An England team imbued with sunny optimism these past two years will need it an abundance over the next seven weeks, certainly if their opening day in bustling Hyderabad is anything to go by. We can already say that India, possibly smarting a little from all the pre-series focus on Bazball, appear in no mood to muck about.
Faced with a turning pitch, plus the world’s most ruthless attack in such conditions, England’s 246 all out from 64.3 overs after winning the toss – salvaged by a defiant 70 from Ben Stokes – did put them in the contest. Given it exceeded all but one of their totals during a harrowing 3-1 loss in India three years ago, and featured a good number of the same personnel, it can be viewed as progress of sorts, too.
But during the final session came a stark reminder of their shortcomings as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten 76 from only 70 balls powered India to 119 for one from 23 overs in reply. It was a particularly chastening first outing for Tom Hartley, who was handed his cap in the morning and was nerveless enough to make 23 runs with the bat, but then saw his first ball in Test cricket propelled over the rope for six.
This was the first of two mighty blows from Jaiswal in the second over of the reply after Stokes paired the one seamer in his quiver, Mark Wood, with his box-fresh left-armer. By stumps, Hartley had shipped 63 runs from nine wicketless, erratic overs, Stokes even burning the last of his reviews in an attempt to kickstart the rookie’s day.
An absence of any of warm-up matches appeared to be coming back to bite England. The elder statesmen among them may be able to tune up for Test cricket in the nets but a spin attack led by Jack Leach – himself only just back from a long layoff – looked well short of grooving on this opening day. Not that this no-regrets England side would ever admit it.
Time will tell although, in fairness, no amount of preparation can bridge the gulf in spin bowling experience. This was spelled out as England tried their best to be proactive, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja sharing six wickets to reach 506 as a pairing, overtaking Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble as India’s most prolific duo.
The mighty Ashwin had taken just 11 balls to open an account that is likely to be bumper by the end of the series. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had cracked 41 runs from the first eight overs of seam, only for the introduction of spin from both ends to deliver three wickets in 21 fizzing deliveries and reveal the true nature of the pitch.
Sporting a haircut to match the two-tone surface, Ashwin began by pinning Duckett lbw for a typically pugnacious 35 with a ball that slid on, then persuaded Crawley to chip to mid-off on 20. In between came a troubling 11-ball one from Ollie Pope, England’s vice‑captain frenetic on his return after a shoulder operation and edging Jadeja to slip.
From 60 for three, there was a rebuild from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow that took England to 121 for three. But the junior member of India’s spin trio broke the resistance soon after, left-armer Axar Patel producing a wonderful, spiteful ball to bowl Bairstow neck and crop for 37 – the first in a collapse of three wickets for 16 runs.
Root’s top-edged sweep off Jadeja on 29 looked a poor choice to ball outside off stump but given his subcontinental success – and the fact he has now overtaken Sachin Tendulkar as the leading runscorer in Tests between these countries – his line of credit is vast. Ben Foakes similarly has a game for Asia, even if his edge to slip was meek.
From 155 for seven it took a commanding knock from Stokes to ensure nothing was settled on the day, the left-hander moving freely since his knee operation – no longer grimacing like last summer – as he built a typically muscular crescendo. With support from the tail, he struck six fours and three sixes, and proved Jadeja can be taken on.
A fine seaming delivery from Jasprit Bumrah snuffed out Stokes and wrapped up the innings, even if a ragging off-cutter to remove Rehan Ahmed was probably the fast bowler’s favourite. Still, England felt good about their total and Ashwin, crediting early moisture for some lavish turn first thing, called it competitive.
In isolation this may be sound – not least as India are, in theory, due to bat last – but becomes less so in the context of England’s bowling resources. Leach did persuade Rohit Sharma to sky one to mid-off on 24 but the tourists lacked the accuracy of their equivalents.
Perhaps the calculated assault they were met with can be dubbed Jaisball.
