IND vs ENG | Ashwin-Kuldeep spin webs around England to turn tide in India's favour on Day 3

IND vs ENG | Ashwin-Kuldeep spin webs around England to turn tide in India's favour on Day 3

SportsCafe Desk

By SportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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India used the widening cracks in Ranchi to bowl England out for 145 after Dhruv Jurel's heroic 90 had limited the visitors' lead to 46. Ravichandran Ashwin registered his first fifer in the series while Kuldeep Yadav scalped four before the host openers chipped 40 off the target at a rapid rate.

Brief score: IND 40/0 (Rohit 24*, Jaiswal 16*; Bashir 1-0-1-0) & 307 (Jurel 90, Kuldeep 28; Bashir 44-8-119-5) need 152 more runs to defeat ENG 353 & 145 (Crawley 60, Bairstow 30; Ashwin 15.5-0-51-5)

Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav began Day 3 on the same note they had left off the previous evening to cautiously drag their overnight partnership of 42 runs to a formidable 76 with the former registering a maiden Test half-century in just his second outing. However, once the latter's 131-ball vigil was ended by a James Anderson delivery that kept low, Jurel pressed on the accelerator to clear the fence four times in quick succession and race to 90 even as Shoaib Bashir brought up a first five-for in red-ball cricket by dispatching Akash Deep. It eventually took a dream delivery from Tom Hartley that pitched on a crack at length and squared up the wicket-keeper batter to deprive him of a ton and hand England a significant first-innings lead of 46 at the stroke of Lunch.

England began the second session comfortably with Rohit Sharma opting to hand the new ball to the all-spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin before the latter flipped the tables around by scalping Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope on successive deliveries in the fifth over. Joe Root attempted to dig in thereafter in a 36-run stand for the third wicket but failed to repeat his first-innings heroics after being controversially given LBW off a turning Ashwin full-delivery and had to depart cheaply for 11. Zak Crawley kept gunning along nevertheless to bring up a relatively quick half-century and was ably supported by Jonny Bairstow turning up the ante with three boundaries early in his innings, prompting Rohit to bring Kuldeep into the attack. The left-arm wrist spinner instantly delivered with aplomb, getting rid of both Crawley and Ben Stokes in the space of three overs to leave the visitors reeling at 120/5 at Tea.

Bairstow further made things worse by chipping the first ball after the break by Jadeja straight to short cover, triggering a fatal collapse. Kuldeep hardly broke a sweat to send Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson packing before Ashwin claimed Ben Foakes, after a snail-paced 17 off 76 deliveries, and James Anderson in the same over to complete a five-for. 

With just eight overs to contend with till Stumps, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit refused to subjugate to the adverse conditions and combined for five boundaries to put India within touching distance of another series victory at home.

Rohit Sharma being him here!

What a story this is <3

LOL! xD

Jaiswal be like: Hold my beer!

Ha!

What a day for him!

He's pure class!

He's the best in business!

Tomorrow they are getting it!

Nice achievement!

Hahahah! LOL

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