India’s spinners ripped through England before Yashasvi Jaiswal hammered debutant Tom Hartley as the hosts bossed a fast-moving day one of the first Test in Hyderabad.
Indian slow bowlers Ravindra Jadeja (3-88), Ravichandran Ashwin (3-66) and Axar Patel (2-33) were expected to play a crucial role in this five-match series and they reduced England to 155-7 on a turning pitch before Ben Stokes’ 70 from 88 balls, during which he was dropped on 43, propelled the tourists to 246 all out.
Hartley (0-63 from nine overs) contributed 23 from 24 balls from No 9 as he enjoyed his first experience of Test cricket but then had his left-arm spin battered after opening the bowling; thumped for six first ball by Jaiswal (76no off 70) en route to initial figures of 0-51 from six overs, shipping at least one boundary in each of those.
Yashasvi Jaiswal struck a 47-ball fifty as he tucked into England spinner Tom Hartley
India closed on 119-1, trailing by 127, with Jaiswal pouncing on the loose deliveries offered up by Hartley, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed as England’s spinners proved unable to offer the threat and consistency of the home side’s trio earlier in the day.
Leach finally struck in the 13th over with the score on 80 – Rohit Sharma (24 off 27) skying to Stokes at mid-on – but Hartley’s bid to have Shubman Gill (14no off 43) lbw early in his innings came in vain as England shredded all three of their DRS reviews inside 14 overs.
England had earlier suffered two wobbles with the bat, losing three wickets for five runs after a typically enterprising Bazball opening stand of 55 between Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20), and then 4-34 once Jonny Bairstow (37) was bowled by a beauty from Axar following a 61-run alliance with Joe Root (29).
A lighter Ben Stokes top-scored for England with 70 from 88 balls, rescuing his side from 155-7
Stokes – who has shed a reported 10 kilograms since undergoing surgery on his left knee in late 2023 – revived his side, smoking three sixes and six fours after taking 53 balls to hit his first boundary, but India will be happier with the day with Jaiswal dishing out a dose of Bazball to England.
More to follow.
