• Scorecard

India struck back at England [Images] by grabbing three quick wickets by tea on an intriguing third day after conceding a first-innings lead of 75 runs in the first Test in Chennai on Saturday.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma struck the first blow in England's second innings after which leg-spinner Amit Mishra and left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh [Images] struck in successive overs to leave the tourists at 68 for three on a pitch increasingly aiding spin.

First-innings centurion Andrew Strauss [Images] was not out on 30 at the interval with Paul Collingwood [Images] (10), as the tourists took their lead to 143 with seven wickets remaining.

England gained their handy lead after bowling out India for 241 in the first over after lunch, but the hosts clawed back into the game through some fine bowling.

Ishant had opener Alastair Cook [Images], who scored a half-century in the first innings, poking outside off-stump to be caught behind for nine.

Mishra, who took three wickets in the first innings, had a patchy Ian Bell [Images] caught at short-leg by Gautam Gambhir [Images] for seven.

Part-time Yuvraj, who replaced Ishant, struck with his first ball when he had captain Kevin Pietersen [Images] leg-before for one after being brought ahead of specialist spinner Harbhajan Singh [Images].

EARLY REPRIEVE

Opener Strauss survived an early reprieve to keep England's hopes alive of setting a challenging target on a two-paced pitch.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Monty Panesar [Images] struck two crucial blows after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] hit his third successive Test half-century to help India rally after resuming on a shaky 155 for six.

Dhoni (53) took his overnight seventh-wicket stand with Harbhajan (40) to 75 before Panesar dismissed the two to help England regain control. The spinner finished with three for 65.

On Friday, an inspired England took control of the match after debutant off spinner Graeme Swann grabbed two wickets in his first over in Test cricket.

Strauss hit 123 and shared a century partnership with fellow opener Cook (52) on the first day to help the tourists reach 316 in their first innings.

Dhoni, 24 overnight, batted with poise to help India move closer to England's first innings total before being ninth out, caught at long-off in the deep by Pietersen.

Harbhajan hit fast bowler Steve Harmison for two fours in one over but was eventually caught at short-leg by Bell after Panesar had replaced Harmison in the attack.

Flintoff dismissed Zaheer Khan [Images] and Mishra to finish with three for 49.

England resumed their aborted tour after tight security was promised for the two Tests in the wake of last month's terror attacks in Mumbai that killed 179 people.