India build healthy first-innings lead on rain-hit third day

Ollie Robinson and James Anderson impressed with the ball but could not stop India hitting the front in the first Test in Nottingham.

 
 

KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and a wagging tail helped India to a 70-run first-innings lead on a rain-affected day three of the first Test against England at Trent Bridge.

Opener Rahul built on his overnight half-century to top score with 84 and he and all-rounder Jadeja (56) combined in a vital 60-run stand for the sixth wicket that took Virat Kohli's side past the tourists' 183 all out.

Ollie Robinson continued his impressive start to life on the field in Test cricket with 5-85, while James Anderson's 4-54 moved him above Anil Kumble and up to third on the all-time wickets list in the longest format.

Jaspit Bumrah swung merrily for 28 but he and his fellow India seamers were unable to make inroads as Rory Burns (11 not out) and Dom Sibley (9 not out) reached 25-0 before the weather heralded an early close.

Rishabh Pant's curious 20-ball 25 came to an end when he skewed an ugly shot to Jonny Bairstow at cover off Robinson, immediately after a slashed four through the slips and a top-edged six.

Rahul's knock was far from chanceless, with some slapdash running and Anderson having him dropped by Sibley and skipper Joe Root in the cordon.

The veteran paceman had his man when Rahul edged a full one through to Jos Buttler with the score on 205 and Root atoned by clinging on to remove Shardul Thakur for nought in Anderson's next over.

Jadeja started to put his foot down, clouting Anderson for six and sending Robinson twice to the fence through the offside as he passed 50, only to give Stuart Broad a spiralling catch from the final ball of the 75th over.

Bumrah produced an old-fashioned cavalier tailend knock, going four, six, four from consecutive Sam Curran deliveries before being the last man out on 278 ? Broad again the catcher as Robinson claimed his maiden five-for with India's lead 95.

If the Sussex seamer looks easily at home at this level, the same cannot often be said for England's top order, but Burns and Sibley negotiated 11.1 overs unscathed. Then the rain, perhaps the most significant threat to an India victory in Nottingham, returned.

Pant pulled down

If the Australian tour version of Rishabh Pant - whose bravura 89 not out secured a sensational series win and the man-of-the-match award at the Gabba in January - had turned up in Nottingham, India could really have made England suffer. In reality, they got a man playing several shots at every ball who seemed to have limited interest in the serious business of Test batting.

Having been lucky to survive an examination from Anderson on day two, Pant decided to plough merrily on. "That's just the way he plays" is no defence for such nonsense from a man so talented. Pant has superstar billing and is much, much better than this.

Robinson lets his cricket to the talking

Historic racist and sexist tweets understandably took all the focus off Robinson's efforts on the field during his Test debut against New Zealand in June and a ban duly followed. Back in the fold and suitably contrite, the rangy seamer struck up a master and apprentice partnership with Anderson of the highest quality on Friday.

It will understandably take Robinson some time to be embraced as any kind of fans' favourite after his misdemeanours but he looks born to play Test cricket ? perhaps especially on the bouncy tracks that await England in Australia at the end of the year.