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India Vs England, 3rd Test, Day 2: Ravichandran Ashwin Bags 500th Wicket, While Ben Duckett Races To Quick Ton - As It Happened

India put 445 runs on the board for England to chase on Day 2 of the third Test in Rajkot and the Three Lions replied with 207 of their own. Here's how it unfolded

IND vs ENG, 3rd Test: Ravi A💝shwin celebrates his 500🐷th wicket (Photo: AP/ Ajit Solanki)
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Hello and Welcome!

A shaky start aside, dominated play on Day 1 of their third Test against England, with Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja hitting crucial tons. India, who lost three wickets early, put 326 on the board, largely in part to Sharma and Jadeja, but also through Sarfaraz Khan's sensational debut half-century, which was the key talking point at the closing. (Streaming | Cricket News)

India will now resume the action, hoping to pic൩k up where they had left of, with half the team still to play. Follow the action here live.

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK)🐻, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Sir❀aj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep. 

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahme🌸d, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Be🙈n Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.

The Cherry On Top Of The Cake For Sarfaraz

Attention Turns To Jurel

India's decision toward the end of Day 1 was abundantly clear: by sending Kuldeep Yadav in ahead of Dhruv Jurel, the Men in Bl🎶ue wanted to give the young debutant - and those after him - a clean slate to draw upon on Day 2.

Jurel, a wicket-keeper-batter, received his ma🔜iden Test cap from Dinesh Karthik ahead of the match in Rajkot, and will, in all likelihood, get to taste his first slice of the action on Day 2.

Ready To Go!

The teams are back on the pitch in Rajkot, with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav reprಌesenting India. India are 326 for the loss of five wickets, and will be aiming, at least, a 400+ score.

Joe Root to bowl first for England. Here we go!

Cautious Start By India

Just two runs to show for from the first over on Day 2, with Kuldeep Yadav defendin🉐g all six bowls from Joe Root admirably. England immediately send James Anderson back in the a♎ttack to shake things up. India 328/5.

And There's The Wicket

Kuldeepꦺ Yadav edges one behind int𒐪o the grateful hands of Ben Foakes, and the night watchman's watch is over. He walks back, courtesy of the experienced James Anderson, and is replaced by debutant Dhruv Jurel, who is receiving currently some words of wisdom by Ravindra Jadeja.

And Another! 

It's turning out to be a repeat of session 1 on Day 1, with India losing another wic👍ket cheaply. This time, crucially, it's the centurion Jadeja, who lobs one straight into the grasp of Joe Root at the bowling end. India now have two new batters on the pitch, with Ravichandran Ashwin joining debutant Dhruv Jurel. Jadeja walks back after 112 from 225; India 331/7.

A Tough Start For Dhruv Jurel...

...who has defended himself admirably from a terrifying Jimmy Anderson spell, so far. Jurel has faced eight balls, all from Anderson, and is yet to make a run. On the flip side✤, the youngster has resis♒ted the temptation to go all in early on and, instead, has played with the kind of maturity that would please his coaches.

And We Have Lift Off

Both Ashwin and Jurel are now on the board, which is good news for India and, especially, for the young Jurel, who has༒ had to endure a difficult start to his Test career...

...and now he rep🌼lies with a stunning six off Mark Wood🃏!

350 Up For India

As we approac🐽h the 100th over of the Indian innings. It has been an outstand༒ing display, so far, from the hosts.

India Handed Run Penalty

England will start their innings at 5/0 without facing a ball after the umpire charged India with a run penalty for improper play. Ravindra Jadeja had received the first warning on the first day for running in the lineꩵ of wickets and it seemed to have repeated itself with Ravichandran Ashwin on Day 2. A unique scenario this.

Dream Come True For Jurel

Session One Comes To An End

India are in the ascendancy here, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Dhruv Jurel set on the crease. The hosts lost two wickets early but recovered quickly to resume their march toward a 400+ target. Debutant Jurel has impressed in his first Test innin꧅gs, playing with a calm and maturity of someone much more experienced than himself, while Ashwin has kept things ticking at a consistent rate.

Session Two Begins!

More of the same from India?

Pope Drops Jurel!

The debutant survives by a whisker after Ollie Pope drops a catch close by, despite the ball flying straight into his hands. India approaching 400 and should ꦯcross the line in a couple of overs at this rate.

400 Up For India!

A delight for those present in Rajkot; India h✱ave been bril🐎liant with the bat all around.

Keeping It Going

Partnership Broken; Ashwin Walks Back! 

After dropping a few too many catches, England take one that could spell the end of things for India. Ashwin, batting carefully and comfortably, sends one down the track to mid on, where Jimmy Anderson grabs it in his hands at the second time of asking. India now down to their tail end, with Jurel the only outright bat♍ter remaining.

Edged And Gone! 

Devastating end to the innings for Dhruv Jurel, who nicks one in behind to Ben Foakes, only four away from his debut half century. The batter will be quite disappointed ♊to surrender his wicket on the cusp of the landmark, but he has shown enough to merit another start in the series later on.

Interesting Stat

Dhruv Jurel has faced the third-most deliveries in the first innings for India after the two c🍷enturions. The wicket-keeper-batter provided calmness and control at a time when the hosts had lost key wiไckets.

Boom Boom Bumrah!

A six, and now a couple of fours from the pace bowler as India head toward a 🐲450 total on their ninth wicket!

Trouble For India

Mohammed Siraj seems to have seriously hurt himself out there and, despite being treated by the physios, is moving sheepishly. It could have wider implications for the h🌊osts, who are counting on Siraj as one of their pace options.

What have been an outstanding start for the Men in Blue could very quickly turn into a disast💟er.

That Should Be That For India...

...who loꦛse Bumrah to an LBW. The bowler immediately goes upstairs, but to no avail. The ball hits him plumb and he and Siraj walk back to the Pavilion. India all out for 445.

The impetus now falls on England, who will shortly begin their first in🧸nings chase.

England Up Next

Zak Crawley and Be��n Duckett on the crease; will we see a dose of Bazball this afte𓆉rnoon?

Jasprit Bumrah starts Ind💎ia off. England already have six runs on the board - five due to a penalty and one through an extra.

Relief For India

Mohammed Siraj seems to be doing okay! He's on the crease to bowl his fir💖st over of the match in Rajkot.

Session Two Ends With England Steady On Crease

Defying expeections, England have begun their first innings with caution as they look to chase a high score from India. Ne💛ither Crawley nor Duckett have looked explosive, so far, but, more pertinently for India, they haven't looked close to giving away their wicket▨s. England 31 for no loss at Tea, chasing 445.

Session Three Underway

A crucial session of cricket coming up for both teams. England would want to get to t🐟he end of the day without any major accidents along the way, while India will be angling for a couple of wickets, at least, before closing..

50 Up For England

Crawley and Duckett have slightly picked up the tempo, possibly to cross the 100-run mark by closin✤g today, and are attacking the ball with more aggression. They reach 50 in nine overs, with plenty left to play in the day.

And Now 50 Up For Ben Duckett!

The England batter re🐓aches his half century in just 39🍸 balls. A brilliant opening for the visitors here in Rajkot.

Gone! 500 Wickets For Ashwin!

The veteran spinner takes his 500th wicket a and removes Zak Crawley from the crease! What a moment fᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚor the boꦫwler. Patidar takes the catch to bring Ashwin up to his landmark.

100 Up For England!

They trail India by 345 runs with Ollie Pope andﷺ Ben Duckett on the crease.

Congratulations Pouring In For Ash

Century For Duckett! 

A sensational ton for Ben Duckett, who has score🌄d the fastest ton by an England batter in India💞. The opener gets to 102 in 88 balls with a beautiful straight drive that goes on for four.

And he follows it up with another boundary! We have seen some impressive batting in the third Test already, and Duckett is right up there at the ꦰtop.

England now fewer than 300 runs behind India.

Reviewed And Out! 

What a break this could prove to be for India! Siraj traps Ollie Pope before the wicket but the soft signal is not 𓆏out and India🌄, in desperation, give away four runs on an overthrow. However, with seconds remaining in the review countdown, captain Rohit Sharma goes upstairs and gets the decision overturned, the ball adjudged to be hitting the wickets by a whisker.

England lose P🃏🃏ope before the end of the session, against the momentum.

200 Up For England!

This has been a productive session for the visitors, who, despite losing two wickets have crossed the 200-run mark. They trail India by 245 runs at the time of writing, and will be aiming to bite away 🌄at that total in the morning session tomorrow.

That's It For The Day!

England end the session with 207 runs on the board at the loss of three wickets. The Three Lion✅s have been aggressive, pushin💖g through to cover as much ground as possible, with Ben Duckett the standout performer with his century.

India, who had finished their innings on 445,🅘 will now aim to limit England in the first session on Day 3 tomorrow.

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