India are just six wickets away from a comprehensive victory against England in the third Test at Mohali. If they win, Virat Kohli & Co take an unassailable lead in the five-match series against the tourists.
On Monday, India achieved a feat for the first time since it started playing Test cricket in 1932. With Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav’s fifties, it is for the first time that the home team’s No 7, 8 and 9 batsmen have scored half-centuries in an innings.
When India resumed their innings from 271/6 on day 3, the Poms were expecting to clean up the lower order and gain a decent first innings lead. With Ravichandran Ashwin (57*) and Ravindra Jadeja (31*) coming out to bat, the tourists had no idea what was in store.
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Ashwin has been in the form of his life and has gradually emerged as a genuine bowling all-rounder. After he removed English skipper Alastair Cook early in the first innings, the Tamil Nadu offie shone with the bat with his innings of 72. Soon, Jadeja joined the run feast and brought up his 50 with a unique celebration. Sadly, he fell short of a maiden Test hundred by ten runs.
Watch @imjadeja do the traditional sword dance with his bat as he brings up his FIFTY!!! @Paytm Test Cricket #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/z1EWOUC8ZC
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 28, 2016
If Ashwin and Jadeja made lives difficult for the English bowlers, Jayant Yadav compounded their miseries by putting up a maiden fifty in only his second Test match. The trio helped India to impose a competitive total of 417 as compared to England’s score of 283.
Here comes the 1st Test 50 for Jayant Yadav @Paytm Test Cricket #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Ul4ZgVaceS
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 28, 2016
It will be interesting to see how the English batsmen play the Indian spinners after having conceded a lot of runs while fielding.
