England vs India 2018, 4th Test, Day 2: 5 Talking Points
In yet another absorbing day of Test cricket, India nudged marginally ahead of England after a sensational innings of 132 not out from Cheteshwar Pujara helped them gain a lead of 27 runs before they were bowled out for 273 in their first innings.
Moeen Ali was the star with the ball for England, picking up a five-wicket haul and Stuart Broad proved to be most effective fast bowler on show, picking up three wickets with the ball.
With four overs to survive, Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings ensured there were no casualties, taking their side to 6 for no loss.
Here are the talking points from the day's play:
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara shines with the bat
A majority of the present Indian team plays all three formats of the game. Pujara is among the few who plays only red-ball cricket, It's the format which brings the best out of him. It's the format he relishes.
On Friday, he showed why he shouldn't be ignored and why his type of player has a place in the game today. With everyone around falling at regular intervals, he hung on to score a splendid century and rallied the tail with him to take India from 195 for 8 to 273 all out.
It was the kind of innings that the purists and dare I say, every other cricket loving personality wished to see at some point in this series. Both teams possess some flamboyant players, the likes of Kohli, Jos Buttler and others, but Pujara showed on Friday that he, too, could play the innings which define matches, which make the public stand up and applaud.
The knock began with him grafting his way, but when the tail arrived, he opened up a bit as well, unafraid to take the aerial route to the quicks. Incidentally, that is how he reached his hundred as well, an innings he will rate as highly as everyone who saw it too, would.