India’s tail wagged finally as Jasprit Bumrah (28) and Mohammed Siraj (7) added 33 runs for the last wicket to take India to 278 to take a first innings lead of 95 runs, on the third day of the first Test against England here on Friday.
K.L. Rahul (84) and Ravindra Jadeja (56) were the main contributors to the visitor’s first innings total.
England had wiped off 25 runs of the lead at the draw of stumps which was hastened due to rain. This is the second successive day when rain played spoilsport in the final session.
Opener Rahul’s gritty 84 off 214 deliveries and his 60-run partnership with Jadeja had taken India past England’s 183 on a day when England pace bowler James Anderson went past former India leg-spinner Anil Kumble’s Test tally of 619 wickets to become the third highest wicket-taker ever.
Rahul, who was drafted into the playing XI as a replacement opener, played some exquisite drives through the off-side. More importantly, he handled the tempting deliveries outside the off-stump well. However, one of Anderson’s deliveries eventually caught the edge off his bat and went to wicketkeeper Jos Butler.
Anderson now has 621 wickets and his scalp of Rahul that saw him reach the milestone was the one that ended the partnership which had threatened to take the game away from England. Anderson soon gobbled up Shardul Thakur.
However, Jadeja played some good shots to take India’s lead to 49 before Shami (13) and the Bumrah-Siraj duo took over.
Pace bowler Ollie Robinson took five wickets for 85 runs while Anderson finished with four for 54.
Brief scores
England: 183 all out in 65.4 overs & 25/0 in 11.1 overs vs India: 278 all out in 84.5 overs (KL Rahul 84, R Jadeja 56, R Pant 25, J Bumrah 28, R Sharma 36, J Anderson 4/54, O Robinson 5/85).
