A daring Cheteshwar Pujara scored a scintillating half-century, laying the groundwork for India’s dominance over England, on the third day of the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston on Sunday. With Cheteshwar Pujara (50*) and Rishabh Pant (30*) batting in the middle, India reached 125 for 3 at the end of the third day’s play with a total lead of 257.
England came back early in India’s second innings as James Anderson dismissed Shubman Gill (4) in the very first over, before Pujara put on a 39-run stand with Hanuma Vihari (11) for the second wicket. Vihari was the next Indian batsman to fall as Stuart Broad caught him at third slip to take the second wicket of the match.
England vs India, 5th Test: Day 3 highlights
Pujara then joined hands with Virat Kohli, who looked confident in his short run at the crease before an unstoppable delivery from Ben Stokes dismissed him for 20. This out once again proved that Kohli’s luck could be bad. Stokes delivered a bouncer and Kohli, who had played with incredible discipline till then, could only edge the ball to the wicketkeeper behind the stumps. While Sam Billings couldn’t catch the catch, Joe Root stood to his right, and threw an arm out, and the ball just got stuck in it.
India took a 132-run lead in the first innings against England while Jonny Bairstow scored a third consecutive century on the third day in the series-deciding fifth Test on Sunday. Siraj made a fine spell of 4 for 66 while Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets to bowl England out for 284 in the second session of the third day, with Bairstow scoring a brilliant 106 off 140 balls.
Bumrah had dreams of making his Test captaincy debut as he scored an unbeaten 31 off 16 balls to finish India’s 416 with 3/68 and took a brilliant catch to remove his counterpart Ben Stokes in the second innings.
Bairstow Buzzball
Earlier, an on-field brawl with Kohli fired Bairstow, who defied the pressure and retaliated to save England. Bairstow and Stokes barely survived in the first half-hour against Bumrah and Mohammed Shami after England resumed at 84/5. Both the bowlers hit the outer edges of the batsmen several times before Bairstow launched the counterattack to perfection.
However, Stokes fell after Bumrah took a tricky catch in the same position in Shardul Thakur’s over. Bairstow was declared lbw on 81, but the batsman reviewed the decision and replays confirmed an edge before the ball hit the pads.
It didn’t take long for Bairstow to complete his century after the break when he hit Thakur for a four off the first ball after lunch. He then punched Thakur from the backfoot to the square boundary and extended his century on offside as Ravindra Jadeja overrun the ball and the ball rolled over the boundary skirting.
But Bumrah cut Bairstow’s quick scoring rate after lunch before Siraj found a crucial breakthrough when he caught the batsman at slips at a thick outer edge. Bairstow’s scintillating innings included 14 fours and two sixes.
India lead 2-1 in the five-match series.