A Joe Root special helped England recover masterfully after a terrible start, with the batter adding 100+ in the visitors' 302-total on Day 1 from the 4th India Test in Ranchi. Here's what transpired
To the live coverage of India vs England, 4th Test, in Ranchi! The hosts have momentum on their side after a sensational win just a week ago and will look to capture the series with another in this cricket-crazy town. The visitors, meanwhile, will eye another shock result to take the competition into its fifth and deciding match. (Streaming |Scorecard)
Follow all the updates live here.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
England: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook (withdrawn, replaced by Dan Lawrence), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach (withdrawn), Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.
Mere days after Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan received their maiden India caps, Akash Deep has joined the esteemed company. The bowler, who will replace Jasprit Bumrah now in the line up, was handed his first Test cap on the morning of the Ranchi Test.
An official release from the team states the same:
"Rehan Ahmed will return home for personal reasons with immediate effect from England Men's Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India. England will not be replacing Ahmed for the rest of the tour."
B Stokes (c), Z Crawley, B Duckett, O Pope, J Root, J Bairstow, B Foakes (wk), S Bashir, T Hartley, O Robinson, J Anderson.
Mohammed Siraj with the new ball, and we have lift off!
His first ball is to Ben Duckett, which the English batter defends well.
But the umpire rules it out for no ball! Akash Deep's celebrations have been cut short in Ranchi and India return to their positions to regroup.
The hosts are still attempting to find a breakthrough in Ranchi, but to no avail. Ravindra Jadeja thinks he has Ben Duckett trapped before the wickets and goes upstairs for the call to be overturned, but two of the three signals stay yellow, meaning that Duckett and India's review, both survive!
Akash Deep strikes on his debut with Ben Duckett edging one behind in the grateful palms of Dhruv Jurel! England 47-1 after 9.2 overs.
What a dream debut for Akash Deep as he removes Ollie Pope two balls later! The pacer's ball catches Pope on the leg, and while the on-field decision is not out, India go upstairs and get the decision overturned! England, 47 for two now!
What a remarkable over this has been for the Men in Blue, who go to the third umpire to get a decision turned their way. Akash Deep is the instigator again, catching Root on the pad, but the impact on the pitch is outside and the English batter survives.
Akash Deep's fifth over reads as follows: 1, W, 0, W, 0, 0
As he now removes Zak Crawley with a sensational delivery! The ball escapes the batter and takes the bails off the stumps in behind. Crawley looks inquiringly at the umpire for a no ball, but is told to keep walking back to the pavilion.
Just when it seemed England had stabilised themselves, Ravi Ashwin strikes to remove Jonny Bairstow! Initially given not out, India go upstairs and get the decision overturned in their favour for the second time in this session. England, 109-4!
Ben Stokes is walking even before the umpire's finger goes up; the England captain knows that he has been caught with his leg before the wicket by Ravindra Jadeja. England five down right at the end of the session with 112 runs on the board. Akash Deep, with three wickets on debut, the clear star of the day, so far.
25 overs gone, England 114-5.
Joe Root has needed an innings of calm and composition to return to his best. The English batter has been hit and miss so far in the series, but is batting with assurance in Ranchi at a time when his team needs him to more than anyone else. He's on 40 off 86.
This has been some recovery effort from Root and Ben Foakes, with the pair taking the visitors beyond the 150-run mark. Root is on 43 while Foalkes on 18, with the two having faced a whopping 160 deliveries so far!
A 108-ball-50 for the English batter, who seems more like his own self after two disappointing showings earlier in the series.
Both Root and England have are playing with a bit more caution this morning, keeping things ticking rather than going for broke. A clear change in approach by Ben Stokes and Co.
Jadeja bowls the ball; Foakes' leg is caught before the wicket; the umpire declares not out and upstairs we go again!
Two reds get the heart racing but a green light pours cold water over the situation. The tracking shows the ball to be missing the wickets by a considerable margin and India have lost all their reviews!
And it has been a productive session for England, who have made 86 runs without losing a wicket. They are two short of 200 with five to spare - a prospect that looked unlikely merely two hours ago.
India, who have not been able to pick up any further wickets, have also lost all of their reviews.
Two hours left to play in the day and England will be eyeing a big score from here on.
Root is batting on 74 while Foakes is on 37. Breaking this duo will be India's imperative for the time being.
Ben Foakes goes for 47 after Jadeja catches an attempted shot from the English batter off a Siraj delivery. The dangerous partnership is broken; England down by six for 225.
Siraj strikes again and just when England were looking set for a big score, India have wrestled back control. Joe Root and Co will look to get beyond 300 from here on, which is 55 runs away at the time of writing.
And 250 on the board for England!
The England batter has been superb in Ranchi, rescuing his team after a dreadful start to their innings. He has taken 219 runs to cross the century-mark, and, a few balls later, England have reached 300.
Joe Root's century means England end the day over 300, despite losing seven wickets en route. The English batter batted more traditionally, and heaved his team over their desired mark after a poor start.
Debuting for team India, Akash Deep took three wickets in the first session, had another chalked off, and went upstairs a couple of times. Still, India did not capitalize much on their momentum, and are now staring at a mammoth task on Day 2.
England 1st innings: 302 for 7 in 90 overs (Joe Root not out 106, Zak Crawley 42, Jonny Bairstow 38, Ben Foakes 47, Ollie Robinson not out 31; Akash Deep 3/70, Mohammed Siraj 2/60).