Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, India, England
Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin set the game for India against England. Credits: Getty

The visiting Indian team stamped their authority on the ongoing opening Test against England at Edgbaston. They bagged six wickets in the pre-lunch session on the third day to make themselves the favourites for the rest of the match. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma proved to be wreckers in chief.

However, there is still a few batsmen to go for England. Unless there is a big partnership, it will definitely be a difficult task for the hosts to claw their way back. In hindsight, they will set India at least a target of 220 runs if not more.

England came into the day’s play with the score reading nine for one. Opener Keaton Jennings and skipper Joe Root walked out in the middle. The hosts needed to play out the first hour and look to take the game from there on.

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However, they failed to apply themselves well and ended up giving the first couple of wickets of the day to spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin.

Wickets fall one after the other, India on top:

Jennings was caught at slip by KL Rahul as he wanted to fend a turning delivery. The ball turned enough and took the outside edge of his blade. KL Rahul stationed in the slip cordon completed a straightforward catch.

Well, it was Dawid Malan who came out in the middle at the fall of Jennings’ wicket. Ashwin kept on tormenting him with turning deliveries outside the off stump.

He managed to play out that period. However, the offie prized out the wicket of Joe Root in quick time. It was a short of length delivery which turned quite sharply. Root couldn’t keep it down and ended up giving a catch to KL Rahul in the leg slip region. India needed the wicket of Root badly and it was exactly what Ashwin did for India.

Jonny Bairstow could have been dismissed quite early during his innings. He somehow managed to play put the initial overs. Eventually, it was Ishant Sharma, who provided two main breakthroughs in the form of Malan and Bairstow.

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It was splendid bowling from the pacer as both ended up edging to the slip cordon. In the fourth delivery and the last delivery before lunch, Ishant induced another edge from the blade of Ben Stokes’ bat to leave the hosts tottering at 86 for six.

There is no doubt about the fact that India has stamped their authority in the match. They will now look to bag the last four wickets pretty quickly and set themselves a low target to chase.

Brief Scores: England Vs India, Birmingham – 1st Test

England 1st innings 287 all-out in 89.4 overs (Joe Root 80, Jonny Bairstow 70, Ravichandran Ashwin 4/60, Mohammed Shami 3/64)

India 1st innings 274 all-out in 76 overs (Virat Kohli 149, Sam Curran 4/74)

England 2nd innings 86/6 in 30.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 28, Ishant Sharma 3/21, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/34)

England lead by 99 runs

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