catch to Alastair Cook off Stuart Broad – India had taken a short 27-run lead. England batted with caution and were six for no loss at the end of day’s play.

But the game looked far from reaching the stage it eventually did, when the Indian middle order faced with the comfort of a likely batting track, gave their wickets away for nothing.

Also Read: England vs India: Bumrah plays down chances of a collapse every session

From being at 141/2 at lunch and with a prospect of batting England out, India was suddenly reduced to 195/8. A sloppy middle order collapse was the reason and after Sam Curran had got Virat Kohli for 46, Moeen Ali chipped in with 4 in 16 balls. Two of those came in consecutive balls, the first of which was the most reckless of all the 20 wickets to have fallen in the past two days.

Renowned for his game-reading mind and a stocky batting style, Ravi Ashwin at a time Pujara was flourishing and needed support, tried an ineffective reverse-sweep against Ali only to carry the ball into the stumps. Mohammed Shami then came and went eyes closed, not reading the ball nor lasting another.

But Ishant Sharma dogged, sticking for another 32 with Pujara before edging Ali to Cook. Jasprit Bumrah then lasted for another 46, helping India not just reach England’s score but overtake them.

Also Read: England vs India: Sam Curran keeps England alive after Jasprit Bumrah dismantles top order

Earlier, Stuart Broad had opened the floodgates by removing both the openers. KL Rahul as has been for most of the series fell to an inswinger, trapped before the wicket, while Shikhar Dhawan nicked one behind.

Kohli and Pujara then stitched a 102-run partnership rebuilding India’s innings. Runs came easily and without much fuss. But Curran returned and fooled the Indian skipper with an outside-off ball that didn’t move.