4 March 2021, 17:07 PM
India 24/1 in response to England's 205 at the end of the Day 1
Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara showed great application as India ended the opening day of the fourth and final Test against England in the driver's seat despite losing opener Shubman Gill at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday. 11 wickets fell on the day as England was bundled out for 205 after skipper Joe Root won the toss and decided to bat first.
At stumps, India's score read 24/1 with Rohit (8*) and Pujara (15*) at the crease -- trailing the visitors by 181 runs in the first innings.
After a disappointing show with the bat, England got off to a flying start with the ball as James Anderson struck with the third ball of the innings. The pace spearhead trapped Gill (0) in front of the stumps as India lost a wicket with no run on the board.
But Rohit and Pujara ensured that was the end of the visitors' joy on the day as they played out the remaining 11.3 overs without losing any wicket.
Earlier, Axar once again hogged the limelight with his four-wicket haul while Ravichandran Ashwin scalped three as England was bundled out for 205. While it was Mohammed Siraj who picked the all-important wicket of Root in the first session, Ashwin broke the deadlock in the third session as he dismissed Ollie Pope.
Pope's wicket sparked a collapse from which England couldn't really recover. The visitors went down from 166/5 to 205 all out within 14.3 overs, losing half of their side for 39 runs as Axar struck twice in one over. Ashwin dismissed Pope a few minutes into the third session. Pope got unlucky as the inside edge hit the back pad and popped to short-leg fielder Shubman Gill.
India's senior off-spinner then dismissed Ben Foakes in the 66th over to reduce the visitors to 170/7. Minutes later Axar dismissed Daniel Lawrence and Dominic Bess to leave England reeling at 189/9. It looked as the visiting side would get bundled out soon, but Jack Leach and James Anderson took England over the 200-run mark.
Earlier, electing to bat first, England openers Dominic Sibley and Zak Crawley saw off the first five overs bowled by the Indian pacers -- Ishant Sharma and Siraj, who has come into the side in place of Jasprit Bumrah. However, the introduction of Axar in the sixth over brought immediate reward for the hosts as the spinner clean-bowled Sibley (2), reducing England to 10/1.
The 27-year-old struck again in his second over as he had Crawley (9) caught at mid-off. The right-handed batsman tried to go over the top to create more pressure on the bowler, but ended up mistiming the ball and handed a simple catch to Siraj. Immediately after the first drinks break, England skipper Root (5) was trapped in front by Siraj and the visitors got reduced to 30/3 in the 13th over. The visitors ended the opening session on 74/3.
Brief Scores: England 205 (Ben Stokes 55; Axar Patel 4-68, Ravichandran Ashwin 3-47); India 24/1 (Cheteshwar Pujara 15*; James Anderson 1-0)
4 March 2021, 16:14 PM
Shubman Gill goes for duck
LBW! James Anderson strikes in the very first over of India's innings to remove Shubman Gill, who was trapped in front of stumps. IND 0-1
4 March 2021, 15:55 PM
England all out for 205
Axar Patel bagged four wickets, while Ravichandran Ashwin picked three scalps as India restrict England for 205 in the first innings of the fourth Test match in Ahmedabad. For the visitors, Ben Stokes (55) was the highest scorer follwed by Daniel Lawrence (46).
INNINGS BREAK:
England all out for 205.
4 wickets for @akshar2026
3 wickets for @ashwinravi99
2 wickets for Mohammed Siraj
1 wicket for @Sundarwashi5 #TeamIndia shall come out to bat shortly. @Paytm #INDvENGScorecard https://t.co/9KnAXjaKfb pic.twitter.com/FrXYSDlNSB
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2021
4 March 2021, 15:36 PM
Axar Patel picks two quick wickets
Axar removes Daniel Lawrence and Dominic Bess in quick succession as England have lost nine wickets so far. Axar now has four wickets to his name in this innings.
4 March 2021, 15:09 PM
Ashwin strikes again
England are seven down now...Ashwin strikes for the second time, induces an edge off England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes as Ajinkya Rahane pouches a safe catch at slip
4 March 2021, 14:55 PM
Ashwin gets the breakthrough
R Ashwin gets his first wicket of the innings, Ollie Pope inside-edges Ashwin delivery to his back leg and catch pops up to Shubman Gill at short-leg
4 March 2021, 14:23 PM
TEA BREAK
Ben Stokes has pretty much rescued England with his fifty after the visitors were reduced to 78/4. However, England are still on backfoot with Ollie Pope and Daniel Lawrence present on crease. For India, Siraj and Axar have bagged two wickets each so far, while Sundar has picked one. ENG 114-5 at Tea
4 March 2021, 13:42 PM
Sundar strikes to remove Stokes
LBW! Sundar gives much needed wicket to India by removing Stokes, who just completed his fifty before getting trapped in front of stumps. Arm ball by Sundar just straightens a tad from a length and it struck on the back pad of Stokes, who was trying to defend it. ENG 121-5
4 March 2021, 13:34 PM
Fifty for Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes completes his 24th Test fifty and he casually raises his bat to the dressing room. Much needed innings for England after they lost four quick wickets.
4 March 2021, 12:30 PM
Siraj removes Bairstow just after Lunch
LBW! Siraj picks his second of the match and this time his victim in Bairstow, who got trapped in front of stumps. That came in with the angle at 146kph and Bairstow missed the line of the ball to kiss the back pad on its way to the keeper. ENG 78/4
4 March 2021, 11:39 AM
LUNCH BREAK
Stokes and Bairstow have stitched a crucial 44-run partnership so far as England are on a recovery mode now after losing three early wickets. For India, Axar Patel has bagged two wickets till now, while Siraj has picked one. ENG 74/3 at Lunch
4 March 2021, 11:20 AM
Stokes, Bairstow steady England's innings
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have steadied England's innings after the visitors lost three early wickets. The due has stitched 42-runs partensrship so far and is looking in solid form.
4 March 2021, 10:46 AM
Verbal duel between Kohli and Stokes
Words exchanged between Stokes and Kohli. Kohli isn't happy with something. Umpire calms things down.
This is the verbal duel between Kohli and Stokes.pic.twitter.com/SmPEHMml2Q
— Mayank (@kmayank9) March 4, 2021
4 March 2021, 10:22 AM
Siraj gets big wicket of Joe Root
LBW! England are in real trouble now as after losing openers early in the game, the visitors have lost skipper Joe Root courtesy a superb delivery by Siraj, who got the ball to nip back in after pitching in good length area. Root was trapped right in front and it looked stone dead. ENG 30-3
#TeamIndia turning the heat up
3 wickets down #INDvENG @Paytm
Follow the match https://t.co/9KnAXjaKfb pic.twitter.com/XVscu0ifuE
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2021
4 March 2021, 10:09 AM
Axar Patel strikes again
Out! Zack Crawley departs for 9 as Axar continues his superb show. Crawley charges down the wicket and goes through the line but mistimed the shot completely and ended up lofting straight up in the air. Siraj. stationed at mid-off, holds onto the simplest of catches to to send Zak Crawley back to pavilion. England skipper Joe Root is the new batsman in. ENG 15-2
4 March 2021, 09:46 AM
Axar Patel strikes in his first over
Bowled! Axar provides India the much needed breakthrough in his just second ball as he sends Dom Sibley packing. The opener played for turn but saw the ball sneak through his pad-bat. Inside edge on the forward defence, and that's crashed into the stumps.
4 March 2021, 09:29 AM
Zak Crawley survives close LBW call
Comes in to thump the front pad just above the knee-roll as Crawley doesn't cover for the inswing at all by Ishant Sharma. Missing! Going over the stumps, and India lose a review!
4 March 2021, 09:22 AM
Looks a good wicket: Virat Kohli
"It was quite a no-brainer, we would have batted first as well. Looks a good wicket to bat first. We have a great camaraderie and atmosphere and it's been a great bunch of guys who have well-supported me. We have to be at our best and England have put us under pressure in the past and this series as well," Indian skipper Virat Kohli says at the toss.
4 March 2021, 09:11 AM
Ravi Shastri gives pep talk
On a day on which Kieron Pollard of West Indies, equalled Team India head coach Ravi Shastri's feat of hitting six sixes, the former India all-rounder gave a rousing pep talk ahead of the fourth Test against England.
Hello & good morning from Ahmedabad. @Paytm #INDvENG #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/09nA2tUZ2o
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 4, 2021
4 March 2021, 09:09 AM
Mohammed Siraj in for Jasprit Bumrah
India have made one change in Playing XI with Mohammed Siraj coming in for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. England in turn made a couple of changes -- Dan Lawrence and Dom Bess coming in for Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad.
4 March 2021, 09:08 AM
England win toss and BAT first
Hello and welcome to our Live coverage of the fourth and final Test between India and England. Visiting skipper Joe Root has won the toss and bat first.
