RAJKOT: Opener Ben Duckett smashed an 88-ball hundred to lead England’s robust reply to India’s first innings total of 445 on day two of the third Test in Rajkot on Friday.

The opener’s 133 not out off 118 balls, which contained two sixes and 21 fours, powered England to 207-2 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Veteran off-spinner Ravich­andran Ashwin became the second Indian bowler, after Anil Kumble (619 wickets in 132 Tests), to claim 500 Test scalps but it was otherwise a day of hard toil for India as England scored nearly at a run-a-ball rate.

Joe Root was batting on nine at stumps with England trailing India by 238 in the third match of the five-Test series, which remains poised at 1-1.

“To be that far behind in the game and go out and play like that showed real bravery and skill,” England quick Mark Wood said of Duckett’s knock.

“The way India changed the field and then he’d hit it somewhere else, it was such a skilful innings against a good attack. I’m delighted, the way him and Zak go out together and put pressure on the opposition,” said Wood.

The tourists began at five for no loss after India were penalised five runs for Ashwin running on the pitch, earning a reprimand from on-field umpire Joel Wilson.

“My poor motor skills did not allow me to get off the pitch in time,” Ashwin said. “If the English media and players think it was on purpose, it wasn’t.”

Earlier, debutant Dhruv Jurel (46) and Ashwin (37) mounted a spirited rearguard while Jasprit Bumrah (26) provided a late cameo to take India near the 450-mark.

After India resumed on 326-5, James Anderson removed Thur­sday’s night watchman Kuldeep Yadav, caught behind for four.

Ravindra Jadeja, who completed his fourth Test hundred on day one, looked surprisingly tentative and gave a return catch to bowler Root to depart after 112, which included two sixes and nine fours.

Ashwin and Jurel frustrated England with their 77-run partnership and survived Mark Wood’s short-ball barrage with a heavily-manned leg side.

England were rather sloppy on the field and Jurel was dropped twice, first by Ollie Pope at midwicket and then by England captain Ben Stokes at leg slip.

Rehan Ahmed denied Jurel a fifty in the batter’s debut Test and Wood (4-114) dismissed Bumrah, who was the last Indian wicket to fall.

The tourists began their innings 5-0 after India were penalised five runs for Ashwin’s run on the protected area down the middle of the pitch.

Duckett initially looked ill at ease against Mohammed Siraj’s lively pace but he soon grew in confidence, which was obvious in the way he treated the Indian spinners.

He raced to a 39-ball fifty but lost opening partner Zak Crawley.

Crawley attempted a sweep shot against Ashwin only to top-edge the ball to Rajat Patidar at short fine leg.

Overall the 37-year-old Ashwin became the ninth bowler, and fifth spinner, in the game to take 500 Test wickets.

Duckett deflated the Indian attack batting with the kind of aggression which has become the hallmark of the team under Stokes.

The 29-year-old brought up his third Test hundred with a four off Siraj.

Siraj lifted India’s sagging morale late in the final session when he trapped Pope lbw for 39. The batter was initially adjudged not out but the decision was overturned on review.

“Five hundred wickets is done and dusted now. We’ve got a game hanging in the balance,” Ashwin said afterwards.

“The game is going neck and neck. We’ll have to bat and bowl well to stay in the game.”

SCOREBOARD

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 326-5):

Y. Jaiswal c Root b Wood 10

R. Sharma c Stokes b Wood 131

S. Gill c Foakes b Wood 0

R. Patidar c Duckett b Hartley 5

R. Jadeja c and b Root 112

S. Khan run out 62

K. Yadav c Foakes b Anderson 4

D. Jurel c Foakes b Ahmed 46

R. Ashwin c Anderson b Ahmed 37

J. Bumrah lbw b Wood 26

M. Siraj not out 3

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-4, NB-2, W-1) 9

TOTAL (all out, 130.5 overs) 445

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-22 (Jaiswal), 2-24 (Gill), 3-33 (Patidar), 4-237 (Sharma), 5-314 (Khan), 6-331 (Yadav), 7-331 (Jadeja), 8-408 (Ashwin), 9-415 (Jurel)

BOWLING: Anderson 25-7-61-1 (1nb), Wood 27.5-2-114-4 (1w, 1nb), Hartley 40-7-109-1, Root 16-3-70-1, Ahmed 22-2-85-2

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

Z. Crawley c Patidar b Ashwin 15

B. Duckett not out 133

O. Pope lbw b Siraj 39

J. Root not out 9

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, NB-4, PEN-5) 11

TOTAL (for two wickets, 35 overs) 207

STILL TO BAT: B. Stokes, J. Bairstow, B. Foakes, R. Ahmed, T. Hartley, M. Wood, J. Anderson

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-89 (Crawley), 2-182 (Pope)

BOWLING: Bumrah 8-0-34-0 (1nb), Siraj 10-1-54-1 (1nb), Yadav 6-1-42-0, Ashwin 7-0-37-1, Jadeja 4-0-33-0 (2nb).

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2024