Shoaib Bashir’s 4-84 gave England a golden opportunity to take control of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi yesterday.
Off-spinner Bashir, who is playing in only his second Test, bowled 31 consecutive overs in a spell that stretched across all three sessions of the second day.
At one stage he picked up three wickets for five runs in 41 deliveries, then crucially got Yashasvi Jaiswal to chop on to his stumps for 73.
From 177-7, India rallied to 219-7 thanks to an unbroken stand of 42 between Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav, leaving the hosts 134 behind the 353 England were dismissed for on Saturday morning.
Joe Root and Ollie Robinson added 102 for the eighth wicket, with Robinson making 58 for his first half-century in Test cricket.
Robinson was the first of three wickets taken in 11 deliveries by Ravindra Jadeja, who mopped up the tail to leave Root unbeaten on 122.
England may have sensed a chance to be batting again before the day was out, but Jurel and Kuldeep fought hard and face the prospect of the second new ball on the third morning.
England have been excellent since they were reduced to 112-5 in spicy conditions on the first morning.
Root mastered the situation, cajoling 241 runs out of England’s last five wickets, then the brilliant Bashir led the visitors’ steady work through the India batting.
Bar fleeting moments, India were outplayed. They were flat during the first hour as Root and Robinson extended their partnership, then their top order would have been blown away had it not been for the prolific Jaiswal and 38 from Shubman Gill.
There were times when the pitch looked docile, but increasing signs of uneven bounce are a good sign for England as they will bowl last in the match.
As a sub-plot, England benefited from three ‘umpire’s call’ lbw decisions, having questioned the decision review system after defeats in the second and third Tests.
Scores:
England: 353 (Root 122 n.o., Robinson 58; Jadeja 4/67)
India: 219-7: (Jaiswal 73; Bashir 4/84, Hartley 2/47)
(BBC sport)
