England made to toil by sensational Rishabh Pant

SAM MORSHEAD AT EDGBASTON: The wicketkeeper was in sublime touch, jumping seamlessly between defence and attack to carve England's bowlers all around the Birmingham ground

Edgbaston (first day of five): India 338-7 v England

Scorecard

Rishabh Pant's brilliant hundred lifted India from a position of real fragility to one of comfort on an entertaining first day at Edgbaston.

Pant made 146 from 111 balls, and shared in a sixth-wicket stand worth 222 with Ravindra Jadeja, as India recovered from 98 for 5 to end the rain-interrupted day 338 for 7.

The wicketkeeper was in sublime touch, jumping seamlessly between defence and attack to carve England's bowlers all around the Birmingham ground.

He reached his half-century in 51 balls, and his fifth Test hundred in 89 - the fastest in a Test at this venue, and the fastest by an Indian keeper ever - as the home side toiled on a pitch which quickly became docile. 

Jadeja, meanwhile, finished the day 83 not out, an understated but important innings, as England lost their way in the final session and India found themselves motoring towards a sizable total. Two late wickets changed the complexion of the match again, but it will be the away side who are happier given their timid performance in the first two hours of play.

Under grey Birmingham skies, and given England's success chasing in the fourth innings against New Zealand, it was not a surprise that Stokes opted to give India's batsmen a thorough exam on the first morning.

^{Rishabh Pant made a superb century at Edgbaston [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

While the tourists were relatively raw after a modest lead-up to the series, which included a mediocre display with the bat against Leicestershire, the backup opening pair of Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara muddled their way through the first half-hour.

As Gill began to find his rhythm and Pujara put up a characteristically obdurate defence, there was an early worry for England that neither pitch nor ball were offering the sort of movement that would have hoped for - and might typically expect.

It was only when Gill - somewhat set on 17 - opted to play a sixth-stump line to a delivery from James Anderson which moved away slightly, took the edge and floated into the hands of Zak Crawley at second slip, that the hosts found inspiration.

Once one was down, others followed at regular intervals.

While Crawley gave Hanuma Vihari a life, spilling a tough chance diving one-handed to his right off Matt Potts, Pujara was soon to go. Crawley again was the catcher, again off Anderson, who got the ball to hold its line after shaping in to the right-hander. 

Vihari and Virat Kohli's third-wicket partnership was interrupted by a two-hour rain break, and Vihari did not last long after the resumption, as he was trapped lbw by Potts, playing neither forward nor back. With the ball striking his front pad below the knee roll in front of off stump, Kohli told his partner not to bother with a review.

^{Pant's innings was pivotal as India recovered from 98 for 5 [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

Kohli himself never looked fluent. He appeared hesitant in his decision-making, ending up with his bat dangling dangerously in No Man's Land. It nearly caused his undoing from the first ball after the rain delay, when Potts' rising delivery caught the underside of the bat and careered past leg stump, but he didn't take heed of the warning and was dismissed in similar fashion early in the afternoon session.

Potts was again the bowler, this time with a fuller-length delivery which Kohli opted to leave at the last minute. Unable to lift the blade out of the way in time, he succeeded only in redirecting the ball onto his stumps. 

That was 71 for 4, and India lost their fifth wicket before reaching 100 when Shreyas Iyer was caught one-handed down the legside jumping monkey style by Sam Billings. England had an opportunity to ram home their advantage, but they were blunted by the fearless counter-attacking capabilities of Rishabh Pant.

Pant showed the situation would have no impact on his approach by charging down the wicket at Anderson to his fourth delivery, and was soon into his full repertoire - driving particularly nicely through the offside against the quicks, and willing to take on Jack Leach down the ground, as Stokes opted to keep his field up. 

With Ravindra Jadeja providing excellent support - and probably the shots of the day in the shape of on drives for four off Stuart Broad - the visitors finally recovered their balance. Pant sauntered his way to a 51-ball half-century before letting the handbrake off after tea.

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^{England celebrate the late wicket of Pant [Geoff Paddick/AFP via Getty Images]}

The keeper took a particular liking to Leach, using his feet with good effect and depositing the left-arm spinner down the ground for six on three occasions. 

He produced similar treatment for Joe Root when the former England captain was thrown the ball, but in attempting one slog sweep too many edged through to Crawley at slip with 35 minutes remaining of the day's play.

The wicket buoyed England, whose evening session had been plagued by erratic bowling, and they cashed in one more time before the close.

Stokes finally found a reward for a barrage of short-pitched bowling with a steaming delivery that took the glove of Shardul Thakur and nestled in Billings' gloves.

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