- India vs England, 4th Test, Mumbai, 2nd day
England were frustrated by a 107-run partnership between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara on day two of the fourth Test against India in Mumbai.
Jos Buttler (76) and Jake Ball (31) helped England – who trail 2-0 in the series – reach 400 as Ravichandran Ashwin took another five-wicket haul.
KL Rahul fell early to Moeen Ali for 24 but Vijay’s unbeaten 70 and Pujara’s calm 47 steadied India in their reply.
India moved with few alarms to 146-1 as they targeted England’s spinners.
Rahul’s dismissal before tea put the tourists in a strong position but England let the game drift in the evening session.
India’s batsmen worked the singles as England’s seamers struggled on a pitch that offered no assistance, and were more aggressive towards off-spinner Moeen and, particularly, Adil Rashid.
“The difference in the quality of the spinners is why it looks like the pitch has flattened out,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on BBC Test Match Special. “It’s all to play for – terrific Test match cricket.” England have never lost a Test in the subcontinent after making 400 in the first innings – they scored 400 in Mumbai in 2006 and went on to win that Test by 212 runs – but reaching that total appeared unlikely when they resumed on 288-5. Buttler had passed 50 just once in his previous 15 Test innings but he judged this knock well, playing cautiously before using quick singles and the reverse sweep to up the tempo. But he began to run out of partners with Chris Woakes edging Ravindra Jadeja to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and Rashid then left a delivery that did not turn and hit middle stump. However, a well-crafted partnership of 54 for the ninth wicket took England to a competitive score. Buttler shielded Ball from the strike at first but the number 10 proved to be a more than adequate partner. He cut and flicked Jadeja for four before crashing the new ball to the boundary. – BBC
