India vs England – day 1 close: Virat Kohli provides first batting master class of the series as hosts pile up 317-4
VIRAT KOHLI provided his first batting master class of the series as India piled up 317-4 on day one of the Second Test.
Captain Kohli – playing his 50th Test – finished 151 not out while Cheteshwar Pujara scored his second century in the past six days.
Kohli was superb, playing a wide range of stylish shots but also showing patience and the appetite for a mighty innings. He will want to make a mountainous score of day two.
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No wonder many pundits rate him as the best batsman in the world.
He should have been caught on 56, though, when Adil Rashid failed to cling onto a skimming catch at fine leg off Ben Stokes. Kohli also survived a couple of reviews for lbw.
Kohli’s was the eighth century of the series and the first to go past 130.
Pujara – nicknamed Steve during his spell at Yorkshire in 2014 – was caught behind for 119 off James Anderson, who took three wickets in his first game since August.
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England reduced India to 22-2 in the first five overs with Anderson needing just 18 balls to strike for the first time.
The England swing bowler had Murali Vijay caught in the gully from a bouncer that took off and bounced off the Indian opener’s the glove.
Stuart Broad had already struck at the other end and England reduced India to 22-2 within the opening five overs of the Second Test.
As revealed by Sunsport, Anderson replaced Chris Woakes, who has a minor knee niggle, in the starting XI.
Anderson has recovered from a stress fracture of the right shoulder and his performances in the nets here convinced the team management he could get through a five-day Test.
Alastair Cook called incorrectly at the toss but the early strikes by Broad - who lured opener K.L.Rahul into edging to Stokes at third slip - and Anderson gave England optimism.
But Pujara and Kohli took over and it turned into a long, hot and frustrating day for England. Both Pujara and later Ajinkya Rahane were held by Jonny Bairstow off Anderson.
VERDICT
There is a sub-plot to this series – the batting battle between Joe Root and Virat Kohli.
I was interviewed on Wednesday by local TV asking which of the pair is the better Test batsman. Naturally, I plumped for our boy and said Root, while acknowledging that Kohli is the superior 50-over player.
Root made a century in the First Test and now Kohli has made one here. They are both superb and, despite their rivalry, respect each other’s ability enormously.
It might be that Root will have to respond with a century of his own if England are to escape with a draw in this match.
