Jaiswal looked composed throughout the session, finishing unbeaten on 42 from 74 deliveries, including eight crisply struck boundaries
Opting to bat first, India’s openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid a strong foundation on a good batting surface (Photo: @BCCI/X)
India made a solid start to the opening Test against England on Friday, but late strikes by the hosts saw the visitors reach 92 for 2 at lunch on Day 1. After a promising opening partnership, India lost KL Rahul and debutant B Sai Sudharsan in quick succession, slightly denting their momentum heading into the break.
Opting to bat first, India’s openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid a strong foundation on a good batting surface. The duo played with discipline and intent, weathering the early spells and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Their partnership was worth 91 runs, offering India a confident start to the series.
Jaiswal looked composed throughout the session, finishing unbeaten on 42 from 74 deliveries, including eight crisply struck boundaries. He was solid in defence and fluent with his strokeplay, particularly through the off-side, and looked set to anchor the innings deeper into the day.
Rahul, too, played a measured knock, scoring 42 runs off 78 balls with eight boundaries of his own. He was particularly effective against the new ball, combining caution with calculated aggression. The right-hander’s innings helped neutralise England’s early threat and gave India control for most of the session.
However, England clawed their way back just before lunch with two crucial wickets in the space of five deliveries. In the penultimate over before the break, Brydon Carse delivered the breakthrough, drawing an outside edge from Rahul, who was caught by Joe Root at first slip. It was a reward for Carse’s persistence in probing the channel outside off.
Soon after, England captain Ben Stokes struck with a sharp delivery that caught debutant Sai Sudharsan off guard. The left-hander, featuring in his maiden Test innings, lasted just four balls before edging behind to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for a duck. Sudharsan’s early departure was a setback for India, who had been in complete control until that point.
Despite the twin blows, the visitors will take heart from their positive start, especially the form shown by Jaiswal. As the teams headed into the lunch break, India were placed at 92 for 2 in 25.4 overs, with work still to be done in the second session to capitalise on the platform laid by the openers.
Brief Scores: India 92/2 in 25.4 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 42*; KL Rahul 42, Brydon Carse 1/23, Ben Stokes 1/20) vs England
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