After three punishing days at Old Trafford, England piled on 544/7 by stumps on Day 3 as India find themselves on the back foot before Day 4's play.
One of the highlights of the day was Joe Root's record-breaking 150, which took him past Ricky Ponting in all-time Test runs.
At the other end, he received support from Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes, leaving India trailing by 186 runs and with few answers on a pitch that offered little to the bowlers.
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Among the many questions raised, Jasprit Bumrah's below-par outing drew particular attention.
However, former England cricketer David Lloyd has stepped in to defend India's pacer. He argued that the pitch, not the bowlers, is to blame for the one-sided contest.
David Lloyd says bowlers had "no chance" on Old Trafford surface
Speaking to talkSPORT Cricket, Lloyd described Old Trafford as "a graveyard for bowlers" in red-ball cricket and said the conditions gave India's bowlers no real chance to make an impact.
"I've seen every game here, particularly red-ball cricket, and it's a graveyard for bowlers. The endeavour was there. One or two have said they [India] were substandard - they weren't. They tried everything they could. The pitch is the winner," Lloyd said.
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He added that England's intact morning session, in which they didn't lose a single wicket, set the tone for the rest of the day and allowed them to dictate terms entirely.
Bumrah, Siraj struggle to make breakthroughs
Bumrah bowled 24 overs and took just one wicket - his 50th on English soil, while repeatedly struggling for pace and rhythm. To make matters worse, he briefly left the field after reportedly rolling his ankle.
Mohammed Siraj also left the field with a foot injury but returned to pick up a late wicket. India's bowlers looked visibly tired and under pressure on a lifeless pitch.
England now hold complete control heading into Day 4 and with little help from the surface, India's bowlers face more hard work ahead.