Here are highlights from Day 3 of the first Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Virat Kohli's fighting ton on Day 2 of the first Test between India and England gave the visitors the edge at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
India were in a deep hole on Thursday, staring at a 100-run first innings deficit, but Kohli teamed up with the tail-enders and guided his team to withing 13 runs of England's 287.
Kohli's 149 might not have been his prettiest, but it will surely go down as one of the most important knocks in his career. It was the 29-year-old's first Test hundred on English soil and his passionate celebration at getting to his milestone showed how much it meant to him.
Ravichandran Ashwin then removed Alastair Cook for the second time in the match with an absolute peach, almost identical to the one he bowled to dismiss the veteran English opener in the first innings. That scalp meant India headed into Day 3 with their tails up, sensing a memorable win to start off the all-important five-match series.
1. Great start
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Opener Keaton Jennings was the first English wicket to fall on Friday. The delivery by Ravichandran Ashwin that got Jennings was similar to the one that saw Alastair Cook's downfall. Only difference was that it pitched a little outside off-stump and turned enough to take the edge. KL Rahul did well to take the catch at second slip.
Score: 18/2 after 7.4 overs.
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2. Big fish goes
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This was the wicket India were looking for desperately. England captain Joe Root dominated the Indian attack in the first innings in his knock of 80, but his counterpart Virat Kohli had a smart plan for him in the second innings. Ashwin bowled to the right-hander's leg-stump from over the wicket, Root suffered a lapse in concentration and flicked it straight to Rahul at leg-slip. England lost their best batsman for 14 and India could sense the kill.
Score: 39/3 after 15.1 overs.
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3. Squared-up
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England's two-down batsman Dawid Malan never looked entirely comfortable at the crease. The left-hander became Ishant Sharma's first wicket of the innings after scoring just 20. The lanky Indian pacer bowled a beauty from around the wicket to square-up Malan. The ball was angled in but shaped away, it took a thick edge of the bat and Ajinkya Rahane completed a comfortable catch at gully.
Score: 70/4 after 26.2 overs.
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4. Vintage Ishant
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When Ishant Sharma burst onto the scene in Test cricket, it were his sharp in-cutters that helped him earn a name. Then Australian captain Ricky Ponting famously bore the brunt on it. On Friday, Ishant bowled a similar in-cutter to get rid of the dangerous Jonny Bairstow for 28. The ball was angled in from over the wicket to the right-hander, it pitched and cut in sharply. Bairstow played a half-hearted push from the back of the crease, but the ball managed to take the edge. Shikhar Dhawan did exceedingly well to take a sharp, low catch at first slip. The thigh slap by 'Gabbar', of course, followed promptly. It was also the start of a classic over from Ishant.
Score: 85/5 after 30.2 overs.
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5. Top catch, skipper!
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Ben Stokes was the next man to go in that over. His dismissal was quite similar to that of Dawid Malan. Ishant came from around the wicket and took the ball away from the left-hander, skipper Virat Kohli leaped to his left at third slip and completed a superb catch. Ishant was well and truly on fire as Stokes walked back for just 6.
Score: 86/6 after 30.4 overs.
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6. Another big wicket
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Jos Buttler was the final man to walk back in that epic Ishant over. The in-form right-hander perished on just his second delivery for one run. Ishant came from over the wicket and got the ball to rise sharply and cut in from short of a good length. Buttler slashed awkwardly and the ball took a slight edge, keeper Dinesh Karthik made no mistake behind the stumps. It was Ishant's fourth wicket, the visitors were dreaming of a memorable win.
Score: 87/7 after 30.6 overs.
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7. Counter-attack
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Just when it looked like India would run through the English batting, Sam Curran got together with Adil Rashid to stitch together a counter-attacking partnership. The duo added 44 runs, playing some aggressive strokes, to keep their side in the game. Play then had to be suspended due to bad light, but Curran (30) and Rashid (15) were unbeaten at the crease.
Score: 131/7 after 42 overs.
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8. Partnership broken
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Umesh Yadav, who has had an average Test match, produced a top delivery to break the English partnership. The right-arm quick came from over the wicket and angled the ball in to the right-handed Rashid, but the ball shaped away slightly before cutting back in to sneak through the bat and crash into the stumps. Yes, that much happened in that one delivery! Leg-spinner Rashid walked back for a fighting 16.
Score: 135/8 after 44.4 overs.
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9. Special talent
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Sam Curran rocked India's top-order with three quick strikes on Day 2. The 20-year-old all-rounder backed his performance up with a half-century on Friday. From what seemed like a hopeless situation at 87/7, Curran team up with Adil Rashid and Stuart Borad to guide his team towards a respectable total. The left-hander batted with striking fearlessness. He attacked the Indian bowling attack, even smashing R Ashwin for two sixes in an over.
Score: 174/8 after 51 overs. Curran 58 not out.
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10. Resistance comes to an end
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Sam Curran's phenomenal rearguard action finally came to an end as he edged one from Umesh to Karthik. The left-hander's blistering knock of 63 from 65 took England from 87/7 to 180 all-out. From facing certain defeat, England suddenly had a chance of winning thanks to the 20-year-old's brilliant knock.
Score: ENG 180 all-out. India need 194 to win.
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11. Star performer
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Ishant Sharma completed a memorable five-wicket haul to put India in the driver's seat. Curran's innings aside, India needed just 194 to win thanks to some top fast-bowling from Ishant. The lanky pacer picked three wickets in an over to break England's back. Ishant's ability to come from around the wicket and move the ball away from the left-handers proved to be lethal on Friday. This effort was his was just as impressive as his five-wicket haul at Lord's four years ago. Take a bow, Ishant Sharma!
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12. First blow
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India lost their first wicket in the form of Murali Vijay. It was a big blow as the right-hander is one of the mainstays in the visitors' batting line-up. Stuart Broad got one to jag back in from over the wicket, Vijay didn't offer a shot and the ball crashed into his front pad. The umpire took his time but the finger was raised eventually. The impact was outside off, however, since no shot was offered the decision was plain and simple. Vijay departed for six and India got off to just the start they weren't looking for. To be honest, the seasoned opener never looked settled. He even enjoyed a reprieve when Dawid Malan dropped a simple catch of his at second slip a few overs earlier.
Score: 19/1 after 5.5 overs.
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13. As many expected
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Shikhar Dhawan vindicated critics' doubts about his technique with a poor, poor dismissal in the second innings. The left-hander drove rashly to a delivery he was nowhere close to, the ball took a thick edge and keeper Jonny Bairstow completed a comfortable catch. Stuart Broad had his second wicket and India were left in a serious spot of bother.
Score: 22/2 after 7.3 overs.
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14. Not a Vice Captain's knock
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India had their backs to the wall when their vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane walked back to the pavilion for 2 off 16. It was that man Sam Curran again who got the big wicket. Rahane left his bat hanging out awkwardly, left-arm pacer Curran's delivery from over the wicket took off a bit after pitching. The ball took the inside edge and keeper Jonny Bairstow pouched a difficult, low chance. The umpires took a review to see if the ball had carried, and the replays showed the gloves were under the ball as the catch was taken.
Score: 63/4 after 21.4 overs
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15. One man's will
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Virat Kohli stood like a rock between England and victory. The Indian captain remained not-out on 43 at the end of Day 3. He had Dinesh Karthik, who was playing with a positive approach, at the other end on 18. When the entire top-order failed in unison, Kohli fought on with tremendous grit. India finished the day at 110/5, needing 84 runs to win. It's safe to say, the visitors' fortunes rest greatly on Kohli's shoulders as we brace ourselves for an intriguing Day 4 at Edgbaston.
(Image: AFP)
