IND vs ENG 2016, 1st Test: Stumbling Indian Batsmen Allow England To Deliver Last Punch

Nov 11, 2016 at 5:58 PM

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IND vs ENG 2016, 1st Test: Stumbling Indian Batsmen Allow England To Deliver Last Punch

All well that ends well, probably this can be the best phrase to describe the condition in which England team prevails at the moment. After delivering the first punch on the seventh ball bowled in the day, it was a long day toil for the visitord for more than half of the day constituting a period of 67 overs after which they finally got a break in the form of Chetshwar Pujara, who made his bat rub the ball that went on to land safely in the hands of Alastair Cook, at first innings after making a score of 124. With just two overs left in the day, no one expected any thunderbolt or feeling of amazement from exhausted and perspiring bowlers but Murali Vijay played a loose shot, which the short leg fielder, Haseeb Hameed, grappled with both the hands considering it as god’s gift to atone for the earlier gaffe.

That’s not all, there is a small surprise in the tale awaited in the closing moments of the day as Amit Mishra, who was sent to execute the duties of a night watchman, could last for just three balls before getting out in the similar fashion as Vijay, a double gift for Hameed. His dismissal was a blessing in disguise as it could have been the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane if he was at the crease. Still puzzled to praise or criticise Mishra? That was also the end of the day and was probably the thing that Virat Kohli wanted now.

Earlier, England team had a flying start getting the early wicket of Gautam Gambhir, who was trapped in front of the stumps by Stuart Broad. The local boy Cheteshwar Pujara and senior pro-Murali Vijay then steadied the ship, sharing a partnership of 210 runs, keeping Indian team on a bay all day round. They managed to escape few hiccups on their way to this especially when Haseeb Hameed dropped a difficult catch of Vijay, also when DRS proved to be a benediction for Cheteshwar Pujara, when he proved the umpire wrong just before completing his first century on his home ground. Vijay also followed him with a century but he was soon hit with a ball from Woakes that affected him all throughout his innings till the last.

It can be said the Indian team made a great recovery after Gambhir’s dismissal wicket but losing two scalps at the stroke of stumps has somewhat unsharpened the dominance tag which India wore all round the day.

Succeeding batsmen, especially Ajinkya Rahane will have the obligation to replicate the act Pujara-Vijay act along with Virat Kohli, or else it would take no time for England to sweep the game, as they have done in past.

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