Effective England bowlers get the job done on Day 1

Six wickets in a day usually doesn't go in the win column after a day's play. England would disagree though.

Lest we forget, this is probably the most lopsidedly inexperienced English bowling attack to be touring India ever. And even though India didn't exactly justify winning the toss, it doesn't make the pitch any less of a batting paradise. Yet James Anderson got one wicket, Tom Hartley got one, while the debutant Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed picked up two wickets each. One more wicket, and England can hope to restrict India to under 400, a score their Bazball batters are perfectly capable of overrunning in three sessions.

Which only heightens the intrigue at the discipline with which England's bowling conducted itself, respecting their limitations but not giving an inch to India. On one hand was Anderson, probing away tirelessly till something gave. And on the other hand were the other three specialist spinners trying to prey on vulnerabilities.

Like how Bashir trapped Rohit Sharma. First ball of his over, Sharma came down to defend. Next ball was tossed up so he clipped it towards square leg. But the third delivery was a flat quick off-break, pitching outside off and spinning in sharply.