England opener Jennings falls to penultimate ball on third morning

Opener Keaton Jennings fell to the penultimate ball of the morning session as England slipped to 92 for three in their attempt to provide their bowlers with a series-winning target.

Jennings had made a patient 36 when he was trapped in front by Mohammed Shami with the lunch break fast approaching.

England had earlier gambled and lost with Moeen Ali as they endured a tense start to the third day of the finely-balanced fourth Test against India at the Ageas Bowl.

Moeen, who scored 40 in the first innings at number seven, was promoted to number three, only to last just 14 balls.

With opener Alastair Cook already back in the pavilion, the Worcestershire all-rounder soon followed, although Jennings and skipper Joe Root steadied the ship with a 50 partnership before the former’s untimely demise.

England started in measured style with Cook calming his nerves with an early boundary off Ishant Sharma as they gradually ate into their 27-run first-innings deficit.

They were three runs short when – after a relatively untroubled start – the former captain attempted to drive Jasprit Bumrah and succeeded only in edging to Lokesh Rahul, who needed three attempts to claim the catch at second slip.

With Cook having departed for 12, there were raised eyebrows when Moeen emerged ahead of Root, and he endured a difficult start to his innings.

The first ball he faced nipped back through the gate and flew over the top of the stumps, and he edged the second through the slip cordon for four as he attempted to withdraw his bat to give his side a single-run lead.

However, having made it to nine, he edged Ishant to Rahul, who took a low catch at the second attempt to bring Root to the crease with his side on 33 for two, a lead of just six.

Ishant, who had earlier received a warning for running on the pitch, received a second as the drinks break approached, leaving him walking a tightrope.

With the tourists in buoyant mood, Root survived concerted appeals for leg before wicket on eight when Bumrah hit him on the pads with India using up a review which showed the ball was too high.

The Yorkshireman brought up the 50 with a confident square drive and Jennings swept the first two balls of the next over to the boundary, the first of them a reverse shot, as he loosened off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s stranglehold.

Root eased himself in before starting to play his shots and he reached lunch unbeaten on 30 with his side 65 runs ahead with seven wickets remaining.