The pitch here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium has remained largely similar to the first two days of the Test with the odd ball keeping low and slow from the spinners, or the seamers getting some movement off the pitch.
England’s enterprising line of batters played their aggressive game and faced the downside of it during the lower-order collapse.
Skipper Ben Stokes (41) took on Ravindra Jadeja (2/51) but did not get his timing right, with Jasprit Bumrah collecting a fine catch at deep midwicket for the biggest breakthrough post lunch.
It was a nice bit of field placement by Rohit Sharma, who kept the long-on a bit straighter urging Stokes to change the angle of his lofted shot.
Off the very next delivery, Ben Foakes (13) perished when the ball stopped a bit than he anticipated as Siraj claimed his second wicket, with Rohit collecting a regulation chance at mid-on.
In the morning Bumrah (1/54) and Kuldeep (2/77) brought India back to dictating terms with their probing bowling.
In the absence of Ashwin, Kuldeep hitting the right length must have been a relief for Indian skipper.
India’s persistent pressure on England kept producing further success when Tom Hartley (9) shimmied down to miss connecting one off Jadeja, with Dhruv Jurel completing the first stumping of his Test career.
With England on the brink, Siraj wasted no time in cleaning up Rehan Ahmed (6) with a perfect yorker on the off stump and James Anderson (1), handing India the command of the Test.
England, resuming the third day on their overnight score of 207/2, lost Joe Root (18), who could add just nine runs to his overnight score of nine before being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah.
The next man in, Jonny Bairstow, departed without opening his account with Kuldeep trapping him in front of the wicket. Then, Kuldeep took the prize wicket of Duckett to reduce the visitors to 260/5.
