Stokes strikes after Brook 99 in tight first Test

First Rothesay Test, Headingley (day three of five)

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86) & 90-2

England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Duckett; Bumrah 5-83)

India lead by 96 runs

Scorecard

England captain Ben Stokes checked India's progress after Harry Brook's breathtaking 99 on a helter-skelter third day of the first Test at Headingley.

The tourists were painstakingly building their lead when Stokes had Sai Sudharsan clip to mid-wicket, leaving India 90-2 and with an advantage of 96 runs at the close.

India were only six ahead on first innings when they finally bowled England out for 465.

Brook, who was caught off a no-ball late on day two, was dropped twice. He played some outrageous strokes and looked set for a century on his home ground until he top-edged a hook to long leg.

England were still 73 behind when Brook became the seventh man out, only for the hosts to be taken to virtual parity by a rapid stand of 55 between Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse.

Woakes was eventually bowled by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who did the same to Shoaib Bashir to end with 5-83.

England had the momentum, even more so when Carse had Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind. Headingley was rocking, which made the stand of 66 between debutant Sudharsan and KL Rahul all the more impressive.

With drizzle threatening and the light closing in, Stokes removed Sudharsan for 30. When the umpires decided play could not continue, Rahul had 47, alongside captain Shubman Gill on six. It is beautifully poised.

This has been three days of wonderful, see-saw Test cricket, living up to the pre-match billing of two high-quality and evenly matched teams.

After England gifted away the chance to bat first, India have been just as generous in return. The visitors should have got many more than their first-innings 471, then dropped four catches, including three off Bumrah, the man culpable for Brook's no-ball reprieve.

For as well as they have battled back, England can also reflect on their own wasted opportunities and moments of recklessness.

A blustery Sunday showed the best and worst of Bazball. Jamie Smith fell into a bouncer trap two balls after hooking a six, in the over before the second new-ball was due, while Brook was also bounced out.

In contrast, the attacking intent of Woakes and Carse scrambled Indian minds and kept England in it.

Even the final session, with the lights on and clouds threatening, swung this way and that. England will have to chase on a pitch starting to look dry and uneven, so India might be slight favourites.

Reprieved as England reached 209-3 on Saturday, Brook began Sunday by stretching his time on nought to 15 balls. He exploded into life at the end of the first over, slashing Prasidh Krishna for four then belting six over mid-wicket, and never looked back.

Ollie Pope was out to his sixth ball of the day for 106, edging a cut off Krishna, while Stokes was circumspect for 20 before tamely poking Mohammed Siraj behind.

Brook was full of intent. He danced down to hit Bumrah through the covers and found a similarly purposeful ally in Smith for their stand of 73. Brook was spilled by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant off spinner Ravindra Jadeja on 46, then fourth slip Jaiswal off Bumrah on 82.

Smith was strong on the pull, which made his surrender on 40 to Krishna via a relay catch between Jadeja and Sudharsan all the more frustrating.

Despite losing Smith, Brook climbed into the second new ball in a feisty duel with Siraj. One blow over long-on for six was disdainful. One run from three figures, he top-edged Krishna into the hands of Shardul Thakur and the disappointment around Headingley was palpable. Brook threw his head back in disbelief, the 16th England man to be dismissed on 99 in a Test.

Woakes continued the assault. He pulled and ramped Krishna for successive sixes in his 38. His stand with Carse was riotous entertainment, only ended when Carse made room and was bowled by Siraj for 22. Bumrah did the rest.

At 430-3 on Saturday morning, India had the game in their grasp. Then Gill holed out off Bashir and his team were second-best for much of what has followed.

The drops were their most in a Test innings for five years, the slip cordon missing the retired Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Though spinner Jadeja was tidy, the seamers leaked boundaries and even the great Bumrah did not quite reach the standard he set on Saturday, though that was a very high bar.

There was petulance over a number of attempts to get the ball changed - at one point Pant threw it away after being denied by umpire Paul Reiffel. When the second new ball was taken, it was bizarre to be bowling a bouncer plan to Woakes and Carse, England's eight and nine.

After Jaiswal edged Carse off the back foot, India could have imploded. Sudharsan, on a pair, showed great composure and was strong on the cut, while Rahul followed his first-innings 42 with more handsome cover drives.

Sudharsan was badly dropped by Ben Duckett at deep gully off Josh Tongue, only for Stokes, swinging the ball, to induce a loose shot that was pouched by Zak Crawley.

England batter Ollie Pope, speaking to BBC Test Match Special: "I was really happy. It was annoying to not kick on today but it was a good challenge yesterday with the new ball.

"That late wicket at the end puts us in an even position. We know we have runs to chase but if we can keep playing as we are, we know we can put together a good score."

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah on TMS: "The game is in the balance. We have to bat well.

"I like to enjoy my time on the field so I always smile. Nobody is dropping catches purposefully and sometimes the cold makes it difficult to catch. I try not to let if affect me and move forwards quickly."

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook on TMS: "England will certainly be the happier of the two sides. Their belief in their ability to knock off a total is unprecedented."