Hartley picks three to dent India's chase of 231 in first Test
England's debutant spinner Tom Hartley took three wickets Sunday including skipper Rohit Sharma to put India in trouble as they chased 231 for victory in the opening Test.
India reached 95-3 at tea on day four in Hyderabad, with the hosts needing another 136 to take the lead in the five-match series.
KL Rahul, on 21, and Axar Patel, on 17, were batting on what seems to be a decisive day.
Ollie Pope hit 196 to steer England to 420 all out in the opening session, after the tourists resumed the day on 316-6.
India started well in their chase before Hartley, a left-arm spinner, struck twice in one over to send back Yashasvi Jaiswal (15) and Shubman Gill (0) in the space of three deliveries.
Pope remained the star as he played a hand in both dismissals, taking sharp catches at short-leg and silly point.
Rohit looked good in his knock of 39, but got rapped on the pads by Hartley's darting ball into the right-hander and walked back after his failed review on the lbw.
The left-handed Axar was promoted up the order and he attacked the bowling, hitting leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for three boundaries in an over.
Earlier Pope, who resumed the day on 148, stuck around with the middle and lower-order to get 256 runs with batsmen number seven, eight and nine to frustrate the Indian bowling.
He finally attempted an audacious reverse scoop in his attempt to get his double ton when England were nine down, but Jasprit Bumrah's ball rattled the stumps and lunch was called.
Bumrah took four wickets, while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got three.
England slipped to 163-5 on Saturday after starting the innings 190 runs behind, but Pope hit back with his fifth Test ton and a 112-run stand with Ben Foakes.
P.Smid--EWJ
Featured