India continues to manage its second Test, despite centuries in England by Harry Brook and Jamie Smith on the third day.
England had little to celebrate as India had controlled the second Test on the third day of Edbaston’s turbulence for centuries from Harry Brook and Jamie Smith.
Resuming 77-3 on Friday, replied to India’s Mammoth’s first inning 587, England lost Joe Root and Ben Stokes stokes a second consecutive ball from Mohammed Siraj, but he recovered purely thanks to Brooke (158) and Smith (not his career-best 184).
After winning the second new ball, India claimed that it had rejected the 407 home team with England’s final five wickets with just 44 balls. Brooke and Smith accounted for 342 of those runs, leading in 180 innings.
The UK had six ducks in total, with Shiraj’s 6-70 figure.
The Indians were hit under the clouds, reaching the stump 64-1 – a loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal (28) alone, resuming 244 runs on Saturday, earning a series victory in their field of vision.
Rokesh Rahul was undefeated with 28 and 7 along with Kalun Naia.
“We’re pretty far ahead right now,” Shiraj said.
The UK was in a huge, huge hole with a huge look when Route and Stokes left to leave their side at 84-5 and still left with more than 500 runs.
Shiraj took off the roots of England’s best batsman – 22 and seduced Nick to the side of his leg, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pants earned a diving catch, then turned the captain into a golden duck. Stokes rose suddenly, and returned to the dressing room after a stitched delivery came out of his bat’s shoulder and flashed into his pants.
The UK was shaken, but Smith and Brook played as if pressure was not under any pressure on the counterattack Liposte.
“Hopefully we’re back in the game,” Brooke said. “I tried to bat as much as I could, but Smudge (Smith) tried to regain momentum. He’s an incredible player.”
Smith faced a hat-trick ball and hit it with four, continuing to create the biggest score by England’s wicketkeeper, surpassing Alec Stewart. He competed for his second Test 100 before lunch with just 80 balls. The third fastest by the British included overs when four people pulled and broke Prashidi Krishna with 6 and 4. Smith was dropped into pants at 121 after a tough chance.
Brooke compiled his ninth Test 100 in 27 matches and scored three-digit numbers. Thanks to the elegant, slow cuts from the four after being rejected at 99 in the first Test held at Headingley last week.
Brook was a British star of all forms, and was visible after a convulsion, changing Indian tactics and bowling widely in skewed fields outside the stumps.
Soon after that, he was bowled by Akash Deep (4-88) – armed with a second new ball, serenaded as he left Ginger.
That sunk British late collapse saw numbers 11-11 (Brydon Curse, Josh Tann, Shauyve Bashir) removed for the ducks and joined Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Stokes.
The tongue responded by locking up Jaiswal LBW, but India finished the day in the driver’s seat.
“If I didn’t come out, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now,” Brooke said.
“Hopefully we can put pressure on the early wickets and break them down.”
