Credit also to the Englishmen, who managed to keep the intensity up till the very end despite being out there all day with little reward. Cook's direct hit that got the Indian captain was as sharp a throw as it can get, and it came in the penultimate over of the day. Only symbolic, really, of perhaps the fact that the England captain has been a foot ahead of his Indian counterpart throughout this series.
Kohli got his century, which was well deserved, but his dismissal perhaps disturbed Dhoni juts a little. But the 99 from the Indian skipper was worth a lot more than many other 100s, coming as it did in trying conditions. But from England's point of view, it was a good end to a tiring day.
So a dramatic day -- or rather, final hour -- ends. Day Three started with India battling to survive in the Test but Dhoni and Kohli batted almost through the day, scoring runs too, and almost took India to the point of taking a lead in the innings. But after 198 runs in more than five hours and two and a half sessions, England are back on top of the game here. Four wickets fell in the final hour -- Kohli, Dhoni, Chawla and Jadeja -- but it was the Dhoni run out on 99 that would hurt the Indians the most.
END OF DAY'S PLAY
WICKET: CHAWLA B SWANN 1
Over 130.1: India 297/8; Ashwin 7Last over before stumps, Swann will get to bowl it, and for the first time, the minimum overs required has overshot the deadline. Blame all those countless drinks breaks. And Swann gets his third wicket, India's tail is running out fast and Chawla goes. Little turn after ptiching outside off and takes an outside edge to the off stump. Chawla came forward and got beaten, and that wraps up a successful session for England. Swann didn't even celebrate much, guess the Dhoni wicket in the previous over was simply too much even for them.
Stumps have been drawn five balls early, after that wicket. India are still 33 runs behind and eight wickets down.
WICKET: DHONI RUN OUT COOK 99
Over 130: India 297/7; Ashwin 7, Chawla 1More drama as the day ends, Dhoni goes for 99! The century he had been so patiently waiting for, after being in the 90s for more than an hour, never came as the Indian skipper played up on the off side and made a dash of it but Alastair Cook's direct hit beat him to the crease by centimetres and just a fraction of a second. Chawla is the man in and the tail is out, with England still in slender lead.
Over 128: India 294/6; Dhoni 99, Ashwin 5
Anderson to Dhoni and takes a quick single through leg to get to 99, and he was looking for a second but decided against it. Ashwin ends the over with a single worked into square leg and keeps the strike, so Dhoni has to wait for his 100.
Anderson to Dhoni and takes a quick single through leg to get to 99, and he was looking for a second but decided against it. Ashwin ends the over with a single worked into square leg and keeps the strike, so Dhoni has to wait for his 100.
So England are fighting back in the dying moments of the day's play, even though Dhoni is still there, batting on 98. India are still in arrears by 42 runs. Fifteen minutes, five overs left for the day and another wicket here can really bring out the Indian tail. Amazing what one wicket can do to turn a game and teams' moods around.
WICKET: JADEJA LBW B ANDERSON 12
Over 124: India 288/6; Dhoni 98
Anderson is in attack now and Dhoni, on 97, starts the over with a quick single. Little short outside off and cut through covers. Andeson wraps the over with a wicket, and Ravindra Jadeja's first international outing in Tests is over for 12. Pitched on off and shaped back in, Jadeja was caught on the crease and rapped on the pad. R Ashwin comes out and he can play a long innings.
Anderson is in attack now and Dhoni, on 97, starts the over with a quick single. Little short outside off and cut through covers. Andeson wraps the over with a wicket, and Ravindra Jadeja's first international outing in Tests is over for 12. Pitched on off and shaped back in, Jadeja was caught on the crease and rapped on the pad. R Ashwin comes out and he can play a long innings.
The deficit for India is under 50 now.
Over 120: India 281/5; Dhoni 95, Jadeja 8
Bresnan to Jadeja, the only Indian to score three triple centuries in first-class cricket. Back of length outside off and slashes hard at it, gets a big edge for four runs. Works a single off front foot and Dhoni plays out the last three balls.
Bresnan to Jadeja, the only Indian to score three triple centuries in first-class cricket. Back of length outside off and slashes hard at it, gets a big edge for four runs. Works a single off front foot and Dhoni plays out the last three balls.
The English are suddenly alive in the field and this match is still open. But Kohli has proved himself again, he seems to love fourth Tests in a series (the Adelaide century, remember?) and he has given India a more than good-enough chance. India need to build on it and Dhoni needs to take charge.
A partnership of 198 is broken, and England would be extremely relieved. These two were playing almost on autopilot, so much in sync with each other, that they seemed to be going on forever. They had batted for just under six hours together, two and a half sessions, but can England make one wicket into two, or three?
WICKET: KOHLI LBW B SWANN 103
Over 117: India 269/5; Dhoni 91, Jadeja 0
Gone! England have the breakthrough, and it's Swann celebrating in the middle. First over after drinks, midway through the final session, and Swann strikes off the first ball. Came around the wicket and pitched on leg stump, just straightened a bit and hit Kohli on the pad, would have gone to the leg and middle. Kohli perhaps misread the line, expected a turn but it didn't happen and this partnership is over. Ravindra Jadeja walks in for his first over in Test cricket, and a wicket-maiden for Swann.
Gone! England have the breakthrough, and it's Swann celebrating in the middle. First over after drinks, midway through the final session, and Swann strikes off the first ball. Came around the wicket and pitched on leg stump, just straightened a bit and hit Kohli on the pad, would have gone to the leg and middle. Kohli perhaps misread the line, expected a turn but it didn't happen and this partnership is over. Ravindra Jadeja walks in for his first over in Test cricket, and a wicket-maiden for Swann.
Alastair Cook would be getting very very concerned now. The match is still not out of England's grasp, but it has been slipping out gradually for some time now, and it's petering out at a faster pace at the moment. Dhoni is nine away from a century and if he gets there, he can simply cut loose and play an innings that would end any talk of England win or series victory or anything like that. England don't want that.
Over 115: India 265/4; Kohli 100, Dhoni 90
Swann to Kohli, tossed up and flighted, no runs, then the third ball goes for four and Kohli gets his hundred. Touch short, not wide but Kohli makes room and smashes the ball in front of square for four and he gets his third Test century.
Swann to Kohli, tossed up and flighted, no runs, then the third ball goes for four and Kohli gets his hundred. Touch short, not wide but Kohli makes room and smashes the ball in front of square for four and he gets his third Test century.
Graeme Swann reacts after being hit for a six by Dhoni.
Amazing, to even think of a declaration from India in their first innings! Who says miracles don't happen? Or rather, that India can't finally conjure up a pitch that suits them?
India lost their third wicket midway through Day Two, Gautam Gambhir going with the team score on 71, and then none. The English bowlers haven't really bowled badly, to be honest, just that these two have dug in so deeply and comfortably here that getting them moved out seems well-nigh impossible, It's something like what Pujara did in Ahmedabad, just twice as good, and will this partnership break ever or wil they go on to get a sizeable lead before declaring?
Over 110: India 255/4; Kohli 94, Dhoni 86
Monty to Kohli, who is on 93. Going down leg and flicked to short mid-on, then two defended, works a fuller delivery for a single to cover point.
Monty to Kohli, who is on 93. Going down leg and flicked to short mid-on, then two defended, works a fuller delivery for a single to cover point.
No one would have believed that two Indian batsmen would reach their individual centuries in the same innings of a Test in this series. Even more, they would do it almost together, holding hands as it were. But it seems to be happening here. Oh, well, the vagaries -- or beauty, depending on the point of view -- of Test cricket.
Start of day, it would have been difficult to imagine this could happen. Now, it is on the verge of happening. These two, if they stay on till stumps, can not only wipe off the deficit but actually put India in lead here. And England do not look like being able to think of anything drastic to get either of them out. They are both in their 80s, the scores have been almost level since they came together -- amazing, which gives an idea of how well these two have not managed to rotate the strike but also get boundaries at almost the same pace. The race is now to who reaches 100 first.
Over 104: India 233/4; Kohli 80, Dhoni 78
A maiden from Panesar to Dhoni.
A maiden from Panesar to Dhoni.
Over 103: India 233/4; Kohli 80, Dhoni 78
Anderson to Dhoni, straighter and nudged through square for a single. Then a pitched one and Kohli guides the ball through point for three runs. A single to complete the over. And the lead for England is now less than 100.
Anderson to Dhoni, straighter and nudged through square for a single. Then a pitched one and Kohli guides the ball through point for three runs. A single to complete the over. And the lead for England is now less than 100.
Over 102: India 228/4; Kohli 77, Dhoni 76
Monty to twirl from the other end, just a single worked to midwicket by Dhoni.
Monty to twirl from the other end, just a single worked to midwicket by Dhoni.
Over 101: India 220/4; Kohli 71, Dhoni 74
Anderson continues after tea and starts with a maiden against Kohli. Oh, well.
Anderson continues after tea and starts with a maiden against Kohli. Oh, well.
Dhoni scored his 8th Test fifty against England.
India are still 103 runs behind but England now really need to think of something special to keep their hold on the game. This tea break will be important for both teams, can Alastair cook up something magical here in the final session?
So, if the first session was the first in the series with no wickets, then this must be the only time when two entire sessions went through without a wicket. India are gradually coming back into the game here, Dhoni and Kohli have already played out the maximum balls they have faced individually in their Test careers so far. The second session also saw runs come off at a brisk pace, boundaries too, and India seem to have finally woken up to grit their teeth and get into fightback mode here, both these batsmen in their 70s now.
TEA
Over 100: India 227/4; Kohli 77, Dhoni 75
The 100th over up for India, also the last before tea, and Panesar bowls. Tossed up and forward defended by Dhoni to short mid-off. Another ball and similar result. A maiden to end the session.
The 100th over up for India, also the last before tea, and Panesar bowls. Tossed up and forward defended by Dhoni to short mid-off. Another ball and similar result. A maiden to end the session.
Dhoni has now become the highest scorer in the match so far (KP and Root got 73 apiece for England). Impressive, given his go-out-and-hit'em ways usually. He's been Captain Courageous for India here, but has it come too little, too late? There's Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to come as well.
Over 97: India 220/4; Kohli 71, Dhoni 74
Bresnan to Kohli, single clipped to leg. Two to Dhoni, outside off and cut to third man.
Bresnan to Kohli, single clipped to leg. Two to Dhoni, outside off and cut to third man.
There is no discomfort here either against the seamers or the pacemen, and England need to think of a way to break this partnership if they want to make the series their own. Dhoni and Kohli, if they really get going, and they are already showing signs of doing so, can even turn this match India's way. From just over 2 an over, India have been going at a healthy four-plus an over for the last 10 overs here.
This Indian partnership must be worrying Alastair Cook now. England are not under pressure, they don't have to necessarily win this Test, but Dhoni and Kohli here are close to 150 runs for the fifth wicket and England's lead is gradually eroding. What would be more of a concern is the way these two have been easily accumulating the runs, with boundaries coming at will.
Over 93: India 208/4; Kohli 66, Dhoni 68
Dhoni has decided to go after Swann now, this is a bit like the Dhoni of old. Kohli cuts to third man for three runs off the first ball, then Dhoni stands his place and smashes a tossed up delivery for a huge six. Two more singles make it a productive over for India, and Dhoni's now asked for assistance, might be cramping up just a little bit.
Dhoni has decided to go after Swann now, this is a bit like the Dhoni of old. Kohli cuts to third man for three runs off the first ball, then Dhoni stands his place and smashes a tossed up delivery for a huge six. Two more singles make it a productive over for India, and Dhoni's now asked for assistance, might be cramping up just a little bit.
Over 90: India 191/4; Kohli 62, Dhoni 59
Bresnan to Dhoni, maiden. There is not much to write any more than that. Yawn.
Bresnan to Dhoni, maiden. There is not much to write any more than that. Yawn.
That's the first Indian century partnership since Ahmedabad. And Dhoni's slowest 50.
Over 85: India 177/4; Kohli 53, Dhoni 54Bresnan to Dhoni and pulled a short ball to backward square for a single, and Dhoni moves to 49, and the 100 comes up for this partnership. Its been a very crucial partnership for India's hopes and needs to continue. A single from Kohli later, Dhoni goes back on the backfoot, and a short wide ball is punched for a four through the offside to bring up half century. His 28th fifty in Tests, eighth against England.
Virat Kohli plays a shot on Day Three.
Over 82: India 167/4; Kohli 52, Dhoni 45The new ball is taken finally and the helmets are on for close-in fielders. Anderson to bowl. Short, wide to start with, and goes over cover point for four. Fuller and straighter the rest and Dhoni has no more runs, he is on 45 now.
Over 77: India 153/4; Kohli 51, Dhoni 33Virat Kohli gets his fifty, finally. Dhoni took a single off Panesar's penultimate ball, and Kohli stepped up and drove one through the off side, timed and placed perfectly for a four. That's his 6th Test fifty, and it's come in 170-odd balls, so that's been a patient innings, just what the doctor ordered.
Over 75: India 148/4; Kohli 47, Dhoni 32Swann to Dhoni, tossed up and tapped to mid-off and a neaky single.
Over 75: India 147/4; Kohli 47, Dhoni 31panesr from the other end, change of ends for him. And a maiden to Kohli, who is three away from a fifty.
Over 74: India 147/4; Kohli 47, Dhoni 31
Swann starts against Kohli. Defends on the front foot, tehn takes a single off the last ball, driven to square leg and keeps the strike.
Swann starts against Kohli. Defends on the front foot, tehn takes a single off the last ball, driven to square leg and keeps the strike.
So it's been an India session here on Day Three. Kohli and Dhoni have batted nicely, cautously but at decent pace, and Kohli is now four short of a well-deserved half ton. The partnership has gone up to 75, patience is being rewarded here and India would be pleased not to lose a wicket there. England, on the other hand, have tried everything, the bowling has been fine but they haven't managed that much-nneded wicket. Second seccion session will be crucial to see if India collapse, again, or get a firm grip on this match.
LUNCH
Over 73: India 146/4; Kohli 46, Dhoni 31
Cook threw the ball to Trott for the alst over of the day yesterday, and today, he has decided to end the first session with a Joe-Root over. Off-spin from the debutant, and five off that over. And lunch.
Cook threw the ball to Trott for the alst over of the day yesterday, and today, he has decided to end the first session with a Joe-Root over. Off-spin from the debutant, and five off that over. And lunch.
Over 70: India 139/4; Kohli 44, Dhoni 26
Panesar to Kohli, flighted, defended back to bowler. Twice. Drives one from full wide off for a single.
Panesar to Kohli, flighted, defended back to bowler. Twice. Drives one from full wide off for a single.
Over 65: India 132/4; Kohli 38, Dhoni 25
Swann to Dhoni, over the wicket, waits the first five balls for the right delivery, then Swann comes around the wicket and Dhoni goes on to the backfoot and punches one hard through the covers for a four.
Swann to Dhoni, over the wicket, waits the first five balls for the right delivery, then Swann comes around the wicket and Dhoni goes on to the backfoot and punches one hard through the covers for a four.
These two are beginning to settle in but there's stil along way to go before India save this Test. The ball is beginning to get a little more turn. though the craks -- the ones that threatened to open up on Day One itself -- are yet to fulfill their promise. The interesting thing is, it is easy to drop anchor on this pitch and keep defending. But trying to score, or forcing a wicket, are both an onerous business.
Over 60: India 121/4; Kohli 32, Dhoni 20Panesar to Kohli, uppish but falls short of short cover. The next, slower, dips and turns, beating the edge, and Panesar is getting the ball to do something here. Kohli defends the next three balls as well, then takes a single off the last past slip, and it's 50-up for this partnership.
Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed by James Anderson for the ninth time in Tests.
Over 58: India 113/4; Kohli 24, Dhoni 20Panesar to Dhoni, full and defended, short and punched to cover, flighted and slower, quicker, flighted and pushed through covers for a single and then another single by Kohli. Two off the over.
Over 55: India 106/4; Kohli 19, Dhoni 18And now we have Graeme Swann. A bye to Kohli, Swann ripped that one and hit him on the pads. DHoni then punches one through the covers, going on the backfoot to a short ball and getting his third boundary.
Over 50: India 96/4; Kohli 14, Dhoni 14Tim Bresnan comes on for the first time on Day Three. And starts with a maiden to Kohli, who is still coming to terms with Anderson and now has to adjust to the slower pace and fuller ball from Bresnan.
Over 46: India 93/4; Kohli 11, Dhoni 10Another maiden, this time from Anderson to Dhoni, who fends off all balls -- full, short, on the middle and wide of off -- on the front foot.
Over 45: India 93/4; Kohli 11, Dhoni 10
Panesar continues and it's a maiden to Kohli, who is being uncharacteristically quiet and cautious.
Panesar continues and it's a maiden to Kohli, who is being uncharacteristically quiet and cautious.
Over 44: India 93/4; Kohli 11, Dhoni 14
The ball isn't carrying, like it did on Day Two, and Prior has come up to Anderson. Dhoni gets a four with a thick outside edge, the first boundary for the day.
The ball isn't carrying, like it did on Day Two, and Prior has come up to Anderson. Dhoni gets a four with a thick outside edge, the first boundary for the day.
Over 43: India 89/4; Kohli 11, Dhoni 10
Panesar has the ball from the other end, so it's going to be pace-spin combo for India. Another single off the over. Short ball, looking to cut but it came back in, Dhoni manages to punch it to mid-off for a quick single.
Panesar has the ball from the other end, so it's going to be pace-spin combo for India. Another single off the over. Short ball, looking to cut but it came back in, Dhoni manages to punch it to mid-off for a quick single.
Over 42: India 88/4; Kohli 11, Dhoni 9
Anderson starts off and Dhoni works the first ball for a single. Reverse swinging rightaway, DHoni just managed to get an inside edge onto the pad. Kohli sees off the rest of the over.
Anderson starts off and Dhoni works the first ball for a single. Reverse swinging rightaway, DHoni just managed to get an inside edge onto the pad. Kohli sees off the rest of the over.
Ashwin and Dhoni walk out to carry on the rebuilinding task. Anderson gets the ball rightaway.
What India need is someone, anyone, to hang around at the crease for a long time. The situation is tailormade for someone like Virat Kohli to prove his worth all over again, after the Australia series. Will he do it? India would be hoping he does. But Anderson's been a man on a mission here, scattering the Indian top-order like frightened foot soldiers in the wake of a rampaging cavalier. He's also reinforced the image of Sachin Tendulkar being his bunny, with nine Test dismissals of the Little Master.
The second day ended with England firmly in control of this match and on course to winning the series. Unless, of course, the Indian tail wags as well as the English one. India are in trouble. That's for the nth time in this series. They still have Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni at the wicket, with the scoreboard showing 87/4, and R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to follow, there's hope.
India Today brings you live coverage of the fourth and final Test between India and England from the VCA Stadium, Nagpur.
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