IND vs ENG 1st Test: India reach 222/3 at lunch on day 2

KL Rahul (Pic: File Pic)

KL Rahul's unruffled fifty formed the fulcrum as India reached 222 for three at lunch to close the gap, despite England spinners producing a better effort, on the second day of the first Test here on Friday.

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are still on the crease as India resumes from their day one's 119 for one wicket. The hosts now trail England by 24 runs. Ben Stokes-led England were bowled out for 246 in their first inning on the opening day of IND vs ENG 1st Test.

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Rahul looked well settled and he seemed to have a lot of confidence in him after the hundred he scored against South Africa at Centurion.

The conditions at the RGI Stadium were vastly different from the SuperSport Park but no less challenging, especially with England tweakers settling into an improved rhythm.

But, Rahul held his ground firmly with his technical correctness coming to the fore against both spinners and pacer, helping India to make 103 runs at 3.81 runs per over.

The Bengaluru man used his ballet-dancer feet well to meet Tom Hartely's delivery midway to smote it through the long-on for a boundary.

If that showed his light footwork, his impeccable timing was on view when he punched pacer Mark Wood through the covers for a four.

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Rahul's ability to improvise was there for all to see when he paddle-pulled Wood for a four behind square leg, and he soon brought up his 14th Test fifty with a single off Joe Root.

On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer shouldered Rahul and made a 63-run stand for the ongoing fourth wicket, but was not entirely comfortable, especially when Wood tested him with a few short-pitched balls.

The hosts started the second day of the IND vs ENG 1st Test with the fall of the wicket of their opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal on the fourth ball of the the first over.

Jaiswal biffed a four through long-on in the second ball of that over but his attempt for an encore two balls later resulted in a tame return catch to Root.

England were understandably delighted after that wicket because an extended stay for Jaiswal would have further pushed them to the backfoot.

Gill, the other overnight batter, too could not kick on as his attempt to swat Hartley ended in the hands of Ben Duckett at mid-wicket, giving the left-arm spinner his maiden Test wicket.

(With PTI Inputs)