Southampton: Cheteshwar Pujara’s painstaking and brave century gave India a narrow lead on the second day of the fourth Test after England off-spinner Moeen Ali took five wickets at Southampton on Friday.
Pujara’s near six-hour 132 not out was the cornerstone of India’s 273, made in reply to England’s first-innings 246.
Ali took five wickets for 63 runs in 16 overs – his second successive five-wicket innings haul in a Test against India at Southampton following a return of six for 67 in 2014.
Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings batted out four overs as England reached stumps on six without loss in their second innings – a deficit of 21 runs.
Pujara was on 78 when Ali struck twice in two balls to leave India, 2-1 down in the five-match series after their 203-run win at Trent Bridge last week, on 195 for eight.
Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick at the start of Ali’s next over before he too fell to the all-rounder.
Pujara, now on 96, now had only No 11 Jasprit Bumrah for company.
But a swept two off Ali took him to 99 and he then survived the bowler’s review for lbw after third umpire Joel Wilson ruled he had been playing a shot.
Patient
India number three Pujara, with the field up, lofted Ali down the ground to complete a deserved century, his 15th in Tests, off 210 balls including 11 fours.
It was the kind of patient century seemingly beyond many members of an England top order for whom batting collapses have become a matter of routine.
Pujara fielded, but did not attend the post-match press conferences.
India-born former England captain Nasser Hussain, commentating on Sky, praised Pujara’s innings by saying: “Here is a lad who has gutsed it out, played in a good old-fashioned determined way.”
Bumrah hung around so long that England took the new ball.
Pujara’s response was to launch Stuart Broad for four over midwicket and next ball drive him through the covers for another boundary.
Broad eventually had Bumrah, who batted over an hour for six, caught by Cook at first slip.
India resumed yesterday on 19 without loss.
James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, needed six more wickets to equal retired Australia great Glenn McGrath’s mark of 563 – the most taken by any fast bowler at this level.
Anderson, however, went wicketless in an innings return of none for 50 in 18 overs.