England 216/1 against India at stumps on Day 2
Kolkata: England were 216 for one in reply to India’s first innings total of 316 on second day of the third Test match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
The Indian bowling proved to be pedestrian with an out of form Ishant Sharma providing a lot of loose deliveries. Even the spinners, especially off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, looked woefully out of form while left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha also toiled without much success.
After being put down at first slip by Pujara, Cook did not have any trouble negotiating the Indian attack as he raced to his 50 in the second session.
The record-breaking 23rd century was then on cards as Cook completed it with a huge smile and punching in the air before acknowledging the feat to the present 1,000-odd English Barmy Army in the B-Block of Eden Gardens.
Earlier, it was the 27th half-century by Dhoni that helped India cross the 300-run mark but the skipper didn’t get much help from lower-order.
The English pacer again troubled the Indians with his clever use of reverse swing but was unlucky in giving the first breakthrough.
Zaheer however could not prolong his innings as in the very next over he was trapped leg before by Panesar.
Panesar seemed to be on a roll when he returned to castle Ishant Sharma (0) in his next over as India looked to be in danger of being bowled out short of 300-run mark.
