Some results are beyond explanations. They are just meant to happen. We wonder if that's how Kohli's men look at what's unfurled today in the first session. Nearly two months since that final day in the WTC final, India has its middle-order dusted when it mattered. This is more than an aberration now, isn't it? Huge applause for England. Joe Root has marshalled his troops in his own style, sans any visible aggression and antics - the home side has come out with a cracking plan to foil India.
IND 278 all out in 100.3 overs: Overton to Jadeja. OUT! He's on his way! Another edge and Buttler's having quite the day behind the stumps. Jadeja cannot help but have a faint poke at the ball seaming in off the length.
England one wicket away now! Siraj is the new man.
Overton finds the edge and there IT GOES!
ENGLAND WINS BY AN INNINGS and 76 RUNS.
IND 278/8 in 99 overs: Bumrah goes for a big swat towards midwicket and is lucky that Anderson doesn't get to it on the full. Surviving at the moment but how long can India sustain this?
IND 276/8 in 98 overs: Jadeja continues to play some exquisite strokes. Overton touches a bit full and Jadeja slams it down the ground for four. Overton goes wide off the last ball and Jadeja moves into it and slides it past backward point for anouther boundary.
Overton replaces Robinson
IND 264/8 in 97 overs: Jadeja tonks Ali for a huge six down the ground. Loops into Jadeja's arc and the southpaw steps down and blasts it to the stands.
IND 257/8 in 96 overs: Robinson to Ishant. OUT! In, nicked and gone. A new morning routine in Leeds. Robinson has his fifth! He bowls full but Ishant rooted in his crease, wafts his blade at it. The ball clips the edge and sails to Buttler. Nearing the end pretty quickly here. Ishant Sharma c †Buttler b Robinson 2 (5b)
IND 253/7 in 95 overs: Moeen to Shami. OUT! Cleaned him up! Prodigious turn for the offie from outside the off-stump. Shami produces a forward push but the ball skims past to his dismay. India in shambles as England now nears an innings victory. Mohammed Shami b Ali 6 (8b 1x4)
Moeen Ali to the attack.
IND 253/6 in 94 overs: Shami survives. Robinson trickles one in through his defence and wraps the pads. The umpire nods in approval, out! Shami has a long thought before going for the review. Replays suggest that it's sliding down leg and he's back on. Robinson strays to the pads and Shami flicks it with disdain to the boundary.
IND 247/6 in 93 overs: Jadeja sets off with a fine stoke down the ground for four. Anderson floats one out but Jadeja flashes at it and gets another streaky boundary.
IND 239/6 in 92 overs: Robinson to Pant. OUT! My word, Ollie has another! Pant flashes it straight to slips! This is shambolic batting from the left-hander. He attempts to put pressure on the bowler and goes for an aggressive slap away from the body. Robinson lines up the thick outside-edge that flies straight to the slips. England could finish this before Lunch! Rishabh Pant c Overton b Robinson 1 (7b)
IND 239/5 in 91 overs: Anderson to Rahane. OUT! Another edge and TAKEN! India is falling apart in a flash! Another one in the fine channel and Rahane cannot prevent the poke. It's got him all summer and it troubles him again. Robinson's over the moon and why not. The big three are back in the hut in under an hour. Ajinkya Rahane c †Buttler b Anderson 10 (25b 2x4)
IND 238/4 in 90 overs: Robinson to Kohli. OUT! EDGED AND GONEEE! What have you done, Virat! After two cracking boundaries in the over to get to his fifty, Kohli cannot restrain himself from another hard push. Robinson continues to deliver with his nagging, precise lengths. Hits the length as the ball tails in but at a fine distance away from the off-stump. Kohli employs his rash drive with hard hands and pokes it straight to slips. Is that the match right there? Virat Kohli c Root b Robinson 55 (125b 8x4)
IND 229/3 in 89 overs: Excellent batting from Kohli as he gets off strike with a faint nudge to the off-side against Anderson. Rahane sees him off with a neat defence.
IND 228/3 in 88 overs: Rahane is in the zone! Robinson goes full off good length with a hint of width. Rahane sets well and leans into a glorious cover drive to the boundary.
IND 224/3 in 87 overs: KOHLI SURVIVES! Anderson with an absolute corker the skims off the length through Kohli's forward push. Kohli goes hard at it and there seems to be something clipping the ball on its way. The umpire raises the finger and Kohli walks back before turning back to Rahane who prompts for a review. A big call that as the replays suggest a huge gap between bat and ball, the nick that we hear is from Kohli's loose blade hitting his front pad. Anderson is dejected but what an over from the big lad!
IND 224/3 in 86 overs: Sumptuous from Rahane! Robinson offers a fuller delivery straight at the stumps and Rahane leans forward for a cracking straight drive. The ball races past mid-off and onto the boundary. Positive start for Jinks.
IND 219/3 in 85 overs: Beauty from Jimmy. He pushes it close to the off-stump and Kohli goes forward to push and misses. So close there as it nearly takes the outside-edge. Kohli's constantly on the front-foot and Jimmy wouldn't mind seeing that often.
IND 217/3 in 84 overs: Robinson to Pujara. LOUD SHOUT as Robinson crashes one sharply onto the pads. Kettleborough denies a wicket and Root goes up for a review. No shot offered from Pujara and that could haunt him here. Yes, THREE REDS, Pujara's on his way! What a big blow for England and it's that man again, Robinson's nagging line has Root hopping around in joy. Cheteshwar Pujara lbw b Robinson 91 (189b 15x4)
IND 215/2 in 83 overs: Excellent contest between Jimmy and VK! Anderson continues to exploit the channel outside off. Dishes in tempters one by one but Kohli's displaying admirable restraint this time. Anderson forces Kohli to play at the final delivery that moves in a tinge towards the off-stump. Interesting to see that Kohli continues to stand well outside the crease.
IND 215/2 in 82 overs: Robinson starts with an over-pitched delivery. Pujara attempts to drive but ends up blunting it back to the bowler. Robinson keeps the ball full but surprises Pujara with a sharp nip-backer. Pujara employs a late leave as the ball whiffs past the off-stump. Another maiden over.
Robinson from the other end
IND 215/2 in 81 overs: A hint of shape for Anderson. He begins with two gentles deliveries outside the off-stump and hits on the length a step outside the off-stump. Kohli evades out if it with a fine leave. Anderson straightens the ball further as pitches on middle-and-leg but Kohli pushes it easily towards off.
Anderson with the new ball!
Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara walk out to the middle.
Huge day, folks. Here we go!
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3:15PM IST: PITCH REPORT: Dominic Cork tells the broadcasters that it's a bright morning. The new ball would get some swing but the pitch remains a belter. A very good day for the batters and England would have to work really hard to find their wickets.
3:03PM IST: A vibrant Ravi Shastri leads an animated chat in the huddle. It's a big day for India's batters especially for its famed trio in Pujara, Kohli and Rahane.
2:45PM IST: Promising day for India
2:30PM IST: Here's a look at some key numbers
1:45PM IST: Bright and beaming!
Day 3 Review
England was relentless through the first hour. With a 354-run lead against India who set out with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the second essay, Root's men could have fallen prey to complacency. But, a tenacious Jimmy Anderson and a wily Ollie Robinson made it difficult for the Indian openers to get a move on.
Rohit was all of supreme control even as Rahul prodded and pushed to survive. And soon at the stroke of lunch, Rahul fell to Robinson after a fine grab from Bairstow in slips. A shaky middle-order to follow and skepticism of survival was all over again before the second session. Will another 78 ensue?
Out come Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara to set the base for India's reply. The demons on the surface had died down and a couple of mellowed spells from the seamers followed. An under-fire Pujara took over the scoring, keeping the 'Hitman' behind, as he flicked and pulled beautifully through the on-side. Rohit's departure came right after tea to break a 82-run stand and England would have sensed an opening. Under pressure to perform and the desperation for runs finally had Virat Kohli, the new batter, play the deliveries as it came to him and not move forward in pursuit of it.
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Kohli flicked and drove Anderson eloquently to forge another flawless stand as Pujara continued to slam boundaries at a decent click - the 'intent' was full on display as he went past the 90-run mark for the first time since Jan 2019! India's reply have come with its senior batters standing up to the challenge albeit the job being far from the finish line.
England will begin day four with a 139-run lead and a new Dukes in hand. That the weather and resolve of the two at the crease in the first hour could predict the outcome is now out of question. Day 4, here we go!
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