It isn't often that a dropped catch works in the fielding team's favour. However, on day two morning of the 2nd Test that is precisely what happened to England, with a dropped catch leading to the dismissal of Virat Kohli, even if India continued to pile on the runs after a mini-collapse to post a strong first innings total.
After Kohli and R Ashwin had seen off the pace test of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, bowling with the second new ball, pretty comfortably, it looked like India were primed to post a huge total, considering the ease with which they had scored against the England spinners on the opening day.
However, India's nemesis in the 2014 series came back to haunt them again, with Moeen Ali, bowling at the right pace and using that straight ball to great effect, breaking the home team's momentum completely.
Kohli was the first to go, in the 11th over of the day and a ball after Ashwin was dropped at first slip by Ben Stokes. Off that drop, the two India batsmen scampered for a single, which meant it brought Kohli on strike.
The India captain, much like Ashwin had, played a drive while expecting some turn, but with the ball going on straight, it found his outside edge, with Stokes taking a much more difficult catch than the one he dropped to end Kohli's brilliant innings on 167 (267b, 18x4).
Sensing a way back into this game, Ali kept at it, knowing that Wriddhiman Saha is a slow starter. The England off-spinner found a ball that spun this time, and with Saha (3, 16b) caught in his crease, when the ball struck him on the pads, Kumar Dharmasena, after a long, long time, gave it out, correctly, with India's decision to review proving to be futile.
A couple of balls later, Ravindra Jadeja was also picked up by Ali, also lbw, but this time with a ball that went on with the arm. Jadeja, after consulting with Ashwin, decided not to review this time, when they really should have done, with Hawk Eye showing the ball would have slid past leg-stump.
From 351/3, the home side found themselves on 363/7, but this India team is not one that folds too quickly anymore – everyone in the side fancies a bat out in the middle.
With Ashwin looking as solid as ever, Jayant Yadav, the debutant, joined his fellow off-spinner at the crease and the two played out 14.2 overs, adding 52 runs, to take India to lunch on 415 for seven in 119 overs.
After the break, Ashwin got to his half-century with a boundary, before Ben Stokes' short ball ploy worked. After digging in a couple of balls, Stokes produced the one that was pitched up and as Ashwin looked to drive with his weight still on the back foot, all he could manage was a small tickle through to the wicketkeeper.
Jayant (35, 84b, 3x4) and Umesh Yadav hung around for 13 more runs, before the former's attempts to take on the bowler led to his dismissal. And after Umesh (13, 21b, 3x4) and Mohammed Shami (7 n.o., 2b) whacked the spinners for a couple of fours and a six, which took India past 450, the home team finally folded.
Scores: First innings: India: 455 all out in 129.4 overs.
Overnight score: 317/4 in 90 overs.
Bowling: England: James Anderson 20-3-62-3; Stuart Broad 16-2-49-1; Ben Stokes 20-4-73-1; Zafar Ansari 12-1-45-0; Adil Rashid 34.4 -2-110-2; Moeen Ali 25-1-98-3; Joe Root 2-0-9-0.
Fall of wickets: India: 6/1, KL Rahul (1.5 overs); 22/2, Murali Vijay (5 overs); 248/3, Cheteshwar Pujara (66.4 overs); 316/4, Ajinkya Rahane (88.3 overs); 351/5, Virat Kohli (100.3 overs); 363/6, Wriddhiman Saha (104.2 overs); 363/7, Ravindra Jadeja (104.4 overs); 427/8, R Ashwin (123.5 overs); 440/9, Jayant Yadav (128 overs); 455/10, Umesh Yadav (129.4 overs).
