The China Mail - Jaiswal leads India's reply after attacking 70 from Stokes

The hosts were 119-1 at stumps in Hyderabad and trailing England by 127 runs, with skipper Rohit Sharma (24) the sole wicket.

Jaiswal, on 76 off 70 balls, and Shubman Gill, on 14, were batting at close of play.

Left-hander Jaiswal reached his fifty in 47 balls with a boundary off debutant Tom Hartley, whose bruising introduction to Test cricket saw him leak 63 runs from nine overs.

Rohit walked back dejected after mistiming a shot off left-arm spinner Jack Leach, Stokes completing the catch in the deep.

But Jaiswal stood firm with Gill for company to keep India odds-on for a first-innings lead.

Stokes top-scored with 70 after the visitors opted to bat first, sticking to their ultra-attacking "Bazball" strategy to counter India's renowned home-turf spin prowess.

England had lost regular wickets until Stokes took charge and lifted the total, smashing six fours and three sixes.

He also put together key lower-order stands with Hartley (23) and Mark Wood (11) before he was finally bowled by paceman Jasprit Bumrah after tea in the final wicket of the innings.

England had started the day briskly, with Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20) putting on an opening stand of 55, with regular boundaries off Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

England reached 41-0 in eight overs before spin was introduced, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin eventually taking three apiece.

Duckett fell lbw in the next over to Ashwin, who broke a breezy opening stand.

Crawley gifted Ashwin a second wicket when the tall opener hit the ball to mid-off and Siraj took a low catch.

Jonny Bairstow hit 37 in a partnership of 61 with Joe Root, who made 29.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel bowled Bairstow soon after lunch to roaring cheers from the home crowd.

Jadeja got Root caught at short fine-leg after the veteran batsman mistimed a sweep and trudged back to the pavilion.

The start of India's innings witnessed a security breach when a fan barged onto the pitch to touch Rohit's feet before being hauled away by security.

U.Chen--ThChM