India end day 3 at 110/5, need 84 runs to script history at Edgbaston

Skipper Virat Kohli is batting at 43 and is accompanied with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, unbeaten on 18

The Indian cricket team need 84 runs more to register a historic Test victory at Edgbaston with 5 wickets in hand. The third day of first England vs India Test match concluded with India scoring 110 for 5. Skipper Virat Kohli is batting at 43 and is accompanied with wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, unbeaten on 18.

The opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay once again failed to provide the desired start. They could add only 19 runs for the opening wicket before Stuart Broad drew the first blood in the sixth over, dismissing Murali Vijay on 6.

Broad struck again in his next over and had Dhawan’s wicket which led Kohli’s entry at the ground. Though the target looked small, the failure of the top order created a pressure once again on the Indian captain.

KL Rahul (13), Ajinkya Rahane (2), R Ashwin (13) were the three men who came at the crease, spent some time and surrendered. The skipper’s face was completely evidential that this discouraging performance from his men was shattering the efforts shown by Ishant and Ashwin earlier today.

Fortunately, Dinesh Karthik played that supportive role towards the end and Indian didn’t face any further loss. The skipper and wicketkeeper stitched a 32-run partnership before at stumps.

After a poor show from the bat in the second innings, England hit back strong with the bowl. Leaking 29 runs, Stuart Broad picked two wickets from 9 overs while Anderson, Stokes and Curran picked one wicket each.

Earlier, Ishant Sharma registered his eighth five-wicket haul in Test cricket to dismiss England for 180 in their second innings. In the process became the third Indian bowler after Kapil Dev (5/ 146 in 1976) and Chetan Sharma (6/58 in 1986)  to claim a five-wicket haul at this venue.

He dismantled the England middle-order by getting rid of Malan (20) and then picked up three wickets in one over – 31st of the innings -- on either side of lunch interval, removing Jonny Bairstow (28) and Ben Stokes (6) and newly appointed vice-captain, Jos Buttler for 1.

Sam Curran was the lone hand waging a fight for England, scoring 63 from 65 balls as rest of the English batsmen fell to the pace and guile of Ishant and Ashwin respectively.

Ashwin rattled the English top-order with his subtle bowling variation. After sending Alastair Cook packing on a 14-ball duck on Thursday, he went on to pick another two scalps – Keaton Jennings (8) and Joe Root (14) on day 3.

Play as briefly halted for bad light but Umesh Yadav entered into the scene to send back Adil Rashid on 16 before Sam Curran was the last man dismissed.

Brief Scores:
England 287 and 180 all out in 53 overs (S Curran 63, J Bairstow 28, D Malan 20; I Sharma 5/51, R Ashwin 3/59, U Yadav 2/20).
India 1st innings: 274 and 110 for 5 in 36 overs (V Kohli 43 batting, D Karthik 18 batting; S Broad 2/29, B Stokes 1/25).