Published: Dec 16, 2016, 02:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 16, 2016, 02:29 PM (IST)
MAIDEN. That is how Ravindra Jadeja and India started their post-lunch session on Day One of the fifth Test against England. Jadeja, post that over, continued bowling probing lines in the session, as a few close leg-before calls for Moeen Ali’s wicket went against him. Jadeja unfortunately has bore the brunt of Decision Review System (DRS), with most of his appeals being turned down by matter of decimal margins. India, in particular Virat Kohli, are yet to fully master the art of taking DRS. However, after getting the first one wrong, Kohli and company appealed hard for a caught-behind off Jadeja against Root, and restricted his innings to 88.
Root continued from where he left in the morning session, fighting hard against spinners en-route a gritty half-century. Batting fluently on a turning wicket against the Indian spinners, Root notched his half-century via a boundary in 91 balls. Root, unlike Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings who fell early on, did not struggle and looked completed assured as he led the fightback with a counter-attacking innings. After his fifty, he looked more ominous than before striking boundaries at will against both Ashwin and Jadeja.
FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs England, 5th test at Chennai
The stroke of the session came against Ashwin. Root came marching down the track, and heaved Ashwin over the mid-on region for his 8th boundary.
This was also Root’s 11th Test fifty against India —mind you he has scored a minimum of fifty in each of his Tests against India.
With this, Root also equaled his own record of most number of Test half-centuries in a year (13 in 2015), a record he shares with former India player Virender Sehwag (13 in 2010).
After a prolonged spell looking for wickets, Jadeja was finally rested as skipper brought back Umesh Yadav into to attack.
Moeen, who was going on steady at the other end, continued his battle against form and Indian bowlers. Soon after absorbing the Chennai heat, Moeen found is mojo, whipping Ashwin for a boundary over square-leg region. Moeen looked far more assuring in the second session than in the first.
The pair also brought up their 100-run stand after batting for 32-odd overs, which is a testimony to their resolution.
Moeen continued belting out four’s, this time against Amit Mishra. He danced down the track and fluently picked the ball over midwicket.
Root, on the other hand, exhibited eloquent stroke-play against spin. He accumulated runs playing the paddle, reverse and slog-sweep; the only thing left was the switch-hit
Moeen notched up his fifty in 111-balls that included 5 fours; his 10th in Tests.
As Indian spinners struggled, England found a fruitful passage of play picking up quick and easy runs.
Root, who looked set for a century, got out on 88. Kohli, who so far had been bad with DRS, finally got it spot-on as replay’s clearly suggested a very thin bottom-edge of the bat off Root as the batsman looked to sweep on a delivery outside off.
Jadeja, who started the session with some tight overs ended with a high, getting his second wicket of the innings.
Root’s wicket brought an end to the 146-run 3rd–wicket stand between him and Moeen.
That meant England’s No.1 wicketkeeper-batsman Jonathan Bairstow came out in the middle to support Moeen.
Going into tea on Day One, England were 182 for 3, with both Moeen and Bairstow unbeaten on 63 and 10 respectively.
Brief scores:
England 182 for 3 (Joe Root 88, Moeen Ali 63*; Ravindra Jadeja 2 for 54) vs India
