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PHOTOS: India's pacers have England reeling on Day 3
Ishant Sharma bagged three quick wickets to initiate England’s collapse in the post-lunch session and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a four-wicket burst as India ended with the hounors on Day 3 in the first Test at Trent Bridge, Headingley, on Friday.
Ishant (3 for 109) claimed the vital wickets of Sam Robson, Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to have the home side, replying to India’s first innings total of 457, in trouble at tea, while Bhuvneshwar dismissed Matt Prior, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Liam Plunkett to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 61, as England ended the day on 352 for 9, 105 runs in arrears.
At stumps, Joe Root was unbeaten on 78 with James Anderson, on 23.
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Robson and Ballance deny India success in morning session
Earlier in the day, Robson (59) and Ballance (71) scored half-centuries as England made good progress.
The hosts, who resumed on 43 for 1 on a slow wicket that has drawn widespread criticism, reached lunch on 131 for one.
Robson was the first wicket to fall on Day 3. Ishant struck in the second over of the post-lunch session, beating the batsman with an incoming delivery and trapping him leg before wicket. Hot Spot showed some marks indicating it could have been an edge, but replays from the front clearly indicated that the ball missed the edge and hit Robson right in front of the wickets.
Robson added 125 runs for the second wicket with Balance.
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Ishant's strikes cripple England
The Indian bowlers found some swing under the gloomy Nottingham sky but Ballance was resolute in his partnership of 125 with Robson.
The pair, who both hit maiden Test centuries in the 1-0 series defeat by Sri Lanka last month, provided the stability England needed after the loss of under-pressure captain Alastair Cook for five the previous evening.
However, Balance failed to read a full straight delivery from Ishant and was struck on the pads in front of the stumps. He was out leg before after a good knock of 71 from 167 balls, includive of nine fours.
Ishant's double strike reduced to 154 for three in the 56th over.
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England batsmen too cautious in post-lunch session
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni deployed all his five primary bowlers in the morning session, but none could make a lasting impression on the batsmen, who looked to be playing for time without much thought on scoring quickly, as 88 runs came in 31 overs in the first session of play.
But Ishant’s double strike changed the scenario as the new batsmen in displayed too much caution in the post-lunch session and paid the price in the end.
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Bell out to rash shot
Five overs after Ballance departed, Ian Bell (25 runs, 37 balls, 6 fours) was caught behind.
The experienced England batsman played a rash shot to a short ball from Ishant and was snapped up behind the stumps by Dhoni.
Moeen Ali (14 runs, 30 balls, 3 fours) then added 25 runs for the fifth wicket with Root, but he too misjudged another short delivery, this time from Shami as the ball looped up off his gloves and was caught in the slips.
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar steps up
Bhuvneshwar Kumar then stepped up and claimed three wickets, two before the tea break and one in the post-tea session.
First, he dismissed Matt Prior (5) and then Ben Stokes (0), having both caught behind by Dhoni.
The former, though, got a wrong decision as umpire Kumar Dharmasena adjudged him out when there was a clear gap between bat and ball.
It meant England lost six wickets in the session of 25 overs and scored only 74 runs.
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Broad's breezy 47 lifts England
When the teams returned after the tea break, Bhuvneshwar cut short an enterprising knock by Stuart Broad.
The England pacer launched into the Indian bowlers as soon as he took strike, scoring 47 off 42 balls, including nine fours, before Bhuvneshawar trapped him leg before wicket.
Bhuvneshwar then bowled Liam Plunkett to pick his fourth wicket of the innings.
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Broad's breezy 47 lifts England
England redeemed themselves in the final session from a precarious 205 for seven mainly due to Joe Root's responsible knock with the tailenders that got them 147 runs in the final session with the loss of two wickets.
Apart from his stand with James Anderson, he also shared a 78-run eighth wicket partnership with all-rounder Stuart Broad who smashed 47 off 42 balls with nine fours.