DAY 4 – LUNCH
Siraj stepped on the boundary while taking a catch of Harry Brook © Getty
England chipped away another 114 runs from the 374-run target on the fourth morning, but India removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope and nearly had Harry Brook as well. Brook, who scored quickly and put India under pressure, mistimed a short ball from Prasidh Krishna to fine leg, where Mohammed Siraj, who had just returned to the field after an inspired eight-over spell, completed the catch but ended up stepping over the boundary rope.
With the ball in hand though, Siraj hardly put a foot wrong and troubled Duckett repeatedly on the outside edge from over the wicket. The opening batter, having been softened up enough, chased a full delivery from Prasidh Krishna and edged a drive to KL Rahul at slip.
Pope, the fidgety starter that he is, looked in good touch during a short stay, striking boundaries on either side of the ground including a pristine on-drive. But his innings ended with one of the more unplayable deliveries Siraj has bowled this series: a wobble-seam ball that landed on the divots and jagged back viciously to trap him in front. That dismissal gave Siraj his 20th wicket of the series, confirming his status as the leading wicket-taker.
Brook, undeterred by his reprieve, went after Krishna again in the same over, swinging through the line and adding two more boundaries to his tally.
Captain Shubman Gill began the day with proactive in-out fields, cutting off square-of-the-wicket runs on the off-side for both Duckett and Root. But as the session progressed, he opted for just one slip to Brook who continued to put India under pressure.
Akash Deep, operating with the old ball, looked a touch ineffective, setting up what promises to be an intriguing afternoon session, with England needing a further 210 runs and India another six wickets (assuming Chris Woakes won’t bat).
Brief Scores: India 224 & 396 lead England 247 & 164/3 (Ben Duckett 54, Brook 38*; Siraj 2-44) by 209 runs
© Cricbuzz
