ENG vs IND | 3rd Test, Day 3: Pujara, Rohit and Kohli keep India in the game at Headingley

Showing every bit of “resilience” the team boast of, the batsmen stuck to their discipline and batted with a clear mind to keep India in the game by the end of the third day’s play in Leeds. 

There was speculation and fears about the game that it will be over by today, but the batting department led by Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara showed that the first innings disaster was a blip and not a phenomenon.

First, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah wrapped things up quickly before the last two England wickets could pile more agony and frustration.

The onus was well and truly on the batsmen after England took a massive lead of 354 runs and with three days in remaining, and they have responded in a grand fashion so far till the end of the day.

England are due for the second new ball and they will not be hesitant to take it straightway on the fourth day to stop India from running away with the game on the back of a partnership between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.

Pujara’s rare aggressive innings

If the fans of the game had thought of having seen it all in terms of surprises after India’s horrific batting in the first innings, they were in for a pleasant surprise in the afternoon session of the day.

Pujara has taken a long time in the recent past to get off the mark so much so that his slowest fifties and most balls faced before opening the account has come in the last one and half year. The lack of runs and shaky confidence had a lot to do about it but none of them could be seen easily on his face while he struggled to get big runs for India.

The day was different in many senses though and he would be delighted to see Joe Root and James Anderson not blocking his scoring areas between the short midwicket and square leg. England employed the same tactic at Lord’s and made him wait forever before he could open his account having seen how Tim Paine-led Australia had squeezed him for runs earlier this year.

He was provided with three gifts on his leg stump and desperate for runs to get going fluently, Pujara put all of those to boundaries to announce his arrival in an uncharacteristic manner.

The innings then followed a similar trajectory as his batting style except there was confidence in his stride and hunger in his shots to go for the runs while not giving up control around off stump. 

He walked out confidently with his skipper at the end of the day having quashed all the murmurs about the end of his career.

Rohit’s love affair with frustrating dismissals

Rohit Sharma was the lone man standing for India in the first innings amid all the havocs at the other end. He was assured about his off stump and batted with immense composure to combat at on-song Anderson and impressive Ollie Robinson.

However, his dismissal was the tamest in the first innings as he was caught in two minds against a short and rising ball from Overton. He was batting very watchfully but got himself into shackles and could not break it with full intent when a short ball, that he considers a scoring opportunity came his way.

He shed all those indecisiveness in the second innings and uppercut a rising delivery from Overton for a six over the slips. He was cautious on balls around off but also got better in attacking deliveries that were too full and pitched in his arc.

Just like Lord’s, Sam Curran opened the tap of runs for him and he produced two magnificent drives—one straight down the ground that compelled Shane Warne into comparing him with Mark Waugh, and one through the cover to reach half-century. 

He has been the best batsman around all the six innings of this Test series for India and overall after Joe Root but his tryst with soft dismissals continued in this Test as well. 

After doing all the hard work and waiting for perfect deliveries to pounce on, he was guilty of getting overambitious against a delivery from Robinson that he perceived would be going beyond his leg stump. The attempted shot by an angled bat did not touch the ball and he was out in as agonising manner as it could have been and the disgust was visible in the way he smashed his bat on his pads.

Kohli survives early bout with Anderson

Virat Kohli has been found out so far in the series, especially against his nemesis Anderson. Root did not need a second invitation to bring his ace pacer back once the Indian skipper walked out to bat. 

Not to take credit away from Kohli, but the pacer was searching for the line and committed the mistake of bowling to his pad in search of magic delivery from the leg stump line. Or maybe, he was trying to bowl inswinger and erred in the line, but Kohli did not complain and flicked him to square leg boundary to get going.

As the number of easy balls that could be left outside off stump came, he grew in confidence and the stride was getting bigger and better albeit that has not been at fault in this series. Anderson corrected his line but length remained his achilles heels in that spell to Kohli as the skipper brought out two sumptuous cover drives to provide a glimpse of what could well be on cards if he does not commit the mistakes he has been guilty of in this series.

India’s bundle of bad luck

India won the toss and Kohli took a brave call of batting first on a Headingley pitch that promised to offer more than usual help to pacers. His call could not have backfired more terribly as India were skittled for 78. 

However, by the time England batsmen walked out to bat, it was bright sunshine and the pitch appeared to be a different surface than the one India had batted on. It remained quite the same for the entire second day and India’s pacers had to toil hard to get wickets.

But, once again, as India got ready to bat on the third day, there was rain in the air and clouds hovering over Leeds. Both Rahul and Rohit had to once again combat challenging conditions that none of the England batsmen had to face in the entire length of their first innings.

India showed remarkable discipline and mental fortitude after the demoralising low of the first innings and they must be commended for putting their head down and fighting hard to keep themselves in the game.

Looking forward to the fourth day

India are 139 runs behind the lead of 354 runs conceded in the first innings with Pujara and Kohli batting solidly at 91 and 41 respectively. 

England walked out off the field as the new ball was not available for them due to inadequate light and Root will be eager to unleash Anderson and co. with the second new ball right from the first ball of the day.

India would hope Pujara’s returned assurance around off stump and confidence along with signs of Kohli coming near ton= his best will be able to see Anderson and the second new ball off.

They are still way behind in the game, especially with the kind of collapse that can happen in England and any effort of batting less than two more sessions will send their journey in the Test match very quickly.