Star Metro - India's Reddy strikes twice to rock England

England were 83-2 at lunch on the first day, having won the toss and decided to bat, with Reddy dismissing openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in his first over on the way to impressive figures of 2-15 in five overs.

Ollie Pope, nearly dismissed first ball, was 12 not out with Joe Root unbeaten on 24.

Much of the pre-match talk had focused on the return of Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, after he was rested for India's 336-run thrashing of England at Edgbaston last week that levelled the five-match series at 1-1.

But it was Reddy, the fourth seamer deployed by India captain Shubman Gill on Thursday, who broke through.

With his third ball, he had left-hander Duckett (23) well caught down the legside by diving wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant off a gloved pull.

Next ball, the often skittish Pope almost fell for a duck when he threw his bat at an outswinger, with Gill just unable to hold a tough chance low to his right in the gully.

But Reddy still transformed England's 43-1 into 44-2 with the last ball of the 14th over as Crawley fell for 18.

A superb full-length delivery swung late and straightened off the pitch before taking the outside edge of Crawley's bat to give Pant a simple catch.

Earlier England captain Ben Stokes, criticised for opting to field at Edgbaston, decided to bat first after winning the toss in sunny conditions.

But there was still some moisture in a green-tinged pitch with Bumrah beating Duckett's outside edge in the first over of the match.

Crawley several times got away with charging down the pitch to Akash Deep, who took a brilliant 10-wicket match haul in the second Test.

The Kent opener responded with classy cover drives from Deep deliveries off both the front and back foot as he survived a testing first hour.

But shortly after the drinks break, England's steady start was undone to leave Pope and Root a rebuilding job in the afternoon session.

A.Landry--SMC