Same old story with the bat for England as India finish day one in control

England’s batting woes continued at Trent Bridge as they were skittled for 188 by India’s high-class attack on day one.

Another test match, another batting collapse, and another post-mortem needed for England. Wherever the source of this wreckage lies, improvement is desperately needed.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the hosts’ pursuit of all-important first-innings runs got off the worst possible start as Jasprit Bumrah swung one back into the pads of Rory Burns for a fifth-ball duck to leave the hosts at 0-1.

In spite of averaging 8.9 from his last seven innings, Zak Crawley (27) seemed in decent touch when on the attack as he drove Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to the boundary through extra-cover.

But India’s bowlers would prove to be just too good. Bumrah’s electric pace would beat the 23-year-old’s outside edge on a couple of occasions before Shardur Thakur tested Crawley with shape and swing during the 18th over.

Siraj would bring his innings to a close though with a length delivery that heavily nipped back to find Crawley’s inside edge and back thigh.

However, umpire Richard Kettleborough initially remained unmoved with a carbon copy of the same delivery missing Crawley’s bat following a review earlier in the over.

With wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant keen, Virat Kohli was convinced to send it upstairs again, yet the India captain’s reaction to the initial replay suggested there was no that involved once more.

Ultra-edge ultimately proved otherwise and England were left to rely on their skipper again as Joe Root made his way to the crease at 42-2.

Root would race into double-figures with three consecutive fours off the bowling of Siraj as Dom Sibley survived an LBW on the stroke of lunch.

The Warwickshire opener lost his wicket soon after the interval as his wily knock of 18 runs off 65 balls came to an end after chipping Mohammed Shami’s delivery straight to KL Rahul at short-midwicket.

Much had been made of Jonny Bairstow’s return to the XI amongst England supporters with the Yorkshireman averaging just 24.8 in tests since the start of 2018. Though Bairstow would curb his attacking instincts to form a partnership of 72 with Root.

England’s captain would soon become their highest run-scorer across all formats as he moved above predecessor Alistair Cook’s previous record of 15,737 runs. It’s safe to say in this current set-up Root is England’s only world-class batsman.

Confident on the drive and solid off his pads, he would bring up his 49th test 50 off just 89 balls before Bairstow was removed for 28 by Shami just as he started to look good.

Kettleborough would again have a not-out decision overturned as a ricochet off front pad to back pad may have convinced the umpire that Bairstow got bat onto ball following a full delivery with late inswing.

Going into tea at 138-4, if Root could build a strong partnership with either Dan Lawrence or Jos Buttler, the potential for a big score was there.

Instead, both batsmen would fall for ducks. Lawrence was strangled down the leg-side by Shami before Buttler unnecessarily played at a Bumrah delivery outside off to leave their side at 145-6.

Thakur then delivered the major blow. Root was pinned LBW for 64 after trying to play off his pads when anticipating more swing than was actually generated from Thankur’s straight delivery. England in big trouble at 155-7.

It would get even worse as Ollie Robinson tamely picked out mid-on for a second-ball duck, while Stuart Broad (4) was out LBW to a lethal Bumrah yorker.

Sam Curran (27) would help England’s tail wag as he gave the Trent Bridge crowd something to cheer when advancing and smacking a back-foot six into the stand over long-on.

The Surrey all-rounder would put on 23 for the last wicket with Jimmy Anderson (1), before the veteran bowler victim to another Bumrah yorker. England were all out for a solitary 188.

Rohit Sharma (9) and Rahul (9) both managed to see off a late rally from the England attack as India go into day two at 21-0.

Some may blame the hundred, some may blame the lack of red-ball cricket played by Chris Silverwood’s side in the preparation for this series, and some may just put England’s struggles down the class of India’s attack. One thing is certain though, this needs to change with an Ashes tour down under not far away.

On the other hand, Kohli’s call to drop Ravichandran Ashwin has proven to be an inspired one. India’s bowling depth is as strong as ever in both spin and seam departments, even Ishant Sharma could not make the XI.

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