India vs England: Jonny Bairstow’s counter-attacking 91* headlines morning session on Day 3

Bairstow
looked
out
of
sheen
before
the
close
of
play
on
day
two
as
he
had
only
scored
12*
off
46
deliveries
in
front
of
a
quality
spell
of
pace
bowling
from
India’s
pace
troika
of
Jasprit
Bumrah,
Mohammed
Shami
and
Mohammed
Siraj.
However,
on
day
three,
the
right-handed
batsman
from
Yorkshire
shifted
gears
in
no
time
and
started
attacking
Indian
bowlers
around
the
park.

Bairstow,
however,
didn’t
start
that
way
when
he
walked
into
the
middle
with
Ben
Stokes.
At
one
stage
he
was
batting
on
16
off
65
balls
but
an
animated
chat
with
former
India
captain
Virat
Kohli
into
the
middle
perhaps
charged
him
up.
The
batter
–
who
is
coming
on
the
back
of
consecutive
tons
against
New
Zealand
in
the
just-concluded
series
at
home
–
unleashed
his
beast
mode
and
started
dealing
in
boundaries.

The
right-handed
batter
completed
his
fifty
off
just
81
deliveries
and
then
went
on
to
91*
off
113
balls
by
the
time
rain
stopped
play.
England
had
reached
200
for
six
in
45.3
overs
by
then
and
the
danger
of
getting
the
follow-on
had
been
evaded.
In
his
knock
of
91*,
Bairstow
–
who
is
the
leading
run-scorer
in
Tests
in
2022
–
smashed
12
boundaries
and
a
couple
of
towering
sixes.

He
first
forged
a
partnership
of
66
runs
with
skipper
Ben
Stokes
–
who
also
tried
sending
the
looseness
to
the
boundaries
–
and
later
shared
an
unbeaten
51-run
stand
for
the
seventh
wicket
with
Sam
Billings.
Off
these
51
runs,
Billings’ share
was
just
7.

The
English
lost
just
one
wicket
in
the
morning
session
in
skipper
Stokes.
The
left-handed
batter
was
dismissed
for
25
off
31
when
India
skipper
Jasprit
Bumrah
took
a
sensational
catch
diving
towards
his
left
at
mid-off
off
the
bowling
of
Shardul
Thakur.
Both
Thakur
and
Bumrah
redeemed
themselves
as
on
the
previous
delivery
Bumrah
had
dropped
a
sitter
at
the
same
location
and
a
few
overs
back
Thakur
had
given
the
English
skipper
a
reprieve
by
putting
down
a
simple
catch
at
covers
off
Mohammed
Shami’s
bowling.

Shami
was
the
most
dangerous
bowler
in
the
morning
session
as
the
senior
right-arm
pacer
kept
asking
questions
all
through
but
was
unlucky
to
not
have
got
any
success.
He
was
looking
like
a
man
on
a
mission
but
luck
evaded
him
as
it
never
hit
the
mark.

Just
before
the
skies
opened
up,
Thakur
had
trapped
Bairstow
in
front
and
the
umpire
raised
his
finger
but
the
batter
immediately
went
upstairs
to
review
it
and
the
ultra-edge
confirmed
there
was
a
nick,
forcing
the
on-field
umpire
to
change
his
decision.
Soon
after
rain
stopped
the
play
and
an
intense
session
of
cricket
came
to
an
abrupt
end.
England
scored
116
runs
and
lost
just
one
wicket
as
an
early
lunch
was
taken.

With
Bairstow
nearing
his
third
consecutive
Test
hundred,
the
second
session
is
going
to
be
an
interesting
one.
The
visitors,
however,
would
be
looking
to
wrap
up
England’s
innings
as
soon
as
possible
and
maintain
a
healthy
first-innings
lead.