Kuldeep Yadav showcased his prowess by claiming five wickets, helping to dismiss England for a total of 218 in the opening day of the fifth Test at Dharamsala Stadium on Thursday.
Yadav's impressive figures of 5-72, combined with Ravichandran Ashwin's four wickets in his 100th Test, restricted the tourists to just 57.4 overs.
As the day unfolded, India's batsmen exhibited strength, reaching 135-1 by stumps, albeit trailing England by 83 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma, at 52, and Shubman Gill, at 26, stood firm at the close of play, with the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing 57 before falling victim to spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Jaiswal's entertaining innings saw him surpass 1,000 runs in only his 16th Test, making him the second-fastest Indian to achieve this milestone after Vinod Kambli.
The resilient left-hander struck three sixes in an over against Bashir, consolidating his position as the leading run-scorer in the series with 712 runs. The 104-run opening stand between Jaiswal and Gill laid a strong foundation for India.
England, opting to bat first, witnessed Zak Crawley's promising start with 79 runs, but the batting order collapsed from 175-3. Jonny Bairstow, in his 100th Test, and captain Joe Root contributed 29 and 26 runs, respectively, before Kuldeep Yadav's bowling prowess dismantled their innings. England lost five wickets for eight runs in a span of seven overs, with veteran seamer James Anderson just two wickets away from joining the elite 700 Test wickets club.
India's bowlers, led by Kuldeep Yadav, turned the tide after losing the opening Test, securing an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. The picturesque Dharamsala stadium witnessed an eventful day of cricket, setting the stage for an intriguing remainder of the Test match.
