England’s opening pair made a confident start after an indomitable Shardul Thakur and a calm Rishabh Pant ensured a 367-run lead for India as the fourth Test entered an engrossing home stretch.

Haseeb Hameed (43 batting, 85 balls) and Rory Burns (31 batting, 109 balls) put on 77 runs in 32 overs on a placid track that showed little signs of wear and tear after Thakur (60 off 72 balls) and Pant (50 off 107 balls) helped India put on a commendable 466 in their second essay.

With 291 runs out of the target of 368 required on the final day, England would at least fancy a draw if not a victory on the fifth day as the pitch has nothing on offer for the bowlers.

 Shardul was dismissed for 60 while Rishabh Pant was caught out on 50. At the start of day’s play, Virat Kohli looked determined but missed out on his half century by just six runs. 

India
finished a dominant day three with a score of 270 for the loss of three, as the
top three batsmen fired in unison to put the visitors in a strong position.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul added 83 runs for the first wicket, before the ‘Hitman’
stitched a 153-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara.

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Sharma
scored a spectacular century, his first away from home and eighth overall, staving
off the early threat from the English bowlers to play his classy shots later in
the innings. He defended stoutly and left deliveries well, allowing him to
settle down and score for fun once the new ball wore off.

The 34-year-old
turned on the style to bring up his century, dancing down the track to loft a
Moeen Ali delivery for six over the long-on boundary. Pujara also deserves much
credit for his counter-attacking innings, rolling back the years for a few late
cuts and lofted shots.

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Both were
going strong before Ollie Robinson brought some joy for the home team, getting quick
breakthroughs with the second new ball saw to send packing two set batsmen.

Earlier, KL
Rahul was unlucky to miss out on a fifty, as he set the foundation with a solid
46 and was dismissed by James Anderson on the stroke of Lunch.

The Test
may not go the distance but what one can surely guarantee is an engrossing
fourth day, thanks to Rohit’s superlative knock.