Posted by India suffers early setbacks after choosing to bat.
India put up a strong performance with the bat on a flat pitch, thanks to centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. However, England did not let them run away with the game and picked up wickets at crucial intervals.
The day began poorly for India, who lost the toss and opted to bat first. Mark Wood dismissed both the openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, with edges to the keeper. Tom Hartley then removed Rajat Patidar with a soft catch to cover, leaving India reeling at 33/3.
Rohit and Jadeja steady the ship with century stand.
Rohit Sharma, who had been cautious till then, started to play more freely after settling in. He had a couple of close calls, one when Joe Root dropped him at slip off Hartley and another when he overturned an LBW decision against James Anderson. He took on the bowlers with some lofted shots and reached his 17th Test half-century.
He found a solid partner in Ravindra Jadeja, who came in at No. 5 ahead of the debutants. The left-right combination worked well for India, as they frustrated the England bowlers with some reverse swing on offer. They also capitalized on the bad balls from the spinners and kept the scoreboard ticking.
They remained unbeaten till the tea break, giving India some stability. In the final session, they accelerated their scoring rate, with Rohit completing his 11th Test hundred.
England strike back with Wood’s double blow
However, England broke the 162-run stand when Wood got Rohit to pull a short ball to midwicket. England hoped to make further inroads with two new batsmen at the crease, but Sarfaraz Khan dashed their hopes with a quick-fire fifty. The debutant was especially harsh on the spinners, using the sweep and the lofted shots effectively. He added 77 runs with Jadeja, who was approaching his hundred.
Sarfaraz‘s innings ended in a run-out, when Jadeja called for a single and then sent him back. Wood hit the stumps from mid-on, leaving Sarfaraz stranded. Jadeja reached his century in the next ball, but India‘s frustration was evident.
Brief Scores: India 326/5 (Rohit Sharma 131, Ravindra Jadeja 110*, Sarfaraz Khan 62; Mark Wood 3-69) vs England
Read more information here: Cricinfo & Cricbuzz
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