India vs England: Hosts fight back to leave fourth Test in the balance

India 146-1, England 400: The tourists were frustrated by a 107-run second-wicket partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay

Buttler put in a fine form performance at the crease (AP)

England’s series hopes are in the balance after a fine half-century from Murali Vijay led India’s fightback on the second day of this Fourth Test.

Jos Buttler had moved the tourists into a potentially match-winning position when his first Test half-century in 19 months enabled his side to post 400 batting first.

England have never lost a Test in the sub-continent after making 400-plus in their first innings and 400 was the exact score they managed when famously winning by 212 runs here at the Wankhede Stadium 10 years ago.

Statistics, though, don’t always tell the whole story. By the close India, on 146 for one thanks to an unbroken second-wicket stand of 107 between Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara, were very much back in this contest and threatening to take control.

Indeed, India’s overnight deficit of 254 is ominous for England, especially with Vijay poised on 70 and Pujara 47 overnight.

Alastair Cook’s men now need spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to step up and deliver the match-winning performance their side need from them in sub-continental conditions.

When England won here four years ago, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann took 19 Indian wickets between them.

All 11 to have fallen so far in this match have been at the hands of spin.

Buttler in action on the second day of the fourth Test (AP)

Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six for 112, and Ravindra Jadeja became the first spinners to take all 10 English wickets in an innings for the first time since 1977.

The stage is set then for Moeen and Rashid to deliver. Yet they look far less potent on this surface than their Indian counterparts.

Moeen at least got one ball to turn sharply and take a wicket, India opener Lokesh Rahul falling for 24 when his side’s total was on 39.

However, the hosts’ second-wicket stand has hurt England, as did a missed stumping chance off Rashid by Jonny Bairstow that reprieved Vijay on 45.

It’s not time to panic just yet, but with England 2-0 down in this series and needing to win here and in next week’s Fifth Test in Chennai the prospects of levelling this series are receding with every first-innings run India score.

Pujara and Vijay's second-wicket stand brought India back into the contest (Getty)

The outlook had looked far brighter for England when Buttler’s first Test half-century in 19 months helped them recover from 334 for eight in the morning session.

One of the most destructive limited-overs batsmen in the world, Buttler may have only played one first-class match before coming back into the team in the last Test at Mohali.

Yet the 26-year-old made that statistic redundant with a fine innings here that merged his trademark attacking shots with the stoic defence needed to prosper in this form of the game.

Dropped during England’s tour of the United Arab Emirates last winter, Buttler had to bide his time before being offered a second chance in Test cricket for the third match of this series.

Now, he has offered a reminder as to why so many people were clamouring for his recall long before then.

After being relieved of the gloves when losing his place as wicketkeeper to Bairstow for the Third Test against Pakistan at Sharjah last November, he now has the freedom to concentrate solely on his batting.

Ball was an unlikely source of support for Buttler on the ninth wicket (Danish Siddiqui)

England, resuming on 288 for five, were grateful for that when they lost Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid early on this second day. Hopes of reaching 400 at that point, looked forlorn.

Yet Buttler found unlikely support in the form of Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire bowler playing in his first overseas Test.

Ball, whose highest first-class score is 49, started off by staying with his partner long enough to help him reach 50, Buttler reaching his sixth Test half-century in 106 balls. It was his first since he scored 73 against New Zealand at Headingley in May, 2015.

By lunch, the ninth-wicket pair had guided England to 372 for eight and their stand passed 50 before Ball was eventually caught behind off Ashwin for 31 in the third over of the afternoon session.

With just No11 James Anderson for company, Buttler slipped into one-day mode, taking England’s score to 399 with a huge, straight six off Ashwin. A single took the total to 400.

The innings was wrapped up in the next over, Buttler bowled after coming down the pitch to Jadeja. By then, though, his work was done.