India vs England, Highlights, 1st Test at Chennai, Day 1, Full Cricket Score: Sibley departs in last over; Visitors 263/3 at Stumps

LBW!

A yorker from Bumrah does the trick. Sibley misses out on his century. Just lost his concentration a bit. England take the review but that’s plumb. A wicket in the final over of the day and that’s stumps. Sibley lbw b Bumrah 87(286)

After 89 overs,England 263/2 ( Dom Sibley 87 , Joe Root (C) 128)

Ashwin ends his day. Just two runs in this one. 89 done and just one over left in today’s play.

After 88 overs,England 261/2 ( Dom Sibley 86 , Joe Root (C) 127)

Bumrah continues and he bowls a maiden. The Indians players are just waiting to get done with the play. They want to start afresh again tomorrow, with a better plan to ensure England don’t post a big score. But the stage is set for the visitors to score a big one. We’ll have to see how the pitch behaves on Day 2.

After 87 overs,England 261/2 ( Dom Sibley 86 , Joe Root (C) 127)

Ashwin is back into the attack. Joe Root takes a single and gives the strike to Sibley who also takes a single to give the strike back to his skipper. Root goes for the cover-drive and it’s in the gap. Two runs for the captain. Root ends the over with a six and goes down with a cramp.

After 86 overs,England 251/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 118)

Any chance of Dom Sibley trying to reach the three-figure mark today? Nope. Not happening. He has made up his mind to play the remaining overs out, go back to the hotel, put his feet up, maybe enjoy a beer or two and call it a day with a smile. Just one run from Ishant’s over.

After 85 overs,England 250/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 117)

The commentators on TV are talking about Joe Root’s re-entry into the Fab Four category. He has started the new year on a brilliant note and now his career average is around 50. Fab Four became Fab Three and for a while, it was just Fab Two with only Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson in the bracket after Steve Smith’s suspension. Anyway, Root would be just happy that he’s having fun all over again.

After 84 overs,England 249/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 116)

Ishant Sharma to Sibley. Fifth-sixth stump line and there’s bounce for him but Sibley is not interested in playing the deliveries. A solid block to end the over. It’s a maiden.

After 83 overs,England 249/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 116)

Bumrah shares the new ball with Ishant. Root pushes the first ball through mid-wicket for two runs. After a long time, Root is beaten. In fact, twice. He shakes his head but also appreciates Bumrah. The two balls are good enough to dismiss him but not in this over.

After 82 overs,England 247/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 114)

Ok, India take the new ball. Swing for Ishant but the ball to Root is too wide. Both line and the length is not right from Ishant. He needs to make this new ball count. A four and a single from this over.

Whoa

Joe Root has now faced more balls in Tests in 2021 than he did in 2020, having played five fewer matches. #IndvEng

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 5, 2021

After 81 overs,England 242/2 ( Dom Sibley 85 , Joe Root (C) 109)

Ashwin continues. India decided against taking the new ball in this over. Probably they’ll take it in the next one. After a long time, we are seeing a ball turn and bounce but it not good enough to hurt England. The run-rate in the last four overs reads six. Another seven-run over.

After 80 overs,England 235/2 ( Dom Sibley 83 , Joe Root (C) 108)

Washington Sundar has bowled 12 overs today and he has conceded 55 runs. Both Sibley and Root faced no trouble when he was bowling and scored runs easily. Seven off it and we are done with 80 overs.

After 79 overs,England 228/2 ( Dom Sibley 83 , Joe Root (C) 101)

Ravichandran Ashwin is finally into the attack. Just one more over remaining before India can opt for the new ball so looks like Kohli will keep Ashwin in the spell with the new ball as well. Pant is trying his best to uplift his teammates’ spirits. The body language of the Indian players is off and we can imagine why.

Here are some mad Joe Root numbers

England players to score a century in their 100th Test:

Colin Cowdrey 
Alec Stewart 
Joe Root*

Most centuries for England against India across formats:

8 : Alastair Cook
8 : Joe Root*
7 : Kevin Pietersen

Most centuries among England batsmen in Asia in Tests/

9 : Alastair Cook
5 : Joe Root*
4 : Ken Barrington, Kevin Pietersen

After 78 overs,England 227/2 ( Dom Sibley 83 , Joe Root (C) 100)

Root brings up his century with a single to backward square-leg. What a player! His 100th Test and he celebrates it with a lovely century. This is the first innings of a four-Test series. If he continues his exceptional form then imagine what England could achieve in India. Take a bow, skip! Nine off the over.

After 77 overs,England 218/2 ( Dom Sibley 76 , Joe Root (C) 98)

Nadeem has bowled 20 overs so far for no wickets and conceding 69 runs. It has not been his day. Whatever Lasith Embuldeniya did against England in Sri Lanka, Nadeem is nowhere near it. Four off the over.

After 76 overs,England 214/2 ( Dom Sibley 72 , Joe Root (C) 98)

After a sweep to the boundary, Sibley tries to play the same shot but misses it. Bowler and fielders appeal for a LBW but umpire is not interested and Indians don’t take the review. Good decision because that one has pitched outside leg with Sundar coming round the wicket.

After 75 overs,England 209/2 ( Dom Sibley 67 , Joe Root (C) 98)

Virat Kohli keeps faith in Nadeem. Root is on strike and there’s a late cut to the boundary and a few blocks but no sweep shots. The England skipper is just two short of the three-figure mark. New ball is due in five overs.

After 74 overs,England 205/2 ( Dom Sibley 67 , Joe Root (C) 94)

Washington comes round the wicket to Sibley. The batsman tries to replicate his captain with a sweep shot but the leg slip is there to stop the ball. After a single, Root takes strikes and he hits it with the spin past mid-wicket for a four. the captain is now just six short of a terrific century. England also cross the 200-run mark.

After 73 overs,England 199/2 ( Dom Sibley 66 , Joe Root (C) 89)

Ok no rest for Nadeem. He continues his spell. Kohli, Ashwin and the bowler involved in an animated talk before the over, most of it is related to field settings on the leg-side. But it doesn’t matter as Root plays a switch-hit through third-man for a boundary. Now that shot is aggression mixed with banter. Played, skip! Another no-ball from Nadeem so one more ball is left. Root calls for a single and then says no. The throw is off target and the ball races to the ropes. More frustration for India.

After 72 overs,England 188/2 ( Dom Sibley 65 , Joe Root (C) 80)

Washington bowls three balls over the wicket. Virat is not happy so he indicated the spinner to come round the wicket to Sibley. But the batsman finds gap in the leg-side and gives the strike back to Root. Another single to end the over.

After 71 overs,England 185/2 ( Dom Sibley 64 , Joe Root (C) 78)

Short and wide from Nadeem to Root but the skipper doesn’t make it count. Root then goes for a weird slog sweep, the ball is in the air but falls in no man’s land near mid-wicket. He make amends with a brilliant sweep in the fourth ball. Crunched it though deep mid-wicket. Seven off the over and it’s time for Nadeem to take rest.

After 70 overs,England 178/2 ( Dom Sibley 64 , Joe Root (C) 71)

Root uses his feet to Sundar, pushes the ball on the off-side and takes a quick single. Tight line from Washington to Sibley but the batsman is happy with his blocks.

After 69 overs,England 177/2 ( Dom Sibley 64 , Joe Root (C) 70)

Sibley comes down the track to Nadeem’s tossed up delivery. He plays the drive but it is straight to the fielder. This is much better line from the spinner, bringing the short cover and short point into the game. The batsman is trying to break free but couldn’t find the runs in this over. A maiden.

After 68 overs,England 177/2 ( Dom Sibley 64 , Joe Root (C) 70)

Washington Sundar now has the ball and he starts off with a bad one. Easy pickings for Root who enjoys playing sweep shots like a child enjoys eating candies. Another sweep from the England skipper for two more runs. Six off the over. Kohli looks frustrated with Nadeem’s fielding effort at fine-leg. Rahane would never show these emotions on the field. Not saying what Kohli does is wrong.