Smith, Brook remain defiant as England continue to reduce deficit

Jamie Smith (157*) and Harry Brook (140*) continued to stall India, who endured a wicket-less middle session on Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test. The sixth-wicket pair didn't move at the same breakneck pace as in the morning, but were effective enough to take England to a much safer looking 355 for 5 by Tea, only 33 away from avoiding the follow-on.

After a fast-scoring morning session, where the duo helped England plunder 172 runs in a stunning counter-attack post two early early wickets, England resumed briskly in the afternoon as well. Brook quickly raised his ninth Test hundred - in only 27 Tests - with a cut off Prasidh Krishna. Smith, luckily, got a reprieve on 121 when Rishabh Pant grassed a tough chance to his right which raced for a boundary. Undeterred, the duo reached the 200-run partnership milestone next ball, making it the first instance of an English pair doing so against India for a sixth-wicket stand or lower. Incidentally, it's the second 200-plus sixth-wicket partnership in as many innings of this Test with Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja putting on a show around the same time yesterday.

Barring that drop, there were barely any chances offered by either of the two set batters as India continued to toil for a breakthrough. England's 300 came up just before drinks, and in the interval India finally managed to get their request for a ball change approved.

After slowing down a tad, the boundary count spiked again for Smith once Nitish Reddy came back into the attack. He marched into the 140s with a cover-drive and a pull back-to-back off the medium pacer, and then brought up his maiden Test 150 off 144 deliveries - the fifth fastest for England.

The spinners returned from both ends after the changed ball yielded 22 runs in just five overs, and managed to curb the free flow. Nonetheless, the pair brought up the 250-run mark in their partnership by the 70th over.

An expensive Washington Sundar over, worth 12 runs, helped England to 355 for 5 by Tea having added 106 runs in the 28-over session. India's lead still stands at a hefty 232, but the visitors would be eagerly awaiting the second new ball - due in five overs - to make a headway.

Brief scores: England 355/5 (Jamie Smith 157*, Harry Brook 140*; Mohd. Siraj 3-57, Akash Deep 2-70) trail India 587, by 232 runs.