Fast bowler Akash Deep bowled a dream opening spell on Test debut as India left England struggling at 112 for 5 at lunch on the opening day of the fourth Test in Ranchi on Friday. (IND Vs ENG Blog | Scorecard | Streaming)
Akash Deep, however, had to wait for a bit for his three-wicket burst of Ben Duckett (11), Ollie Pope (0) and Zak Crawley (42) in a span of 10 balls.
Akash Deep had figures of 3/24, while Ravichandran Ashwin (1/17) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) grabbed the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes respectively as Engl𝕴and lost half of their side in 24.1 overs.
Akash Deep was right on the money from the start and even uprooted Crawley's off-stump in his secon❀d over of the day🌃, but was guilty of overstepping.
But senior pacer Mohammed Siraj struggled to get his s༺wing going as the English opening duo had it easy ag🔯ainst him.
Crawley, in particular, counter-attacked Siraj smashing him for three consecutive boundaries and then pulled him 🌺over midwicket for a six.
From being dropped on 4, Crawley cruised to 32 o♏ff 32 balls, forcing Rohit Sharma to bring in spin -- Ravindra Jadeja -- from the far end.
But it was Akash Deep who seized the momentum in an eventful 10th over which produced two wickets and𒉰 witnessed two reviews with one going🎃 India's way.
Akash൲ Deep's maiden wicket was Duckett. He tempted the batter to nick the ball that ni🅰pped away slightly after pitching.
The credit for Akash Deep's second wicket a ball later should go to Dhruv Jurel as the wicketkeeper convin🌃ced Rohit to take 😼a reivew.
Pope stepped out to Akღash Deep but was beaten by an incoming delivery that h𓃲it him on the knee roll and on review he was given out, LBW.
In the next ball, Root was also beaten with a ball that nipped back i💜n as India took another review but it was outside the off-stump.
In the next over, Akash Deep returned to finally take the wick𒁏et of Crawley in an identical manner by hitting th🐓e top of the off-stump as he ended his opening spell with brilliant figures of 7-0-24-3.
Thereafter, there was a moment of semblance for England when Bairstow and Root consoꦚlidated in a 50-plus partnership.
Struggling for form, Bairstow hit some elegant bo🍷undaries (four) and hit a six before throwing his wicket away.
Bairstow was trapped in front by Ashwin while playing that dangerous sweep shꦆot and India took another exceꦰptional review.
The wicket handed Ashswin a rare feat as he became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wicke🅠ts agai꧃nst England.
Jadeja then took the wick﷽et of England skipper at the stroke of lunch𝓀.
