Centurion Virat Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni fought back to keep India in the match and guided the home team to 297/8 on the third day of the fourth Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. The duo took India into the final session without losing a single wicket. However, after the 198-run stand ended with the departure of Kohli, India lost three more wickets in the last session of the day. Dhoni’s gritty knock was halted one run short of the three-figure mark as India inched towards the England total. When stumps were called India were trailing by 33 runs with two wickets in hand and Ravichandran Ashwin batting on seven.
Earlier, with the follow-on still to be avoided, and the top four back in the dressing room, Dhoni and Kohli took guard on the third day with their work cut out for them. The duo bided their time and waited for loose deliveries. Kohli’s drive through cover for a boundary off Tim Bresnan in the morning was an indication of the innings to follow. While the captain showed the way with calm, Kohli who has been through a lean patch in the series so far displayed remarkable poise while constructing his innings. Having avoided the follow-on in the first session the first hurdle was overcome but India still had a long way to go to surpass England’s total. With two of the best runners between the wickets at the crease singles and twos were not a struggle for the hosts. Although only 59 runs came off the 32 overs of the morning session, the intent was stated by the skipper and the young gun as they took India to lunch on 146 for four.
They continued their diligent hard work into the second session. Kohli who was four runs short of his half-century when the first session ended, brought up his fifty with a boundary off Monty Panesar. The Indian batters showed application and patience as they resisted the English attack. As the duo grafted runs to take the Indian innings forward, Dhoni inched towards his half-century and brought up his fifty with a four off Bresnan through point. Having blunted the England attack with patience as they stitched the partnership, runs came more freely as the session progressed. After Kohli struck Graeme Swann through third-man to take three and bring up the 200 for the home team, the skipper lofted Graeme Swann over long-on for a six. The Dhoni-Kohli partnership continued to keep the scoreboard ticking and took India through the session with the partnership intact and both the batters in their 70s.
The unhurried batting display by the No.5 and No.6 batsmen at the crucial juncture of the Indian innings kept India in the hunt. Continuing the momentum into the final session Kohli reached the three-figure mark for the third time in the longest format of the game with a boundary off Swann in front of square. However, in the first over after drinks, Kohli was out, adjudged leg-before for 103 off the England off-spinner. Having played a crucial 295-ball innings that helped bring India back into the game, the 24-year-old walked back to a standing ovation. His eight century of 2012 (ODI and Tests included), put him on top of the chart of the leading run-getters for the year, with the highest number of centuries.
The departure of Kohli brought Ravindra Jadeja, who has come into the side on the back of two triple centuries in domestic cricket this season, to the crease. But the debutant was dismissed for 12 by James Anderson towards the end of the day. With India on 288 and the captain on 98, Ashwin came out to bat. The Indian off-spinner who has showed his mettle with the bat as well in his short Test career then joined Dhoni in the middle. But a few overs later while going for a single after hitting Anderson to mid-off, Dhoni was run out for 99. Piyush Chawla who replaced him at the crease was bowled in the next over by Swann, signaling the end of day’s play.
Brief scores:
At the end of Day 3: India 1st innings 297/8 in 130.1 overs (Virat Kohli 103, MS Dhoni 99, J Anderson 4/68, G Swann 3/76)
At the end of Day 2: England 1st innings 330 all out in 145.5 overs (J Root 73, M Prior 57, G Swann 56, P Chawla 4/69, I Sharma 3/49); India 1st innings 87/4 in 41 overs (G Gambhir 37, J Anderson 3/24)
At the end of Day 1: England 1st innings 199/5 in 97 overs (K Pietersen 73, M Prior 34*, J Root 31*, 2/32, I Sharma R Jadeja 2/34)
