Watch: Ishant Sharma sends back Rory Burns on third ball of the innings
Ishant Sharma gave India's bowling the perfect start on Sunday. Opening the attack, he sent England opener Rory Burns packing for a duck on only the 3rd ball of the innings.
With the Chepauk crowd rallying behind him, Ishant Sharma was on the money from the first ball. The first two deliveries were bowled outside the off stump.
Ishant Sharma then fired the third ball at the middle-stump and Burns, looking to play it straight, was left stranded on the wicket as the ball hit his knee roll.
The Indians went straight away for a celebrappeal, the umpire mulled for a bit and raised his finger.
Burns begrudgingly reviewed it but it turned out to be umpire's call on hitting the stumps. You can watch the full video here.
Ishant Sharma didn't let his guard down for the rest of the first over.
To England's No. 3, Daniel Lawrence, Sharma bowled two deliveries on the probing off-stump line followed by a peach on the last delivery, which straightened after pitching on the middle stump and Lawrence was beaten on the outside edge.
Ishant Sharma fell after bowling the last ball but enjoyed it enough to applaud while sitting on the pitch. He completed a wicket-maiden and gave the hosts exactly what the doctor ordered.
Ishant Sharma's form is a big plus for India
Ishant Sharma came into the series after more than a year-long break from red-ball cricket.
Questions were raised about whether India were making the right decision by choosing him over in-form Mohammed Siraj. But Ishant Sharma has done well to silence his critics.
The 32-year-old picked up three crucial wickets in the first match of the series, showing masterful control of the reverse swing.
In the process, he also became only the third Indian seamer after Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan to reach the landmark of 300 wickets.
Going forward, Ishant Sharma's form is a major plus for India.