Buttler leads England fightback
southampton — England were 260 for eight in their second innings, a lead of 233 runs, at stumps on the third day of the fourth Test against India at Southampton on Saturday.
Sam Curran was 37 not out after Adil Rashid (11) was caught behind off Mohammed Shami in the last ball of the day’s play.
Jos Buttler made 69 after Eng- land slumped to 92 for four.
The most India have made in the fourth innings to win a Test in England is 174 at The Oval in 1971. That match also marked their first win in a Test in England.
England lead this five-match series 2-1.
Earlier, the session after tea started disastrously for England when Jonny Bairstow was bowled first ball, driving down the wrong line, to Mohammed Shami who had also claimed the wicket of Keaton Jennings with his last ball before lunch.
At the other end, Root continued to bat positively but every time England have looked like establishing a winning position they have suffered a setback, frequently selfinflicted. This time the blame for an unnecessary run-out probably lay with Stokes, who called for the sharpest of runs to mid-on where Shami picked up and threw down the stumps at the keeper’s end.
Root looked suitably crestfallen but Stokes and Buttler showed the application that has sometimes been lacking with England to reach tea without further alarm.
On this pitch, India may struggle to reach a target beyond 200 against bowlers sensing an opportunity to wrap up the series.
England had resumed on six without loss in the morning — a deficit of 21 — with their openers finally hoping to post the sort of partnership that has eluded them all series.
But Jasprit Bumrah, who had produced an unplayable ball to remove Jennings in the first innings, quickly accounted for Alastair Cook (12) in the second when a full delivery was edged to KL Rahul, who hung on at the third attempt.
Moeen came in next, promoted up the order after scoring a double hundred for his county last month but, on nine, edged Ishant Sharma to Rahul, who took a fine, low catch.
Sharma proved a real handful bowling round the wicket but was twice warned for running on the pitch with his follow through.
Another transgression would have seen him removed from the attack so Virat Kohli decided to replace him with Ravichandran Ashwin at the point when England were most under pressure.
Jennings batted positively against Ashwin, hitting him for two boundaries on either side of the wicket in one over before departing lbw without posting the sort of score that would secure his position after a series of disappointing knocks.
His partnership with Root was worth 59.
England lead the five-test series 2-1. —