In their quest to salvage the opening Test against India after conceding a substantial lead on day three at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, England made steady progress, reaching 89 for one.
India, having been all out for 436 early on Saturday, secured a commanding first-innings advantage of 190 runs. Ben Duckett spearheaded England’s resistance with an undefeated 38, while Ollie Pope provided support with 16 runs as they went into lunch.
India, before being bowled out, managed to add just 15 runs to their overnight total, losing their last three wickets in the process.
Joe Root, operating as a part-time spinner, stood out for England, claiming four crucial wickets for 79 runs. He dismissed Ravindra Jadeja (87) and Jasprit Bumrah with consecutive deliveries but narrowly missed a hat-trick as Mohammed Siraj denied him.
Axar Patel was the final Indian batsman to fall after contributing a handy 44 runs. England’s second innings began positively, with Zak Crawley (31) and Duckett employing the sweep shot effectively against the Indian spinners.
However, Crawley’s innings was cut short when Ravichandran Ashwin induced an edge, which was gleefully accepted by India captain Rohit Sharma at slip.