Nightmare for India | Worst Possible start to Day 4 | Pujara,Kohli and Rahane depart quickly

India vs England: 3rd Test Day 4

It seems that the first session of Day 4 might turn out to be the last one of the match as India are stuck at a score of 276/8 (as of writing this article), still many overs are left in the session to survive. Pujara, Kohli, and Rahane lost their wickets in the first 20 minutes of the first session.

Day 4 kicked off with Jimmy Anderson attacking with the second new ball. India warded off the bowlers for 3 three overs until Pujara fell out LBW to Robinson. The ball angled in fuller, towards off, Pujara planted his front pad forward and then offered no shot, the ball came in with the angle to rap him on the pad. The on-field umpire gave the decision in favor of Pujara since he had offered no shot. But the English players took the DRS. There was a huge roar by the English Players and spectators as the HawkEye showed it to be hitting the off-stump which the umpire didn’t think so. So, it was a good review by England and India lost their first wicket on Day 4 without adding a single run to their overnight score.

This knock was probably Pujara’s best away Test innings in a while. Pujara looked fluent and more importantly didn’t get into a rut.

Cheteshwar Pujara became the first Indian batsman to be dismissed without adding to the overnight score in the 90s. This was also the sixth time Pujara has been dismissed without adding to his overnight score – the most for India surpassing Rahul Dravid’s five.

It was perhaps too defensive of an approach that cost Pujara his wicket. If he had offered a shot, he might have survived.

Rahane looked good when he came on the crease. He played a beautiful off-drive wide of mid-off and his timing was brilliant.

Kohli was seen struggling against Anderson in the 86th over. He narrowly survived a delivery that was a mirror-image of how Kohli was dismissed in the first innings. On the last delivery, Kohli tried to play a drive but missed it. There was a noise as the ball passed Kohli and Butler appealed immediately. The English team celebrated fiercely, Kohli started walking off. But the vice-captain Rahane stopped him and asked him to review. The review showed that the bat had hit his pad and that was the noise. And with the DRS, Kohli survived……for a short time.

This was the first time in Tests since Nov 2017 that Kohli has successfully challenged an umpire’s decision as a batsman.

In the 89th over, Kohli played a beautiful shot through mid-wicket to reach his first fifty of the series. But Kohli didn’t add much to the scoreboard after that. On the last delivery of the same over, Kohli got out in the same old fashion. Nicking off. Length ball outside off, straightening, didn’t need to play at that, but since it was angled in, he went for the defense and edged it high to first slip’s left.

Kohli had his head down and looked glum as he made his way back to the pavilion.