 "Ahead of India-Pakistan clash, Asia Cup organisers reportedly forced to take drastic measure over slow ticket sales")
 "Hong Kong suffer second straight loss as Bangladesh begin Asia Cup campaign with seven-wicket win")
Preview: India will look to apply themselves better when the hosts will take on a confident England in the second Test match at the ACA-VDCA cricket stadium here on Thursday. India who looked nearly invincible on the home pitches with the ingenuity of spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, accuracy of Ravindra Jadeja and experience of leg-spinner Amit Mishra, were cornered and were forced to play for the draw in the opening Test. [caption id=“attachment_3109650” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Virat Kohli and Alastair Cook. AP[/caption] India’s batting line-up failed to rise to the challenge when they needed 310 at a run-rate of just over five on a fifth-day track. While Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara came up with a century each in the first innings, Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane failed to respond. But the Virat Kohli-led side can take good things from this as, despite losing early wickets, he along with lower-order batsmen Ashwin, stumper Wriddhiman Saha and Jadeja took India out of the woods and managed a draw. The latest addition of in-form opener Lokesh Rahul, who was sidelined from the first Test squad due to an injury, will also give a big boost to the team confidence as Gambhir, who replaced an injured Shikhar Dhawan in the New Zealand series, failed to gave the hosts the start they wanted in both the innings against England. Commenting on the choice of openers, captain Kohli hinted that Rahul might play in place of Gambhir. “We are pretty clear in our mind that KL (Lokesh Rahul) is our number one choice along with Murali Vijay. and when he is fit at any stage he will come back in the team and we will start with him,” Kohli said at the pre-match media conference. “We are waiting for him to get fit as soon as possible and in the meantime Gautam got the chances and he played really well in the different situations and that’s how team combinations go.” “I cannot give any pointers about what we are going to do, all possibilities… You might see a few surprises in the team.” The bowling department, which has been firmly put in its place by Kohli against New Zealand, also looked a bit lost against England as it failed to put the pressure on the English opening duo of Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed. Mohammad Shami’s fitness once again came into the limelight after he suffered a hamstring cramp in the first innings and as a result England posted a mammoth 537. Along with Shami, who bowled in the second innings, Umesh Yadav, Mishra and Ashwin have to bowl the disciplined line and take wickets in order to come back strongly in the next match. Hence, after a nervous draw at the sporting wicket in Rajkot, the hosts will now be hoping to keep things simple and repeat what they have been doing over the last two home series. On the other hand, England, who came to India after the lacklustre performance against minnows Bangladesh, somehow managed to put things together against Anil Kumble-coached side. Promising opener Hameed as well as Joe Root along with skipper Cook and Moeen Ali have impressed the critics who had predicted them to be tormented by the Indian spin attack. In terms of batting, England seemed much more stable than the hosts as their four players – Cook, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes – slammed centuries as compared to India’s two. The bowling department, which created problems for Indian batsmen throughout the match also filled the team with confidence after the inclusion of star pacer James Anderson. He had missed the first Test due to injury. Going into the match, the visitors hold psychological advantage against the hosts but they have few loopholes to work on to take a crucial lead in the five-Test series. Squads: India: Virat Kohli (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Karun Nair, Hardik Pandya, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Lokesh Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav England: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jake Ball, Gary Balance, Gareth Batty, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Duckett, Steven Finn, Haseeb Hameed, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.
India vs England, 2nd Test, Day 1, Highlights: Pujara, Kohli tons put hosts on top
India, who looked nearly invincible on the home pitches, were cornered in the first Test and were forced to play for the draw.
 "India vs England, 2nd Test, Day 1, Highlights: Pujara, Kohli tons put hosts on top")
Our cricket expert Ayaz Memon discusses the day’s play in our Firstpost Gameplan.
150! Kohli brings up his one fifty with a single through covers.
After 86 overs,India 309/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 147 , Ajinkya Rahane 21)
Cook’s plan of persisting with spin doesn’t seem to work. Both Kohli and Rahane are rotating the strike without any risks and look at home. India cross the 300-run mark in the 84th over. Missed chance? Not quite. Ansari bowls it on leg stumps from round the wicket, Kohli goes for the flick, miscues and the ball lands just short of both the bowler and Cook at silly mid off. Yikes, Rahane goes for a pull, didn’t commit fully and the ball beats the mid wicket fielder and the batsmen run 3. We are past the regulation closing time, but England still have to bowl another 4 overs and have 30 minutes to do so.
After 81 overs,India 296/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 140 , Ajinkya Rahane 15)
Stokes tries the slower one, Kohli waits for it and cuts it through cover point for a boundary. Ansari comes back into the attack in the 79th over. Just a single off his 9th over. A loud appeal at the cusp of 80th over. The umpire says not out and England review. It pitched outside off, the impact was also in line but Kohli survives due to umpire’s call. Needs to practice the reverse sweep a bit more, maybe? New ball is available, but the visitors haven’t opted for it yet.
After 76 overs,India 283/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 130 , Ajinkya Rahane 12)
India have gained the momentum again. Kohli still looks a tad aggressive. He thumped one through point for four off Rashid and then flicked one behind square leg for four off Stokes. He’s kept the scoreboard ticking. Stokes was brought back and he had a loud shout for an LBW turned down against Rahane. Rahane looked to turn it to the leg side but missed and it looked like height was a problem. Rahane then got into the act as he guided one through the slips region for four. He then rocks back and cuts one through point for four off Moeen. Moeen has been on the shorter side so far and deservedly punished. 24 runs off the last 5 overs.
Variable bounce for Anderson on Day 1:
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 17, 2016
70.1 - pitched 7.6m from Kohli, passed stumps at 58cm
70.2 - 6.8m, 65cm
70.3 - 8.4m, 48cm#INDvENG
Pujara in Tests since the reported "talk": 62, 78, 87, 4, 41, 101*, 124, 18 and 119. Form. #INDvENG
— Jamie Alter 🇮🇳 (@alter_jamie) November 17, 2016
After 71 overs, India 259/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 117 , Ajinkya Rahane 1)
Kohli is all at ease and taking easy singles. But Rahane is looking a tad scratchy. England bowlers are extracting some extra bounce. Rahane looks to cut one off Anderson but is beaten by the extra bounce and one rips off the surface off Rashid and Rahane leaves it alone at the last moment. There has been some uneven bounce on this track. One stays pretty low off Anderson, Kohli somehow gets his bat down in time to defend it with an underedge to the leg side. The floodlights have started taking effect. Anderson has found the rhythm, he then beats Kohli’s outside edge with a lovely outswinger. England need to build sustained pressure now.
OUT! Anderson finally provides some relief for England. Pujara departs. C Pujara c Bairstow b Anderson 119 (204b 12×4 2×6)
An uncharacteristic shot from the Saurashtra batsman. It’s a touch short and wide from Anderson, Pujara, without any feet movement, looks to slash but gets an outside edge to the keeper who makes no mistake. Anderson lets out a loud roar of relief. Kohli pats Pujara on the back as he trudges back. The 226-run stand is broken.
Ajinkya Rahane is the new batsman.
After 66 overs,India 244/2 ( Cheteshwar Pujara 115 , Virat Kohli (C) 107)
England bring Anderson into the attack with Kohli on 99. The pacer troubled him the most in 2014. But Indian skipper calmly worked it through the off side and ran two to bring up his 14th Test. A half hearted lbw appeal by Bairstow off Rashid. The umpire looks disinterested and the visitors don’t review, rightly so because replays showed that it hit only his bat. Cook and Co gift 4 runs to Pujara. The batsman just pushes it to mid wicket for a single, Ansari tries to run out Kohli with a direct throw at striker’s end, misses and the ball runs past the keeper and the slip fielder for a four.
VIRAT KOHLI now has a 100s/50s ratio of 1.076 (14/12) - the 2nd best for any player in Tests after Don Bradman's 2.230 (29/13). #INDvENG
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) November 17, 2016
CENTURY! Kohli pushes it on the off side and takes a double off Anderson to bring up his ton. It’s his 14th 100.
3rd century in 3 Tests for Pujara, all on venues hosting their first Test - Indore, Rajkot, Vizag. #IndvsEng
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 17, 2016
After 61 overs,India 227/2 ( Cheteshwar Pujara 107 , Virat Kohli (C) 98)
Lots of milestone after tea. Pujara gets to his 10th ton with a six and also brings up the 200-run stand. Kohli is on 98.
Pujara in this home season
— JSK (@imjsk27) November 17, 2016
62, 78, 87, 4, 41, 101*, 124, 18, 106 batting
621* runs @ 88.7#INDvENG
Pujara gets to his century with a six. It's been that kind of day for India and England. #INDvENG #VizagTest
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) November 17, 2016
Three centuries in a row for Pujara...he sure knows how to make the good form count. Well played 😊👍🙏👏💯
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 17, 2016
Pujara vs England at home -
— Nikhil Mane 🏏🇦🇺 (@nikhiltait) November 17, 2016
Average 97.85
Centuries 4#INDvENG
CENTURY! Pujara brings up his tenth ton off 144 balls with a six over deep mid wicket.
Dog stops play - no, really! Two guards give chase & the umpires call tea with India 210-2! Is it this one we met earlier?! 🐶 #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/kASD01sTIb
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 17, 2016
Tea has been taken, with the canine refusing to leave the field
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) November 17, 2016
Live: https://t.co/RUdiqDlljM #INDvENG
Dog is chased out of the field, only for it to return to the pitch moments later
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) November 17, 2016
Live: https://t.co/RUdiqDlljM #INDvENG
Meanwhile, a dog has halted play at Vizag.
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) November 17, 2016
Live: https://t.co/RUdiqDlljM #INDvENG
My 2 favourite Indian batsmen were @sachin_rt & @VVSLaxman281.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 17, 2016
This guy is right up there with them: @imVkohli.
Just sublime. #INDvENG
After 54 overs,India 203/2 ( Cheteshwar Pujara 92 , Virat Kohli (C) 89)
Ansari comes back into the attack in the 49th over and Pujara hits a six and four off consecutive balls. Both Kohli and Pujara have started attacking more now. 46 off the last 6 overs.
150-run partnership comes up between Kohli and Pujara. Indian No4 completes completes it with a four to fine leg.
After 48 overs,India 157/2 ( Cheteshwar Pujara 67 , Virat Kohli (C) 68)
Moeen bowls it short and outside off and Pujara punishes it with a pull to deep midwicket for a four. Stokes bowling from round the wicket, expecting a lot of bouncers now. Indian skipper runs a double to bring up team 150. Stokes continues with the short ball ploy for the first four balls before reverting back to over the wicket.
After 43 overs,India 139/2 ( Cheteshwar Pujara 56 , Virat Kohli (C) 61)
Pujara drives Stokes through covers to bring up his 11th Test fifty. Moeen Ali comes into the attack. Pujara cuts Stokes in his 7th over and runs three. Huge shout for LBW off Ali’s bowling, Tucker turns it down. England review it and the impact was outside off, decision stays. Adil Rashid drops Kohli on 56 at fine leg. And it’s drinks.
This is the first 100+ stand bw Pujara & Kohli in their last 19 inngs together.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) November 17, 2016
They had 3 100+ stands in their first 10 inngs. #INDvENG
FIFTY! Pujara hits a cracking drive through covers off Stokes to bring his 11th Test fifty. He and Kohli also complete their 100-run stand with the shot.
'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report
Jasprit Bumrah was rested for fifth Test against England at The Oval Workload management was believed to be the reason behind Bumrah's absence The pacer, however, reportedly has a knee injury, a BCCI official claimed in a report.
More Impact Shorts "Charlie Kirk, shot dead in Utah, once said gun deaths are 'worth it' to save Second Amendment")
 "From governance to tourism, how Gen-Z protests have damaged Nepal")
 "Did Russia deliberately send drones into Poland’s airspace?")
 "Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages: Qatar PM after Doha strike")
 "Charlie Kirk, shot dead in Utah, once said gun deaths are 'worth it' to save Second Amendment")
 "From governance to tourism, how Gen-Z protests have damaged Nepal")
 "Did Russia deliberately send drones into Poland’s airspace?")
 "Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages: Qatar PM after Doha strike")
Top Shows
