Pant-pujara stand

Within two overs India’s captain and vice-captain were back as India were reduced to 73/4. And a little less than three weeks after they had rescued India from a precarious position in Brisbane, Pujara and Pant were back leading the fightback.

Pant answered fire with fire. He took on left-arm spinner Jack

Leach, who was trying to target the rough near the off-stump, with five sixes. With his powerpacked shots, Pant took the pitch out of equation and raced towards his fourth half-century in five innings. At the other end, Pujara too played his shots, completing a patient half-century.

From 73/4 to 154/4 at tea, the partnership of the two most contrasting batsmen in this Indian line-up gave them hope though they were more than 400 runs behind. Their 119-run stand off 145 balls was broken by Bess in a freakish dismissal. Pujara’s pull off a shorter ball from Bess ricocheted off short leg fielder Pope as he tried to duck and lobbed to Rory Burns at short mid-wicket.

With Pant continuing in the only way he can, Bess needed to produce something special. Post Pujara’s dismissal, it had looked like he was struggling with his length. But Pant’s all-out aggression meant a chance always lurked. It came in the form of a mistimed shot against wider delivery that was caught by Leach at deep cover.

Though Washington Sundar and R Ashwin stitched a 104-ball unbeaten 32-run stand after that, they will be under immense pressure on the fourth day.

“These two can certainly bat. We don’t want to look too forward. First we need to end the first innings and then we can take it from there,” Bess said. “Collectively we have taken six wickets today. It has started to spin. We are pretty close the second new ball, so we are in a great seat at the moment.”

TV timing: India v England, Day 4, Live on Star Sports 1 & HD 1, 9:30am