Southampton: India were 19/0 at Stumps on the opening day of the fourth cricket Test here on Thursday.
India dismissed England for 246 on the first day of the Test match. Indian pacers were right on the mark from the start as they took wickets at regular intervals. But Moeen Ali (40) and Sam Curran (78) stabilised the hosts innings, forging a crucial 81-run partnership.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets while Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets each.
Earlier, Indian bowlers maintained their stranglehold despite an unbroken 53-run stand for the seventh wicket between all-rounders Moeen Ali and Sam Curran as England reached 139 for six at Tea on the opening day.
Moeen (30 batting) and Curran (27 batting) carried a rescue act after Mohammed Shami's (2/38) double blow left England tottering at 86 for 6 at one stage. The second session proved to be slightly better for the hosts as it yielded 82 runs for the loss of two wickets.
Post lunch, Jos Buttler (24) was out caught at slip by skipper Virat Kohli off Shami's bowling. Ben Stokes (23) continued to defend stoically, lasting 79 deliveries. Shami bowled brilliantly, continuing from where he left off in the morning session. And it brought him reward when he trapped Stokes lbw coming round the wicket. It was a sharp inswinger that was hitting the leg-middle.
Curran and Ali then came together, and held fort until the tea break. They showed a lot of patience, in particular Curran who stayed calm and went for his strokes whenever opportunity presented itself. On evidence he was England's best batsman so far in this innings.
While Ravichandran Ashwin (0-9) bowled six over, Indian pacers still found assistance from the pitch.
Jasprit Bumrah (2-35) bowled quite a few unplayable deliveries. But they couldn't break this partnership, which crossed 50 off 94 deliveries and also took England past the 100-mark in the 39th over.
Earlier, Indian speedsters rocked the England top-order with an inspiring spell as the home team were left reeling at 57 for 4 at lunch on the first day of the fourth Test. Bumrah, Ishant Sharma (1/11 in 11 overs) and Hardik Pandya (1/37 in 6 overs) shared the spoils as the English top-order looked clueless against a sustained lateral movement generated by the trio. Bumrah was handed the new ball and he posed problems from the very beginning. Keaton Jennings (0)
shouldered arms to an
ugly fashion to an incoming delivery across the stumps, and was adjudged leg before in the third over.