England vs India, 5th Test, day 3 as it happened: Cook’s defiance in final knock keeps hosts ahead

ENGLAND LEAD BY 154 runs
India need their bowlers to fire on all cylinders once again. Ishant, Shami and Bumrah were upto the task but were without a little bit of luck. Cook is surely going out with a bang is going about with his business the manner in which he has over the last 12 years, tiring the bowlers down and accumulating with minimum fuss. The day, though, belonged to Jadeja whose wonderful effort with the bat has kept India alive in the contest.

ENGLAND 114/2 in 43 Overs (Cook 46, Root 29)
Root ends the day’s play by running the ball behind square to get a single. England will be delighted with the way things stand here.

ENGLAND 112/2 in 41 Overs (Cook 45, Root 28)
Another four byes past Pant. This time, the ball was well wide of off-stump and it skid past the keeper – who made a despairing dive – and the slip cordon and goes into the boundary. Those four runs also bring up the 50 partnership between the duo.

ENGLAND 106/2 in 40 Overs (Cook 44, Root 27)
This has been a lovely passage in play for the English, more so with the batsmen rotating the strike well. Root, meanwhile, has never looked so comfortable at the crease since the first innings of the tour. He is shuffling across the stumps quickly on this occasion and working the ball on the leg side. Bumrah was flicked to the fence in that matter.

ENGLAND 88/2 in 36 Overs (Cook 40, Root 13)
England continue to rotate strike well. Root seems to have come up with a better technique to counter the in-swing of the Indian bowlers after repeatedly getting trapped leg-before through the series. Cook has had a couple of scares, notably a ball flying through the gully region off Bumrah but no fielder was stationed there.

ENGLAND 84/2 in 34 Overs (Cook 37, Root 12)
Cook and Root continue to rotate strike well and that has happened since the latter came at the crease. Bumrah’s pace is up and has troubled both these batsmen at various intervals.
11 more overs left till the end of the day’s play.

ENGLAND 75/2 in 31 Overs (Cook 30, Root 10)
Bumrah drifts in on the leg-side slightly and Cook clips the ball on the leg side handsomely to get three more runs to the total. Root’s struggles with Bumrah in this series are also highlighted by a ball that nipped back in and kept low.

ENGLAND 72/2 in 30 Overs (Cook 27, Root 10)
Root gets off to a good start. This is more like Root, the free-scoring, busy batsman who doesn’t get stuck at the crease. Jadeja gives a bit of width and goes short and Root gets back-to-back boundaries.

WICKET! M Ali b Jadeja 20 (52), ENGLAND 62/2 in 27.4 Overs
Well, India managed to eventually get the ball changed and Jadeja strikes with the very first delivery after that! Moeen Ali bowled through the gate, the ball turning in from the rough. Well deserved wicket for India.

ENGLAND 59/1 in 27 Overs (Cook 24, Moeen 20)
Cook continues to graft away and is using his feet well this time to counter Ishant’s threat. The square leg region is left vacant by Kohli and the English batsmen are using rotating strike a lot better than they did in the early part of the session.

ENGLAND 55/1 in 25 Overs (Cook 22, Moeen 18)
DROP! Rare one for Rahul at second slip as Moeen goes for a big, booming drive. The ball bursts through the hands of Rahul and rolls to the boundary. Remember, the Karnataka batsman has pouched 13 catches in the series so far.

“India asked for a replacement ball, didn’t like the new ball, asked for the original ball again... a bit like the coach situation in the last couple of years” – Manjeraker in commentary.

ENGLAND 51/1 in 24 Overs (Cook 21, Moeen 14)
England crawl past fifty with Cook and Moeen Ali milking singles from the last two balls of the Jadeja over. The left-arm spinner continues to go wide of the stumps to get one to zip into the left-handers.

ENGLAND 49/1 in 23 Overs (Cook 21, Moeen 13)
England continue to scrap away. Just a single from the last two overs and Ishant bowls another maiden – he is in the middle of extraordinary spell.

ENGLAND 48/1 in 21 Overs (Cook 21, Moeen 12)
Rare bad over by Shami, two fours from it. Moeen gets a streaky boundary through gully while Cook latches onto an over-pitched delivery, punching it down the ground for a boundary.

ENGLAND 36/1 in 20 Overs (Cook 16, Moeen 8)
Shami continues to beat the outside the edge time and again. Cook has now played out ten overs but it has been a dreary stay. Moeen shows a bit a of attacking intent by stepping out against Jadeja and getting a couple.

ENGLAND 33/1 in 15 Overs (Cook 13, Moeen 6)
India and Shami have their tail up and Cook continues to play and miss. Moeen Ali, made good use of the sweep for the first time to get his get his innings going.

WICKET! K Jennings b Shami 10 (38), ENGLAND 27/1 in 12.4 Overs
No review required for that one. Shami seams it back in and Jennings for the second time in the series, is embarrassed. He shoulders arms and the ball clips the stumps. One wonders if he’ll get another chance to prove himself with the bat anytime soon.

ENGLAND 27/0 in 12 Overs (Cook 13, Jennings 10)
INDIA LOSE BOTH REVIEWS Yet another poor review by India off Jadeja’s bowling. Dharmasena had ruled it not out and this review was identical to the one that was taken by India two overs ago. The fielding team were always on the backfoot with the ball pitching outside the line of off-stump. Here, the ball was missing off. That was woeful from India and it has happened twice in two overs.

ENGLAND 23/0 in 10 Overs (Cook 13, Jennings 10)
REVIEW LOST Jadeja raps Jennings on the pads outside the off-stump and Kohli, with uncertainty writ large on his face, takes a review. The line was the umpire’s and the ball pitched well outside off. Soft review from India. Three runs from the over.

TEA TIME

ENGLAND 20/0 in 9 Overs (Cook 13, Jennings 7)
What an over from Shami to finish proceedings. The pacer beat Cook’s outside edge three times. The Indians can’t believe it. All the deliveries, bowled from around the wicket, were pitched up brought Cook forward.

Shami will bowl the last over before lunch

ENGLAND 16/0 in 8 Overs (Cook 12, Jennings 6)
Harbhajan from commentary asks Jadeja to pitch is slightly wider and it immediately troubles Jennings. Two singles from the over.

Jadeja is handed the ball

ENGLAND 16/0 in 7 Overs (Cook 11, Jennings 5)
Vintage Cook yet again as he shuffles across a touch and flicks the ball to the deep mid-wicket fence for another four. Shami, though, comes back well by rapping him on the pads and then teasing Cook’s outside edge.

Shami comes into the attack

ENGLAND 10/0 in 6 Overs (Cook 5, Jennings 5)
England’s lead crawls up to fifty with Cook tapping through the point area and keeping strike. Yet again, Cook looks awkward and jittery as Ishant relentlessly pitches it full and shapes the ball into the batsman.

ENGLAND 6/0 in 5 Overs (Cook 4, Jennings 2)
England and Cook are up and away. The former England captain flicks a lose one from Bumrah off his pads to get a boundary. Massive cheers from the crowd.

ENGLAND 1/0 in 4 Overs (Cook 0, Jennings 1)
Cook continues to struggle with Ishant coming around the wicket. There was a play-and-miss and a chip that nearly found the fielder at gully when Ishant kept the ball full and angled it in. Yet another maiden and the pressure is on the England openers.

ENGLAND 1/0 in 3 Overs (Cook 0, Jennings 1)
Another maiden for Bumrah. Jennings continues with his no-risk approach and is not interested in fending outside off. The Indian bowlers are on target.

ENGLAND 1/0 in 2 Overs (Cook 0, Jennings 1)
Ishant troubles Jennings straight away going around the wicket. The left-hander plays and misses and has one rapped on the pads the second ball. There is big shout from the Indians but Dharmasena turns it down. Right call as replays showed the ball missing the stumps and going over. Jennings keep strike but it is a solid start for India.

ENGLAND 0/0 in 1 Over (Cook 0, Jennings 0)
Cook plays out a maiden. Bumrah teases the former England skipper outside the off-stump and he is not tempted to poke at it.

Cook and Jennings are in the middle. Bumrah to start.

ENGLAND LEAD BY 40
Fantastic effort from Jadeja to take India to a fighting total after England took the upper hand at the end of the second day’s play. Jadeja, with the bat and the ball, has played like he has a point to prove. Yet again, England continue to bring the best out of the Saurashtra all-rounder.

INDIA 292 in 95 Overs J Bumrah Run Out 0 (14)
Ah, that ended in an anti-climax as Jadeja tries to sneak in a quick run in the last ball of the over. Bumrah is well short of his ground as Bairstow takes off the bails. The throw from Broad at square-leg was quick and accurate.

INDIA 292/9 in 94 Overs (Jadeja 86, Bumrah 0)
Bumrah plays out Broad with ease. The pacer continues to try the inswinger against the right-hander and the India no 11, predicting what was coming, shows a good straight bat.

INDIA 292/9 in 93 Overs (Jadeja 86, Bumrah 0)
Good bowling from Moeen Ali to get Bumrah back on strike. Bowling from around the wicket, Jadeja was stifled and was beaten in the turn in the fifth ball of the over. Maiden.

Spin at both ends with Moeen Ali handed the ball.

INDIA 292/9 in 92 Overs (Jadeja 86, Bumrah 0)
Bumrah once again survives the last ball of the over. This time, with a forward defence. Nothing working for Root so far as once again, Jadeja impressively farms the strike.

INDIA 291/9 in 91 Overs (Jadeja 85, Bumrah 0)
The Jadeja show continues. Anderson continues to feel his wrath and now, England’s lead is well below fifty. The England spearhead goes short and Jadeja is happy to pull the ball to glory. Nine from the over.

INDIA 282/9 in 90 Overs (Jadeja 76, Bumrah 0)
Jadeja continues to go hell for leather and piles on the misery for England. Here, he pulls Broad with venom and it goes into the boundary ropes, one bounce. Yet again, he keeps strike as Root gets his field in.

INDIA 275/9 in 89 Overs (Jadeja 71, Bumrah 0)
SIX! Full and in the slot, and Jadeja hammers Anderson down the ground for a huge six. It stuns everyone in the ground. What a hit. The all-rounder does well to keep strike with a single to third man.

INDIA 264/9 in 88 Overs (Jadeja 64, Bumrah 0)
Broad bowls two nasty bouncers but Bumrah does well do get away from those. He has a wry smile on his face too. The last ball is a vicious inswinger that goes just over the stumps. The Indian fans let out a huge roar.

Broad is back as well. The new ball is taken.

INDIA 264/9 in 87 Overs (Jadeja 64, Bumrah 0)
This is wonderful batting from Jadeja but Bumrah is on strike. He flicks Anderson to deep square-leg to take a couple. He gets a bit of fortune in the last ball of the over while trying to take a single; a thick edge goes just past the dive of third slip and rolls into the fence.

Anderson is back into the attack. Inevitably, it’s Jadeja who faces him.

India are still 72 runs behind.

WICKET! M Shami c Broad b Rashid 1 (5), INDIA 260/9 in 85.5 Overs
That may be a silly shot given the circumstances but can you blame Shami? Rashid offered plenty of flight and the Indian pacer went for a booming slog. Broad at long-on dived forward and took a fine catch.

INDIA 254/8 in 85 Overs (Jadeja 51, Shami 0)
The Talwarbaazi celebrations are on after what seems like an age. He cuts with authority off Moeen to pierce the off-side field and get a boundary. Fifty for Jadeja. He has made it look so simple on his first innings on the tour when specialist batsmen have struggled.

Did you know: Jadeja, batting on 47 off 107 balls, has faced more than 100 balls in a Test innings for only the 2nd time in his career. The most he’s faced is 170, also against England in Mohali.

INDIA 250/8 in 84 Overs (Jadeja 47, Shami 0)
Jadeja continues to time the ball sweetly and is edging closer to his fifty. Rashid is too full at times to the left-hander, who is having little trouble driving on the up.

WICKET! I Sharma c Bairstow b Moeen Ali 4 (25), INDIA 249/8 in 82.5 Overs
Moeen gets his second and the ploy finally works. He had a close leg-before appeal against Jadeja turned down two balls earlier but like Vihari, Moeen’s clever length drew the circumspect batsman forward. Ishant feathered it to the keeper.

INDIA 244/7 in 81 Overs (Jadeja 42, Sharma 3)
Bowling an outside off-stump line and bringing the gangly Ishant forward, Root doesn’t have a silly point in place. This allows Ishant to get his second run, and gets his third with a dab past second slip. Three from the over.

Moeen Ali has two slips in place

INDIA 241/7 in 80 Overs (Jadeja 41, Sharma 1)
Decent start for Rashid, bringing Ishant forward from the rough. The leg-spinner’s googly in the final ball of the ball, had the Indian pacer in a spot of bother. The Indians steal a leg-bye from it.

The second session is underway. Rashid to bowl. Ishant Sharma to take strike.

India, watch out:

India trail by 92 runs
The Indians have been outstanding in the morning session. Broad and Anderson were hostile in the first half hour but Jadeja and Vihari negotiated it safely. Vihari joined an elite brand of batsmen to score a fifty on debut and certainly has a future with India in five-day cricket. Jadeja, meanwhile, has lent a much-needed bite to the Indian middle-order. England’s score is now within sights but India still have work to do.

LUNCH TIME

INDIA 240/7 in 79 Overs (Jadeja 41, Sharma 1)
Ishant Sharma plays a sweep off Moeen in the last ball before lunch. The off-spinner continued to be a dangerous prospect when he got the ball pitching on the rough.

WICKET! H Vihari c Bairstow b Ali 56 (124), INDIA 237/7 in 76.4 Overs
Vihari falls after a knock he can be proud of. Moeen, yet again, hits the rough and Vihari gets a faint edge and Bairstow takes the catch. The debutant takes a review and the hotspot showed a faint spike. Well played, Vihari. He might have given India a fighting chance of making a comeback in this Test.

INDIA 231/6 in 75 Overs (Vihari 55, Jadeja 34)
Root’s plans continue to fall flat as the lengths from his bowlers are too short and its easy pickings for the batsmen so far. India are doing to England what Buttler and Broad did during the first session yesterday.

INDIA 224/6 in 73 Overs (Vihari 50, Jadeja 32)
Jadeja is in imperious touch. He shows that by slapping a short and wide delivery outside off-stump to the cover boundary. This partnership is motoring along nicely.

INDIA 220/6 in 71 Overs (Vihari 50, Jadeja 28)
FIFTY! Vihari completes his half-century with a dab to point and a quick run. There is a warm applause from the captain and the support staff. This has been a gritty knock under immense pressure.
Meanwhile, England lose a review as Stokes thinks Jadeja edged the ball to keeper Bairstow. The ultraedge showed that there was no edge.

INDIA 216/6 in 69 Overs (Vihari 46, Jadeja 27)
Stokes comes back into the attack and the result is the same. He over-pitches slightly and Vihari is on it in a flash, driving to the fence again. He is edging closer to a first international fifty.

INDIA 210/6 in 68 Overs (Vihari 41, Jadeja 27)
With the field spread out, Vihari and Jadeja continue to milk runs through singles and twos. Here again, Vihari shows good awareness and goes square. The fifty partnership is up. How crucial has this stand been for India?

INDIA 207/6 in 66 Overs (Vihari 38, Jadeja 26)
Rashid is brought on and the Indian duo continue to pile on the runs and frustrate the English batsmen. The Indians have got off to a solid start. The English bowlers have pitched it slightly short.

INDIA 204/6 in 63 Overs (Vihari 38, Jadeja 24)
Two fours for Jadeja. The runs are flowing at a fair clip and the partnership is approaching the 50-run park. Yet again, the left-hander uses soft hands to run the ball to the third-man region and beats the slip cordon. Frustration for England.

INDIA 196/6 in 62 Overs (Vihari 38, Jadeja 16)
Broad tries the in-swinger but on this occasion, he is a touch expensive. Vihari thumps one through the covers for a boundary as the pacer loses his length by a touch. Then, the debutant uses soft hands to run the ball past the slip cordon to the third-man fence. Solid debut so far for the Andhra player.

INDIA 186/6 in 60 Overs (Vihari 29, Jadeja 15)
Broad and Jadeja continue their tantalizing battle, which has seen the latter play and miss on multiple occasions. On this occasion, Root has kept a deep mid-wicket.

INDIA 185/6 in 59 Overs (Vihari 29, Jadeja 14)
The pressure is still on the Indian batsmen and Vihari gets another edge off Anderson, and yet again, it falls just short of Stokes at third slip. The pressure is building with Broad and Anderson at either ends.

INDIA 183/6 in 56 Overs (Vihari 27, Jadeja 14)
Four! Jadeja breaks the shackles by putting away a delivery drifted down leg stump from Broad. Rare lose delivery from Broad, who, only a delivery ago had nearly found the left-hander’s outside edge.

INDIA 177/6 in 55 Overs (Vihari 26, Jadeja 10)
Anderson stars with several deliveries pitched on off-stump, bamboozling Vihari. Broad, after getting off to a brilliant start, tests Jadeja – this is turning into quite a battle.

INDIA 177/6 in 52 Overs (Vihari 26, Jadeja 10)
Good signs for India in the first over of the day with Vihari showing better body language than he did yesterday. Jadeja’s first runs come from a Jennings midfield. Broad, though, comes back with a peach shaping it away from Jadeja. Play and miss.

Broad starts proceedings. Vihari to take strike.

3:21 pm: James Anderson has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent at an umpire’s Dharmasena’s decision.

3:16 pm: Sanjay Manjarekar conducted the pitch report and highlighted the rough patches. He attributes India’s struggle with the English bowlers to the ball skidding on, something that is not seen on subcontinent wickets.

3:05 pm: Not just about the bowlers: Why India struggled to clean up England’s tail at The Oval, by Vinayakk – READ

2:50 pm: Jasprit Bumrah says he would have liked an extra pacer to ease the workload on the main three – READ

India were 174 for six in reply to England’s first-innings 332, a deficit of 158 runs, at stumps on the second day of the fifth Test at the Oval on Saturday. Test debutant Hanuma Vihari was 25 not out, with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on eight.

On Day three, India will be hoping the lower order and the tail help them chip away at the deficit as they push for a consolation win having already conceded the series.