India is in charge thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten knock of 81 pushes them to a 175 lead in the first innings of the first Test against England in Hyderabad.
The hosts began Day 2 on 119-1 in reply to England’s 246 all out, and Ben Stokes’s side needed early wickets, to remain in the contest, India on the on the other hand was looking to continue the good work Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal did last night.
However, it was Joe Root, who got the early wicket of Jaiswal at 123-2.
Root could have easily had two wickets in an over, had Ben Foakes clung on to an outside edge from KL Rahul, when he was on 0.
To rub more salt into England’s wounds, Gill and Rahul started to get on top of England’s bowlers.
That was until Gill fell to Tom Hartley at 159-3.
With Gill back in the pavilion, England was looking to put more pressure on India.
But a 63-run partnership between KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer got the hosts closer to England’s first-innings total.
Rahul also reached his 14th Test fifty.
However, just as India was beginning to motor on, they lost Iyer to Rehan Ahmed, at 223-4.
Meanwhile, Rahul carried on his scintillating form from South Africa.
While Jadeja got stuck in at the other end, and played some lovely shots.
England’s inexperienced attack was getting ripped apart by India’s batsmen, and Ben Stokes was running out of ideas on how to stop the assault.
But just as Rahul was approaching three figures, he hit a long-hop from Tom Harley, straight into the hands of Rehan Ahmed at cow corner at 288-5, The Indian Wicket-Keeper fell 14 runs short of what would have been his ninth Test hundred.
Jadeja continued to assert himself on England’s poor bowling.
KS Bharat got stuck into England’s poor bowling.
And Jadeja took out his sword when he reached his 19th Test 50.
Root, who was the pick of the bowlers, dismissed Bharat for 41 at 356-6.
Ravichandran Ashwin got himself in a mix-up with Jadeja, which led to him being run out by Hartley at 358-7.
But Axar Patel ensured that India’s tail of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj was not exposed, with a 35 not out, to take India to 421-7, at the end of Day 2.
Analysis
It was a poor day for England in the field, Root and Jack Leach were the only two bowlers, that stood up to the contest, as the in-experienced of Hartley and Ahmed was the final nail in the coffin for Stokes, as India cashed in on England’s inexperienced attack.
What also does not help, is the fact that Stokes isn’t fit enough to bowl. He could rue the fact that making James Anderson sit out this match was a costly error as he would have given England more control, because of his experience of bowling in Sub-Continental conditions.
You also got the feeling that Hartley and Ahmed were overused by Stokes, and did not give them enough protection in terms of setting the field, and therefore, India’s batsmen were able to take full advantage of this.
They will need to show plenty of fight tomorrow to stand a chance of getting back in this Test Match let alone winning it.
However, you do feel that England needs to show some more application against the spinning ball, as it may just put them in good stead for the next four matches.
The Captain’s knock of 70 from 88 balls was the perfect approach to how to go about implementing the Bazball approach, particularly on spin-friendly pitches.
India, on the other hand, will be hoping that Jadeja and Patel, extend their partnership of 63 from 117, to put themselves in an even stronger position in this Test match.
Can England somehow claw their way back into this match, or will India push towards victory?
Find out on World In Sport.
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