India on top after Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin's magic

The spin duo of Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin once again proved too hot to handle for England as the shared seven wickets between them, helping India bundle out the visitors for a paltry 205. India are 24/1 in their response at the end of Day 1. England will be disappointed that they couldn’t score more than what they did. The wicket was not bad, there was no drastic turn and the ball was coming on to the bat nicely. Certainly, 205 is enough on this wicket. The visitors will also rue the fact that four of their top batsmen got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. England needed one of Jonny Bairstow(28), Ben Stokes (55), Ollie Pope(29) and Daniel Lawrence to get a big hundred but that was not the case to be. 

Joe Root won the toss and opted to bat but the decision soon backfired with Axar Patel dismissing both the openers. Mohammed Siraj then got the better of Joe Root, who was caught on the crease and was adjudged LBW. England were reeling at 30-3 when Stoked joined Bairstow as the duo steadied the English ship. England were 78-4 when Siraj trapped Bairstow plumb. There was another small partnership between Stokes and Pope before Washington Sunder dismissed Stoked LBW for 55. Daniel Lawrence played some good shots while Ollie Pope looked solid at the other end before Pope was caught by Gill at short leg in a very unfortunate manner. Lawrence then lost his cool and charged down the wicket to hit Axar out of the park, only to be stumped. Post his wicket, there was not much England could do as they folded out for 205. 

Indian innings too didn’t start well as Shunman Gill was dismissed LBW by James Anderson for a duck. However, England couldn’t find another breakthrough as Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara took India to stumps.