IND vs ENG, 5th Test: Rohit, Jaiswal Feast After Kuldeep, Ashwin Bamboozle England on Day 1

Dharamsala: India dominated day one of the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala, showcasing exceptional batting on a flat track after dismissing the visitors for a paltry 218. Opting to bat first, England’s batting woes against spin continued as they succumbed to the brilliance of Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests.

Kuldeep’s mastery bamboozled the England middle order, orchestrating a collapse that saw them lose three wickets for no runs in the second session. England slumped from a precarious 175 for six to 194 for eight at tea, completely surrendering the initiative.

Earlier, Zak Crawley provided the lone resistance for England with a classy 79, but even he couldn’t withstand Kuldeep’s magic, who deceived Crawley with a sharp turner that shattered his leg-stump. Other England batsmen like Jonny Bairstow (29) and Joe Root (26) also fell prey to Kuldeep’s guile, failing to read his variations.

India’s spin dominance was further accentuated by Ravichandran Ashwin, who polished off the tail with a four-wicket haul. England’s misery was compounded by their inability to handle spin, with all ten wickets falling to the Indian spinners.

In stark contrast, India’s openers, Rohit Sharma (52*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (57), thrived on the placid surface, stitching together a solid 104-run partnership to put the hosts firmly in control. Jaiswal, only the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to amass 700 runs in a series, fell victim to his own aggression, getting stumped after a quickfire fifty.

Rohit Sharma, at the other end, looked assured, striking two sixes to assert India’s dominance. The Indian skipper remained unbeaten alongside Shubman Gill (26*) as India closed the day at a commanding 135/1.