Rajkot: India were 228/1 at tea on the third day of the opening cricket Test against England at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Cheteshwar Pujara was one run short of a coveted century in his home city, and alongside Murali Vijay, helped India give a strong reply to England’s 537 on day three.
The 28-year-old Pujara was a run short of his ninth century in his 39th Test after he was reprieved on 86 by the Decision Review System which is being used by India at home for the first time.
With opener Vijay for the company, who was also close to reaching his own century, Pujara not out after hitting 15 fours in 166 balls at tea stitched a fighting 160-run stand to pilot the home team to an impressive 228 for one at the end of the second session. It was the sixth time that the duo has forged a 100-plus partnership.
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At tea, Vijay was not out on 86, after a stay of 343 minutes, and India were 309 runs behind the England’s total on a track that has proved to be full of runs.
Both the batsmen were lucky to have survived the session, Pujara having been given a new lease of life by DRS and Vijay escaping being caught off Stuart Broad.
But in between, they showed grit aplenty against some tight and probing bowling, especially from Broad and Chris Woakes to remain unconquered after batting for nearly the entire duration of two sessions.
They had come together at the fall of opener Gautam Gambhir off the first ball of the second over Friday morning when India was on 68, having added just five to their overnight score.
Vijay, who survived a leg before the wicket shout in the last over before lunch against Adil Rashid, continued to find the leg spinner a difficult proposition post lunch.
With first Woakes and then Broad, who bowled a spell of 5-4-1-0, strangling the scoring rate at the other end, Vijay added just 7 runs in 49 balls.
He was also distinctly lucky to be grassed by debutant Haseeb Hameed off Broad at short covers when on 66. It was a drive on the up by Vijay but Hameed could not latch on to the ball after diving full length to his left.
Pujara, at the other end, batted much more fluently but was also stifled by the England bowlers as just 33 overs came in 15 overs.
The duo also raised a century partnership during this period of play for the second wicket in 129 minutes and 175 balls.
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Pujara was more assured of the two against Rashid.
In the first session, the duo added 94 runs after coming together at the fall of Gambhir s wicket in the second over of the day when the score read 68.