4th Test Day-1 Session-1 Highlights:
England is losing regular wickets despite maintaining a rapid runflow.
Akash Deep dismissed England’s top three batsmen before Ashwin and Jadeja made their mark.
England 112/5 Before Lunch:
Amidst a flurry of quick runs, England also suffered the loss of five wickets during the opening session of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Debutant pacer Akash Deep enjoyed a stellar session, dismantling England’s top three and providing the hosts with a promising start.
The pitch exhibited enough characteristics to keep both spinners and pacers engaged, leading to numerous LBW appeals and reviews, many of which went in India’s favor.
Despite the persistent shouts, England continued to press forward with brief but impactful contributions from Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow, providing them with vital first-innings runs on a surface that seemed poised to deteriorate rapidly.
Before the spinners could assert their influence, it was the debutant who made a significant impact.
Akash Deep generated sharp movement, both into and away from the left-handers, while bowling from around the wicket, which proved fruitful against England’s openers.
Ben Duckett fell to an outside edge, while Crawley fell victim to two nearly identical deliveries after initially being spared due to Akash’s overstepping.
The incoming delivery from a short length proved too challenging for Crawley, who lost his off stump after a brisk 42-run innings.
In the midst of it, Akash also trapped Ollie Pope LBW, leaving England in a precarious position.
However, Jonny Bairstow launched a counterattack to place India under pressure once again.
Alongside a cautious Joe Root, he forged a 52-run partnership before falling LBW to Ashwin’s delivery while attempting a sweep, following a review.
India’s morning session was capped off with Jadeja delivering a delivery that kept low, trapping Stokes LBW.
The early session provided ominous indications of how the pitch would behave for the remainder of the Test.
England’s top order crumbles on challenging pitch conditions, losing half of their side.
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