DHARAMSHALA (Himachal Pradesh): After their innings closed finally at 477, hosts India, leading by 259, put England on the rack in their second dig with spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav weaving their magic on the visitors.
At Lunch on Day 3, England were staring down the barrel at 103/5, still trailing India by 156 runs. As the stumps were drawn for the luncheon break, former skipper and batting mainstay Joe Root was unbeaten on a strokeful 34.
Playing his 100th Test, Ravi Ashwin made hay as the sun baked down on a wearing pitch at the scenic HPCA stadium in Dharamshala, sending the English top-order back in the hut.
Adding to the wily Ashwin’s four-fer, Kuldeep got one to spin back sharply on Johnny Bairstow, trapping him plumb in front of the wickets. Also playing his 100th Test, the Yorkshire, who has been struggling for form all series, took a liking for Ashwin and hit him for some towering sixes before falling to chinaman Kuldeep.
India resumed their innings from 473/8 on the board, leading by 255 runs with Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah unbeaten at 27 (55) and 19 (55) respectively. However, the pair was able to add just four runs to their overnight partnership before they were sent back to the pavilion at 477. With innings folding, the hosts led the visitors by 259 runs.
Meanwhile, England veteran pacer James Anderson etched his name in history on Saturday, becoming the first-ever pacer in the history of the sport to complete 700 wickets in Test cricket and overall only the third bowler to do so.
The ageless English pace wonder, who will be turning 42 this July, achieved this milestone during India’s fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala.
For the visitors, Shoaib Bashir (5/173) was the pick of the bowlers for England. Tom Hartley, and James Anderson took two wickets while Ben Stokes got a wicket.
Trailing by 259 runs, the Three Lions didn’t have the start which they wanted as they lost the first three wickets of Ben Duckett (2), Zak Crawly (0), and Ollie Pope (19) when the team score was 36.
After three quick wickets, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root tried to build a partnership. Both of them put on a partnership of 56 runs in which Bairstow played an aggressive role where he scored 39 runs with the help of three fours and three sixes each before going back to dressing room.
The fifth wicket to fell was of skipper Ben Stokes who was able to score just two runs before getting dismissed to veteran off-spinner Ashwin.
For India, the highest wicket-taker so far is Ravichandran Ashwin who has snapped four wickets in his spell of 8.5 overs where he has conceded 55 runs. One wicket is grabbed by Kuldeep in his spell of three overs where he has conceded nine runs.
Brief score: England 218 & 103/5 in 22.5 overs (Jonny Bairstow 39, Joe Root 34*, Ravichandran Ashwin 4/55) vs India 477 (Shubman Gill 110, Rohit Sharma 103, Shoaib Bashir 5/173). (ANI)