Curran and Moeen launch England fightback

Sam Curran and Moeen Ali staged an afternoon fightback as England recovered from 86 for six in the fourth Test at Southampton.

The left-handed pair put on 53 after Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes were dismissed within an hour of play resuming after lunch.

Starting the afternoon session at 57 for four, having lost Keaton Jennings, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Alastair Cook, Buttler was first to depart for 21 to a sharp slip catch by Virat Kohli off Mohammed Shami within 10 minutes of the resumption.

Stokes followed 30 minutes later departed for 23 after wrongly deciding to review an lbw decision against Shami less than an hour after the restart.

That left the hosts, who had elected to bat but quickly found conditions favoured India’s bowlers who enjoyed prodigious swing movement, in real trouble.

However, Curran came in and played with more freedom than any of his team-mates, reaching 27 off 52, with Moeen 30no from 64 deliveries as England reached 139 for six at tea.