IND vs ENG: Dhruv Jurel, Ashwin-Kuldeep give India upper hand as England stumble on Day 3 of Ranchi Test

Image Source : GETTY Ravichandran Ashwin against England in Ranchi on February 25, 2024

India made a strong comeback to take Day 3 of the fourth Test match against England on Sunday. Dhruv Jurel's impressive 90 significantly closed the first innings' gap and then spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav dominated Ranchi's playing conditions to bowl out England on just 145, receiving a 192-run target.

Starting a day from 219/7, Jurel and Kuldeep gave India a good start by adding valuable 76 runs for the eighth wicket. Kuldeep impressed with a bat by scoring 28 off 131 balls while Jurel top-scored with 90 off 149 balls to help India post 307 in 103.2 overs. Youngster Shoaib Bashir claimed his first five-wicket haul while Tom Hartley continued his impressive form with three wickets.

India started their bowling with the veteran spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin gave India an early success with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope's wickets on back-to-back deliveries in the fifth over. In-form Zak Crawley and first innings' centurion Joe Root then added 46 runs for the third wicket to give England a fighting chance.

Ashwin stunned England with Joe Root's big wicket in the 17th over and then England struggled for partnerships throughout their second innings. Crawley kept the runs coming from one end by smashing his third fifty in this series but Ashwin and Kuldeep kept the Three Lions under pressure with timely wickets.

Ashwin then finished the innings with the last two wickets to complete his record-leveling 35th five-wicket haul in Test innings. Kuldeep took four wickets while conceding just 22 runs while Jadeja bagged one for India.

Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal then added 40 runs in eight overs without losing a wicket to take complete control of the game before the stumps. India now need just 152 to win with ten wickets in hand ahead of Day 4 on Monday.