England vs India 2018, 1st Test: Day 2 - Lunch Report

England pacer Sam Curran struck three times in the morning session after India got off to a perfect start, to give the host a much-needed confidence on Day 2 at Edgbaston.

Meanwhile, India lost their top-order in quick succession after getting a good start on the morning session of Day 2. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay saw the new ball as James Anderson and Stuart Broad posed all sorts of difficulties. In the meantime, Vijay survived a review off James Anderson’s bowling. Although it looked close but the replay shows it was going down the leg.

The duo showed great urgency in leaving the ball outside off and tiring the veteran seamers. However, he lashed on to the loose deliveries putting them over the ropes. They quickly raised to the fifty run mark, their 24th 50+ plus opening partnership outside the subcontinent.

However, things started to drift as young seamer Sam Curran catches India off guard. The ball moved from nowhere to hit Vijay’s pad but the on-field umpire turned it down. But England skipper Joe Root went with the solitary review and it showed all red in the replay.

India lost their one drop batter KL Rahul in no time as he chopped one to his stumps from outside off. Rahul will get one final opportunity to showcase his talent and retain his place in the playing XI. Things didn’t settle when Curran thrashed for the third time in the morning and this time it was Dhawan.

Curran pitched one outside the stump and Dhawan lashed on to it only to find the edge to the safe hands of Dawid Malan. Since then, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane looked safe seeing it off through to the lunch.

Previously, England lasted just 10 deliveries in the morning session. Mohammed Shami bowled two inswingers and followed it up with one that goes away. Curran pokes at it away from the body and gets a thick edge and a simple catch for Dinesh Karthik. He doesn’t drop it this time and India wraps things quickly.

Thus, Ravichandran Ashwin returned for four-fer while Shami claimed three to finish off the proceedings.

Brief Score: England 287 ( Joe Root 80, Ashwin 4/62)  India 76/3 (Dhawan 26, Sam Curran 3/22)

India trail by 211 runs.