India have bounced back against England, on the third day of the fourth and final Test at Nagpur. The hosts need to win this match in order to level the series at 2-2 and avoid a first home series defeat in four years. India finished the day on 297/8, after captain MS Dhoni and middle order anchorman Virat Kohli fought back with a 198-run fifth wicket partnership. However, it was the visitors who ended the day on top, with Graeme Swann scalping Kohli (103) and Chawla (1) to leave India still trailing England's first innings score by 33 runs.

Virat Kohli
Kohli along with Dhoni helped India to put on a decent total on third day of fourth test in Nagpur. Reuters

The Indians resumed from an overnight score of 87/4, chasing the 330 Alastair Cook's men posted in their first innings. And both Kohli and Dhoni had points to prove, after criticism over poor performances this tour.

The pair ensured, first and foremost, that no further wickets were lost, as they patiently took India to 146/4 by lunch; the flipside of the patience was that only 59 runs were scored in the first session, making it, on some levels, tiresome viewing. Nevertheless, it was important to the Indian cause that a solid structure first be established and Kohli and Dhoni did just that.

Both batsmen reached their half-centuries after lunch, taking over 300 balls (combined) to reach that mark. However, they accelerated the scoring rate as the day progressed and reached the 150-run partnership mark off 396 balls.

By this stage England were aware they were being batted out of the match and Cook desperately needed a breakthrough. The vital wicket came courtesy of Swann, who caught Kohli off-guard after the drinks break and snuck a successful leg before appeal.

Unfortunately for the Indians, Kohli's dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse, with debutant Ravindra Jadeja (12), Dhoni (99) and Chawla all falling before close of play.

At close of play, Ravichandran Aswhin (7) (who has scores of 91 not out and 68 this series) was at the crease, with either Ishant Sharma or Pragyan Ojha to join him; Chawla was dismissed off the last ball of the day.

Summary

England: 330 (J Root 73, P Chawla 4/69)

India: 297/8 (V Kohli 103, J Anderson 4/68)

India