India vs England Rajkot Test: Joe Root, Moeen Ali grab Day 1 honours | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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India vs England Rajkot Test: Joe Root, Moeen Ali grab Day 1 honours

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Nov 09, 2016 04:52 PM IST

Joe Root smashed his 11th Test century while Moeen Ali neared his milestone as England reached 311/4 in the Rajkot Test against India. Catch Day 1 highlights of Rajkot Test between India vs England here.

Joe Root was the star for England with a magnificent century and he was ably supported by Moeen Ali, who neared his century. Their 179-run stand has put England in the driver’s seat against India in the Rajkot Test as they ended the day on 311/4. Catch highlights of India vs England Day 1 from Rajkot here.(SCORECARD | NEWS)

Joe Root and Moeen Ali shared a 179-run stand, with Root notching up his 11th Test century.(AFP)
Joe Root and Moeen Ali shared a 179-run stand, with Root notching up his 11th Test century.(AFP)

16:45 hrs IST: Here are some of the articles that sum up the day. Joe Root’s love affair with India continued in the Rajkot Test while Umesh Yadav’s ‘Herschelle Gibbs’ moment was the major talking point for the day.

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16:38 hrs IST: Speaking after the end of the match, Root had high praise for Haseeb Hameed and said that he looked comfortable in this environment. On his partnership with Moeen Ali, he said, “We just knew we needed to build a partnership. I thought Mo was outstanding as well,looking forward to watching him continue.”

16:34 hrs IST: That is stumps and Moeen Ali has to wait to get to his century. It has been a good day for England as they end on 311/4, with Moeen Ali on 99. Will he get to his century and will England cross 400? Join us tomorrow for all the action.

16:31 hrs IST: Final over of the day and Moeen is on 98. Mishra bowls a full toss and Moeen can only tap it over the bowler for a single. It was too high for a catch. He moves on to 99. Will he get to his century today?

16:27 hrs IST: Close call! Flatter delivery and it spins back in, Stokes looks to smother it with the turn and he gets an inside edge onto the back pad, the ball rolls back and just misses the leg stump.

Moeen Ali neared his century as he gave Joe Root good company during the first day of the first Test against India in Rajkot. (REUTERS)
Moeen Ali neared his century as he gave Joe Root good company during the first day of the first Test against India in Rajkot. (REUTERS)

16:25 hrs IST: India have bowled their 90 overs on time. However, there are still five minutes left in the day. Probably time for one or two more overs. Amit Mishra to bowl.

16:22 hrs IST: Stokes dances down the track and launches R Ashwin into the stands at long on. That is making a statement at the end of the day.

16:14 hrs IST: Stokes is hanging in there as the day draws to an end.

16:05 hrs IST: Shami continues to struggle as he completes yet another over. India will be hoping that he does not aggravate his injury even further.

15:56 hrs IST: Finally, Stokes is off the mark against India. That is a big monkey off his back.

15:53 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK: Ben Stokes has three ducks in three innings against India. He has not gotten off the mark against them yet.

15:48 hrs IST: Umesh is bowling really well with the old ball and is getting some reverse. Ben Stokes is known to be a shaky starter.

15:44 hrs IST: The talking point of the match will now be the Umesh Yadav catch. At first glance, he DID NOT control it.

15:40 hrs IST: Mohammed Shami is back on to the field and he will be bowling. However, he is clearly struggling with that hamstring injury. It looks he is in big trouble.

15:33 hrs IST: WICKET! A very controversial one that too. Root drives a full ball back to Umesh Yadav who takes the catch, he throws it up but he turns around and it looks like he has no control of the ball, it lands on the ground but the Indians are celebrating, the third umpire has a look and gives it out. That did not look out. This is similar to the Herschelle Gibbs ‘You dropped the cup, maite’ catch in the 1999 World Cup against Australia. The soft signal was out by the way.

Joe Root c and b Umesh Yadav 124 (180)

15:29 hrs IST: The new ball has not been taken. One slip in place. Umesh Yadav to bowl.

Moeen Ali neared his century as he tackled R Ashwin and the other spinners well. (REUTERS)
Moeen Ali neared his century as he tackled R Ashwin and the other spinners well. (REUTERS)

15:26 hrs IST: The new ball is now available. Will Virat Kohli take it? The spinners have struggled on this day.

15:22 hrs IST: Since tea, both batsmen are attacking Ashwin well. Moeen is using his feet while Root is using the sweep and the reverse sweep.

15:20 hrs IST: Moeen Ali has moved smoothly to the 80s and he is looking good for a big knock. The new ball is just three overs away. Click here for live scores.

15:12 hrs IST: The partnership between Moeen Ali and Root has reached 150. Root’s confidence is sky high as he connects with the reverse sweep and deposits Ashwin to the third man fence. This partnership is deflating India.

15:08 hrs IST: Moeen is tackling Ashwin and Jadeja very well. He is using the crease well and he is content on using his feet against Jadeja to counter the accuracy.

Joe Root averages over 100 in Tests against India as he notched up his first century in Asia. (AP)
Joe Root averages over 100 in Tests against India as he notched up his first century in Asia. (AP)

15:02 hrs IST: Root’s average is over 110 against India. Here is a list of his other achievements, notably against India.

14:56 hrs IST: Root is showing off his intentions here. He dances down the track to Ravindra Jadeja and deposits him into the stands over long off. Both batsmen have gotten their eye in.

14:50 hrs IST: Moeen Ali is growing in confidence as he smashes a boundary off Umesh Yadav. This partnership is starting to hurt India.

14:45 hrs IST: Root does it! He works Ashwin to fine leg and registers his 11th Test century, third against India and his first in Asia. He has made a statement on the opening day of this series.

14:37 hrs IST: Ashwin tosses the delivery up outside off and Moeen laces the drive past cover for a couple to bring up his ninth Test fifty and his first against India. Well played.

14:30 hrs IST: We are back for the final session and both Root and Moeen Ali are nearing their landmarks. Will they get to their milestones or will India break their hearts?

14:23 hrs IST: While the players take Tea, here is a poll that should divide opinion among cricket fans

14:10 hrs IST: Tea has been taken and Root survives some anxious moments. However, England are in a very good position thanks to this 100-plus partnership between Joe Root and Moeen Ali. India’s spinners struggled and they were not helped by some sloppy fielding. However, they will be worried about Mohammed Shami’s injury.

14:08 hrs IST: Loud appeal for an LBW but not given. Umesh Yadav gets this delivery to tail back in and Root misses with the flick, umpire Dharmasena does not give it out and India opt for the review. Replays show ball was clipping leg stump, so it stays with the onfield decision. NOT OUT. Root survives

14:03 hrs IST: The partnership between Joe Root and Moeen Ali has crossed 100. Both batsmen are nearing their individual milestones as well.

13:58 hrs IST: Umesh Yadav will complete the over. Shami has gone off the field with what might be a hamstring injury. India will be hoping it is not too serious.

13:54 hrs IST: Uh oh! Looks like Shami is in trouble. He is holding the back of his left thigh as he ran on to bowl the second delivery of the 60th over. He is getting some treatment, we are in for a bit of a delay.

13:46 hrs IST: Root has gone past 1000 runs in Tests in 2016. He is the second England player to get to the landmark after Jonny Bairstow.

13:41 hrs IST: Mishra and Jadeja have bowled 10 overs in this period but they have not created much pressure. Root moves closer to his century with a sweep off Mishra.

Moeen Ali tackled the spinners well and along with Joe Root, helped England to a good position against India. (REUTERS)
Moeen Ali tackled the spinners well and along with Joe Root, helped England to a good position against India. (REUTERS)

13:35 hrs IST: The runs are coming pretty easily for England now. Root and Moeen Ali have played the spinners well and so far, they have given no chances.

13:29 hrs IST: Joe Root has gone past his highest Test score in India. He had scored 73 in the fourth Test in Nagpur during the 2012 series.

13:23 hrs IST: Indian spinners have missed their length a lot more on the first day and Root helps himself to another boundary.

13:19 hrs IST: Spin operating from both ends. Jadeja and Mishra are trying to break this stand which has crossed 50.

Joe Root tackled the spinners very well on a decent batting wicket. (AP)
Joe Root tackled the spinners very well on a decent batting wicket. (AP)

13:13 hrs IST: This first session after lunch has belonged solely to England. Root and Moeen Ali are really playing well. India are consistently rotating the bowlers around.

13:09 hrs IST: India are rotating their bowlers to break this stand.

13:05 hrs IST: Meanwhile, in the world of politics, Donald Trump has been voted as the 45th President of the United States of America.

12:59 hrs IST: Root has gotten a measure of how this pitch is playing. England will be eyeing a total in excess of 400 if they have to put up a challenge.

12:55 hrs IST: The partnership between Root and Moeen Ali is nearing fifty. India searching for a breakthrough.

12:48 hrs IST: Joe Root gets to his 24th fifty. It is his fifth against India. His current average against them is 110.

12:44 hrs IST: Umesh Yadav is into the attack. So far, spin not operating from both ends.

12:37 hrs IST: Both Root and Moeen Ali are holding firm against Ashwin and Shami. However, their scoring rate has dipped. This is the attritional second session of a match

12:29 hrs IST: Shami is getting some shape. The ball is 38 overs old. He is the best component of reverse swing along with Umesh Yadav in the current team.

12:23 hrs IST: Mohammed Shami is bowling at a brisk pace. 88 mph and it almost beats Root for pace.

R Ashwin picked up two wickets just before lunch to put India on top. (REUTERS)
R Ashwin picked up two wickets just before lunch to put India on top. (REUTERS)

12:18 hrs IST: Root is playing Ashwin well off the back foot. That is how he operates. He just needs support from the other end. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow will be the key.

12:10 hrs IST: Welcome back for the second session. Moeen Ali has joined Joe Root out in the middle and he nearly survives a bat-pad catch off Ashwin. The ball landed just in front of Cheteshwar Pujara.

11:47 hrs IST: While lunch is being taken, have a fascinating read on Haseeb Hameed and the reason behinf his nickname “Baby Boycott

11:32 hrs IST: Timely strike for Ashwin. After a solid 47-run opening stand, Jadeja struck by removing Cook. Hameed looked solid but since then, it has been the Ashwin show as he sent back Hameed and Duckett. England are 102/3, which will not make them too happy. Ashwin’s double strike will give India plenty of momentum though.

11:28 hrs IST: WICKET! And that will be lunch. Top bowling from Ashwin.

Flighted delivery on middle stump and it spins away late, Duckett pokes at it and the edge flies low to Rahane at first slip who takes it, the umpires are having a look whether it carried but replays show that it just stuck. Duckett c Rahane b Ashwin 13 (17)

11:22 hrs IST: Good positive intent from Duckett. He uses the sweep well and hammers Ashwin to the fine leg fence. He follows it up with two consecutive boundaries. Duckett on the attack against the right arm off-spinner, using the slog sweep and the drive well.

11:20 hrs IST: Ben Duckett, who was impressive in the series against Bangladesh, has another chance to show his mettle.

11:18 hrs IST: Amit Mishra is into the attack. A loose start for him as he is driven by Joe Root for a boundary. Sloppy work from Jadeja as he misfields. Next ball, he is swept to fine leg but the fielder makes a good stop.

11:14 hrs IST: By the way, Haseeb Hameed is the first batsman to use DRS on Indian soil.

Haseeb Hammed batted well for 31 but he was sent back by R Ashwin. (REUTERS)
Haseeb Hammed batted well for 31 but he was sent back by R Ashwin. (REUTERS)

11:08 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin gets rid of Hameed. Reward for accuracy. The first delivery set him up. Ashwin stays round the wicket and gets this straight delivery to zip off the track, Hameed plays down the wrong line and gets hit on the back pad, umpire Dharmasena gives it out, Hameed reviews but the ball was hitting off stump and there was no bat.

11:01 hrs IST: A funny incident on the third delivery of the 24th over. The ball gets stuck in Jadeja’s hand and it bounces four-five times before it reached Hameed. The batsman chooses to let it go.

10:59 hrs IST: A stifled appeal for a stumping from Jadeja but Hameed is safely in.

10:56 hrs IST: Joe Root gets going with two boundaries off Ashwin. Good attacking intent.

10:51 hrs IST: So far, Hameed and Root are ensuring that the runs are coming in a trickle.

10:47 hrs IST: Hameed is showing good technique against the spinners. He is getting to the pitch of the ball and also playing well off the back foot.

10:42 hrs IST: Joe Root is the new batsman and all hopes rest on him. He made his mark during the 2012 tour with a gritty 73 on a tough wicket in Nagpur. More will be expected from him on this tour.

10:36 hrs IST: Cook asked Hameed before leaving but he did not review it. Replays in. Ball comfortably missing leg stump. Remember, there is DRS in this series. Oh Captain Cook!

10:34 hrs IST: WICKET! Jadeja strikes and he has removed the England skipper for 21. But a horror decision. The ball spins down the leg side and Cook attempts to work it to fine leg, he misses and gets hit on the pad, umpire Chris Gaffaney gives it out. That seemed to be missing leg stump. Why didn’t Cook review? Has he forgotten that there is DRS in this match? Seems to be the case

Alastair Cook LBW Ravindra Jadeja 21 (47), England 47/1 (15.1)

10:30 hrs IST: So far, Cook and Hameed have tackled the duo of Ashwin and Jadeja well. Good first hour for England so far. But, they have to maintain the momentum.

10:25 hrs IST: Loud appeal for LBW but not given. Cook attempts the sweep off Jadeja but misses. Well outside the line of off stump. Catch all live scores here.

10:19 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja from the other end. He loves to perform in Saurashtra. He scored two triple tons in the Ranji Trophy

10:15 hrs IST: R Ashwin is into the attack. THIS is the period for England where they will have to buckle down.

10:11 hrs IST: The Cook-Hameed opening partnership is going strong. In the last Test for England, Cook and Duckett shared a 100-run stand. However, their battle will be against the spinners.

10:04 hrs IST: Three dropped catches! Cook and Hameed going steadily. Action packed start to the Test in Rajkot.

09:57 hrs IST: Dropped! Third time! India are stretching the butter-finger concept a bit too far here. Umesh Yadav bowls a good ball on off stump and Hameed stabs at it, the edge flies low to first slip where Vijay dropped the catch.

England's captain Alastair Cook was dropped twice while Haseeb Hameed was dropped by Murali Vijay as India suffered from some fielding lapses. (AFP)
England's captain Alastair Cook was dropped twice while Haseeb Hameed was dropped by Murali Vijay as India suffered from some fielding lapses. (AFP)

09:53 hrs IST: Couple of boundaries from Cook and Hameed and England are making solid progress.

09:47 hrs IST: Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami are bowling a marvellous line to Cook. Around the off stump and giving nothing away. Building pressure for the likes of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to exploit.

09:42 hrs IST: The first boundary of the series and it comes from the debutant Haseeb Hameed. Short and wide deivery from Shami, Hameed goes for the cut and the outside edge flies over the slips for a boundary.

England's captain Alastair Cook survived two dropped catches in the first couple of overs against India. (AFP)
England's captain Alastair Cook survived two dropped catches in the first couple of overs against India. (AFP)

09:38 hrs IST: DROPPED AGAIN! Two chances now and Cook has survived. Kohli, the skipper, drops it at second slip. Looks like the England skipper is all set to assume the role of a cat, who survives a lot.

09:35 hrs IST: Steady start for India but they will be hoping that it is not a costly drop.

09:32 hrs IST: DROPPED! By Ajinkya Rahane of all people. One of the safest fielders in the Indian team. Shami comes round the wicket and gets some extra bounce, Cook pokes at it and gets an outside edge that is shelled by Rahane at gully. Crucial drop this.

09:30 hrs IST: Right, it is Time, Ladies and Gentleman! Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed stride out to open. Mohammed Shami will open the bowling. Proud moment for Hameed, who is originally from Baruch in Gujarat.

09:27 hrs IST: Some confusion regarding the Indian team. Apparently, Pandya is not making his debut . Amit Mishra is playing. There is one debutant though in this match, and it is DRS.

09:21 hrs IST: R Ashwin will be the main threat which is demonstrated by his statistics. In the South Africa series, he picked up 31 wickets in four Tests while in the New Zealand series, he picked up 27 wickets. Will he spin a web against England as well?

09:18 hrs IST: England, on the other hand, suffered a 2-0 loss to Pakistan in the UAE in 2015 while recently, they suffered a loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka.

09:12 hrs IST: India have won 12 out of their last 13 Tests at home. The one match which was a draw was the rain-ruined Test against South Africa in Bangalore.

09:05 hrs IST: India are playing five bowlers. The teams have been announced. No Karun Nair in the team. Moeen Ali, Zafar Ansari and Adil Rashid are the spinners for England.

09:00 hrs IST: England have won the toss and they will bat first. Massive moment this. They are playing three spinners and three pacers. Haseeb Hameed will make his debut.

08:56 hrs IST: There is a fair amount of green cover on the pitch but there are some cracks. Rajkot, which is hosting it’s first Test match, has laid out a decent surface.

08:52 hrs IST: India have not lost a Test at home since the Kolkata Test in 2012 against England. Since that period, they have whitewashed Australia 4-0 and recently, they dismantled New Zealand 3-0. England, on the other hand, are heading into the contest low on confidence after their loss to Bangladesh.

08:50 AM IST: A warm welcome to the first Test between India and England from Rajkot. After 29 years, India play a five-Test series at home. Can India take revenge for their loss in 2012 or will England show some resilience?

Virat Kohli will look for a perfect start against England as Rajkot will make its Test debut today. On current form, the young Indian Test captain will back himself to redeem his record against the Englishmen.

Considered one of the premier batsmen of his generation, Kohli averages close to 46 with the bat but it drops drastically to just 20 from 17 innings against the English bowlers.

In the five-Test series in England in 2014, he managed only 134 runs at an average of 13.4 with a highest score of 39. Of his 13 Test centuries, only one came against England at Nagpur in 2012.

The right-hander’s form in the five Tests would be crucial for the hosts if they are to improve their record against England, who have won the last three series against India.

Alastair Cook will achieve a milestone in Rajkot. He will surpass Michael Atherton’s England record of 54 matches as Test skipper after the first match in India. He had replaced Andrew Strauss as skipper in 2012.

Cook has led England to 24 Tests victories, including a 2-1 series win over India on the subcontinent in 2012. Cook has scored 10,688 runs at an average of just below 47 in 135 Tests, with 29 centuries

More than Cook, the spotlight will be on teenager Haseeb Hameed. He will become England’s youngest opening batsman when he makes his debut today with Gary Ballance axed for his lack of runs in Bangladesh.

The 19-year-old Hameed, averages 48.50 in first-class cricket for Lancashire and has four centuries and nine fifties.

Hameed, whose family roots are in India, will be England’s fifth youngest Test cricketer at 19 years and 297 days and the youngest since Ben Hollioake played against Australia in 1997.

All-rounder Hollioake, who was also 19 when he featured at Trent Bridge, is the only other teenager to appear in a Test for England since 18-year-old Brian Close made his debut in 1949.

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