Rajkot: Mauling the Indian bowling attack, the visiting England scored 537 in the first innings on day 2 of the 1st of five-match test cricket series here at Saurashtra Cricket Association ground on Thursday.
Resuming the day's play at 311/4, England rode on three centuries by Root, Moin Ali and Stokes dominated the Indian attack before being all out at the stroke of tea. Root and Ali shared a partnership of 179 run for the fourth wicket scoring 124 and 117 runs respectively.
For India, the bowling honours were shared by Jadeja (3) and Umesh Yadav, R Ashwin and Mohd Shami (2 each). None of the Indian bowlers really troubled the England attack as it scored the runs at the run rate of 3.36, a good proposition in the test cricket.
India will now require 338 runs to avoid a follow on which should not be a very tough task on rather batting-friendly ground of Rajkot hosting its maiden test match. Some flowed catches were low point in Indian innings which proved dear in the end. Root, a highly regarded batsman in the contemporary cricket, set the tone for England thus thwarting the strategy of India to play five specialist bowlers, a rarity as far as Indian side is concerned.
ALSO READ: