Image Credit- AFP
On the first day of the series, the newest trick in
Test cricket emerged in fits and starts, usually not from the team that is
supposed to pull it off, but the oldest fact of the oldest format was once
again proven true: a batting strategy can only be effective if both teams’
bowling is of similar quality.
On a surface that was more hospitable than the ones we
have lately seen in India, India bowled England out for 246 with two of the
best spinners in history as part of their attack. By stumps India had cleaned
off 119 of those as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma feasted on an assault
that consisted of Jack Leach and two spinners with only one Test between them.
Jaiswal was the one who opened the innings with a
boundary, welcomed Tom Hartley as a debutant with a six, and scored the first
fifty runs of the series faster than a run per ball.
The most significant work, however, came after lunch,
following England’s rapid start against Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. Well
not as quick as India’s, but nonetheless you will take 41 for 0 in eight overs
against two bowlers of that quality any day of the week. especially after
you’ve missed or edged 12 balls during that play.
R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were summoned seriously.
Jadeja defeated Zak Crawley three times in a row by bowling a maiden right
away. The ball swung their way, and they quickly discovered their length. With
the drive and back-foot strokes denied, the hitters had two options: sweep or
defend. Two sweeps off Jadeja delivered Ben Duckett fours, but Ashwin bowled
straighter to deny him the sweep too. The offbreak struck his inside edge with
its leather surface, trapping him in front.
Throughout his brief visit, Ollie Pope never seemed at
ease and outperformed Jadeja in front of his body. Crawley tried to hit out,
but Ashwin outran him in the air, causing him to check-drive to mid-off. In the
opening eight overs of spin, three wickets had fallen in five runs (3 for 30).
Root and Bairstow threatened to summon the ghosts of Edgbaston
with a 61-run stand, but both were sent packing after lunch- Bairstow was
bowled by what was the ball of the day by Axar, and soon after Root miscued a
sweep straight to fine leg.
Ben Stokes pulled together three crucial stands from
155 for 7 to give England some hope. While Ashwin was still getting away with a
lot in his 23 off 24, Hartley whacked him for a four and a six. Stokes reached
fifty runs and produced some amazing knocks during his 41-run partnership with
Mark Wood, but it was inevitable that wickets would fall when batting at such a
high risk.
If you begin by bowling on the pads, as Wood did, it
does not occur. He was dismissed for four by Jaiswal. Hartley didn’t bowl a
particularly poor ball, but in his opening over, Jaiswal removed him with a
slog-swept and a conventional swept six. The spinners from England not only
drew less turn than Ashwin and Jadeja, but they also lacked Axar’s precision,
who turned it even less.
With just one fast bowler available, Stokes was forced
to rely on the spinners for control. He supported them with aggressive
fielding, which paid off when Rohit fell for the trick and was caught mid-on
off Leach. But by then, India had achieved their fastest fifty-wicket score in
a Test match, reaching eighty in the thirteenth over.