"Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel laughing in the corner" - Fans react as England bundled out for 246 in 1st innings vs India in opening Test
England were bundled out for 246 in their first innings of the opening Test against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday (January 25). Skipper Ben Stokes had opted to bat first on the spin-friendly pitch.
The spinners picked up the lion’s share of the wickets, with Ravindra Jadeja emerging as the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3/68.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel also bagged three and two wickets, respectively. The spin trio were also the chief architects of India’s last home series win against England (3-1) in 2021. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah returned with figures of 2/28 for the hosts.
Batting first, the visitors made a promising start as openers Zak Crawley (20 runs off 40 balls) and Ben Duckett (35 off 39 deliveries) shared a 55-run partnership. The duo got decent starts but failed to consolidate. The spinners quickly reduced the visitors to 60/3.
Joe Root (29 off 60) and Jonny Bairstow (37 off 58) then stitched a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the spinners reduced them to 155/7.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded the spin trio for dominating England’s Bazball approach. One user wrote:
"RIP Bazball. Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel laughing in the corner."
Here are some more reactions:
Ben Stokes helps England put up 246 in 64.3 overs
Ben Stokes led from the front as England put up 246 in 64.3 overs in their first innings against India on Day 1 of the opening Test of the five-match series.
The southpaw scored 70 runs off 88 deliveries, including three sixes and six boundaries. The middle-order batter continued to score despite wickets falling at regular intervals. He was also the last batter to be dismissed as Jasprit Bumrah cleaned him up with a ripper.
In response, India were 35/0 after four overs in their first innings at the time of writing, with captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the crease.
Follow the IND vs ENG 1st Test live score and updates here.