Will Pujara Score A Century Today ? As India Fights To Avoid Innings Defeat

Headingley, Leeds: This is speculation time for cricket lovers. First question, will Cheteshwar Pujara complete his century on Saturday, as he is just nine runs away? Will the Indian team be able to avoid an innings defeat? As England has 432 runs on the board in their first innings and India, in the second innings has scored 215 runs for the loss of 2 wickets, still trailing by 139 runs, at the end of the third day’s play of the Third Test match. India entered this Test match with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The chances are heavy that England will level the series 1-1.

Cheteshwar Pujara is in great form, has produced some fine strokes, so far, in his innings of 91 runs in 180 balls with 15 fours. Pujara and captain Virat Kohli (45 runs in 94 balls, 6 fours) have added 99 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership. Pujara was in an attacking mood yesterday and did not leave any opportunity to score runs. He really played brilliant shots to silence his critics. Pujara, who played at Headingley for Yorkshire, has scored 18 hundred in his previous 88 Tests. But he has not reached three figures at this level since a superb 193 against Australia at Sydney in January 2019. On Friday Pujara was involved in two partnerships first with Rohit Sharma for the second wicket of 82 runs and after that 99 runs unbroken partnership with Kohli for the third wicket.

India lost K L Rahul early when the score was 34 runs. He gave a catch to Janny Bairstow on the bowling of Craig Overton and Rohit became the victim of Robinson, who got him lbw, when he was looking set to play a big inning.

Earlier, Mohammed Shami (4/95 ) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/59 ) polished off the tail for the addition of just nine more runs to the overnight score as England finished their first innings at 432.

Brief Score: India first innings: All out 78 in 40.4 overs ( Rohit Sharma 19, Ajinkya Rahane 18, James Anderson 3/6, Craig Overton3/14, Ollie Robinson 2/16, Sam Curran2/27).

 England first innings: All out  432 (  Joe Root 121, David Malan 70, Haseeb Hameed 68, Rory Burns 61, Mohammed Shami 4/95. Jasprit Bumrah 2/59, Mohammed Siraj 2/86, Ravindra Jadeja 2/88 ).

India Second innings: 215 for 2 wickets in 80 overs ( Cheteshwar Pujara not out 91, Virat Kohli not out 45, Rohit Sharma 59, K L Rahul 8, Ollie Robinson1/40, Craig Overton 1/35 ).