India dominated the opening day of play, ending at 326/5. The home crowd witnessed a batting clinic as Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja both reached three figures, while Sarfaraz Khan made a bold statement on his debut with a quick-fire fifty. Jadeja finished the day 110 not out, joined by night-watchman Kuldeep Yadav, leaving India in a prime position to aim for 450+ on Day 2. Mark Wood provided the main resistance for England, finishing with three wickets.
Indian batters produced amazing performances, powering India to dominate Day 1 and finish on 326/5 at Stumps. It was a treat to the home crowd as Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja scored brilliant centuries while debutant Sarfaraz Khan stuck a brisk and quick fifty. Jadeja (110*) and night-watchman Kuldeep Yadav (1*) remained unbeaten, and India still has more than enough wickets to target 450 runs on Day 2. Mark Wood starred with a three-wicket haul for England.
Choosing to bat first proved risky initially, as India suffered a disastrous start. Mark Wood dealt a heavy blow early on, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 4th over with Joe Root taking a brilliant slip catch, followed immediately by a duck for Shubman Gill. The pressure mounted when Tom Hartley dismissed Rajat Patidar, leaving India struggling at 33/3 after just 8.5 overs.
Facing a crisis, captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja stabilized the innings with a phenomenal partnership. Together, they added 204 runs to shift the momentum back to India. Rohit looked back in form, scoring his 11th Test century with great elegance. However, Ben Stokes managed to break the stand by bringing Wood back into the attack, who eventually dismissed Rohit for 131 with a sharp bouncer.
The momentum continued with Sarfaraz Khan's impressive debut. He played with fearless aggression, finding the boundary frequently to reach his first Test fifty in only 48 deliveries. His innings ended at 62 following a communication error between the batters. Meanwhile, Jadeja continued his steady approach, securing his 4th Test century on home soil.