4th Test: Jaiswal, Gill take India to 34/1 after Root remains unbeaten on 122 in England's 353

Ranchi, Feb 24 (IANS) Young batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill remained not out on 27 and 4 respectively to lead India to 34/1 at lunch on day two’s play in the fourth Test at the JSCA International Stadium, after Joe Root remained unbeaten on 122 in England’s first innings score of 353, here.

As of now, England are leading over India by 319 runs, with Jaiswal giving a settled look and the pitch not showing much tricks. In response to England’s 353, India lost captain Rohit Sharma early after he pushed forward to a length ball from James Anderson and got a healthy nick behind to keeper Ben Foakes.

Jaiswal, the leading run-scorer in the series, was cautious against fast-bowlers early on, and even survived an outside edge due to playing with soft hands off Robinson. He then played back-to-back fours – via drive and whip off pads – against Anderson, before giving the same treatment to Robinson in the last over before lunch.

Earlier, resuming from 302/7, England added 51 runs, with Ollie Robinson making 58, also his maiden half-century in the format. But they lost their last three wickets for six runs in the span of 17 balls, two of which were picked by Ravindra Jadeja to be India’s stand-out bowler with 4-67. From being 112/5 at lunch on day one, England will be satisfied to get a total above 350.

Day two’s morning began with Robinson resuming from 31 not out and flicking Mohammed Siraj for a boundary. Shortly after, India took the second new ball, but Robinson continued to churn out boundaries – cutting, driving and pulling Akash Deep for three boundaries.

Robinson got his maiden Test fifty with a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja over square leg going for four. But the left-arm spinner had the last laugh as Robinson attempted to reverse-sweep which brushed his glove before going through to the keeper Dhruv Jurel, who took a sharp low catch, ending his 102-run partnership with Root.

Three balls later, Shoaib Bashir went for a wild slog off Jadeja, but the leading edge was snapped by backward point. Anderson was the last man to fall after being adjudged lbw in an attempt to sweep Jadeja, with Root’s 122 not out being the highlight of England’s first innings.

Brief Scores: England 353 in 104.5 overs (Joe Root 122 not out, Ollie Robinson 58; Ravindra Jadeja 4-67, Akash Deep 3-83) lead India 34/1 in 10 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 27 not out; James Anderson 1-15) by 319 runs