The opening day of the first Test match between India and England at Headingley, Leeds, has turned out to be a disaster for the home team. The choice made by Ben Stokes to bowl at a batting-friendly track appears to backfire against him, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill demonstrating a powerful partnership. Jaiswal, especially, has been dazzling, demolishing his fifth century in Tests and sending up England’s bowling in sessions one and two.
The Indian opener has also registered a century, and the bowler of the English team has been unable to check him. The bowling attack of Stokes is facing pressure, and the hosts are in a dilemma to take wickets. England had it even worse in the fact that they were penalized with only a few runs to the tea stoppage on Day 1, and they had to be rewarded with five runs by India.
Penalty Runs Add to England’s Woes
The penalty runs were added following an error by the second slip fielder of England, Harry Brook. Brook deflected one ball against the helmets that had been left behind the keeper, Jamie Smith, which gave India a five-run penalty. It occurred in the fifth ball of the 51st over by Ben Stokes. Like Joe Root, Stokes too appeared confused at the ruling and this further put England in agony.
On the field, umpires would discuss how many runs to give, checking that the batsmen had run a single. But it was decided that both Jaiswal and Gill had not run and India was given just the five penalties. This incident has since compounded England miseries and they will have the wish of regrouping on Day 2 and making a good comeback.
The hosts are already finding it hard against the onslaught of batting by Jaiswal and Gill and the penalty runs have compounded the matter. It is in this direction that England will have to revise their approach and give them a strategy of attacking the Indian batsmen in case they are to hit back and come up in the match.
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