Nagpur, December 15: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli batted resolutely to take India to 146/4 at lunch on the third day of the fourth and final cricket Test against England in Nagpur on Saturday.
Battling hard to resurrect the stuttering innings, the two overnight batsmen carried on in a sedate fashion against the England attack to remain unconquered in a lunch score of 146 for 4 in 73 overs, that left India 184 runs behind England’s first innings total of 330.
At the break, Kohli was not out on 46 - his highest individual score of the series - after a total stay of 170 minutes in which he faced 155 balls and hit three fours. His captain was on a 103-ball 33 that included four fours and came in 155 minutes.
The day began with the two batsmen, who tried their best to eschew all risks, facing innings wrecker-in-chief James Anderson and Monty Panesar.
The first four of the morning was an edged for by Dhoni off Anderson, who had ripped out the stumps of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in a sensational stint of fast bowling on Friday.
Strangely, there was not a slip in sight to wait for the edges to Anderson who later gave way to Tim Bresnan after a four-over spell in which he conceded that four and three more runs.
The sight of a new fast bowler into the attack galvanised Kohli a bit and he off-drove him superbly for his first boundary of the day to raise the team’s 100 in the 52nd over.
Kohli then crossed his previous best score in the series - 20 made in the second innings of the third Test - and then Dhoni square cut Swann, who replaced the frugal Panesar after the latter’s six-over spell for two runs, to increase the rate of scoring.
The fifth wicket duo also completed their half-century re-building stand in 106 minutes and 170 balls.
The first hour produced just 27 runs in 17 overs and India were 217 runs adrift of the visitors’ first innings total of 330.
Panesar went to the end from where Bresnan and Anderson bowled, soon after the start of the second hour’s play and the two batsmen got a few boundaries with square cuts off the spinners.
Eager to get a breakthrough, England captain Alastair Cook brought the unimpressive Bresnan for Swann late in the session and then gave the ball to debutant Joe Root.
The hosts added 59 runs in 32 overs in the session, and more importantly, did not lose a wicket while putting on 75 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket in 248 balls.
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