Wickets continued to tumble on the third morning but India only tightened their grip on the Second Test match.
By lunch, their lead had grown to 351 with four second innings wickets in hand. For England, this was merely a stay of execution before they must bat again on a pitch turning plenty.
India resumed with a lead of 249 and in total control, but – as they had on the second day – lost two wickets for the addition of just one run.
At the end of the day’s first over, from Moeen Ali, Cheteshwar Pujara was unfortunate to be run out as he jarred his bat in the pitch when the ball squirted to short leg. Strong work from Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes saw him narrowly run out.
Wicketkeeper Foakes, celebrating his 28th birthday, was England’s key man in the session, and he pulled off sharp stumpings of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant from the bowling of Jack Leach. Foakes is the first England wicketkeeper to take three stumpings in a Test since Alan Knott in 1968. He took more stumpings in the morning session than Jos Buttler has in his 50-Test career.
Moeen Ali had Ajinka Rahane caught at short leg by Pope, then Axar Patel lbw, which brought Ravichandran Ashwin to the crease.
By lunch he had shared 50 with captain Virat Kohli, who took lunch on 38 but had taken 20 balls to get off his pair. Both batsmen played extremely well in tough conditions. England’s spinners, especially Moeen, had bowled better, but could not shake the habit of releasing pressure with boundary balls.
Shortly before lunch England turned to Stuart Broad’s seam for the first time in the innings. Foakes was stood up to the stumps, and Broad had Ashwin dropped at slip on 28 by Ben Stokes.
