Virat Kohli shines for India on the first day of the third Test at Trent Bridge

Following a humiliating drubbing at Lord's last week, India captain Virat Kohli could have been forgiven for cursing his luck when Joe Root again won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first under cloudy skies and on a pitch harbouring plenty of live grass.

However, Kohli's India have proven a resilient outfit plenty of times in the past and thanks to their leader, and the pugnacious Rahane, ended the day on 307-6 and with a very real chance of posting a sizeable first innings total that, historically, has proven so decisive at Trent Bridge.

The sight of James Anderson and Stuart Broad gaining early movement could have easily opened up old Indian wounds but the recalled Shikhar Dhawan was brave and determined as he and the watchful Lokesh Rahul withstood the initial onslaught to put on 60 for the opening wicket.

Rahul looked the most assured of the two but Dhawan was quick to capitalise on anything loose and it took the introduction of Chris Woakes to end his promising stay on 35.

Rahul (23) followed soon afterwards as Woakes continued his excellent spell by pinning his man LBW before claiming a third wicket when Cheteshwar Pujara inexplicably holed out to deep square only moments before Lunch.

At 82-3 India were certainly wobbling but Kohli immediately looked in good touch, while Rahane belied his indifferent form with a calculated knock that saw him mix aggression with watchful defence perfectly.

Rahane was particularly punishing to anything short and wide and showed his cut shot to be in good working order, though he did offer a tough chance to Anderson at point on 57, which was spilled.

All the while, Kohli purred along in serene fashion, happy to bide his time and accumulate through the leg-side or with soft hands to third man when afforded enough width.

He only stepped on the gas when Adil Rashid delivered a poor spell in the afternoon session and upon reaching his half-century, raised his bat to the away dressing room with a steely look of determination etched on his face.

The Indian pair had moved the score onto to 241-3 when Broad - the pick of England's bowlers throughout the day - induced an outside edge from Rahane on 81 which Alistair Cook caught remarkably diving to his left with one hand.

Kohli was unruffled, though, and looked certain to register another Test match hundred before the returning Rashid suckered him into driving at a loopy leg-break on 97 which caught the outside edge and landed into the grateful hands of Ben Stokes at slip.

The dismissal brought debutant Rishabh Pant to the crease and he began positively with Hardik Pandya (18) for company and they looked set to take India to stumps, until the latter was dismissed in the final throws of the day when Anderson picked up his first wicket of the match.

Those three late wickets have given England a foothold in the game but with plenty of concerns about their own batting, they will know the first hour on Sunday morning is a crucial one if they are to stop India from breathing new life into a series that looked dead and buried at the start of the day.

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