India on the verge of no return in the first Test against England in Birmingham.
Captain Virat Kohli got two reprieves before recording his first Test fifty in England as India struggled to 160 for six following a middle-order collapse in the opening Test in Birmingham on Thursday.
Ben Stokes and Sam Curran shared six wickets as the visitors found themselves in a precarious situation at tea on day two. At Edgbaston, only Kohli (53 not out) stood among the ruins, benefitting from a dropped catch at second slip when on 21. He got another life when on 51.
At the break, Ravichandran Ashwin (6) was giving Kohli company, while India trail by another 127 runs after England were bowled out for 287 runs in 89.4 overs in their first innings. Soon after the break, though, James Anderson cleaned up Ashwin for 10.
Post lunch, Stokes (2-40) took two wickets in the space of five balls as India's middle order was completely rocked. He had started proceedings with James Anderson (0-27) at the other end. Anderson bowled a five-over spell during which he tied down Kohli, while Stokes did the damage. Despite India crossing 100 in the 28th over as the fourth wicket partnership grew to 41, Ajinkya Rahane (15) didn't look comfortable at the crease. He was unable to comprehend Stokes' away swing and finally edged to third slip in the 27th over. Two overs later, Dinesh Karthik failed to fend off a full inswinger and was bowled for a four-ball duck as India were reduced to 100-5.
It could have been worse ? Hardik Pandya (22), on 0, escaped a loud lbw shout with DRS coming to his rescue. Stokes continued to pester him, as on the next delivery, in the 32nd over, Alastair Cook dropped Pandya at first slip. It was a triply whammy, because a ball earlier, in the 31st over, Kohli was dropped at second slip off Anderson by Dawid Malan.
The duo then put on 48 runs for the sixth wicket as India looked to rebuild. Kohli grew more confident with passing time, and surpassed his previous best of 39 on English soil (Southampton in 2014). Later, he brought up his 18th Test half-century off 100 balls. Pandya did get out eventually, as Curran came back to trap him lbw with a toe-crushing yorker. Stokes was then unlucky again, as Malan put down Kohli on 51 again at second slip, albeit this was a tougher chance.
Earlier, Curran had taken three wickets in the space of eight balls to reduce India to 76-3 at lunch. Murali Vijay (20) and Shikhar Dhawan (26) provided a solid platform as they repelled the new ball pairing of Anderson and Stuart Broad (0-40) for almost an hour.
Vijay was solid as usual, leaving the ball well, while Dhawan looked to play down the ground. It helped that Anderson and Broad bowled fuller early in their spells and didn't get the ball to move around as much as the Indian pacers did on day one.
Additionally, they looked to rotate strike as much as possible, going for quick singles even if this approach looked dangerous from the outside. It didn't help matters that England lost an early review as Anderson's loud appeal was turned down, with DRS ruling in favour of the umpire's decision.
It was almost an easy-going partnership for the opening duo as they brought up 50 off just 70 balls before the drama began. Curran hit the perfect length as first-change bowler and immediately trapped Vijay lbw in the 14th over. Umpire Aleem Dar turned it down, but DRS overturned the decision as England finally got their breakthrough.
It became 54-2 in three balls as number three batsman KL Rahul (4) played a loose shot and diverted a thick inside edge onto his stumps. It brought out Kohli who was booed on his walk to the crease. Curran made it a quick triple blow as Dhawan was caught at second slip in the 16th over. Things could have been worse as three balls later, as Kohli (on 0*) edged Anderson to Jos Buttler at gully with the fielder failing to latch onto a tough chance despite putting in a fine dive.
Anderson improved his length and troubled Kohli for the next two overs, before Adil Rashid (0-5) brought things to a close in this session. This was after India quickly wrapped up the English innings, who lost their last seven wickets for a mere 71 runs. R Ashwin (4-62) opened the bowling in the morning but couldn't get his fifth wicket, instead finishing with his best haul in Test cricket across South Africa, England and Australia. Mohammed Shami (3-64) had Sam Curran (24) caught behind in the second over of the morning to put the Indians in a driving seat.
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 "Virat Kohli celebrates his half-century on Thursday")
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