Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant steadied India after a top-order collapse as the hosts reached 154-4 at tea on day three of the first test against England in Chennai.

The duo put on 81 runs for the fifth wicket after India was reduced to 73-4 earlier in the session Sunday after spinner Dom Bess took the prize wickets of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane cheaply.

At the break, Pujara was batting on 53 not out, while Pant played a counterattacking knock to be unbeaten on 54 off 44 balls, with India still trailing England by 424 runs.

After lunch, England struck two crucial blows in the psace of 11 deliveries to leave the Indian first innings in tatters.

Kohli was the first to go as Bess (2-28) found the Indian captain’s inside edge which was caught by Ollie Pope at short leg for 11. Two overs later, Rahane attacked Bess and a flying Joe Root took a diving left-handed catch at cover to send him back to the pavilion for one.

With India staring down the barrel of a heavy first innings deficit, Pant played a rescuing hand as he smashed 50 off 40 balls, including four boundaires and four sixes. Jack Leach (0-59) bore the brunt of his assault as Pant launched several sixes into the empty stands.

Pujara was typically solid at the other end and didn’t offer any chances to England and raised his 29th test half century shorlty before lunch off 106 balls with seven boundaries.

This was after India were reduced to 44-2 prior to lunch. Openers Rohit Sharma (6) and Shubman Gill (29) fell to Jofra Archer (2-37).

England scored 578 in their first innings thanks to Joe Root’s (218) fifth test double hundred across days one and two.

Source: RSS/AP