1st Test: Rahul takes India's lead to 96 runs after Bumrah's fifer keeps England to 465 (ld)

Leeds, June 22 (IANS) Harry Brook agonisingly missed a century at his home venue by just one run, while Jasprit Bumrah’s magnificent five-wicket haul and KL Rahul’s elegant cover drives left the first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test on an even keel at Headingley on Sunday.

England’s innings ended at 465 runs on day three, leaving India with a narrow six-run lead. Fast-bowling spearhead Bumrah led the charge with an excellent 5-83 – his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests - in 24.4 overs. Bumrah, who picked his third five-wicket haul in England, has also equalled the legendary Kapil Dev for the most fifers picked by a bowler for India in away Tests (12), as his spell ensured the match will be decided through a second innings shootout.

One would wonder how many more wickets Bumrah could have got as four catches were dropped off his bowling in what was a sloppy fielding performance from India. Though Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj were amongst the scalps, they weren’t at their best to curb the scoring rate.

Rahul then got India’s second innings underway with great watchfulness before unleashing effortless elegance in his seven boundaries – four of which were via picture-perfect cover-drives to be unbeaten on 47 as India extended their lead to 96 runs after reaching 90/2 in 23.5 overs at the close of play on day three.

With skipper Shubman Gill unbeaten on six, India will be aiming to get more runs on day four after rain forced an early end to day three’s proceedings. Brydon Carse gave England the early breakthrough when he got one to bounce and nip away while bowling from around the wicket and forced Yashasvi Jaiswal into poking at it, as the batter edged behind to Jamie Smith.

While B Sai Sudharsan’s soft hands got him two early boundaries to get his Test runs tally going, Rahul was all class in his on-drive and cover-drive off Carse, before square-driving Josh Tongue and pulling Shoaib Bashir for his boundaries. Sudharsan’s plan to play late and with soft hands fetched him two more boundaries and was even dropped by Ben Duckett at gully.

But three overs before stumps, Sudharsan clipped an inswinger from Ben Stokes to midwicket, who took the catch with ease, as the England skipper dismissed him for the second time in the match. Rahul and Gill ensured there were no more fall of wickets before heading off the field with the game on a knife’s edge heading into the last two days.

Previously, resuming from 209/3 and 262 runs being the deficit, Brook was on the money from the word go, cutting Prasidh Krishna for four before pulling him over midwicket for six. Overnight centurion Ollie Pope added only six runs before edging behind off Prasidh, giving Rishabh Pant his 150th catch in Tests. But Brook continued to stamp his authority with his loft, steer, drive, and ramp shots.

Stokes looked scratchy in his 20 off 52 balls before being caught behind off Mohammed Siraj, which prompted the England skipper to throw his bat in the air in frustration. Smith was solid in getting his boundaries off Siraj and Shardul Thakur, before his inside edge narrowly evaded Sudharsan in a tough take at forward short leg off Jadeja.

Brook’s reprieve on 46 came when Pant failed to gather the ball and couldn’t take the catch on rebound, again off Jadeja, who found some help from the pitch, before lunch break arrived. The post-lunch session began with Smith taking a four and six each off Prasidh’s short balls via pulls. But in a bid to pull the pacer again, he didn’t get enough connection on the ball, as some outstanding relay work from Sudharsan and Jadeja ensured Prasidh bagged a crucial wicket.

With Siraj wayward in his lengths, Brook thrashed him for back-to-back boundaries, before being given a reprieve on 83 as Jaiswal put down a catch in the gully region. Brook continued to drill boundaries, before falling one run short of a century - he had no control over the pull on a bouncer from Prasidh and once long leg completed the catch, the right-handed batter had to make a long walk back to the dressing room.

With India bowling too many boundary balls, Woakes and Carse collected their runs easily, before the former brought up his 2,000 Test runs in style, with consecutive sixes on short balls from Prasidh – over mid-wicket and third man respectively. Carse then smacked Siraj for two more fours before being castled by a yorker from the pacer, as the rollicking counter-attacking partnership 55-run stand between him and Woakes came to an end.

Woakes’ lovely innings was brought to an end by Bumrah, who beat him on the inside edge with a tight fuller ball and went through the gate to hit the stumps. Bumrah eventually picked his five-wicket hail with another impeccable delivery which hit Josh Tongue’s top of off-stump to ensure India took a first innings lead and then swelled it to leave the match on a knife edge.

Brief Scores: India 471 and 90/2 in 23.5 overs (KL Rahul 47 not out, B Sai Sudharsan 30; Ben Stokes 1-18, Brydon Carse 1-27) lead England 465 in 100.4 overs (Ollie Pope 106, Harry Brook 99; Jasprit Bumrah 5-83, Prasidh Krishna 3-128) by 96 runs

--IANS

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