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Pujara and Pant fall but India press on against England / Photo: © AFP
Pujara and Pant fall but India press on against England
England removed Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant but India remained well-placed in the Covid-delayed fifth Test at Edgbaston on Monday.
India were 229-7 at lunch on the fourth day, a lead of 361 runs, after opener Pujara had made 66 and Pant 57 following the wicketkeeper's dashing 146 in India's first-innings 416.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, dropped on 10 when James Anderson failed to hold a difficult leaping chance at extra-cover off Matthew Potts, was unbeaten on 17, having made 104 -- his maiden Test century outside of India -- in the first innings.
History is on the side of India, 2-1 up in a five-match contest and bidding for just a fourth Test series win in England after their 1971, 1986 and 2007 triumphs.
There have been only two successful fourth-innings chases above 200 in a Test at Edgbaston, with South Africa making 283-5 in 2008 and England 211-3 against New Zealand in 1999.
England, however, reached seemingly stiff targets of 277, 299 and 296 during a recent 3-0 whitewash of Test world champions New Zealand.
India resumed on their overnight 125-3, with Pujara 50 not out and Pant unbeaten on 30.
Pujara had only been recalled to the top of the order after India captain Rohit Sharma and fellow opener KL Rahul were ruled out by Covid-19 and a groin injury respectively.
He looked in fine touch Monday, forcing England great James Anderson off the back foot through point and clipping him off his pads for two well-struck fours.
But the 34-year-old's four-hour innings ended when he cut Stuart Broad straight to Alex Lees at backward point.
A clearly frustrated Pujara walked off, having now gone 50 innings since his last Test century -- 193 against Australia at Sydney in January 2019.
Pant was dropped on 45 when Zak Crawley failed to hold a tough chance diving to his left at second slip before a leg-glanced four off Broad, his seventh boundary in 76 balls, took him to his fifty.
Shreyas Iyer carelessly pulled Potts to midwicket before the aggressive Pant fell when a miscued reverse sweep off left-arm spinner Jack Leach was caught by Joe Root at slip.
This decider should have been played in Manchester last September only to be postponed just hours before the start because of coronavirus concerns within the India camp.
X.White--SFF
