Siraj’s six steal Smith’s thunder to give India a healthy advantage

The visitors were punished during the 303-run stand by Brook and Smith but end Day 3 ona high

- Ashish Magotra

England started Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test on 77/3 after 20 overs. Exactly ten balls later they were 84/5 and India had got the start they wanted — Joe Root, his side’s most accomplished batter, and skipper Ben Stokes were back in the dressing room after Mohammed Siraj struck with two consecutive deliveries.

But from that moment till the second new ball helped Akash Deep dismiss Harry Brook (158), India were sent on a leather hunt by England. The 303-run stand between Brook and Jamie Smith took just 368 balls and eventually helped the hosts reach 407, giving the visitors a big lead of 180 runs.

In their second innings, India reached 64/1 at close, ahead by 244 runs. KL Rahul (28) and Karun Nair (7) were at the crease.

Make no mistake, England are still well behind the game but the start and the carnage that followed after made one miss Jasprit Bumrah even more. Surely, the talismanic pacer would have conjured up something magical to compound Stokes’ misery. At 84/5, India’s first innings total of 587 wasa long, long away. Now, not so much.

The Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) masterclass with the second new ball undid some of the damage but a game that could have been an open and shut case is now very much alive,