By Stephan Shemilt.
England already face a huge task to get back into the first Test after India built a healthy lead on day two in Hyderabad.
The home side moved to 421-7, 175 ahead of England’s 246 all out on a pitch destined only to get harder for batting.
KL Rahul, dropped on nought in the first over of the day by Ben Foakes, made 86, while Ravindra Jadeja twice overturned being given out to move to an unbeaten 81.
England’s spinners were improved from the assault they endured on the first evening, but still struggled to combine potency with accuracy. Joe Root’s off-breaks were England’s most dangerous weapon.
Root and debutant Tom Hartley each took two wickets, though England were largely relying on Indian indiscretions for their successes.
More worryingly, senior spinner Jack Leach, playing his first cricket since June because of a back injury, bowled only 16 overs in the day because of a knee problem.
Size of England’s task confirmed
England would have been under no illusions as to the magnitude on their task on this tour. Captain Ben Stokes called India a “beast” in this country, where they have not lost a Test series since 2012.
England competed well for the majority of day one and might have felt aggrieved that India had managed to move to 119-1, 127 behind.
The tourists enjoyed the better start to day two – Root removed Yashasvi Jaiswal for 80 in the first over and Hartley got Shubman Gill for his first Test wicket. From there on, though, India took control in front of 28,000 spectators as the country celebrated Republic Day.
How different might the day have been had Rahul been held by Foakes? The Surrey keeper, one of the best glovemen in the world, was picked to hold just this type of chance.
Still, there is no escaping the reality that England’s spinners lack the control, experience and skill of the Indians. There is no shame in that, but if the five-Test series is played out on pitches similar to this one, England will have to hold every half-chance in the field and their batters will have to score mountains of runs.
That work with the bat should begin on Saturday, with the first aim being simply to ensure India have to bat again.
Inexperienced England exposed
Even on this pitch, England’s selection seemed a gamble. Hartley is on debut, Rehan Ahmed a 19-year-old in his second Test and Leach evidently half-fit. When James Anderson appeared as a sub fielder, one wondered of the control England’s all-time leading wicket-taker might have offered.
England did not manage a maiden in the morning session but Root, who did not bowl on Thursday, made things happen and Hartley, after conceding 63 in nine overs the previous evening, was rewarded for a better length by Gill’s hack to mid-wicket.
However, a full toss or long-hop was never far away and Stokes, as is his style, rarely had more than two fielders back. As Ahmed put together a spell either side of lunch, he bowled England’s first maidens and had Shreyas Iyer caught in the deep in the leg side for 35. However, Rahul then carted two sixes as the final three in Ahmed’s 10-over stint leaked 25 runs.
With Leach’s longest spell coming in at four overs, Stokes had few options. Mark Wood bowled 11 in the day, his pace negated by the pitch, and it was telling that Root bowled more than anyone else, including taking the second new ball in a spell of 16 overs unchanged.
There were times when England felt aggrieved by umpiring decisions after burning all three of their reviews on day one, though neither of an lbw shout against Rahul nor a bat-pad catch off Jadeja would have been given out on referral.
At one stage, Root switched the bails in an attempt to change England’s luck. It worked, Root himself got one to keep low to have the sweeping KS Bharat lbw and Ravichandran Ashwin was run out in a mix-up with Jadeja but, by then, India were well ahead.