The fourth Test match between India vs England kicked off in Ranchi with a lot of excitement. England won the toss and decided to bat first, but they faced an early setback. India’s new fast bowler, Akash Deep, was on fire, taking three important wickets quickly. England was struggling at 57 for 3 wickets.
Joe Root, England’s experienced batsman, came to the rescue. He played a fantastic innings, scoring a century and stabilizing the English side. Alongside him, Jonny Bairstow played aggressively and added valuable runs to the team’s total. However, after Bairstow got out, England’s captain Ben Stokes couldn’t stay for long and was dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja.
By lunchtime, England had scored 112 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. After lunch, Root continued his excellent form, and Ben Foakes supported him well by scoring 47 runs. Mohammed Siraj’s skillful bowling got Foakes out, but England’s lower order showed determination. Ollie Robinson remained not out, adding 31 runs and helping England reach a total of 302 runs for 7 wickets by the end of the day.
India’s bowlers did a great job. Siraj and Akash Deep kept the pressure on, while the spinners Ashwin and Jadeja controlled the run flow and took important wickets.
The match is evenly poised now. England’s comeback, led by Root’s century, has set a challenging score for India. India will be happy with their bowlers but will need to bat well to take the lead.
The pitch is showing signs of wear, which could help the spinners more as the game goes on. It will be interesting to see how India’s batsmen handle England’s bowlers tomorrow.
In short, the first day of the Ranchi Test has set up an exciting match. The series is still open, and both teams will be looking to take the advantage in the coming days.
