IN PICS: Vijay-Pujara partnership helps India take upper hand

Sport360 staff 16:13 09/12/2016

India will be pleased with the current state of the match at the end of play on day two in the fourth Test against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The hosts were 146/1 at stumps on Friday, thanks to a seventh 100-run partnership from Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara in Test cricket. Vijay was unbeaten on 70, while Pujara is just three runs away from reaching a well-deserved half-century.

Earlier in the day, Jos Buttler frustrated India with his 76 – a knock which included six fours and one six. Buttler’s 54-run ninth partnership with Jake Ball helped the visitors reach the 400-run mark, despite being reduced to 334/8 in the morning session.

Ravichandran Ashwin registered the 23rd five-wicket haul of his Test career, ending the England innings with figures of 6/112. All 10 of England’s wickets were taken by spinners, with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja accounting for the other four English batsmen.

Trailing by 254 runs, with nine wickets in hand, India will feel that they have the advantage in this game at the moment.

England’s bowlers, especially spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, will have to put in a much-improved performance on Saturday if Alastair Cook’s men are to get a first innings lead.

BRIEF SCORES

England 400 all out [Jennings 112, Buttler 76, Ashwin 6/112, Jadeja 4/109] lead India 146/1 [Vijay 70*, Pujara 47*, Ali 1/44] by 254 runs.

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