AHMEDABAD: You thought it couldn’t get any worse for England after the 134 in the first innings of the second Test in Chennai. Yet, they found a way to implode in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. For all the talk of toss and pitch playing a key role in their defeat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, here they simply didn't have any excuses.
How could they? They won the toss and batted first hoping to score runs on a pitch that's surely going to make batting difficult in subsequent days.
After Zak Crawley's fluid 53 in the first session to give his side a good start after the early dismissals of Dom Sibley and Jonny Bairstow, you thought the visitors were going to make a match out of this. But, against Axar Patel (6-38) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3-26), they lost eight wickets for 38 runs either side of Tea, to hand the hosts an early advantage. At stumps on Day 1, India were 99-3 with Rohit Sharma batting on 57 with Ajinkya Rahane giving him company.
If 134 was an exaggeration of the conditions they encountered, the innings here was a continuation of that. Unlike the second Test, this wasn’t taking turn from the word go. But the England batsmen were guilty of playing for turn as five of their top six were dismissed playing the wrong line. Of course, the odd ball turned, but instead of using the feat against the spinners, they either failed to pick the line or stayed back. End result: Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes were all out leg-before wicket.
In day-night Tests, batting under natural light is the period where batting sides make merry before they put their guard down and fight out the final session under lights. It is against the conventional approach that teams take in Tests, but that is the exciting bit about pink ball Tests. As Crawley drove off the front foot anywhere between square and mid-wicket, you knew where England were going.
Even though they lost Sibley and Bairstow inside the first seven overs, they went for the shots. They did so for two reasons. To get as many as runs on board before the twilight period takes over and get quick runs like how India got in the second Test. While both were good plans, it is hard to execute it against two spinners who rarely bowl loose deliveries. Axar, in his second Test, ensured India didn’t miss Ravindra Jadeja as much. With some balls taking turn, he used the crease very well. The straighter ones which fetched him couple of wickets were bowled wide off the crease with batsmen playing them for the non-existing turn. On the other hand, Ashwin was his usual self. In fact it was he who opened the floodgates by removing Root in the first session.
Although England got the chance to bowl under lights with no scoreboard pressure, Rohit and Shubman Gill started cautiously putting together 33 runs in 15 overs before the latter was dismissed. Although India lost Cheteshwar Pujara immediately to Jack Leach, Rohit and Kohli ensured India’s top-order didn’t suffer any collapse even as England seamers found movement under the lights.
With wickets with the new ball being the key, England gave their all, but apart from succeeding in seeing the back of Kohli in the last over of the day, it was India who celebrated the return of Test cricket to Ahmedabad. With only 13-run first innings deficit remaining for India, the hosts' immediate task is bat big in the first innings when the sun blazes on Thursday afternoon.
Brief Scores: England 1st Innings: 112 all out in 48.4 overs (Zak Crawley 53, Joe Root 17, Axar Patel 6/38, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/26, Ishant Sharma 1/26).
Indian 1st Innings: 99 for three in 33 overs (Rohit Sharma 57 batting, Virat Kohli 27; Jack Leach 2/27).