Virat Kohli’s plan of including three spinners seemed to be working as the Indian bowlers picked six wickets in 30 overs on the first Day of Motera Test. The red soil pitch is helping the spinners. It’s dry, but the pitch has a lot of pace and bounce, so it is difficult for batsmen to stay in the crease to play even defensive shots.
Right after Tea, Ashwin came on to bowl to an England side which was already in some trouble. England’s score was 81-4 when the off-spinner bamboozled Ollie Pope. Ashwin bowled three off-spinners in the over and Pope was waiting for the fourth ball to turn the same way, but intelligently, Ashwin rolled his fingers and bowled a straighter one, which conned the batsman.
Here is the video of the wicket:
India’s spinners are rattling the English batsmen. Even Ben Stokes is back in the pavilion. England’s score was 94-7 in 36 overs at the time of filing this report.