IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Spin Magic & Jaiswal Shine as India Edge England on Day 1

Hyderabad: India took command of the first Test against England in Hyderabad on Thursday, thanks to a combined bowling show by Ravichandran Ashwin (3/68) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/88) and a sparkling innings by Yashasvi Jaiswal. The experienced spinners spun a web around the English batsmen, bundling them out for 246 in the final session, while Jaiswal’s unbeaten 76 kept India’s reply afloat at 119/1 at stumps on Day 1.

Choosing to bat first, England initially looked threatening with an aggressive start by openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley. However, the introduction of spin after eight overs proved pivotal. Ashwin trapped Duckett lbw for 35, and Jadeja soon accounted for Ollie Pope and Crawley, reducing England to 77/3. Captain Ben Stokes (70) provided some resistance, but the Indian spinners kept chipping away, ultimately dismissing England for a below-par score.

In response, India faced an early setback as skipper Rohit Sharma fell for 24. But the 22-year-old Jaiswal showed impressive composure, anchoring the innings with a fluent 76 off 70 balls. He found valuable support from Shubman Gill (14*), and the pair ensured India ended the day with no further damage.

Day 1 belonged to India, with their potent spin attack proving too much for England’s batters. Jaiswal’s confident inning bodes well for the hosts, who will seek to build on their advantage in the coming days. England, however, can’t be underestimated, and their aggressive “Bazball” approach poses a real threat.

Brief Scores (Day 1): India 119/1 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 76*, Shubman Gill 14*, Jack Leach 1/24) trail England 246/10 (Ben Stokes 70, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/68, Ravindra Jadeja 3/88) by 127 runs.