India send Bairstow's big day spinning out of control

The hills of Dharamsala were alive with the sound of music but not even the eclectic blend of power ballads and dad rock that pumped out of the speakers at this postcard-perfect ground could soften the sense of dread among the England supporters.

- Ali Martin

As they sat there on day one of this bucket-list fifth Test, puffer jackets zipped up, beanie hats on, even with the stirring Kangra Valley bathed in sunshine, they witnessed Ben Stokes and his men turn in a grim performance; one that undermined the captain's rebuttal of departure lounge syndrome being a concern with India already series victors.

Plenty had gone England's way, too, not least Stokes winning the toss on a surface he felt was a "belter". Yet with the snow-capped Himalayan peaks behind him, Kuldeep Yadav delivered a bewitching five-wicket display that, along with four for Ravichandran Ashwin on his 100th Test appearance, saw the tourists bowled out for 218 in just 57.4 overs. The nadir? An afternoon avalanche of five for eight in just 36 balls. 

Consolation barely materialised before stumps either, India racing to 135 for one in 30 overs thanks to Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 52. Shoaib Bashir snared Yashasvi Jaiswal, stumped by Ben Foakes, but not before India's wunderkind had blasted three sixes from his opening over en route to 57 from 58 balls. When Shubman Gill slog-swept Tom Hartley's penultimate ball of the day into the stands, India's dominance was simply rubber-stamped.

This one-way traffic in the final session, triggered by Sharma meatily pulling Mark Wood for six, was not entirely unexpected after such a ruinous second in which England, 175 for three, went careering off the precipice. Both captains have spoken of a hard-fought series but when it comes to India's spinners versus the English middle order - a middle order now boasting three 100-cap cricketers it has been anything but.