XtraTime Web Desk: India has a commanding Day One performance of the fourth Test of the ongoing five-match series against England being played at the Rose Bowl Cricket Stadium, Southampton on Thursday.
India managed to score 19-0 in reply to England’s first inning total of 246 and still trail by 227 runs. A Stumps, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul were at the crease with individual scores of 3 and 11 respectively.
Earlier, England rode on the lone, fighting knock of Sam Curran and managed to get to 246, a total which looked quite impossible in the initial hours of the day.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the hosts got off to a horrible start as they lost four their first six wickets with mere 86 runs on the board. However, Curran (78) along with Moeen Ali (40) and Stuart Broad (17), shared crucial partnerships lower down the order and made sure England reach to a respectable first innings score.
Earlier, India fielded an unchanged eleven from Nottingham, bringing an end to the 45-match streak of constant chopping and changing. It was the first time in 39 Tests as captain that Virat Kohli fielded the same team as the previous match.
Indian pacers were right on the mark from the start as they took wickets at regular intervals. But Moeen Ali (40) and Sam Curran (78) stabilised the host’s innings, forging a crucial 81-run partnership.
Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he picked up three, followed by Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin who scalped two-two wickets each.