Southampton: India still needed 47 runs to avoid the embarrrassment of a follow-on after pathetic shot selection by some of the top-order batsmen allowed England to tighten their grip on the third Test here on Tuesday.
At stumps, India were precariously placed on 323 for eight, with skipper MS Dhoni waging a lone battle with a gritty half-century.
Almost all of the Indian batsmen got starts but failed to convert them into big scores, which is required while chasing a mammoth first innings score.
India are still 246 runs behind England’s first innings score of 569 for seven.
At stumps Dhoni (50 batting) and Mohammed Shami (4 batting) were at the crease battling to keep India in this Test match with two full days to go.
James Anderson (3-52) and Stuart Broad (3-65) hunted as a pair while Moeen Ali (2-62) was a beneficiary of poor shotmaking by a couple of Indians.
It was terible shot selection that brought about the downfall of Rohit Sharma (28) and Ajinkya Rahane (54), both of whom looked set for a long innings.
Rohit, after a 74-run stand with Rahane, was guilty of charging down to part-time off-spinner Ali, failing to clear Stuart Broad at mid-off.
Rahane, who scored a gutsy half-century after a fine spell from Broad in the morning session, mishit a half-tracker from Ali and was caught by substitute fielder Sean Terry at mid-on. Rahane’s dismissal proved costly in the broader context of the Indian innings.
Even Virat Kohli (39) looked like hitting some form before he nibbled at an awaygoing delivery from his nemesis Anderson and was caught by Alastair Cook at first slip.
Skipper Dhoni curbed his natural instincts to play a subdued game and added 58 runs for the seventh wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (31), who was the dominant partner.
Jadeja, as usual, batted in his flowing style, hitting six boundaries in the process before the second new ball did the trick; Anderson got one to swing back into the left-hander trapping him plumb in front.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (19) got his first below-20 score in the tournament and it was left to Dhoni to carry try to avoid the follow-on.
Earlier, Broad bowled a brilliant spell in the morning session to reduce the visitors to 88/3 at one stage.
Anderson opened proceedings on the day but it was Chris Woakes (0-10) who was deployed alongside him from the other end. It was a clear ploy by England to keep attacking with either Anderson or Broad (2/23) from one end, with Woakes and Chris Jordan (0-23) playing second fiddle.
This tactic paid off as Anderson first worked up the batsmen with his swing early on and Broad then came in, creating more trouble. (PTI)
SCORECARD
England 1st inn: 569/7 decl
India 1st inn: (o’night 25/1)
M Vijay b Broad 35
S Dhawan c Cook b Anderson 6
C Pujara c Butler b Broad 24
V Kohli c Cook b Anderson 39
A Rahane c Terry b Ali 54
R Sharma c Broad b Ali 28
MS Dhoni batting 50
R Jadeja lbw b Anderson 31
B Kumar c Ballance b Broad 19
M Shami batting 4
Extras: (b-12, lb-13, w-7) 32
Total: (8 wkts; 102 overs) 323
FOW: 1-17, 2-56, 3-88, 4-136, 5-210, 6-217, 7-275, 8-313
Bowling: Anderson 24-9-52-3, Broad 23-6-65-3, Jordan 17-4-59-0, Woakes 20-8-60-0, Ali 18-0-62-2