India lost the wicket of Virat Kohli in the final over of the day but still finished strong at 99/3, trailing England by just 13 in the first innings after Day 1 of the Pink Ball Test. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added 64 runs for the third wicket but it was spinner Jack Leach, who broke the crucial partnership to bring some joy back in the England camp towards the end of the day. After England were bundled out for a paltry 112 in the second session. Earlier, hometown boy Axar Patel and seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had a field day as India bowled with discipline. Both Kohli and Rohit showcased smart batting skills in the final session under lights after India lost opener Shubman Gill (11) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) in quick succession.
While Rohit looked sublime during his 12th Test fifty, Kohli too batted with grit to put England on the backfoot. But Leach broke the flourishing partnership as India's performance took a dip after a power-packed show in the first two sessions. Rohit Sharma is still out there on 57 alongside Ajinkya Rahane (1*). Earlier, England all-rounder Ben Stokes mistakenly applied saliva on the ball after the completion of the 12th over of the India innings. As a precautionary measure against coronavirus, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned using saliva to shine the cricket ball. However, the players are allowed to use sweat as an alternative to shine the ball. Stokes' mistake saw the umpire stise the ball before the action resumed. A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings for the use of saliva, but repeated use will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side, according to the ICC.
