Spinner Axar Patel claimed six wickets as India skittled out England for 112 on day one of a crucial day-night third Test in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Patel, who recorded his second haul of five or more wickets in just his second Test, combined with Ravichandran Ashwin to end England’s innings in 48.4 overs in the world’s biggest cricket stadium.
India’s innings witnessed a power cut with most of the new LED lights at the revamped stadium going off for two minutes after which play resumed.
India reached five for no loss at dinner with Rohit Sharma, on five, and Shubman Gill at the crease.
Gill survived a scare when he was caught at second slip off fast bowler Stuart Broad but replays suggested that Ben Stokes had grassed the ball while taking the catch.
Earlier Zak Crawley top-scored with 53 after England elected to bat first. Captain Joe Root (17) Ben Foakes (12) and Jofra Archer (11) also got into double figures.
The England batting fell apart after fast bowler Ishant Sharma, playing his 100th Test, struck first with the wicket of Dom Sibley for nought in the third over of the day.
Crawley put on 47 runs with Root for the third wicket to put up some resistence but Ashwin claimed the England captain with his off spin.
Root reviewed the call but replays showed the ball would have hit the top of leg stump and he left the field to the loud cheers of the home crowd.
England took tea at 81 for four and wickets kept falling in the second session.
Foakes stood guard for 58 balls before Patel bowled the wicketkeeper-batsman to wrap up the innings. Ashwin took three wickets.
England, looking to bounce back from a 317-run defeat, have brought back their pace duo of James Anderson and Archer in the team.
The four-match series is level at 1-1.
112 - England have posted their lowest ever 1st innings Test score in India (112 all out). Spin. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Po84zXLq7m
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) February 24, 2021
Indian players taking ‘Vocal for Local’ a little too seriously. Ashwin in Chennai. Axar in Ahmedabad 🥳🤩 #IndvEng
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 24, 2021
It’s the non spinning deliveries that England haven’t been able to play ... Scars from the 2nd Test me thinks ... England just don’t have enough skilled players in these conditions ... #INDvENG
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 24, 2021
So, seven wickets lost to ‘the one that goes straight on’. Possibly eight if we count Broad. In fairness, it’s usually good enough for me as well.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) February 24, 2021
This is not a 112 all out pitch. England's batting has been poor, has carried an air of inevitability.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 24, 2021
Lowest totals by visiting teams in the first innings of a Test in India:
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) February 24, 2021
106 : Bangladesh, Kolkata, 2019 (1st pink ball Test in India)
112 : England, Ahmedabad, 2021* (2nd pink ball Test in India)#INDvENG
Mesmeric from India's spinners (there's not a bad ball to hit), but it has coincided with feeble batting from England. Looks like they haven't got the last Test out of their system.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) February 24, 2021
1 - @akshar2026 has become the 1st Indian spinner to take a five-wicket haul in D/N Tests; he's only the 6th spinner to record a five-wicket haul in such fixtures. Pink. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/zr89AkgyPJ
— OptaJeev (@OptaJeev) February 24, 2021
Two extremes working together & completely bamboozling English batsmen. The fact that this is a turner, so some turning big, but the extra lacquer on this pink ball is also getting it to skid quickly off the pitch.#PinkballTest
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) February 24, 2021
This is only the second time since Cricinfo's ball-by-ball data began in 2001 that spinners have taken five wickets in the first 30 overs of the opening innings of a Test match. The previous instance was when Afghanistan's spinners took six in the first 30 v Ireland, March 2019.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) February 24, 2021
This has got a 90s feel to it if you ignore the pink ball
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) February 24, 2021
Maybe the pitch for the second Test wasn’t why England lost after all?
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) February 24, 2021
5 days old, and my son just witnessed his first England batting collapse.
— Capel Lofft (@CapelLofft) February 24, 2021
Welcome to the rest of your life my boy