What happened on Day 1 of the 5th IND vs ENG 2024 Test?

Kuldeep Yadav shone with 5-72, while Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 4-51 in his 100th Test as India bowled out England for 218 in 57.4 overs on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, March 7. In response, India went to stumps at 135/1, with Rohit Sharma batting on 52* and Shubman Gill on 26*.

Batting first after winning the toss on a pitch that Ben Stokes had described as a ‘belter’ in his pre-match press conference, the visitors came up with yet another disappointing effort. The openers yet again began strongly, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett adding 64 runs in 18 overs.

The stand was broken when Duckett (27 off 58) tried to break free and miscued a lofted hit off Kuldeep; Shubman Gill pulled off a great running catch. Ollie Pope (11) fell at the stroke of lunch, charging down the track to Kuldeep and getting stumped as he completely ran past a googly.

Not for the first time in the series, Crawley looked England’s most fluent batter by some distance. He was looking good for a hundred but fell short yet again, undone by a peach from Kuldeep.

The England opener tried to drive a full delivery but was completely beaten in flight as the ball spun back sharply to clean him for 79 off 108.

Jonny Bairstow came in and smashed two fours and two sixes in his 100th Test, but the entertainment was too good to last.

He fell to Kuldeep for 29 off 18, caught behind, getting a feather to a googly while attempting a drive. Joe Root (26) was the next man to go, trapped lbw by a slider from Ravindra Jadeja as the ball beat the inside edge.

Root’s dismissal saw England slip to 175-5. The visitors lost their third wicket in as many overs and at the same score when Ben Stokes (0) was trapped leg before by another piece of smart work from Kuldeep. The England captain was also done in by the googly and caught right in front of the stumps as he decided to stay on the backfoot.

Ashwin then dismantled the England tail in his 100th Test. Tom Hartley (6) holed out while attempting the slog-sweep, while Mark Wood (0) edged one that bounced a little extra to slip. England went to tea at 194-8.

Ashwin claimed his third wicket in the last session of play when Ben Foakes (24) missed a sweep, but the ball hit his pad and arm and went on to dislodge the stumps.

James Anderson (0) then slog-swept the off-spinner to midwicket as England were bowled out for under 220.

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Jaiswal-Rohit get India off to solid start

Responding to England’s first-innings total of 218, India’s in-form openers added 104 in under 21 overs.

Rohit took on Wood in the fourth over and clubbed him for four and six off consecutive deliveries. Yashasvi Jaiswal then went after Shoaib Bashir in the ninth over and lofted him for three sixes.

The boundaries kept flowing at regular intervals as India raced towards their 100. Jaiswal brought up his fifty in style, smacking a short delivery from Bashir to backward point for four.

The next ball was also swept to the midwicket boundary, but Jaiswal (57 off 58) fell off the next delivery, stumped as he attempted an aimless slog.