Pataudi Trophy 2021, 3rd Test: England openers hand host 42-run lead at stumps on Day 1

England is locking horns against India in the third Test of the Pataudi Trophy at Headingley in Leeds. The visitor is off to a shaky start, while the host seems to be on a great roll.

Pataudi Trophy 2021, 3rd Test: James Anderson strikes as India loses 4 at lunch on Day 1-ayh

Ayush Gupta

Leeds, First Published Aug 25, 2021, 5:56 PM IST

On Wednesday, England was off to a perfect start against India, on Day 1 of the third Test, at Headingley in Leeds. While the English bowlers rattled out India for just 78, the host was off to an incredible start, scoring 120/0 and earning a lead of 42 runs at stumps.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first on a surface with lesser grass, while he moved in with an unchanged XI. As for England, skipper Joe Root made a couple of changes.

India was off to a shaky start, losing KL Rahul in the opening over for an unfortunate duck after Anderson tempted him to fiddle with an out-swinging delivery and edge it behind to Jos Buttler, while only a run was on the board. Three runs later, Cheteshwar Pujara's horror run continued, as he was dismissed of the same man similarly for a mere single.

In came Kohli and, along with opener Rohit Sharma, added 17 runs for the third wicket before the former was dismissed for just seven by the same man in the same manner again, at the score of 21. It brought vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane onto the crease.

Just when it seemed the Indians were settling down, it was 35 runs later when he fell for 18 to Ollie Robinson, dismissed similarly again. As a result, the lunch break was called in, while the score read 56/4.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant walked in post lunch break, but just a couple of runs later, he fell for just two to Robinson again in the same manner. While Rohit looked well settled, he fell for 19 at 68 after attempting an ambitious shot off pacer Craig Overton and handing it comfortably to Robinson at short leg.

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Rohit dismissal witnessed a total collapse from the Indians, as it lost three more wickets at the same score, in the form of Mohammed Shami (0), Ravindra Jadeja (4) and Jasprit Bumrah (0). The final pair of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj contributed 11 before the latter fell for three to Overton after being claimed by Root at the slips, as India was bundled out for just 78, its ninth-lowest Test total.

For England, five bowlers were utilised. While Anderson and Overton had the most success claiming three each, the former has also nailed it with his economy.

As England came out to bat, Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns were off to a watchful start. Moreover, it was aided by the under-pressure Indian bowlers, lacking proper line and length initially. With pacer Ishant Sharma being expensive, England finishing on 21/0, trailing by 57 runs at the tea break.

In the post-tea session, nothing changed, as the two openers continued to play sensible cricket, contributing to a 120-run opening stand, besides earning a 42-run lead at stumps. During this time, Burns and Hameed scored their tenth and third Test half-centuries, respectively.

As for India, the five bowlers were put into effect, but to no avail so far. Nevertheless, leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been the most economical of all.
Brief scores: India 78 (Rohit-19; Anderson- 3/6, Overton- 3/14) trails England 120/0 (Hameed- 60*, Burns- 52*; Jadeja- 0/6) by 42 runs.

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Last Updated Aug 25, 2021, 11:14 PM IST

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Pataudi Trophy 2021, 3rd Test: England openers hand host 42-run lead at stumps on Day 1

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