Dawson defies Indian bowlers with unbeaten half century

India were 60 for no loss at the end of the second day of the fifth and final test match against England in Chennai on Saturday. Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel were unbeaten on 30 and 28 respectively in reply to England’s first innings score of 477.

Liam Dawson plays a shot during his innings of 66 in the fifth test match against India in Chennai on Saturday. Danish Siddiqui/REUTERS

Resuming on their overnight score of 284 for four, England lost two quick wickets of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.

Moeen Ali, who top-scored with 146 runs, also departed soon after adding just 21 runs with Liam Dawson for the seventh wicket.

Just when it looked as if England might struggle to cross the 400-run mark, debutant Dawson and Rashid Ali struck an important partnership of 108 runs and took England close to the 450-run mark.

Their partnership bettered England’s previous best eighth-wicket stand in India of 97 by Douglas Jardine and Hedley Verity on their first-ever tour in 1933-34 in Chennai.

Ali scored 60 while Dawson remained unbeaten on 66.

Ravindra Jadeja was India’s most successful bowler claiming three wickets while Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each. The star bowler of the series R Ashwin managed to get just one wicket for 151 runs.

England are looking for a consolation win in Chennai after having already lost the series 3-0.