England vs India, 5th Test Day 3: 5 Talking Points

England ended the third day of the fifth and final Test against India at 114 for 2 after bowling India out for 292 in their first innings earlier in the day to take a 40-run lead.

Alastair Cook, playing the last innings of his career, was unbeaten on 46 and he will hope to make it big on Monday and bow out on a memorable note.

The onus lies in India's hands to get a few quick wickets and restrict England on a wicket that is beginnings to take turn and is expected to get worse.

Here are the talking points from the day:

India get it wrong with the DRS

Virat Kohli may have had a terrific time with the bat on this tour of England, but it has been the complete opposite as far as his decision making is concerned when it comes to opting for the Decision Review System(DRS).

On Sunday, Kohli took the DRS twice early on in the English innings and both occasions got it wrong with the impact of the ball outside the off-stump.

With the present group of Indian cricketers more open towards the usage of the review system, it is absolutely imperative for the cricketers to know exactly when to take it and when not to and the key men involved in that process should ideally be the wicket-keeper and the slip who have the best view on where the ball had hit on the pads and where it was headed.

Hopefully, the lessons are learnt and the errors are not repeated in the upcoming matches.

Hanuma Vihari impresses on debut

Vihari was excellent with the bat

There was some talk over the selection of Hanuma Vihari for this game, but the right-hander he belonged to this level, by playing a composed knock of 56 and putting on a vital stand with Ravindra Jadeja, which kept India in the game.

Vihari's innings had everything in it- patience, elegance and a good judgment of singles and it ensured India's innings did not fall away early on.

Cook digs in again

Cook was in his elements again on Sunday

It may be his final innings in international cricket, but it seems like Alastair Cook is absolutely focussed to end it on a memorable note.

After a gritty 71 in the first innings, he backed that performance with an unbeaten 46 in the second dig, which had ever characteristic that world cricket has gone on to associate with Cook- good defense, watchfulness and an ability to put the bad ball away.

He got a hundred in the second innings of his debut Test match at Nagpur in 2006 and he would end to on a similar note at The Oval as well.

Luckless Shami motors on

Shami took a mere one wicket despite bowling splendidly

There will be days in Mohammed Shami's career when he'll bowl appallingly and take a five-wicket haul and then there will be days like the one on Sunday when he bowls beautifully and has a mere wicket to show for it.

In the final over before the Tea interval, Shami beat Cook's bat on three straight occasions before the batsman connected one of his beat. That brought a smile on Cook's face as it did on Shami's and right through the final session as well, there were times when he bowled his heart out and yet, yet failed to get more than one wicket.

The Oval redemption for Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja had a fine

all-round

day

Just over a year ago, Ravindra Jadeja endured an absolutely forgettable outing in the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan.

Now a year later, Jadeja returned to the very venue and delivered a terrific performance playing in the whites, making an unbeaten 86 and then removing Moeen Ali with an excellent delivery.