Hosts India have dominated the first day of the opening Test match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, bowling out England for a modest 246 and then cruising to 1-119 in reply.
Ben Stokes produced a captain’s knock of 70 to help England post a competitive total before they wilted early in the final session on Thursday.
India’s supporter group, The Bharat Army, were chanting “red ball, white ball, Where is your Bazball?” as the wickets tumbled in Hyderabad.
England are used to their famous Barmy Army being the ones dishing out the sledges to the players from the outer.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led India’s strong reply with a rapid unbeaten 76 while Shubman Gill was on 14 at the close.
India lost Rohit Sharma for 24 but would still hope to grab a handy lead, especially after England burnt all three reviews in their desperation for breakthroughs.
“I think we did a great job of restricting them on such a good track,” India’s spin-bowling allrounder Axar Patel told reporters.
“It’s only the odd ball, which is spinning – and it’s not spinning a lot either.
“It’s a slow pitch. Our goal will be to bat normally and bat long.”
For the first time in a men’s Test, England went into the match with a lone fast bowler in Mark Wood, opting for a spin-heavy attack instead, which included debutant Tom Hartley.
India resisted any such temptation and retained seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, perhaps knowing a three-pronged spin attack could get the job done.
That trust was not misplaced as their spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Patel claimed eight of the 10 English wickets.
While the pitch provided significant turn, England’s frontline batters were guilty of not converting starts following Stokes’ decision to bat on a dry wicket.
Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20) batted with the kind of aggression that has become the hallmark of the Stokes-led side during their opening stand of 55.
But home captain Rohit turned the match on its head by introducing spin from both ends after the first eight overs.
Ashwin (3-68) trapped Duckett lbw with a ball that did not turn and Jadeja (3-88) had Ollie Pope (one) caught by Rohit at first slip.
Crawley charged out against Ashwin only to drill the ball to Siraj at mid-off, where the fielder took a low, tumbling catch.
Jonny Bairstow (37) and Joe Root (29) added 61 runs for the fourth wicket but India wrested back control after lunch.
Left-arm spinner Patel drew Bairstow forward with a delivery that spun just enough to beat the bat and hit the off-stump.
Tom Hartley is bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Root attempted a sweep against Jadeja and ended up top-edging the ball to Bumrah at short fine leg.
England slumped to 7-155 but Stokes counter-attacked even though a boisterous 24,000 crowd egged on India, who have not lost a Test series on home soil since 2012.
Playing his first international match since knee surgery in November, Stokes smashed Jadeja for back-to-back sixes bringing up his fifty in 69 balls.
Bumrah (2-28) returned to breach Stokes’s defence and hasten England’s collapse.
Hartley shared the new ball with Wood and Jaiswal welcomed the spinner by hitting his first ball in international cricket for a six, a treatment the opener would repeat four balls later.
“I felt like we weren’t reckless today,” Duckett said of England’s batting.
“I felt we played well at times and people dug in and no-one was striking at 150.
“We were kind of digging in and rotated pretty well… we have a bit of a debrief now but I think we’re probably pretty happy.”
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Red ball, White ball, Where is your Bazball? I like it! :laughing:
Jez North
Roar Rookie
One thing I do like about the 2-day result, minefield pitches in India, is if a batsman stands against all of those odds. That’s an innings which will go down in history. Like a ‘coming of age’ innings for a great batsman
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Not a bad score by England, the ball was spinning a lot. And saying they were “guilty of not converting” is garbage. Some made mistakes that are inevitable when playing an attacking style against the turning ball, but they would have found it hard to make more by playing conservatively. Others got really good balls, including one that beat Bairstow with a ridiculous amount of turn for a first day pitch. Stokes very impressive again.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Yes, it spun quite a lot. Perhaps not as much as some Day Ones in India, but if anyone thinks this isn’t very deliberate they need to rethink. Just look for a start at the World Cup matches in Hyderabad, with scores in the 300s and Pakistan and SL going into the game with hardly a spinner in sight. Or other CWC pitches in Mumbai and Delhi. BBL player Nihil Chaudhury who moved to India from Brisbane a few years ago says Indian first class pitches aren’t like the Tests, much flatter and more for the pace bowlers. The pattern of Indian pitches has completely changed in the last 10-12 years.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Well they had at least two commentators from England on the Foxtel commentary- Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen. Neither of whom are very English. Morgan is ok but his voice sounds like fingernails scratching a blackboard, while Pietersen shades Hayden as the worst commentator in world cricket. I saw Mike Atherton in some footage, so probably SkySports UK has its own team there.
Good Grief
Roar Rookie
“I think we’re probably pretty happy”. Thanks for the insight, maybe they should have waited until after the team “debrief” so he better knew what he really “thought”.
Linphoma
Roar Rookie
India look to be in the box seat but I'm wouldn't feel comfortable with Jadeja at six if England can jag a few cheapies early. Listening to the English-language broadcast, were there any English commentators? I tune into Australian cricket and get Michael Vaughan, Isa Guha and Alison Mitchell on air. Not to mention Harsha Bhogle and Ian Smith enjoying stints as well. I don't have any complaints with them taking a gig here, just questioning why they aren't on duty when England are on a a major tour.
Tony
Roar Guru
Well, obviously
Tony
Roar Guru
You've got while yet Barb
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
The BBC article where this is mentioned, allows comments from the general public. This is the most popular so far "I'll have what Duckett is drinking!!
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Just drink to Australia on Australia Day!!! India Bazballed England. We have the Ashes, WTC championship, one day World Cup and ICC Test player of the year, Usman Khawaja ICC Test cricketer of the year , Pat Cummins. Just don’t drink what Duckett is drinking.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
What’s Duckett drinking Gordon?
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Nah, the Poms are saving the moral superiority for Australia - at least for now. If they get any brumby decisions I'm sure it'll appear again
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
They reckon they had 24,000 in there, but it sounded like 23,000 were kids. Every time a Pom hit a boundary, the entire place went dead silent.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
That's probably why Ben Duckett thinks his team's in a strong position! :happy:
jammel
Roar Rookie
I enjoyed watching the Indian spinners in those conditions - against the English batsmen!! :) And then England going at 7/over for a while with the ball - even if it meant the young spinner was going at 10+! This is what you get for claiming to be morally superior :) :)
Woody
Roar Rookie
An Indian crowd sledging ... ? Who'd a thunk it ????????????
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
I imagine that man for man, England are also still a better side than India, regardless of the result.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
At least till after the next Ashes I suspect or Jonny retires.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Some players must get paid extra to make stupid comments to the media. Patel must not have been watching lots of deliveries from all Indian spinners turn miles. I lost count the number of times I heard Indian commentators say "this is India, you have to get used to the ball beating the bat". This was always after the ball turned the best part of a foot. In reply, these are quotes from Ben Duckett; "We are very happy being bowled out for what we got," Duckett told BBC Sport. "Hopefully we can take two or three wickets early [on day two] and put them under pressure. The left-hander added: "We're in a strong position, regardless of them only being one down." 250 on that wicket against that attack is a par score, but sorry Ben, you're not in a strong position