Axar Patel, Rohit Sharma help India take advantage in pink-ball Test vs England

India completed an eventful Day 1 of the pink-ball Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad with the hosts finishing the day at 99/3 after bundling England out for a paltry 112.

Having opted to bat first after winning the toss, England lost opener, Dom Sibley, for a duck as Ishant Sharma, playing his 100^th Test match, drew the first blood for India. Jonny Bairstow, who came into the playing XI after missing the first two Tests, had a nightmare start as local boy Axar Patel trapped him plumb, ending his nine-delivery stay at the crease.

While Crawley and Joe Root looked like stitching a partnership for the visitors, veteran Ravichandran Ashwin got the better of the English skipper and sent him packing for a 37-ball 17. Axar, who was playing his second Test, then dismissed Crawley for 53 before dismissing Ben Stokes for six.

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Ashwin and Axar bowling in tandem was too much to handle for England on a hot day in Ahmedabad as the spin duo kept on chipping with wickets and wrapped up the visitors within the first two sessions of Day 1. England could manage just 112 runs in what could be termed as an unforgettable day for them.

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Just before the sunset, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill walked out to bat for India. With the experience of James Anderson and Stuart Broad into the play in the twilight phase, both Rohit and Gill started their inning on a cautious note. With Anderson swinging the new ball, Gill struggled to get on with his innings and was dismissed for 11 by Jofra Archer. Cheteshwar Pujara was trapped LBW by Jack Leach as the left-arm spinner got into the groove under the lights.

While Virat Kohli looked settled, he was dismissed for 27 by Leach following a poor shot. Rohit Sharma completed his half-century with Ajinkya Rahane also unbeaten at one at the end of Day 1’s play.

India Fall of wickets: 33-1 (Shubman Gill, 14.6), 34-2 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 15.5), 98-3 (Virat Kohli, 32.2)

England Fall of Wickets: 2-1 (D Sibley, 2.3), 27-2 (Bairstow, 6.1), 74-3 (Root, 21.5), 80-4 (Zak Crawley, 24.4), 81-5 (Ollie Pope, 27.4), 81-6 (Stokes, 28.5), 93-7 (Jofra Archer, 34.2), 98-8 (Jack Leach, 37.3), 105-9 (Broad, 46.3), 112-10 (Foakes, 48.4)