England's captain Alastair Cook plays a shot as India's Ajinkya Rahane looks on during the first day of first cricket Test match between India and England at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot. Pic/AFP

Rajkot:  Excellent batting by Joe Root and Moen Ali helped England post 311/4 in their first innings on the opening day of the first cricket Test against India here on Wednesday.