India vs England (IND vs ENG) 1st Test Day 2 Highlights: England captain Joe Root became the first batsman to smash a double-hundred in his 100th test, crafting a massive 218 runs to put his team in charge of the opening match against India in Chennai on Saturday.
The 30-year-old registered his second double-century in three matches as England amassed 555-8 on a flat wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. At the end of Day Two, Dom Bess was batting on 28 with Jack Leach on six at the other end.
India v England Test Series 2021
1st Test, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 05 Feb, 2021
ENG 555 / 8 (180.0)
vs
IND
BatsmenRB
Dom Bess28 84
Jack Leach6 28
BowlersORWKT
Ishant Sharma27.0 52 2
Jasprit Bumrah31.0 81 2
England end Day 2 on 555/8 after Joe Root's double century. A solid days work for England, but India fought back in the final session taking four wickets including visiting captain Root's. England finish the day 555-8 with Dom Bess and Jack Leach on the crease.
550 up for England. Bess, Leach leading England's late resistance along with Dom Bess as he brings up 550 for the visitors after 179 overs.
Bess and Leach, who are set to be bowling in partnership later in the match, are the two batsmen in the middle now. Bess is doing most of the batting, getting a four in every other over. Bess is dropped by Rohit at midwicket, denying Sundar a wicket.
ENG 537/8
Ishant takes 2 wickets in 2 balls. Buttler and Archer are bowled off 2 balls. Leach comes out to face the hattrick ball and fends it away successfully.
ENG 528/8
Bess cracks back to back fours against Nadeem. The left arm spinner then bowls the 16th no ball of the Indian innings! 10 runs come off Nadeem's over. Sundar has more luck, bowls a maiden over against Bess.
ENG 521/6
Sundar replaces Ashwin from one end. Jos Buttler, finding some fluency now, crashes a drive through the covers to bring up 500 for England.
ENG 501/6
Ashwin is now spinning a web, the pitch is now seeming to offer much more help than it was to spinners. Buttler almost edges to short leg. 'Whenever the ball has misbehaved, it has misbehaved slowly,' however, is the observation from Kartik in the comm box.
ENG 485/6
Root is finally out. Shahbaz Nadeem gets the big fish. The umpire raises his finger, Root reviews but to no avail. Jos Buttler and Dom Bess are the two new men in for England, with the top order finally out of the picture.
ENG 477/6
Ashwin strikes. Ollie Pope is caught plumb in front of his stumps. Anil Chaudhury raises his finger. Pope goes for the forward defence but the ball straightens and hits his back pad. Pope is gone for 34.
ENG 473/5
India's woes with no balls continues, there is one no ball in Bumrah's over, the first over after the break. Ashwin is who India depute at the other end. The question seems to be when England will declare. Might Root even get to a triple century by the end of Day 2? Bumrah draws an outside edge in the 150th over, but the flies away past slips for four.
ENG 464/4
Time for the third and final session of the day. Root, with a wide smile on his face, takes strike as Bumrah starts proceedings after the break.
India throw the ball to Rohit Sharma as the session nears an end. And the session ends with England on 454/4. They have put on a mountain of runs already, how much more will they pile on? Root is on 209, Pope on 24.
ENG 454/4
200 for Root! And he gets there with a six! A shot hit down the ground to get to the mark. Doffs his helmet in celebration. This has been a Chennai ton to remember.
ENG 440/4
On 184, Joe Root goes for a cheeky reverse sweep that goes for four. Root can do nothing wrong at this stage. India have lost all their Reviews now, with Kohli going for yet another bootless Review. Root moves into his 190s.
ENG 428/4
Root charges Ashwin. Dances down the track and smashes the ball down the ground, so much so that both the umpire and Pope take evasive action, letting it go for four. Pope follows suit in the next over, uses his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and drills a four down the ground.
ENG 415/4
Ashwin and Sundar bowl from either end after a drinks break, with England's progress having been bogged down. India seem to have regrouped and altered their plans. Ashwin is bowling with a shorter run up, possibly preparing for a long spell before Tea.
ENG 404/4
New man Ollie Pope is facing the lion's share of balls with Ishant and Nadeem bowling in tandem. Root moves quietly into his 170s. The boundaries have turned into singles for now, with England recovering from Stokes's wicket. 400 comes up for England with a push down the ground by Root.
ENG 400/4
The breakthrough comes! Finally. Pujara the catcher, fumbles the ball, but eventually holds on. Nadeem gets a wicket. Stokes departs for 82. Root is joined by Ollie Pope.
ENG 387/4
The charge comes. And it comes from Stokes. Who dances down the track and lofts a six off Shahbaz Nadeem. Bumrah goes for the yorker against Stokes, misses it, and the ball is smashed down the ground. Stokes is changing gears now.
ENG 378/3
Another triple digit partnership comes up in the England innings. Root and Stokes only operating in singles for now, with play just having started in the afternoon session, but the sort of shots Stokes went for towards the end of the morning is a sign of how much this pair can hurt India later in the day.
ENG 363/3