India vs England: Visitors lose three wickets in first session
India made a stunning start with the ball after English skipper Joe Root elected to bat in the fourth Test. Fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj perturbed the English batsmen early on, making use of the grass cover at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Meanwhile, off-spinner Axar Patel continued his incredible run by taking two more wickets. Here is the session report.
How did the session pan out?
After electing to bat, England made a patchy start. They lost both the openers Zak Crawley (9) and Dominic Sibley (2) inside 10 overs. As has been the case, Axar gave India the first breakthrough on his second delivery of the match. In his next over, he sent back Crawley. Captain Root also departed as England finished on 74/3 at lunch.
The consistent Axar has stood out so far
Axar has been a prized possession for India in the four-match series. His consistency in providing regular breakthroughs has stood out. Here are the balls taken by Axar for his first wicket in each innings: 9, 20, 1, 1, and 2.
Siraj impresses with his line and length
Pace spearhead Siraj has been included in the XI in place of Jasprit Bumrah, who opted out due to personal reasons. The former was on the money once again right from the start. He thwarted the two openers with his amazing line and length. Siraj was finally rewarded with the wicket of Root (5), having trapped him in front.
A poor batting display by England
The England management will be disappointed with this kind of batting on an eventful track. Unlike the previous Test which sparked a debate on the nature of wicket, the pitch in this match isn't only in favor of spinners. The English batsmen couldn't fare well against both fast-bowling and spin-bowling. This time as well, the English batsmen were mostly on back foot against spinners.
