Sports

India seizes initiative after England collapse on day one in fifth test

By Associated Press

India's Kuldeep Yadav bowls on the first day of the fifth and final test match between England and India in Dharamshala, India. Photo: AP

DHARAMSHALA, MARCH 7

England was spun out for 218 and India piled on the visitor's misery with 135-1 in reply to slip back into the driver's seat after day one Thursday of the fifth test.

Kuldeep Yadav took five wickets and Ravichandran Ashwin four in his 100th test to have England all out in 58 overs after being 175-3.

India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma then shared a century stand to help them trail at stumps by only 83 runs.

India has already won the series at 3-1.

England suffered a stunning seven-wicket collapse for 43 runs from the halfway point of the day.

The English seemed to be cruising to that point. They won the toss and opted to bat.

England reached lunch at 100-2 led by Zac Crawley's fourth half-century of the series, Ben Duckett's 27 until a spectacular running catch by Shubman Gill and Ollie Pope's stumping.

After lunch, Crawley added 18 more runs to be out for 79 off 108 balls when Yadav found exaggerated turn and bowled him through the gate.

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, playing his 100th test, made it to the middle session drinks, after which the day took a remarkable turn, literally.

Bairstow getting caught behind off Yadav for 29 triggered the collapse.

Four balls later, Root was out leg before on 26 to Ravindra Jadeja. Another eight balls later, Yadav trapped skipper Ben Stokes lbw for a six-ball duck with a wrong one. England went from 175-3 to 175-6 in the space of 12 deliveries. It scored 94-6 in the middle session.

Ben Foakes tried to marshall the lower order again while Ashwin went to work.

Tom Hartley was out caught at long on. Mark Wood was caught at slip. Foakes was bowled for 24 to end the resistance, and James Anderson fell for a three-ball duck.

England lost its last seven wickets for 43 runs in 13.2 overs.

Yadav, 5-72, picked up his fourth five-wicket haul against England and Ashwin grabbed 4-51.

India seized the momentum thanks to a 104-run opening stand between Jaiswal and Sharma.

Left-hander Jaiswal scored 57 off 58 balls and crossed 1,000 test runs in his ninth test, the quickest for an India batter.

Jaiswal hit five fours and three sixes, the latter all coming off Shoaib Bashir's first over. He was out stumped to the off-spinner late in the evening session.

Sharma notched his third half-century in the series and finished the day unbeaten at 52, including six fours and two sixes. Shubman Gill was 26 not out off 39 balls.

India made two changes from the fourth test with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah coming in along with debutant Devdutt Padikkal. England made one change. Mark Wood replaced Ollie Robinson, who was sick and confined to his hotel room.