3 talking points from Day 1 of the 2nd IND vs ENG Test ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal's stellar 179*
Day 1 of the second Test between India and England witnessed some gripping cricket as the hosts reached 336/6 by Stumps in Visakhapatnam.
After Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal was the lone batter who stood out. Shubman Gill's 34 was the next highest score in the hosts' innings, following Jaiswal's sizzling unbeaten 179.
With the Test hanging in the balance ahead of Day 2, it's time to reflect on the opening day's play. Here are three talking points from Day 1 of the second Test between India and England.
#3 Shoaib Bashir has a promising first day of Test cricket
After his visa issues were sorted out, Shoaib Bashir joined England's squad in India amid much discussions regarding his involvement. Jack Leach's knee injury handed him a chance to make his debut in Vizag, and he didn't disappoint.
Bashir bowled the most overs of any England bowler on Day 1 and had a decent economy rate of 3.57. He dismissed captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Axar Patel on a track that didn't have much to offer him. The young off-spinner displayed good control, used angles well, and seemed to have all the raw materials needed to be a Test bowler.
Having made a distinct impression, Bashir could be one to watch out for as the series wears on.
#2 India played poor shots to be dismissed
Six Indian wickets fell on Day 1 of the second Test, and most of them - if not all - were soft and avoidable.
Rohit Sharma was the first to go as he guided a delivery from Bashir straight to leg slip. Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KS Bharat were dismissed while attempting cuts, with the latter two finding backward point to perfection. Rajat Patidar, meanwhile, played one onto his stumps off the face of his bat.
Shubman Gill was outfoxed by the wily Jimmy Anderson as the veteran fast bowler sent back the Indian batter for the fifth time in Tests. That was perhaps the only acceptable dismissal among the bunch, with the rest being caused by lack of judgment and not lack of skill.
India used to be utterly dominant at home, never giving the opposition any handouts. Now, however, things seem to be different.
#1 Yashasvi Jaiswal shines with another big hundred
If not for Yashasvi Jaiswal's sensational hundred, India would've been in major trouble on the opening day of the second Test. The opening batter almost single-handedly kept the Indian innings afloat, bridging attack and defense to perfection.
There wasn't much on offer for the bowlers, and Jaiswal was ready to capitalize. He punished anything that was overpitched and wasn't shy of dancing down the track to make that happen. The left-hander struck 17 fours and five sixes in his knock, which featured barely any edges or mistimed shots.
Jaiswal converted his second Test century into a big hundred as well, following the 171 he made on debut against the West Indies. If he can go even further and bat for a session or two on Day 2, India will have taken firm control of the Test.