Swann fights lone battle against India

Graeme Swann single-handedly kept England in contention on the opening day of the first Test by removing four prime India wickets to prevent them from running riot in Ahmedabad. It was just a pity for England, on a dry and dusty pitch already taking turn, that he did not have any specialist spin support.

India finished a gripping first day of this keenly-anticipated four-Test series on 323 for 4, with Cheteshwar Pujara 98 not out and holding the innings together after a brilliant 117-ball 117 by Virender Sehwag. Swann, denied his frontline spin partner Monty Panesar by a contentious selection decision, toiled through 32 exemplary overs to take 4 for 85.

Sehwag, supposedly struggling for form, swept with majestic nonchalance to his 23rd Test hundred and first for two years, and dominated a first wicket stand of 134 with Gautam Gambhir, who made 45 before being bowled by Swann attempting to cut.

After India had won an important toss, Sehwag cut, deflected, drove and swatted his way to 50 from 45 balls and then 100 from 90. India were 120 without loss at lunch and reached 200 in the 46th over before England – chiefly through Swann but with Jimmy Anderson as a willing accomplice as he strived for even a modicum of reverse swing with the older ball – rallied bravely.

Swann bowled Sehwag (1x6, 15x4) through an over-optimistic slog-sweep and then, just before tea, the off spinner claimed the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar when the great batsman, on 13, advanced down the pitch and miscued an intended big hit to be caught at deep mid wicket by Samit Patel.

England, with Swann and Anderson in tandem, did their utmost to apply the squeeze as India, who were 250 for 3 at tea, managed just three runs in the first seven overs after the interval. Pujara, who had glided to fifty from 67 balls, was becalmed and Virat Kohli took 30 balls to get off the mark before straight driving an ineffectual Stuart Broad for four.

Tim Bresnan, included by England as a third seamer instead of opting for Panesar as one of their four frontline bowlers, looked toothless at military medium on a slow, low surface and it was no surprise that Swann was the man to take India’s fourth wicket too when he spun one sharply through Kohli’s defence to bowl him for 19.

England's fielding and catching was below-par all day, with Jonathan Trott spilling Kohli at slip off Swann - and then quizzically seeming to claim to catch after rolling over on the ball - Matt Prior failing to hold a tough legside chance offered by Sehwag on 80 off Anderson in the over before he missed stumping Gambhir moments before Swann bowled him, and then Anderson mis-judging a leading edge offered by Pujara on 8 against Bresnan which looped harmlessly over his head at mid on.

Patel’s left-arm spin was employed for much of the final session, but the Nottinghamshire all-rounder is a batsman first and bowler second and, though tidy enough, he could not provide the threat that Swann so wanted and deserved at the other end. Swann's second wicket, by the way, took him past Jim Laker's previous record for an England off spinner of 193 Test scalps.

England did well to restrict India to 73 runs from 32 overs in the final session, but with Kohli the only wicket to fall it was the home country who now hold all the cards. The puff of dust, as the surface of the pitch was disturbed by the ball which defeated Kohli, is ominous indeed for Alastair Cook’s team.
 

Date: 15/11/2012 11:25:30 by TheCricketer
In: Today | England |