IND vs ENG, 1st Test, Day 1: India spinners trump Bazball, restrict England to 246; India 119-1

India vs England, 1st Test, Day 1: Ashwin, Axar, Jadeja trump Bazball, restrict England to 246; India 119-1. Session wise highlights of Day 1.

India vs England, 1st Test, Day 1: Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets against England | Walking Wicket (Images_ ©BCCI_Twitter) — India vs England: Ashwin took three wickets on Day 1 (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Brief Scores: IND 119/1 (Jaiswal 76*, Gill 14*, Leach 1/24) trail ENG 246 (Stokes 70, Ashwin 3/68, Jadeja 3/88) by 127 runs.

At the close of Day 1, India undeniably claimed the upper hand. Despite losing the toss and being tasked to bowl first, they responded emphatically, dismantling England for a total of 246.

The much-anticipated 'Bazball' strategy, frequently discussed leading up to the match, came to life as Yashasvi Jaiswal unleashed his T20-like onslaught, providing a taste of England's tactics.

Talking point from India vs England: Indian Spin Dominance Shines as England Falters on Spin-Heavy Track

The formidable Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel showcased their talent, staging a remarkable comeback after England's brisk start, restricting them to 246 runs. In contrast, England's bowlers faced challenges in the late afternoon session, struggling to both claim wickets and contain runs, allowing India to effortlessly stand at 119/1 at the end of Day 1.

Debutants Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, conceding 7 runs per over, found themselves targeted by the Indian batters, highlighting their relative inexperience on the day's proceedings.

Bairstow and Root's resilience propels England to 108/3 before lunch after spinners rattle top order

Session 1 of Day 1 of the first test had been an engaging period of play. England started with an aggressive approach, playing with their well-known 'Bazball' style. However, they encountered challenges against the Indian spinners, particularly Ashwin and Jadeja, who dismantled the top order.

Despite early setbacks, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root managed to stabilize the innings through counter-punching and a bit of luck. The ball began to turn, allowing spinners to come into play effectively. Notably, Ben Duckett played briskly, while Zak Crawley looked composed, and Ollie Pope struggled before getting out.

The session concluded with England at 108 for 3, making it a relatively even contest. Crawley's dismissal to Ashwin, caught by Siraj, showcased India's spin quality once again. Pope's dismissal of Jadeja, caught by Rohit, was a result of a well-tossed delivery outside off. Duckett's lbw dismissal by Ashwin further solidified India's grip on the session.

India Dominates Afternoon Session as Wickets Tumble, Stokes Resists for England

In the post-lunch session, India continued to take wickets, putting pressure on the visitors. England, at Tea, were at 215/8, with skipper Ben Stokes showing resilience at one end, unbeaten on 43. Following the dismissals of Root and Bairstow, England adopted a more defensive approach, with Ben Foakes joining Stokes in stabilizing the innings.

Axar Patel removed Foakes. Jasprit Bumrah also contributed by dismissing Ahmed. Stokes, sensing the need to accelerate, played a switch hit for boundaries, bringing some momentum. Hartley displayed positivity against spin but fell to Jadeja. Stokes continued to attack, using the switch hit for a 14-run over.

With England reduced to 137/6, the situation looked precarious. Blending caution with aggression, the England captain, as he has done on numerous occasions, found support from the lower-order batters, guiding his team to an impressive total of 246. This is a good first-innings score, particularly on a spinning track.

India vs England, 1st Test, Day 1_ Yashashvi Jasiwal scored fifty against England _ Walking Wicket (Images_ ©BCCI_Twitter) — Yashashvi Jaiswal scored 76 off 70 balls on Day 1 (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

Jaiswal dominates as India capitalizes on 'Bazball' tactics in their first innings

In India's first innings, the term 'Bazball' became quite ironical as England experienced the repercussions of their tactics. Yashasvi Jaiswal capitalized on the inexperienced Hartley. Jaiswal's aggressive approach included a first-ball six and two more in Hartley's opening over, resulting in the left-arm spinner conceding 63 runs in 8 overs without recovery.

Although Jack Leach created an impression by taking the only wicket to fall of captain Rohit Sharma, India concluded the day at 119 for 1, trailing by 127 runs. Notably, Jaiswal's remarkable innings further featured a stylish six off Ahmed and a well-crafted boundary off Hartley, contributing significantly to India's strong start.

What’s to come

India will enter Day 2 with confidence, viewing the match as an opportunity within their grasp. England, on the other hand, must exhibit disciplined bowling and relentless perseverance to mount a comeback. The second day promises a crucial battle as both teams aim to shape the course of the match in their favour.

Statistical highlights from the India vs England, 1st Test, Day 1

Duckett now has been dismissed by Ashwin 4 times in 4 innings scoring only 48 runs off 17 balls faced.
Ashwin and Jadeja combine to take the highest number of wickets as a duo for India in Tests.
Root vs India is the joint highest Test scorer with Ponting.
Root goes past Tendulkar as the most run-getter in the England-India series.
In 23 innings, Stokes has scored 214 runs against Ashwin but has been dismissed 11 times, averaging 19.45 with a strike rate of 37.60.
Rohit Sharma has 95 runs against Jack Leach, but five dismissals in 7 innings, resulting in an average of 19.00.
England broke the record for the fastest exhaustion of reviews in an innings – 13.2 Overs.