Pujara leads India resistance at Headingley

By Sports Desk August 27, 2021

Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma made half-centuries as India showed resistance to hold up England on day three of the third Test at Headingley.

England held a mammoth first-innings lead of 354 after being bowled out for 432 early in the morning session.

India, leading the five-match series 1-0, had been humiliatingly skittled out for 78 on day one, but closed on 215-2 after England were only able to remove KL Rahul (eight) Rohit (59) on Friday.

Pujara returned to form with an unbeaten 91 and Virat Kohli was 45 not out at stumps, with the tourists trailing by 139.

England added only nine runs to their overnight total after resuming on 423-8, Mohammed Shami (4-95) dismissing Craig Overton leg before wicket for 32 and Ollie Robinson cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah without scoring.

The India openers showed great application as the England seamers probed with the new ball and it took a moment of brilliance from Jonny Bairstow on the stroke of lunch to end a stand of 34.

KL Rahul walked off shaking his head after he edged an excellent delivery from Overton and second-slip Bairstow dived to his left to claim a stunning one-handed catch.

Rohit and Pujara played with a mixture of patience and positivity in a wicket-less afternoon session, with the opener appearing to have a stroke of luck on 39 when Joe Root failed to signal for a review in time after Robinson struck him on the pad.

He brought up his half-century from 125 balls before Robinson snared him lbw.

Pujara was untroubled as he serenely eased to a half-century and Kohli also looked very much at home on a good pitch under gloomy skies as England were unable to make further inroads, with the new ball due early on day four.

 

PUJARA SHOWS HIS CLASS

Pujara's place has been called into question as he has looked totally out of sorts, but he showed his class in Leeds on the third day.

The 33-year-old had failed to make it to 50 in his previous 13 innings before demonstrating what he is capable of with his side on the ropes.

Pujara scored far more freely, driving with finesse and even ramping Robinson for four in a first half-century since making 73 against England in Chennai in February.

KOHLI LOOKING OMINOUS

Captain Kohli has also been short of runs, but that was no evidence of that on a frustrating day for England.

The skipper struck two boundaries in the first over from James Anderson, who dismissed him for the seventh time in the longest format in the first innings.

Kohli, without a Test century since November 2019, ticked along as India put such a dismal display with the bat on the opening day behind them.

Related items

  • West Indies batting falls short yet again as England secures series win in St. Lucia West Indies batting falls short yet again as England secures series win in St. Lucia

    The West Indies had a batting performance to forget as England secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match T20I series with a three-wicket win at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet on Thursday.

    The hosts made a sub-par 145-8 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat. For the second match in a row, the West Indies quickly found themselves on the back foot with the wickets of Shai Hope (4), Evin Lewis (3), Nicholas Pooran (7), Roston Chase (7) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) leaving them 37-5 in the sixth over.

    Captain Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd steadied the ship somewhat with a 73-run sixth wicket partnership before Shepherd fell for 30 at the start of the 16th over.

    Powell eventually made a top score of 54 odd 41 balls while Alzarri Joseph provided some valuable lower-order runs with 21*.

    Saqib Mahmood continued his excellent form with the ball in the series with 3-17 from his four overs while Jamie Overton was also brilliant, taking 3-20 from his four.

    England then reached 149-7 with four balls to spare to secure the win and a series victory.

    Sam Curran led the way with 41 while Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks made 39 and 32, respectively.

    Akeal Hosein bowled excellently despite the loss with 4-22 from his four overs.

    The fourth T20I will take place at the same venue on Saturday.

  • Victory in Greece signals England are 'moving in the right direction', says Carsley Victory in Greece signals England are 'moving in the right direction', says Carsley

    Interim coach Lee Carsley was delighted with the progress of his England side as they defeated Greece 3-0 in Athens to move top of their Nations League group.

    Having fallen to a 2-1 defeat to Greece when they travelled to Wembley at the start of October, the Three Lions exacted revenge as Ollie Watkins opened the scoring early before an own goal and debut goal from Curtis Jones completed the rout deep in the second half.

    The travelling side entered the international break without several key figures, including Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, after nine players withdrew with injury.

    While England are set to welcome the Republic of Ireland to their home venue on Sunday, Carsley is pleased with the development he has seen so far.

    "It represents that we are moving in the right direction. We won't get too carried away, we have a big game on Sunday at Wembley,” he told ITV.

    "It is just important the players played to their strengths. We have a lot of outstanding talent. The players that weren't here, we concentrated on the ones who were. They took their opportunity today.”

    Carsley’s team featured three debutants – Jones, Morgan Rogers and Lewis Hall – with Jones scoring an audacious backheel flick to stun the crowd.

    The Liverpool midfielder capped off what was already a tremendous performance as he had the most touches from either team (86) and delivered 100% passing accuracy in the final third.

    "Curtis Jones is an outstanding player. He played really well, even without his goal. With his goal it was an excellent performance,” Carsley enthused.

    "People were speaking last night about the inexperience in the squad but these players are playing for their clubs at a really high level."

  • Greece 0-3 England: Stunning Jones debut goal helps Three Lions go top Greece 0-3 England: Stunning Jones debut goal helps Three Lions go top

    Curtis Jones’ brilliant backheel on his debut helped England win 3-0 against Greece to move top of Group B2 in the Nations League.

    Lee Carsley’s men exacted revenge in Athens having been defeated 2-1 by Greece at Wembley. The result sees England overtake their opponents on goal difference with 12 points each.

    England got off the mark quickly as Noni Madueke burst down the right wing, beating four players to the byline, before cutting back for Ollie Watkins to slot home from close range in the seventh minute.

    Jordan Pickford was called into action to keep the scores level, first tipping over Kostas Tsimikas’ stinging shot before denying Fotis Ioannidis' effort from range after the break.

    While Jude Bellingham hit the left post with a header from a corner not long into the second half, England would have to wait until the 77th minute to celebrate their second.

    Bellingham was the instigator once more as he latched on to a first-time pass from debutant Morgan Rogers to charge in from the left and drive a low shot onto the left post.

    The ball rebounded onto the trailing leg of the diving Odysseas Vlachodimos, who could not scramble back in time to prevent an own goal.

    Jones completed the rout six minutes later as he latched onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross from the right to send an audacious backheel past Vlachodimos.

    Data Debrief: Debut delight for Jones

    Jones is the first Liverpool player to score on his England debut since Sammy Lee back in November 1982, also in an away game against Greece.

    He is the ninth Jones to play for England, after Alf, Bill, Harry, Herbert, Mick, Phil, Rob and William. The only surname to provide more England players is Smith (20).

    There were also debuts for Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers. The latter became the 63rd player to make their England debut while with Aston Villa. It’s the first time they've had two in the same year (Ezri Konsa and Rogers) since 2007 (Scott Carson and Ashley Young).

    At 20 years and 67 days, Hall became the youngest Newcastle United player to appear for England in a competitive international since Jock Rutherford in April 1904 against Scotland in a Home Nations match (19 years and 180 days).

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.