England almost seized the initiative on day two but Ashwin battled gamely to take it away from them

The progression of a Test over five days allows for the time factor to impact proceedings. It is a phenomenon unlike any other sport, for rarely anywhere else do you see a single game played over such a long duration.

It is even different from the other two formats, allowing reflection and analysis, regrouping and strategizing even as the match progresses from one session to another, from one day to another. It is what gives Test cricket its unique character.

Twice earlier in this series, England have shown the brainpower and gumption to play according to the situation. Sure, the series scoreline might not be in their favour, but the hosts will admit that this is the toughest opponent they have faced in a long time. Sunday, then, was more of the same, with Alastair Cook’s men showcasing once again why they are no pushovers.

England knew that the pitch on the second day was true for batting, and that the two in-form batsmen could very well take the game away from them. They brought fight and discipline to the field to counter it – their two big learnings from Rajkot and Visakhapatnam.

In the first Test, they had not let India get away with a high scoring rate in a similar position, and in the second Test, they had shown a big heart to fight. Both were put to full use on Sunday as they triggered a collapse that saw India go from 148-2 at tea to 156-5 – 3 wickets for 8 runs in the space of 19 balls.

At that juncture in this Test, it was game on.

The Collapse

“It was a crucial partnership. We were leaving balls outside off stump. Second session was good for us. We were not struggling (with the scoring rate). I felt England were bowling negative lines,” said Cheteshwar Pujara.

There are always two sides to the coin, and in this series, it hasn’t always fallen in the home team’s favour. It isn’t to say Pujara was exaggerating, but he is off the mark. Did English bowlers use a negative line? No. Did they curb the scoring with some tight bowling and tight field placements? Yes.

It resulted in Pujara’s downfall after teatime. Only the second ball after a break, you would assume a No. 3 batsman to play safe. But no, this batsman had to go after Adil Rashid, for his mind-set had been shaped into thinking that runscoring opportunities weren’t going to come by easily.

It was the same with Virat Kohli as well. For 35 minutes after the tea break, the Indian skipper struggled to get going. The runs simply didn’t come. The off-side was packed with fielders, a throwback to how Cook had stifled him in 2014 and succeeded. And once again, Kohli was unable to pierce the field. The result was Karun Nair’s run-out, the one time Kohli tried to steal a single, it cost India an important wicket.

Then, he got out to Ben Stokes, stoking the fire of their rivalry further. This just wasn’t Kohli’s day, never mind that he scored 62 runs.

The value of Ashwin

To say, when teams come visiting home, that they are wary of the threat Ashwin brings to the table, would be an understatement. There is immense pressure on him, as he has hurtled towards every record there is in terms of accumulating quick wickets. So much so, if there is an off day, people start wondering that something must has gone wrong for him to not pick up wickets.

In Visakhapatnam, he was asked if this burden of expectation was getting too intense. “Not really. I am always in a competition to improve myself and keep doing better than I have already done,” was his reply. To test his resolve then, Kohli heaped a dual role onto him ahead of this season.

Ashwin has responded in style thereafter, crossing 500 runs and 50 wickets in Test cricket in 2016. In doing so, he has perhaps taken on the mantle of MVP – most valuable player – onto himself. In this aspect, he is far ahead of Kohli, and the Indian skipper will admit to it.

Visiting teams know they want to joust with Kohli, for he can be vulnerable then. They simply want to get past Ashwin, otherwise he will turn the game away from them.

It happened again on Sunday, when the all-rounder rescued his side from 156-5 with his ninth test half-century. Hobbling at the beginning, he grew into his stride as the session progressed, playing some scintillating drives off the second new ball towards the end.

His two partnerships – 48 runs with Kohli and then 67 runs with Jadeja – pulled India abreast of England’s total. Sure, Adil Rashid admitted that they would gladly accept 270-odd for six down at the end of day two.

But with Ashwin still batting, and the pitch starting to take turn, the visitors now know whom to fear as this Test progresses from here onwards.