India vs England 1st Test Live updates: Shami continues. Root brings up his 51st half century with a four off the third. And he beautifully flicks the final delivery, collecting the second boundary off the over. Nine runs off the over.
Day 3 report: England bowled out India for 278 and reduced its lead to 70 by another premature stumps on day three of the first test at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Opener KL Rahul ensured India passed England’s first innings total of 183 before he was out for 84, then Ravindra Jadeja’s 56 and Jasprit Bumrah’s 28-run cameo set up a lead of 95.
In the process, James Anderson took two more wickets to eclipse retired India great Anil Kumble as the third highest wicket-taker in test history on 621. Ollie Robinson added a maiden 5-for.
Rory Burns, 11 not out, and Dom Sibley, 9 not out, navigated 11.1 overs to lead England to 25 without loss until rain ended play early for a second straight day.
England was on something of a roll when rain stalled its progress on Thursday, and it had to endure a false start in the morning session on Friday, managing just 11 deliveries before being forced off by showers.
Almost an hour later play resumed, and a gentler shower was allowed to pass through, although that decision was not to everyone’s liking. Rahul seemed keen to take shelter, running towards the pavilion, only to be sent back to the crease by umpire Michael Gough — with a word from Anderson in his ear.
It was not the first or the last sign of verbal niggles between the sides, while Anderson and Robinson were both involved in brushes with batsmen that were closer than is usually comfortable in cricketing circles. Neither incident, with Rahul and Mohammed Siraj, was anything to worry about but with four tests still to go there is already scope for things to heat up.
England’s only wicket of the morning came when a typically frenetic Rishabh Pant stay ended in a working over by Robinson. In the space of a single over Pant sprayed just wide of gully and top-edged a six straight over the wicketkeeper’s head before springing a carefully laid trap by picking out Jonny Bairstow at short cover.
Had Dan Lawrence managed to run out Jadeja when he was fresh to the crease, England might even have fancied itself to wrap things up in a hurry. Instead, his throw missed the target, India was eight runs ahead by lunch and Jadeja went on to score a crucial 56.
The pace picked up dramatically in the afternoon, with India adding another 97 for the loss of its last five wickets.
Joe Root put Rahul down on 78 in the first over of the session, Anderson frustrated again as he had been when the opener was on 52 a day earlier. It was third time lucky soon after, though, with a constrictive line and length yielding yet an edge into Jos Buttler’s gloves.
Shardul Thakur represented easy pickings for Anderson’s fourth wicket of the innings, a dismissal which persuaded Jadeja to hit the accelerator. He signalled his intent by flicking Anderson for six over fine leg and was soon celebrating his half-century with a cut for four.
He could not keep it up, though, a wild heave off Robinson spiralling to Stuart Broad at mid off. The seamer pressed a finger to his lips as a parting message to Jadeja, offering further evidence of simmering tension in the middle.
At eight down, India was 49 ahead and would have been delighted to almost double that with its last two wickets.
The tail flailed their bats with abandon, going aerial almost every time, and mustered four fours and a six to crank up the pressure on England’s imminent second innings.
Robinson eventually ended things with the second new ball, cleaning up Mohammed Shami and benefiting from one wild shot too many from a playful Bumrah.
Robinson, back from a suspension for racist and sexist tweets more than seven years ago, grabbed four of the last six wickets.
It was not enough to stop India establishing a potentially decisive lead of 95, but its total of 278 would have been a great deal higher without his persistent interrogation of the touring batsmen for 5-85.
Anderson claimed 4-54.
Burns and Sibley blocked out six overs before tea and another 5.1 after before dark skies and more rain robbed the match of more valuable time.
With inputs from AP
