India Vs England, 5th Test: KL Rahul, Karun Nair shine as hosts score 391/4 on day 3

Chennai, Dec 18: India reached 391 for the loss of four wickets at the end of third day's play in the fifth and final Test against England here on Sunday (December 18).

Day 2 report; Photos; Match Scorecard

Opener KL Rahul slammed a brilliant Test hundred but felt short of his first double hundred by just one run after getting dismissed at 199.

Before getting dismissed, Rahul stitched a partnership of 161 runs with young Karun Nair (71*) for the fourth wicket.

The young Karnataka batting duo steered the hosts from the troubled waters after Cheteshwar Pujara (16) and skipper Virat Kohli (15) in quick successions.

Murali Vijay, who came into bat at fifth wicket, is batting at 17 as India still trail by 86 runs.

Between lunch and tea breaks, India lost the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli.

(KL Rahul joins 199 club: Full list of Test batsmen who missed 200 by 1 run)

The hosts lost just one wicket in the first session in opener Parthiv Patel (71) and aggregated 113 runs in the pre-lunch session.

Parthiv, who came in to open for an injured Murali Vijay, slammed his sixth Test fifty and deserved to convert it into a hundred. But he gifted his wicket away to Moeen Ali.

Parthiv and Rahul put up a 150-run stand between them to give India a solid start. It was after a gap of 31 Test innings, when openers put up century-plus stand for India.

Indian batsmen face huge task of building massive total against England at Chennai, on third day of fifth Test match.

Earlier, in response to England's 477, hosts made a solid start blending caution with aggression to reach 60 for no loss in 20 overs on Day 2 after Rahul, undefeated on 30 in company of Patel (29 batting).

With not much assistance from the track for the bowlers, the Sunday crowd can expect a run feast as more than the bowling effort, it is the mistake from the batsmen that can get a bowling side wickets.

England's lower order gave India a taste of their own medicine on a benign Chepauk track racking up a commendable 477 in their first innings on the second day.

Just like the Indian lower-middle order and the tail which has wagged throughout the home season so far, it was England's turn to return the favour as the last three wickets put on 156 runs with the visitors once again reaching close to 500-run mark.

The highlight of the second day was a 108-run stand for the eighth wicket between debutant Liam Dawson (60) and Adil Rashid (66) after England lost three wickets in the opening session to be reduced to 321 for 7, starting the day on 288 for 4.

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