England vs India Rescheduled 5th Test Day 4: Weather near Edgbaston on July 4

The third day of the fifth and final Test between England and India at Edgbaston was dominated by the visitors as they ended the day with a healthy lead of 257 runs. A total of 79.3 overs were bowled on the day, which could have been much more if not for abysmal overrates by both sides.

The Hollies stand was again treated to some breathtaking batting as Jonny Bairstow took the attack to the Indian bowlers after surviving an early scare. England skipper Ben Stokes wasn’t going to die wondering either as he instigated the English counterattack albeit a bit recklessly. Stokes, who rode his luck after being dropped twice, was eventually caught by his opposite number as Jasprit Bumrah pulled off a stunning catch after spilling a dolly on the previous delivery.

Such was the dominance of the Indian bowlers that even a glorious fourth successive ton from Bairstow couldn’t stop the visitors from amassing a 132-run lead after the England innings culminated on 284. Mohammad Siraj was expensive on the day but scalped four English batters and brought his energy to the game.

England bowlers didn’t let the occasion get to them as they reduced India to 43-2 after dismissing Shubhman Gill and Hanuma Vihari. A crisp Virat Kohli innings made life tough for the English bowlers until Stokes dished out a brute of a delivery to dismiss the former Indian captain. The hero of the first innings, Rishabh Pant, joined hands with a stubborn Cheteshwar Pujara and the pair put on a chanceless 50-run stand.

Alarm bells will be ringing in the English camp as India finished the day on 125/3 and more importantly with a 257-run lead in the bag. Given the ease with which Pujara and Pant are batting at the crease, India will be eyeing a lead around the region of 350-400. Although England managed to chase 250+ scores on three successive occasions against the Kiwis, they face a stiffer test against this Indian bowling lineup.

Here’s a look at the weather forecast for the ENG vs IND clash on Day 4:

Day 3 was interrupted by rain briefly but the weather forecast on the fourth day is even better and promises an exciting day of cricket for the viewers. The clouds will be hovering around for most of the day as the reports by Weather.com suggests 60% cloud cover, but there isn’t any speculation of rain, and fans can expect a full 90 overs on the day.