ENG vs IND: 3rd Test, Day three – Talking points from India’s solid batting show
After two complete days of domination by England, the ongoing Test match at the Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds saw a little shift in momentum. Early on day three, India were quick to wrap up England’s tail for 432. This gave the hosts a supreme first innings lead of 354 runs. However, India responded well with the bat with three of the top four batsmen getting off to starts. The visitors ended the day on 215 for 2 in 80 overs, with the new ball due on day four. Here are some of the talking points from day three:
Pujara stands tall in crisis
Harsha Bhogle on-air said at one point, “when Pujara bats well, India do well.” For the visitors to make a comeback of sorts in Leeds, it was important for Pujara to make some runs and he managed to do exactly that. From the moment he walked in, he looked confident. During his stay at the crease, no one could look back at the runs and say that he was scoring slowly. He was as fluent as fans would’ve remembered him to be during his peak. He ended the day on 91 and would be looking to get his first Test ton since January 2019 on day four.
Rohit Sharma delivers yet again in challenging conditions
There has been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma’s ability to open in challenging conditions in England, but this tour is turning out to be the highest point in his Test career. Coming into bat on day three would have been mentally difficult after what happened in the first innings. It was important for India to get a good start. Under overcast conditions, the Mumbai batsman was all class. He was eventually dismissed for 59, for which he batted for 156 balls. A patient and crucial knock which was oozing Test match temperament all over the place.
Virat Kohli gets a start
Virat Kohli has not looked out of touch in any of the recent knocks that he has played in Test cricket. But, he has failed to get starts and get past 30 more often. However, on day three, the Indian captain was in his own zone and batted brilliantly. There was talk that he should not drive through the covers but he backed himself to score freely. He ended the day on 45 not out and would be looking to convert this knock into a big ton tomorrow.
