1st Test, Day 1 report: India on top as relentless Bumrah - Shami run through England batting lineup

India could not have asked for a better start to the big series and finished the first day of the Test against England in a commanding position at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul negotiated the new ball spell from James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Sam Curran to help India push England into shambles.

Earlier, India captain Virat Kohli lost yet another toss, and while he wanted to bat first, the bowling attack did not really mind making the first use of the pitch and overhead conditions.

Course correction by Shami-Bumrah

India’s bowling attack had come under stern criticism after they failed to extract swing in the air in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. The difference between their bowling with that of Kiwi’s bowling attack was that they kept on bowling back of length where they should have been pushing the ball fuller towards the batsmen.

Apart from swing, Jasprit Bumrah had looked completely out of colour in that game and India could not replicate New Zealand’s success with the ball.

Bumrah was richer in experience from that game and used all the angles of his bowling and overhead conditions to challenge England top order. He started by finding Rory Burns in front of the stumps with a whooping inswinger after setting him up with away going deliveries.

His new-ball partner Mohammed Shami too had learnt his lessons from the WCT final and he adjusted his lengths admirably with the new ball. He tested the outside and inside edges of both Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley as England struggled to find easy runs.

Crawley was at his usual best with driving fuller length deliveries towards the off-side boundaries, but Indian bowlers were accurate enough to make him look like a desperate and undisciplined batsman.

India preferred Mohammed Siraj over Ishant Sharma and although he could not start things on a pretty note, he found his way back soon enough to send Craley back to the pavilion.

Root-Bairstow's rearguard action

With two wickets down before the lunch interval, Joe Root had the task of resurrecting England abetting lineup in the face of a disciplined and relentless Indian bowling attack.

Sibley once again found a bizarre way to get out when he spooned an easy catch to KL Rahul at short midwicket right after lunch and allowed India an upper hand.

The next man in, Jonny Bairstow has had six ducks in the last 10 innings against India and the onus was on him to get England back on track.

He started finding his rhythm quickly as Indian bowler searched swing outside his off stump and with Joe Root stitched a valuable 50 run partnership.

An England collapse, nothing unusual though

England were in a safe position with both Root and Bairstow batting with confidence and ease against Indian bowlers. However, right at the stroke of tea, Kohli brought back Shami for a closing spell in the afternoon session. He trapped Bairstow with a nip backer to end the session.

From 138/3 before the tea break, England went down to 155/7 with Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler and Joe Root going back to the pavilion in quick succession. Lawrence was caught down the leg side, while Buttler was ran all over by Bumrah with his variations.

England’s hopes were reliant on Root, who was holding one end strongly amid tumbling wickets at the other end. However, India’s fourth seamer—Shardul Thakur, who played in place of Ravichandran Ashwin got the big fish in the form of the England skipper. He picked one more in the same over to wreak England’s chance of a turnaround.

All-rounder Sam Curran tried to repeat his heroics of the 2018 series where his dashing cameos changed the outcomes of the games and in the end, the series, but could not quite inflict a lot of damage. Jasprit Bumrah found two searing yorkers to find Broad and Anderson’s stumps and India ended another shambolic England performance.

Looking ahead to Day 2

India have a massive opportunity to bat England out of the game. Both Rohit and Rahul looked assured at the crease and left the ball well against the new ball.

Rahul has got this game at the top of the order only because Mayank Agarwal hurt his head in the nets, and he would be desperate to prove his mettle all over again after going out of favour, especially as an opener.

India have a lot of time in their hands to enforce domination of England but they will have to do it against the quarter of Anderson, Broad, Robinson and Curran.

If they would be able to manage to take a handful lead and will remain batting at the end of the second day’s play, it will be a long long journey for England in this Test match.

For England, Root will be ruing another shambolic performance at the end of the first day but would be hoping for a spirited performance from the high-quality bowling attack. They would be banking on Anderson and Broad to compensate for the mediocrity of England’s batting on the first day of the game.

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