India reach 33/1 at tea; need 70 more runs to win third Test

IANS

Mohali, Nov 29 (IANS) India bundled England out for 236 runs in the second innings and were 33/1 at tea on the fourth day of the third cricket Test here on Tuesday, 70 runs shy of registering their second consecutive win in the five-match series.

Parthiv Patel (16 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13 batting) were at the crease for India when the teams went in for tea.

Pacer Chris Woakes dismissed opener Murali Vijay in the second over of the innings for figures of 1/16.

Chasing a paltry 103, Patel started off India's second innings in confident fashion with a boundary through the covers off Woakes.

Vijay, howver, continued his run of poor form, edging Woakes to Joe Root at second slip later in the same over.

Pujara then joined Patel in the middle and the duo ensured that there were no more hiccups till the tea break.

Earlier, starting off at the overnight score of 78/4, England rode on a defiant half-century from the 19-year-old Haseeb Hameed to end their second innings at 236 runs.

Hameed was unbeaten on 59 and was involved in crucial partnerships with Woakes and James Anderson.

The opener, who was forced to come in a number eight due to a hand injury, batted patiently for 156 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and a six.

Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended up with figures of 3/81 while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja Mohammed Shami and Jayant Yadav bagged a brace each.

England lost three wickets in the morning session to reach 156/7 at lunch.

Jadeja, who opened the proceedings for the hosts with fast bowler Umesh Yadav, struck twice before lunch to give India the upper hand.

Jadeja trapped night-watchman Gareth Batty (0) plumb in front in his very first over of the day before dismissing make-shift opener Joe Root (78) just before the lunch break.

Off-spinner Jayant Yadav then piled on England's misery by dismissing danger-man Jos Buttler (18).

Hameed and Woakes then added 43 runs between them to take the visitors near the 200-run mark before Shami produced some excellent short pitched bowling with the second new ball to hasten England's demise.

Shami used the short pitched stuff to good effect by dislodging Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid in the same over.

Bowling his first over with the second new ball, the Bengal fast bowler produced a sharp bouncer with his opening delivery which hit Woakes on the helmet.

Woakes was clearly shaken by the blow and had to pause for a drink as the England physio came out to check on him.

Shami came up with another bouncer with another bouncer in his very ball which bounced into Woakes, hitting the handle before lobbing up for an easy catch to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.

Rashid, the next man in, was hit on his pads with the first ball ball he faced before another incoming short pitched ball forced him to offer an easy top edge to Umesh at fine leg.

Hameed the joined up with James Anderson and continued to defy the Indian bowlers.

Despite facing some excellent bowling on a difficult pitch, the teenager mixed caution with aggression, bring up his half-century with a six off Ashwin's bowling.

Hameed's aggression saw him add 41 runs in 40 balls with Anderson before the latter was run out thanks to Jadeja's throw from the deep, thus bringing an end to the England innings.

Brief scores:

England 283 & 236 vs India 417 & 33/1 (Parthiv Patel 16 batting, Cheteshwar Pujara 13 batting, Chris Woakes 1/16).

--IANS

ajb/vt

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor