Rajkot: It was not the best of days that India have had recently in their home conditions. As predicted, toss played a crucial role and Alastair Cook won it and decided to bat first which wasn’t a surprise at all.

India played three spinners and two seamers in Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami, there was no Ishant Sharma. It was always going to be difficult for the bowlers on Day 1 of the Test match and it looked even worse when England got off to a solid start, of course helped by Indian fielding and catching. Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay dropped three catches of both the openers in the first session itself. As a result, the openers put on a stand of 47. Indians did come back in the session but not before England went past 100 run mark. At lunch the visitors were three wickets down.

And then game changing partnership came to the England team’s rescue. Joe Root and Moeen Ali put together a 179 runs, the highest partnership by a visiting team since the start of the home season - to revive England from a tricky 102 for 3 as they became the first visiting time to score at least 300 in the last 20 innings in India.

Root hardly put a foot wrong during his brilliant knock. He looked fluent and even the odd ball which kept low met the middle of Root’s bat. When Root reached hundred off the 154th ball he faced, England were 222 for 3. Moeen backed him and had completed his own half century till then.

Under dramatic circumstances, Root was dismissed, but the replays suggested that Umesh Yadav had lost control of the ball while he threw the ball for celebration, the TV umpire stayed with the soft call of out by the on-field umpire.

Stokes and Ali did not allow any further hindrance in their dominance of the day’s play and remained unbeaten till stumps on Day 1. It was a day that was dominated by the England Team except say perhaps the first session when Ravichandra Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja made some enrolls.

By the end of Day 1 England 311/4

Virat and Co. need to pull up their socks on the second day because if England get past 550 then it’s going to be really tough for the India as they would be batting fourth in the match. Will it be spin magic again for India? Or will pace wrap up the England middle and lower order? Or will England surprise India and dominate Day 2 as well?

Day 2 will be another interesting day of cricket and a feast for cricket lovers.