Rajkot: Day 3 did not begin as the hosts would have liked as Gautam Gambhir was caught leg before wicket (plumb) in the very first over of Stuart Broad when the score was 68 and Gambhir added just one run to his yesterday's tally. But after that it was a day when two Indian Test specialists showed their class.
Murali Vijay (126 of 301 balls) and Cheteshwar Pujara (124 of 206 balls) put together a double hundred run partnership and gave no chance whatsoever to the visiting team. Their innings were more crucial because 68/1 wasn't that fancy a score and it could have been an opportunity for England to get a big first innings lead had they not allowed the two batsman to flourish, more so because they got the first wicket fell quite early in the day.
It was only after Pujara was dismissed by Stokes that England could revive a hope of comeback in the game and that's exactly what happened. There was a slight twist in the tale when the story was about to end for the day. England picked up two wickets in last four balls that just made a terrific day for India a little less gorgeous and going back to the dressing room England would definitely feel more energised and happy and Virat Kohli who is unbeaten on 26 of 70 balls might have become a bit less happy than he would have been five minutes before the end of day's play.
The first one to go for was Vijay. Rashid finally got his man with a googly. With the extra bit of bounce the ball took Vijay's gloves and the formality was completed by the fielder at short leg. When Vijay got out, five minutes remained in the day's play and in came night watchman Amit Mishra, who couldn't survive more than two balls and was also caught at short leg this time the bowler being Ansari. And as Mishra got out, stumps were called by the umpires.
The last couple of wickets certainly has made the contest thrilling but how will skipper Kohli go about things tomorrow morning will have a huge impact on where the game is heading. On the other hand, Alastair Cook can still dare to hope for a first innings lead, courtesy, two wickets in last four balls. But England would be aware that if they have to make it a reality, they must get rid of Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane early. With no Rohit Sharma, they can then wrap up the lower middle order and the tail-enders. As of today, India are 319/4 still trailing by a 218 runs with six wickets remaining in the first innings. Another gripping contest awaits all of us from Rajkot.