By Brain Thomas
Pujara got back to form with an unbeaten 91 with Virat Kholi batting on 45 , and have done the hard yards with an unbroken partnership of 103 runs,and our currently 139 runs a drift with 8 wickets in the bank.
Day 3 at Headingley was another chilly and overcast morning as India wrapped up the English innings for 432 runs. Mohd Shimi , the pick of the Indian seamers took 5 for 95 runs, whilst Bumrah , Siraj , and Jadeja took 2 wickets each with Ishant Sharma not troubling any of the English batsmen with wavered display with the new ball.
Trailing by 354 runs, Indian openers both K.L.Rahul and Rohit Sharma made sure to see Anderson and Robinson off the attack under overcast conditions on a bowler-friendly wicket.
It was a chilly summer morning, with both Bairstow and Root sporting long sleeve sweaters. Anderson with extraordinary swing and Robinson, with his nip backers, made run making a difficult task for both openers. Robinson was around 10 centimeters short from the deadly 6.6-meter length, hence the prerequisite to take wickets on the Headingley pitch eluded him. Both bowlers the former with swing and the latter with nip-back deliveries went pass the outside edge of both batsmen more often than not.
Rohit Sharma and K.L Rahul , knew what opening batsmen face on a cloudy overcast morning, hence they did not worry about missing deliveries on length, but realized the equanimity to apply themselves and take what’s on offer with sheer determination. With just the last delivery for the Luncheon break, Jhonny Bairstow, took a blinder in the slip cordon off the bowling of the third seamer Craig Overtonto dismiss Rahul for 8 hard-fought runs, with the Indian score of 34. However, Rohit Sharma took lunch on a well-fought out 25 not out at the break.
The post-lunch session went India’s way. Sharma and Pujara played and missed but unlike the first innings, they did not nick it to dismissed but missed the line length deliveries by not nicking it. Luck went India’s way. India won the 2nd session advancing to 112 for 1 wicket stitching a partnership of 78 valuable runs with Sharma on 59 and Pujara on 40. Incidentally, Joe Root delayed a review for an Lbw decision, when umpire Richard Kettleborouhj turned down an appeal for leg before when Rohit was on 39, off the bowling of Robinson. What a lucky escape for Rohit Sharma in this day and age with the DRS, review being delayed for a referral by the English skipper.
In the last session, Rohit Sharma was very unlucky when he was Adjudicated LBW, by umpire Kettlebourough , without adding to his tea time score, because it was an umpire’s call, and the replay showed a feather touch of the ball brushing the leg stump. Based on his luck on 39, dare state Cricket is a leveler.
Virat Kholi joined Pujara and the pair batted with ease, as there was no seam or swing, with the pitch playing easy, and the ball coming onto the bat. Joe Root brought in Mohin Ali in the 40th over, but his right arm spin did not earn the Englishman a scalp. As the shadows deepend , England had to bring in their spinners , dueto bad light, credit to Kholi and Pujara they did the hard yards, Kholi looked in good touch unbeaten on 45 , Pujara is heading for his hundred not out on 91, India in deficit by 139 runs with 8 wickets in hand, England can take the new ball first thing in the Morning, hence we have an enthralling battle on our hands come day 4.
Be the first to comment