"Are we now content with the intent?" - Fans applaud Pujara for scoring a magnificent 91* on day 3 of the Headingley Test

After two disappointing days on the field in the Headingley Test, Team India finally had some solace through Pujara on the third day as they performed well with both bat and ball. With the bat, Cheteshwar Pujara was the protagonist for the Indian side that were looking to make a highly improbable comeback into the match after trailing by 354 runs at the beginning of their second innings.

Pujara came into bat after KL Rahul got dismissed on the last ball of the 19th over. A solid knock from the number three batsman was the need of the hour for India to have any hopes of regaining some control in the Test. Cheteshwar Pujara(91*) rose to the occasion and played a stellar knock to keep India alive in the game. It is still a far way to go, but his partnership along with Rohit(59) and Virat(45*) g a ray of hope to Indian fans.

Expectably, fans were delighted to witness such a class performance from Pujara when India was in such a dire situation. They applauded him for his brilliant batting display on day three and hoped that he would continue in the same vein on day 4. Here are some of the best reactions:

Rohit Sharma, Pujara, and Virat Kohli hold the fort for India on day 3

England would have been confident of wrapping up India's innings quickly on day three, thinking that the visitors might be carrying the wounds of the first innings debacle with the bat. But the Indian batsman displayed admirable grit and composure to counter an effective English bowling attack on Friday to stay alive in the match.

At stumps on day three, India are still 139 runs behind England's score. Virat Kohli and Pujara are still at the crease. The experienced duo will face a stern challenge on day four as Anderson and co will come all guns blazing with a new ball at them right away. Saturday's morning session might well decide the fate of this Test match.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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