An overcast morning welcomed both sides at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Wednesday, 1 August, as India began their gruelling five-match Test series against England.
India lost the toss and England decided to bat on a damp pitch. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav began the proceedings for India. The moist strip was giving enough assistance to the bowlers. While Ishant was moving the ball the enough, at the other end Umesh was going for runs. Umesh gave away 19 runs in his first three overs.
Mohd Shami and Hardik Pandya were yet to bowl but Kohli threw the ball to the side’s lone spinner – Ravichandran Ashwin. It was the seventh over and the game was yet to reach its first hour. With a slip and short leg at disposal, Ashwin started his English summer.
As India were trying to get off to a great start in England, Ashwin was fighting his own battle.
After losing his place in the limited-overs side to wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, things for the off-spinner went from bad to worse. Ahead of the first Test, there were murmurs that in-form Kuldeep might replace him in the longer format also.
Ashwin, who started experimenting with leg spin to stay relevant, had to conjure a great act to justify the faith shown by the team management.
His first over went for two but his second over mattered the most. After beating Cook for three balls, Ashwin drifted the last ball of the over into middle stump, while Cook played forward, but the ball gripped to spin past the outside edge and into the off stump.
It was a dream ball and Ashwin continued his domination over left handers in Test cricket. David Warner is at the top of his list, being dismissed by him nine times. Ashwin was never known for turning the ball viscously but this one did dip perfectly and Ashwin had Cook for the eighth time.
Another good thing about the ball was that it was an off-spin. Over the last few months, Ashwin was desperate to make his way back into the limited-over side. Not only did he change his bowling action, he also experimented a lot and started bowling leg-spin. So, this wicket is kind of a redemption for the spinner, and it is sweeter because it came with his most potent weapon.
After Cook’s wicket, we saw a different Ashwin, and like for most bowlers, it was a wicket in the first spell which turned the tide in Ashwin’s favour. In the entire innings his line and length were perfect. He ended the first innings with four wickets after giving 62 runs.
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