England was 67 for 2 at lunch on the first day of the first cricket test against India on Friday, losing both wickets late in the opening session.

Dominic Sibley was on 26 and captain Joe Root, playing in his 100th test, 4 not out.

India struck twice in the last 30 minutes of the morning session as England was pegged back from a healthy start.

Openers Sibley and Rory Burns (33) had batted with a patient approach to see off the new ball.

Burns was dropped on the first ball of the four-test series. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant failed to latch on a tough chance going down the leg side off Jasprit Bumrah (1-17).

Burns and Sibley added 26 runs in the first hour. Later, their 50-run partnership came off 119 balls and overall, they put on 63 runs for the first wicket.

Root became the 15th English cricketer to feature in a century of tests.

England made four changes from its last test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Rory Burns replaced injured opener Zak Crawley and Jofra Archer came in for Mark Wood.

Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope replaced Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow, who have been rested for the first half of this series.

India made three changes from its last test against Australia in Brisbane which capped a 2-1 series win.

Skipper Virat Kohli returns to lead the side after a six-week paternity leave for the birth of his first child, a daughter.

The hosts went with three spinners. Washington Sundar retains his spot while left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem comes in for pacer Shardul Thakur.

Nadeem was a late inclusion to the India squad after all-rounder Axar Patel complained of pain in his left knee late on Thursday.

Veteran pace bowler Ishant Sharma also returns to the side after missing the Australian series due to injury and rehabilitation.

The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium has a sprinkling of grass on it, but it is mostly to bind the surface together than to help out the fast bowlers.

It is the first time international cricket has returned to India since the coronavirus pandemic began nearly a year ago.

Root was a spare batsman on England’s 2012 tour of India. His teammate, Jos Buttler, was appearing in his 50th test.

“This wicket will deteriorate and we want to make good use of it in the first innings,” Root said.

Source: AP