1st Test Day2 Session-1
Rahul’s 50 help India to put 1st innings lead
In his newfound middle-order role in Tests, KL Rahul’s calculated half-century propelled India towards securing the first-innings lead against England in Hyderabad. Partnering with Shreyas Iyer, Rahul played a pivotal role in a significant half-century stand, guiding India to a score of 222/3 by the lunch break on Day 2, trailing by a mere 24 runs.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who showcased his unique ‘Bazball’ style on the opening day, continued his impressive form on the second morning. On the second ball, he confidently stepped down the track, smashing Joe Root over his head for a boundary. Nevertheless, the former England skipper had the last laugh as Jaiswal, attempting a shot in the same over, ended up chipping one back to Root, departing after a notable innings of 80.
India narrowly escaped losing Rahul in the same over, as an outside edge just climbed off the surface, eluding Ben Foakes’ attempted grab. Intriguingly, the on-field umpire ruled it as byes, and England, having exhausted all three reviews on the opening day, couldn’t challenge the decision even if Foakes had managed to catch it. Meanwhile, at the other end, Shubman Gill displayed uncertainty in his footwork, momentarily losing focus and attempting to launch Root down the ground to break free from the shackles. Fortunately, the mistimed shot found safety as Ben Stokes struggled to sight the ball under the glaring conditions.
Despite the reprieve, Gill couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, eventually getting out while attempting another aggressive shot. Tom Hartley, who endured a tough first day, notched up his first run in Test cricket with a fuller delivery that Gill tried to whip with limited control, only managing to hit it straight to the fielder at midwicket in a subdued manner. On the other end, Rahul took charge of the scoring, gaining confidence with back-to-back boundaries off Hartley before sweeping Root for yet another boundary.
Ben Stokes introduced Mark Wood immediately after Shreyas Iyer’s arrival at the crease, but the pacer predominantly targeted Rahul, conceding three boundaries in the process. With the Wood strategy failing to yield the desired result, Iyer faced a short delivery from Hartley, confidently pulling it over deep midwicket for a six to regain some momentum. Root, the most threatening bowler in the morning, made a brief return before the lunch break, but the two batsmen managed to navigate his spell unscathed.
Live Score Update: India, posting a score of 309/5 at Tea on Day 2 of the 1st Test against England, hold a lead of 63.
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