Ind vs Eng: Hardik Pandya's maiden Test fifer gives India advantage

Hardik Pandya (right) celebrates an England wicket with teammate KL Rahul on Day Two of the third Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham yesterday. He ended up with 5-28. Pic/Bipin Patel

Team India enjoyed their best day of the series as they put themselves in prime position to open their win account in the 2018 Pataudi Trophy yesterday at Trent Bridge, the very venue they beat England way back in 2007. At stumps on Day Two, India were 124 for two. Openers Shikhar Dhawan (44) and KL Rahul (36) were back in the pavilion, but Cheteshwar Pujara (33) and skipper Virat Kohli (8) extended India's lead to 292 to establish the fact that this series is far from over for the visitors.

They owe their success to all-rounder Hardik Pandya who claimed his first Test fifer. Pandya was disgusted at himself after edging the last ball of the first day's play straight to second slip. Pandya's wicket had given England the glimmer of hope after India had edged ahead on Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, Pandya had redeemed himself with the ball, claiming career-best figures of 5-28 to put India in the complete command of the third Test at Trent Bridge.

Trailing 2-0 in the series, it was D-Day for India. Resuming on 307-6, the Indian lower order was undone by the swing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Rishab Pant perished for the first time in Test cricket as he dragged one back on to the stumps. Pant's wicket triggered a collapse and India lost their last four wickets for 22 to be all out for 329.

There was more disappointment for India in the morning session as the England openers added 46 runs in 54 balls. Mohammad Shami was erratic, Jasprit Bumrah was clearing the cobwebs and in the only over Ravichandran Ashwin bowled, he managed to injure his hip. Add to that, the slips let a couple of edges pass through the cordon.

Lunch seemed to come at the right time for India. It allowed the team to regroup and focus. Ishant Sharma was immediately brought on and the lanky pacer had an immediate impact by having Alistair Cook edging to KL Rahul at second slip. England had lost their first wicket for 54. The dark clouds that had hovered all day started to condense, the light was gloomy and the ball started to move prodigiously. After the debacle at Lord's, it seemed the weather gods were starting to favour India.

For the next 21 overs, the Indian seamers created havoc. All of them pitched the ball a yard fuller than their experienced opponents Anderson and Broad. There supple wrists and the additional pace made the ball zip off the surface. Each of India's pacers was quicker than their highly fancied opponents.

The enigmatic Pandya had the ball on a string. His methods were simple yet effective. He used the width of the crease and sent down outswinger after outswinger. In the space of 36 balls, he had induced four edges and trapped Broad plumb in front. England had gone from 54 for no loss to be bowled out for 161. Pandya's five included Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Broad and Jonny Bairstow while Bumrah accounted for Keaton Jennings and Jos Buttler.

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