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IND vs ENG | Gill's Ton & Ashwin's Late Strike Give India Edge After Setting England A Record Target

image-ls7f1x69Shubman Gill's century was the highlight of Day 3 (Twitter)

Brief Scores: India (1st innings): 396 all out (112 overs) [Yashasvi Jaiswal: 209 (290), Shubman Gill: 34 (46); James Anderson 3/47 (25), Rehan Ahmed 3/65 (17)] & India (2nd innings): 255 all out (78.3 overs) [Shubman Gill: 104 (147), Axar Patel: 45 (84)]; Tom Hartley 4/77 (27), Rehan Ahmed 3/88 (24.3) lead England (1st innings): 253 all out (55.5 overs) [Zak Crawley: 76 (78), Ben Stokes: 47 (54); Jasprit Bumrah 6/45 (15.5), Kuldeep Yadav 3/71 (17)] & England (2nd innings): 67/1 (14 overs) [Zak Crawley: 29* (50), Ben Duckett 28 (27)]; Ravichandran Ashwin 1/8 (2), Jasprit Bumrah 0/9 (5) by 331 runs.

As the third day of the Test match between India and England resumed in Visakhapatnam, India started off on a promising note with a score of 28/0 after 5 overs.

Early Setbacks for India Amidst England's Aggressive Strategy

However, England, led by Captain Ben Stokes, immediately adopted an aggressive approach, focusing on claiming early wickets. Veteran speedster James Anderson, displaying his timeless skill in swing bowling, made a significant impact by removing Rohit Sharma with a beautifully pitched ball that slightly straightened, knocking over the off-stump. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a double ton in the first innings, failed to make an impact this time, edging a delivery to first slip for 17.

India's Middle Order Wobbles

Shubman Gill began his innings on a shaky note, narrowly escaping an LBW dismissal thanks to a thin inside edge. His early uncertainty soon gave way to confidence, especially after Anderson was rotated out of the attack. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer started strongly but could not capitalize, falling for 29 to a stunning catch by Stokes, who made significant ground from mid-off to complete the dismissal.

Rajat Patidar displayed elegance during his brief stay but was undone by a delivery that stayed low and was caught behind. At the end of the first session, India stood at 130/4, holding an edge in the game's context, though England left the field for lunch with a slight upper hand.

Hosts Fight Back With Gill's Century

Post-lunch, India aimed to consolidate their position with Shubman Gill and Axar Patel at the helm, stitching an 89-run partnership. Axar played a calculated innings, while Gill adopted a more aggressive stance, particularly targetting Rehan Ahmed. Gill's approach paid off as he secured his third Test century and silenced his critics. However, Stokes' innovative captaincy eventually led to their dismissals; Gill fell to a reverse sweep, and Axar was trapped LBW.



Slowing Down Before Tea

Ravichandran Ashwin and KS Bharat then took a more measured approach, slowing down the game's pace. The English spinners, seizing the opportunity, bowled several maiden overs, maintaining pressure. By the tea break, India's momentum had slowed, leaving them at 227/6, but still in control with a 380-run lead.

Post-Tea Setbacks for India

After the Tea break, India's innings faced immediate hurdles as local boy KS Bharat was sent back to the pavilion by Ahmed for just 6 runs in the very first over. The following over witnessed Kuldeep Yadav's departure for a duck, succumbing to a rash shot against Hartley. The pressure continued to mount as Jasprit Bumrah, after facing 25 consecutive dot balls, edged one to second slip, also off Hartley's bowling. Despite these setbacks, Ashwin added a valuable 29 runs, but his dismissal marked the end of India's innings, setting England a record 399-run target for victory.

England Starts Aggressively

In typical 'Bazball' fashion, England's openers started their chase, quickly amassing 50 runs without loss. The strategy seemed to pay off until Ashwin, who had not taken a wicket in the first innings, broke through by dismissing Ben Duckett, caught by KS Bharat. Nightwatchman Rehan Ahmed joined Zak Crawley at the crease, focusing on safeguarding their wickets. The pair successfully saw through the remaining session without further damage, closing Day 3 at 67/1, leaving England with 332 more runs needed for a historic win.