IND vs ENG, 1st Test: KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja Shine to Push England to the Brink on Day 2

Hyderabad: India continued their dominance in the first Test against England on Day 2, showcasing a versatile batting performance. While Yashasvi Jaiswal’s entertaining innings of 76 stood out, the Indian team adopted a more traditional approach on a turning pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

Starting the day at 246, England’s total was considered competitive, prompting India’s aggressive strategy to accumulate runs before the pitch deteriorated. Despite Jaiswal adding only 4 runs to his overnight score, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja’s fifty-plus scores, along with contributions from Shreyas Iyer, Srikar Bharat, and Axar Patel, guided India to 421 for 7 at Stumps, leading England by 175 runs.

India’s approach suggested that runs could be scored on spin-friendly pitches with the right application and adaptation to conditions. Except for Shubman Gill, the Indian batsmen looked comfortable, denying any chance for England, led by Ben Stokes, to make a comeback.

KL Rahul, who batted at No. 4 for the first time in Tests, revealed that he discussed the pitch conditions with Rohit Sharma and adapted his game accordingly. Rahul focused on taking singles and rotating the strike to build his innings.

Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel entertained the Republic Day crowd with aggressive batting. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 81, adding a crucial 63-run partnership with Axar. The Indian team’s all-round prowess was evident, even as R Ashwin was run out for 1.

England’s bowlers, visibly fatigued, faced an uphill task as India’s total reached a decisive lead of 171. Each of England’s four spinners, including Joe Root, bowled over 20 overs, with Root picking up 2 wickets for 77 runs. However, England struggled to break partnerships between Indian batsmen.

Brief Scores (Day 2): India 421/7 (KL Rahul 86, Ravindra Jadeja 81*, Joe Root 2/77) lead England 246/10 (Ben Stokes 70, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/68, Ravindra Jadeja 3/88) by 175 runs.