Hardik Pandya takes five wickets as India dominate England at Trent Bridge

Pandya had seemingly been under pressure for his place prior to this game following a quiet tour to date but with the help of some sharp slip catching and indifferent batting from the hosts, the all-rounder helped himself to a first Test match five-wicket haul and put India on course for a crucial victory.

India had started the second day resuming their innings on 307-6 and with England desperate for early wickets on a gloomy Nottingham morning.

After the start was delayed by 30 minutes due to a wet outfield, Stuart Broad quickly made the breakthrough the hosts were looking for when bowling debutant Rishabh Pant via an inside edge before breaching the defences of Ravi Ashwin with a hooping inswinger that almost took him off his feet.

James Anderson picked up the final two wickets of the innings in the very next over, ensuring that India had only added 22 to their overnight total and giving the hosts a real chance of getting themselves back into the game.

Alistair Cook and Keaton Jennings began England's reply in positive fashion and went to Lunch unscathed with the score having raced to 46-0 off only nine overs.

However, England went on to endure a disastrous afternoon session which began when Cook - who had enjoyed a reprieve earlier in the over - edged behind the wicket off the bowling of Ishant Sharma for 29 before Jennings (20) followed in the very next over as Jasprit Bumrah claimed his first wicket since returning from injury.

Sharma snared Ollie Pope (10) soon after and when Joe Root fell for 16 off the bowling of Pandya - brilliantly caught by Lokesh Rahul low at second slip - England were in a spot of bother at 86-4.

With plenty of batting still to come, the home side would have been hopeful of another rearguard offensive from their middle order but Rahul pulled off two more sharp catches in the cordon as Ben Stokes (10) and Jonny Bairstow (15) were dismissed in quick succession.

Pandya really had his tail up now and although Lord's centurion Chris Woakes began his innings with two crisply-driven boundaries, he fell to a sharp bouncer that grazed his bat on the way through to the keeper.

Adil Rashid pushed hard at another outswinger in Pandya's next over, giving Pant his fifth catch of the innings, and Pandya completed his own five-for when Broad was pinned LBW in the same over.

With only James Anderson for company, Jos Buttler quickly went on the attack, pulling Mohammed Shami into the mid-wicket stand for six before depositing Sharma over long-off for another maximum.

Buttler was the last man out for 39 with England dismissed for a paltry 161 and Dhawan and Rahul quickly reaffirmed their dominance when beginning India's second innings in positive fashion.

Dhawan picked up two boundaries in the first over bowled by Anderson before Rahul signalled his intentions with a fierce cut shot off Broad which whistled to the point fence.

Another crunch through the covers took Rahul into the thirties but Stokes cut short his stay when bowling him through the gate for 36 before Cheteshwar Pujara found some much-needed form with three early boundaries.

With India having passed 100, Joe Root turned to Adil Rashid and he deceived Dhawan with a smart bit of bowling to have him stumped on 44.

Pujara (33*) continued to find his touch, though, and with Virat Kohli (8*) for company, took India to 124-2 at the close, some 292 ahead.

With three days still to play in Nottingham, India look certain to reduce their arrears to 2-1 in the series and the man they have to thank is Pandya, a young talent whom Kohli has backed through thick and thin and someone who has reignited life into a tour that had threatened to turn very sour only a week ago.

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