The Indian national cricket team will host the England national cricket team in the fourth match of the five-match Test series. The deciding match of the virtual series between the teams began on Friday (February 23) at the Jharkhand Cricket Association Complex in Ranchi.
Day 1 of the fourth match of the five-match Test series saw an amazing contest between bat and ball as both teams had their moments in the game. It looked like India would dominate the game from the kind of start they got off to. But England retreated drastically.
With the kind of cricket that was on display on Day 1 of the Ranchi Test, it is safe to say that the game will be heading towards an exciting finish. England won the toss and opted to bat first and made a valiant start with the bat. However, things changed drastically after that.
Ben Duckett (11) and Zak Crawley (42) added 47 runs to the opening partnership and looked set to post a big total. However, debutant Akash Deep changed the game in India’s fortunes. He removed both openers along with Ollie Pope to duck and left the visitors falling at 57/3.
Joe Root held one end as the wickets around him continued to fall. Jonny Bairstow (38) and Ben Stokes (3) perished early as England reeled at 112/5 at the end of the first session. Root, along with Ben Foakes, then made sure to bring England back into the game.
The duo added 113 runs together as England finished session 2 wicketless. While Ben Foakes perished for 47 runs, Root hit a magnificent ton and ensured England surpassed 300 runs at stumps on Day 1, which at one point seemed difficult.
Joe Root hit 106 runs off 122 balls with the help of 9 fours in his innings. His brave innings helped England finish Day 1 with 302/7. Ollie Robinson (31*) supported him well and the visitors finished the first day of the match on a high.
IND vs ENG: Launch Report and Weather Report for Day 2
Speaking after the end of Day 1 of the Ranchi Test, debutant Akash Deep provided an update on the field. He said the surface offered help to the pacers early on, but the ball became soft as the game progressed. He also claimed that the wicket was also slow. In statements to the stations, he explained:
“There was a little help at the beginning but the ball became soft and the wicket was slow too. “We just try to stay as tight as possible and bowl in the right areas.”
Akash Deep’s comments on the field suggest that the spinners will come into play on day 2 of the game. Indian spinners picked two wickets on Day 1. It won’t be a surprise if the hosts start spinners in the morning session.
Talking about the weather in Ranchi, tomorrow (February 24) is expected to be a sunny day. It is expected that the temperature will be around 22° and the humidity will be around 44% during the day. No cloud cover is expected and precipitation is forecast to be 0%.