Kuldeep Yadav in action during Dharamsala Test© AFP
It was a sensational performance from spinner Kuldeep Yadav as he took a five-wicket haul to put India in control on Day 1 of the fifth Test match against England in Dharamsala on Thursday. The left-arm wrist spinner was in tremendous form as he finished with figures of 5/72 to bundle out England for just 218 after a solid start. In the process, Kuldeep became the fastest Indian cricket team bowler to take 50 Test wickets with respect to ball taken. Kuldeep took just 1871 balls to reach the milestone with Axar Patel (2205) and Jasprit Bumrah (2520) behind him in the list. This was also the first time in India’s Test history that a bowler was able to complete 50 Test wickets by bowling less than 2000 deliveries.
After the spin tango of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, fifties by openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal took India to a commanding 135 for one on Day 1 of the fifth Test against England.
Skipper Rohit (52 batting, 83 balls) and Jaiswal (57, 58b) plundered 104 runs for the opening wicket in just 20.4 overs as India swiftly closed in on England’s first innings total of 218 all out.
India now trail by 83 runs.
Jaiswal got out soon after his fifty, getting stumped by Ben Foakes off off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. Shubman Gill was giving company to Rohit at 26 not out.
Kuldeep (5/72) and 100th Test man Ashwin (4/51) shared nine wickets among them as England were bundled out for a woeful total in their first innings.
Ravindra Jadeja also took a wicket as the Indian spin troika shared all the 10 English wickets.
For England, Zak Crawley offered the lone point of fight with a 108-ball 79.
(With PTI inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article
