Birmingham [UK], July 4: Mohammed Siraj’s fiery six-wicket haul and Akash Deep’s crucial four-for helped India bowl out England for 407 on Day 3 of the second Test at Edgbaston, giving the visitors a commanding first-innings lead of 180 runs.
By the end of the day’s play, India stood at 64/1 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 244 runs. KL Rahul (28*) and Karun Nair (7*) remained unbeaten at the crease after Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a brisk start with a quickfire 28 off 22 balls before being dismissed by Josh Tongue.
England resumed their first innings at 77/3 on Day 3 and found themselves in early trouble as Mohammed Siraj struck in the 22nd over, removing Joe Root for 22 and skipper Ben Stokes for a golden duck. From 94/5, England mounted a remarkable comeback thanks to a record-breaking partnership between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook.
Brook reached his ninth Test century and went on to score a magnificent 158, featuring 17 boundaries and a six, before falling to Akash Deep. Jamie Smith remained unbeaten on 184, scripting history as the highest scorer by a wicketkeeper for England in Test cricket. His innings also marked the highest score by an English batter batting at No.7 or lower, surpassing KS Ranjitsinhji’s 175 from 1897.
The duo’s 300-run stand was the highlight of England’s innings, frustrating India’s bowlers for much of the second and third sessions. However, a stunning late burst by Siraj — who took three wickets in two overs — brought the innings to a close.
India’s second innings began aggressively, with the openers racing to 50 in just eight overs. Despite the loss of Jaiswal, India remained in control with a substantial lead and plenty of batting depth remaining.
Brief Scores:
India 1st Innings: 587 (Shubman Gill 269, Ravindra Jadeja 89; Shoaib Bashir 3/167)
England 1st Innings: 407 (Jamie Smith 184*, Harry Brook 158; Mohammed Siraj 6/70, Akash Deep 4/83)
India 2nd Innings: 64/1 (KL Rahul 28*, Karun Nair 7*; Josh Tongue 1/12)