Twitter Reactions: Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara save the day for India; England on top in Chennai

England are well on top in the first Test against India in Chennai. After posting a mammoth total of 578 runs in the first innings, they have reduced the hosts to 257/6 at the end of Day 3. Dom Bess was the wrecker-in-chief picking four wickets including that of the skipper Virat Kohli. The visitors will now be hoping to enforce the follow-on while India will be looking to bat as long as possible and most importantly, go past 379.

Earlier in the day, England added 23 more runs in 10.1 overs before losing both their wickets. While Bess was pinned in front of the stumps by Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Ashwin castled James Anderson to wrap England’s innings for 578. Bumrah and Ashwin both picked three scalps each while Ishant Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem shared four wickets equally.

Openers get out early

India needed a good start from their openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. But that wasn’t the case. Rohit first pushed at a harmless delivery outside the off-stump only to edge it to the wicket-keeper Jos Buttler. Gill looked attractive in his shot-making and raced to 29 in quick time. But he played one too many shots and ended up getting caught at mid-on off Jofra Archer.

Virat Kohli endured an off day with the bat then with Dom Bess getting him on 11. Ajinkya Rahane also followed him soon thanks to a splendid catch from Joe Root to leave India tottering at 73/4 only in the 27th over of the innings. At the other end though Cheteshwar Pujara looked rock solid as usual and made sure he arrested the collapse.

A Pant Special again

Rishabh Pant then came out and went all guns blazing especially against the left-arm spinner Jack Leach. The southpaw played his shots fearlessly taking on England’s bowlers. Within no time, he reached his half-century as well. Meanwhile, Pujara also used his feet well to keep the opposition bowlers at bay. The duo added 119 runs for the fourth wicket before India’s number three got out in the most unfortunate manner.

Pujara rocked back to a short ball from Bess and pulled fiercely only for the ball to hit the shoulder of the short-leg fielder and lob to Rory Burns at mid-wicket. The usually calm Pujara was furious as well but had to walk back to the pavilion. England’s off-spinner then trapped Pant as well who was looking to good to notch up a well-deserved century.

Pant scored 91 off just 88 balls but his dismissal left India reeling at 225/6 and the thoughts of the team getting bowled started lingering. But Washington Sundar once again proved his mettle with the bat and Ravi Ashwin supported him well. The duo batted out the last 17.2 overs adding 32 runs for the seventh wicket. India are still a fair way away from avoiding the follow-on and would want Ashwin and Sundar to bat the same way on fourth morning.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: