Mark Wood shone on his recall but hundreds from India captain Rohit Sharma and hometown hero Ravindra Jadeja blunted England’s charge on the opening day of the third Test.
Left out in Visakhapatnam, where the hosts levelled the series at 1-1, Wood rewarded England’s gamble to select two seamers for the first time this tour by finding the edges of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as India stumbled to 33 for three.
But Joe Root’s drop to reprieve Rohit on 27 was a sliding doors moment as the opener added another 104 before falling to Wood, who finished with three for 69 and ran out the lively Sarfaraz Khan on debut.
Jadeja made a princely 110 not out on his return from a hamstring injury but England might have snared both centurions had they reviewed shortly before they reached three figures on a chastening day which finished with India on 326 for five.
Despite Ben Stokes calling incorrectly at the toss on his 100th Test, the early morning moisture aided England’s bowlers and they capitalised by leaving India three down inside the first nine overs.
As temperatures rose in Gujarat and the pitch gradually flattened out, Rohit, Jadeja then Sarfaraz, who contributed 62 off just 66 balls, helped India wrestle control as they added 151 in the last session.
England’s quicks shared new-ball duties and were punished for overpitching but Wood adjusted and gained some extra bounce and a hint of movement as he angled across Jaiswal, a double centurion in Vizag who made 10 as a tentative poke caught the edge and was gobbled up by Root at first slip.
Gill looked ill-at-ease and departed for a nine-ball duck in Wood’s next over after playing inside the line and nicking off, having been beaten through the gate by the previous delivery.
When Tom Hartley found grip and turn from an innocuous length in his first over, Rajat Patidar miscued to cover on five.
Jadeja was shuffled up one place to spare Sarfaraz a baptism of fire but the debutant might have walked in with India on 47 for four had a diving Root held on when Rohit edged an attempted flick off Hartley.
Root’s drop seemed inconsequential when Rohit was given lbw off James Anderson three balls later but an inside edge saw the decision overturned. Having been sconed on the grill by a spiteful Wood lifter and left needing treatment after inside edging on to his thigh, Rohit was struggling but hanging in there.
As the surface became more docile under the beating hot sun, he and Jadeja made hay either side of lunch, with Rohit surviving a tight lbw call on 49 to move to his first Test 50 in nine innings.
He cast off the shackles by depositing both Hartley and Root over long-on as England toiled without reward in a wicketless middle session.
A sinking feeling may have pervaded for the tourists after they failed to review a muted lbw appeal when Rohit missed a sweep on 87. While the ball might have brushed Rohit’s glove, it definitely thudded into his forearm and would have gone on to crash into leg stump.
Third umpire Rod Tucker was spared a tricky decision and Rohit brought up his century after tea before looking to turn the screw, perishing when a full-blooded heave took a top-edge and was caught by Stokes. The Durham pair celebrated wildly after ending a 204-run union but it was brief respite.
Jadeja was strong all around the wicket and especially off his hips, getting a short-arm pull off Wood to go the distance, before offering his first chance on 93. Hartley seemed to beat the inside edge with one that skidded on and the ball would have gone on to clatter middle stump.
Sarfaraz, who was drafted in for his international bow with a lofty first-class average of 69.85, poured salt into the wound as India moved through the gears. The 26-year-old was not overawed by the occasion, handling England’s spinners with ease and driving superbly.
He moved briskly to a 48-ball 50 but he was left high and dry when his partner was on 99. Setting off for a single which would have taken Jadeja to three figures, Sarfaraz was sent back and left well short of his crease following Wood’s direct hit.
There were muted celebrations when Jadeja reached his hundred just before stumps but his contribution helped India gain control.
Babardian Chemar Holder signed by Durham for backend of County season
West Indies pace bowler Chemar Holder has signed for Durham to bolster the side for their final three Championship games of the county season.
The 26-year-old will replace New Zealand's Neil Wagner, who damaged his shoulder against Nottinghamshire in August.
Holder played his sole Test in New Zealand in December 2020 and also appeared in a one-day international against Bangladesh the following month.
“With international call-ups and a number of injuries, it was extremely important to bring in an additional seamer, and we are pleased to have secured a bowler of Holder’s quality," said director of cricket Marcus North.
Holder, who had a spell with Warwickshire in 2021, has taken 89 wickets in 27 first-class matches at an average of 29.60, claiming five or more in an innings on five occasions.
"It feels very good to be a part of Durham and to be playing county cricket for a second time," the Barbadian said.
He will be available for Monday's game against Lancashire at the Riverside.
Dhananjaya and Kamindu frustrate England on day two
Sri Lanka duo Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis frustrated England's bowling attack to ensure the tourists finished day two of the final Test on 211-5.
England resumed on 221-3 after bad light limited Friday's play, with Ollie Pope having reached his seventh Test century shortly before stumps.
The hosts enjoyed a major reprieve early in the morning session, with Harry Brook inexplicably dropped on 12 by Asitha Fernando after skewing Milan Rathnayake's ball horribly.
Brook's luck soon ran out as Kamindu took a stunning catch off his drive, but Pope was more fortunate to survive an lbw review after appearing to have been trapped for 139 by Vishwa Fernando's delivery.
Pope made it to 154 before being caught in the deep by Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka's second wicket in three balls, as they went on to make light work of the England tail.
Olly Stone was the pick of England's bowlers, taking 2-28 after first running out Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne, while Chris Woakes dismissed Kusal Mendis before debutant Josh Hull took his first Test wicket, ending Pathum Nissanka's brilliant knock of 64, with Woakes taking a fantastic catch at cover.
Yet Hull dropped a gilt-edged chance to send Dhananjaya packing, and the Sri Lanka captain took full advantage, moving onto 64, with Kamindu on 54 at the other end, by the time bad light stopped play with the tourists trailing by 114.
Data Debrief: Kamindu England's bogeyman
Kamindu's tally has come from just 70 deliveries, at a strike rate of 77.14. He has scored 70+ in two of his last three Test innings against England, and he is well on course to make that three from four.
England stuttered in the field after an excellent start to defending their lead, though the hosts should still be confident. After all, they are undefeated in their last eight Tests at home (W7 D1).
Australia ease to T20I series sweep of Scotland
Australia overcame a rough start to their innings to ease to a six-wicket victory over Scotland in the teams' third T20I on Saturday, clinching a series sweep at The Grange.
Having been inspired to comprehensive victories by some expert batting from Travis Head and Josh Inglis in the first two matches of the tour, the visitors found themselves dropped to 18-2 as they chased a target of 150.
Scotland had been led by Brandon McMullen's 56 runs off 39 balls as they achieved a respectable figure despite the best efforts of Cameron Green, who finished with figures of 3-35 for the tourists.
It was also McMullen whose terrific diving catch sent Jake Fraser-McGurk walking for a duck before Head (12) swept Brad Currie's fourth-over delivery straight to George Munsey to put Australia in a spot of bother.
However, Green replicated his bowling heroics with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 62 off 39 balls to ensure Scotland's joy was short-lived.
Even the wicket of captain Mitchell Marsh, who dragged on for 31 runs from Jack Jarvis' rasping delivery in the 10th over, could not halt the tourists' momentum, and they got over the line with 23 balls to spare for just one further loss.
Data Debrief: Green shows all-round credentials
Australia's third straight victory in Edinburgh was slightly more testing than their previous two as the top order faltered, but they could count on an exceptional all-round showing from Green.
Having taken three wickets in a T20I for the very first time, he proceeded to also register his best batting performance in the format, beating his previous best of 61 versus India in 2022.
Had Scotland succeeded in setting a more challenging target, Green might have had his eyes on an even more impressive total, having slammed five sixes and two fours.
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