An England v India five-fer: Day 1, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge

England v India 2018 tour

1 INDIA SHOW MORE GUTS UP FRONT

While the partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli headlined a good day for India the way their openers played in the first hour would have been a massive boost to a team that had their backs against the wall after a desperately poor effort at Lord’s. Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul did not put in a flawless display but they left a lot better than they did in the first Test and showed more appetite for the fight.

2 A RARE MISS FOR THE HUNDRED KING KOHLI

Kohli was fuming to not add a 16th Test century as India captain to his collection but might take heart from an innings that hes set the tourists up well in a match they have to win to stay alive in the series. With the ball doing a fair bit and Kohli still carrying a niggle from the second Test there may have been a concern that the wicket of Lokesh Rahul would trigger a collapse but India would build an innings of the back of the skipper’s efforts.

3 WHAT A WAY TO GET OFF THE MARK

Rishabh Pant became the twelfth man in the history of Test cricket and the first Indian to score his first runs with a maximum. Pant lashed a gorgeous straight six off the bowling of Rashid signalling his intent to play his natural aggressive game. The hit will come as no surprise to followers of his first class career where he averages two sixes per innings.

4 RASHID GETS HIS BUNNY WITH A TURNER

In a moment that will offer some vindication for England selector Ed Smith Rashid was the man to remove Kohli with a ball that turned more than almost any before it in the Test so far and took the edge of the skipper’s bat through to first slip where Stokes. Rahsid has dismissed Kohli four times in Test cricket and was picked for the team partially because of his brilliant ball that bowled Kohli in the ODI series.

5 THE EYES HAVEN’T GONE JUST YET

Alastair Cook took a stunning catch to prove he still has something to offer the England slip corden, who haven’t been in the best of touch in this series so far. Cook made up for wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s lack of movement to snap up a super grab that sent Rahane packing and brought England back into the contest after a huge partnership threatened to give India the edge. Cook’s batting form has been the subject of some criticism but so has his slip fielding and he might be more relieved than excited.

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