|| Desk Report ||

Coming from a successful limited-overs campaign, successive defeats was surely not the kind of start India wanted in the ongoing five-match series. However, the Kohli-led men have made clear that they are not a team that give in to pressure so easily, as they have now gained a massive lead over England in the second innings of the third Test.

Following a brilliant partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli – which helped India register their first 300+ innings total in this series – the sub continental side saw England find it difficult to negate the swing of Hardik Pandya in the first innings, who got his career-best amount of swing (2.2 degrees).

Pandya became the second quickest India bowler to bag a fifer after taking five scalps in just 29 balls. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh still remains the quickest bowler for the country to take a fifer. He had taken five wickets in just 27 balls during a Test against West Indies in 2006.

England failed to recover from the collapse Pandya caused and were bundled out for a paltry 161 runs, giving India a 168-run lead in the first innings.

India have scored 124 for two wickets in the second innings and are currently leading by 292 runs at the end of day-2. Their skipper Kohli, who missed a century by three runs in the first innings, will resume the third day’s play alongside Cheteshwar Pujara.

England are leading the five-match series 2-0 and India cannot afford to lose another match if they want to avoid a series defeat.

 

Scores:

ENG – 161/10