Hyderabad: India lorded over England on the opening day of the five-match Test series here on Thursday.
The trio of spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin (3/68), Ravindra Jadeja (3/88) and Axar Patel (2/33) — first combined well to dismiss England for 246.
Yashasvi Jaiswal then went all guns blazing to race to a strokeful unbeaten 76 off just 70 balls, which included 9 fours and 3 sixes, as India reached 119/1 at stumps.
Skipper Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 24 after he skied left-arm spinner Jack Leach to be caught by his opposite number Ben Stokes.
Keeping Yashasvi company was Shubman Gill, who was unbeaten on a watchful 14.
Opting to bat first at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, England got off to a brisk start, with openers Zack Crawley (20) and Ben Duckett (35) putting 50 on the board the 12th over.
But once the spinners were introduced, England were pushed to the back foot as they slumped from 55 without loss to 60/3. Joe Root (29) and Jonny Bairstow (37) stitched a 61-run partnership before the spinners struck successive blows.
At 155/7, England were staring at a sub-200 total. But skipper Ben Stokes (70), with some help from the tailenders, took England to 246.
Brief scores
England 246 all out in 64.3 overs (Ben Stokes 70, Jonny Bairstow 37, Ben Duckett 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3/68, Ravindra Jadeja 3/88, Jasprit Bumrah 2/28, Axar Patel 2/33).
India 119/1 in 23 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 75 batting).
Match to continue on Day 2.
