IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Ashwin, Jurel take India to 388/7 in attritional first session

Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin during the match (Pic: AFP)

After early wickets, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and debutant Dhruv Jurel took the responsibility on their shoulders to take India to 388 runs for seven wickets on day two of the IND vs ENG 3rd Test.

On a docile pitch which has not favoured any style of bowling yet, India's approach remained largely conservative which was also influenced to some extent by twin blows shortly after the play began.

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Resuming the day teo of the IND vs ENG 3rd Test at 326 for five wickets, the hosts took their time to add 62 runs. Ashwin and Jurel milked in 57 runs in India's favour. Debutant Jurel is unbeaten on 31 shouldering Ashwin who is batting on 25 runs.

Centurion Ravindra Jadeja could not add many runs to his name as he departed for 112 runs after playing one shot back to England part-timer Joe Root for a simple return catch.

The face of Jadeja's bat turned inwards towards his pads as he looked to play the ball on the on-side, resulting in Root grabbing a sharp catch over his shoulders.

Jadeja's wicket put India on the back foot. He joined his fellow mate Kuldeep Yadav in the dressing room.

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England veteran speedster James Anderson is just four wickets shy from completing 700 wickets in the longest format of the game.

For India's centurion Ravindra Jadeja, this is his second-highest score in test cricket and also the second-longest innings in this format in terms of balls faced.

The double blows at the identical team score of 331 forced new batters Ashwin and Jurel to drop anchor and build a partnership, since it is paramount for India to add as many runs as possible in the first essay on a benign track at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

Ashwin looked busier than his younger teammate and hit a few crisp drives to get going, but an error from his part resulted in on-field umpire Joe Wilson slapping a five-run penalty on the Indian team.

England's first innings will thus start at 5/0 without a ball being bowled. The first such warning was given on the opening day, when Jadeja committed the same offence.

Jurel did a fine job in his maiden outing which began with a few dot balls and a single to get his first Test runs, while his first-ever boundary in international cricket showed promise of a fine aggressive batter.

Wood dropped one short angling into Jurel but the 23-year-old's adroit hands sent the ball, clocking a shade more than 146 kmph, flying over the slip cordon for his first six in top-flight cricket.

At the lunch break, Jurel was on 31 not out from 71 balls with two fours and a six, while Ashwin reached 25 not out off 64 balls with four hits to the fence.

(With PTI Inputs)