2nd Test: Fifty for Jaiswal as India reach 103/2 at lunch after England's early strikes
Visakhapatnam, Feb 2: Yashasvi Jaiswal reached 51 off 89 (not out) as India posted 103 for 2 at lunch after an early strike from debutant Shoaib Bashir and veteran pacer James Anderson on Day 1 of the second Test here at Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Yashasvi started off well attacking Joe Root on the very first ball as the off-spinner opened the bowling from the other end with Anderson. Jaiswal got to his half-century in 89 balls and is unbeaten at 51 in 92 deliveries hitting 6 fours and a maximum.
Shoaib trapped the big fish Rohit Sharma for 14 as the Indian skipper closed the face on an off-break from the debutant and tucked his leg glance straight to Ollie Pope at leg slip.
It was the moment that young Bashir had been dreaming of, his maiden Test wicket. With a skillful delivery, he outfoxed the experienced Rohit, sending him back to the pavilion and giving England the breakthrough they craved.
Yashasvi began to mount a comeback, putting the English spinners under pressure. Sensing the need for experience, Stokes summoned the ever-reliable James Anderson back into the attack. The veteran seamer responded emphatically, dismissing Shubman Gill scoring 34 off 46 balls just before the lunch interval, turning the tide in their favour with the dismissal.
The breakthrough injected a renewed sense of optimism into the English camp, setting the stage for an intriguing battle in the subsequent sessions.
England, equipped with the luxury of three spinners, saw Ben Stokes orchestrating a shrewd rotation of his slow bowlers. The trio of Root, Tom Hartley, and the debutant Shoaib Bashir combined forces, applying pressure on the Indian batting lineup and stifling their scoring opportunities.
Jaiswal with 51 runs led India's attack with Shreyas Iyer, who came out after Gill's dismissal.
Brief scores: India 103/2 at lunch (Yashasvi Jaiswal 51 not out, Shreyas Iyer 4; James Anderson 1-19, Shoaib Bashir 1-39) against England.