ENG VS IND 1ST TEST

Right then folks, Test cricket is well and truly alive and time and again we are reminded that it is the ultimate test for any international cricketer and what a coincidence to see two giants of the game getting defeated on their home turf against sides that looked down and out early in the game but managed to pull off miraculous wins and this game is a great humbler as well. We have a long five-match Test series but England have done what they needed to do and have got a headstart against the formidable Indian side. Next up, the caravan moves to Visakhapatnam for the 2nd Test match and that game will begin on 2nd February at 9.30 am IST (4 am GMT). However, you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up to that one. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Ollie Pope is the Player of the Match for his sensational knock in the second innings. Pope says that to come here to India, probably the toughest place for an overseas batter and to play like that, it feels great. Adds that he got a bit lucky in the second innings as he played and missed a few and wanted to cover the inside edge and looked to employ both the sweeps. Mentions that he changed his technique slightly for this series and he also had shoulder surgery not long ago and it turned out better from the last time he was here probably 3 years back. Ends by saying that his family would be watching back home and they would be proud.

Ben Stokes the skipper of England says that this win has been their greatest triumph since he was made captain. He adds on by saying that he is a great observer and he observed how the Indian spinners operated in the first innings and wanted to implement the same when they came out to bowl. When asked about Tom, he says that there is a lot of effort been done for him, everyone has backed him up to do well and he has proven to be a great asset and hopefully continues to do the same for them. He adds that Ollie Pope’s inning is the reason they won the game and says that it has to be the best overseas innings by an English batter till now. He finally says that the series is a long one but it's always a good thing to start well and they will be looking to continue this in the upcoming games.

The Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma says that the game was played over four days and it is hard to blame one thing but to bottle a lead of 190 runs was heartbreaking. He then goes on to applaud Ollie Pope and says that it is one of the best innings he has seen by an overseas batter in India and thinks that 230 was gettable and they didn't bat well. Adds that at the end of the day, you analyze what went well and didn't go well and they did realize that the bowlers executed their plans but Pope simply batted really well. Goes on to say that he wanted the last pair to take the game into Day 5 but in reality, the lower order showed character and did a much better job than the top order and they wanted to take chances and it just didn't happen and there's a long way to go.

The Presentation ceremony...

The star with the ball for England and the debutant, Tom Hartley is down for a chat. He says that he is very happy and it's still not sunk in till now. He adds that after the first innings, he understood that it is hard work and tough to survive in this standard but the dressing room has been very kind and very good and the skipper has been very supportive in this journey and he is very thankful to everyone for this chance. He adds that the first and the last wickets mean a lot as they take off the pressure. He finishes by saying that reading the game and length is going to be a key on such wickets.

Earlier in the game, Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first on a track that turned a bit from Day 1 and the spinners were always in the game. It was a shoddy display with the bat from England in the first innings and it required a rescue effort from the skipper and a few other batters to take them to a meager total of 246 runs. All Indian bowlers apart from Mohammed Siraj bowled well and contributed with wickets after which Yashasvi Jaiswal came out firing late on Day 1 and made a quickfire 50. Day 2 belonged to the hosts as well as we saw three batters get into the 80s and a few good partnerships took them to 421 runs, with a lead of 190 runs in the bag. At that point, it looked like even an innings wouldn't be far-fetched for India but the English batters fought well and Ollie Pope who was given a bit of stick for playing with jarring hands in the first innings, turned the game completely on its head. The English vice-captain ended just 4 short of what would have been a stellar double hundred but in the end, it was enough for his side to get over the line.

Coming into the final session on Day 4, India were 95/3 and not in much trouble but they were certainly extra watchful. This allowed the English spinners to bowl the way did and keep piling on the pressure by drying up the runs and soon, 95/3 became 119/7. England were on the verge of a win and at that time, they wouldn't have thought that the game would go into Extra Time on Day 4 and in the very last over of extra time as well but it did as KS Bharat and Ravichandran Ashwin put on a gritty stand with the former really playing beautifully. Once Bharat got out though after a 57-run stand, things went downhill again for the hosts and they were 9 down quickly. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj then hung around playing a few false shots like tailenders do but ate away a few runs as well. Tom Hartley though just kept his head down and with the captain's complete faith in him, got that elusive wicket and Ben Stokes and his men notched up a famous win. This win feels extra special as this is only the 4th Test match India have lost at home since 2013 and they have played 47 Tests for those four losses.

WHAT A TEST MATCH WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED! This has been a Test match of epic proportions and it is England who have pulled themselves from the abyss and have taken a  crucial 1-0 lead in the five-match series and these are the matches the players and the fans live for. To be honest, cricketing fans all over the globe have not witnessed one but two fantastic Test matches, one of which concluded a few hours earlier with West Indies defeating Australia at the fortress that is Gabba in unreal fashion and now India and England going toe-to-toe, round after round and just when it looked like the Knockout punch won't come on Day 4, Mohammed Siraj lost his cool and Tom Hartley turned his worst nightmare into a dream debut with 7 wickets in the final innings.

OUT! STUMPED! That is all over and England has grabbed an extraordinary win! Tom Hartley gets another wicket and this time it's Mohammed Siraj. Tossed up ball outside the line of the off stump and Mohammed Siraj steps down and looks to heave the ball hard but the extra turn and bounce in the ball rushes past the bat towards Ben Foakes behind the stumps who clips the bails off and England wins the first test match of the series and move up 1-0.

Tosses the ball up on the off stump. Mohammed Siraj takes the front foot out and gets beaten by the turn.

One last over left in the day and the two batters taking their time to ensure it is in fact the final over of the day. Will we see something special here? Or will the Test match miraculously move into Day 5? Let's find out.

Hits the length on top of the off-stump line. Jasprit Bumrah blocks it off the front foot to keep Mark Wood out.

Leg bye! Pitches the ball outside the line of the off stump. Mohammed Siraj takes the front foot out and gets a hit on the pads and the batter run another leg bye from covers.

Hits the length hard on top of the stumps. Jasprit Bumrah flicks the ball to the right of mid on and runs a single.

Pitches the ball up on the off stump line. Jasprit Bumrah taps it back to the bowler.

Leg bye. Hits the length hard again on the stumps. Mohammed Siraj gets a hit high on the thigh pads and the batter run a quick single. Mark Wood runs towards the ball and flicks it with his left foot to hit the stumps. The third Umpire is called in and the replay shows that Jasprit Bumrah has made his ground.