HYDERABAD: England made a blazing start in the first test against India, but a sudden downturn saw them at 108-3 by lunch on the opening day in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Initially, Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20) showcased the aggressive batting typical of the Ben Stokes-led side, stitching a solid opening partnership of 55. Yet, India’s spinners swiftly turned the tables, claiming three wickets for a mere five runs on a dry pitch.
The responsibility now lies on Johnny Bairstow (32) and Joe Root (18) to steady England’s innings. Stokes’s decision to bat first after winning the toss was an obvious choice given the challenging conditions, especially considering the traditional difficulty of batting fourth on Indian turning tracks.
Despite England’s initial comfort against seamers Bumrah and Siraj, the introduction of spin from both ends by Rohit Sharma dramatically altered the momentum. Duckett fell to Ashwin, Pope to Jadeja, and Crawley succumbed when he took an ill-advised charge against Ashwin.
Bairstow and Root’s partnership of 48 runs for the fourth wicket brought some relief to the English camp, but there’s much ground to cover. England opted for a spin-heavy attack, with Mark Wood as the sole fast bowler alongside debutant Tom Hartley.
