England vs India: 3rd Test, Day 2, Review- Hardik Pandya's brilliance puts India on the driver's seat

At the close of play on the first day of the third day between England and India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane helped the visiting team to a strong position. But India needed to carry on with their good work to maintain their dominance over the Poms. After the end of the second day, they are in a position of command with a lead of 292 runs and three days remaining in the contest.

England takes the first session

India resumed the day with the score at 307/6 in 87 overs. Rishabh Pant was the overnight batsman and Ravichandran Ashwin was the next man in after Hardik Pandya was dismissed in the final ball of the first day. However, Virat’s men couldn’t add much and were shot out for 329 runs in 94.5 overs. Pant went for an expansive drive through the covers off Stuart Broad only to see his stumps shattered.

Ashwin promised with three fours, but couldn’t tackle a vicious delivery from Broad that cannoned into the timber. James Anderson brushed aside the tail by removing Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. He, Broad and Chris Woakes finished with three wickets each. Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings opened the batting and put on 46 runs in nine overs to end England’s session on an impressive note.

Hardik wreaks havoc with the leather

The duo carved a partnership of 54 runs after which Ishant Sharma drew first blood with Cook’s wicket. Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Jennings in the next over to bring the match back in the balance. Sharma picked up his second wicket in the form of Pope. Hardik Pandya’s introduction in the 25th over turned out to be a masterstroke as he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

He found the English skipper’s outside edge to pick up his first wicket of the innings. Shami removed Ben Stokes to send half the Brits’ batting lineup back in the pavilion. In the 31st over, Pandya accounted for the prized wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Woakes. Both batters tentatively poked outside the off-stump only to find outside edges into the hands of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant respectively.

Adil Rashid and Broad perished in not time and all of a sudden the Poms from being 54/0 in 12 overs were reduced to 128/8 in 32.5 overs. Jos Buttler showed some fight with a breezy knock of 39 from 32 balls with three boundaries and a couple of hits over the ropes. Nevertheless, he could only lift England to 161 runs in 38.2 overs and the hosts ended up conceding a mammoth lead of 168 runs.

Batsmen guide India to a substantial lead

Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul, yet another time, put on 60 runs for the first wicket and extended India’s lead to 228 runs. Moreover, they never allowed the bowlers to settle and compiled the stand in 68 balls. With the Three Lions in dire straits, Stokes nipped out Rahul after the right-hander scored 36 runs at a strike-rate of more than 100. Cheteshwar Pujara joined Dhawan and looked positive.

Dhawan and Pujara took India over the 100-run mark and seemed determined to end India’s day without any hiccup. Nonetheless, Dhawan fell prey to Rashid in the 24th over. The batter wasn’t able to read a wrong’un and was stumped. Virat Kohli was the next man in and he along with Pujara took India to a position from where only two results seem likely- a draw or an Indian triumph.

Brief Scores

India: 329 all out in 94.5 overs; (Virat Kohli 97, Ajinkya Rahane 81; James Anderson 3/64, Stuart Broad 3/72)

England: 161 all out in 38.2 overs; (Jos Buttler 39, Alastair Cook 29; Hardik Pandya 5/28, Ishant Sharma 2/32)

India: 124/2 in 31 overs: (Shikhar Dhawan 44, KL Rahul 36; Adil Rashid 1/23, Ben Stokes 1/30)

India lead by 292 runs

Close of Play: Day 2

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