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Ashwin’s late rally counters England’s fielding-led fightback
- Updated: November 27, 2016
India 271 for 6 (Ashwin 57*, Jadeja 31*) trail England 283 (Bairstow 89, Shami 3-63) by 12 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details
Fightback followed fightback during an absorbing final session on the second day in Mohali. India closed within touching distance of a lead after England had revived their prospects on the back of two inspired pieces of fielding which highlighted a stirring post-tea response. India lost 3 for 8 in a frenetic passage and their position worsened when Virat Kohli fell for 62, but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja prevented an all-out collapse to take India to within 12 of England’s total by the close.
India had established a position of strength when Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara added 75 for the third wicket, seemingly putting England’s 283 into context. But, two balls into the final session, Pujara pulled a long hop from Rashid towards deep midwicket where Chris Woakes did remarkably well to make the ground then dive low for the catch. Even better, though, was to follow when Jos Buttler pulled off a stunning stop and shy – from his knees – at backward point to send back debutant Karun Nair.
Between those two moments of individual brilliance Ajinkya Rahane had failed to pick a googly from Rashid and Kohli edged Ben Stokes, which led to Stokes intimating silence in his celebration following his ICC fine for his verbals towards Kohli when he was dismissed on the second day. India were 204 for 6 and England had visions of batting before the close with a useful lead, but they were thwarted by Ashwin and Jadeja who picked their moment before the second new ball to take on the spinners.
Ashwin, who was not moving comfortably between the wickets, went to his third fifty of the series with his seventh boundary and Jadeja went from 8 off 34 to 31 off 59 as the pair reached stumps with an unbroken stand of 67. England will cling to the fact that they are bowling last on the surface, but it has held together well so far, while India will fancy the vulnerability of England’s batting even if the lead is smaller than they would have wanted.
England were bowled out within four overs of the resumption this morning and, initially, signs were ominous as the new ball did not swing for James Anderson and Chris Woakes. When M Vijay …
