England collapse to 86-6 against India
BIRMINGHAM: England collapsed to 86 for six in their second innings, a lead of just 99 runs, at lunch on the third day of the First Test against India at Edgbaston yesterday.
Ben Stokes was out to what became the last ball before lunch, caught by India captain Virat Kohli off fast bowler Ishant Sharma for six.
Jos Buttler was one not out. England, who resumed on nine for one, lost five wickets in yesterday’s first session.
At lunch, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had figures of three for 34 in 15 overs after dismissing all of England’s top three, while Sharma had taken three for 21 in 6.4 overs — including two wickets in three balls just before the interval to account for Jonny Bairstow and Stokes.
India captain Virat Kohli completed a notable personal milestone on Thursday when he scored his first Test hundred in England.
Kohli, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, managed just 134 runs in five Tests at an average of 13.4 on his maiden tour of England four years ago.
But the now 29-year-old India skipper surpassed that total in one innings with a knock of 149.
Kohli was on 97 when No 11 Umesh Yadav walked out to bat, with India 217 for nine in reply to England's first innings 287.
But a late cut four off allrounder Ben Stokes, his 14th boundary in 172 balls, saw Kohli to a 22nd Test hundred in what is the first of a five-match series.
However, England slip fielder Dawid Malan dropped Kohli twice, on 21 and 51, with James Anderson and Stokes the unlucky bowlers.
Kohli then topped his 2014 series total in the one knock with a two off leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
He was last man out when, cutting at Rashid, he was caught at backward point by Stuart Broad.
In total, Kohli batted for nearly five hours, faced 225 balls, including 22 fours and a six.
He dominated a last-wicket stand of 57 with Umesh Yadav, who made just one, with India just 13 runs adrift at 274 all out.