India vs England, 4th Test, Day 3: Dhruv Jurel’s 90, spinners bring India right back; hosts in pursuit of 192. Ravichandran Ashwin took 5-51 in 2nd innings. Session-wise highlights of Day 3, Ranchi Test.
Brief Scores: India 307 (Jurel 90, Jaiswal 73, Bashir 5-119) and 40 for 0 (Rohit 24*, Jaiswal 16*) need 152 runs to beat England 353 and 145 (Crawley 60, Ashwin 5-51, Kuldeep 4-22)
After staring down the barrel on the second day, India turned their fortunes on the third day of the fourth Test at Ranchi against England on Sunday. India first made a brilliant fightback with help from the lower-order batters before India spinners bowled out England cheaply for 145 in the second innings. Set a target of 192, India openers ran away to 40/0 when stumps were called on the third day.
Talking point from India vs England, 4th test, Day 3
India’s fightback can be credited to the composure shown by the India keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel who made a brilliant 90 runs to reduce England’s lead to just 46 runs. Thanks to Jurel, India scored 146 runs for the last five wickets. India have found a keeper who can keep and bat well in pressure situations to score useful runs with the lower-order batters. Jurel’s performance bodes well as it adds depth to India’s batting unit.
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Jurel leads India’s fightback
India were in deep trouble when they started day 3 at 219/7, trailing England by 134 with three wickets remaining. However, Kuldeep Yadav and Dhruv Jurel weathered the early storm and frustrated the England bowling attack for 15 overs. They stretched their partnership to 76 runs for the eighth wicket before James Anderson dismissed Kuldeep; bowled for a well-made 28.
Soon after, Jurel reached his maiden Test fifty.
However, the job was still incomplete. Jurel then farmed most of the strike during a stand of 40 runs with Akash Deep, with Jurel relying on fours and sixes to reduce the lead. Shoaib Bashir broke the stand, dismissing Deep; bowled for 9. With the last batter for company, Jurel looked for quick boundaries but eventually got bowled by Tom Hartley’s delivery for 90 off 149 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes. Jurel’s effort helped India to reduce England’s lead to 46 runs. Shoaib Bashir took 5/119.
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Spinners put India on top
Post the lunch session, England’s hopes of a quick start were thwarted with a twin strike from Ravichandran Ashwin in his third over of the innings. First to depart was Ben Duckett who inside edged to Sarfaraz Khan at short leg for 15. In the next ball, Ollie Pope was dismissed LBW for his second duck of the match.
Meanwhile, Zak Crawley was all at ease on the turning track, hitting three fours in Ashwin’s fifth over. Crawley and Joe Root put a stand of 46 runs for the third wicket before Ashwin dismissed the latter LBW for 11. Crawley and Jonny Bairstow then posted a 45-run stand before Kuldeep Yadav gave India the breakthrough. Kuldeep shattered the stumps of Crawley for 60. Captain Ben Stokes then inside-edged a delivery from Kuldeep onto his stumps for 4 to reduce England to 120/5 when tea was called.
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India edge ahead in chasing 192
Post-tea, India spinners didn’t give any leeway and stuck to good line and length, with the pitch doing the rest. England lost their next five wickets for 25 runs with the India spinners coming to the party. First ball post tea, Ravindra Jadeja got Bairstow to play uppishly to short cover to fall for 30. Kuldeep and Ashwin took the remaining four wickets to bowl England out for 145, setting India a target of 192 runs. All England wickets were taken by spinners, with Ashwin claiming 5/51, and Kuldeep Yadav 4/22. Facing the last 30 minutes of the day, India openers then feasted on some loose bowling from England spinners to race to 40/0 in 8 overs. Rohit Sharma was batting on 24, and Yashasvi was on 16 when stumps were drawn.
What’s to come
India are favourites to chase down the remaining 152 runs on the fourth day to win the Ranchi Test and the series. A lot rests on India’s openers to stretch their opening stand as India have an inexperienced middle order. However, it won’t be easy to chase down 192 runs as England spinners could exploit the cracks on the pitches and run through the batting line-up. But still, it would be a tall ask for England spinners to take all 10 wickets with just 152 runs to defend. However, they can take inspiration from the Hyderabad Test which they won by 28 runs.
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Statistical Highlights from India vs England, 4th Test, Day 3
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Ravichandran Ashwin (354 wickets) has overtaken Anil Kumble (350 wickets) to become the highest wicket-taker for India in home Tests.
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Dhruv Jurel scored his maiden Test fifty when he scored 90 in the Ranchi Test.
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James Anderson has moved to 698 wickets when he dismissed Kuldeep Yadav in the Ranchi Test. He is just 2 wickets short of becoming the first pace bowler to take 700 wickets.
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R Ashwin has equalled the record for most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. He shares the record with Anil Kumble with 35 five-wicket hauls each.
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Rohit Sharma has reached 4000 runs in Test cricket during his unbeaten knock of 24 runs in the second innings of the fourth Test against England.
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