Cricket: England face herculean task despite spirited fightback

England face a herculean task to avert defeat in the first Test against India despite a spirited fightback after being forced to follow-on.

Trailing by a mammoth 330 runs after being bowled out for 191 in the first innings, skipper Alastair Cook (74) and Nick Compton (34) steered England to 111 for no loss at close on an eventful third day at Ahmedabad.

The visitors still trail by 219 runs and have to bat out at least six sessions on a Sardar Patel track that appears to be getting slower.

Starting the second innings after an early tea, Cook and debutant Compton, who was out for nine in the first innings, batted obdurately to give England hope of avoiding an innnings defeat.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha claimed his career’s fourth five-wicket haul with figures of 5 for 45 in 22.2 overs in his 17th Test while Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed 3 for 80 in 27 overs.
 
England, who started the day at 41 for three, were pushed to the brink before they adjourned for the lunch break at 110 for seven. They fought back for a brief while through Matt Prior (48) and Tim Bresnan (19). Prior was the last man out when he lost his off stump to Ojha.
 
Prior’s was the top score of the innings with only captain Cook, who scored 41, being the only other batsman to cross 40 in a pathetic display. Prior, who had come to the wicket at the fall of Ian Bell with the total reading a miserable 69 for five, played with positive intent.
 
Bresnan faced 112 balls and hit a couple of boundaries, and showed better application than most of the front-line batsmen.