India scores 421/7 on Day 2 to push England to corner

Rahul, Jadeja put India in command

Hyderabad: On a pitch where England struggled to make runs, the Indian batters gave the visitors batting lessons. First it was KL Rahul and then all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who scored half-centuries in contrasting styles. They helped India dominate the second day”s proceedings as hosts posted massive 421/7 at stumps, taking a lead of 175 runs.

With the pitch deteriorating with each passing session, India feel that they already have enough runs to put the visitors under pressure and any runs from here on will make the task of saving the Test for England much harder. Rahul made a fine 86 (off 123; 8×4, 2×6) before falling 14 runs short of a century.

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After his dismissal, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (81 batting off 155; 7×4, 2×6) played a measured innings. Jadeja and Axar Patel (35 batting) were at the crease adding an unbroken 63 at stumps. However, India didn”t begin the proceedings on a bright note losing overnight Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first over.

Resuming at his overnight score of 76, he hit Joe Root for a boundary before giving him a simple return catch in the same over, falling for 80. New batter Rahul looked calm and composed from the beginning. With Shubman Gill, he steadied the innings scoring. Rahul hit debutant Hartley for consecutive boundaries to up the temp.

However, Gill (23) threw his wicket away in search of quick runs. The youngster tried to whip Hartley over the mid-wicket but found Ben Duckett. But at the other end, Rahul looked determined to take on the bowlers. He hit Mark Wood for three boundaries in the 36th over – one of them coming off an inside edge.

Shreyas Iyer pulled Hartley for a six over mid-wicket for his first boundary. Rahul then reached his half-century with a single off Root just before lunch. India once again lost a wicket at the start of a new session. This time it was Iyer who was holed out at the deep mid-wicket boundary off Ahmed.

The batter slog-swept the bowler straight into Hartley”s hands after adding 64 runs for the fourth wicket. But an undeterred Rahul continued in the same fashion. He joined forces with Jadeja and took the onus himself to take on the visiting bowlers. He smashed Ahmed for two sixes straight down the ground in the same over to put India in the lead in the 57th over. Jadeja joined the party hitting Leach and Hartley for sixes.

However, Rahul mistimed a Hartley”s delivery, giving a simple catch to Ahmed at deep mid-wicket. He added 65 runs for the with Jadeja. In the company of KS Bharat, Jadeja took India past 300-run mark before tea. Jadeja employed a cautious approach. He got to his half-century in 84 deliveries. Root then broke the 68-run fifth-wicket partnership by trapping Bharat (41 off 81; 3×4) in front. India lost another wicket two overs later – a mix-up between new R Ashwin and Jadeja that saw the former depart cheaply.

But Axar and Jadeja stitched an unbeaten 63-run partnership without taking any risks. The final over summed up the day as Axar hit Hartley for 4,6,4 on the final three deliveries to bring curtains on the day”s play.