MUMBAI: Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara steadied India’s reply after Jos Buttler’s sixth half-century helped the tourists post 400 in their first innings on the second day of the fourth and penultimate Test at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Murali Vijay was unbeaten on 70 with Cheteshwar Pujara 47 not out as India reached 146 for one at stumps, still 254 runs behind.
England captain Alastair Cook introduced spin from both ends after seven overs from his fast bowlers and there was considerable turn on offer for both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
Rahul hit four crisp boundaries in his 24 before off-spinner Moeen breached his defence to bowl him out.
Vijay twice mishit Rashid but the ball landed safely beyond the reach of the fielders on both occasions. The right-handed opener eventually managed to hit the leg-spinner for a straight six.
Earlier, Buttler hit 76 to guide the touring side, trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, to a strong total before they were all out 25 minutes after the lunch interval.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up six for 112 for his 23rd five-wicket haul while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took the remaining four wickets.
Resuming on 288 for five, England lost Ben Stokes for 31 in the third over of the day to Ashwin, who had picked up four wickets on Thursday.
The umpire turned down the appeal for catch against Stokes but India managed to overturn the decision on review with the batsman leaving the field making his displeasure evident.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja then dismissed Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid cheaply to boost India’s chances of keeping England’s total to under 350.
But Buttler and number 10 batsman Jake Ball, playing his first match of the series and second overall, put paid to India’s hopes with a partnership of 54 for the ninth wicket.
Ashwin broke the stand when Ball, who was on nought when India captain Virat Kohli dropped a sharp chance at slip off Jadeja, was caught behind.
Right-handed Buttler repeatedly used the reverse sweep against Jadeja and hit six boundaries and a big six off Ashwin. Jadeja bowled him when the batsman attempted another big shot. — Reuters
SCOREBOARD
England first innings (O/n: 288/5):
A Cook st Patel b Jadeja46
K Jennings c Pujara b Ashwin112
J Root c Kohli b Ashwin21
M Ali c Nair b Ashwin50
J Bairstow c U Yadav b Ashwin14
B Stokes c Kohli b Ashwin31
J Buttler b Jadeja76
C Woakes c Patel b Jadeja11
A Rashid b Jadeja4
J Ball c Patel b Ashwin31
J Anderson (not out)0
Extras (B-1, LB-2, NB-1)4
Total (all out, 130.1 overs)400
Fall of wickets: 1-99, 2-136, 3-230, 4-230, 5-249, 6-297, 7-320, 8-334, 9-388.
Bowling: B Kumar 13-0-49-0, U Yadav 11-2-38-0, R Ashwin 44-4-112-6, J Yadav 25-3-89-0, R Jadeja 37.1-5-109-4.
India first innings:
KL Rahul b Ali24
M Vijay (batting)70
C Pujara (batting)47
Extras (B-1, LB-4)5
Total (for 1 wkt, 52 overs)146
Fall of wickets: 1-39.
Bowling: J Anderson 8-4-22-0, C Woakes 5-2-15-0, M Ali 15-2-44-1, A Rashid 13-1-49-0, J Ball 4-2-4-0, B Stokes 4-2-4-0, J Root 3-1-3-0.
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