England has secured a b lead of 186 runs in the ongoing Test match against India. By the end of play on Friday, England had scored 544 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their first innings.
IND vs ENG 4th Test Day 3: England has taken a firm grip on the fourth Test match against India on the third day. Thanks to a brilliant century from Joe Root and a solid batting performance by the English batsmen, the home team has gained a lead of 186 runs over India. At the close of play on the third day, England had scored 544 runs for the loss of 7 wickets, while India's first innings was limited to 358 runs.
At stumps, Ben Stokes was unbeaten on 77 runs and Chris Woakes on 4 runs. In this massive innings by England, the Indian bowlers looked ineffective, and it was a very challenging day for Team India.
Root and Pope's Explosive Partnership Changed the Course of the Match
England resumed their innings on the third day from their overnight score of 225/2. Ollie Pope (20 runs) and Joe Root (11 runs) were at the crease, both not out. These two paid no heed to the Indian bowlers in the first session and quickly scored runs, increasing the pressure on India. Root and Pope formed a partnership of 144 runs for the third wicket. This partnership not only stabilized England's innings but also allowed them to dominate India.
Ollie Pope played a useful innings of 71 runs, while Joe Root batted amazingly, scoring 150 runs off 248 balls. This was Root's 38th Test century, and he played it with great responsibility.
Joe Root Becomes the Second-Highest Run-Scorer in Test Cricket
In this match, Root achieved another historic milestone. He surpassed Australia's Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Ponting had 13378 runs, while Root now has 13379 runs* to his name. India's great batsman Sachin Tendulkar holds the first position in this list with 15921 runs.
During the innings, England suffered a setback when captain Ben Stokes retired hurt. He complained of cramps in his left leg, but he returned to the field after a while and continued to put pressure on India. He played an unbeaten innings of 77 runs off 134 balls with the help of 6 fours. Among the other batsmen, Jamie Smith scored 9 runs, Liam Dawson scored 21 runs (2 fours in 52 balls), and Chris Woakes is at the crease with 4 runs.
Failure of Indian Bowlers
The Indian bowlers did not perform as expected on the third day. Despite their hard work throughout the day, the English batsmen thoroughly tired them out. Although Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar took 2 wickets each, while Jasprit Bumrah, Anshul Kamboj, and Mohammed Siraj took 1 wicket each, overall the bowlers struggled. The lack of variety and aggression in the bowling was evident on the third day, which the English batsmen took full advantage of.
Score Summary
- India First Innings: 358/10
- England First Innings: 544/7
- Joe Root – 150 runs
- Ollie Pope – 71 runs
- Ben Stokes – 77* runs
- Lead over India: 186 runs
