Jurel’s maiden half-century helps India narrow England’s lead on day three of fourth test
RANCHI, India (AP) — Dhruv Jurel scored his maiden half-century as India finished within 46 runs of England’s first innings’ total at the stroke of lunch on day three of the fourth test.
Jurel superbly marshalled the lower order and scored 90 as India was bowled out for 307 runs on Sunday in reply to England’s 353.
Offspinner Shoaib Bashir took 5-119 in 44 overs, his maiden five-wicket haul, while Tom Hartley finished with 3-68 as the English spinners gave the tourists a slender lead on a progressively worsening pitch with variable low bounce.
India had reached 219-7 at stumps on day two and was struggling to stay in the game, despite the rearguard defiance of Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav late Saturday.
Jurel, resuming on 30 not out, came out attacking from one end and unsettled the English bowlers. He reached 50 off 96 balls, hitting three fours and a six, as part of the 76-run stand with Yadav.
James Anderson (2-48) bowled Yadav for 28 to finally provide the breakthrough, and moved within two scalps of 700 test wickets.
Meanwhile Jurel moved up the gears and put on 40 runs off 75 balls with Akash Deep (nine).
Bashir trapped Deep lbw in the 101st over for his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second test at age 20.
Jurel scored another 14 runs with Mohammed Siraj’s company as India crossed the 300-run mark, which had seemed unlikely on day two.
He was 10 short of a maiden test hundred, when Hartley’s delivery spun sharply and crashed into his stumps.
India has a 2-1 lead in the five-test series, after winning back-to-back tests in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot by 106 and 434 runs, respectively. England had won the first test in Hyderabad by 28 runs.
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