India, July 26 -- England stamped their authority on Day 3 of the Manchester Test with a commanding 544/7, building a 186-run lead that puts them within touching distance of sealing the five-match series. At the heart of their dominance was Joe Root's majestic 150, a knock that not only took the game further away from India but also lifted him past Ricky Ponting to second in the list of all-time Test run scorers.

But while England celebrated a landmark-filled day, India found themselves gripped by a tactical mess, none more baffling than the non-utilisation of Washington Sundar.

After a brilliant four-fer in the Lord's Test, Sundar didn't bowl a single over across three sessions in Manchester, even as Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pop...