Indian spinners were taken to the cleaners by the English batsmen as the visitors posted a mammoth 537 on the second day of the opening cricket Test in Rajkot on Wednesday.
India made a cautious start reaching 63 for no loss with openers Murali Vijay (25*) and Gautam Gambhir (28*) at the crease.
Vijay had faced 70 balls, striking four fours – three of which came in one over off Stuart Broad. Gambhir, playing his second Test on the trot after his recall from hibernation, struck four fours in his 68-ball knock as they batted out the shortened last session of play.
India still need 275 more runs to avoid following on, on a track showing increasing signs of wear and tear after its easy-paced nature on day one yesterday.
The hosts also trailed the visitors by a massive 474 runs with all ten wickets in hand going into day three. Both faced testing spells of fast bowling and probing spin bowling to remain unbeaten carrying on the daunting task faced by the home team.
Three English Batsmen Score Centuries
Earlier, New Zealand-born England all rounder Ben Stokes became the third century maker in the visitors' first innings after Joe Root on Wednesday and Moeen Ali on Thursday morning.
Stokes made an attacking 128 which was the innings highest score, batted right down the order to post the massive total before being all out to end the extended second session.
England's total revolved mainly around Root's classical, foundation-laying 124 on day one, Ali's attractive knock of 117 and the enterprising hundred by Stokes against a listless Indian bowling attack that was plundered for a whopping 139 runs in 30 overs in the pre-lunch period.
Indian Bowlers Continue to Struggle on Day 2
England's first innings total was their third-highest ever in this country, showing their batsmen were in total control against Indian spinners especially Ravichandran Ashwin, who conceded 167 runs in 46 overs taking only two wickets.
Amit Mishra fared no better, being hit for 98 runs in 23.3 overs.
The Indian bowlers appeared clueless about how to dismiss the left-handed Stokes who was finally out to a diving catch to his right by wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha off Umesh Yadav. Saha had earlier put down Stokes in successive overs of Yadav in his second spell, with the batsman on 60 and 61 respectively.
In the morning session, the visitors scored at will after England resumed at last evening's score of 311 for four and advanced to 450 for six.
The batsmen out before lunch were Ali who duly completed his career's fourth Test century after being one short of the coveted landmark at stumps on day one and Jonny Bairstow, who made a quick 46 off 57 balls.
Both wickets were claimed by pace bowlers – Shami and Yadav.
Ali Scores England’s Second Century
Stokes and Bairstow put on a brisk stand of 99 for the sixth wicket in just 80 minutes and 127 balls against some mediocre bowling performance before the latter got out chasing a wide ball.
Ali, who added 179 runs for the fourth wicket with Root yesterday, put on a further 62 runs partnership in 87 minutes and 113 balls with the left-handed Stokes for the fifth wicket.
Post-lunch India did manage to control the run flow and also grabbed two quick wickets through the left- arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja, who had bowled just one over late in the first session.
The local boy struck in the very first over after resumption of play when he had Chris Woakes (4) poking at a wide ball and edging to wicket-keeper Saha after the addition of just one run the the score of 450 till lunch.
Jadeja was into his wicket taking act again six overs thereon to send back Adil Rashid (5) who was caught at mid-on by Yadav, and India appeared to have a good chance of restricting England under 500 at the fall of the eighth wicket at 465.
Stokes not only completed his century but also added 62 runs for the ninth wicket with Ansari to take the score past the 500 mark.
Also inexplicably Jadeja did not get to bowl till 15 minutes before lunch by which time 26 overs had been gone through in the morning. He was then replaced after one over before resuming his bowling at the start of session two.
The left-arm bowler emerged the most impressive bowler with figures of 3 for 86, while premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the most expensive and gave away 167 runs for his two wickets after bowling 46 overs.
Speedsters Mohammed Shami (2 for 65) and Yadav (2 for 112) were among the wickets, while leg-spinner Mishra scalped the final wicket to fall and gave away 98 runs. Amit Mishra trapped Ansari leg-before on the sweep shot to bring the innings to a close after England had batted for nearly 10 and a half hours.
Indian openers Gautam Gambhir and Murali Vijay will resume play on Friday.
(With inputs from PTI.)