Steady Patel guides India to 60/1

They put on 67 runs for the seventh wicket and rescued their side from 204-6. Their hard work paid off.

“That hurt me pretty bad to get out like that, because I thought I played quite nicely all through the day”, Bairstow said.

However, Pujara was out trying to pull a long-hop and Ajinkya Rahane’s (0) wretched form continued.

The pint-sized wicketkeeper batsman also successfully reviewed a caught behind appeal which was given out by umpire Marais Erasmus.

It was admirable, from Anderson and Woakes in particular, but it did not bring the breakthrough England craved against India’s two heavyweights before tea – Stokes coming closest when Jonny Bairstow just failed to hold a tough chance down the leg-side, with Pujara on 31.

Pujara and Kohli then joined forces to frustrate the tourists with their steady accumulation of runs. He reached his 14th test half-century off 111 deliveries.

Moeen Ali was looking to be aggressive too, he hit Jayant for a four and a six in an over, but it the s aggression and his known weakness against short ball that cost him his wicket. But this turned out to be a play on Stokes’ innate desire to maintain a brisk scoring rate.

However, England went into the final session with Bairstow suddenly getting into the shell and that increased pressure on Buttler to up the ante.

“We recovered really well”. The pitch is expected to assist spin sooner than later and both captains desperately wanted to win the toss and avoid batting last. Tomorrow the first session will be crucial.

Not for the first time over the previous year, India were looking again towards Ashwin and their lower-order to score the important first innings runs.

But as runs dried up, Kohli wanted to use the glide shot through the vacant third man region.

Stokes, who went in for an ambitious drive was cleverly foxed by Jadeja leaving the rest to stumper Parthiv Patel, who lost no time in stumping the English all-rounder.

That was not a good session for England, and by my reckoning that is three sessions to one so far for the hosts. We were not struggling (with the scoring rate).

Patel enjoyed a steady start to his global comeback, after a gap of years, as India posted 60/1 by lunch.

Rubbing salt on his wound, the ICC later reprimanded Stokes for reacting to Virat Kohli and Co.’s celebrations “by making inappropriate comments”.

James Anderson (0-36) had made a freaky appeal for obstruction of throw against the batsman, who stood his ground, but the umpires turned it down. Even though he has just got seven wickets in the five England innings he has bowled, the Nagpur-based pacer asserted that he is bowling better than what he was doing 12 months back. Anderson and Batty gamely eked things for another couple of overs and Shami then had Batty as well.

During the Rajkot Test, India fielders dropped five catches in the first 35-odd minutes of the first day’s play.