England ended day three of the first Investec Test against India trailing by 105 runs, after a middle-order collapse saw tail-enders Stuart Broad and James Anderson impress late in the day.
In the midst of the wickets, Joe Root steadily made his way to an unbeaten 78, forging excellent partnerships with Broad, then Anderson, the pair seeing England through to the close.
“We had our backs against the wall but for Broad to come out and be brave and play the way he did was really important for us,” he said.
“Jimmy was sensational, he really took the pressure off me.
“We all want to contribute more. On some days, the top two will score centuries, and then the number three will do exactly the same.”
Root provided the backbone to the England innings, and saw the next four wickets fall for 48. He continued the rebuilding process with Broad, the pair adding 78 after tea with the Nottinghamshire man dealing in boundaries.
Then James Anderson displayed flair – reverse sweeping the Indian bowlers – to take England to within a good hour of reaching the total.
“Sometimes you need to scrap,” added Root..
“Tea came at a good time, it was a great break in play for us, and it took the momentum away from India.
“We didn’t respond to the pitch well enough, we missed out in some key periods and we need to front up to them quicker.
“You never know, we’re not in an ideal situation. If we can bat through some of the morning we’ll put the pressure back on them. We need to keep fighting.
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