4th Test: India stretch lead despite Woakes double strike

London - Woakes trapped Jadeja plumb in front for 17, and three balls later, Ajinkya Rahane was also adjudged lbw after leaving a delivery

India lost three wickets, including captain Virat Kohli, but stretched their lead to 230 runs in the fourth test against England at The Oval on Sunday.

The tourists, who resumed day four on 270-3, were 329-6 at lunch with Rishabh Pant, their last recognised batsman, on 16.

Shardul Thakur, who top-scored with a blistering 57 in the first innings, was batting on 11 at the other end.

The partnership between Kohli and fellow overnight batsman Ravindra Jadeja had yielded 59 runs when Joe Root brought back Chris Woakes and the all-rounder, playing his first test in 12 months, responded with two quick wickets.

Woakes trapped Jadeja plumb in front for 17, and three balls later, Ajinkya Rahane was also adjudged lbw after leaving a delivery.

The India vice-captain reviewed the decision and survived after replays confirmed the ball would have gone just over the stumps.

There was no such doubt in Woakes’s next over, however, when he beat Rahane’s tentative bat and hit the pad to dismiss the out-of-form batsman for a duck.

Woakes (2-47) was the pick of the English bowlers in India’s first innings, when he claimed 4-55 and he scored a breezy 50 with the bat.

With left-hander Pant at the crease, Root introduced Moeen and the off-spinner got Kohli caught at slip six runs shy of what could have been the batsman’s third fifty in as many innings.

There were jitters in the touring camp after coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for COVID-19 and the team were cleared to play after the players returned two negative results.

The five-test series is level at 1-1.