Ranchi, Feb 25 (IANS): Dhruv Jurel smashed a terrific 90 under pressure, also his first fifty in the format, as India made 307 in their first innings, with England taking a slender 46-run lead at lunch on day three of the fourth Test at the JSCA International Stadium on Sunday.

India began day three with 134 runs behind, but Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav (28 off 131 balls) shared a crucial 76-run stand for the eighth wicket to help the hosts fight back in the match. Though Kuldeep later became James Anderson’s 698th Test scalp, Jurel, playing just his second Test, survived a caught-out chance on 59 to be the top-scorer in India’s innings.

He impressed with his compact batting and judicious shot-selection at the crease, while exhibiting calm temperament, application and maturity of taking the team out of trouble in challenging conditions. Though he missed out on a maiden Test century by ten runs, Jurel’s knock, laced with six fours and four sixes, helped India cross 300 and narrow the deficit to 46.

The session began with Jurel and Kuldeep being watchful with England taking the second new ball. Jurel got going with a lovely straight drive off Ollie Robinson, followed by Kuldeep driving Bashir square off the wicket for another boundary. But in a bid to defend off Anderson, Kuldeep inside-edged to his front foot and the ball rolled over to hit the stumps.

Jurel marched forward to get his maiden Test fifty with a single through mid-on off Tom Hartley, and from there he began his attacking show. He swept Hartley with ease for four, and survived being out on 59 when Bashir spilled a catch at mid-wicket off Anderson.

Bashir came under attack by Jurel, who lofted and muscled him for two sixes and a four. He was also taken for a six over mid-wicket by Akash Deep, but Bashir had the last laugh by trapping the batter lbw after surviving a stumping appeal.

It gave Bashir his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Jurel then pulled and smacked Hartley for six and four respectively, but was clean bowled by the left-arm spinner, who got one to angle in and spin past the outside edge to hit the stumps.

Brief Scores: England 353 in 104.5 overs lead India 307 in 103.2 overs (Dhruv Jurel 90, Yashasvi Jaiswal 73; Shoaib Bashir 5-119, Tom Hartley 3-68) by 46 runs