Leeds: England were bowled out for 432 in 132.2 overs against India on the third day of the third Test at Headingley on Friday. The hosts could add only nine runs to their overnight score of 423 and have taken a 354-run lead on first innings.
Craig Overton set the ball rolling for England with successive boundaries through square of the wicket on both sides. But he was dismissed leg before wicket by Mohammed Shami. Overton (32) reviewed it, but in vain. Jasprit Bumrah finished off the England innings by hitting the off-stump of Ollie Robinson (0).
For England, skipper Joe Root was the star of the show with a masterly knock of 121 at his home ground, his third century of the series coming. Dawid Malan, Rory Burns and Haseeb Hammed supported Root with useful half-centuries.
Though India won at Lord's, they were not able to trouble Root (121 off 165) and the England skipper extended his purple patch with his 23rd Test hundred and sixth of the year to take his team to a commanding 423 for eight at stumps on day two.
Earlier, after openers, Rory Burns (61 off 153) and Haseeb Hameed (68 off 195) gave England the start they were desperately looking for, Root and Dawid Malan (70 off 128) shared a brisk 139-run standoff 189 balls to pile misery on the Indians who were all out for 78 on day one.
Root as usual was a delight to watch, scoring runs at will and all around the wicket. His 14 boundaries included his trademark punch through the cover, which brought about his fifty before he flicked one between mid-on and midwicket to get to three figures.
Such was the range on offer that he also swept and reverse swept left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Barring Mohammed Shami, the Indian pacers had another ordinary day and Root made them pay for their erratic line and length.
With his 23rd hundred, Root equalled Kevin Pietersen's record and is now only behind Alastair Cook (33).
Jasprit Bumrah managed to get one past Root's watertight defence late in the final session to end memorable innings in front of his home crowd. India managed to pick five wickets in the session but the damage had already been done.
Malan, playing his first Test in three years, lent much-needed solidity in an otherwise struggling line-up. With the confidence that the southpaw played, it didn't seem that he was away from the five-day game for a long time.
India finds themselves thrown in at the deep end and will have to bat extremely well to first avoid an innings defeat and then save the game from thereon.
The pitch has dried out and Indian pacers failed to get a purchase out of it for the second day running.
Earlier, runs came thick and fast for England in the afternoon session as India bowlers appeared toothless, both with the old and new balls. The hosts added 116 runs in the session with Root and Malan collecting runs comfortably.
Against the run of play, Malan picked up a faint edge while trying to flick Mohammad Siraj at the stroke of tea.
Indian pacers, who scripted a memorable win at Lord's, bowled too many boundary balls and the England duo was quick to put them away. Root, who is in the form of his life, reached his 51st fifty off just 57 balls with a gorgeous back foot punch through the cover.
Malan too played some delightful strokes and was brutal as well as elegant on the off-side. Besides the cover drives and rasping cut shots, he also effectively used the glide to third man region.
On Thursday morning session, India struck twice but it was not enough to put England under pressure.
The home team managed to score 62 runs in the session, taking their first innings to score 182 for two having started the day at 120 for no loss. Shami, coming round the wicket, removed Rory Burns in the first hour of play with a ball that nipped back in sharply to hit the top of the off-stump.
India got a much needed second wicket against the run of play when Ravindra Jadeja struck in his first over of the day with beauty.
The left-arm spinner got one to straighten slightly from middle and off-stump to beat a well-set Hameed and kiss the bails for his first wicket of the series.
Ishant Sharma opened the bowling for India and like on Wednesday, did not look at his best and struggled to find the right line and length on the surface. England fast bowlers had bowled much fuller on day one.
The Indian attack, which relies on on-seam more than swing, was not able to extract much from the pitch. The accuracy, which England pacers displayed, was also missing.
Siraj bowled a couple of looseners in his first over which Malan duly cut to the deep backward point and third man respectively. The southpaw began with an elegant cover drive off Jasprit Bumrah before growing in confidence