India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got Zak Crawley out early to put England in further trouble in the opening Test as the tourists began their chase of a 190-run lead on Saturday.
India’s innings ended on 436 inside the first hour on day three in Hyderabad after Ravindra Jadeja made 87 and part-time spinner Joe Root returned figures of 4-79.
Watch India v England LIVE and Exclusive to Fox Sports available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
The tourists came out with their attacking “Bazball” brand of cricket to race to 45 runs inside 10 overs before Ashwin came around the wicket to the right-handed Crawley, who edged the ball to first slip to be out for 31.
England reached 89-1 at lunch, still trailing India by 101 runs. Left-handed opener Ben Duckett (38) and Ollie Pope (16) were batting at the break.
Since then, things haven’t got much better for England.
Duckett was bowled by Bumrah for 47, bringing Jonny Bairstow to the crease.
However, Bairstow won’t want to watch his wicket back after he elected to leave a delivery from Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja, only to get clean bowled for just 10 runs.
England skipper Ben Stokes also failed to fire as he got bowled by Ashwin for six runs from 33 deliveries.
India resumed the day on 421-7 in response to England’s first innings total of 246 and overnighters Jadeja and Axar Patel started cautiously with just six runs scored in the first half-hour.
Root got Jadeja out and bowled Jasprit Bumrah on the next ball but Mohammed Siraj avoided the hat-trick.
MORE COVERAGE
UK View: Dire reality Poms must accept… and the ‘surprise’ snub legend still can’t comprehend
‘Not right’: Bazball ‘alarm bells’ ringing as India destruction exposes Poms’ ‘Kool-Aid glugging’
‘Absolutely no idea’: Stokes burned over embarrassing sunnies blunder
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed cleaned up Axar on 44 to end the innings inside the first hour and hand England a formidable challenge at the start of the five-match series.
The visitors had a tough grind on day two and an injury to lead spinner Jack Leach only increased their woes on a pitch expected to turn more.
Leach, who injured his knee while fielding on day one and again on day two, took the field heavily bandaged.
He bowled just one over in the morning.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (80) and KL Rahul (86) led India’s charge before Jadeja took control in a 78-run partnership with fellow left-hander Axar.
