ENG vs IND 3rd Test: England level series as India suffer an innings defeat at Headingley

After showing signs of recovery on the third day, the Indian team had another horror period of an hour on the first morning of Day 4 as they collapsed from 215/2 to 278 all-out to suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of the England team in the third Test at Headingley in Leeds.

COME OOOOON!!! 

Scorecard & Clips: https://t.co/UakxjzUrcE

 #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/5y1atU7ZhF

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 28, 2021

The session followed a similar script to that of the first day where one wicket fell, and the second and the third as no batsman could arrest the momentum as the whole team underwent a second collapse for the game and thus losing the match by an innings and 76 runs.

The day started with the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara, who misjudged a full ball and shouldered his arms and the ball was going on to hit the stumps, while it ended with Mohammed Siraj edging a ball outside the off-stump to the second slip.

The winning moment!! https://t.co/UakxjzUrcE

#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/zHsifDHw7q

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 28, 2021

India lost eight wickets for 63 runs out of which six batsmen got out caught behind. However, the match was almost done and dusted in the first innings only when they were bowled out for just 78 runs and after which the visitors were always behind the game and were in hope of a miracle.

England's top-order coming back into form didn't help their cause as from Rory Burns to Dawid Malan, everyone made hay while the sun shined. Burns and Haseeb Hameed stitched a 135-run opening partnership after which the returning Malan made merry with a 70-run knock and if it wasn't enough, skipper Joe Root in the form of his life smashed his 6th century in Test matches this year and third of the series in front of his home crowd as England's lead went past 250.

India bowled out England for 432 and the hosts had almost batted them out of the game and their batsmen needed to bat out of their skin to even reach close to the 354-run lead.

Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara and then Pujara and captain Virat Kohli made sure the match didn't end on Day 3 as the first pair forged an 82-run stand and the latter followed it up with a 99-run partnership as they frustrated the England players throughout the day. Pujara especially, played with much more intent smashing everything on his pads towards the boundary while Rohit and Kohli were more watchful playing the ball on the merit and not leaving the chance to hit boundaries on loose balls.

It's Stumps on Day 3 of the 3⃣rd #ENGvIND Test at Headingley!

A solid & gritty batting display by #TeamIndia to end the day at 215/2.

* for @cheteshwar1
 for @ImRo45
 for captain @imVkohli

Scorecard  https://t.co/FChN8SDsxh pic.twitter.com/6gisdY7PXi

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 27, 2021

However, they didn't know an aberration was waiting for them the next morning wasting all the hard work on the previous day.

By the virtue of this win, England levelled the series 1-1 with two matches to go at the Oval and Old Trafford.