Mumbai: India captain Virat Kohli (147 batting, 241b, 17×4) maintained his red-hot form as he and Murali Vijay (136, 282b, 10×4, 3×6) struck fine centuries to help the hosts overtake England on day three of the fourth Test at the Wankhede Stadium here Saturday.
The hosts, leading 2-0 in the five-match series, reached 451 for seven at the close, 51 runs ahead of the touring side. The Indian skipper was unbeaten at stumps with a firm support from Jayant Yadav (30 batting, 86b, 3×4).
The 28-year-old Kohli brought up his 15th Test hundred and second of the series and celebrated with a leap in the air, bringing the 22,000 crowd at the stadium overlooking the Arabian Sea to their feet.
Kohli batted majestically, rarely looked in trouble, with sublime stroke-making. He shared crucial stands with the lower-order batsmen – 57 with Ravindra Jadeja (25, 46b, 2×4, 1×6) for the seventh wicket and an unbroken 87 with Jayant.
Vijay and Kohli, who also passed 1,000 Test runs in 2016 and 4,000 in his career, added 116 for the third wicket before the former got dismissed, hitting a full toss from Adil Rashid (2/152) straight back to the leg-spinner.
England successfully reviewed the umpire’s not out decision to dismiss Karun Nair (13, 18b, 2×4) lbw off Moeen Ali (2/139) before part-time off-spinner Joe Root (2/18) picked up the wickets of Parthiv Patel (15, 31b, 1×4) and in-form Ravichandran Ashwin (0) in four balls.
India, who were comfortably placed on 262 for two, were reduced to 307 for six before Kohli and Jadeja propped them up. Jadeja was out to Rashid for 25. The hosts could have been in more trouble if Rashid had held on to a return catch from Kohli, then on 68. Root also dropped Yadav on eight off James Anderson, compounding England’s problems.
Yadav was reprieved again on 28 when replays showed he had edged Moeen to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow down the leg side but England did not have any reviews left to challenge the umpire’s not out decision.
Resuming on 146 for one, the hosts suffered an early jolt when Cheteshwar Pujara (47, 104b, 6×4) was bowled on the second ball of the morning to paceman Jake Ball (1/29). However, it proved to be the only success for the English bowlers in the morning as Vijay and Kohli flayed the attack.
Vijay reached his second century of the series before being given out lbw to Rashid but managed to overturn the decision on review as replays suggested he got an inside edge before the ball struck his pad.
Vijay cherishes ‘special century’
“It is special because I started off well in this series and the next couple of matches I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play. I was getting out too early, I just came out in much more clearer mindset for this game and I wanted to back my instincts and play,” said the 32-year-old batsman.
Asked if the break between the third and fourth Test helped, he responded in positive. “Definitely, yes the break helped me and helped everybody else to go and rethink and come back better.”
Vijay had scored 126 in the first innings of the opening Test but made three and 20 in Visakhapatnam in the second and got out for zero and 12 in the third game at Mohali.
Vijay asserted that India were in firm control of the game after taking a first-innings lead of 51. “Yes, because any lead is gold on this wicket. During tea time we just thought of getting close to their target, but now the way Virat and Jayant (Yadav) are batting, we are in a pretty good position,” Vijay told reporters after the end of day’s play.
Agencies