Steady Patel guides India to 60/1 (Lead Lunch)

Mohali, Nov 27 (IANS) Parthiv Patel got off to a steady international comeback with an unbeaten 37 as India posted 60/1 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the third cricket Test against England on Sunday.

Patel was batting at 37 while teammate Cheteshwar Pujara was on eight when the teams went in for break at the Punjab Cricket Association I.S. Bindra Stadium here.

Ben Stokes earlier dismissed opener Murali Vijay to bag the only Indian wicket to fall.

The hosts now trail England's first innings total of 283 by 223 runs.

Patel survived a nervous start, almost edging an outgoing delivery from James Anderson to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

But he gradually found his groove, hitting a couple of boundaries to get the scoreboard ticking. He had notched up six boundaries in the 73 balls he faced till lunch break.

Vijay, on the other hand, struggled at the other end. His uncomfortable stay of 38 balls finally came to an end when a half-hearted flash at a Stokes delivery found a slight outer edge to the keeper.

Pujara then solidly played 22 deliveries -- including two hits to the fence -- to ensure no further losses occurred to the hosts till lunch.

Earlier, England started at their overnight score of 268/8 before fast bowler Mohammed Shami cleaned up the remaining two wickets to return figures of 3/63.

Fast bowler Umesh Yadav, star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav bagged two wickets each. Ravindra Jadeja got one wicket.

Shami dismissed overnight batsman Adil Rashid with his very first ball, a superb delivery that seamed away slightly, taking the bat's outer edge and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.

Incoming bastsman Anderson started off with an edge through the third man area for a boundary. He remained unbeaten on 13.

But the England innings did not last long. Shami trapped Batty leg before to bag his second wicket of the morning and put an end to the visitors' first innings.

Brief scores:

India (First Innings): 60/1 (Parthiv Patel 37 batting; Ben Stokes 1/9) vs England (First Innings): 283 (Jonny Bairstow 89; Mohammed Shami 3/63)

--IANS

ajb/tsb/vt