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\nAnd in truth, India aside at the start of 2024, they have not encountered batting line-ups known for their aggression with the bat.
\nThat new tendency to be expensive was most on show today in a damaging afternoon session as Jaiswal and Gill punished occasional spells of ill-disciplined bowling. India piled on 123 runs at 4.85 runs per over as England were run ragged. Woakes had a probing start to the day but was put to the sword under the afternoon sun, leaking 38 runs from his six middle-session overs. Carse, the standout England seamer before lunch, conceded 35 from six overs after the interval, while Tongue went at a comparatively frugal four runs per over. Too often, the pressure valve was released.
\nIt is a new challenge for England. For decades, their ability to keep things quiet even if wicket-taking opportunities have been hard to come by, has almost been a given. Across a five-Test series there will always be days when bat dominates ball and wickets are hard to come by in the field. The danger for England is that the opposition makes too much ground in those periods between wicket-taking opportunities.
\nThere were some bright sparks for England. Bashir bowled with decent control, continuing his good work from the Trent Bridge Test, while Stokes again looked sharp. If anything, the England skipper was England’s best bowler on show. Given the need to manage his return to full fitness, that is not an ideal position to be in after the first day of potentially era-defining 10-Test stretch.
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