Prized wicket of Virat Kohli proves just reward for England’s Dom Bess

England’s first-innings score of 578 saw them assume a position of strength in Chennai but it required a strong bowling performance if they were to avoid the hosts producing something similar.

At stumps they were well on the way to a commanding position after whittling India down to 257-6, Jofra Archer striking twice with new ball and Bess landing the next four.

Chief among his successes was Kohli – who managed just 11 before flicking a bat-pad catch to Ollie Pope in a classical off-spinner’s dismissal. For Bess it was a triumph of calm control followed by just enough drift and turn.

“It’s certainly up there for me. He’s a world-class player, one of the best there is,” said Bess.

“The calibre of who he is, is phenomenal. Of course I was looking to get him out but it wasn’t about bowling that magic ball, it was about smashing in 10-15 balls in a good area, then (hoping) something will happen.

“I was really pleased that I kept him in a spot then one has gone and it’s straight to Popey.”

When sufficient time has passed, Bess might offer a more lavish explanation of how a boy from Taunton got the better of India’s premier batsman in his own back yard. But for now, with a Test still to win and three more still to play he was keeping his powder dry.

“I don’t want to think about it too much, we’re in the middle of a game,” he said.

“We got him as a team and we’ll have to try and get him out next innings too. It’s a long series. I’m 23, I’m only going to keep growing here. The journey is going to be up and down but it’s given me confidence.”

While everything fell in Bess’s favour, including a brilliant one-handed catch from Joe Root to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane and a hugely fortunate deflection that did for Cheteshwar Pujara, the same cannot be said for fellow spinner Jack Leach.

The left-armer, until recent months a team-mate of Yorkshire-bound Bess at Somerset, sent down 17 wicketless overs for 94 and was hammered for five sixes by the counter-attacking Rishabh Pant.

Pant’s 91 gave India a timely lift from a shaky position of 73-4, but Bess was firm in defence of Leach’s efforts.

“I thought he bowled really well and that’s not just me saying it,” he contended.

“Pant is just a completely different player. He played a phenomenal innings but if one goes straight up in the air it’s a completely different game – they’re five down and they’re in a big hole.

“How he played was really courageous and bold and we know he plays like that, but how Leachy came back and kept smashing a length shows the quality he has. I know people look at the outcome and at one point he was going at 10-an-over, well it doesn’t matter.

“Jack’s so strong mentally, he’s been through a lot, and that’s not going to faze him at all.”

Debutant Kyle Mayers hit an unbeaten 210 to lead the West Indies to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chattogram.

It was the fifth-highest successful run chase in Test history as the tourists chased down a target of 395 with just 15 balls remaining. But Mayers was not the only debutant to shine as his fourth-wicket partnership of 216 with Nkrumah Bonner (86) was crucial in the run chase.

Bonner fell in the first over after tea after launching Taijul Islam for six over deep midwicket.

However, Mayers held his nerve to navigate the West Indies to victory as he became just the sixth person to hit a double ton in the fourth innings of a Test. Compatriots George Headley and Gordon Greenidge previously did so, along with Nathan Astle, Sunil Gavaskar and Bill Edrich, while Mayers was also the sixth to reach the mark on debut.

Mohammad Rizwan scored his maiden Test century but South Africa fought back against Pakistan to leave the match intriguingly poised on day four of the second Test in Rawalpindi.

The Pakistan wicketkeeper hit 111 not out as the hosts put on 102 for their last two wickets to set South Africa a victory target of 370.

South Africa were 127-1 at close of play, needing 234 more to win on the final day.