Fourth Test: India hit back after being dismissed for 191

LONDON: Indian batsmen floundered once again but the wicket of Joe Root, who was bowled by Umesh Yadav for 21, kept them alive in the fourth Test of the ongoing series. England went to stumps at 53/3 in response to India's 191 in the first innings. They trail by 138 runs and have seven wickets in hand.

India, thanks to half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur managed to get close to 200. At 127/7, it seemed that England would dismiss India for below 150. However, Thakur, the medium-pace bowling all-rounder played audacious shots to chip in with 57 off 36 balls to give the total some modesty.

India, who lost three wickets in the first session, lost three more in the second session.

Ravindra Jadeja, promoted to No. 5, was out in the slips off the bowling of Chris Woakes for 10.

Then, skipper Virat Kohli, who looked the best of the Indian batsmen, was caught behind off Ollie Robinson for 50. This was Kohli's 27th Test half-century and comprised eight fours.

At the stroke of tea, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed, caught in the slips off Craig Overton for just 14.

The Indian openers started well to reach 28/0 in first seven overs, especially with K.L. Rahul playing some lovely drives. But Chris Woakes, introduced in the ninth over, dismissed Rohit Sharma (11) with an absolute peach of a delivery. Nipping off the pitch with extra bounce from short of length, Woakes forced Sharma to play at it. The ball took the outer edge of the shoulder of the bat to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

Rahul (17) became the second wicket to fall in the 14th over when a full nip-backer from Ollie Robinson crashed high into the back pad. Rahul took the review but replays showed the ball hitting the top of middle-stump.

Cheteshwar Pujara stopped a run of seven maidens with a flick through square leg. But he couldn't last long as James Anderson dismissed him for the 11th time in Test cricket. Anderson got the outswinger to move away in the 20th over. Pujara (4) charged down to prod but nicked behind to Bairstow.

Brief Scores: India 191 ( Shardul Thakur 57, Virat Kohli 50, Chris Woakes 4/55, Ollie Robinson 3/38) vs England 55/3 (Jasprit Bumrah 2/15). IANS

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