India’s Shubman Gill said on Sunday the hosts remain favourites to win the second Test after his century left England needing a record chase of 399 on day three.
England, who lead the five-match series 1-0, reached 67-1 at stumps after opener Ben Duckett fell for 28 in Visakhapatnam.
Left-hander Duckett put on an attacking 50-run stand with fellow opener Zak Crawley, who is still batting on 29, before Ravichandran Ashwin got him out for his 497th Test wicket.
“Definitely pleased but I left a few out there. We could have done with a few more runs,” said Gill.
“I think it’s 70-30 at the moment. Morning session will be key. We’ve seen there is moisture in the morning, and help for fast bowlers and spinners.”
The highest fourth-innings target successfully chased against India is England’s 378 at Edgbaston in 2022, and the most successful in India was when the hosts got 387 against England in 2008.
Spinners Tom Hartley and Ahmed combined to bowl out India for 255 after Gill’s 104 on a day of bowling and fielding brilliance.
Veteran England pacer James Anderson backed England to do the job with their attacking “Bazball” style of play, which was on display when they turned a 190-run deficit in the opener to go one up.
“The chat last night from the coach was that if they get 600, we were going to go for it,” said Anderson.
“It makes it very clear to everyone that we will try to do it tomorrow. I know there are 180 overs left in the game, but we will try to do it in 60 or 70.”
Anderson removed the Indian openers in a brilliant spell of fast bowling in the morning, and spinners Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed carried on from there with regular strikes.
“I think the nerves were there to see today, the way they batted, I think they didn’t know how many was enough,” Anderson told reporters.
Duckett came out attacking with fellow opener Zak Crawley in their usual fearless “Bazball” style of play, but fell for 28 off Ashwin.
Ahmed joined Crawley, on 29, and smashed two fours in the final over of the day to leave England at 67-1, needing another 332 for victory.
England coach Brendon McCullum, nicknamed “Baz”, and skipper Ben Stokes have devised the “Bazball” brand of cricket, which has got them 14 wins in 19 Tests.
“There’s been moments throughout the last two years, particularly in the last 12 months, that makes us think we’re doing something well because of the way teams have reacted,” said Anderson, 41.
“The wicket is still pretty good, the odd one’s keeping low but you expect that. We’ve got so much quality in our dressing room, there are guys in there who can maybe get 150 for us tomorrow and win us the game.”
It was Anderson’s double strike early in the first session that set the pace for England as the old warhorse sent skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal back to the pavilion.
Lone seamer Anderson got Rohit with a ball that nipped away to rattle Rohit’s off stump and then he got to Jaiswal to reach 695 Test wickets in 183 matches.
“I’m obviously delighted with the five wickets (in the match) but I think I’m more pleased with the fact I got through 35 overs in three days,” said Anderson, who played his first Test in 2003.
“I felt strong when I was doing it as well. All that work I was doing in the last few months has really paid off, and that’s probably the most satisfying thing for me.”