Captain Alistair Cook (batting 109) kept England in the game and propelled them to 182 for three in their second innings at lunch on day four of the first Test against India at the Sardar Patel Satdium in Motera here Sunday.
England, who resumed the day at 111 for none, lost three crucial wickets in the morning session and still trailed India’s first innings score of 521 for eight decl by 148 runs.
England following on after being bowled out for a paltry first innings total of 191 lost Nick Compton (37), Jonathan Trott (17) and Kevin Pietersen (2) in the morning.
Compton was the first to go, adding only five more runs to his overnight score. Zaheer Khan took his second wicket of the match and his first in the second innings trapping the 29-year-old plumb in front of the wicket.
Trott was coaxed by a Pragyan Ojha ball that spun viciously and bounced and was caught behind by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Pietersen’s woeful form against the spinners continued as he once again fell to the guile of Ojha.
Pietersen walked too far across the stumps and tried to sweep a full ball only to be castled.
Ojha continued his dream run in the Test taking his total wickets tally to seven in the match. Ashwin though failed to make an impact, bowling 25 overs with no wickets to show.