Manchester provided India a chance to experience batting in a typical English condition: an overcast sky, forecast of rain, cold weather and a pitch suitable for pace bowling. England won the toss and expectedly opted to bowl first, hoping to use the conditions to their advantage. In a surprise turn of events, India ended the opening session without losing a single wicket with the opening duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal adding 78 runs in 26 overs.
There came a phase when India lost three wickets for the addition of just 46 runs. However, Jaiswal scored a fine half-century as did B Sai Sudharsan to keep England at bay.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar noted that the performance was an answer to those who felt this current line-up is only capable of blooming on flat tracks.
“For those skeptics who believe this young Indian batting line-up only gets runs on flat pitches or against weakened attacks, today was a statement," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.
“These were typical English conditions with a much-improved bowling attack – Stokes bowled more overs, Liam Dawson was an upgrade over Shoaib Bashir, and Archer added edge to the line-up," he added.
The day though was marred by a nasty injury to Rishabh Pant who had to be taken to a hospital for scans after being hit on his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep.
“For India to finish at 264/4 under those conditions — that’s another solid batting display. Thankfully, Rishabh Pant managed to get some bat on the ball before retiring hurt. Hopefully, he’ll return to bat on Day 2," Manjrekar felt.
Jaiswal scored 58 off 107 before becoming Liam Dawson’s victim. On the other hand, Sudharsan, who returned to the playing XI after making his debut in the first Test, celebrated by scoring a patient maiden Test fifty of his own – 61 off 157.
“He (Sudharsan) looked nervous at the start, which is natural after being dropped post the first Test. That kind of omission can affect confidence. But he grew into his innings," Manjrekar observed.
“He looked nervous to begin with, which was expected after being dropped post the first Test. That kind of omission dents your confidence. But as the innings progressed, his composure returned. He has an organised game, and even though he’s made his mark in T20s, the way he scores reflects the fundamentals you need in Tests. These were tough conditions to bat at No. 3 after being asked to bat first," he added.
Manjrekar felt Sudharsan has all the qualities of someone who can have a long Test career.
“He (Sudharsan) got some hard-earned runs, and more importantly, he seems like someone who won’t get carried away by one good outing — a grounded, academic type who prepares diligently. That’s the kind of player who builds a long Test career," he said.
Morning Session Belonged to India
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While Jaiswal scored a half-century, Rahul missed out on his fifty by just four runs after having done the hard work. He batted well for his 46 off 98 before falling to Chris Woakes right after the lunch break.
“The morning session clearly went in India’s favour. They carried their form with excellent defensive technique and strong minds. India have always struggled to find a consistent opening pair in overseas conditions, but they now seem to have one. A left-right combination that scores hundreds and looks dependable – that’s rare. You can expect consistency from this pair, and that’s significant," Manjrekar said.
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