JACK Leach claimed three wickets on the fourth day of the first Test, as England press for a 1-0 lead over India in Chennai.

The Somerset spinner had taken a battering from Rishabh Pant the day before, only to gain a measure of revenge when his catch brought an end to Pant's carnage - 91 off 88 balls, with nine fours and five sixes.

Pant was one of Dom Bess' victims, the ex-Somerset man finishing with 4-76 from India's first innings, but a seventh-wicket partnership between Washington Sundar (58*) and Ravichandran Ashwin (31) frustrated England on Sunday evening and for an hour on Monday morning.

Left-arm spinner Leach had figures of 0-100 when he was asked to try his luck with a newer, harder ball - and soon he had the breakthrough, having Ashwin caught by Jos Buttler.

That left India on 305-7, still 273 in arrears of England's first innings of 578, and Leach (2-105) made short work of Shahbaz Nadeem for a 12-ball duck, courtesy of a low slip catch by Ben Stokes.

Then it was over to James Anderson to take the last two wickets as India were dismissed for 337, giving the tourists a lead of 241 going into their second innings.

England lost opener Rory Burns to the very first ball of the innings, however, as Ashwin made an early statement of intent.

The all-rounder went on to dismiss Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes, and when Jasprit Bumrah pinned Joe Root (40) lbw, England were 101-5 and leading by 342.

After the loss of Ollie Pope (28), Buttler (24) and Bess (25) took a cautious approach to stretching their side's lead beyond 400

Buttler was stumped off Shahbaz Nadeem, and Ashwin cleaned up the tail to finish with 6-61 - Leach (8*) the man to finish unbeaten, just as he had in England's first innings.

All out for 178, having opted against a declaration, England set their opponents 420 to win.

India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill moved to 25 without loss - at which point Leach intervened again.

With the third ball of his third over, the Somerset spinner turned one past the outside edge and crashed into Rohit's off-stump.

Gill (15*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (12*) closed on 39-1, with India needing 381 runs to win and England nine wickets on the final day.