England vs India 2018, 4th Test, Day 2: 5 Talking Points

In yet another absorbing day of Test cricket, India nudged marginally ahead of England after a sensational innings of 132 not out from Cheteshwar Pujara helped them gain a lead of 27 runs before they were bowled out for 273 in their first innings.

Moeen Ali was the star with the ball for England, picking up a five-wicket haul and Stuart Broad proved to be most effective fast bowler on show, picking up three wickets with the ball.

With four overs to survive, Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings ensured there were no casualties, taking their side to 6 for no loss.

Here are the talking points from the day's play:

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#1 Cheteshwar Pujara shines with the bat

An exceptional batting performance from Pujara helped India take the lead

A majority of the present Indian team plays all three formats of the game. Pujara is among the few who plays only red-ball cricket, It's the format which brings the best out of him. It's the format he relishes.

On Friday, he showed why he shouldn't be ignored and why his type of player has a place in the game today. With everyone around falling at regular intervals, he hung on to score a splendid century and rallied the tail with him to take India from 195 for 8 to 273 all out.

It was the kind of innings that the purists and dare I say, every other cricket loving personality wished to see at some point in this series. Both teams possess some flamboyant players, the likes of Kohli, Jos Buttler and others, but Pujara showed on Friday that he, too, could play the innings which define matches, which make the public stand up and applaud.

The knock began with him grafting his way, but when the tail arrived, he opened up a bit as well, unafraid to take the aerial route to the quicks. Incidentally, that is how he reached his hundred as well, an innings he will rate as highly as everyone who saw it too, would.

#2 Was Ajinkya Rahane out?

No-ball or not? Decide for yourself

This series has already been a scene for a moment of controversy when KL Rahul took a low catch to send Joe Root back in the Trent Bridge. The verdict is out on whether that was held cleanly or not, but it proved to be a key moment in that game.

On Friday, India were at the receiving end of some misfortune, when Ajinkya Rahane was given out on referral, not before replays indicated that Ben Stokes's left foot might have been on the line.. The third umpire didn't think so and proceded further and hawk-eye indicated three reds, leaving Rahane with no choice but to walk

#3 India fall into the Moeen Ali trap again

Ali proved to be the nemesis again with the ball

For a second watching Moeen Ali trouble India on Friday, it felt like one had gone back in time to 2014 when he had troubled the Indians.

The second day's play seemed like going back in time to those days, as the off-spinner claimed a five-wicket haul to rattle India's lower order.

With such a performance to his credit, India will have to be doubly careful in the second innings to ensure he does not put in yet another significant showing with the ball.

#4 India's tail help take the lead

Sharma proved to be very effective with the bat

In what turned out to be his final Press Conference as India's Test captain, MS Dhoni had an interesting answer when he was asked about the difference in India and Australia's lower-order batsmen.

He said, "Now even PETA has said that you can't cosmetically remove the tail"

On Friday, it was the tail which came to India's rescue with the bat, as Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah stitched two critical stands with Pujara to help India take the lead. The duo added a combined total of 78 runs with Pujara as India recovered from 195 for 8 to post 273 runs in their first innings.

#5 Kohli reaches mount 6000 in Test cricket

Kohli got to the 6000-run mark on Friday

It may not have been a century for Virat Kohli in the first innings of the Ageas Bowl Test, but during the course of that innings, the Indian skipper became the second fastest from his country to get to the mark of 6000 Test runs.

The right-hander reached it in 119 innings, only two more than Sunil Gavaskar, who got there in 117 innings.