India gain an edge in fourth Test despite Moeen’s five-wicket haul

Moe en ali recorded his second successive five-wicket Test haul at the Ageas Bowl but was unable to stop Cheteshwar Pujara edging a mid-match advantage for India.

Moeen (five for 63), back for his first Test in five months, put England fleetingly on course for a first-innings lead. Pujara (132no) prevented that, though, with a near five-hour century – his 15th in Tests and fifth against England – as India reached 273 all out in reply to 246 by stumps on day two.

However, many of India’s specialist batsmen failed to fulfil their brief and Pujara was left to eke out 78 runs in stands with numbers 10 and 11.

Moeen put the tourists in a spin either side of tea, taking four wickets for eight runs in 16 balls as they faltered from 142 for two to 195 for eight.

Stuart Broad (three for 63) delivered with the wickets of both openers as KL Rahul fell lbw and Shikhar Dhawan was caught behind by a tumbling Jos Buttler. A 92-run stand followed, with Pujara more convincing than Virat Kohli – who moved past 6,000 Test runs with a chisel through the vacant gully off James Anderson before being caught at slip off Sam Curran.

The introduction of Ben Stokes first started to make things happen more quickly for England and Rahane was dismissed lbw.

Pujara took on a Stokes short ball and was hit on the helmet, which brought a near ten-minute delay for a concussion test.

Rishabh Pant went to the last ball before the break, the eighth lbw departure of the match, for a 29-ball duck and Hardik Pandya clipped Moeen to a diving Root at short midwicket.

Then the off-spinner put himself on a hat-trick. Ravi Ashwin bottom-edged on to his leg stump, and Moham- med Shami lost his off-bail first ball. But Ishant Sharma kept out the hat-trick ball at the start of Moeen’s next over, and stayed put to help add 32 runs until he was well caught by Alastair Cook at short leg.

Pujara completed his 210ball century with a chip over Moeen’s head before Bumrah was caught at slip. That allowed for four overs in which Cook and Keaton Jennings survived on six for none.