England's Duckett and Crawley steady at 31/0 as India posts 445 in first innings

Rajkot: At tea on day two of the third Test in Rajkot, England's openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, displayed steadiness, reaching 31/0 in six overs and trailing India by 414 runs.

India, after bowling out for 445 in their first innings at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, saw a strong performance from openers Duckett (19 not out) and Crawley (6 not out).

England faced an unusual start, reaching 6/0 before a legal ball was bowled due to a five-run penalty. This penalty was imposed after India ran on the dangerous area of the pitch during their batting. Additionally, one run came from a no-ball bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.

Both Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, despite Bumrah's no-ball and Siraj's recovery from a right knee blow, created movement with the new ball. Crawley, not out on six, faced challenges, while Duckett showcased aggression, remaining unbeaten on 19 off 22 balls.

Earlier in the day, India's Ashwin (37) and Jurel (46) contributed to a 77-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Despite Jurel's daring sixes, his dismissal and Bumrah's late contribution of 26 runs took India to a substantial total of 445 in 130.5 overs.

During the post-lunch session, Ashwin continued scoring boundaries with on-drive and glance shots. Jurel's aggressive attempts resulted in a dismissal when Foakes took a brilliant low catch. Bumrah's slogs and lofted drives added valuable runs, and Siraj, despite facing discomfort from a knee injury, contributed with a reverse sweep.

England's Wood eventually secured the final wicket, trapping Bumrah lbw to conclude India's innings and claim a four-wicket haul.

Brief scores:

India: 445 in 130.5 overs (Rohit Sharma 131, Ravindra Jadeja 112; Mark Wood 4-114, Rehan Ahmed 2-85)

England: 31/0 in six overs (Ben Duckett 19 not out, Zak Crawley 6 not out), trailing by 414 runs.