Bairstow's half-century guides hosts to 200/6 at Lunch

BIRMINGHAM: Brilliant counterattack by Jonny Bairstow and strong support from the skipper Ben Stokes, provided England with a comfortable position at the end of the first session of Day 3 of the ongoing fifth Test against India, here at Edgbaston on Sunday. At Lunch, England's score read at 200/6, with Bairstow (91*) and Sam Billings (7*), currently standing unbeaten at the crease. The hosts are still trailing by 216 runs.

Resuming Day 3 at 84/5, Bairstow and Stokes anchored the innings with some fantastic shots. The duo stitched a 50-run partnership and thrashed Indian bowlers at every corner of the ground. Bairstow brought up his 24th Test half-century in 81 balls and gave England a strong hand. India finally got a breakthrough in the 38th over, after Shardul Thakur dismissed Stokes, who departed with 25 runs in account and left the team's total at 149/6.

Billings came to the crease and joined hands with Bairstow. They also stitched a 50-run partnership in just mere 48 balls. The duo took England's score at 200/6 before rain forced an early lunch. Earlier, India had an edge on the rain-truncated Day 2 of the fifth and final Test between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with captain Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack to take three of five wickets of the hosts after a power-packed batting performance.

At the end of the day, England's score in their first innings read 84/5, with Bairstow (12*) and Stokes (0*) standing at the crease. India were bowled out for 416 earlier in the day. England resumed things at 60/3 after Tea, with Joe Root (19*) and Jonny Bairstow (6*) unbeaten on the crease. Root started off things nicely, hitting pacer Mohammed Shami for two fours in the first over after Tea.

Root-Bairstow added a total of 34 runs before pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed Root for 31 after wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant caught the ball which hit the edge of Root's willow. This brought spinner Jack Leach to the crease, who had come up on the order as a night watchman. He could face only five balls before he was sent back to the pavilion by Shami for a duck. The hosts found themselves in trouble, with half the team back in the hut at a score of 83 runs.

For India, a superb century by Ravindra Jadeja and a late blitz by stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah took the team to a total of 416 on Day 2 in the first innings. India started off things on day 2 at 338/7. They were bundled out for 416 in 84.5 overs. Rishabh Pant (146) and Ravindra Jadeja (104) were the stars of India with the bat.

Captain Jasprit Bumrah also contributed 31* in just 16 balls consisting of four boundaries and two sixes. During the 84th over of the first innings, India's stand-in captain smoked English pacer Stuart Broad for -- 4,5w,7nb,4,4,4,6,1 -- a total of whooping 35 runs of which 29 runs went to Bumrah's account.

Brief scores: England 200/6 (Jonny Bairstow 91*, Joe Root 31; Jasprit Bumrah 3/55) vs India 416 (Rishabh Pant 146, Ravindra Jadeja 104; James Anderson 5/60).