1st Test: England On Top As India Struggles At 257/6 (Day Report)

England remained on the top at the end of the third day of the first Test against India after Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara led the hosts' fightback to reduce their first-innings deficit to 321 runs.

Brief scores: England 578 all out (Joe Root 218, Dom Sibley 87; Jasprit Bumrah 3/84) vs India 257/6 (Rishabh Pant 91, Cheteshwar Pujara 73; Dom Bess 4/55)

Chennai Test: India vs England, Day 3 Report

England resumed the day 3 on 555-8, but their innings ended inside the first hour of play. Paceman Jasprit Bumrah and off-spinner Ashwin took three wickets each.

India started their innings on a positive note with a couple of boundaries from both the openers' bat. However, fast bowler Jofra Archer removed openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the morning session itself. 

Can India Avoid Follow On Tomorrow?

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Archer had Sharma caught behind for six in the fourth over. James Anderson took a low diving catch to cut short a promising start by Shubman Gill, who made 29 off 28 balls, including five boundaries.

Dom Bess soon took over with his off-spin to get key wickets including skipper Virat Kohli for 11. Bess got Kohli's prized scalp with a ball outside the off-stump that spun sharply and the Indian captain pressed forward only to get an inside edge for a catch at short leg.

The finger spinner struck again in his next over with the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane for one as England skipper Joe Root took a stunning one-handed catch diving towards his left at covers.

Rishabh Pant, who was one of India's heroes in their Test win in Australia, helped India recover from 73 for four with a 119-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara, who made 73.

 

Much Needed Partnership!

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Pujara was caught at short mid-wicket with the ball coming off a rebound from the shoulder of the fielder ducking at short leg.

Pant smashed his fourth Test fifty in 40 balls to counter the England bowling but became Bess' fourth victim after he miscued a lofted hit to get caught by Jack Leach at deep cover. The wicketkeeper-batsman hit nine fours and five sixes, which came against Leach's left-arm spin, in his 88-ball blitz.

India reached 257 for six at stumps in response to England's 578 in Chennai. Washington Sundar, batting on 33, was in the middle with Ravichandran Ashwin on eight off 54 balls. India needs another 122 to avoid the follow-on.