Hello and welcome to Sportstar's Highlights of day Two of the first Test between India and England as action unfolds at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Well, a lucky reprieve for the Indians as England's (Anderson's) brilliant comeback put India in a massive spot of bother. After a resolute start by the openers in the first session, Rohit's impulsive freakish pull cast his downfall at the stroke of Lunch. And India has suffered since. From a firm position to seal the lead in convincing fashion, India lost its key figures - Pujara, Kohli and Rahane in dismal fashion - as Anderson's double blow with a brilliant run-out from point turned the game on its head. With rain playing spoilsport for the rest of the evening, India has received a breather before it hopes squeeze past England's first innings total. Good night, folks. Do join us as we expect a full day's play tomorrow!
10:11PM: There's a dagger to our sore eyes and hopes. Play has been abandoned for the evening!
10:00PM: Thick covers continue to stay on as rain continues to hamper the game. There's scope for an extension of play by an extra hour, only if we manage to get on with the game again this evening.
9:30PM: Back for a couple of minutes and they are off again! Anderson sneaks in two more balls in his timeless over but the rain gods intervene once again to prevent him from completing the over. The covers are back on and we continue to wait.
And they're off again. The rain is too heavy to continue, the umpires think. The covers come on again.
James Anderson to start proceedings in the final session. He bowls a good-length delivery outside off-stump, it moves in slightly. Rahul leaves it alone carefully.
Play about to start, under floodlights.
UPDATE: It's stopped raining. There will be an inspection to determine when play can begin.
It's started to rain, at Trent Bridge. Stay tuned, we'll bring you an update as soon as there's some news about when play can resume.
The Indian team will be unsettled by how the top order unravelled after an excellent first-wicket partnership. Anderson dismissed Pujara and Kohli off consecutive deliveries. Rahane lost his wicket due to poor judgment in running between the wickets.
Rahul was nearly dismissed as well soon after; he was dropped by Root at second slip.
The score: 125 for 4 in 46.1 overs.
Rahul 57 n.o. (148b), Pant 7 (b)
Play is stopped due to bad light as the clouds are dark and heavy now. A reminder: there is rain forecast for the evening at Trent Bridge.
The players trudge off.
IND 125/4 in 46 overs: Stuart Broad into the attack now. Pant drives fiercely to collect a boundary through cover, and a ball later, Rahul plays with soft hands to guide the ball through gully for another boundary.
A leg-bye and two singles from that over as well.
IND 115/4 in 45 overs: It's all happening! Anderson induces an edge off Rahul, and it's dropped! Root the fielder at second slip who goes to his left to pouch the ball, but it's spilled out.
It was on a good length outside the off stump, it was a thick edge.
Pant nearly nicks behind as he plays a drive to a full delivery outside the off-stump from Anderson. And he likes to live by the sword, and so he takes a couple of steps down the track to play an aggressive stroke and gets three runs through extra cover. He didn't time the ball well but there's no fielder to catch it where it lands.
IND 112/3: A direct hit does Rahane in this time! And again, he was on the lookout for a quick single, but this time to get to the strikers' end. Rahul defends the ball on the off-side, Rahane takes off, Rahul takes a step and then says 'no'. Too late: Rahane turned around and tried to return but it's a direct hit and he's out.
The crowd is excited. An eventful few minutes in this session.
Ajinkya Rahane run out (Bairstow) 5 (5b)
Rishabh Pant is the new batsman.
IND 111/3 in 43 overs: An accurate over from Anderson. The deliveries are carefully negotiated by the well-set Rahul. Maiden over.
IND 111/3 in 42 overs: K. L. Rahul guides one to point to bring up his half-century. This is his second-highest score in England; his highest: 149 at The Oval in 2018.
And a near run-out! Rahane defends the ball on the off-side and takes off for a quick single. It's a risky call as the fielder is there to pick it up and throw at either end. He fires it in at the non-strikers' end but the ball doesn't hit the stumps. Rahane dives to make his ground, but even his dive wouldn't have saved him in case of a direct hit.
There's an overthrow, and three more runs are taken.
IND 106/3 in 41 overs: And another! Two in two for Anderson! Kohli is is gone first ball as he goes for a drive and edges it to the keeper. It was a similar delivery to the one that got dismissed Pujara, but slightly wider. Kohli saw the chance to score, and got a thick edge.
Kohli c Buttler b Anderson 0 (1b)
The hat-trick ball is a bit of anti-climax and Anderson sprays it down the leg side. Or rather, tries to strangle Ajinkya Rahane, the new batsman, down the leg side. No harm done.
And gone this time, is it? Pujara edges Anderson behind, Pujara is staying back to wait for the confirmation of the catch by the third umpire. The catch is clean, and he is walking back.
It was on an off-stump line, a thin edge through to the keeper.
Pujara c Buttler b Anderson 4 (16b)
IND 103/1 in 40 overs: Pujara plants his front foot across and he's given out lbw! It looked adjacent as well. Robinson celebrates, and Pujara has taken the review. Wickets missing!
Pujara survives. It was a ball angled into him, and it climbed from a length and thudded into his left thigh as he got his front foot across and shouldered his arms. The batsman consulted his partner, and decided to opt for the review.
Pujara gets one on his legs, not too full, and he tucks it away awkwardly for a couple of runs. A second no-ball by Robinson in two overs.
IND 100/1 in 39 overs: James Anderson bowls a good length on or outside off-stump for much of his over. A single off a defensive push takes India to 100 .
IND 99/1 in 38 overs: Robinson greets Pujara with a short ball that rises up to his stomach. It is awkwardly negotiated by the batsman. Pujara gets off the mark with a single taken off a misfield after he drives to extra-cover.
A short ball to K. L. Rahul to finish up. There's a no-ball in the over as well.
No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara has come out to bat. He marks out his guard. Ollie Robinson to bowl the first over after lunch.
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Rohit's dismissal in the end notwithstanding, it was India's session. The opening partnership between K. L. Rahul and Rohit of 97 runs is the highest Indian opening stand in England since 2007.
IND 97/1 in 37.3 overs: Robinson to Rohit. OUT! OH ROHIT! What have you done? He gives it away, after all the dogged work throughout the session. Robinson dishes in the perfect bumper and invokes the impulsive puller in Rohit. A bit too high on the shoulders for the pull, but Rohit being Rohit, goes for the shot and holes out to Sam Curran deep at the fence. England's dejected faces have found a lifeline as the players head to Lunch . Rohit is absolutely distraught and clearly knows what he's lost out on, again (sigh). Rohit Sharma c Curran b Robinson 36 (175m 107b 6x4)
IND 96/0 in 37 overs:
Curran tails the ball in sharply to Rahul's pads. Rahul's nimble footwork enables to move a shade to the on-side before crunching the ball down the ground for four. Stellar shot to stamp your command over the bowler.
IND 89/0 in 36 overs: Root brings another change at the stroke of Lunch. Rohit continues to present the full face of the bat to nudge the ball back down. In no hurry at the moment.
Robinson returns
IND 88/0 in 35 overs: Runs, thick and fast at the moment! Rohit welcomes Curran with a gorgeous slap through point for four. Curran's frustration gets the better off him as he draws one down leg and the ball slides past a diving Buttler to the fence. India's openers are stamping their authority over the proceedings with Lunch around the corner.
IND 78/0 in 34 overs: Another boundary from the edge off Broad. Broad draws Rahul forwards to drive and finds the outside-edge once again. The ball skims below and races past the slips as a frustrating spell of bowling puts Broad in despair.
IND 73/0 in 33 overs: Curran finds his line and pins Rahul back in the crease. Three runs come off it and evidently the batters are rotating strike more frequently now.
IND 70/0 in 32 overs: Broad's boundary streak does not end and it's a bit unfortunate this time. Broad gets Rahul to play away from the ball with the streaky edge flying past the slips to the boundary. Rahul's swiftly shifted himself into another gear and a bit of exuberance puts him in a spot of bother in the over.
IND 66/0 in 31 overs: Curran goes short and Rohit instantly launches a heave through midwicket. A bit late on that and will only get two runs as a result. Rohit and Rahul brings up India's best opening partnership in ENG since 2011 and second-best overall since 1980 in the country.
IND 62/0 in 30 overs: Broad's expensive start to the day sees him offer another poor delivery and Rahul obliges with a neat hit through the covers once again. The sturdy resolve in the morning is slowly reaping rewards for the Indian openers.
IND 58/0 in 29 overs: Curran is off rhythm today and Rahul cashes in with a meaty drive through the vacant covers. A lucky reprieve for Curran as Rohit decides to nudge down a full-toss to end the over.
IND 52/0 in 28 overs: Fifty up for India and a solid partnership continues for Rohit and Rahul. Broad continues to offer room outside the off-stump and Rahul glides one to the third man boundary this time. England has checked the scoring rate well this morning but failed to dislodge the openers off their guard.
IND 46/0 in 27 overs: Curran fails to get a fine line of attack as he sprays a couple of deliveries wide outside the off-stump before straying one to Rahul's pads. Rahul flicks it for a single as the players head to Drinks.
Curran replaces Robinson
IND 45/0 in 26 overs: Rohit finds another boundary as Broad offers width outside the off-stump. Rohit rocks back and simply steers his bat across to lead the ball to the third-man boundary.
Broad replaces Anderson. What a spell that was from Jimmy.
IND 39/0 in 25 overs: Rahul and Robinson have a short exchange! Rahul begins with a juicy punch through point for a boundary and Robinson gets involved in a short exchange of words with the batter. Robinson is quick to raise the bar as he tails one from the length with the ball jumping up to hit Rahul's thighs.
IND 33/0 in 24 overs: Loud shout from Anderson in despair. Anderson goes out, out, out before tailing one in sharply to Rahul. Rahul lands himself in an awkward position but manages to connect some wood right in time on the ball. Anderson goes up in excitement with a loud shout but the umpire denies him his 618th scalp. The lack of reviews puts Root in a tough spot before he eventually turns down Jimmy's pleas.
IND 33/0 in 23 overs: Robinson presents another scare for Rahul as the ball nibbles through his forward push. Fortunate for him as the ball misses the off-stump by a few inches and Robinson's unrewarded dogged work continues.
IND 33/0 in 22 overs: Anderson's fine run builds on. Rohit gets a check outside the off-stump with the ball chipping away before Anderson brings one in sharply. Rohit pushes them out and advances further down the crease to negate Anderson momentum from a sharp outswinger at the end of the over.
IND 32/0 in 21 overs: Exquisite from Rohit! Robinson continues to push the ball in but misses his length and goes full by a few inches. Rohit's on it in a flash and simply presents a firm push down the ground to beat Robinson to the boundary. Robinson's giving it his all and finds a streaky edge off Rahul's outside edge with his mellow wrists saving him once again.
IND 27/0 in 20 overs: Not an inch off radar today. Anderson continues to tirelessly zip the ball through the channel outside off-stump but Rahul is doing well to match up to it with a solid defense. The start hasn't been quick enough for India and it would be pretty interesting to see how the session unfolds for Rohit and Rahul from here on.
IND 27/0 in 19 overs: Testing over for Rohit and ENG wastes another review. Robinson isn't giving an inch to Rohit as he continues to tail the ball in. Rohit, is well assured of his off-stump, as he plants his foot forward to leave the ball. Robinson is excited by a delivery that brushes Rohit's pads before moving to the keeper. Skipper Root's frustration gives away as he goes for another review. Replays suggest that the ball is miles away from the off-stump and Rohit sees off Robinson once again.
IND 26/0 in 18 overs: Rahul gets off the blocks with an iffy single after Anderson finds the outside edge early in the over. Rahul's compact defense and soft hands ensures that the ball does not carry on the full to the third slip.
IND 25/0 in 17 overs: And India is underway! Robinson puts Rohit to a big scare with the ball angling in beating the outside edge by a whisker. Rohit does not let him to take control as he finishes the over with a graceful one-legged flick to square as Robinson misses his line.
IND 21/0 in 16 overs: Three maidens to start the day. Anderson continues to hit the middle-stump line and take the ball away from Rahul. Rahul's angled bat puts him in trouble briefly before he recovers to continue his dead-bat approach. India is yet to open its account here.
IND 21/0 in 15 overs: Rohit continues to present a full face to the ball coming down the line and inside. Robinson seemed to have troubled him yesterday but Rohit begins the day on a good note.
Robinson from the other end
IND 21/0 in 14 overs: Top start for Jimmy! Anderson hits the length and receives some extra bounce to test Rahul from the first ball. Rahul's split in half with a nagging deliver that straightens from the length to beat the bat. Rahul's keeping a cool head and continues to leave the ball with confidence outside the off-stump.
Back to action! Rohit and Rahul walk out to the crease. Jimmy Anderson to open the attack on day two. And just as we are set to begin, sunshine has dimmed at the ground with clouds slowly hovering above.
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3:20PM: In case you're concerned about how the forecast looks for the day, here's how things stand at the moment.
3:05PM: Stat Alert:
India openers since 2018. Not a bright set of numbers to look at. Rohit and Rahul have placed themselves well to return to the crease today. Both batters were well assured while leaving the balls outside off-stump while presenting a solid defensive technique. Rohit would want to finally break the mould of his overseas century drought and so would Rahul, who's returning to the fray after quite some time.
2:50PM: Bright and beaming in Nottingham, although the forecast for the evening does seem a bit gloomy.
2:40PM: Here are some key stats and numbers to watch out for today:
Day 1 Review
A near perfect day on the first day of an overseas tour - not a happy treasure India is fond of having pretty often. However, on Wednesday in a bright and beaming day at Trent Bridge, Virat Kohli's team India came out all guns blazing as it formally reopened its bid for the World Test Championship.
Joe Root's men - depleted on paper but yet slight favourites in their backyard - was shunned from the start as India's seamers put up a masterclass in the middle. While Shami's relentless line and lengths bogged down the batters from end, Jasprit Bumrah's fine comeback to form had him stutter the batters from the other end. While skipper Root's fifty staved a major debacle, the lack of support from the rest of the top-order meant England stooped to its fifth-lowest first innings score ever in a Test match at home.
READ:
To cap off a perfect day, India's openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul - previously alien to playing the long waiting game - did well to see off the England pace attack with a careful, methodical approach to negate the swing and seam on a tricky track and pushed India to 21 for no loss at stumps.
A massive head-start for the visitor on day one, and if all goes well in the morning session on Thursday, Joe Root's men will be left with a lot of questions in a month-long series in whites.
WHAT THEY SAID
The experts and pundits have had their say. Here are a few of them to keep you in the loop ahead of the series opener:
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