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Skipper Virat Kohli and opener Murali Vijay hit superb centuries to power India to 451/7 at stumps on the third day for a crucial 51-run first innings lead against England in the fourth Test here on Saturday.

Kohli’s (147 not out) reassuring presence helped them immensely after India were reduced to 348/6 at tea from 247/2 at lunch, in response to England’s first innings score of 400. Jayant Yadav (30 not out) was at the crease at stumps.

Vijay scored 136, his eighth ton and second of the series, to put India in a strong position from where they slipped before Kohli took control.

Joe Root (2-18), Moeen Ali (2-139) and Adil Rashid (2-152) were the most successful bowlers for England. 

Kohli struck his 15th hundred, in his 89th innings and 52nd Test, also completing 4000 runs, 1000 in 2016, in the process. He also became the highest run getter of the year across all formats with 2492 runs and the sixth fastest Indian to achieve the 4000 mark.

Virender Sehwag is the fastest Indian to cross the milestone at 79 innings. Kohli reached the mark when he got to 41 runs during his knock.

The 28-year-old also registered 1,000 Test runs in the year in just 11 matches, becoming the third Test skipper after Sachin Tendulkar (1997) and Rahul Dravid (2006) to do so.

India were 247/2 at lunch and coasting along with opener Murali Vijay (136) striking his eighth century in the morning session.

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Resuming at their overnight score of 146/1, India were jolted as early as the second ball of the day when No.3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara (47) was dismissed off the bowling of Jake Ball (1-29).

Pujara shouldered arms to a length ball that nipped back and knocked out his off stump.

But it was the only joy England could get in the next two hours of the morning session as Vijay-Kohli consolidated India’s position with a 116-run partnership.

India were comfortably placed at 247/2 at lunch, Vijay completing his century before lunch, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. India accumulated 101 runs in 31 overs in the morning phase of play.

But it all went south in the second session after Vijay was dismissed. His fall after a 282-ball knock triggered a middle order batting wobble.

Karun Nair (13), Parthiv Patel (15) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0) all departed in quick succession to raise fears of India conceding a vital first innings lead.

Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja then arrested the slide, stitching a 57-run seventh-wicket stand to guide India towards safety after being reduced to 307/6. India went into tea at 348/6 with the Kohli-Jadeja partnership unbroken.

Jadeja departed with India still needing 36 runs to level England’s score. But Kohli then encouraged Jadhav to play positively. Jadhav repaid the faith shown on him by the skipper, staying unbeaten till the end, forging an unbroken 97 run partnership for the eighth wicket.

The partnership ensured India took a potentially decisive first innings lead. Kohli, who struck 17 fours in a superb knock, would be keen to extend it beyond 100 runs when the fourth day’s play resumes on Sunday.

IANS

Riding on brilliant centuries from opener Murali Vijay (126) and Cheteshwar Pujara (124), India reached 319/4 at stumps on day three of the opening Test against England here on Friday.

England, however, took two quick wickets of Vijay and night-watchman Amit Mishra (0) after dismissing Pujara in the post-tea session to level the proceedings.

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Earlier, Vijay and Pujara forged a 209-run stand for the second wicket to deny England any early inroads after the dismissal of opener Gautam Gambhir (29). At stumps, skipper Virat Kohli was unbeaten on 26.

England managed to turn the momentum towards them as India reached 319/4 at stumps on day three of the opening Test at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.

Both Pujara and Vijay reached their respective tons in the post-tea session as the duo took India to 277/1 before being separated by pacer Ben Stokes.

Pujara, who hit 17 boundaries in his 206-ball knock, attempted a shortish ball outside the off stump from Stokes only to land in skipper Alastair Cook’s hands at wide slip.

Pujara’s wicket brought in skipper Virat Kohli (26 not out), who along with Vijay added 41 runs for the third wicket before leg-spinner Adil Rashid sent back the Tamil Nadu right-hander. 

Vijay, who switched gears after reaching his career’s seventh century, blasted nine boundaries and four sixes in his 301-ball innings. 

Vijay’s vigil was over minutes before the close of play after he mistimed a googly from the leggie which popped off the glove straight to Haseeb Hameed at short leg. 

Night-watchman Amit Mishra then joined Kohli but the leg-spinner could only last two deliveries and fell to left-armer Zafar Ansari before the stumps were drawn for the day. Kohli, on the other hand, consumed 70 deliveries for his 26 which contained three hits to the fence.

Earlier, Pujara and Vijay continued to bat steadily as India reached 228/1 at tea.

Pujara weathered some rough attention from the England pacers in the early part of his inning and was unbeaten on 99 when tea was called. Vijay was batting on 86 at the other end.

The day did not start too brightly for the hosts. Gambhir and Vijay, who produced an opening stand of 68, could only add five runs to India’s overnight score when the Delhi southpaw was trapped leg before by Stuart Broad on 29.

Gambhir moved too far across his stumps and was hit on his pads in front of the middle and off stumps. The Delhi left-hander, who has made a comeback to the Test squad after a prolonged absence, hit four boundaries during his 72-delivery stay in the middle.

Pujara then joined Vijay and the duo ensured that the hosts lost no more wickets and at lunch had compiled an unbeaten partnership of 94 runs. 

Pujara did face some trouble against the England pacers, particularly Chris Woakes, who rapped him three times on the helmet. 

Both Pujara and Vijay were much better against the England spinners, however, and Vijay brought up his half-century in style with a six over long-on off left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari.

Vijay, however, was lucky to survive on three occasions, getting a leading edge when looking to drive Ansari against the turn, edging Woakes wide of slip, and not picking a Rashid delivery in the last over before lunch.

After lunch, Pujara and Vijay batted steadily, albeit a bit slowly to add 66 runs by the tea break to further consolidate India’s position.

Pujara survived a scare while on 86 when the umpire adjudged him leg before off Ansari’s bowling. The Indians called for review of the verdict and the much maligned Decision Review System (DRS) came to Pujara’s rescue.

The Saurashtra batsman survived a few nervous minutes going into the tea break, consuming eight balls on 99 before the teams went in for the break.

For the visitors, Broad, Ansari, Rashid and Stokes took one wicket apiece.

IANS

Indian top order fired to give the hosts a 215-run lead at stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand. Murali Vijay (64*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (50*) were at the crease. K L Rahul made a quick fire 38.

Earlier Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bundled out the tourists for 262.

Jadeja finished with yet another five-for, while Ashwin scalped four wickets as both the spinners together accounted for nine wickets to give the hosts a 56 run lead in the first innings.

Watch Ind vs NZ 1st Test Day 1| Vijay, Pujara score half centuries

The Indian bowlers came back strongly on the third day, after a bad second day’s play. Skipper Virat Kohli’s decision of starting the day’s proceedings with spinners paid off well for the hosts.

Murali Vijay hits back to back half centuries

Resuming the day from 152 for one, Kiwi batters got off to a bad start as both the Indian spinners created problems for them with their turn and bounce.

The disciplined bowling of Ashwin got him a wicket at the start as he plumbed overnight batsman Tom Latham at 58 while Jadeja struck the new man Ross Taylor in the very next over via leg before.

Just when the Kiwi batters seemed good at the crease, Ashwin produced another beauty to rip off dangerous Kane Williamson’s off stump. New Zealand were now reeling at 170/4 in just eight overs.

The Kiwi’s middle-order Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner and B Watling somehow tried to hold their innings together but only managed to score 38, 32 and 21 respectively.

After that there was no looking back for India as Jadeja ran through the visitor’s lower-order, taking three wickets in an over to wrap up the innings.

Brief score:

India (First Innings) 318 and 159 for 1 (Rahul 38, Vijay 64*, Pujara 50*, Ish Sodhi 1/0) vs
New Zealand 262 (Williamson 75, Latham 58, Jadeja 5-73, Ashwin 4-93).

Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara hit half centuries but India could manage only a paltry 291 for nine at stumps on the opening day of their first cricket Test match against New Zealand at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. In the historic 500th Test match for India, Pujara’s outstanding footwork against spin and Vijay’s near perfect ability to play late and leave managed them to score half centuries each.

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Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav were at the crease with 16 and 8 runs, respectively. For New Zealand, pacer Trent Boult and spinner Mitchell Santner picked up three wickets each.

Opener K L Rahul gave India an aggressive start against the Kiwis at Green Park stadium in Kanpur but fell for 32 off 39 balls. Murali Vijay (39) and Cheteshwar Pujara (34) steadied the Indian innings as at the lunch break the hosts had scored 105 for 1.   

Earlier, Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test of the three match series against New Zealand .

India in its historic 500th Test is playing with six batsmen, two fast bowlers and two spinners while the visiting New Zealand are playing with three spinners and two fast bowlers.

India has won 10 tests under Kohli’s captaincy.

Teams:

New Zealand : Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (captain), Ross Taylor, Luke Ronchi, BJ Watling (wicket keeper), Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig, Neil Wagner, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

India: Murli Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.