{ "id": "40136", "author": "1", "cnmid": "0", "title": "1st Test, Day 1 Report: England on back-foot after decent start vs India ", "lang": "en", "series": "349", "cup_year": "2018", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "Birmingham, Aug 2 - England wasted a decent start as India bounced back in the third session and restricted the hosts to 285\/9 at stumps on the opening day of the first Test match here on Wednesday. Sam Curran (24)", "subtype": "", "editor1": "

Birmingham, Aug 2 - England wasted a decent start as India bounced back in the third session and restricted the hosts to 285\/9 at stumps on the opening day of the first Test match here on Wednesday.
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\r\nSam Curran (24) and James Anderson (0) were at the crease when umpires dislodged the bails for the day.
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\r\nResuming the final session from 163\/3, England batters failed to utilize the batting-friendly conditions at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and went back back one after the other.
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\r\nFor India, star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took four wickets while Mohammad Shami took two wickets. Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma scalped one wicket each.
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\r\nEarlier, electing to bat under slightly damp conditions, the England openers -- Alastair Cook (13) and Keaton Jennings (42) -- had no trouble in dealing with the India quicks as they soon raised 26 runs, before Ashwin was brought in as early as the seventh over of the innings.
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\r\nThe off-spinner immediately delivered with the wicket of Cook, even as Jennings survived a dropped chance and a few inside-edges.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Day 1 Highlights<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Cook's departure brought in skipper Joe Root, who together with Jennings started the repair work and forged a 57-run second wicket stand and ensured there were no more hiccups in the opening session.
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\r\nThe tea session saw India pacer Mohammad Shami taking Jennings' (42) wicket in his very first over.
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\r\nJennings, who did all the hard work facing 98 balls, fell while defending Shami's short-pitched ball which dislodged his off bail.
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\r\nShami immediately jolted the hosts again trapping new man Dawid Malan (8) plumb in front to reduce them to 112\/3 in no time.
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\r\nThereafter, Root, who in the meantime got past 6,000 Test runs, along with Bairstow started the repair work with caution.
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\r\nTogether the right-handers forged an unbeaten 51-run stand for the fourth wicket and guided England safely to the tea break at 163\/3.
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\r\nThe final session is all about the Indian bowlers, especially Ashwin. The experienced spinner bowled some difficult lines to the England batters which resulted in the quick wickets.
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\r\nRoot (80) and Jonny Bairstow (70), however, put some fight but some brilliant fielding and bowling from Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav, respectively, saw the departure of both batsmen.
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\r\nAfter that, there was no looking back for the India bowlers as they kept on taking wickets at regular intervals.
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\r\nMiddle-order batsmen Jos Buttler (0) and Ben Stokes (21) also failed to step up to the occasion and was dismissed early. The duo was dismissed by Ashwin.
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\r\nContinuing his mayhem, Ashwin kept the pressure on with Ishant and they dismissed Stuart Broad (1) and Adil Rashid (13) cheaply. But the last wicket -- Anderson and Curran -- somehow managed to survive the day without losing their wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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