England spinner Dom Bess claimed four wickets to leave India struggling to avoid the follow-on despite Rishabh Pant’s blistering 91 at the end of day three of the opening Test.
Resuming at overnight score of 555-8, Jasprit Bumrah and off-spinner Ravi Ashwin polished out the England tail quickly as they were bowled out for 578.
For India Bumrah and Ashwin were the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets each, while Ishant and Nadeem claimed 2.
The hosts suffered an early jolt, as Rohit Sharma was caught by Jos Buttler by a peach of a delivery from Jofra Archer for 6.
Shubman Gill looked good and played some lovely shots before he was caught superbly at mid-on by Anderson for a breezy 29.
Skipper Virat Kohli playing his first Test after the paternity leave failed to get going as he was caught at short leg by Ollie Pope off Dom Bess.
Ajinkya Rahane became Bess second victim as he was caught magnificently by England skipper Joe Root, leaving the home side in a spot of bother at 73/4.
The pair of Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant resurrected the innings with a valuable 119 run stand for the fifth wicket. Pant attacked the England spinners and scored briskly. He was particularly severe on Jack Leach, smashing him for four sixes.
Pujara fell in a bizarre fashion, with a ball deflecting off Pope at short leg and straight into his hands of Rory Burns at short midwicket for a well made 73.
Wicket keeper batsman Pant fell nine run short of what would have been a well deserved hundred as he miscued a Bess delivery to Jack Leach at deep cover. His knock came off 88 balls with nine fours and five sixes.
R Ashwin and Washington Sundar kept the English bowlers at bay with an unbeaten 32 run stand for the seventh wicket, as India finished on 257/6 at the end of day 3, requiring another 122 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Stumps at the end of Day 3- England 578 all out (Joe Root 218, Dom Sibley 87; Jasprit Bumrah 3/84) vs India 257/6 (Rishabh Pant 91, Cheteshwar Pujara 73; Dom Bess 4/55)