Team India had a fine outing on Day 1 of the fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. While Axar Patel's four-for allowed the host to bundle out the visitor for 205, it lost Shubman Gill early, as it trails by 181 runs in the first innings.
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Winning the toss, English skipper Joe Root elected to bat first, as he made a couple of changes. Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was forced to make a change, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah taking some time off due to personal reasons and was replaced by fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj.
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With just ten runs on the board, Dominic Sibley was the first victim of the day, as he played onto his stumps off Patel for a mere couple. It was only five runs later when fellow opener Zak Crawley fell for nine to the same man after he threw away his wicket, going for a wild swing, with the ball flying high in the air and being caught by Siraj.
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While Root and Jonny Bairstow looked to steady the innings, all they could manage was 15 runs, as the score of 30, the former was trapped leg-before by Siraj for just five. Nonetheless, since then, Bairstow and Stokes's pair took control for the rest of the session, having contributed 44 runs for the fourth wicket.
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The post-lunch session saw Bairstow and Stokes continue it from 743. However, just four runs later, the former departed for 28 after being trapped leg-before by Siraj, as it was then the pair of Stokes an Ollie Pope who consolidated the innings.
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Stokes brought up his half-century during the course, only to fall at 55 to spinner Washington Sundar, after being trapped leg-before, while the score read 1215. Meanwhile, Pope and Daniel Lawrence have managed to bat out until the tea break, with the current stand for the sixth wicket worth 23 runs.
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The post-tea session saw Pope and Lawrence resume at 1445. However, 22 runs later, it was the former who departed for 29 to Ashwin after being caught by Shubman Gill at short-leg in a unique fashion, while four runs later, he was followed by wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes, who Ajinkya Rahane caught at the slips for a mere single off the same man.
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The incoming batsmen could hardly add much, as at 188, Lawrence fell four runs short of his second Test half-century and was stumped by Rishabh Pant off Patel. Just a run later, Bess was trapped leg-before by the same man for only three, with Jack Leach being the final man to depart for seven, after being similarly dismissed by Ashwin, as England was shot out for 205.As for the Indians, five bowlers have been utilised, with Patel being most effective. In the meantime, Sundar has been the most economical of all.
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As India came out to bat, Gill was trapped leg-before by seamer James Anderson in the third ball of the innings, getting dismissed for a duck with nothing on the board. Nonetheless, it is the pair of fellow opener Rohit Sharma and veteran Cheteshwwar Pujara who managed to bat out until the end of the day's play while India trailed by 181.
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England has used four bowlers for now. However, Anderson has been the only one to attain success so far and being the most economical as well.Brief scores: England 205 (Stokes 55; Patel 468, Ashwin 347) leads India 241 (Pujara 15*; Anderson 10) by 181 runs
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