India vs England 2020-21, 1st Test: England wins by 227 runs on Day 5, takes 1-0 lead

England was off to a terrific start as it beat India by 227 runs on Day 5 of the opening Test for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai, on Tuesday. With this win, the visitor has taken a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series, while the host would look to bounce back in the remaining Tests, as it did in Australia.

England had won the toss and elected to bat, as courtesy Joe Root's 218, it had posted a mammoth total of 578, while India was bundled out for 337, with Dominic Bess claiming a four-for. The second innings saw England posting 178 more, while India is chasing a target of 419.

Resuming at the overnight score of 39/1, the pair of Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara looked to take reasonable control of the innings, after opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for mere 12 on Day 4. However, just 19 runs later, Pujara fell for mere 15 to spinner Jack Leach, after being edged to Ben Stokes at the slips.

As skipper Virat Kohli joined Gill, the pair contributed 34 more, as the latter brought up his third Test half-century. Nonetheless, Gill fell right after, as seamer James Anderson knocked him over, followed by vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane in a similar manner, for an unfortunate duck to the same man, just a couple of deliveries later.

At the score of 110, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who scored 91 in the first innings, could only manage 11, as Anderson forced him to play it to Root at the point. All-rounder Washinton Sundar followed him just seven runs later, for an unlucky duck, after Bess compelled him to edge behind to wicketkeeper, Jos Buttler. Since then, Kohli and all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has taken control until the lunch break.

While India is still 276 runs behind, England would fancy its chances to scalp the remaining four by the next session, before tea. As for the English bowlers, four of them have been utilised, with Anderson being the most effective and the economical one.
Brief scores: England 578 & 178 (Root 40; Ashwin 6/61) leads India 337 & 144/6 (Gill 50; Anderson 3/8) 276 runs.

The post-lunch session saw Kohli and Ashwin resume at 144/6. However, 27 runs later, the latter departed for mere nine to Leach, as he edged it behind to Buttler.

Although Kohli had brought up his 24th Test half-century, he failed to get going, as, at the score of 179, he was knocked over for 72 by Stokes. The incoming batsmen could not do anything further, as Shahbaz Nadeem (0) and Jasprit Bumrah (4) were dismissed by Leach and pacer Jofra Archer, while England secured a win by 227 runs.

As for the English bowlers, four of them were utilised, with Leach being the most effective. Meanwhile, Anderson was the most economical, with an economy of just 1.50 in 11 overs.
Brief scores: England 578 & 178 (Root 40; Ashwin 6/61) defeats India 337 & 192 (Gill 50, Kohli 72; Leach, 4/76, Anderson 3/17) by 227 runs.