The China Mail - Five-star Bumrah strikes for India as England post 387

Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, took 5-74 in 27 overs as England were dismissed for 387 in their first innings after lunch on Friday's second day of the third Test.

Bumrah's haul included a brilliant burst Friday of three for one in seven balls that reduced England, who resumed on 251-4, to 271-7, with the fast bowler dismissing captain Ben Stokes, century-maker Joe Root and Chris Woakes.

But tailender Carse frustrated India with 56 after he shared a valuable eighth-wicket stand of 84 with Jamie Smith.

England wicketkeeper Smith made India pay for dropping him on five with an innings of 51.

That followed his impressive scores of 184 not out and 88 during India's crushing 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston last week.

That victory meant India levelled this five-match series at 1-1 despite resting Bumrah in Birmingham.

Initial interest Friday focused on whether Root, 99 not out overnight, would go on to make a hundred.

In all 17 previous instances in Test cricket, batsmen who were 99 not out overnight completed their centuries the following morning. Root maintained the sequence off Friday's first ball, pushing a wide Bumrah delivery past gully for four.

That fortunate boundary completed Root's 37th Test century, fifth on an all-time list headed by India's Sachin Tendulkar with 51 hundreds.

Stokes, fit following a groin injury that hampered him on Thursday, had added just five runs to his overnight 39 when he was bowled by a Bumrah delivery that jagged back and smashed into off stump.

- India pay for drops -

Next ball, Woakes fell for a golden duck as he got a thin edge to reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, still deputising after Rishabh Pant suffered a finger injury on Thursday.

Carse survived the hat-trick delivery but England were still struggling at 271-7.

Their position would have been even worse had KL Rahul not dropped a relatively straightforward slip chance when Smith had made just five, with Mohammed Siraj the unlucky bowler.

Smith went onto complete a 52-ball fifty including a whipped four through midwicket off Bumrah, with Carse also flaying the paceman through the covers.

However, Smith was out shortly after lunch when he was caught behind off the persevering Siraj.

Bumrah then bowled Jofra Archer, playing his first Test after more than four years of injury exile, to complete his five-wicket haul.

Carse was dropped on 45 when Akash Deep failed to hold a tough chance running back towards deep midwicket.

But the unconcerned Carse went to fifty in style when he launched a Siraj slower delivery for a superb straight six to reach the landmark in 77 balls.

South African-born Carse was dropped again before he was last man out hitting across the line against a yorker from Siraj, who finished with 2-85 in 23.3 overs.

W.Cheng--ThChM