Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj delivered a game-changing spell on Friday, claiming two wickets in two consecutive deliveries during the second Test at Edgbaston.
Among his scalps was England captain Ben Stokes, who was dismissed for a golden duck. The double strike further tightened India’s hold on the match, leaving England reeling under pressure, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
England started the third day on 77-3, still a mammoth 510 runs behind India's first-innings 567 built on captain Shubman Gill's superb 269.
They now looked to Joe Root (18 not out) and Harry Brook (30 not out), the world's two top-ranked Test batsmen, to narrow the deficit.
But in just Friday's second over, Root (22) glanced at fast bowler Siraj only to be caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
And the very next ball, Stokes was undone by a superb rising delivery from Siraj he could only edge to Pant, with England now 84-5.
But just as Akash Deep was denied a hat-trick late Thursday after dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks, so too was Siraj with new batsman Jamie Smith off-driving his first ball Friday for four.
India's performance in the field was all the more impressive as they had rested spearhead quick Jasprit Bumrah from their side at Edgbaston.
They had done so in order to protect the fitness of the world's number one-ranked Test bowler in a series where he is expected to feature in just three out of five matches.
England are 1-0 up after a five-wicket win in the first Test at Headingley.
