It is almost impossible to know where this Test, a decider, sits at the close on day one. Is England’s 204 a good score, having been asked to bat first? Is the pitch, so lively earlier on, actually just getting flatter? Only time will tell.
All we can say with absolute certainty is that from the depths of 67 for seven and 90 for eight and 114 for nine, with numbers two to seven in the batting order all recording single figure scores (the first time England have done that since 1950), the tourists end the day much happier than once seemed likely.
