ndia got the better of the first day of the fourth Test at the Hampshire Bowl to continue their resurgence in form, with Jasprit Bumrah leading their impressive pace battery.
Another spirited knock from England’s No.8, Sam Curran, saved his side from embarrassment, as England recovered from 86/6 to reach 246, before England’s bowlers had 15 minutes to dent the confidence of a re-energised Indian Test outfit, but failed to make a breakthrough. The tourists finished the day 19 without loss.
Earlier, Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat on a picturesque, sunny morning in Southampton, but the India attack imparted dangerous sideways movement from the outset, as England’s top-order failed to deliver once more.
First, Bumrah boomeranged one into Keaton Jennings’ pads, with the England batsman all at sea, failing to offer a shot and succumbing to a plum lbw. Another strong lbw shout against Root ensued, but, on review, Bumrah was found to have overstepped.
Sharma got the England batsman in similar fashion soon after with a tasty in-swinger to make it 15/2, this time prompting a failed review by Root, and, in the process, Sharma became only the third Indian Test bowler to reach 250 Test scalps.
Cook dug in for the first hour, with India’s pace attack swinging it more than at any other period of the series. Soon, Jonny Bairstow, playing as a specialist batsman, also fell cheaply after an edge behind off Bumrah.
When Cook played a loose cut to Virat Kohli at third slip off the bowling of Harkik Pandya, England were looking to their mainstays of the second innings at Trent Bridge, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, to lift them out of a predicament. A mini-recovery prevailed, but it wasn’t enough.
Buttler (21) scored at a quicker rate but Stokes looked the more composed of the two. The former, who will don the gloves in this Test, gifted Kohli his second catch of the innings, before Stokes (23) opted to review a plum lbw, with Shami claiming both scalps to make it 86/6.
Moeen Ali and Sam Curran, both earning a recall ahead of this Test and both with points to prove, struck a good balance between positively and sustainability.
Both sent powerful cuts to the boundary, but while the ball was behaving a little kindlier, the India speedsters, Bumrah in particular, were still able to bowl the odd hooping jaffer away from the lefties. Ashwin, such a menace against left-handers, was introduced but didn’t pose the same threat as the pacemen.
After tea, Moeen’s maximum over long-off off Ashwin – more convincing than his earlier top-edged six over fine-leg – illustrated the duo’s desire to back their natural game. They had a lot resting on their shoulders during this passage of play – not only for the match but the series.
Curran survived an lbw shout off Ashwin on umpire’s call, before Moeen’s (40) mis-skewed slog sweep off Ashwin was brilliantly caught by Bumrah at midwicket, half-way back, to end an 80-run partnership. That brought Rashid to the crease at 167/7, which gave India a sniff of the tail.
After Sharma trapped Rashid lbw, Curran, building on impressive starts of 24, 63 and 40 in the series so far, slog-swept to 50 with a six, clocking up England’s 200. It was shots-aplenty from thereon.
Curran eventually swung his bat one too many times, bowled by Ashwin for 78, which ended another potentially match-saving knock for the hosts from the young pup. He deserved a maiden Test hundred, but the exposure of James Anderson at No.11 after Stuart Broad was dismissed lbw by Bumrah, meant the Surrey all-rounder had to selflessly revert to Twenty20 mode.
India’s bowlers shared the wickets around. Two-fors for Shami (2/52), Sharma (2/26) and Ashwin were bettered by the brilliant Bumrah (3/46), who bamboozled England’s batsmen at times.
India’s openers survived four overs from Anderson and Broad late in the day, with both struggling to produce their trademark accuracy.
Score at the End of Day 1:
England 246 (Sam Curran 78, Moeen Ali 40, Bumrah 3/46, Sharma 2/26)
India 19/0
Another spirited knock from England’s No.8, Sam Curran, saved his side from embarrassment, as England recovered from 86/6 to reach 246, before England’s bowlers had 15 minutes to dent the confidence of a re-energised Indian Test outfit, but failed to make a breakthrough. The tourists finished the day 19 without loss.
Earlier, Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat on a picturesque, sunny morning in Southampton, but the India attack imparted dangerous sideways movement from the outset, as England’s top-order failed to deliver once more.
First, Bumrah boomeranged one into Keaton Jennings’ pads, with the England batsman all at sea, failing to offer a shot and succumbing to a plum lbw. Another strong lbw shout against Root ensued, but, on review, Bumrah was found to have overstepped.
Sharma got the England batsman in similar fashion soon after with a tasty in-swinger to make it 15/2, this time prompting a failed review by Root, and, in the process, Sharma became only the third Indian Test bowler to reach 250 Test scalps.
Cook dug in for the first hour, with India’s pace attack swinging it more than at any other period of the series. Soon, Jonny Bairstow, playing as a specialist batsman, also fell cheaply after an edge behind off Bumrah.
When Cook played a loose cut to Virat Kohli at third slip off the bowling of Harkik Pandya, England were looking to their mainstays of the second innings at Trent Bridge, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, to lift them out of a predicament. A mini-recovery prevailed, but it wasn’t enough.
Buttler (21) scored at a quicker rate but Stokes looked the more composed of the two. The former, who will don the gloves in this Test, gifted Kohli his second catch of the innings, before Stokes (23) opted to review a plum lbw, with Shami claiming both scalps to make it 86/6.
Moeen Ali and Sam Curran, both earning a recall ahead of this Test and both with points to prove, struck a good balance between positively and sustainability.
Both sent powerful cuts to the boundary, but while the ball was behaving a little kindlier, the India speedsters, Bumrah in particular, were still able to bowl the odd hooping jaffer away from the lefties. Ashwin, such a menace against left-handers, was introduced but didn’t pose the same threat as the pacemen.
After tea, Moeen’s maximum over long-off off Ashwin – more convincing than his earlier top-edged six over fine-leg – illustrated the duo’s desire to back their natural game. They had a lot resting on their shoulders during this passage of play – not only for the match but the series.
Curran survived an lbw shout off Ashwin on umpire’s call, before Moeen’s (40) mis-skewed slog sweep off Ashwin was brilliantly caught by Bumrah at midwicket, half-way back, to end an 80-run partnership. That brought Rashid to the crease at 167/7, which gave India a sniff of the tail.
After Sharma trapped Rashid lbw, Curran, building on impressive starts of 24, 63 and 40 in the series so far, slog-swept to 50 with a six, clocking up England’s 200. It was shots-aplenty from thereon.
Curran eventually swung his bat one too many times, bowled by Ashwin for 78, which ended another potentially match-saving knock for the hosts from the young pup. He deserved a maiden Test hundred, but the exposure of James Anderson at No.11 after Stuart Broad was dismissed lbw by Bumrah, meant the Surrey all-rounder had to selflessly revert to Twenty20 mode.
India’s bowlers shared the wickets around. Two-fors for Shami (2/52), Sharma (2/26) and Ashwin were bettered by the brilliant Bumrah (3/46), who bamboozled England’s batsmen at times.
India’s openers survived four overs from Anderson and Broad late in the day, with both struggling to produce their trademark accuracy.
Score at the End of Day 1:
England 246 (Sam Curran 78, Moeen Ali 40, Bumrah 3/46, Sharma 2/26)
India 19/0
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