India vs England: Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane lead India fightback in Trent Bridge Test
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane shone with the bat for India as they finished on a solid 307/6 at stumps on the first day of the third Test against England on Saturday.
Down and out arriving at Trent Bridge, there was genuine fear India’s batsmen could be rolled over by England, 2-0 up in the series after the crushing innings defeat handed out in perfect seaming conditions at Lord’s last week. (DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS)
However, the visitors, led by skipper Virat Kohli again, showed great resilience as a batting unit despite failures that had been gnawed at their confidence.
India would still have walked away feeling they could have taken a lot more from the first day, but it was a collective show they can be proud of.
They finished on a solid 307/6 at stumps on the first day on Saturday with debutant Rishabh Pant 22 not out and promising much more. India’s lower order will look to add useful runs though the second new ball is only a few overs old.
Kohli fell for 97, a cruel dismissal short his second century of the series and 23rd overall after leading a brilliant fightback with Ajinkya Rahane, who made 81 after being dropped on 57 but shook off his batting blues. Their 159-run partnership would be the launch pad if India push on and put England under pressure.
England seamers ran amok at Lord’s in near-perfect seaming conditions, but on a pitch that offered far more balance forced skipper Joe Root – who chose to bowl -- to fall back on Plan B, which included getting Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad to pitch it short.
Kohli had goaded the batsmen not to clutter their mind with negativity, and as a unit, they applied themselves. India batsmen showed intent, ran sharply between the wickets but still scored well.
Shikhar Dhawan, recalled in place of Murali Vijay whose Test career could well have come to a close after a series of poor returns, scored 35 and raised 60 with KL Rahul (23), India’s best opening partnership of the series. He showed better technique, playing close to his body and late.
They saw off Anderson and Broad to set the platform, and although Chris Woakes got the ball to wobble and removed them, his third scalp before lunch was the only reckless moment for India.
Cheteshwar Pujara uncharacteristically hooked, leaving Kohli disbelieving at the other end, down the throat of Adil Rashid at long leg. At 82/3 India stared at another batting collapse.
But Kohli was a picture of calm and rotated the strike superbly with Rahane, letting his deputy to settle down. The pair ensured India added 107 runs between lunch and tea. The bad balls were put away and both Rahane, regaining batting form, and Kohli would feel they should have converted their knocks into big ones.
Rahane, like he did when set in the Lord’s Test, was sucked into driving a wide ball from Broad, Alastair Cook at first slip taking a reflex, one-handed catch. He had been lucky on 57, Anderson failing to take a blinder at point off Woakes. But he didn’t entirely cash in on the let-off.
Kohli’s batting has been at a different level to his teammates, until he was sucked into nicking Rashid’s flighted leg-break to slip looking for the boundary to get to century. The packed crowd gave him a standing ovation and he acknowledged it by raising his bat.
Rishabh Pant, 20, making his Test debut after replacing Dinesh Karthik, looked the part. He clobbered Rashid for a straight six the second ball he faced and joined Hardik Pandya to take India past 300 for the first time this series. India also recalled Jasprit Bumrah, back after injury, for chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav.
The Indian players wore black armbands in memory of Ajit Wadekar, the first to lead the team to a series win in England.
