Match report: Ind vs Eng – 3rd Test, Day 3
First Published : 07 Dec 2012, 16:25
Last Modified : 07 Dec 2012, 16:25
Kolkata, Dec 7: England finished Day 3 of the third Test with a 193-run first innings lead against India at the Eden Gardens. After Alastair Cook (190) and Jonathon Trott (87) dominated most of the day’s proceedings, the visitors were 509 for six with Matt Prior (40*) and Graeme Swann (21*) at the crease when stumps were called.
Earlier, India’s woes continued into the third day as Cook and Trott continued to steer England closer to the Indian total comfortably in the morning session. Without losing a wicket in the session they added 80 runs to the overnight total. Once again leading from the front, the England captain went past the 150-run mark for the second time in the series. He punched Zaheer Khan through the on-side to get to there. In the left-arm pacer’s next over Trott brought up his fifty. He struck the left-arm pacer down leg-side to bring up his half-century and the 100 of the partnership.
Although the Indian bowlers continued to toil hard, they were rendered ineffective by the duo’s patient batting display. The visitors continued to control the session and blunt the Indian attack taking minimal risks as they continued to build the innings. And with chances for breakthroughs hard to come by, Ishant Sharma dropped a return catch and gave Cook a reprieve on 156. At lunch England were just 20 runs short of the Indian total with Cook on 167 and Trott on 66.
Resuming the innings after lunch, Trott soon took England past India’s total with a boundary off Ashwin behind square-leg, while Cook registered his highest score as the England skipper. A while later Ojha claimed Trott to end the partnership for 173 and give India their first breakthrough of the day. The ball took the edge of the bat and landed in the hands of MS Dhoni behind the stumps. The wicket brought Kevin Pietersen to the crease to join Cook in the centre. But a few overs later, the England captain’s marathon innings came to a dramatic end; 10 runs short of his double-century. The left-hand batsman was run out while backing up at the non-striker’s end. With no run possible, Cook while returning to his crease tried to get out of the line of the ball as Virat Kohli aimed for the stumps and was found out of his crease with the bat still in air as the ball disrupted the stumps to give India a key wicket.
Ian Bell then replaced the England captain, and with Pietersen at the other end England finished the second session on 381 for three.
Soon after tea the Indian captain took a low catch off Sharma to send Bell back for five. And a few overs later Pietersen who had reached his fifty was trapped leg-before by Ashwin for 56. A while later India saw the back of Samit Patel. The batsman edged an Ojha delivery to the slips where Virender Sehwag managed to take the catch on the second attempt. With three wickets gone and England on 453 for six, Swann joined Prior at the crease. The two were involved in a 56-run unbroken partnership when play ended today.
Brief scores:
At the end of Day 3: England 1st innings 509/6 in 163 overs (A Cook 190, J Trott 87, PP Ojha 3/140)
At the end of Day 2: India 1st innings 316 all out in 105 overs (MS Dhoni 52, 4/90); England 1st innings 216/1 in 73 overs (A Cook 136*, N Compton 57, J Trott 21*, PP Ojha 1/65)
At the end of Day 1: India 1st innings 273/7 in 90 overs (SR Tendulkar 76, G Gambhir 60, J Anderson 3/68, M Panesar 2/74)
