1st Test: India v England at Mohali, 3-7 Dec 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: India v England at Mohali, 3-7 Dec 2001
Stephen Lamb

England 1st innings: Early breakthrough for India, Strong start for England, England in control, England make solid progress , First Test evenly poised, India take control, England innings folds,

HARBHAJAN TAKES FIVE AS ENGLAND ARE ALL OUT FOR 238

India took the initiative on day one of the first Test against England at Mohali, after the tourists were reduced from the promising position of 172 for 2 to 238 all out. At the close India had reached 24 for 1 in reply.

England lost their ninth wicket when Richard Dawson, playing Harbhajan defensively from the crease, popped up a straightforward catch for VVS Laxman at silly point. It was Laxman's fourth catch of the innings. Matthew Hoggard lasted just one ball, caught off bat and pad by the substitute Connor Williams at short leg to give Harbhajan his fifth wicket.

He finished with 5 for 51, and on a day when many expected the seamers to dominate, seven wickets had fallen to spin and England had subsided to a mediocre total.

England opened their attack with Matthew Hoggard and James Ormond, and Deep Dasgupta got off the mark by clipping the latter to the fine leg boundary. He then drove Hoggard sweetly though mid-on for another.

After Dasgupta had clipped Hoggard behind square for two, he took four more off Ormond as Hussain chased unavailingly to the midwicket boundary. Mark Butcher was brought on as first change, and provided the breakthrough England desperately needed in his second over when Shiv Sunder Das left a delivery which hit his off stump. Anil Kumble entered the arena as nightwatchman, and by the close India had reached 24 for 1.

ENGLAND BATTING FADES AFTER PROMISING START

India took the initiative in the final session of play in the first Test against England at Mohali. Three wickets from the off-spinner Harbhajan Singh put the tourists into trouble at 230 for 8 after they had been well placed at 172 for 2.

England's run rate dropped substantially after the tea interval, although Andrew Flintoff got things moving in the first over of the final session, cutting Kumble for four to take the tourists to 212 for 4. Tinu Yohannan began with a maiden, and with Kumble kept a tight rein on England's batsmen. After playing and missing, firm-footed, at Yohannan, Flintoff managed to shake off the shackles by dispatching a long hop through extra cover and taking four more behind square.

A bowling change by Sourav Ganguly then paid immediate dividends as Mark Ramprakash, playing Harbhajan defensively across the line, was beautifully caught at silly point by Shiv Sunder Das for 17. 224 for 5 became 227 for 6 when Flintoff perished for 18, aiming to hit Harbhajan over the top and skying a catch to backward point.

Harbhajan missed out on his third wicket in three overs when wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta failed to gather a thin outside edge from Craig White. Harbhajan was not to be denied for long, dismissing debutant James Foster for a duck as he tried to sweep a ball from around his off stump. England had been reduced to 229 for 7. Kumble then dismissed White for five as he dabbed a late cut straight to Rahul Dravid at first slip without addition to the total. Richard Dawson looked perilously close to lbw off his first ball in Test cricket.

INDIA FIGHT BACK AFTER HUSSAIN LEADS THE CHARGE

England were 207 for 4 at tea on an enthralling first day of the first Test against India at Mohali. Despite an excellent innings of 85 from Nasser Hussain, three big wickets fell in the middle session to keep India's bowlers in the hunt.

Iqbal Siddiqui returned to the Indian attack in place of Tinu Yohannan in the 43rd over, and a half volley was struck with perfect timing to the extra cover boundary by Graham Thorpe. This delightful stroke was repeated in Siddiqui's next over as he overpitched again. But to his chagrin Thorpe was dismissed in the same over, flashing at a ball outside the off stump and giving a straightforward catch to VVS Laxman at second slip. Siddiqui had his first Test wicket, Thorpe had made 23 and England were 172 for 3.

Mark Ramprakash immediately made the most of a wide half volley from Harbhajan, driving it to the cover boundary. Hussain then advanced down the wicket to hit Harbhajan for four over mid-off, before being missed in the same over behind the stumps by Deep Dasgupta. An edge in Harbhajan's next over fell just short of Laxman at slip.

The England captain's response to adversity was aggressive. Twice he hit Harbhajan over the top, first for a magnificent six over extra cover long-off, and then a miscued swing over midwicket for three. Ramprakash took three more off Siddiqui as he pierced the covers again, and Harbhajan then made way for Anil Kumble. A single from Ramprakash brought up the 200, but Kumble then struck a vital blow, dismissing Hussain for 85, caught by Laxman at silly point off pad and bat as he pushed defensively forward.

With tea beckoning, Yohannan served up a juicy full toss, which Flintoff duly dispatched to the third man boundary. The tourists reached the interval on 207 for 4.

HUSSAIN LEADS BY EXAMPLE AS ENGLAND MARCH ON

England continued to progress well in the middle session of the first Test against India at Mohali, despite losing Marcus Trescothick for 66. Midway through the session the tourists had reached 160 for two, with Nasser Hussain unbeaten on 64.

England made a quiet start to the session, with just one sharp single for Nasser Hussain in Tinu Yohannan's first over after lunch. Harbhajan Singh switched ends for his second over, and Hussain pushed him backward of square on the off side for another single. There was a stifled appeal from Yohannan as Hussain played and missed outside the off stump. The next ball was dropped short and Hussain reached his 50 in fine style, pulling it to the boundary just in front of square. It is his eighteenth 50 in Tests, and came off 89 balls with 10 fours.

Trescothick swept a full-length ball from Harbhajan for a single, and Hussain then played and missed at two consecutive deliveries, possibly expecting more turn than than the pitch is currently providing. Yohannan dropped short again in his next over and was pulled fiercely through midwicket by Trescothick. The Somerset left-hander was then almost lbw as he left the next ball.

Trescothick moved to 65 by driving Harbhajan powerfully through extra cover off the front foot. An error of judgement led to his downfall in the next over, as he left a ball from Yohannan that held its line when Trescothick expected it to seam away. It sent his off stump cartwheeling. Trescothick had made a fluent 66 and England were 129 for 2. Graham Thorpe was then immediately hit in front by a no ball, and got away with an uppish hook for a single. Four leg byes followed off Harbhajan, and Hussain came down the wicket to take three to third man.

Three more followed in Yohannan's next over as Hussain squeezed him between gully and backward point, and Thorpe took a single from a misfielded cover drive. His first boundary came from a sweep off Harbhajan in the following over. Another Thorpe single brought up England's 150 in the 38th over, and an angled push to the third man boundary off Yohannan took Hussain to 64. An overpitched delivery was then dispatched with consummate ease by Thorpe through mid-off. Drinks were taken with England on 160 for 2.

ENGLAND IN COMMAND AT LUNCH IN MOHALI TEST

England recovered from the early loss of Mark Butcher to post an excellent total of 107 for 1 by lunch on day one of the first Test against India at Mohali.

India's captain Sourav Ganguly was soon forced to take a hard look at his bowling options as England dominated the first session, with some entertaining batting from Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain.

Sachin Tendulkar came on to bowl seamers in the 22nd over in place of Sanjay Bangar, and managed to stem the flow of runs with two consecutive maidens. Trescothick swept Kumble to fine leg for a single, and then reached the boundary with a similar shot off the same bowler to bring up England's 100 and reach his eighth Test match 50. It came off just 73 balls and included 11 boundaries.

Hussain brought up the century partnership with a delightful dab to the third man boundary off the miserly Tendulkar. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the sixth bowler used, bowling around the wicket in the 27th over. He had time for just one over before lunch as Nasser Hussain's team made a near-perfect start to the series.

TRESCOTHICK AND HUSSAIN GIVE ENGLAND STRONG START

After an uncharacteristically quiet start, Marcus Trescothick opened his shoulders at the end of the seventh over, driving a half volley from Tinu Yohannan through the covers for four. In his next over Yohannan came in for fiercer treatment, as Trescothick first cut and then straight drove consecutive boundaries.

In the tenth Iqbal Siddiqui was on the receiving end, as Nasser Hussain first cut and then on drove boundaries. After five overs Siddiqui made way for Sanjay Bangar, who immediately went for two more boundaries as England posted 50 in the twelfth over. Hussain drove the first through mid-off and clipped the second through midwicket.

The 50 partnership between Trescothick and Hussain came up off just 75 balls, with Hussain scoring the more freely of the two.

Anil Kumble came on for Yohannan in the 15th over, and Trescothick looked fortunate to survive an lbw appeal when he was hit on the toe and credited with four runs to third man. He celebrated with boundaries through extra cover and long on as England reached 70 for one at the end of an expensive first over for the leg-spinner. Hussain maintained the flow with two more off-side boundaries off Bangar. Kumble went for another in his second over as Trescothick pierced a packed off-side field. Hussain survived an appeal for a bat-pad catch at silly point, and after 17 overs England were 83 for 1.

ENGLAND LOSE BUTCHER AFTER INDIA WIN TOSS

India broke through in the very first over after putting England in to bat in the first Test at Mohali. Mark Butcher, after driving Tinu Yohannan through the covers for four, was caught at second slip by VVS Laxman off the same bowler from the fourth ball of the innings.

Nasser Hussain survived two early lbw shouts, and flexed his muscles with a delightfully cut boundary off a short, wide ball from Yohannan in the fifth over. At the end of it England were 18 for 1.

The Mohali Test, which looked in jeopardy for some time last week, was finally cleared over the weekend, a blessing for cricket fans everywhere.

On a pitch that looked a seamers paradise, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly won the toss and opted to give his fast bowlers first crack at the wicket. He has the resources to exploit the track; three debutant pacers -Tinu Yohannan, Iqbal Siddiqui, Sanjay Bangar - should be plenty to extract maximum advantage from the pitch.

England also fields two debutants. Richard Dawson and James Foster received their England caps in an on-field ceremony that the side has followed for long. Their captain Nasser Hussain, although perhaps a bit disappointed that his pacers could not bowl first on a fresh wicket, will undoubtedly be glad that the track is not a typical dusty sub-continental one.

The teams:

England: Nasser Hussain (capt), Mark Butcher, Marcus Trescothick, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash, Andrew Flintoff, Craig White, Richard Dawson, James Foster (wicket-keeper), Matthew Hoggard, James Ormond.

India: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Shiv Sunder Das, Deep Dasgupta (wicket-keeper), Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Bangar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Iqbal Siddiqui, Tinu Yohannan.