Joe Root left incensed and other takeaways as Hardik Pandya puts India in complete command

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  • Root's dismissal generated plenty of controversy.

    On a day when 16 wickets fell in total with 10 of them falling in a single session, India took complete control of third Test against England.

    After putting up 329 on the board in their first innings, India bowled out the hosts for just 161 runs before adding 124-2 in their second innings.

    Here, we look at the key talking points from the second day’s play at Trent Bridge.

    INDIA’S TAIL REFUSES TO WAG

    After putting up 307-6 on the first day, India would have been looking at a minimum first innings total of 350 when they came out to bat under the dark clouds on Sunday.

    England’s senior pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad had other plans though, as they made the second new ball talk.

    Broad, who was getting the ball to move prodigiously in the air, got the initial breakthrough after getting debutant Rishabh Pant (24) to drag one on to his stumps. A few balls later, Broad got one to tail back in sharply as Ravi Ashwin’s stumps went for a toss.

    Anderson then finished things off by claiming the wickets of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah off successive deliveries. The visitors’ final five wickets fell for just 22 runs as they fell some way short of their expected total.

    Broad struck early on day two for England.

    Broad struck early on day two for England.

    ROOT’S DISMISSAL GENERATES CONTROVERSY

    There was a huge moment of controversy during the second session of the day’s play and it came with the very first delivery bowled by Hardik Pandya.

    The India all-rounder surprised England skipper Joe Root with some extra bounce and movement as the ball took an edge off the bat and flew towards KL Rahul at second slip. The Indian fielder grabbed a tough chance even as the ball was dying on him and immediately went up in celebrations.

    Root however, was not amused and stuck to his crease sure in the belief that Rahul had grassed the catch before claiming it. The decision was sent upstairs to the third umpire with a few angles of the television replays showing that the ball might have bounced before nestling into Rahul’s palms. Other angles showed that the fielder’s fingers were firmly underneath the ball and ultimately the third-umpire ruled in favour of the bowler.

    Root looked incensed and muttered under his breath as he made his way back to the pavilion but the damage had been done.

    Root was not at all happy with the umpire's decision.

    Root was not at all happy with the umpire’s decision.

    PANDYA’S SENSATIONAL SPELL ROCKS ENGLAND

    Hardik Pandya has been grossly under-bowled throughout the series and when Kohli threw the ball towards him on Sunday, it was more so out of circumstances than a belief in his abilities. With Ashwin leaving the field after complaining of hip troubles, India were forced to turn to Pandya and he in turn put in the best bowling performance of his career.

    Removing Root with his very first delivery, Pandya grew into confidence and got the ball to move both ways. England’s batsmen simply couldn’t live with the swing he was generating and within 29 balls, Pandya had completed his maiden five-wicket haul. Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Broad all fell to Pandya’s exorbitant swing whose bowling sent flashbacks of a young James Anderson.

    It was Pandya’s sensational burst which saw England lose 10 wickets inside a single session.

    Pandya's extraordinary spell destroyed England's batting order.

    Pandya’s extraordinary spell destroyed England’s batting order.

    INDIA OPENERS DRIVE HOME ADVANTAGE

    With a 168-run lead in hand, the pressure had well and truly lifted off the shoulders of India’s openers Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan when they came out to bat.

    While there were the usual edges which flew past the slip fielders, the two batsmen played with intent and profited whenever England’s bowlers strayed in their lines.

    After adding 60 runs for the opening wicket in the first innings, the pair performed an encore before Rahul (36) was dismissed by Stokes. Dhawan (44) was looking good for a maiden Test fifty in England before he jumped out of his tracks and got stumped off the bowling of Rashid.

    The platform the duo had set for the batsmen to follow though, cannot be understated and it will be hard to look at anything other than an India win at this point.

    Dhawan consolidated India's advantage.

    Dhawan consolidated India’s advantage.

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