India recovered from three dropped chances early in the innings to reduce England to 102/3 at lunch on day one of the first Test in Rajkot on Wednesday. This was after England captain Alastair Cook won the toss – something his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli has not experienced much at home – and opted for his batters to make first use of what he called a "traditional Indian wicket".
Cook was dropped off the third ball of the innings by Ajinkya Rahane in the slips off the bowling of Mohammed Shami. In the very next over, bowled by Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli looked to have spilled another low, sharp chance, giving Cook his third life.
The 31-year-old England captain was batting deep in the crease as always, and looked edgy and uncomfortable. He played and missed many, but the ones that he did manage to nick were spilled by the Indian slip cordon. Even debutant Haseeb Hameed was given a reprieve as the dropped catch count went to three within the first half hour of play.
Eventually, India's slip cordon forced Shami and Yadav to change their line and target the stumps as England made it to 10 overs unscathed, before Kohli threw the ball to Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. England made it to the first drinks break without any damage, before India finally got their first breakthrough off the first ball after the interval. And would you believe it – it should not have been ruled out!
Jadeja, bowling from over the wicket, pitched his length delivery in line and the ball hit Cook's pad on middle-and-leg, but looked like it would go on to miss leg stump. However, umpire Chris Gaffaney thought it was hitting leg and ruled Cook out leg-before. The England captain discussed it with his 19-year-old debutant batting partner, who seemed to concur with the umpire, and Cook walked back without reviewing. Haw-Eye showed it was missing stumps.
Cook never looked comfortable throughout his hour-long stay in the middle, but is someone who makes a living out of edging and grinding his way into a long stay at the crease. However, the England captain's lack of confidence was perhaps clear when he decided to go with the opinion of a teenage debutant, and suffered because of it.
Hameed's inexperience with the Decision Review System was, then, further on show as he decided to review a plumb LBW, off Ashwin's bowling, without consulting his new partner Joe Root. He was dismissed after a promising knock of 31, but England had lost one DRS review and a wicket they should not have thanks to him.
Then, seconds before lunch, Rahane made up for his spilled chance earlier in the day with a brilliant low catch to dismiss Ben Duckett and give Ashwin his second wicket – and India, their third. The hosts will enjoy their lunch a bit more than they would have anticipated after the first half hour.
Brief score:
England 102/3 (Haseeb Hameed 31; R Ashwin 2/35, Ravindra Jadeja 1/26) vs India.
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