England on Monday reached 1/1 in their second innings at Lunch on Day Four of the first Test against India here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, thus extending their overall lead to 242 after bowling out the hosts for 337.
England started off their second innings on the worst possible note as they lost the opener, Rory Burns, on the very first ball bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin. The ball turned sharply taking the edge of the bat of Burns and went straight into the hands of Ajinkya Rahane at the slips.
Dominic Sibley (0 batting) and Daniel Lawrence (0 batting) then made sure the visitors didn’t lose any further wickets in the two overs bowled by Ashwin and Shahbaz Nadeem.
Earlier in the day, India got bundled out for 337, thus conceding a massive first-innings lead of 241 runs in reply to England’s 578. However, the visitors decided not to enforce the follow-on.
Resuming the day at 257/6, India lost Ashwin just before the first-hour break as he got out against Jack Leach. Ashwin (31) stitched a valuable 80-run partnership with Washington Sundar before his departure.
Nadeem, who came in next, went back to the dressing room without troubling the scorers, becoming the second scalp of Leach.
Ishant Sharma (4) also didn’t stay long and was out caught at short-leg on a well-directed short-delivery from James Anderson.
Jasprit Bumrah (0) was the last wicket to fall as he was caught brilliantly at the slips by Ben Stokes. Sundar remained unbeaten on 85 for which he faced 138 deliveries. He scored 12 boundaries and two sixes during the course of his innings.
Off-spinner Dominic Bess was the pick of the England bowlers as he picked four wickets in the 26 overs he bowled. Leach, Jofra Archer and Anderson scalped two-two wickets each.
On Day Three, Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara had made valuable contributions of 91 and 73 respectively.
England had scored 578 runs in their first innings, riding on a brilliant knock of 218 from skipper Joe Root. Sibley and Stokes had also contributed with 87 and 82 respectively.
Brief scores:
England 578 and 1/1 at Lunch on Day Four (Dominic Sibley 0*, Daniel Lawrence 0*; Ravichandran Ashwin 1/0) lead by 242 runs vs India 337 all out (Rishabh Pant 91, Washington Sundar 85 not out; Dominic Bes 4/76).
