- Over-by-over report of the action in Chennai
- Bess delighted by ‘special dismissal’ of Kohli
- Simon Burnton: Pant’s aggression vindicated for India
- Email Tanya or tweet @TJAldred
Good day to you! It’s Monday morning, its February, it’s pitch black but what better way to start the week than day four of this beautifully plotted Test. A game of consequences inside a comic book, inside a novella, inside a 19th century doorstop. The hero: Joe Root. The young blade Rishabh Pant. The King: Virat Kohli. The pretender: Ajinka Rahane. The rosy cheeked woodman: Dom Bess. The highly-skilled hunter: Jofra Archer. Enough, but you get the picture.
England start the day very much on top, with India needing 122 to avoid the follow on. Sundar and Ashwin showed adhesiveness last night but I’d bet on early morning wickets. From there, England will presumably bat again to grind India into the pink dust before trying to dismiss them once more on the crumbling blush pitch on the final day. Jack Leach may have got his Pant-destroyed confidence back by them.
Kyle Mayers 210*:
The second highest score in a successful 4th innings chase (behind Gordon Greenidge’s 214* at Lord’s in 1984, the only other doube-hundred in a winning chase)
Sixth 4th-innings 200 in Test history
Highest 2nd innings score on Test debut
Sixth 200 on debut
