Sawt Falasteen - Anderson scales Mount 700 as India eye fifth Test victory

England, who started their second innings trailing by 259, were 103-5 at lunch on day three at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium.

Ravichandran Ashwin, in his landmark 100th Test, took four wickets including skipper Ben Stokes, who was bowled for two at the stroke of lunch. Joe Root was batting on 34.

The off-spinner also bowled Ben Duckett for two, got Crawley caught at leg-slip for a duck and sent back Ollie Pope for 19.

Jonny Bairstow, also in his 100th Test, attempted to take on the spinners and hit Ashwin for three sixes but finally fell lbw to Kuldeep Yadav after his 31-ball 39.

Skipper Rohit Sharma did not take the field due to a "stiff back", with vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah in charge.

Anderson got Yadav caught behind for 30 to become the first paceman and third bowler overall to the 700 mark, after spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka (800 wickets) and late Australian great Shane Warne (708).

The 41-year-old raised the ball to the crowd against the backdrop of the Himalayas as teammates gathered around him and England fans stood up to cheer.

It ended Yadav's stubborn 49-run ninth-wicket overnight stand with Bumrah.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir soon wrapped up the innings in the fifth over of the day when he got Bumrah stumped for 20, completing a five-wicket haul.

India remain in firm command of the Test after centuries from Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) on day two in response to England's 218.

The two put on 171 runs for the second wicket to raise India's hopes of a 4-1 finish to the five-match series.

India lost the opener but bounced back to take the following three.

H.Jarrar--SF-PST