In a spectacular display of bowling prowess, Indian bowlers dismantled the English batting lineup, reducing them to 172/5 at tea on Day 3 of the first Test. Ollie Pope (67*) and Ben Foakes (2*) were the only English batsmen standing as the team trailed by 18 runs, having conceded a lead of 190 runs. India had earlier wrapped up their first innings at 436.
The Indian bowlers, both pacers and spinners, showcased remarkable skills to exploit the favorable conditions. Jasprit Bumrah managed to deceive Ben Duckett (47) with an in-ducker, while Joe Root fell victim to a delivery that kept low, leading to an unsuccessful DRS review. Ollie Pope, typically uneasy on Indian tracks, steadied the innings with a solid fifty, but others succumbed to the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Jadeja struck first in the post-lunch session, dismissing Jonny Bairstow (10) with a delivery that went straight after turning away in the previous ball. The magic continued as Ashwin claimed the wicket of England captain Ben Stokes for the 12th time in Test cricket. After being tied down with three consecutive maidens, Stokes, attempting to break free, saw his stumps rattled by a spinning delivery from Ashwin, creating a memorable moment.
In contrast, England’s second innings had started with openers Duckett and Zak Crawley (31) adopting a determined approach, employing sweeps to counter Indian spinners. However, the breakthrough came when Ashwin, bowling around the wicket, induced an edge from Crawley, leading to a catch for Rohit Sharma at first slip.
Earlier in the day, India’s first innings concluded swiftly with the dismissal of Jadeja, who fell leg before to Joe Root. The anticipated fourth Test hundred for Jadeja eluded him as he reviewed the leg-before decision, but inconclusive replays resulted in the third umpire supporting the on-field umpire’s call. In the following deliveries, Root dismissed Jasprit Bumrah, and Rehan Ahmed cleaned up Axar Patel, as India lost their last three wickets without adding any runs.
The dominating performance by the Indian bowlers has positioned the team strongly in the Test match, with England facing an uphill task to overcome the deficit and establish a competitive position in the game.
(With inputs from PTI)