The opening session of the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar series got off to a thrilling start, with India looking dominant before England struck back late. The visitors had made a strong start, with a solid 91-run partnership between their openers, but two late wickets ensured that England finished the session with a slight edge.
Throughout the session, England’s seamers were inconsistent with their lines and lengths, with the inexperience of the attack showing. Aside from Ben Stokes, none of the seamers looked particularly threatening. However, Stokes bowled with great purpose, making the ball talk and was rewarded with a wicket towards the end of the session. Had it not been for Stokes’ efforts and those two late breakthroughs, England could have been in real trouble.
While there was consistent movement on offer, the Indian openers handled it well. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were selective in leaving deliveries outside off-stump and were aggressive towards anything overpitched, playing with confidence. There were a few LBW appeals, but apart from those, the openers played with calm and composure. However, just as India seemed to be cruising, disaster struck in the final stages of the session.
KL Rahul’s loose drive to a wide ball resulted in a catch to Joe Root at first slip, bringing an end to a promising partnership. The wicket opened the floodgates, and debutant Sai Sudharsan, looking nervous, followed suit soon after. He faced a juicy half-volley from Stokes, down the leg side, but failed to capitalise, instead edging the ball behind to wicket-keeper Jamie Smith, who made no mistake. From a commanding 91/0, India found themselves at 92/2 as the session concluded.
The late wickets provided England with a much-needed lift as they went into the lunch break in a more optimistic frame of mind. The visitors, who had dominated for much of the session, now found themselves on the back foot. Jaiswal, who had looked solid throughout his stay, was still at the crease on 42 not out, but with new captain Shubman Gill coming in, the task was far from over.
As the teams headed for lunch, England could reflect on their resilience in taking the two crucial wickets, while India will look to regroup after a promising start. The game has certainly begun with fireworks, and it’s clear that this series will be a gripping contest.