Birmingham: An obdurate fifty not out by makeshift opener Cheteshwar Pujara kept India ahead of England despite Jonny Bairstow's scintillating 106 on Day 3 of the delayed fifth Test at Edgbaston here on Sunday.
India posted 125/3 at stumps for an overall lead of 257 with Pujara and Rishabh Pant batting on 50 and 30, respectively.
Pujara was at his usual best, grinding the score and not missing out on scoring opportunities, while Pant curbed his aggressive instincts and batted steadily to see India through to the close of play. He did not go after Joe Root's tempting deliveries.
England struck early in India's second innings as James Anderson removed Shubnam Gill (4) in the very first over.
Pujara and Hanuma Vihari stitched a 39-run stand for the second wicket before the Hyderabad lad fell to Stuart Broad for 11.
The Saurashtra batsman then partnered with former India captain Virat Kohli who played confidently, striking the ball exquisitely well in his brief stay at the crease. He fell to an unplayable Ben Stokes' ball that unfortunately kicked up from a length after he made 20 off 40 balls with four hits to the fence.
Kohli edged the ball behind the stumps, but Sam Billings did not hold on to the catch and the ball popped towards Joe Root at first slip who did not make any mistake.
India took a sizable 132-run first-innings lead against England, despite Bairstow’s third successive ton.
Mohammad Siraj finished with figures 4 for 66, while Jasprit Bumrah bagged three wickets to bowl out England for 284 midway into the second session, with Bairstow scoring a brilliant 106 off 140 balls.
Earlier, an on-field squabble stirred Bairstow to launch an assault in an attempt to salvage England's first innings after they were in deep straits after having lost five wickets for 84 runs.
Bairstow and Stokes had survived a critical first half-hour against Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, whose deliveries were doing a bit in overcast conditions, beating them on multiple times before the centurion unleashed the counter-punch.
But Stokes fell to Shardul Thakur after Bumrah took a splendid goal-kepeer type diving catch. Bairstow was adjudged lbw to Thakur on 81 but he opted for DRS that went in his favour as the replays confirmed the ball caressed his pad.
Bairstow completed his hundred soon after lunch by punching Thakur off the backfoot on the off side as Ravindra Jadeja overran the ball that rolled over the boundary. His blistering knock, which was studded with 14 boundaries and 2 sixes, came to an end after Siraj had him caught at slip off a thick edge.
India lead the five-match series 2-1.
Brief scores: India 125/3 (Cheteshwar Pujara 50*, Rishabh Pant 30*; James Anderson 1-26) & 416 lead England 284 (Jonny Bairstow 106, Sam Billings 36; Mohammed Siraj 4-66, Jasprit Bumrah 3-68) by 257 runs. (UNI)
(Photo Credit: Twitter/BCCI)
