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India openers make solid start against England in must-win Test / Photo: © AFP
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India openers make solid start against England in must-win Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul got India off to a solid start against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday in a must-win fourth Test for the tourists.
India, sent in to bat by England captain Ben Stokes, were 78-0 at lunch on the first day, with left-hander Jaiswal 36 not out and Rahul unbeaten on 40.
The tourists have to win at Old Trafford, something they have never managed in nine previous Tests at the Manchester ground, if they are to level the five-match series.
An overcast morning and green-tinged pitch encouraged Stokes to break with history by bowling first after the coin fell in his favour.
No team winning the toss and bowling first has ever won a Test at Old Trafford.
Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer subjected Jaiswal and Rahul to several testing overs early on.
Jaiswal was fortunate when he edged the sixth ball of the day, from Woakes, through the slips for four.
Woakes' seven previous Tests at Old Trafford had yielded 35 wickets at just 17.37 apiece.
But when the Warwickshire all-rounder dropped short, Rahul, fresh from a century in India's 22-run defeat in the third Test at Lord's, pulled him in front of square for a resounding boundary.
And when Woakes over-pitched, Jaiswal off-drove him for four.
Archer, after a miserly opening spell in which he conceded just seven runs in five overs, was replaced by Brydon Carse.
The need for England to maintain an accurate line and length, despite the helpful conditions, was emphasised when Rahul square-cut a short and wide Carse delivery outside off stump for a stylish four.
Stokes, player of the match at Lord's and a renowned partnership breaker, brought himself on in a bid to end India's first-wicket stand.
When Archer returned for a second spell, Jaiswal was hurried by a short ball which he inadvertently ramped for four as he sank to his knees when seemingly trying to evade the delivery.
But there was no doubting Jaiswal's intentions when he deliberately uppercut a short and wide Stokes delivery high over the cordon for six.
Stokes persisted with an all-pace attack with spinner Liam Dawson, playing his first Test in eight years following an injury to Shoaib Bashir, not deployed before lunch.
A. de Almeida--JDB
