There is no end of bad luck in sight of India’s number three Chetehswar Pujara as he found yet another unfortunate way to get out on the third day of the second Test against Chennai. This is his second dismissals in bizarre fashion in this series after the first innings of the first Test.
In the morning session of the third day, Pujara was playing in the usual style of stepping down to the pitch of the ball to negate spin, but for once Moeen Ali’s delivery jumped right to the short leg fielder Ollie Pope who was alert to find Pujara was outside of the batting crease.
Pujara recovered quickly to turn around in order to get back into the crease, but his bat got jammed in the pitch just on the line and his second attempt of making it into the crease by his feet was not quick enough and Ben Foakes whipped off the bails to send him back to the pavilion.
Pujara looked distraught after the dismissal. He was dismissed in a similar bizarre manner in the first Test when his ferocious pull shot against off-spinner Dominic Bess found Ollie Pope’s shoulder and the ricochet was pouched safely by Rory Burns stationed at the short midwicket position.
Pujara’s wicket brought a collapse of the Indian batting order in the first session of the third day as the trio of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane quickly joined him in the dressing room. Virat Kohli held one end together while Ravichandran Ashwin played some remarkable shots to take India’s lead past 350-run mark at the Lunch interval on the third day.