India captain Virat Kohli yesterday remained unbeaten on a defiant 49 in a tense final session to deny England victory and claim a draw in the opening Test of the five-match series.
England captain Alastair Cook notched up his 30th Test hundred and declared his team’s second innings on 260-3 in the second session, to set India an improbable target of 310.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who picked up four wickets in the first innings, took another three as the hosts were reduced to 71-4 shortly after tea.
Photo: AP
With the spinners getting the ball to turn sharply and bounce on the wearing pitch, Cook surrounded India’s batsmen with close-in fielders in an effort to force a victory.
Kohli, India’s best batsman, then frustrated the touring side with a fifth-wicket stand of 47 with Ravichandran Ashwin, who made 32.
The pair batted out over 15 overs to take India closer to the draw before Ashwin drove left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari straight to Joe Root in the covers.
Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha did not last long as India were reduced to 132-6 with enough overs still left in the match for England to force a win.
However, Kohli added another crucial unbeaten stand of 40 in 10 overs for the seventh wicket with local boy Ravindra Jadeja, who remained unbeaten on 32, to deny the tourists.
The hosts reached 172-6 when the captains shook hands for the match to end in a draw.
The result could have swung in England’s favour had they managed to hold on to their catches.
Vijay, India’s highest scorer in the first innings with 126, was dropped on 13 by Ansari, who failed to hold on to a powerful return catch. The batsman went on to make 31.
Ansari was the unlucky bowler again in his next over when Stuart Broad dropped a much easier catch from first-innings centurion Pujara at point with the batsman on 10.
Pujara was dismissed on 18, given out LBW off Rashid with replays showing the ball had pitched outside the leg stump and the decision would have been overturned on review.
Australia, S Africa
AP, HOBART, Australia
Rain yesterday prevented any play on the second day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa after an extraordinary opening day in which 15 wickets fell.
South Africa won the toss on Saturday, bowled Australia out for 85 and then reached 171-5 before stumps to take an 86-run lead on day one.
Organizers yesterday canceled play at Bellerive when heavy rain started in the afternoon.
Temba Bavuma remained unbeaten on 38 and Quinton de Kock was on 28.
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