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IMAGES from Day 1 of the 4th Test played between India and England in Ranchi on Friday.
India unearthed a fresh pace talent in debutant Akash Deep but veteran Joe Root single-handedly kept England afloat with a tenacious hundred that shunned 'Bazball' for a more conservative approach as the visitors hobbled to 302 for 7 on the opening day of the fourth Test in Ranchi on Friday.
At stumps, the 33-year-old Root was unbeaten on 106 and had used up 226 deliveries during his classical Test knock.
Giving Root company was Ollie Robinson (31 not out).
The duo have put on an unbeaten 57-run partnership for the 8th wicket.
Root decided to drop anchor after Akash Deep rocked England in the first session, reverting to his natural style of playing the waiting game.
The move got him and England the desired results as he struck his first century in 15 innings.
With the sun playing hide and seek during the fag end of the day, the Yorkshire man hit the three-figure mark for the 31st time in his Test career, striking a classy cover-drive off Akash Deep.
It took him 219 balls to get there and the former skipper did not show much emotion, fully aware that his job was not yet done. A record 10 of his 31 Test centuries are against India and the latest one came at just the right juncture.
England are reeling from back-to-back losses in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot to trail the five-match series 1-2.
He hit nine fours in his innings and was a picture of determination, noticeably avoiding the sweep shot due to the variable bounce of the pitch.
The absence of rested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who had dismissed Root thrice in this series, also gave the Englishman some breathing space. He was happy to play the spinners on the back-foot and slice the field.
His biggest ally in England's splendid recovery was wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes (47 off 126 balls). The visiting side went through the second session without losing a wicket for the first time in the series.
The duo took their time and frustrated India by adding 86 runs in the post-lunch session when the wicket flattened out.
Post tea, Mohammed Siraj (2/60) gave the much-needed breakthrough dismissing Foakes three runs short of his half-century, caught by Ravindra Jadeja at short mid-wicket. The dismissal ended a 113-run sixth wicket partnership.
Siraj also dismissed Tom Hartley (13 off 26 balls) with a brilliant delivery that exhibited late movement off the pitch, crashing into the off stump.
Hartley had earlier narrowly avoided a catch by the second slip following an edge that didn't carry. Instead, it went past Yashasvi Jaiswal and reached the boundary rope.
He departed after scoring 13, which included a powerful six off Ravichandran Ashwin over long-on. Ashwin got the scalp of Jonny Bairstow, who made a quick-fire 38 off 35 balls.
Ben Foakes and Joe Root continued to keep the scoreboard moving post.
They brought up the 200 in the 63rd over before Foakes decided to up the ante and smacked Ravichandran Ashwin for 16 runs.
Earlier, Root took a trip back to his roots, producing a typical gritty unbeaten fifty, his first of the series, as England consolidated after losing five wickets in the opening session to reach 198 for five at tea.
The Yorkshire man remained unbeaten on 67 off 154 balls (7x4), while wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes played the perfect fiddle with a patient 108-ball 28 not out as the pair shunned the 'Bazball' approach in the session.
The England duo added 86 runs for the unbroken sixth-wicket stand as the visitors saw through the middle session without losing any wicket, a first for the visitors in this series.
After the frenetic first session when Bengal pacer Akash Deep had a dream debut taking three top-order English wickets in the first hour's play, Root and Foakes played a level-headed game and nudged the ball around as the wicket also flattened out.
Showing a sensible approach, Root curbed the sweep shots and reached a patient 108-ball fifty, after making 29, 2, 5, 16, 18, 7 across the last three Tests.
The absence the rested Jaspirt Bumrah, who had dismissed Root thrice in this series, also made life a lot easier for the premier England batter who was happy to play the spinners on the backfoot and slice the field.
Root and Foakes denied India a wicket in the second segment to drag England back into the contest.
Earlier, fast bowler Akash Deep bowled a dream opening spell on Test debut as India left England struggling at 112 for 5 at lunch on the opening day of the fourth Test.
The 27-year-old pacer, who hails from Bihar but came through the ranks playing domestic cricket in Bengal, hit the deck hard and aptly maneuvered the ball in both ways in a sensational bowling display in the first hour's play after Ben Stokes opted to bat.
Akash Deep, however, had to wait for a bit for his three-wicket burst of Ben Duckett (11), Ollie Pope (0) and Zak Crawley (42) in a span of 10 balls.
Akash Deep had figures of 3/24, while Ravichandran Ashwin (1/17) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) grabbed the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes respectively as England lost half of their side in 24.1 overs.
Akash Deep was right on the money from the start and even uprooted Crawley's off-stump in his second over of the day, but was guilty of overstepping.
But senior pacer Mohammed Siraj struggled to get his swing going as the English opening duo had it easy against him.
Crawley, in particular, counter-attacked Siraj smashing him for three consecutive boundaries and then pulled him over midwicket for a six.
From being dropped on 4, Crawley cruised to 32 off 32 balls, forcing Rohit Sharma to bring in spin -- Ravindra Jadeja -- from the far end.
But it was Akash Deep who seized the momentum in an eventful 10th over which produced two wickets and witnessed two reviews with one going India's way.
Akash Deep's maiden wicket was Duckett. He tempted the batter to nick the ball that nipped away slightly after pitching.
The credit for Akash Deep's second wicket a ball later should go to Dhruv Jurel as the wicketkeeper convinced Rohit to take a reivew.
Pope stepped out to Akash Deep but was beaten by an incoming delivery that hit him on the knee roll and on review he was given out, LBW.
Next ball, Root was also beaten with a ball that nipped back in as India took another review but it was outside the off-stump.
In the next over, Akash Deep returned to finally take the wicket of Crawley in an identical manner by hitting the top of the off-stump as he ended his opening spell with brilliant figures of 7-0-24-3.
Next ball, Root was also beaten with a ball that nipped back in as India took another review but it was outside the off-stump.
In the next over, Akash Deep returned to finally take the wicket of Crawley in an identical manner by hitting the top of the off-stump as he ended his opening spell with brilliant figures of 7-0-24-3.
Thereafter, there was a moment of semblance for England when Bairstow and Root consolidated in a 50-plus partnership.
Struggling for form, Bairstow hit some elegant boundaries (four) and hit a six before throwing his wicket away.
Bairstow was trapped in front by Ashwin while playing that dangerous sweep shot and India took another exceptional review.
The wicket handed Ashswin a rare feat as he became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets against England.
Jadeja then took the wicket of England skipper at the stroke of lunch.