CHENNAI: England made a shaky start to the second day, but got to a sizeable first-innings total courtesy a century stand for the eighth wicket between Adil Rashid and the debutant Liam Dawson. The two came together at 321 for 7, after India had taken three wickets for 37 runs at the start of play, and scored half-centuries that reiterated the depth of England’s batting and lifted their score to 477. Only once – Australia in 2010 – has a team scored more than 450 batting first and lost a Test in India.
India began confidently in reply, reaching 60 for 0 at stumps, their only real moment of discomfort in 20 overs occurring when KL Rahul, jumping back to slash Stuart Broad, jarred some part of his leg, causing him to hobble between wickets for a short while thereafter. The runs came at a steady clip, and the openers picked up five fours between them, in their contrasting styles: mostly off the front foot for the tall, languid Rahul, and mostly off the back foot for Parthiv Patel, who opened because M Vijay had hurt his shoulder while diving to stop the ball at point during the second session.
Debutant Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid struck gritty half-centuries to help England post a formidable 477 against India on day two of the fifth and final Test on Saturday in Chennai.
Dawson (66 not out) and Rashid (60) shared a record 108-run eight-wicket partnership to frustrate the Indian bowlers on what looks like a good batting pitch.
India were 60 for no loss at stumps with Lokesh Rahul (30) and Parthiv Patel (28) at the crease. The hosts still trail visitors by 417 runs in the first innings.
England, who started the day on 284-4, were reduced to 321-7 in the morning session after overnight centurion Moeen Ali departed for 146 but Dawson and Rashid kept the visitors going.
The duo’s partnership bettered England’s previous best eighth-wicket stand in India of 97 by Douglas Jardine and Hedley Verity on their first-ever tour in 1933-34 in Chennai. The England innings ended 45 minutes into the evening session with Amit Mishra cleaning up Jake Ball for 12. All-rounder Dawson, who was a late inclusion in the England squad before the fourth Test, showed his batting prowess during his 148-ball stay, hitting 5 fours and a six.
Dawson’s effort was the highest by an England No. 8 on debut in Tests, surpassing David Bairstow’s 59 against India in 1979.
Rashid, who recorded his second Test fifty in his 10th game, also looked solid during his gutsy effort as he fell one short of his Test best of 61.
Earlier, Ali seemed relentless in his drive to consolidate England’s position after adding 26 runs to his overnight score but his efforts were cut short just after the first drinks interval of the day.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s ploy of getting his pacemen to bowl short at Ali paid off as the left-hander mistimed a pull on one of Umesh Yadav’s rising deliveries.
Yadav and Ishant Sharma took two wickets each while Ravindra Jadeja, with three wickets on the opening day, stood out on the bowling list for India. The hosts have already pocketed the series 3-0.—Agencies