Finance
All of India’s batters, barring Ravichandran Ashwin, had got starts, but K.L. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja went to smash half-centuries to help India grab first-innings lead of 175 runs, ending Day Two of the first innings at 421/7 in 110 overs. India started Day Two at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium 127 runs behind England’s 246 after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for 80 in the first over. Rahul combined composure, patience, and 10 attractive boundaries to smash his 14th Test fifty and highest score with 86 off 123 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
After that, Jadeja assumed responsibility for scoring, reaching his 20th Test fifty and finishing Day Two at 81 not out from 155 balls. He hit nine delightful boundaries while stitching an unbroken partnership of 63 off 117 balls for the eighth wicket with Axar Patel (35 not out off 62 balls) to extend India’s lead well beyond 150.
The pitch offered some turn throughout the day, but England’s spinners weren’t consistent enough in line and length to build pressure, meaning they were made to toil hard by India. After Rahul fell, they got some control, but Jadeja and Axar being unmoved meant Friday became India’s day.
In the morning, Joe Root, who didn’t bowl a single ball on the first day, got Jaiswal out by deceiving the left-handed opener in pace and flight, giving a return catch to the part-time off-spinner. England almost got the wicket of Rahul on nought, but Ben Foakes dropped a tough chance off Root.
Rahul got going with back-to-back fours via on-drives off debutant Tom Hartley, before rolling his wrists over to sweep Root for a boundary. Shubman Gill struggled to get going and was constantly defending in front of his body while getting caught at the crease and unable to rotate strike. In a bid to release the pressure, Gill skied one but Ben Stokes lost track of the ball while running back from mid-on.
His very tentative innings, especially against spin, came to an end when he flicked straight to mid-wicket, giving Hartley his first Test wicket. Mark Wood was given a short spell to bounce out Iyer, but Rahul took three boundaries off him via inside edge, square punch and a controlled pull.
England captain Ben Stokes brought back Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, with the latter able to trouble Iyer with his leg-breaks. But the right-handed batter feasted on whenever the duo erred, pulling Hartley’s short ball for six.
He then proceeded to heave and drive off Rehan for two fours, even severing Root’s head through further cover for an additional boundary. On the other hand, Rahul reached his fifty in his fiftyth Test match. What made his knock so remarkable was that he was comfortable scoring runs off spinners and was prepared to alternate between front-foot and back-foot to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Rehan ended the 64-run stand for the fourth wicket at the start of the afternoon session for England when he got Iyer to slog-sweeping a googly straight to deep mid-wicket. However, Rahul carried on improving from his strong morning effort, cutting and sweeping the leg-spinner for fours.
India took the lead when Rahul skillfully exploited Rehan’s lengths, gliding down the pitch to smash a six over long-on and using his back foot to lift over mid-wicket for another maximum.
Jadeja, on the other hand, took advantage of the England spinners’ tendency to be everywhere on the field and to take boundaries lightly. Even so, he was caught at forward short leg choice to change and kept scoring runs off England’s patchy bowling.
Rahul and Jadeja shared a partnership of 65 runs until the latter rocked back to pull off a short ball from Ahmed and holed out to deep mid-wicket, missing out on a second Test century at home by 14 runs. Rahul’s high-class knock at 86 off 123 balls was the fifth time an Indian batter perished while trying to play an attacking shot in the innings.
Post that, England finally managed to exert some control as Jadeja-Bharat’s partnership for the sixth wicket added just 21 runs in 11.1 overs till tea arrived. In the final session, Root had some really close lbw shouts against the duo being turned down.
Bharat overcame an iffy start to take boundaries on short balls from Root and Rehan. Jadeja got his 20th Test fifty after playing 10 dot balls on 49 while Bharat slog-swept Root for four after England took the second new ball. But Bharat fell nine runs short of fifty as he was trapped lbw on the sweep against Root.
When Ravichandran Ashwin confused with Jadeja and was out for one, England gained another wicket. At the end of the day, when India had all but batted England out of the game, Jadeja and Axar took boundaries off terrible balls. The latter took Hartley for two fours and a six on the final three balls.
India will want to extend the lead as much as possible on Saturday and inflict more misery on England’s lackluster bowling effort with three wickets still in hand with Jadeja and Axar at the crease.
Brief scores:
England 246 trail India 421/7 in 110 overs (K.L. Rahul 86, Ravindra Jadeja 81 not out; Joe Root 2-77, Tom Hartley 2-131) by 175 runs
Source :IANS
