Kolkata: A gritty knock by Ravichandran Ashwin (83*) and some spirited performance by the tail-enders helped India delay the inevitable on the fourth day of the third Test here at the Eden Gardens today.
After conceding a lead of 207, India batting line-up collapsed like a house of cards and somehow crawled to 239-9 taking a lead of 32 and stretching the match to the final day.
With just a wicket required by England and one full day, a victory very much looks on cards for England and take an unassailable 2-1 lead in this four match Test series.
It was due to Ashwin and the lower-order batsmen that helped India recover from 159-8 and avoid an innings defeat.
Starting the innings, openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag got India off to a great start and put up a partnership of 86 at lunch. But Sehwag fell in the first ball in the post lunch session opening the floodgates.
Sehwag scored 49 off 57 balls including seven boundaries. Cheteshwar Pujara was the next man to go after he ran he himself out.
He was followed by Gambhir. He was out for 40 off 104 balls laced with four hits to fence and one six. Sachin Tendulkar who returned to form in the first innings of the match was the next to fall followed by Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Virat Kohli was looking good and played cautiously but his resistance was cut short Steven Finn. With the tail exposed it looked like the match will come to an end with a day left, but Ashwin along with Pragyan Ojha and Ishant Sharma helped India hung to their skin by the teeth.
The last two wickets put up 80 runs to help India avoid an embarrassing innings defeat. Ashwin in his unbeaten 151-ball innings hit 13 boundaries.
Finn (3/37), James Anderson (2/38) and Graeme Swann were (2/70) were the wicket-takers for England.
Earlier starting the day, England lost their last four wickets after adding only 14 runs to their overnight score of 509-6 to bundle out for 523.
Pragyan Ojha was the pick of the bowler for India with his figures of 4-142, while R Ashwin chipped in with 3-183.
By Indian Sports News Network