Sharma sparks England collapse as India eye third Test win

NOTTINGHAM: Ishant Sharma sparked England´s latest collapse as India eyed a crushing victory in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Monday.

England had slumped to 84 for four at lunch on the fourth day, still 437 runs shy of a mammoth target of 521.

It left India poised for a win that would cut England´s lead in a five-match series to 2-1.

Given the most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the West Indies´ 418 for seven against Australia at St John´s Antigua, in 2003, there was little prospect of an England victory.

But having been skittled out for just 161 in a first innings lasting 38.2 overs, with unheralded medium-pacer Hardik Pandya taking five for 28, England might have been stung into greater top-order resistance this innings.

Instead England slumped to 66 for four after resuming on 23 without loss -- the 31st occasion in their past 62 Test innings since 2016 that they had lost their fourth wicket having scored 100 or fewer runs.

England had been shown the way by India captain Virat Kohli.

He was far from his fluent best but still made 103 on Monday, after his first-innings 97, and Cheteshwar Pujara who demonstrated a patient application in grinding out 72 off 208 balls in more than four hours at the crease to help consolidate the tourists´ already strong position.

Instead England lost their first wicket just five balls into Tuesday´s play when fast bowler Sharma, testing the left-handed openers from round the wicket, got one to straighten away from the flat-footed Keaton Jennings (13), whose thin outside edge was held safely by debutant wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.

England´s 27 for one soon became 32 for two when Sharma, again from round the wicket, had Alastair Cook (17) edging one that straightened late to second-slip KL Rahul.

England then lost their next two wickets on 64, with captain Joe Root (13) and Ollie Pope (16) both caught in the cordon.

Root tried to force a Jasprit Bumrah delivery he could have left and Rahul, still at second slip, held the sharp chance -- his fifth catch of the match.

As if to emphasise just how superior India´s slip-fielding had been in comparison to England´s this Test, Kohli then leapt high to his left at third slip to hold a superb catch that dismissed Pope, playing in just his second Test.