England 120-5 against India after Ashwin and Kuldeep strike
Cricket
Jonny Bairstow was batting on 30 at the tea break with Ben Foakes yet to open his account
RANCHI (Reuters) – India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav blew away England's top order as the tourists slumped to 120-5 for an overall lead of 166 on day three of the fourth test in Ranchi on Sunday.
Jonny Bairstow was batting on 30 at the tea break with Ben Foakes yet to open his account.
Earlier, Dhruv Jurel (90) led a spirited rearguard action to rescue India, who posted 307 all out in reply to England's first innings 353.
A lead of 46 was much lower than England probably had expected having reduced India to 177-7 at one stage before the hosts roared right back into the contest after Ashwin's triple strikes.
The off-spinner had Ben Duckett caught short leg for 15 and trapped Ollie Pope LBW with his next delivery. This was Pope's second duck in the match.
While Ashwin could not complete a hat-trick, he got the important wicket of Joe Root (11).
Root, who made a classy century in the first innings, was initially adjudged not out, but Ashwin coaxed his captain Rohit Sharma into challenging the decision.
The hosts were rewarded when replays confirmed the ball would have gone on to hit the stump.
Opener Zak Crawley did not look fazed and smashed seven fours in his 60 before losing his middle stump to Kuldeep.
The left-arm wrist spinner struck another telling blow when he had Ben Stokes bowled for four before the tea break.
The England captain missed the ball, which hit his pad before spinning back between his legs and went on to hit the stumps.
Earlier, Jurel combined in a 76-run partnership with Kuldeep (28) before James Anderson broke the stand.
Kuldeep, whose 131-ball vigil was the longest in his test career, defended with an angled bat, dropping the ball on to his boot only for it to roll back and hit the stumps.
Debutant Akash Deep (nine) became off-spinner Shoaib Bashir's (5-119) fifth victim in the match.
Jurel smashed four sixes and six fours in his knock but fell short of a hundred when Tom Hartley (3-68) bowled him.
India are 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.
