R Ashwin followed his five-wicket haul in the first innings with a scintillating fifth Test century to further strengthen India's grip in the second Test against England in Chennai. Ashwin scored 106, putting on vital runs with the lower order to set England a daunting 482-run target to win. In their response, England are 53/3 at stumps on Day 3, needing another 429, leaving India seven strikes away from levelling the series 1-1.
India were bowled out for 286 in their second innings, with Ashwin's fifth Test century and Virat Kohli's gritty 62 being the two major contributors. Resuming the day on 54/1, India were jolted early when Pujara's bat got stuck while he was quickly trying to get back in after hitting the ball to forward short leg and was run out. Jack Leach sent back the other overnight batsman Rohit Sharma, getting him out stumped.
Also Read | India vs England Live Score, 2nd Test, Day 3 Highlights
Rishabh Pant was promoted ahead of Ajinkya Rahane but resulted in being the second batsman to be out stumped to Leach. Rahane started well with back-to-back boundaries but was out bat pad, falling to Moeen Ali for the seventh time in Tests. With Kohli batting authoritatively at one end, India looked to him and Axar Patel to put the innings back to track but the left-handed batsman he was out LBW to Ali to reduce India to 106/6.
India breathed a sigh of relief when they finally got a partnership going between Kohli and Ashwin. Kohli looked in amazing control Ashwin brought out the conventional and reverse sweeps as India kept the scoreboard ticking. The pair added 96 runs for the seventh wicket, taking India's lead to near 400 before the partnership was broken. Kohli's fine knock came to an end out LBW to Ali, the review not saving him.
{{/usCountry}}India breathed a sigh of relief when they finally got a partnership going between Kohli and Ashwin. Kohli looked in amazing control Ashwin brought out the conventional and reverse sweeps as India kept the scoreboard ticking. The pair added 96 runs for the seventh wicket, taking India's lead to near 400 before the partnership was broken. Kohli's fine knock came to an end out LBW to Ali, the review not saving him.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Ashwin scores fifth Test hundred, reaches unique milestone
With seven wickets down, a set Ashwin eyed big shots. The wicket of Kuldeep Yadav and later Ishant Sharma falling in at either end of the tea break, gave Ashwin the license to go for the kill. With India's lead well over 450, Ashwin fancied his chances and scored a few handy boundaries and a six to take him to 97. A couple of runs later, Ashwin went for the hoick, got the edge and hit the four that brought him his first Test century against a team other than West Indies.
He rotated the strike cleverly with No. 11 Mohammed Siraj, taking clever runs, but in hindsight, giving Siraj more strike wouldn't have hurt much given how well he was connecting. Siraj remained not out on 16 off 21 with two gigantic sixes before Ashwin played on a ball from Olly Stone.
England lost Dominic Sibley in the ninth over out LBW to Axar, but Rory Burns and Dan Lawrence batted well and looked good to finish the day with England just one wicket down. But Ashwin picked up his first wicket of the second innings when he had Burns caught by Kohli in the slip cordon. It brought out Jack Leach as the night-watchman, which was a bold move given the kind of roll the Indian spinners were on. And England had to play the price with Axar getting a dismissing him and getting a third wicket before stumps.