India Spared Follow-on But Trail England By 360 Runs

India were bowled out for 337 on the penultimate day of the opening test against England on Monday but while they were spared the ignominy of the follow-on they trailed the tourists by 360 runs at tea.

England, who posted a mammoth 578 in their first innings, were 119-5 at the break and are looking to bat India out of the contest at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Ollie Pope was on 18 with Jos Buttler on 14 at the other end and a declaration looks imminent in the final session.

Earlier on Monday, Washington Sundar smashed 85 not out, adding 80 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin in a spirited seventh-wicket stand to take India, who had resumed on 257-6, past the 300-mark.

Sundar picked up regular boundaries while Ashwin hung on gamely at the other end.

Armed with the second new ball, Jofra Archer occasionally generated disconcerting bounce on a low track but was not rewarded with a wicket.

Jack Leach had bled 94 runs in 17 wicketless overs on Sunday but the left-arm spinner finally tasted success when he dismissed Ashwin for 31 and went on to claim the wicket of Shahbaz Nadeem (nought) as well.

James Anderson had also toiled without success on Sunday but claimed the last two Indian wickets, leaving Sundar stranded 15 runs from a maiden test century.

When England came out for their second innings, Ashwin dismissed Rory Burns with the very first ball and went on to claim the wickets of Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes.

Dan Lawrence became Ishant Sharma’s 300th test victim and Joe Root, who had smashed 218 in the first innings of his 100th test, made 40 before Jasprit Bumrah trapped him lbw.