5th Test
Day-1 Session-3 Highlights:
Kuldeep Yadav with his five wickets haul and Indian openers have pushed England into the game on the opening day of the Test match
England team 218 All out and India were 135/1 at the stumps of Day-1:
Kuldeep Yadav’s fourth five-wicket haul in Tests (5-72), accompanied by half-centuries from Rohit Sharma (52*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (57), propelled India to claim the honors on the opening day of the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala on Thursday (March 7).
Opting to bat under seamer-friendly conditions, England found early stability through Zak Crawley’s fifty (79), setting a solid foundation for the day’s play.
Despite the relentless probing by India’s new-ball duo, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, England’s batters managed to weather the storm until Kuldeep’s intervention.
The left-arm wrist spinner wasted no time in making an impact, dismissing Ben Duckett in his very first over with a well-executed delivery that induced a miscue.
Kuldeep’s subtle variations and ability to extract turn troubled England’s batsmen, with Ollie Pope falling victim to a sharp stumping by Dhruv Jurel after being bamboozled by Kuldeep’s guile.
Crawley, who appeared comfortable against both pace and spin, fell prey to Kuldeep’s strategic setup, getting bowled through the gate by a deceptive leg break.
Ben Stokes also struggled against Kuldeep’s repertoire, succumbing to an LBW dismissal after being consistently troubled by the spinner’s mixture of googlies and leg breaks.
Jonny Bairstow’s aggressive intent was short-lived as Kuldeep claimed his wicket, further highlighting the spinner’s dominance.
Ravindra Jadeja capitalized on the surface’s nuances to dismiss Joe Root, contributing to England’s abrupt collapse from 175/3 to 183/8 in just 37 balls.
In his 100th Test match, Ravichandran Ashwin (4/51) provided the finishing touches by clinching the remaining English wickets.
Despite Crawley’s resistance, England’s batting lineup failed to assert themselves, with even experienced campaigners like Root and Stokes struggling to find their rhythm.
India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep, showcased exceptional skill and aggression, complemented by a strong start from their openers.
Jaiswal’s aggressive innings propelled him past 700 runs in the series, making him only the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to achieve this milestone.
Additionally, Jaiswal set a record for being the fastest Indian to reach 1000 Test runs in terms of matches played.
His fearless approach dismantled England’s bowling attack, with Tom Hartley bearing the brunt of his assault.
While Jaiswal’s dismissal halted his rampage, Rohit Sharma continued to dominate alongside Shubman Gill, ensuring India maintained control.
With the surface favoring the batsmen for the most part, India’s spinners, particularly Kuldeep, played a pivotal role in dismantling England’s batting lineup.
Despite the visitors’ inexperienced spin attack struggling to capitalize on similar conditions, the match remains finely poised with four days of play remaining, as momentum shifts have been a recurring theme in this series, as evidenced by the events of the afternoon session.
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