NOTTINGHAM: England will have to set a new record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase if they are to win the third Test against India after the dominant tourists reached tea on 270 for three — a lead of 438 — with captain Virat Kohli unbeaten on 93.
Having started the third day on 124 for two India were barely troubled through two sessions of steady, if unspectacular, accumulation under grey skies on Monday.
England’s sole success came early in the afternoon when Cheteshwar Pujara, who had been dropped in the morning on 40, was caught at first slip by Alastair Cook off the bowling of Ben Stokes for 72, ending his partnership with Kohli at 113.
Ajinkya Rahane replaced him and was 17 not out at the break.
Kohli, who was out for 97 in the first innings, took few risks during two sessions short on sparks.Only four teams have scored more than 400 to win a Test, West Indies’ 418 to beat Australia in 2003 being the highest.
The highest fourth-innings winning Test total at Trent Bridge is 284 by England against New Zealand in 2004.England, who lead the five-Test series 2-0, suffered a blow during the morning when wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow had to leave the ground with what turned out to be a fractured finger.
Bairstow, a key part of the home team’s batting line-up, was hit on the end of the middle finger by a James Anderson delivery but is expected to bat in their second innings.With three days still left to play, India could dictate the course of the game after skittling England out for 161, with Hardik Pandya taking a stunning five for 28 in six overs on Sunday.
While conditions offered a degree of assistance to swing bowlers on Sunday, they could not explain England’s latest in a long line of batting collapses.Having been 54 for none, they lost nine wickets for 74 runs and only avoided the follow-on thanks to Jos Buttler’s 39.England lost all 10 of their wickets inside a session — the third time that had happened since 2016.
England won toss
India 1st Innings 329 (V Kohli 97; J Anderson 3-64)
England 1st Innings 161 (H Pandya 5-28)
India 2nd Innings
S Dhawan st Bairstow b Rashid 44
K Rahul b Stokes 36
C Pujara c Cook b Stokes 72
*V Kohli not out 93
A Rahane not out 17
Extras (b1, lb7) 8
Total (3 wickets, 89 overs) 270
To bat: H Pandya, †R Pant, R Ashwin, I Sharma, M Shami, J Bumrah
Fall: 1-60, 2-111, 3-224
Bowling: Anderson 18-5-41-0; Broad 14-3-49-0; Woakes 17-2-41-0; Stokes 16-3-53-2; Rashid 21-2-69-1; Root 3-0-9-0
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Marais Erasmus (South Africa). TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan). Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)