England vs India, 2018: 3 major takeaways for India from the Third Test at Trent Bridge

It was an emphatic win over England for India, as they staged a strong comeback in the five-match Test series in the third game at Trent Bridge. The 203-run victory was a testament to the potency of this Indian team, as they outplayed the home team in every department at Trent Bridge.

England looked second best as the Indian batters came to the party to support their skipper, who was a lone warrior with the bat in the series till then. The visitors dominated the game for the course of five days as everything fell in the right places for them. It was no surprise when Ravi Shastri, India's head coach, termed his team's victory as one of their most convincing performances outside Asia in past four years.

The team was in desperate need of such an inspiring show after being undone by the hosts in the previous two Test matches. However, they have now given themselves a fighting chance at 2-1 in the series.

Virat Kohli and his men, especially the batsmen, displayed the intent to battle it out against the English seamers and applied themselves with utmost accountability towards the team at Trent Bridge.

Let's take a look at 3 major takeaways from the game going forward into the series:

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#3 Indian batsmen come to the party

After a dismal show with the bat in the first two Test matches, the Indian batting order was in need of a quick turnaround to overcome those failures. A major problem had been the lack of a substantial opening stand for the team, which exposed the middle-order against the new ball.

However, in Nottingham, India registered opening partnerships of 50-plus runs in both the innings, making it a lot easier for the batsmen that followed.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were almost non-existent for India in first two games, but the duo got the better of the opposition and made useful contributions with the bat in the third.

They aided their skipper, as the visitors' batting line-up made a total in excess of 300 runs in both the innings. It was a job made easy for the Indian bowlers, as they could attack more with a cushion of runs under their belt. The batting, indeed, was India's biggest positive from the game.

#2 Hardik Pandya delivers with the ball

Hardik Pandya's spell of 5-28 in the first innings was indeed the turning point of the game, which went in India's favour.

The all-rounder, who faced a lot of criticism for not fulfilling his role with the ball in the first two Tests, wreaked havoc in the opposition camp as he sliced through their batting line-up and his maiden fifer in his spell of six overs in second innings.

Pandya had been India's second best batsman in the series in terms of runs till the third Test, but at Trent Bridge, he delivered with a career-best bowling performance when the team was staring down a series defeat.

He even registered a quick-fire half-century later in the Test to complete a near-perfect Test for him on an individual level.

#1 Slip catching

In recent times, India's fielding in Test cricket has been under the microscope for its unreliable catching, especially in the slip cordon.

Many a time, the bowlers drew an edge from the batsman's willow but couldn't claim the dismissal due to uncharacteristic drops in the slip cordon.

However, the tables turned in Nottingham. The Men in Blue looked formidable in the slips, as every possible edge that went into the cordon saw the batsmen returning to the pavilion with their heads hanging low.

India's catching was at its very best through the game, as they took some stunners to account for a record reversal in their recent slip catching history.

Rishabh Pant was also involved in a record-breaking feat in his first Test, as he held on to seven catches behind the wickets. Indian opening batsman, KL Rahul, also managed to get his name in the record book, as he too, claimed seven catches on the day.

It was an all-round performance from the visitors at Trent Bridge, one, which they will look at as a prototype when they take the field against England in the next Test match at Ageas Bowl in Southampton.