NEW DELHI: England's captain, Ben Stokes, displayed resilience by scoring a commanding 70, steering his team to a total of 246, despite the challenging spin conditions imposed by India's bowlers on the opening day of the first Test match in Hyderabad.
Opting to bat first in the five-match series, England faced significant challenges as spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three wickets each, putting the tourists under pressure.
The English side encountered consistent setbacks, but Stokes took charge, playing a pivotal role in boosting the team's total. However, his innings came to an end when he was bowled by paceman Jasprit Bumrah in the post-tea session, marking the final wicket for England.
Stokes reached his fifty with an emphatic six off Jadeja, showcasing both resilience and aggression. He formed crucial partnerships with debutant Tom Hartley (23) and Mark Wood (11), contributing significantly to England's total.
His 88-ball knock included six fours and three sixes.
England initiated the day energetically, witnessing a dynamic opening partnership between Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20), accumulating 55 runs.
Both batsmen aggressively attacked, consistently scoring boundaries off loose deliveries by pacers Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, employing the much-discussed "Bazball" approach. This strategy, characterized by a highly aggressive style of play, was devised by England coach Brendon McCullum, known as "Baz," and captain Ben Stokes.
The English team reached 41-0 in eight overs before spin was introduced. Jadeja began with a maiden over, while Ashwin conceded just one run from the other end. Duckett continued the aggressive charge, hitting left-arm spinner Jadeja for two consecutive boundaries but fell lbw in the next over to Ashwin, who thereby ended the breezy opening stand.
Zak Crawley, the tall opener, handed Ashwin a second wicket by hitting the ball to mid-off, where Mohammed Siraj executed a low catch, a decision confirmed by the third umpire.
The middle order saw Jonny Bairstow contributing 37 runs in a partnership of 61 with Joe Root, who made 29, as England navigated through a mix of attacking strokes and thoughtful partnerships in the face of India's spin challenge.
After the lunch break, left-arm spinner Axar Patel made a significant breakthrough by dismissing Jonny Bairstow, breaking the partnership and drawing roaring cheers from the enthusiastic home crowd.
Jadeja further added to England's woes by getting Root caught at short fine-leg. The veteran batsman mistimed a sweep, leading to his departure from the crease as he trudged back to the pavilion.
England, entering the game with a strategy emphasising spin, deployed three specialist spinners along with the multi-talented Joe Root, who also contributes with the ball.
(With AFP inputs)
