A Test match which slowly began to slip away from India was brought back into balance by a stellar over from key man Ravichandran Ashwin. The wily off-spinner produced a high-impact spell that could shape the fourth Test against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Trailing by 0-2, the visitors badly needed a strong start in order to keep the 5-match series alive until the Chennai Test. Skipper Alastair Cook called correctly for the third time in this tour and gleefully opted to make first use of am even paced surface.
India were without their pace spearhead Mohammed Shami and to make matters worse, a couple of catches did not go to hand. While Cook looked steady, his latest opening partner Keaton Jennings did not seem too perturbed by the occasion.
The left-hander managed to survive a close leg-before review before adding 99 runs for the first wicket. One short of their 100-run partnership, Cook tried to dance down the track in an uncharacteristic fashion and had to pay the price. When Virat Kohli somehow held on to a sharp catch to send back Joe Root, England found themselves in a spot of bother.
However, Moeen Ali steadied the innings by proving to be a perfect foil for Jennings who continued to impress on debut. The duo did not shy away from playing their shots even as the Indian spinners duly obliged with quite a few poor deliveries.
Shortly into the final session, England were comfortably placed at 230/2 which meant a 500-plus score was not beyond their reach. While Moeen reached a stylish fifty, Jennings registered his maiden Test century and joined the long list of overseas batsmen enjoying memorable debuts against India.
Kohli‘s frustrations were amplified as runs came thick and fast. As is often seen, the better players can raise their game when the team requires them to do so. With a lot relying on him, Ashwin came around the wicket to try and entice the left-handers by creating an awkward angle.
Having batted diligently until then, Moeen's eyes lit up after seeing a tossed up delivery on leg-stump. But, he failed to account for the extra bounce which caught the edge off his blade and lobbed up for Karun Nair to complete a simple take.
The all rounder’s untimely dismissal drew criticism from the commentary box with Sanjay Manjrekar terming him ‘reckless’ and Nasser Hussain pointing to his two different faces – elegant and horrendous.
With Jennings crossing over before the catch was taken, Ashwin had another prey in his sights. Realizing that the Johannesburg-born opener might be keen on showing restraint upon the fall of a wicket, the 30-year old invited him forward and brought gully into business. Even as the umpires wanted to go upstairs to check the legitimacy of the catch, the batsman trudged off in disappointment.
Watch: Ashwin’s decisive double-wicket over
Although he had more than played his part by scoring a remarkable ton, Jennings got out at an inopportune time. Having spent the preceding couple of hours searching for a breakthrough, India suddenly had two in the same over.
Ashwin struck once again when Jonny Bairstow attempted an ill-conceived sweep shot and the edge flew to backward square leg‘s hands. Eventually, England ended the opening day at 288/5.
If the hosts could land a couple of early blows on the second day, the match might shift in their favor. That they even have a window of opportunity should largely be due to their spin talisman and his vital 71st over.
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