London: Rohit Sharma’s (127) maiden overseas century coupled with a supportive innings from Cheteshwar Pujara (61) helped India take a 171-run lead in their second innings on Day 3 of the fourth Test at the Oval on Saturday. The visitors were at 270/3 at stumps with skipper Virat Kohli (22 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja(9 not out) at the crease when bad light stopped play.
The India opening duo of KL Rahul and Rohit started the day positively with an overnight score of 43/0. While Rohit started a bit cautiously, Rahul (46), despite a good start to his innings fell four runs short of a deserving half-century edging to Johny Bairstow behind the stumps.
Rohit, who looked quite happy to play the second fiddle, changed his game plan after Rahul’s dismissal. The Mumbaikar was stoic and determined to make the most of his start, having failed to do so on a couple of previous occasions. He targeted spinner Moeen Ali in particular, dominating him with his wide array of strokes before hitting him for a maximum to complete his ton.
England bowlers were left stranded in the middle with the pitch getting flattered as the day progressed. The Rohit-Pujara duo added a hefty 153 runs for the second wicket giving India a superb opportunity to claw back into the game.
England regained their hopes through Olie Robinson (2/67) who removed the duo in the same over. However, skipper Kohli along with Jadeja managed to see-through the final session as India have time as well wickets on their hands to extend their lead in the second innings to boost their chances of a possible victory.
Brief scores: India 191 and 270/3 (Rohit Sharma 127, Cheteshwar Pujara 61; Olie Robinson 2/67) vs England 290 all out. India lead by 171 runs
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