Haseeb shines as India survive last day scare
India v England, First Test Match
India survived a late scare from England as the two sides drew a high-scoring first test in Rajkot on Sunday 13 November.
After struggling with the bat in Bangladesh, England adapted well to conditions on the opening day to take control of the test, with Lancashire's 19-year-old England debutant Haseeb Hameed making an assured start to international life with a composed 32 before Joe Root and Moeen Ali shared a fifth-wicket stand of 179.
Root, who made 124, and Ali, who made 117, were ably supported by Ben Stokes who produced an explosive 128 as England scored an imposing 537 all out.
India, the number one ranked test side, began their response to England’s score well with Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara both making centuries in a stand of 209 before being dismissed by England’s spin duo of Adil Rashid and Zafar Ansari late on the third day.
Virat Kohli fell in bizarre fashion to Rashid as India’s middle order collapsed, with the Indian captain standing too far back to a ball from the leg-spinner and treading on his own stumps.
It was left to India’s tail to bring the hosts closer to England’s first innings total, as Ravichandran Ashwin and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha shared 64 before a last-wicket stand of 29 pushed India to 488 all out, 49 runs behind.
Hameed, only the second teenager to play for England since 1949, made an impressive half-century on his way to 82 in England’s second innings whilst captain Alastair Cook made his 30th test ton before declaring on 260-3 to leave India chasing 310 from a maximum of 49 overs.
Since India’s last defeat on home soil they have won 12 out of 13 tests, yet an unlikely defeat looked on the cards when India fell to 71-4 with 25 overs to go after Rashid took the key wickets of Vijay and Pujara, taking his tally to seven for the match.
India captain Virat Kohli showed his international experience and took the game out of England’s reach on his way to making a gritty 49 not out, and despite the late wickets of Saha and Ashwin India finished on 172-6 as the match ended in a draw.
The second test of the five-match series takes place in Visakhapatnam on Thursday 17 November, and you can follow the fixture live from our Match Centre.
GALLERY: India v England, First Test Match
Watch Test cricket in Manchester in 2017
England return to Manchester to go head to head against South Africa in the Fourth Investec Test Match at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday 4 August.
The Three Lions, who currently lie fourth in the ICC Test Rankings, will no doubt look to climb the table in 2017 with a victory at Emirates Old Trafford ... but with South Africa's dominating performance against Australia which saw the Kangaroos all out for just 85 - this will no doubt be an incredible Test Match at the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club.
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