Backed by superb centuries from skipper Virat Kohli and middle order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, India ended day 1 of the second Test match against England with 317 runs on the board for the loss four wickets at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara showed world class display of batting as they both struck centuries to put India in a commanding position.
Virat Kohli took 154 balls to complete his 14th Test century and his first against England. The innings so far includes 15 boundaries.
Pujara registered his 10 Test century. He scored his century off 184 balls. During his innings, Puajra also crossed the 3000-run mark in Test cricket for India.
This was Kolhi’s third Test century of the year. His previous tons in the year came up against West Indies and New Zealand. Both were converted into double centuries, making him the first Indian captain to have gone beyond the 200-run mark twice in Test matches.
Electing to bat first, Kohli and Pujara resurrected the Indian innings after England's leading pace pair James Anderson and Stuart Broad dealt early blows by sending back openers Murali Vijay (20) and Lokesh Rahul (0) early in the session.
Rahul, who returned to the playing XI after being sidelined with an injury during the last series against New Zealand, lasted only five deliveries before pacer Stuart Broad, in his very first over, induced an edge which went straight into the hands of Ben Stokes at third slip.
The visitors dealt India a second blow in the fifth over of the morning when comeback man James Anderson accounted for the wicket for in-form opener Murali Vijay.
The Chennai opener looked good for his 21-ball innings, laced with four boundaries. But Anderson took Vijay by surprise with a short ball which looped off his gloves giving a simple catch to Stokes at gully.
For England, James Anderson took three wickets and Stuart Broad managed to scalp only one.
Virat Kohli (151*) and R Ashwin (1*) were at the crease when on-field umpires called the stumps.
