Siraj helps India take 124-run first innings lead against England in third Test; India 44/1 at Tea

Mohammad Siraj (Photo: BCCI/X)

Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], February 17 (ANI): Right-arm seamer Mohammad Siraj’s outstanding spell helped India take a 170-run lead at Tea on the third day of the third Test being played at Niranjan Shah Stadium on Saturday.

At Tea on Day 3, India are 44/1 with Yashasvi Jaiswal (19) and Shubman Gill (5) unbeaten at the crease.

England resumed the post-lunch session from 290/5 with Ben Stokes (39) and Ben Foakes (6) unbeaten at the crease.

Inside nine runs, the Three Lions first lost the wicket of Foakes (13) and then the wicket of Stokes (41). England were 299 and lost their next two wickets at the score of 314 runs as Rehan Ahmed (6) and Tom Hartley (9) went to the pavilion. James Anderson was the last man to go and scored only one run.

English were all-out for 319 runs it is the third successive time that India has taken a first-innings lead in the five-match series. India led by 124 runs before the start of their second innings.

Other than left-hand opener Ben Duckett, who scored 153 runs with the help of 23 fours and two sixes, no bather was able to hit a big score.

For India, Siraj snapped four crucial wickets in his spell of 21.1 overs and conceded 84 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav got two wickets each and Jasprit Bumrah and Ashwin had to be satisfied with one wicket each.

Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal came to open for India and the two batters put on 30 runs before England struck with the first wicket, Rohit, who scored a century in the first innings, went back on score of 19 runs which included three boundaries.

Gill and Jaiswal have put together 14 runs so far.

Starting Day Three, Jasprit Bumrah drew first blood as he removed Joe Root for 18 runs, breaking a 42(60) partnership. Root tried to play a scoop shot and steal a boundary. However, the shot lacked timing as Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was placed at the slip, took a fantastic catch.

Kuldeep Yadav provided Team India with another breakthrough as he dismissed Jonny Bairstow for a duck. Despite losing two wickets in quick succession, England kept up the momentum. Duckett took a single off Kuldeep Yadav’s delivery and brought up his 150. He took 139 balls to reach the feat.

Duckett’s splendid innings came to an end as he tried to play a shot into the cover for a boundary but Gill intercepted and took a brilliant catch of the bowling of Kuldeep.

After the dismissal of Duckett, the onus lay on the shoulders of Ben Stokes to take England ahead in the game and the captain kept the scoreboard ticking. The duo of Stokes and Ben Foakes rotated the strike, not allowing the Indian bowlers to settle down while whacking the loose balls on offer.

The visitors ended the first session of the day at 290/5 with Stokes (39) and Ben Foakes (6) at the crease.

Earlier at Stumps on Day Two, England were sitting pretty at 207/2, going at a run-a-ball rate and trailing India by just 238 runs.

Brief Score: India 445 & 44/1 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 19*, Rohit Sharma 19, Joe Root 1/19) vs England 319 (Ben Duckett 153, Ben Stokes 41, Mohammad Siraj 4/84). (ANI)

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