Dom Bess Shines as England Close In On Victory

Dom Bess advanced England’s chances of victory over India on day three of the first Test in Chennai.

Spinner Bess took 4-55 as India closed 257-6, still 321 runs behind England’s total from days one and two.

The spinner dismissed Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, after Jofra Archer had removed both openers in a skilful new-ball burst to leave India 73 for 4 before drinks on the third afternoon.

Credit: England Cricket

Contrasting half-centuries from Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara led the recovery after the early setback, but they remain in danger of having to follow on as they attempt to save the first Test.

Prior to that England added 23 runs in 40 minutes with the bat, before they were eventually bowled out for 578.

In the morning session, India waited 5.2 overs before taking the third new ball, but struck immediately after doing so when Jasprit Bumrah pinned Bess lbw, playing around his front pad.

Ashwin’s hard toil brought him his third wicket, clean-bowling the slog-sweeping James Anderson to leave England 578 all out having added 23 to their overnight score.

After two good, consistent days of batting from England which sees them hold a large margin in terms of runs, it was now time to see what the team could do in field.

Pant launched a breathless counter-attack, hitting nine fours and five sixes as he dominated Jack Leach either side of tea, while Pujara worked the ball around in a more restrained innings. But both men fell to Bess in the evening session however, leaving India 321 runs behind at the close and needing a tail-end rearguard on the fourth morning to avoid batting again.

Archer provided an early breakthrough with the new ball, finding Rohit Sharma’s outside edge as he poked defensively on the back foot. Shubman Gill, in his first Test innings at home, played his shots and looked in superb touch as he clipped Anderson off his pads and drove Archer through straight midwicket.

Anderson dived sharply to his left at mid-on, and took a good low catch six inches from the ground to leave India 44 for 2.

Joe Root decided to back his spinners after lunch, with Bess returning after a solitary over before the break. With seamers rotating at the other end, Bess settled into his rhythm against Pujara and Kohli, finding a good length outside the off stump and letting natural variation from the pitch do most of the work.

Credit: ESPNCricinfo

Kohli never settled at the crease. He was beaten outside the off stump by Archer and chipped Bess just short of midwicket in the following over. His dismissal came thanks to a clever piece of bowling, as Bess pushed the ball a fraction wider outside off stump, finding sharp turn and extra bounce from a length. Kohli lunged forward to defend towards cover-point, but could only inside-edge to Ollie Pope at short leg.

Bess struck again six balls later. He overpitched outside off, as Rahane shimmied down to turn a full ball into a low full toss, and drove uppishly into the covers.

At this point India were 73 for 4, still 505 runs behind and in deep trouble.

The seamers returned after tea without managing to stem the steady flow, though Anderson struck Pujara on the glove with an in-dipper from a length that reared up off the pitch. Pujara continued to score freely against Bess when he returned, but then fell to a stroke of bad luck: rocking back to a long-hop, he pulled Bess into Pope’s back as he took evasive action at short leg, with the ball looping up into Rory Burns’ hands at midwicket.

Ashwin and Sundar saw India through to stumps with a useful stand – Sundar was dropped on 25, Archer shelling the catch running back – but England remained in the ascendancy at stumps.

Bess has taken two five-wicket hauls in his 12 Tests but this was his best performance to date.

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