India came out strong on the opening day, controlling the game in both innings. The squad, led by Rohit Sharma, finished the day's play at 119/1, leaving them 127 runs behind England. The highlight was Yashasvi Jaiswal's explosive 76* off 70 deliveries, a fearless approach that mirrored England's 'Bazball' philosophy. He was well-accompanied by Shubman Gill, who ended the day unbeaten on 14. Earlier in the match, India's spinners ran the show, bowling England out for 246, with both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja securing three wickets each.
Team India stamped its authority, dominating the Day 1 play with both bat and ball. Rohit Sharma-led men showcased their batting prowess, finishing the day at 119/1, trailing England by 127 runs. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played an explosive unbeaten inning of 70-ball 76, giving England their own medicine of ’Bazball’. Shubman Gill gave Jaiswal good support with an unbeaten on 14. Earlier, Indian spinners dominated the proceedings and bowled out England for 246. Senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets each.
While Ben Stokes' decision to bat first looked correct early on—thanks to a 55-run opening partnership between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett—India's disciplined bowling soon turned the tide. The momentum shifted when Ashwin caught Duckett LBW for 35. Then, Jadeja dismissed Ollie Pope for 1, and Ashwin quickly followed up by removing Crawley for 20 in the next over.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow attempted to stabilize the innings with a 61-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but Axar Patel halted their progress by bowling out Bairstow for 27. Soon after, Jadeja claimed the vital wicket of Root for 29. England's captain, Ben Stokes, managed to fight back with a stubborn 70-run effort before being cleaned up by a superb delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Both Bumrah and Axar finished with two wickets each.
India's response began strongly, with Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma racing to 80 runs in just 12 overs. The momentum slowed when Jack Leach took the key wicket of captain Rohit Sharma for 24. Despite this, India remains in a commanding position and will aim to build a significant first-innings lead tomorrow.