India v England 5th Test, Day 3 – 5 Talking Points

The M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai continues to be a belter. After the first couple of days when the batsmen dominated the proceedings the Indian team scored 330 runs in the 88 overs of play and are just 86 runs behind England’s first innings total. With Karun Nair pretty set in the crease with Murali Vijay who joined him towards the end, Team India definitely look in a much better position to obtain control of the match.

1. The opening stand:

The make shift opening pair of KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel started things off pretty well for India last evening and went back together at stumps with a 60-run partnership. They extended it further to 152 today but just when Parthiv looked good to make his half century big he played a loose shot against Moeen Ali and gave Jos Buttler a pretty straight forward catch. He walked back on 71, his highest Test score. Rahul at the other end carried on and scored a big daddy hundred only to fall short of a double ton by a run. The openers gave India a stand they needed in pursuit of a score like 477 in the first innings.

2. Pujara, Kohli fail

Cheteshwar Pujara who looks always so reliable at the centre joined Rahul and the two wanted to continue fluidly. Alastair Cook sensed the opportunity and brought Ben Stokes in the attack. The English allrounder bowled the channel outside the off-stump and had Pujara edge one to Cook at first slip. After looking good at the crease in his brief stay he was on his way to the pavilion with 16 runs in his account.

A rare failure for Pujara and amidst a loud cheer from the Chepauk crowd Virat Kohli walked in the middle. The Indian captain was business immediately and started playing his regular shots. But like most know, the time he is new to the crease is only the time when Virat is the most vulnerable. Stuart Broad certainly knew that and bowled to him on and around the off-stump constantly pushing him to drive. He chased a particular delivery and hit it straight to Keaton Jennings to end his stay in the middle. Kohli could only score 15 runs and walked back dejected.

3. Root-Rahul spat

Joe Root by appearance looks a very silent individual quite innocent, but he certainly isn’t he is a charged guy on the field and like to make things tough for the opponent. When the Rahul-Nair partnership got going, he took the ball from skipper Cook to try and make something happen. Though he didn’t get a wicket certainly got into a spat with Indian opener Rahul.

It was a tossed up delivery and Rahul punched it back to the bowler. The batsman had taken a couple of steps and Root decided to throw the ball towards the stump. It found Rahul in between and he had to duck under it to avoid being hit on the shoulder. Root was apologetic but Rahul wasn’t impressed and charged towards him but the English vice-captain showed a lot of maturity fusing the tension and moved back to his fielding position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMB6oLIcsBY

4. KL Rahul’s one but double ton

Lokesh Rahul who was coming back into the 5th Test match against England from an injury. He started in his usual style and was assured at the crease. He knew the ask was big and he had to stick around. The duo played it safe on the 2nd day evening and walked out to bat with similar intent on the 3rd morning. He denied England any early success and gave India a brilliant start. Rahul lost his partner and then with the skipper at the other end got to his hundred.

He soon lost another couple of them and then he had his Karnataka teammate Karun Nair at the other end. Rahul crossed the 150-run mark, his best Test score of 158 and had eyes on the double. He played some glorious shots on his way and when just needed a single to reach yet another milestone in his young career went after a really wide delivery from Adil Rashid that turned away from him and hit it straight to Jos Buttler who was brought in there just because the batsman was on 199. It was a tragic end to a fantastic knock.

5. Karun Nair gets going

Domestic heavyweight Karun Nair has found Test cricket a bit difficult to get along with and despite tons of experience and runs under his belt in first-class cricket, he didn’t click immediately for India in Test. He was given his due time with three matches in the series; he was yet to get a half century or a substantial score and coming into the Chennai Test he had to make it count. He joined Rahul at the crease and the two got along pretty well.

He took his time, was a bit tentative but also played some wonderful shots, he used the reverse sweep against the spinners to great effect and didn’t let them have the upper hand this time. Though he lost Rahul towards the end of the day remained put in his place and walked along Murali Vijay at the end of the day unbeaten on 71.