Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane made a crucial 162-run partnership for the fourth wicket but England spinners struck twice in in the third session removing both set batsmen to get their side back in the game on Day 1 of the second Test in Chennai.
After bossing the first two sessions, Rohit got out for 161 off Jack Leach’s bowling. Rahane also fell soon after for 67 runs. Earlier, Rohit made batting look easy on a tricky turning track and raced away to his seventh Test hundred off just 130 balls.
After electing to bat, India got off to a poor start losing opener Shubman Gill in the second over of the innings. Gill departed for a three-ball duck as he was trapped leg before by a Olly Stone delivery.
Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara combined to steady the Indian innings with the former playing attacking shots. Rohit’s attacking approach saw him bringing up his half-century off just 47 balls. Rohit and Pujara added 85 runs for the second wicket but India lost Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli in quick succession as England pushed hosts on the backfoot before the lunch.
While Pujara got out to Jack Leach for 21, Kohli was dismissed by Moeen Ali, who cleaned him up for a duck.
Ravichandran Ashwin was dismissed by captain Root at only 13 runs. At the end of the day, Rishabh pant and Axar Patel are in the crease at 33 and 5 runs respectively.India were 300 for 6 wickets at the end of the day.
England’s Jack Leach and Moeen Ali took 2 wickets each and Root and Stone got 1 wicket each.
Here’s the playing XI for both teams:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk),Ravichandran Ashwin, , Ishant Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj.
England: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Daniel Lawrence, Joe Root (C), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, Olly Stone .
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