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 3

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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.