IND Vs ENG: Virat Kohli, Chesteshwar Pujara keep India steady at 100/2 at lunch

Virat Kohli in action against England at Southampton

India were 100 for two in reply to England's first innings 246, a deficit of 146 runs, at lunch on the second day of the fourth Test at Southampton on Friday. Cheteshwar Pujara was 28 not out and India captain Virat Kohli 25 not out with their unbroken stand so far worth exactly 50 runs. Stuart Broad had taken both wickets to fall for lunch figures of two for 34 in 10 overs. England lead the five-match series 2-1.

On the first day of the fourth test match, England's top-order were rattled by the Indian seamers as the hosts were reeling at 86-6. England eventually finished with 246 thanks to a rearguard action from Sam Curran (78). At stumps, India were 19-0 on Day One.

After electing to bat on a surface with a tinge of grass and good carry, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma were relentless with the new ball. Bumrah had shaped everything away from Keaton Jennings before he changed his wrist position subtly at release, making the ball zip back off the seam. Jennings, already under pressure to hold on to his spot, shouldered arms and was trapped plumb in front. Bumrah nearly had Joe Root in the next over, but the seamer overstepped the line and the review was upheld. Luckily for India, Ishant had Root leg before to leave England at 15-2.

Jonny Bairstow hit a glorious cover drive to get going, but Bumrah had the better of the Englishman by getting the ball to straighten on the line of off-stump and finding the edge. Alastair Cook dug in and it seemed like his fortunes were changing. However, on 17, he guided a short ball from Hardik Pandya straight to third slip as England scrambled to lunch at 57-4.

For a brief period after the interval, it looked like Buttler and Stokes could repeat their heroics from the second innings at Trent Bridge. But Mohammed Shami came to the party as Buttler edged a wide ball straight to Kohli in the slips. At 86-6, England needed a substantial partnership and they got it in form of Moeen Ali (40) and Sam Curran. Both left-handers stroked the ball with fluency as for the first time in the day the Indian seamers didn't make the batsmen play enough.

Moeen smashed Ravichandran Ashwin over long-on for a six to take the partnership past 60, but he soon perished attempting a slog. Curran, however, carried on with scoring gritty innings as England's last four wickets added 79 runs to fight back brilliantly on an opening day.

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