NOTTINGHAM: K.L. Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah took a toll of England’s attack in contrasting fashions to leave India well-placed in the first Test at Trent Bridge on Friday before rain brought about a premature end to the third day’s play.

Rahul top-scored with 84 as India made 278 in reply to England’s meagre first-innings 183. He was, however, helped on his way by two dropped slip catches that underlined England’s position as the worst-performing cordon currently in Test cricket.

At stumps, England were 25-0 in their second innings — a deficit of 70 runs — after rain meant only 50 overs out of the 98 scheduled for the day were bowled.

Rory Burns was 11 not out and Dom Sibley nine not out.

Kohli was unhappy when the umpires halted play after tea in seemingly light rain before a heavier downpour thwarted hopes of a resumption.

With the outfield still wet play was abandoned for the day — in bright sunshine — just over an hour later at 6:11 pm (1711 GMT).

Earlier, all-rounder Jadeja’s typically dashing 56 featured eight fours and a six and there was more pain for England when tailender Bumrah made a Test-best 28.

Ollie Robinson, playing just his second Test after being suspended following the re-emergence of racist and sexist tweets on his England debut against New Zealand at Lord’s on June, enjoyed his first five-wicket haul in Tests with a return of 5-85 in 26.5 overs.

England great James Anderson’s figures of 4-54 in 23 overs took him to 621 Test wickets, with only two retired spinners in Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia’s Shane Warne (708) now ahead of him in the all-time list.

India resumed on Friday on 125-4 after Anderson had taken two wickets with successive deliveries — including a golden duck for India captain and star batsman Virat Kohli.

After a rain delay of nearly an hour, Rishabh Pant hit Robinson for six before the seamer had his revenge when the left-hander mistimed a drive to short cover.

Rahul’s 214-ball innings ended when he nicked Anderson straight to wicket-keeper Jos Buttler to end a stand of 60 with Jadeja.

Left-hander Jadeja hoisted Anderson for a superb six high over square leg and celebrated an 81-ball fifty with his familiar ‘sword’ twirl of the bat. He was out soon afterwards, a mistimed drive off Robinson well caught in a swirling breeze by the back-pedalling Stuart Broad at mid-off.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 183 (J.E. Root 64; J.J. Bumrah 4-46, Mohammed Shami 3-28).

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 125-4):

R.G. Sharma c Curran b Robinson 36

K.L. Rahul c Buttler b Anderson 84

C.A. Pujara c Buttler b Anderson 4

V. Kohli c Buttler b Anderson 0

A.M. Rahane run out 5

R.R. Pant c Bairstow b Robinson 25

R.A. Jadeja c Broad b Robinson 56

S.N. Thakur c Root b Anderson 0

Mohammed Shami b Robinson 13

J.J. Bumrah c Broad b Robinson 28

Mohammed Siraj not out 7

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-6, NB-8) 20

TOTAL (all out, 84.5 overs) 278

FALL OF WKTS: 1-97, 2-104, 3-104, 4-112, 5-145, 6-205, 7-205, 8-232, 9-245.

BOWLING: Anderson 23-8-54-4; Broad 20-3-70-0 (3nb); Robinson 26.5-6-85-5 (3nb); Curran 15-2-57-0 (2nb).

ENGLAND (2nd Innings):

R.J. Burns not out 11

D.P. Sibley not out 9

EXTRAS (W-1, NB-4) 5

TOTAL (for no wkt, 11.1 overs) 25

BOWLING (to-date): Bumrah 3-0-6-0 (3nb, 1w); Mohammed Siraj 5.1-2-10-0 (1nb); Mohammed Shami 3-1-9-0.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021