England vs India Third Test Day 3 Highlights: MS Dhoni Fifty Holds India Together After Anderson, Broad Strike
MS Dhoni hit his 31st Test fifty as India went to stumps at 323/8, still trailing England by 246 runs, after James Anderson and Stuart Broad snared three wickets apiece. Get all the highlights here.
MS Dhoni waged a lone war for India, who went to stumps on 323/8, trailing England by 246 runs. (SCORECARD).
23:06 IST: Stumps. India 323/8 and trail England by 246 runs. MS Dhoni not out on 50 and Shami unbeaten on 4. India need another 47 to avoid the follow-on.
22:56 IST: MS Dhoni is looking to hit Broad out of the park in what could possibly be the last over of the day. There was a big inside edge on the bat and he could have played it on.
22:46 IST: WICKET! Kumar is gone for 19 as Broad strikes for the third time. India are now in real danger of falling short of the follow-on target. They are 313/8.
22:37 IST: Kumar cracks another boundary as India get past 300. And he follows it up with another four. What a series Kumar has had. India 305/7 and need 65 more to avoid the follow-on.
22:35 IST: Kumar hammers Broad for a FOUR! and he has now faced the most balls by a number 9 in a Test series. India are 297/7.
22:30 IST: Kumar has looked solid in the course of his brief stay at the crease. MS Dhoni needs him to put up a good show here as India reach 291/7. India need to get to 370 to avoid the follow-on.
22:21 IST: India are reeling, thanks mostly to poor shot selection by the top-order. If one of them had stuck around to get a big one, the tourists could have been in a better position. Will Kumar share another stand with Dhoni to avoid the follow-on?
22:09 IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has joined Dhoni in the middle, has three half-centuries in the series and he can hold his own against the English pace onslaught.
22:01 IST: WICKET! And that's the end of Jadeja for 31 as Anderson traps him lbw. What a moment this must be for the English pacer. India are 275/7 and still trail by 294 runs.
© AP
21:57 IST: Jadeja has played some audacious shots against the England new-ball bowlers. Interestingly, he has taken Anderson on a couple of times too.
21:52 IST: FOUR! Anderson pitches it up and Jadeja smashes it right back past him; the 50 stand up between him and Dhoni.
21:46 IST: India are 258/6 and need 112 more to avoid the follow-on.
21:38 IST: All of India's batsmen have fallen after getting starts and they have perished to poor shots. MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja have got off to starts as well and they need to ensure that the partnership is sustained. They have to bat for time and curb their natural aggressive tendencies .
21:35 IST: FOUR! Jadeja charges down the pitch to hammer Broad for a boundary. How smart that was is extremely debatable. India 252/6.
© AP
21:27 IST: Cricket has not given much joy this week but Amit Kumar won India their eighth gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Check out how India are doing here.
21:21 IST: New ball taken. Dhoni and Jadeja have a stiff challenge now with Anderson and Broad looking to steam in for a last burst.
21:10 IST: The new ball is due in a couple of overs and Alastair Cook will be certain to take it. With the last four wickets remaining, England would be looking to wrap this innings up quickly. The way the tourists have gone today, don't be surprised if England bat again tonight.
20:56 IST: Dhoni and Jadeja together at the crease, with India in dire straits. They are 228/6 and trail by 341.
20:54 IST: CWG Flash: Sanjeev Rajput wins Silver in 50m Rifle 3 Positions Event while Gagan Narang wins Bronze. Check out all the updates from Glasgow here.
20:40 IST: WICKET! This is poor, poor batting. Moeen Ali gets a wicket with a ball that did not deserve it. Rahane, of all batsmen tried to hit a boundary off a shortish length but only mistimed it. That's the end of it and India are 217/6 and trail by 352 runs.
© AP
20:10 IST: India are 214/5 at Tea on Day 3 and trail England by 355 runs.
20:06 IST: WICKET! Horrible shot by Rohit Sharma, minutes before tea and he has fallen to Moeen Ali, leaving India in all sorts of trouble at 210/5. MS Dhoni walks in to join Rahane and for sure, he is not a very happy captain at the moment.
19:50 IST: Fifty for Ajinkya Rahane, his third in Test cricket. He has been in brilliant form through the series and will be key to India's chances in this Test. Rohit Sharma, at the other end, is also looking good. India are 200/4.
19:43 IST: FOUR! That's the Rohit Sharma we know as he charges down the track to hoist Moeen Ali.
19:36 IST: India are 179/4 and there is about half-an-hour left for tea. If they go to the second break without losing another wicket, it could be their session. But England, undoubtedly, still have the upper hand.
19:31 IST: India have certainly looked more assured with Rahane and Rohit in the middle. The two are taking their time but building another solid stand. The sun is out and the pitch is still good to bat on. How far can India stall?
19:23 IST: The deficit is now under 400 but India still have a mountain to climb. Rahane, Rohit, Dhoni and Jadeja are good. Are they, however, good enough to save this Test? Twelve years ago, Rahul Dravid had cracked 217 to ensure a draw after England's first innings score of over 500. Who will emulate 'The Wall' here?
19:21 IST: FOUR! Brilliant shot by Rahane off Jordan, who has been the weak link in the English attack today. That was a wrong line to bowl to an in-form batsman and Rahane was prompt to send it scorching through cover and FOUR! Rahane at it again, through cover again. India are 169/4.
19:11 IST: Three Indian batsmen got off to starts but were dismissed in disappointing ways. Pujara (24), Vijay (35) and finally Kohli (39) were all poised to play long innings but they let the side down with poor shot-selection. Can Rahane and Rohit stay up?
© AP
19:07 IST: Rohit Sharma is settling down nicely with Rahane as India try to work their way out of deep trouble. Both batsmen are fluent and free-flowing and have the skills to deliver under enormous pressure.
18:54 IST: Rahane was unlucky to be given out in the second innings at Lord's, but was lucky to survive a confident appeal against Moeen Ali. Can he make it count? He is in prime form and he showed it with a fluent hundred in the second Test. India are 148/4.
© AP
18:48 IST: Rohit Sharma, averages a shade under 24 in five overseas Tests after scoring two hundreds in his first two Tests, at home, against the West Indies. He has a point to prove today. Can he do it with his Mumbai teammate, Rahane at the other end?
18:42 IST: WICKET! This is disaster for India as Virat Kohli perishes to James Anderson. They are 136/4 and still trailing England by 433. Kohli was squared up and edged it to Cook in the slip cordon. England are calling the shots.
© AP
18:31 IST: Kohli and Rahane are stitching up a nice partnership after Broad struck twice this morning. The two batsmen at the crease have solid techniques and if they spend enough time in they middle, India can keep England at bay.
© AP
18:19 IST: Kohli has looked more and more assured with every minute he has spent at the crease. In a chat with Sanjay Manjrekar during the lunch break, Rahul Dravid also backed Kohli to get back to form.
18:11 IST: FOUR! Rahane opens proceedings after lunch with a beautiful shot against Moeen Ali. India are 114/3, still trailing England by 455 runs.
17:31 IST: Lunch on Day 3. India are 108/3, trail England by 461 runs. Kohli and Rahane are the unbeaten batsmen after Broad struck twice to put the tourists in trouble.
Ian Bell hurt his thumbs while fielding and has been sent for scans. Read here
17:25 IST: Lunch is approaching on Day 3, but there is no dearth of sporting action. Not too far from Southampton, India are having another field day at the Commonwealth Games. Read here.
17:23 IST: Rahane has looked strong ever since he came to the crease. Ganguly says the Indians have the kind of batting line-up which would would give their fans a lot of confidence. It all depends on how they bat in the remainder of this Test match; it's still a long way to go for them.
17:18 IST: Moeen Ali in the attack, minutes before lunch. Sourav Ganguly feels Alastair Cook may have missed a trick by not bringing Anderson back on now. But Ali appeals immediately for a leg-side catch against Rahane; replays showed the ball took the glove on the way to the 'keeper Buttler. India are 105/3.
17:07 IST: With lunch approaching, Cook has brought back Woakes into the attack. It could take the pressure off India, especially Kohli who seems keen to battle poor form with aggression. But England will be happy in the knowledge that the morning session has yielded two key wickets.
17:00 IST: India are 90/3 and so far this session has belonged to England, who have leaked a few runs but have snared two crucial wickets. India need Kohli and Rahane to fire big time now if they are still harbouring any hopes of a draw.
16:48 IST: WICKET! Broad is turning it entirely in England's favour; he has struck for the second time this morning and has now knocked over India's best batsman of the series. In walks Rahane to join Kohli in the middle. India are 88/3 and trail by 481 runs.
© AP
16:36 IST: Vijay (28 not out) has got off to another start and so far this series, he has made all his starts count. Kohli needs to hang around and bide his time. India have the batting depth and the skills to work their way to safety.
16:30 IST: FOUR! On the up and on the rise from Murali Vijay, who presents the full face of the bat to Jordan. India are 75/2.
16:28 IST: FOUR! Wrong length from Chris Jordan and beautiful cover drive from Kohli. Draws praise from Dravid again. That is a top shot from a top player.
16:25 IST: Kohli has looked out of sorts so far in this series but he is too good a batsman to miss out for too long. India need him to fire in this Test. He has a flat pitch in his favour. Can he make it count?
16:15 IST: WICKET! Huge blow for India. Broad has removed Pujara with a snorter. England are over the moon and why not. The Indian number three was looking good early on and could have been major stumbling block for the hosts. An out-of-form and determined Kohli walks in to join Vijay.
© AP
tense morning for india. batting has actually looked good but needs one good ball as pujara discovered!
- Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 29, 2014
16:11 IST: FOUR! Cracking shot by Murali Vijay, as he clips Anderson on the on-side. Dravid quips on air: "Third boundary from Murali Vijay, probably his best." And when The Wall says something like that, who are we to argue? Things looking up for India; 56/1.
16:09 IST: Meanwhile, this series has not been short of controversies. First it was the Trent Bridge pitch, then the Anderson - Jadeja brawl and nowMoeen Ali has been banned from wearing a wristband in support of Gaza. The ECB have of course supported their player, but it is likely that the world has not head the last of it.
16:06 IST: Fine shot from Vijay for three runs and that's the 50 up for India. So far so good for the tourists but they need to bat long and deep together.
16:05 IST: FOUR! First runs from Vijay this morning. He has been rather watchful and patient this morning but the Indian team management won't mind. They want him to stay in the middle for as long as possible.
16:00 IST: FOUR! Text-book straight drive by Pujara to a good ball from Anderson. Top shot that as India reach 45/1. Vijay, by the way, has not added to his overnight score yet.
15:52 IST: Pujara and Vijay are looking very fluent early on and their innings will be crucial in the context of the game. Sunil Gavaskar feels India can't win this Test for sure and he is pinning his hopes on the two batsmen in the middle to try and work on a draw. They are certainly capable of doing that.
15:43 IST: FOUR! Pujara uses soft hands to crack Woakes away for the first boundary of the day. India need to keep scoring runs as an overtly defensive tactics could work against them.
© AP
15:33 IST: Two runs from the first over of the day, bowled by Anderson. India are 27/1.
15:28 IST: Both the teams and fans marked a minute's silence for cricketers who lost their lives in World War 1. Play starting shortly.
© AP
Murali Vijay, among big runs in this series, and Cheteshwar Pujara will lead India's fightback against a spirited English attack that has already gobbled up an out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan just before stumps on Day 2, Monday (DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS).
India start at 25/1. With the addition of Rohit Sharma (at the expense of Stuart Binny), India have sufficient batting depth. The first session today will be crucial. The ball is only 14 overs old and James Anderson, who has been all fire and brimstone in this series, will be Alastair Cook's go-to man. Anderson found Dhawan's edge and Cook made no mistake behind the stumps. The English pace attack will look for more such 'edges'.
The Southampton Test has been all about England so far. Ian Bell returned to form in spectacular fashion with a superb 167 and debutant Jos Buttler also shone to help England strengthen their dominant position. England, 1-0 down in the five-match series after losing at Lord's last week, declared on 569 for seven in their first innings after a quickfire 85 full of expansive strokes by new Test wicketkeeper Buttler.
Previously beleaguered England, who have not won in 10 Tests, will look to ram home their advantage and try to avoid having to bat again if they can enforce a follow-on. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar is sure England won't lose this Test match.
"I feel like I've been playing well recently but I have found strange ways to get out so it's nice to get a big hundred and contribute," Bell told reporters. "It's been frustrating for me personally and the team lately but hopefully we can push this game on and getting runs is a good habit to start."
Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will know a few things of this Southampton wicket. "The wicket was quite easy for the batsmen and it has been a long time in the field for us," said Kumar, who took 3-101. But India will expect the top order to stand up and deliver.
While Indian batting will be in focus, all eyes will also be on Moeen Ali. Not for his spin bowling but for a "Save Gaza" wristband that has injected fresh controversy in the series. Moeen Ali could face ICC sanctions for violating rules on clothing and gear. England are backing the Birmingham-born all-rounder.
It's all set for an exciting Day 3. Get all the live updates.