BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Mohammed Siraj removed Joe Root and Ben Stokes in successive balls before England counterattacked through Harry Brook and century-maker Jamie Smith to reach 249-5 at lunch on Day 3 of the second test against India on Friday.
England trailed by 338 runs in response to India’s 587 all out but Brook (91) and Smith (102) were set on a good pitch at Edgbaston, with their partnership up to 165.
Behind 1-0 in the five-match series, India looked like steamrolling England after reducing the home team to 84-5 thanks to Siraj’s double on the second over of the day.
The pacer dismissed England’s best batter — Root (22) — by enticing a nick down the leg side, with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant taking a diving catch. Stokes arrived in the middle but was soon slowly walking back to the dressing room after a steeply rising and seaming delivery from Siraj came off the shoulder of the England captain’s bat and flashed to Pant.
England was rocked but Smith played as if there was no pressure, smashing three sixes as well as 14 fours — the last of which came in the final over before lunch and brought up his second test century.
It came off just 80 balls, making it the third fastest by an English player.
England was going at 6.37 runs an over and was racing toward an initial target of 388 — the score needed to avoid the follow-on.
Brook, who resumed with Root with England 77-3, was more circumspect but had still hit 11 fours and a six in a 127-ball knock.
at Headingley.
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AP cricket:
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