ENG vs IND: Tail wags after KL Rahul-Ravindra Jadeja show as India get 95-run lead
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj stitched a 33-run partnership for the 10th wicket as India extended their lead close to 100 in the first innings.
Team India started their day in an iffy position but they ended their innings in a strong one as KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and the tail comprising Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj combined to help their side gain a 95-run lead in the first innings in the first Test at Trent Bridge against England.
Rishabh Pant got out early after hitting a six and a couple of fours, after which Rahul and Jadeja consolidated the innings and got the side through to lunch without any more hiccups. Rahul, with a couple of boundaries and a single here and a couple there went into the 70s and Jadeja had got his eyes in.
After lunch, it was time for James Anderson spell again as he teased Rahl's outside edge a few times, induced an edge a couple of times, was dropped again, this time by skipper Joe Root but the 39-year old had the last laugh as finally he got Rahul to err again and this time Jos Buttler didn't make any mistake.
A couple of overs later, Shardul Thakur too met the same result and India were suddenly 205/7 with only a 22-run lead. Then, came a Jadeja special.
Jadeja took the aggressor's role and flew through to his 16th half-century in Test matches. Jadeja's knock meant India were assured of a 50-run lead at least but just after reaching his fifty he threw his wicket away.
India's infamous tail, however, turned tides on Friday as Mohammed Shami hit a couple of boundaries. He departed then Bumrah took the attack to the opposition. Siraj hit a boundary but Bumrah hit two fours and a six of Sam Curran on one over and India's lead was way above 80 and now the whole team and the management could breathe a sigh of relief.
Ollie Robinson finally broke the 33-run partnership as he picked up his fifth wicket, thereby registering his maiden fifer in the Test matches. India ended on 278 and were in a strong position to force a result.