India vs England First Test: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Joe Root help England reach 500 in dominant Rajkot display
BEN STOKES became the third England batsman to score a century as runs continued to flow in the Second Test.
All-rounder Stokes joined Joe Root and Moeen Ali in reaching three figures before England were finally all out for 537.
England’s bowlers were frustrated in their attempts to make inroads into India’s batting and the home side finished with 63-0.
It was only the second time in history that three England batsmen had scored centuries in the same innings of a Test match in Asia.
The previous occasion was against India in Kanpur in 1961 when Geoff Pullar, Ken Barrington and Ted Dexter all passed the milestone.
Stokes was eventually caught down the legside for 128 from 235 deliveries.
England will surely not lose this match - but can they force a win over the final three days?
It will be tough because the pitch is flat and the Indian openers had few alarms as they batted through the final 23 overs of the second day.
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Moeen resumed on 99 not out and needed just three deliveries to reach his fourth Test hundred with a single courtesy of a dab into the offside.
The languid left-hander then took three boundaries in a single over off fast bowler Umesh Yadav - through mid-wicket, point and cover.
Soon afterwards, however, he misjudged a ball from Mohammad Shami and was bowled for 117 offering no shot.
Bairstow joined Stokes and the pair who love batting together were soon into their stride.
Flame-haired Yorkshireman Bairstow hoisted a couple of sixes off leg-spinner Amit Mishra while Stokes was brutal on anything pitched short.
Stokes had been dismissed for a duck in all three of his previous Test innings against India but was making them pay here.
Incredibly, he was dropped twice by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha in successive overs off the unlucky Yadav.
That made five catches spilled by the Indians in England’s innings - all in the two morning sessions.
Stokes also skied the ball and watched it land safely between fielders on three occasions.
Bairstow was caught behind for 49 and, after Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid went cheaply, Zafar Ansari helped Stokes put on 52 watchful runs for the ninth wicket.
VERDICT
IT is less than two weeks ago since England disintegrated from 100-0 to 164 all out in a single session of the Second Test against Bangladesh.
This was their very next innings. So to occupy 159.3 overs and score 537 all out was a superb effort.
It is their highest total in India for 31 years.
Sure, they won the toss, sure India dropped several catches and, sure, the pitch was flat and contained none of the spinning demons in Dhaka.
But it has set up England for the series. If they can continue batting with such skill and prudence, this will not be the one-sided slaughter many were expecting.
England will be competitive. They might even give India one heck of a scare.
